Pathological Significance of Macrophages in Erectile Dysfunction Including Peyronie's Disease

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Erectile function is regulated by complex mechanisms centered on vascular- and nerve-related systems. Hence, dysregulation of these systems leads to erectile dysfunction (ED), which causes mental distress and decreases the quality of life of patients and their partners. At the molecular level, many factors, such as fibrosis, lipid metabolism abnormalities, the immune system, and stem cells, play crucial roles in the etiology and development of ED. Although phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors are currently the standard treatment agents for patients with ED, they are effective only in a subgroup of patients. Therefore, further insight into the pathological mechanism underlying ED is needed to discuss ED treatment strategies. In this review, we focused on the biological and pathological significance of macrophages in ED because the interaction of macrophages with ED-related mechanisms have not been well explored, despite their important roles in vasculogenic and neurogenic diseases. Furthermore, we examined the pathological significance of macrophages in Peyronie's disease (PD), a cause of ED characterized by penile deformation (visible curvature) during erection and pain. Although microinjury and the subsequent abnormal healing process of the tunica albuginea are known to be important processes in this disease, the detailed etiology and pathophysiology of PD are not fully

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

Browse all related research

Filter the research library by this study's title keywords, author, or publication year.