Comprehensive Physiology Wiley Online Library

Circulation to Male Reproductive Organs

Full Article on Wiley Online Library



Abstract

The sections in this article are:

1 Penile Circulation
1.1 Vascular Anatomy
1.2 Pharmacology of Erection
1.3 Vascular Nerves
1.4 Erection Process
2 Testicular Circulation
2.1 Vascular Anatomy
2.2 Vascular Nerves
2.3 Hormones and Drugs
2.4 Effect of Temperature on Testicular Blood Flow
3 Summary
Figure 1. Figure 1.

Vascular anatomy of the bull penis. A, ischiocavernosum muscle; B, bulbospongiosum muscle; C, urethralis muscle; D, crus penis; E, penis; F, internal pudendal artery; G, artery of the urethral bulb; H, dorsal artery of the penis; I, urethral bulb; J, deep artery of the penis; K, ischium; L, obdurator foramen.

Figure 2. Figure 2.

Vascular anatomy of the stallion penis. A, ischiocavernosum muscle; B, bulbospongiosum muscle; C, obturatory artery; D, obturatory foramen; E, penis; F, external pudendal artery; G, ischium; H, deep arteries of the penis.

Figure 3. Figure 3.

Vascular patterns in the ram crus penis area during erection. Arrow 1, approximate origin of ischiocavernosum muscle; arrow 2, artery of the penis; arrow 3, corpus spongiosum; arrow 4, note lack of filling of corpus cavernosum penis. Radiographs AB: ⅓ s; BC, CD, DE: 1 s; EF: 2 s apart.

From Beckett et al. 9
Figure 4. Figure 4.

Corpus cavernosum penis (CCP) pressure and electromyographic (EMG) activity of bulbospongiosus (BS) and ischiocavernosus (IC) muscles in the bull during coitus.

Figure 5. Figure 5.

Effect of lidocaine infiltration of ischiocavernosus muscles on corpus cavernosum penis pressure and electromyographic (EMG) activity of bulbospongiosus (BS) and ischiocavernosus (IC) muscles in the bull.

Figure 6. Figure 6.

Corpus cavernosum penis pressure and electromyographic (EMG) activity of bulbospongiosus (BS) and ischiocavernosus (IC) muscles in the stallion during coitus.

From Beckett et al. 6
Figure 7. Figure 7.

Corpus spongiosum (CS) penis pressure and electromyographic (EMG) activity of bulbospongiosus (BS) and ischiocavernosus (IC) muscles in the stallion during coitus.

From Beckett et al. 12


Figure 1.

Vascular anatomy of the bull penis. A, ischiocavernosum muscle; B, bulbospongiosum muscle; C, urethralis muscle; D, crus penis; E, penis; F, internal pudendal artery; G, artery of the urethral bulb; H, dorsal artery of the penis; I, urethral bulb; J, deep artery of the penis; K, ischium; L, obdurator foramen.



Figure 2.

Vascular anatomy of the stallion penis. A, ischiocavernosum muscle; B, bulbospongiosum muscle; C, obturatory artery; D, obturatory foramen; E, penis; F, external pudendal artery; G, ischium; H, deep arteries of the penis.



Figure 3.

Vascular patterns in the ram crus penis area during erection. Arrow 1, approximate origin of ischiocavernosum muscle; arrow 2, artery of the penis; arrow 3, corpus spongiosum; arrow 4, note lack of filling of corpus cavernosum penis. Radiographs AB: ⅓ s; BC, CD, DE: 1 s; EF: 2 s apart.

From Beckett et al. 9


Figure 4.

Corpus cavernosum penis (CCP) pressure and electromyographic (EMG) activity of bulbospongiosus (BS) and ischiocavernosus (IC) muscles in the bull during coitus.



Figure 5.

Effect of lidocaine infiltration of ischiocavernosus muscles on corpus cavernosum penis pressure and electromyographic (EMG) activity of bulbospongiosus (BS) and ischiocavernosus (IC) muscles in the bull.



Figure 6.

Corpus cavernosum penis pressure and electromyographic (EMG) activity of bulbospongiosus (BS) and ischiocavernosus (IC) muscles in the stallion during coitus.

From Beckett et al. 6


Figure 7.

Corpus spongiosum (CS) penis pressure and electromyographic (EMG) activity of bulbospongiosus (BS) and ischiocavernosus (IC) muscles in the stallion during coitus.

