The chemical behind the smell of flatulence and rotten eggs helps men become aroused, according to a recent laboratory study. Hydrogen sulphide (H
2S) causes erections in rats and may one day lead to a new Viagra alternative for men.
The smelly gas that gives rotten eggs their odor has been found to “play a key role in giving men erections, ” reports
The Independent. It said the scientists who made the discovery believe it could lead to the development of a new impotence drug. These results come from a study that used erectile tissue from men whose penises had been removed as part of sex-change surgery. It found that small amounts of hydrogen sulphide causes “certain muscle cells to relax, allowing blood to flow more freely into the penis, leading to an erection.”
The penis is packed with spongy tissue that produces an erection when it fills with blood. Nitric oxide (NO) helps relax the walls of arteries that supply the penis, allowing extra blood to flow in. Viagra works by blocking an enzyme that destroys NO.
H
2S has recently been shown to relax the walls of major blood vessels too. Now Giuseppe Cirino at the University of Naples Federico II in Italy and his colleagues have found enzymes that produce H
2S in human penile tissue. Injecting this tissue with H2S dilated the blood vessels, while injecting it into the penises of live rats produced erections.
Professor Cirino said it seemed certain that the gas was partly responsible for the erection process and this could lead to a new drug.
He added: "This may help to unravel the complex mechanisms underlying the physiology of human penile erection and may lead to the development of therapeutic approaches in the treatment of erectile dysfunction and sexual arousal disorders."
Dr Graham Jackson, chairman of the Sexual Dysfunction Association, said the development of a new impotence drug would be welcome.
"There is certainly a need for an alternative to Viagra. It is only about 60% effective in people with diabetes and 80% to 85% effective for the general population."
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