Abstract Research on penile smooth muscle physiology has increased the number of drugs available for treating erectile dysfunction.
Penile erection involves the relaxation of smooth muscle in the corpus cavernosum.
Both papaverine and sildenafil belong to the class of phosphodiesterase inhibitors. Penile smooth muscle contraction, induced by adrenergic fibres through a 1 adrenoceptors, causes detumescence, thus making a adrenoceptor antagonists suitable for maintenance of penile erection. European Journal of Endocrinology Download the FULL TEXT of this article in Acrobat PDF format. If you have not previously downloaded PDF files we suggest you access our Advice page for further information. European Journal of Endocrinology Return to the Contents List - Vol.