From Beckett et al. 12
References
 1. Amann, R. P., T. M. Nett, and G. D. Niswender. Effects of LH, FSH, prolactin and PGF2α on testicular blood flow and testosterone secretion in the ram. J. Anim. Sci. 47: 1307–1313, 1978.
 2. Ashdown, R. R. Angioarchitecture of the sigmoid flexure of the bovine corpus cavernosum penis and its significance in erection. J. Anat. 106: 403–404, 1970.
 3. Ashdown, R. R., J. S. E. David, and C. Gibbs. Impotence in the bull: (1) Abnormal venous drainage of the corpus cavernosum penis. Vet. Rec. 104: 423–428, 1979.
 4. Ashdown, R. R., and H. Gilanpour. Venous drainage of the corpus cavernosum penis in impotent and normal bulls. J. Anat. 117: 159–170, 1974.
 5. Ashdown, R. R., H. Gilanpour, J. S. E. David, and C. Gibbs. Impotence in the bull: (2) Occlusion of the longitudinal canals of the corpus cavernous penis. Vet. Rec. 104: 598–603, 1979.
 6. Beckett, S. D., R. S. Hudson, D. F. Walker, T. M. Reynolds, and R. I. Vachon. Blood pressure and penile muscle activity in the stallion during coitus. Am. J. Physiol. 225: 1072–1075, 1973.
 7. Beckett, S. D., R. S. Hudson, D. F. Walker, R. I. Vachon, and T. M. Reynolds. Corpus cavernosum penis pressure and external penile muscle activity during erection in the goat. Biol. Reprod. 7: 359–364, 1972.
 8. Beckett, S. D., R. C. Purohit, and T. M. Reynolds. The corpus spongiosum penis pressure and external penile muscle activity in the goat during coitus. Biol. Reprod. 12: 289–292, 1975.
 9. Beckett, S. D., T. M. Reynolds, and J. E. Bartels. Angiography of the crus penis in the ram and buck during erection. Am. J. Vet. Res. 39: 1950–1954, 1978.
 10. Beckett, S. D., T. M. Reynolds, R. S. Hudson, and R. S. Holley. Serial angiography of the crus penis of the goat during erection. Biol. Reprod. 7: 365–369, 1972.
 11. Beckett, S. D., T. M. Reynolds, D. F. Walker, R. S. Hudson, and R. C. Purohit. Experimentally induced rupture of corpus cavernosum penis of the bull. Am. J. Vet. Res. 35: 765–767, 1974.
 12. Beckett, S. D., D. F. Walker, R. S. Hudson, T. M. Reynolds, and R. C. Purohit. Corpus spongiosum penis pressure and penile muscle activity in the stallion during coitus. Am. J. Vet. Res. 36: 431–433, 1975.
 13. Beckett, S. D., D. F. Walker, R. S. Hudson, T. M. Reynolds, and R. I. Vachon. Corpus cavernosum penis pressure and penile muscle activity in the bull during coitus. Am. J. Vet. Res. 35: 761–764, 1974.
 14. Benson, G. S., J. McConnell, L. I. Lipshultz, J. N. Corriere, Jr., and J. Wood. Neuromorphology and neuropharmacology of the human penis. J. Clin. Invest. 65: 506–513, 1980.
 15. Christensen, G. C. Angioarchitecture of the canine penis and the process of erection. Am. J. Anat. 95: 227–262, 1954.
 16. Conti, G. L'érection du pénis humain et ses bases morphologicovascularies. Acta Anat. 14: 217–262, 1952.
 17. Courot, M., and M. Joffre. Testicular capillary blood flow in the impubertal lamb and ram during the breeding and nonbreeding seasons. Andrologia 9: 332–336, 1977.
 18. Cross, B. A., and I. A. Silver. Neurovascular control of oxygen tension in the testis and epididymis. J. Reprod. Fertil. 3: 377–395, 1962.
 19. Damber, J. E., and P. O. Janson. The influence of scrotal warming on testicular blood flow and endocrine function in the rat. Acta Physiol. Scand. 104: 61–67, 1978.
 20. Davis, J. R., and G. A. Langsford. Response of the isolated testicular capsule of the rat to autonomic drugs. J. Reprod. Fertil. 19: 595–598, 1969.
 21. Davis, J. R., G. A. Langsford, and P. J. Kirby. The testicular capsule. In: The Testis, edited by A. D. Johnson, W. R. Gomes, and N. L. VanDemark. New York: Academic, 1970, vol. I, p. 281–338.
 22. Dayan, A. D. Variation between species in innervation of intra‐testicular blood vessels. Experientia 26: 1359–1360, 1970.
 23. Dhingra, L. D. Angioarchitecture of the arteries of the testis of goat (Capra aegagrus). Zentralbl. Veterinaermed. Reihe C 8: 193–199, 1979.
 24. Domer, F. R., G. Wessler, R. L. Brown, and H. C. Charles. Involvement of the sympathetic nervous system in the urinary bladder internal sphincter and in penile erection in the anesthetized cat. Invest. Urol. 15: 404–407, 1978.
