Implantation of a penile prosthesis in men with complicated fibrosis of corpus cavernosum is very difficult and even impossible. Cavernosal dilation requires sharp intracavernosal dissection to implant prosthesis, however complete removal of the fibrotic tissue is often impossible. We introduce a new technique using electric resection and electrovaporization of fibrotic tissue for implantation of penile prosthesis in a patient with severe corporeal fibrosis.

In this study, we investigated the effect of dopamine receptor agonists on potassium channels' activity and their signal transduction pathway in corporal smooth muscle cells. We used cultured human corporal smooth muscle cells. The whole cell and cell-attached configuration of the patchclamp technique were used for electrophysiological recordings, and enzyme immunoassay was used for measuring cyclic AMP (cAMP) and cyclic GMP levels. Extracellular application of 10 lM dopamine and apomorphine significantly increased whole-cell K þ currents by 283.5±55.7% (at þ 60 mV; n ¼ 12, Po0.001), 292.4±58.8.0% (at þ 60 mV; n ¼ 9, Po0.005), respectively. We confirmed that the increase in whole-cell currents was mainly due to activation of the tetraethylammonium-sensitive large conductance Ca 2 þ -activated K þ channels (BK Ca channels). Enzyme immunoassay indicated that dopamine and apomorphine stimulates cAMP levels in corporal smooth muscle cells in a concentration-dependent fashion. The activation of BK Ca channels by dopamine receptor agonists in corporal smooth muscle cells might be one of the mechanisms in inducing penile erection.

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