Icariin for impotence treatment, safety, health benefit, anti cancer benefit

 Icariin, a flavonol glycoside, is an interesting substance found in certain herbs, particularly horny goat weed. Icariin is a flavonoid with a rhamnose as ligand. Horny goat weed is widely used for the treatment of atherosclerosis and neuropathy in Chinese traditional medicine.

Icariin and erections, does it help men with impotence?
Icariin appears to have some properties similar to Viagra and other ED drugs. Icariin is a cGMP-specific PDE5 inhibitor that may have potential in treating erectile dysfunction.

Epimidium Sagittatum 20 percent icariin extract, 300 mg, medical doctor formulated
Epimedium sagittatum has an interesting flavonoid called icariin.  In China it is especially used for supporting healthy sexual activity - thus its name, Horny Goat Weed. Epimedium sagittatum 400 mg has epimedium extract (standardized to 10% flavonoids as icariin).

 Epimedium sagittatum Supplement

 

 

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Additional icariin benefits
In laboratory studies, icariin appears to have anti- cancer abilities. Icariin also helps protect the liver from toxicity.

Anti-inflammatory benefits
In vivo and in vitro anti-inflammatory effects of a novel derivative of icariin.
Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol. 2010. Department of Integrative Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Middle Urumqi Road 12#, Shanghai, China.
Icariin is the major active constituent of Epimedii Herba. Our recent study showed that icariin displayed anti-inflammatory potential.

Cancer prevention or treatment
Icariin exterts negative effects on human gastric cancer cell invasion and migration by vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein via Rac1 pathway.
Eur J Pharmacol. 2010. Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immune-Related Diseases and Centre for Medical Research, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Cellular movement is mainly orchestrated by actin-dependent cytoskeleton in which Rho GTPase Rac1 or vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) closely collaborates. In the present in vitro study, we investigated the inhibitory effect and underlying molecular mechanism of icariin, a pure extract of the traditional Chinese medicine Herba epimedii, on the invasive and migration properties of human gastric cancer cell line BGC-823. Our results indicate that icariin exerts negative effects on tumor cell invasion and migration via the Rac1-dependent VASP pathway and may be a potential anti-cancer drug.

Joint health
Icariin protects murine chondrocytes from lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses and extracellular matrix degradation.
Nutr Res. 2010; School of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Sinyi District, Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC.
Septic arthritis is an inflammatory arthropathy characterized by degeneration of articular cartilage. Icariin, the main active flavonoid glucoside isolated from Epimedium pubescens, is used as antirheumatics (or antiinflammatory), tonics, and aphrodisiacs in traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, we used lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to simulate the in vitro inflammatory response of chondrocytes during septic arthritis. Our hypothesis is that the icariin can protect chondrocytes from LPS-induced inflammation and extracellular matrix degradation. Our results demonstrate that icariin is a safe anabolic agent of chondrocytes. Icariin may exert its protective effects through inhibition of nitric oxide and MMP synthesis, and may then reduce the extracellular matrix destruction.

Icariin side effects, risk, danger
Not enough human research is available with Icariin to determine its short term and long term side effects and safety profile.

Icariin and mood
Effects of icariin on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis action and cytokine levels in stressed Sprague-Dawley rats.
Biol Pharm Bull. 2006. State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, China.
Icariin is one of the major active flavonoids constituents of Epimedium brevicornum MAXIM (Berberidaceae). Icariin and Epimedium brevicornum have a wide range of pharmacological activities. Abnormality in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is considered to be a key neurobilogical factor in major depression, and cytokines have a close relationship with the activation of the HPA axis. In the present study, the aim was to determine whether icariin possesses an antidepressant-like activity, and to explore the effects of icariin on the HPA axis and cytokine levels in chronic mild stress model of depression in Sprague-Dawley rats. These results suggested that icariin possessed an antidepressant-like property that was at least in part mediated by neuroendocrine and immune systems.

Summary and review
Also consider tribulus terrestris herb, in addition to icariin, as effective sexual enhancers.

Icariin and erection review
Effects of icariin on intracavernosal pressure and systematic arterial blood pressure of rat
Department of Urology, People's Hospital affiliated to Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China.
Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi. 2004.
To realize the effect of icariin on erectile function of penis. Icariin of different concentrations was administrated intracavernosally. Sildenafil and papaveine were used as controls. Icariin increases intracavernous pressure. For more information on erectile dysfunction herbs.

Effects of icariin on cGMP-specific PDE5 and cAMP-specific PDE4 activities.
Department of Urology, the 1st Hospital, Peking University, 8 Xishiku Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100034, China.
Asian J Androl. 2003.
To clarify the mechanism of the therapeutic action of icariin on erectile dysfunction (ED). PDE5 was isolated from human platelet and PDE4 from the rat liver tissue. The inhibitory effects of icariin on PDE5 and PDE4 activities were investigated. Papaverine served as the control drug. Icariin and papaverine showed dose-dependent inhibitory effects on PDE5 and PDE4 activities. The potencies of selectivity of icariin and papaverine on PDE5 (PDE4/PDE5 of IC(50)) were 167 times and 4 times, respectively. Icariin is a cGMP-specific PDE5 inhibitor that may be developed into an oral effective agent for the treatment of ED.