A flurry of research and clinical activity during this past decade has docu
mented that the tonicity and synchronicity of the corporal smooth muscle ce
lls of the penis are major determinants of erectile capacity and function.
Specifically, the effects of diverse and bifurcating intracellular signal t
ransduction pathways on the activity of nonjunctional ion channels such as
potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+), and chloride (Cl-) govern the former, where
as intercellular communication through gap junctions provides the anatomic
substrate for the latter. Recent studies at the tissue, cellular, subcellul
ar, and molecular levels have verified this supposition and provided import
ant insight into how subtle alterations in the balance between contraction
and relaxation of the corporal smooth muscle cells can predispose a man to
erectile failure. This report reviews the available information concerning
the participation of gap junctions and K+, Ca2+, and Cl- channels in the er
ectile process and describes their importance as potential molecular target
s for the future therapy of erectile dysfunction (ED). It is argued that a
major goal should now be to proceed on at least two fronts simultaneously:
(1) to capitalize on these new mechanistic insights by developing novel tre
atments for ED centered on the modulation of ion channel activity; and (2)
simultaneously to take advantage of the unique therapeutic opportunities af
forded by the presence and ubiquitous distribution of gap junction channels
in the human corpora, One strategy that fulfils both criteria will be brie
fly reviewed, that is, gene therapy with the maxi-K+ channel subtype.