Daily Tadalafil on Body Fat and Lean Mass

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2015-09-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: Male

Summary

Data confirming a role for PDE5 in adipocyte biology in vitro have been recently reported. However, a better understanding of the complex role of PDE5 in fat metabolism and whole body homeostasis requires the use of transgenic animal models either lacking or overexpressing PDE5 in adipose tissue. This will clarify the role of PDE5 in adipose expansion and metabolism, and also in glucose homeostasis and vascular function in vivo. Analysis of expression and activity of PDE5 in different sites of human adipose tissue (i.e. visceral vs. subcutaneous), and also in different metabolic conditions (i.e. high-fat diet vs. low calorie intake) could reveal if PDE5 can be considered to be a reliable 'marker' of metabolic dysfunction of the adipocyte. Importantly, chronic treatment with the PDE5 inhibitor sildenafil in a mouse model of diet-induced insulin resistance caused a significant improvement in insulin sensitivity . Also, in humans chronic exposure to tadalafil confirmed an improvement of insulin sensitivity in men with erectile dysfunction. However, the efficacy of long-term treatment with PDE5i awaits demonstration in human metabolic diseases such as obesity and insulin resistance.

The primary purpose of the study is to investigate the effects of tadalafil taken once a day on body composition in men with sexual distress and/or erectile dysfunction.

• Phase: Phase 4
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: University of Roma La Sapienza
• Treatments: Tadalafil

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male subjects greater than 18 years with any BMI who volunteered to enter the study because of the presence of sexual distress and/or mild erectile dysfunction.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any concomitant treatment during the prior three months, changes in lifestyle, diet or physical exercise attended within the 16 weeks of study duration; patients actively or potentially trying to start a family or requiring fertility treatment; significant hepatic, respiratory, hematological or renal disease; history of drug or alcohol abuse; history or presence of any cancer; any other reason, which the investigator feels, precludes safe inclusion of the patient.