Reduced cavernosal nitrergic relaxation is enhanced by inhibition of arginase.

<p>EFS-induced nitrergic relaxations (1–32 Hz) were performed at 4 (panel <b>A</b>), 12 and 24 weeks of age. Pretreatment with an arginase inhibitor ABH (100 µmol/l) significantly attenuated impaired nitrergic relaxation in Akita mice at 12 (panel <b>B</b>) and 24 (panel <b>C</b>) wks of age, whereas treatment with L-NAME (100 100 µmol/l) fully abolished EFS-induced nitrergic relaxation in CC of WT and Akita mice (panel <b>D</b>). Data represent the means ± S.E.M. of 5–6 experiments. * <i>p</i><0.05 and ** <i>p</i><0.01, compared with its respective frequency in WT mice; ^#<i>p</i><0.05, compared with its respective frequency in Akita mice.