Abstract
The therapeutic range of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors (PDE5) inhibitors is getting wider in the last years. This review study focuses on the potential employment of PDE5 inhibitors as an adjunct tool for the therapeutic management of male infertility. The literature tends to suggest a beneficial effect of PDE5 inhibitors on Leydig and Sertoli cells secretory function. It also appears that PDE5 inhibitors play a role in the regulation of the contractility of the testicular tunica albuginea and the epididymis. Moreover, scientific data suggest that PDE5 inhibitors enhance the prostatic secretory function leading to an improvement in sperm motility. Other studies additionally demonstrate the role of PDE5 inhibitors in the regulation of the sperm capacitation process. Placebo-controlled, randomized, blind studies are necessary to unambiguously incorporate PDE5 inhibitors as an adjunct tool for the pharmaceutical treatment of semen disorders and male infertility.
Keywords: Spermatozoa, testis, epididymis, phosphodiesterase, prostate, seminal vesicles, PDE5 inhibitors.
Current Pharmaceutical Design
Title:The Effect of PDE5 Inhibitors on the Male Reproductive Tract
Volume: 27 Issue: 23
Author(s): Nikolaos Sofikitis*, Aris Kaltsas, Fotios Dimitriadis, Jens Rassweiler, Nikolaos Grivas, Athanasios Zachariou, Apostolos Kaponis, Panagiota Tsounapi, Napoleon Paterakis, Andreas Karagiannis, Sotirios Skouros, Ioannis Giannakis, Ioannis Champilomatis, Minas Paschopoulos, Diamantis Daphnis, Ioannis Giakoumakis, Melinda R.Gabales, Jo Ben M. Chua, Pedro L. Lantin III, Charalampos Mamoulakis and Atsushi Takenaka
Affiliation:
- Department of Urology, Ioannina University School of Medicine, Ioannina,Greece
Keywords: Spermatozoa, testis, epididymis, phosphodiesterase, prostate, seminal vesicles, PDE5 inhibitors.
Abstract: The therapeutic range of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors (PDE5) inhibitors is getting wider in the last years. This review study focuses on the potential employment of PDE5 inhibitors as an adjunct tool for the therapeutic management of male infertility. The literature tends to suggest a beneficial effect of PDE5 inhibitors on Leydig and Sertoli cells secretory function. It also appears that PDE5 inhibitors play a role in the regulation of the contractility of the testicular tunica albuginea and the epididymis. Moreover, scientific data suggest that PDE5 inhibitors enhance the prostatic secretory function leading to an improvement in sperm motility. Other studies additionally demonstrate the role of PDE5 inhibitors in the regulation of the sperm capacitation process. Placebo-controlled, randomized, blind studies are necessary to unambiguously incorporate PDE5 inhibitors as an adjunct tool for the pharmaceutical treatment of semen disorders and male infertility.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Sofikitis Nikolaos *, Kaltsas Aris , Dimitriadis Fotios , Rassweiler Jens , Grivas Nikolaos , Zachariou Athanasios , Kaponis Apostolos , Tsounapi Panagiota , Paterakis Napoleon , Karagiannis Andreas , Skouros Sotirios , Giannakis Ioannis , Champilomatis Ioannis , Paschopoulos Minas , Daphnis Diamantis , Giakoumakis Ioannis , R.Gabales Melinda , M. Chua Ben Jo , Lantin III L. Pedro, Mamoulakis Charalampos and Takenaka Atsushi , The Effect of PDE5 Inhibitors on the Male Reproductive Tract, Current Pharmaceutical Design 2021; 27 (23) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1381612826666200226121510
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1381612826666200226121510 |
Print ISSN 1381-6128 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-4286 |

- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Myocardial Energetics in Left Ventricular Hypertrophy
Current Cardiology Reviews Effect of Cabergoline on Cognitive Impairments in Transgenic <i>Drosophila</i> Model of Parkinson’s Disease
Letters in Drug Design & Discovery Statins and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness Reduction: An Up-to-Date Review
Current Medicinal Chemistry Organoselenium Compounds in Cancer Chemoprevention
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Pregnancy, Programming and Preeclampsia: Gap Junctions at the Nexus of Pregnancy-induced Adaptation of Endothelial Function and Endothelial Adaptive Failure in PE
Current Vascular Pharmacology Selective Serotonin Re-Uptake Inhibitors for the Treatment of Depression in Coronary Artery Disease and Chronic Heart Failure: Evidence for Pleiotropic Effects
Cardiovascular & Hematological Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Executive Function and Diabetes Mellitus - A Stone Left Unturned?
Current Diabetes Reviews The Future of Collateral Artery Research
Current Cardiology Reviews AMPK as a New Attractive Therapeutic Target for Disease Prevention: The Role of Dietary Compounds AMPK and Disease Prevention
Current Drug Targets In vivo Optical Molecular Imaging of Cardiovascular Diseases: Long Road Ahead
Current Molecular Imaging (Discontinued) Stem Cell Regenerative Potential Combined with Nanotechnology and Tissue Engineering for Myocardial Regeneration
Current Stem Cell Research & Therapy Leptin-Induced Endothelial Dysfunction: A Target for Therapeutic Interventions
Current Pharmaceutical Design Effects of Oxymatrine from Ku Shen on Cancer Cells
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Editorial [Hot Topic: Why Apoptosis in Pediatric Disorders?]
Current Pediatric Reviews Conventional (Continuous) EEG Monitoring in the NICU
Current Pediatric Reviews Pentraxins: CRP and PTX3 and Cardiovascular Disease
Inflammation & Allergy - Drug Targets (Discontinued) MicroRNAs and Bone Regeneration
Current Genomics Apoptosis Induction by Thalidomide: Critical for Limb Teratogenicity but Therapeutic Potential in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis?
Current Molecular Pharmacology Use of Insulin and Insulin Analogs and Risk of Cancer — Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies
Current Drug Safety Changes in Market Share of Biologic and Targeted Synthetic Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs for Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Results from the Ontario Best-Practice Research Initiative Database
Current Rheumatology Reviews