The role of nitric oxide in the mechanism of penile erection.

This paper aimed to evaluate the significance of nitric oxide (NO) in the physiology of the penis. Pudendal arteries and penile cavernous tissue of the Macaca nemestrina pertaining to NO were examined in the view of molecular biology and physiology. The results showed that potential resources of NO were in the neuron, sinusoidal endothelium and corporal smooth muscle cells of the penis. NO exerted a host of functional roles by binding with specific molecular targets. It was concluded that NO exerts a significant role in physiology, especially in the microcirculation of the penis, as the principal mediator of erectile function.