Phosphodiesterase isoenzymes as pharmacological targets in the treatment of male erectile dysfunction

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Based on the increasing knowledge of intracellular signal propagation in cavernous smooth muscle tone regulation, which is of major importance to the understanding of both the physiology of erection and the pathophysiology of erectile dysfunction, selective phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors have recently been introduced in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. The first promising clinical data on the use of the orally active PDE5 inhibitor Sildenafil in the treatment of erectile dysfunction were accompanied by boosting research activities on cavernous intracellular signal transduction and phosphodiesterase characterization with the aid of molecular biology and protein chemistry. The presence of mRNA transcripts specific for 14 different human phosphodiesterase isoenzymes and isoforms in human cavernous tissue was shown by RT-PCR: Three isogenes of PDEI, PDE2A and 10A, which hydrolyse cAMP as well as cGMP, the cAMP-specific PDE3A, four isogenes of PDE4, PDE7A and PDE8A, as well as cGMP-specific PDEs PDE5A and PDE9A. Using anion exchange chromatography, the activities of PDE isoenzymes 2, 3, 4, and 5 were detected in cytosolic supernatants of human cavernous smooth muscle. To date, the efficacy and safety of several next generation PDE5 inhibitors for use in the treatment of male erectile dysfunction are under evaluation in vitro and in vivo. Further research will possibly allow identification of diagnostic tools for erectile dysfunction and of even more selective drugs in its therapy.