 25. Dutt, R. H., R. S. Sand, and B. Singh. Changes in testis blood flow, the spermatic artery and prostaglandin F2α content in testis tissue of heat stressed rams. Int. J. Biometeorol. 21: 75–84, 1977.
 26. Ebbehoj, J., and G. Wagner. Insufficient penile erection due to abnormal drainage of cavernosus bodies. Urology 13: 507–510, 1979.
 27. Einer‐Jensen, N., and G. Soofi. Decreased blood flow through rat testis after intratesticular injection of PGF2α. Prostaglandins 7: 377–382, 1974.
 28. Fitzpatrick, T. The corpus cavernosum intercommunicating venous drainage system. J. Urol. 113: 494–497, 1975.
 29. Fitzpatrick, T. J., and J. F. Cooper. A cavernosogram study on the valvular competence of the human deep dorsal vein. J. Urol. 113: 497–499, 1975.
 30. Free, M. J. Blood supply to testis and its role in local exchange and transport of hormones. In: The Testis, edited by A. D. Johnson and W. R. Gomes. New York: Academic, 1977, vol. IV, p. 39–90.
 31. Free, M. J., and R. A. Jaffe. Dynamics of circulation in the testis of the conscious rat. Am. J. Physiol. 223: 241–248, 1972.
 32. Free, M. J., and R. A. Jaffe. Effect of prostaglandins on blood flow and pressure on the testis on the conscious rat. Prostaglandins 1: 483–494, 1972.
 33. Free, M. J., and Nguyen‐Duc‐Kien. Venous arterial interactions involving serotonin in the pampiniform plexus of the rat. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 143: 284–288, 1973.
 34. Godinho, H. P., and B. P. Setchell. Total and capillary blood flow through the testes of anesthetized rams. J. Physiol. London 251: 19P–20P, 1975.
 35. Gunterberg, B., and I. Petersen. Sexual function after major resections of the sacrum with bilateral or unilateral sacrifice of sacral nerves. Fertil. Steril. 27: 1146–1153, 1976.
 36. Harrison, R. G. The comparative anatomy of the blood‐supply of the mammalian testis. Proc. Zool. Soc. London 119: 325–344, 1949.
 37. Harrison, R. G., and J. S. Weiner. Vascular patterns of the mammalian testis and their functional significance. J. Exp. Biol. 26: 304–138, 1949.
 38. Hart, B. L. Physiology of sexual function. Vet. Clin. N. Am. 4: 557–571, 1974.
 39. Henderson, V. E., and M. H. Roepke. On the mechanism of erection. Am. J. Physiol. 106: 441–448, 1933.
 40. Hodgen, G. D., and A. M. Gawienowski. Uptake in vitro of (14C), 5‐hydroxytryptamine and (14C), 5‐hydroxytryptophan by reproductive tract tissues of the adult male rat. J. Reprod. Fertil. 28: 291–293, 1972.
 41. Hodson, N. The nerves of the testis, epididymis, and scrotum. In: The Testis, edited by A. D. Johnson, W. R. Gomes, and N. L. VanDemark. New York: Academic, 1970, vol. I, p. 47–99.
 42. Holmquist, B., and T. Olin. Angiography of the internal pudendal artery at electric stimulation of the pelvic nerves and at injection of the posterior pituitary hormones. Scand. J. Urol. Nephrol. 3: 291–296, 1969.
 43. Hudson, R. S., S. D. Beckett, and D. F. Walker. Pathophysiology of impotence in the bull. J. Am. Vet. Met. Assoc. 161: 1345–1347, 1972.
 44. Hundeiker, M. Vasculare Regulationseinaichtunger am Hoden. Arch. Dermatol. Forsch. 245: 229–244, 1972.
 45. Ishii, N. Studies on male sexual impotence. Report 11. Hemodynamic mechanism of erection in the human penis. Jpn. J. Urol. 69: 870–877, 1978.
 46. Joffre, J., and M. Joffre. Seasonal changes in the testicular blood flow of seasonally breeding mammals: dormouse (Glis glis), ferret (Mustella furo), fox (Vulpes vulpes). J. Reprod. Fertil. 34: 227–233, 1973.
 47. Joffre, M. Relationship between testicular blood flow, testosterone secretion and spermatogenic activity in young and adult wild red foxes (Vulpes vulpes). J. Reprod. Fertil. 51: 35–40, 1977.
 48. Joffre, M., and M. Kormano. An angiographic study of the fox testis in various stages of sexual activity. Anat. Rec. 183: 599–604, 1975.
 49. Johnson, A. D., and W. R. Gomes. Advances in physiology, biochemistry, and function. In: The Testis, edited by A. D. Johnson and W. R. Gomes. New York: Academic, 1977, vol. IV.
