PP.41.10

Abstract

Objective: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI), coupled with the transdermal iontophoretic delivery of acetylcholine (ACh), in the assessment of penile microvascular function. Additionally, we tested systemic microvascular function using both LSCI and ACh iontophoresis in the forearm. Design and method: We assessed cutaneous endothelium-dependent microvascular reactivity in the penis and forearm of healthy volunteers (aged 56.6 ± 1.0 years, n = 26), at rest and 60 minutes following the oral administration of the phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor, sildenafil (SIL, 100 mg). LSCI was coupled with the iontophoresis of ACh, using increasing anodal currents of 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 μA, during 10 second intervals spaced 1 minute apart. Results: Basal skin microvascular flow in the penis increased significantly following SIL (P = 0.0014) administration. The endothelium-dependent skin microvascular vasodilator responses induced by ACh were also significantly enhanced following SIL administration for each of the following parameters: the peak values of cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC, P < 0.0001), the increases in CVC (P < 0.0001) and the area under the curve for ACh-induced vasodilation (P = 0.0094). Conclusions: LSCI appears to be a promising noninvasive technique in the evaluation of penile microvascular endothelial function. This methodology may be valuable in the evaluation of penile microvascular reactivity among patients with cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, as well as the effectiveness of drugs used to treat vasculogenic erectile dysfunction.