• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.143-153
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• 2023

Objective: Men's sexual health plays an important role in male fertility and childbearing, as it is associated with factors such as sexual desire, healthy spermatogenesis, and erectile function. In various cultures, medicinal plants have been utilized to address male sexual issues, including infertility and erectile dysfunction. Despite recent advancements in medical science for treating male impotence, some men opt for herbal supplements as an alternative, given that numerous herbs have the potential to enhance male sexual performance. The Apiaceae family is one of the oldest plant families used for medicinal purposes. Ferula, a genus within this family, comprises approximately 170 different species worldwide. Members of this genus possess numerous therapeutic properties due to the presence of various compounds. This article aims to explore the potential impacts of Ferula plants on the male reproductive system. Methods: This review article was prepared by searching for terms including Ferula and "aphrodisiac," Ferula and "spermatogenesis," and Ferula and "male reproductive system." Relevant information was gathered through electronic databases, including ISI Web of Knowledge, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Results: The findings indicated that relatively comprehensive studies have been conducted in this area, revealing that certain Ferula species have been employed in folk medicine to boost fertility and libido. Recent research has corroborated these effects. Conclusion: It is hoped that new aphrodisiac compounds with fewer side effects can be isolated from Ferula plants in the future.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.139-146
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• 2009

Objectives : This study was conducted to investigate the effect of HTE001, a multi-herbal mixture consisting of 10 herbs, Cornus Frutus, Schizandrae Fructus, Rubi Fructus, Cnidi Fructus, Acanthopanacis senticosi Radix, Cinnamomi Cortex, Eucommiae Cortex, Allii Bulbus, Rehmanniae Radix and Ginseng Radix, on electrostimulation-induced penile erection in rats. Methods : Intracavernous pressure (ICP) and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) were simultaneously monitored through electric stimulation of the cavernous nerve after the oral administration of HTE001 (30, 100, 300 mg/kg) in normal rats. Statistical analysis was performed on maximal intracavernous pressure (ICP), maximal intracavernous pressure/mean arterial blood pressure (ICP/MAP) ratio, and the area under the curve (AUC) of ICP/MAP ratio. Results : Oral administration of HTE001 300 mg/kg caused the ICP to increase in a frequency-dependent manner. And HTE001 300 mg/kg treatment group showed the highest value in the ICP/MAP ratio and the AUC value of the ICP/MAP ratio compared to the control group at 2 Hz, 6 Hz and 10 Hz, respectively without an effect on the mean arterial blood pressure under the same stimulation of the cavernous nerve. Conclusions : These results show that HTE001 improve penile erection and prolong the decay period in normal rats without affecting mean arterial blood pressure, and suggest that HTE001 could be a good therapeutic candidate to treat erectile dysfunction.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.405-412
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• 2016

Illegally adulterated compounds, such as impotency drugs and their synthetic analogues, which have been purported to enhance sexual potency or mood, have been constantly detected in foods including dietary supplements. The adulterated foods with these illegal compounds may threaten public health because their safety and efficacy have not been verified. This study was aimed at investigating illegal compounds in foods and counterfeit products. 54 illegal compounds were assayed using a simultaneous analytical method involving liquid chromatography equipped with photo diode array (LC-PDA) and LC coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The method was validated in terms of selectivity, linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), precision and accuracy. In 48 of 161 samples, we identified 7 different illegal compounds, including sildenafil, tadalafil, chlropretadalafil, demethylsildenafil, dimethyl-thiosildenafil, icariin and yohimbine. When purchasing products marketed for erectile dysfunction or aphrodisiacs, ulmost care should be taken owing to the possible presence of these illegal compounds.

