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Is β‐endorphin significant in the control of the male sexual response?
Author(s) -
Ückert Stefan,
Becker Armin J.,
Bannowsky Andreas,
Stief Christian G.,
Kuczyk Markus A.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
andrologia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.633
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1439-0272
pISSN - 0303-4569
DOI - 10.1111/and.13049
Subject(s) - tumescence , sexual arousal , penis , medicine , erectile tissue , endocrinology , erectile dysfunction , anatomy , sexual behavior , clinical psychology
It has been assumed that β‐endorphin, belonging to the family of opiodergic neuropeptides, might facilitate the inhibition of the male sexual response; however, its role in the control of the penile erectile tissue remains to be elucidated. This study aimed to evaluate in healthy men the course of β‐endorphin in the systemic and cavernous blood through different stages of sexual arousal. Thirty‐four (34) men were exposed to erotic stimuli to induce penile tumescence and rigidity. Blood was aspirated from the corpus cavernosum and a cubital vein during the penile conditions flaccidity, tumescence, rigidity and detumescence. Plasma levels of β‐endorphin were determined by means of radioimmunometric methods. The effects of β‐endorphin on isolated human penile erectile tissue were investigated in vitro. β‐endorphin did not induce a contractile response of the cavernous tissue or reverse the contraction induced by noradrenaline. β‐endorphin decreased in the systemic blood when the penis became tumescent and rigid and increased during detumescence. In the cavernous blood, no alterations in β‐endorphin concentrations were observed. The drop in β‐endorphin observed during tumescence and rigidity seems likely to reflect the inhibition of the opioidergic input with the beginning of sexual arousal.