Dopamine D4 receptors and the regulation of penile erection

Penile erection is a spinal reflex controlled by supraspinal centers in the central nervous system, in part, from the hypothalamus. Centrally mediated therapies for treatment of male erectile dysfunction (MED) are largely unexplored. Selective dopamine D4 receptor agonists induce penile erection in animal models without the adverse events associated with nonselective dopamine agonists. A prospectus for human therapies is described.

Section editors:David Sibley – National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USAC. Anthony Altar – Psychiatric Genomics, Gaithersburg, USATheresa Branchek – Lundbeck Research, Paramus, USA