Oral L-Citrulline Supplementation Improves Erection Hardness in Men With Mild Erectile Dysfunction

Cormio, Luigi; Siati, M. De; Lorusso, Fabrizio; Selvaggio, Oscar; Mirabella, Lucia; Sanguedolce, Francesca; Carrieri, Giuseppe

doi:10.1016/j.urology.2010.08.028

Cited by 81 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 14 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…(Chen et al ., 1999) reported significant improvement in sexual function when ED patients characterized by relative L‐arginine deficiency (L‐arginine/ADMA elevated), were treated with L‐arginine supplementation in combination with phosphodiesterase type s (PDE‐5) inhibitors. Quite recently, the oral supplementation with arginine or citrulline (which escapes intestinal or liver metabolism, enters the kidneys and is rapidly converted into L‐arginine) has been also proposed to patients with mild ED and in heart failure (Cormio et al ., 2011; Orozco‐Gutierrez et al ., 2010), thus providing the rationale for oral L‐citrulline supplementation as a donor for the L‐arginine/NO pathway in patients with endothelial dysfunction. From the results of our study, we can speculate that only a subgroup of ED patients, ED AR with elevated ADMA, might benefit from L‐arginine or L‐citrulline supplementation.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) and L‐arginine in patients with arteriogenic and non‐arteriogenic erectile dysfunction

et al. 2012

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Summary The plasma concentration of asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA), an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, has been linked to endothelial dysfunction. We investigated the relation between ADMA, symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) and L‐arginine concentrations and erectile dysfunction. We compared plasma levels of ADMA, SDMA and L‐arginine in 61 men in good health with erectile dysfunction of arteriogenic and non‐arteriogenic origin. Diagnosis of erectile dysfunction was based on the International Index of Erectile Function Score and its aetiology was classified with penile echo‐colour‐Doppler in basal condition and after intracavernous injection of prostaglandin E1. The ADMA and SDMA concentrations were significantly higher in men with arteriogenic erectile dysfunction compared with those with erectile dysfunction of non‐arteriogenic origin (p < 0.05) and the concentrations in both subgroups were significantly higher than in controls (p < 0.001). There was a negative correlation between ADMA and International Index of Erectile Function Score only in arteriogenic erectile dysfunction subgroup. L‐arginine did not differ significantly neither between the two erectile dysfunction subgroups (p > 0.05) nor between each of the two erectile dysfunction subgroups and controls (p > 0.05). The L‐arginine/ADMA and the L‐arginine/SDMA ratios in arteriogenic erectile dysfunction subgroups were significantly lower than both in controls (p < 0.05) and in non‐arteriogenic erectile dysfunction patients (p < 0.05); the two ratios in non‐arteriogenic erectile dysfunction patients did not differ from those in the controls (p > 0.05). We conclude that ADMA and SDMA concentrations are significantly higher and L‐arginine/ADMA ratio lower in patients who have arteriogenic erectile dysfunction compared with both patients with non‐arteriogenic erectile dysfunction and controls. The negative correlation between ADMA and severity of erectile dysfunction is present only in patients with arteriogenic erectile dysfunction. This study supports the importance to always distinguish arteriogenic from non‐arteriogenic erectile dysfunction patients to study the complicate erectogenic mechanisms that lead to erectile dysfunction and also to provide potential therapeutic agents for patients with arteriogenic erectile dysfunction.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) and L‐arginine in patients with arteriogenic and non‐arteriogenic erectile dysfunction

et al. 2012

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Recently, Cormio et al . [49] have shown that oral L-citrulline supplementation improves erection hardness in men with mild erectile dysfunction. Another study revealed that supplementation of L-citrulline prevents hyperoxia-induced lung injury in newborn rats [11].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

L-citrulline supplementation reverses the impaired airway relaxation in neonatal rats exposed to hyperoxia

Sopi¹,

Zaidi²,

Mladenov³

et al. 2012

Respiratory Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundHyperoxia is shown to impair airway relaxation via limiting L-arginine bioavailability to nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and reducing NO production as a consequence. L-arginine can also be synthesized by L-citrulline recycling. The role of L-citrulline supplementation was investigated in the reversing of hyperoxia-induced impaired relaxation of rat tracheal smooth muscle (TSM).MethodsElectrical field stimulation (EFS, 2–20 V)-induced relaxation was measured under in vitro conditions in preconstricted tracheal preparations obtained from 12 day old rat pups exposed to room air or hyperoxia (>95% oxygen) for 7 days supplemented with L-citrulline or saline (in vitro or in vivo). The role of the L-citrulline/L-arginine cycle under basal conditions was studied by incubation of preparations in the presence of argininosuccinate synthase (ASS) inhibitor [α-methyl-D, L-aspartate, 1 mM] or argininosuccinate lyase inhibitor (ASL) succinate (1 mM) and/or NOS inhibitor [Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester; 100 μM] with respect to the presence or absence of L-citrulline (2 mM).ResultsHyperoxia impaired the EFS-induced relaxation of TSM as compared to room air control (p < 0.001; 0.5 ± 0.1% at 2 V to 50.6 ± 5.7% at 20 V in hyperoxic group: 0.7 ± 0.2 at 2 V to 80.0 ± 5.6% at 20 V in room air group). Inhibition of ASS or ASL, and L-citrulline supplementation did not affect relaxation responses under basal conditions. However, inhibition of NOS significantly reduced relaxation responses (p < 0.001), which were restored to control level by L-citrulline. L-citrulline supplementation in vivo and in vitro also reversed the hyperoxia-impaired relaxation. The differences were significant (p <0.001; 0.8 ± 0.3% at 2 V to 47.1 ± 4.1% at 20 V without L-citrulline; 0.9 ± 0.3% at 2 V to 68.2 ± 4.8% at 20 V with L-citrulline). Inhibition of ASS or ASL prevented this effect of L-citrulline.ConclusionThe results indicate the presence of an L-citrulline/L-arginine cycle in the airways of rat pups. L-citrulline recycling does not play a major role under basal conditions in airways, but it has an important role under conditions of substrate limitations to NOS as a source of L-arginine, and L-citrulline supplementation reverses the impaired relaxation of airways under hyperoxic conditions.

show abstract

“…It is of interest that the 1.5 g of L-citrulline used as one dosage in the previously mentioned study was the same daily dosage found to be effective in 1-month crossover trial of men with mild to moderate ED [148]. A total of 24 men (mean age is 56.5 AE 9.8 years) took 1.5 g of L-citrulline a day or placebo for 1 month.…”

Section: L-citrullinementioning

confidence: 97%

Nutraceuticals for Fertility and Erectile Health: A Brief Overview of What Works and What Is Worthless

Moyad

2014

Men's Sexual Health and Fertility

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Oral L-Citrulline Supplementation Improves Erection Hardness in Men With Mild Erectile Dysfunction

Cited by 81 publications

References 14 publications

Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) and L‐arginine in patients with arteriogenic and non‐arteriogenic erectile dysfunction

Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) and L‐arginine in patients with arteriogenic and non‐arteriogenic erectile dysfunction

L-citrulline supplementation reverses the impaired airway relaxation in neonatal rats exposed to hyperoxia

Nutraceuticals for Fertility and Erectile Health: A Brief Overview of What Works and What Is Worthless

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About