• Translational and Clinical Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.153-156
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• 2017

UI14SDF100CW is a chewable tablet of sildenafil citrate, which was developed to improve compliance through convenience of administration. The purpose of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetic (PK) properties of sildenafil citrate chewable tablets (UI14SDF100CW) and conventional sildenafil citrate film-coated tablets ($Viagra^{(R)}$, Pfizer). A randomized, open-label, single dose, two-treatment, two-period, two-way crossover study was conducted in 60 healthy male volunteers. In each period, the subjects received a single oral dose of UI14SDF100CW or $Viagra^{(R)}$ (both tablets contain 140.45 mg of sildenafil citrate, which is equivalent to 100 mg of sildenafil). Serial blood samples were collected up to 24 h post-dose for PK analysis. The plasma concentration of sildenafil was determined using a validated HPLC-MS/MS assay. PK parameters of sildenafil were calculated using non-compartmental methods. The plasma concentration-time profiles of sildenafil in both formulations were similar. For UI14SDF100CW, the $C_{max}$ and $AUC_{last}$ of sildenafil were $1068.69{\pm}458.25$ (mean${\pm}$standard deviation) mg/L and $3580.59{\pm}1680.29h{\cdot}mg/L$, and the corresponding values for $Viagra^{(R)}$ were $1146.84{\pm}501.70mg/L$ and $3406.35{\pm}1452.31h{\cdot}mg/L$, respectively. The geometric mean ratios (90% confidence intervals) of UI14SDF100CW to $Viagra^{(R)}$ for $C_{max}$ and $AUC_{last}$ were 0.933 (0.853-1.021) and 1.034 (0.969-1.108), respectively, which met the bioequivalence criteria of Korean regulatory agency. In conclusion, UI14SDF100CW and $Viagra^{(R)}$ showed similar PK properties. Therefore, UI14SDF100CW can be an alternative to sildenafil for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, providing better compliance.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.278-282
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• 1998

Various neurotransmitters have been proposed as possible mediators of penile erection. Especially, norepinephrine and serotonin might have a important role in sexual arousal and penile erection. And it could be hypothesized that the psychogenic impotence is associated with the depletion or imbalance of norepinephrine and serotonin from evidences, such as the symptomatic manifestation of depression and the antidepressantinduced sexual dysfunction. The authors investigates the association of norepienphrine and serotonin with psychogenic impotence. The psychogenic impotent group(PIG) consisted of twenty-three patients with psychogenic impotence and the controlled group(CG) consisted of twenty-seven patients without psychogenic impotence. PIG had no organic cause accounting for their erectile dysfunction. The Beck Depression Inventory(BDI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory(STAI) were applied to each subject to assess mood, state anxiety(SA) and trait anxiety(TA). Plasma norepinephrine level from systemic blood and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid(HIAA) levels from 24-hours urine were measured in each subject. The mean score of BDI of PIG was significantly higher than that of CG(p=0.015). PIG had a tendency of higher TA compared with CG(p=0.054). And also SA was higher in PIG, but did not show significant difference(p=0.193). The level of norepinephrine was significantly lower in patient with psychogenic impotence(p=0.000). And the level of 24-hours urine 5-HIAA was lower in PIG but did not show significant difference(p=0.494). Although the authors did not exclude depressive disorders in PIG, the present findings suggest that psychogenic impotence might have higher depressive mood and trait anxiety, and be associated with the depletion of norepinephrine in systemic blood.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.50-53
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• 2012

After success of sildenafil for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, a large number of its analogues have been approved from FDA. Recently, the illegal dietary supplements which include sildenafil, vardenafil, tadalafil, or analogues of these drugs as ingredient have been widely distributed. Therefore, the determination of the residue of synthetic phosphodiesterase- 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors in dietary supplements is highly required due to indiscriminate and unintentional overdose caused nausea, chest pains, fainting and irregular heartbeat. In this paper, we report a rapid and sensitive analytical method for the simultaneous determination of nine phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors by liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry. The present method was found to be accurate and reproducible with 40 ${\mu}g$/g of the limit of quantification for the nine PDE-5 inhibitors. The developed method can be successfully applied to the analysis of the seven illegal dietary supplements.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.39-44
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• 2017

