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C Carani

Publications and source records attributed to C Carani.

75 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

ACTH 1-17 effects in psychogenic impotence.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of repeated administrations of ACTH 1-17 (Syncrodyn 1-17) on sexual and endocrine function in men with psychogenic impotence. Twenty adult impotent men from 21 to 48 years volunteered for this study; organic causes of erectile impotence were excluded in each subject. Ten subjects were treated with ACTH 1-17 (100 micrograms i.m. daily for 15 days during 6 consecutive months), whereas saline was injected in the control group (10 subjects) following the same protocol. Clinical and endocrine evaluation were performed before and at the end of treatment. Serum levels of LH, FSH, PRL, testosterone (T) and cortisol were measured by RIA methods. To investigate diurnal rhythms of T and cortisol, blood samples were taken at 0800 and at 1800. In ACTH 1-17-treated men a significant improvement in sexual function was shown when compared with the control group (p less than 0.05); moreover, both anxiety and fatigability were lowered by ACTH 1-17 administration. ACTH 1-17 did not affect basal levels of LH, FSH, PRL, T and cortisol, whereas the diurnal variation of T, which was absent before treatment in both treated and control group, was restored. No changes in clinical and endocrine parameters were shown after placebo injections. Our data emphasize that the chronopharmacological action of ACTH 1-17 may positively affect sexual function and circadian T rhythmicity in men with psychogenic impotence.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

Relationship between sleep-related erections and testosterone levels in men.

In order to identify a possible threshold for a serum testosterone level below which sleep-related erections are impaired and to compare this threshold with the normal laboratory range of testosterone serum levels, we studied 201 men, including hypogonadal and eugonadal subjects. The protocol included nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity monitoring and the assay of basal testosterone, prolactin, luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) serum levels. The subjects were assigned to eight groups according to their testosterone serum levels. Group 1 had testosterone between 0 ng/dl and 99 ng/dl; the following seven groups had testosterone levels increased by 100 ng/dl per group. The groups of subjects with higher testosterone serum levels showed almost constantly higher values for the erectile parameters we studied than the subjects with serum testosterone < or = 99 ng/dl. On the contrary, subjects with higher testosterone serum levels showed higher values for only some erectile parameters compared to the subjects with serum testosterone between 100 and 199 ng/dl, without any significant difference among the groups with testosterone serum levels in the normal range. Our data suggest that the serum testosterone threshold for sleep-related erections is lower than the low end of the normal laboratory male range and is about 200 ng/dl. Further efforts are needed to find the precise serum testosterone ranges related to normal sleep-related erections and to normal sexual behavior, the testosterone ranges of which will probably not coincide.

Adult↗