What's viagra and what does it do?

[chound]

What's viagra? I know its some kind of tablet or medicine but what does it do?

 

[tribdog]

to joke or not to joke, that is the question

As most mortal men age, I'm not talking about me of course, but most men. As they age they find that it becomes increasingly more difficult to sustain an erection, that's what I've heard. Viagra gives the body a little boost and allows everyone to enjoy a fully erect penis again and again and again.

 

[Moonbear]

It's also known as sildenafil. And here are the abstracts from the first two articles published on it.

Int J Impot Res. 1996 Jun;8(2):47-52.

Sildenafil: an orally active type 5 cyclic GMP-specific phosphodiesterase inhibitor for the treatment of penile erectile dysfunction.

Boolell M, Allen MJ, Ballard SA, Gepi-Attee S, Muirhead GJ, Naylor AM, Osterloh IH, Gingell C.

Pfizer Central Research, Sandwich, Kent, UK.

Sildenafil (Viagra, UK-92,480) is a novel oral agent under development for the treatment of penile erectile dysfunction. Erection is dependent on nitric oxide and its second messenger, cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). However, the relative importance of phosphodiesterase (PDE) isozymes is not clear. We have identified both cGMP- and cyclic adenosine monophosphate-specific phosphodiesterases (PDEs) in human corpora cavernosa in vitro. The main PDE activity in this tissue was due to PDE5, with PDE2 and 3 also identified. Sildenafil is a selective inhibitor of PDE5 with a mean IC50 of 0.0039 microM. In human volunteers, we have shown sildenafil to have suitable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties (rapid absorption, relatively short half-life, no significant effect on heart rate and blood pressure) for an oral agent to be taken, as required, prior to sexual activity. Moreover, in a clinical study of 12 patients with erectile dysfunction without an established organic cause, we have shown sildenafil to enhance the erectile response (duration and rigidity of erection) to visual sexual stimulation, thus highlighting the important role of PDE5 in human penile erection. Sildenafil holds promise as a new effective oral treatment for penile erectile dysfunction.

Br J Urol. 1996 Aug;78(2):257-61.

Sildenafil, a novel effective oral therapy for male erectile dysfunction.

Boolell M, Gepi-Attee S, Gingell JC, Allen MJ.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the efficacy and safety of sildenafil, a novel orally active inhibitor of the type-V cyclic guanosine monophosphate-specific phosphodiesterase (the predominant isoenzyme in the human corpus cavernosum) on penile erectile activity in patients with male erectile dysfunction of no established organic cause. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twelve patients (aged 36-63 years) with male erectile dysfunction of no established organic cause were entered into a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study which was conducted in two phases. In the first phase (four-way crossover), treatment efficacy was evaluated by measurements of penile rigidity using penile plethysmography during visual sexual stimulation at different doses of sildenafil (10, 25 and 50 mg or placebo). In the second phase (two-way crossover), efficacy was assessed by a diary record of penile erectile activity after single daily doses of sildenafil (25 mg) or placebo for 7 days. RESULTS: The mean (95% confidence interval, CI) duration of rigidity of > 80% at the base of the penis was 1.3 min (0.4-3.1) in patients on placebo, 3.5 min (1.6-7.3; P = 0.009) on 10 mg, 8.0 min (3.7-16.7; P = 0.003) on 25 mg and 11.2 min (5.6-22.3; P < 0.001) on 50 mg of sildenafil. The mean (95% CI) duration of rigidity of > 80% at the tip of the penis was 1.2 min (0.4-2.7) on placebo and 7.4 min (2.4-8.5; P = 0.001) on 50 mg sildenafil. From the diary record of daily erectile activity, the mean (95% CI) total number of erections was significantly higher in patients receiving sildenafil was 6.1 (3.2-11.4), compared with 1.3 (0.5-2.7) in those on placebo; 10 of 12 patients reported improved erectile activity while receiving sildenafil, compared with two of 12 on placebo (P = 0.018). Six patients on active treatment and five on placebo reported mild and transient adverse events which included headache, dyspepsia and pelvic musculo-skeletal pain. CONCLUSION: These results show that sildenafil is a well tolerated and effective oral therapy for male erectile dysfunction with no established organic cause and may represent a new class of peripherally acting drug for the treatment of this condition.

Perhaps someone can move this thread to Biology?

 

[Evo]

chound, I would suggest you go to a search engine like www.google.com and search on it there.

tribdog has explained it's use and I can't see this thread heading anywhere but down from here.

edit - even better Moonbear has the clinical explanation. Thread closed before the jokes start.

 

[chound]

ok may be you can delete it.

 

[tribdog]

to joke or not to joke, that is the question

As most mortal men age, I'm not talking about me of course, but most men. As they age they find that it becomes increasingly more difficult to sustain an erection, that's what I've heard. Viagra gives the body a little boost and allows everyone to enjoy a fully erect penis again and again and again.

and again and again

 

[Evo]

and again and again

geeze you're fast