[Erectile response to intracavernous injection of linsidomine in 38 impotent patients. Comparison with prostaglandin E1].

OBJECTIVE

To test the effects of intracavernous injection of Linsidomine, an NO donor, and to compare the results to those obtained after injection of PGE1.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

38 subjects with erectile insufficiency received an intracavernous injection of 10 micrograms of PGE1, followed by an intracavernous injection of 1 mg of linsidomine at least 3 days later. The erectile response after linsidomine was compared to that obtained after PGE1. 21 patients were investigated by Duplex ultrasound after each injection.

RESULTS

Linsidomine induced complete rigidity in 4 subjects considered to suffer from psychogenic impotence (versus 11 subjects with PGE1) and 1 subject considered to suffer from arterial disease (versus 8 subjects with PGE1). The maximal systolic velocities recorded after linsidomine were significantly correlated with those measured in the same subject after PGE1. The resistance index was not modified after linsidomine injection.

CONCLUSION

Our study confirms the impact of linsidomine on the local mechanisms of erection. It shows that linsidomine is much less effective than PGE1, but nevertheless has a place in the therapeutic armamentarium of impotence.