Do penile haemodynamics change in the presence of hydrogen sulphide (H 2 S) donor in metabolic syndrome‐induced erectile dysfunction?

Summary Erectile dysfunction (ED) is defined in relation to the metabolic syndrome (metS). Hydrogen sulphide (H 2 S), a gasotransmitter, has been revealed to get involved in hypertension, insulin secretion and regulation of vascular tone especially in erectile physiology. This study aimed to investigate the effect of H 2 S on metS‐induced ED. Animals were divided into two groups as control and metS, which were fed with standard diet or 60% high‐fructose diet for 10 weeks respectively. The metS model was evaluated with biochemical analyses, waist circumference/tibia length ratio and HOMA index. Penile hemodynamic parameters were evaluated by the measurement of intracavernous pressure/mean arterial pressure ratio during cavernous nerve stimulation in the presence and absence of intracavernous injection of NaHS (100 μg/50 μl) and its control 0.9%NaCl (50 μl) in both groups. H 2 S levels were measured in penile tissues by methylene blue assay. H 2 S levels were significantly decreased in the penile tissues of the metS group. Decreased intracavernous pressure/mean arterial pressure ratio improved after intracavernous administration of NaHS in the metS group. These results suggest the significant role of H 2 S in the metS‐induced erectile dysfunction that could be a new therapeutic target.