栩仕診所男性功能重建中心、臺大醫學院泌尿部

Microsurgical Potency Reconstruction and Research Center, Hsu’s Andrology and Department of Urology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

 

A discovery of a functional food or formulae is an exciting prospect to every researcher, this finding is, however, not intentionally attainable. We will like to report a promising herb formula which is beneficial to erectile function and is also helpful in males suffering from LUTS (low urinary tract symptoms) in recent half decade. As without a functional brain, penile erection becomes meaningless. We sought to extensively study whether this formula can also enhance memory. 

From August 2010 to May 2016, 343 males underwent the most advanced method of penile venous stripping, as depicted on the United States Patent and Trademark Office website, for treating erectile dysfunction resulting from veno-occlusive dysfunction based on the new insight of penile venous anatomy. Patients included were either nonresponders to phosphor-di-esterase type 5 inhibitors (n = 281) or intolerant of the drug’s adverse effects (n = 62) pre-operatively. A randomized study was carried out on 87 patients who were unsatisfied with penile venous stripping alone. They were randomly allocated to a herb (n = 45) and control group (n = 42) and subsequently prescribed an herb formula composed of seven ingredients , all derived from five commonly used formulas in Chinese traditional medicine for centuries. The ingredients are Astragalus membranaceus, Lepidium meyenii Walp (maca), Ophiocordyceps sinensis, Panax quiquefolium , Piper nigrum, Rhodiola rosea and Serpentes cnidium monnieri.

The age distribution was 29–67 years (average 45.5 ± 5.7) and 23–68 years (average 46.6± 5.6) in the herb and control group respectively. In the herb group, the IIEF-5 scores were as follows: pre-operative, 9.8 ± 3.8; post-operative, 14.9± 3.5; and post-herb, 19.7± 3.3. In contrast in the placebo group, the results showed pre-operative IIEF-5 scores of 9.7 ± 3.7, post-operative 14.8 ± 3.6, post-placebo

15.2± 3.5 and post-herb 19.9± 3.3. A positive response was attained by 41 patients in the herb group, five patients in the control group and 38 men in the crossover study. Pre-operatively, there were seven and six PDE-5 inhibitor non-responders who reported the drug’s intolerable side effects in the herb and control groups, respectively. Surprisingly, eight men reported a significant improvement in nocturia frequency, four men demonstrated improved hypertension and three reported memory improved. Neither CBC nor biochemistry profile parameters changed in this study.

Although there was no significant difference between the two groups pre-operatively (9.8± 3.8 versus 9.7± 3.7, P = 0.75), post-operatively (15.2 ±3.5 versus 14.8± 3.6, P = 0.60) and post-herb (19.7 ±3.3 versus 19.9± 3.3, P = 0.68), there was a statistically significant difference in terms of IIEF-5 score (19.7± 3.3 versus 15.2± 3.5, P < 0.001; 19.9± 3.3 versus 15.2± 3.5, P < 0.001) and positive response rate (79/87 = 90.8% versus 5/42 = 11.9%, P < 0.0001) for oral herb treatment. Post-operative cavernosograms consistently showed that intracorporeal fluid retention was more likely. Surprisingly, this herb may also benefit men who suffer from LUTS and memory deficit. Additionally to this inadvertent finding, this formula is not only effective, but also free from many adverse effects of phosphor-di-esterase type 5 inhibitors, which include headache, dizziness, flushing, dyspepsia, nasal congestion or rhinitis, even possible hearing loss and skeletal muscle influence. Given 10 % of phosphor-di-esterase-5 inhibitors user sustains intolerable headache, this formula can be freed from this annoyance but a very mild distension in the head which will be immediately relieved by sexual activity. Then we are inspired to conduct further research and studies, including clinical trials on patients with LUTS and memory disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. We also plan to evaluate the herbal formula’s pharmacokinetics, its mechanism of action, and its pharmacological properties—we are particularly interested in discovering how and why the agent delivers such efficacious results without adverse side effects.

It appears that this oral herb and penile venous stripping provide a solution to impotent patients who are refractory to medical treatment and unsatisfied with penile venous stripping alone.