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Erectile dysfunction drugs: Difference between revisions
Expand mechanism of action + other minor changes
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=== Medical uses === | === Medical uses === | ||
In addition to erectile dysfunction, sildenafil is used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension in men and women.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sildenafil (oral route) - Side effects & dosage |url=https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/sildenafil-oral-route/description/drg-20066989 |access-date=2025-11-06 |website=Mayo Clinic |language=en}}</ref> | In addition to erectile dysfunction, sildenafil is used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (a type of high blood pressure) in men and women.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sildenafil (oral route) - Side effects & dosage |url=https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/sildenafil-oral-route/description/drg-20066989 |access-date=2025-11-06 |website=Mayo Clinic |language=en}}</ref> | ||
=== Mechanism of action === | === Mechanism of action === | ||
Sildenafil | Sildenafil increases blood flow (vasodilation) by inhibiting the enzyme phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sildenafil |url=https://go.drugbank.com/drugs/DB00203 |access-date=2025-11-06 |website=go.drugbank.com |language=en}}</ref> Sildenafil and other PDE5 inhibitors do not cause erections without sexual arousal, and do not increase arousal. Sildenafil also inhibits PDE5 elsewhere in the body, particularly the lungs, and can cause systemic vasodilation. | ||
Erections occur when spongy tissue in the penis (the corpora cavernosa and corpus spongiosum) fill with blood, expand, and become rigid. The erectile tissue is surrounded by smooth muscle that is tonically (usually) contracted, and the muscle must relax (vasodilation) for sufficient blood to enter the penis. During arousal, the body increases production of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), a molecule that triggers smooth muscle relaxation. Sildenafil increases the amount of cGMP in the corpora cavernosa by protecting cGMP from degradation by PDE5. Sildenafil has a similar molecular shape to cGMP and can bind strongly to PDE5, blocking cGMP from entering the enzyme's active site. | |||
== Appeal<!-- Describe the reasons why people use this drug with kink. --> == | == Appeal<!-- Describe the reasons why people use this drug with kink. --> == | ||