Current Understanding of Vascular Wall Pathophysiology in Erectile Dysfunction and Priapism

The contents of irregularities in the physiology of the vascular wall have been closely associated with erectile dysfunction. Understanding the components of the vascular wall under optimal conditions highlights the aspects to take note of during distress. Under conditions of erectile dysfunction, overlapping relationships are observed with irregularities of the vascular homeostasis. The purpose of this review is to analyze the relevance of the vascular wall towards erectile dysfunction, discussing the fundamental aspects that surround the understanding of the vascular wall such as the core biology, neurotransmission activity, biochemistry, essential pathways, and physiology that partake during synthesis and homeostasis of the vascular wall, as well as the autophagy, which contributes to regulatory steps within the vascular wall. The correlations between oxidative stress, atherosclerosis, and endothelial dysfunction overlap with conditions observed within erectile dysfunction. A fundamental concept which partakes in erectile dysfunction is priapism, the insufficiency of returning to the flaccid state.