Icariin for impotence
icariin research

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
Icariin appears to have some properties similar to Viagra. Icariin is a cGMP-specific PDE5 inhibitor that may have potential in treating erectile dysfunction.

Epimidium Sagittatum, 400 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.

Icariin side effects
Not enough human research is available with Icariin to determine its short term and long term side effects.

Icariin and mood
Effects of icariin on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis action and cytokine levels in stressed Sprague-Dawley rats.
Biol Pharm Bull. 2006 Dec;29(12):2399-403. 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.


Icariin
and erection research
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 Jan;84(2):142-5.
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 Mar;5(1):15-8.
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.

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