The venome of Phoneutria nigriventer spider has been shown to have side effects including severe painful erections that last for hours. PnTx2-6, a toxin from P. nigriventer spider venom, modulates voltage gated $Na^+$ channels and activation of nitric oxide (NO) production. NO is essential for the regulation of blood flow and pressure. Therefore, PnTx2-6 is expected to be effective not only for erectile dysfunction but also for cardiovascular diseases. A previously has reported cDNA clone for PnTx2-6 toxin, which was expressed in E. coli cytoplasm. We created the same clone and expressed it in a bacterial expression system. PnTx2-6 increased the genes expression of superoxide dismutase 1, glutathione peroxidase 1, and sulfiredoxin 1. We hypothesized that recombinant PnTx2-6 may indirectly regulate blood flow and pressure, resulting in NO production in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). These data suggest differential regulation of the vascular ageing process, which may contribute to the anatomic heterogeneity of atherosclerosis. The results of this study may be used for the emergency treatment of sudden cardiovascular disease caused by ageing.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2013

Objectives : This article is a study on to which categories of modern diseases blood stasis patterns are assigned and the meaning of blood stasis interpreted with perspectives of Korean Medicine and modern medicine. Methods : We reviewed "Neijing", "Shanghanlun", "Yilingaicuo", "Xuezhenglun" and other books and modern clinical papers related with blood stasis. Results : 1. Blood stasis patterns are related with disorders of hemorrheology, hemodynamics, platelet function, microcirculation, microelements and endothelial damage. 2. From the types of syndrome differentiation, diverse diseases classified in type of qi deficiency with blood stasis and type of blood stasis due to qi stagnation are reported, which reflects qi and blood are closely connected. And many diseases are classified in type of kidney deficiency with blood stasis, which has something in common with chronic diseases can achieve effect from treatment considering blood stasis. 3. Diseases related with kidney involve menopausal disorder, mazoplasia, prostatitis, erectile dysfunction, chronic nephritis, renal calculus, osteoporosis and bursitis. Diseases related with heart involve coronary artery disease, arrhythmia and cerebral thrombosis. Diseases related with spleen involve gastritis, colonitis and digestive organ ulcer. Diseases related with liver involve hepatitis, hyperthyroidism and stroke. Diseases related with lung involve neurodermatitis, bronchitis and paranasal sinusitis. Conclusions : Blood stasis pattern which is one of the areas to draw medicine's attention has broad clinical application.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.169-174
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• 2008

This study examined the mechanisms underlying the effects of the vasorelaxation active substance(VAS), dimethyladenosine-5'-L-arabinose, and its partial purification fraction on nitric oxide synthase in improving erectile dysfunction with particular focus on the nitric oxide (NO)-cGMP pathways. Two rat models, 9-month-old SD rats and 11-month-old SD rats, were given VAS(40 mg/kg per day) for 4 days, The aqueous fraction of silworm male pupae extract; semi-purified VAS(100 mg/kg per day) for 10 days, respectively. The NOS activities of the following three enzymes were examined: neuronal NO synthase(nNOS), inducible NOS(iNOS), endothelial NOS(eNOS), vascular endothelial growth factor on endothelial cells(VEGF) and anti-inflammation effect of Tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$. The results showed increases in the nitric oxide synthase activities. Western blotting of the tissue homogenate showed an increase in the nNOS level in the brain and tongue, and an increase in the endothelial NO synthase(eNOS) level in penis. However, there was little association with VEGF production in HUVEC endothelial cells and no relationship with TNF-$\alpha$ which showed low levels.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.225-234
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• 2017

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of sexual health program for men with rectal cancer resection based on sexual function, self-esteem, depression, and marital intimacy. Methods: Using a quasi-experiment design, the intervention group (n=32) participated in the sexual health program based on PLISSIT (Permission, Limited Information, Specific Suggestions, Intensive Therapy) model. They received the program three times between August 2014 and March 2015. The comparison group (n=30) received a general educational program for rectal cancer. Four survey questionnaires such as International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), Self-Esteem Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depressing Scale (CES-D), Marital Intimacy were used to measure the four key variables. Results: After the sexual health program, the intervention group showed statistically positive effect for the sexual function (F=4.14, p=.046), self-esteem (F=16.71, p<.001), depression (F=12.56, p=.001), and marital intimacy (F=12.45, p=.001) than the comparison group. Conclusion: Sexual health program should be consistently provided for men with rectal cancer resection since the intervention group reported better self-esteem, less depression, more intimacy and better sexual functioning.