 50. Karim, S. M. M., and K. Hillier. Physiological roles and pharmacological actions of prostaglandins in relation to human reproduction. In: Advances in Prostaglandin Research: Prostaglandins and Reproduction. Lancaster, England: MTP, 1975, p. 23–70.
 51. Klinge, E., O. Eranko, and N. O. Sjöstrand. Cholinergic and adrenergic innervation of the penis artery of the bull: transmitter concentration and synaptic vesicles. Experientia 34: 1624–1626, 1978.
 52. Klinge, E., and O. Penttila. Distribution of noradrenaline and acetylcholinesterase in bull and rabbit penile erectile tissue. Ann. Med. Exp. Biol. Fenn. 47: 17–21, 1969.
 53. Klinge, E., and N. O. Sjöstrand. Contraction and relaxation the retractor penis muscle and the penile artery of the bull. Acta Physiol. Scand. Suppl. 420: 1–88, 1974.
 54. Klinge, E., and N. O. Sjöstrand. Comparative study of some isolated mammalian smooth muscle effectors of penile erection. Acta Physiol. Scand. 100: 354–367, 1977.
 55. Klinge, E., and N. O. Sjöstrand. Suppression of the excitatory adrenergic neurotransmission: a possible role of cholinergic nerves in the retractor penis muscle. Acta Physiol. Scand. 100: 368–375, 1977.
 56. Kormano, M., P. Karhunen, and K. Kahanpää. Effect of long‐term 5‐hydroxytryptamine treatment of the rat testis. Ann. Med. Exp. Biol. Fenn. 46: 474–478, 1968.
 57. Kormano, M., and H. Suoranta. Microvascular organization of the adult human testis. Anat. Rec. 170: 31–40, 1971.
 58. Kuhn, R. A. Functional capacity of the isolated human spinal cord. Brain 73: 1–51, 1950.
 59. Larson, L. L., and R. H. Foote. Testicular blood flow rates in prepubertal and adult rabbits measured by 85krypton. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 147: 151–153, 1974.
 60. Larson, L. L., and R. L. Kitchell. Neural mechanisms in sexual behavior: II. Gross neuroanatomical and correlative neurophysiological studies of the external genitalia of the bull and the ram. Am. J. Vet. Res. 19: 853–864, 1958.
 61. Leeson, T. S., and C. R. Leeson. The fine structure of cavernous tissue in the adult rat penis. Invest. Urol. 3: 144–154, 1965.
 62. Linzell, J. L., and B. P. Setchell. Metabolism, sperm and fluid production of the isolated perfused testis of the sheep and goat. J. Physiol. London 201: 129–143, 1969.
 63. MacLean, P. D., R. H. Denniston, and S. Dua. Further studies on cerebral representation of penile erection: caudal thalamus, midbrain and pons. J. Neurophysiol. 26: 273–293, 1963.
 64. MacLean, P. D., and D. W. Ploog. Cerebral representation of penile erection. J. Neurophysiol. 25: 29–55, 1962.
 65. McConnell, J., G. S. Benson, and J. Wood. Autonomic innervation of the mammalian penis: a histochemical and physiological study. J. Neural. Transm. 45: 227–238, 1979.
 66. Mellander, S., and B. Johansson. Control of resistance exchange and capacitance functions in the peripheral circulation. Pharmacol. Rev. 20: 117–196, 1968.
 67. Munro, D., H. W. Horne, and D. P. Paul. The effect of injury to the spinal cord and cauda equina on the sexual potency of men. N. Engl. J. Med. 239: 903–911, 1948.
 68. Newman, H. F., J. Northup, and J. Devlin. Mechanism of human penile erection. Invest. Urol. 1: 350–353, 1964.
 69. Ninomiya, H. The penile cavernous system and its morphological changes in the erected state in the dog. Jpn. J. Vet. Sci. 42: 187–195, 1980.
 70. Penttila, O., and A. Vartiainen. Acetylcholine, histamine, 5‐hydroxytryptamine and catecholamine contents of mammalian penile erection and urethral tissue. Acta Pharmacol. Toxicol. 21: 145–151, 1964.
 71. Pirke, K. M., I. Bofilias, R. Sintermann, H. Langhammer, I. Wolf, and H. Pabst. Relative capillary blood flow and Leydig cell function in old rats. Endocrinology 105: 842–845, 1979.
 72. Purohit, R. C., and S. D. Beckett. Penile pressures and muscle activity associated with erection and ejaculation in the dog. Am. J. Physiol. 231: 1343–1348, 1976.
 73. Reynolds, T. M. Angioarchitecture of the crus penis of the goat. Auburn, AL: Auburn Univ., 1971. Thesis.
 74. Robinson, B. W., and M. Mishkin. Penile erection evoked from forebrain structures in Macaca mulatto. Arch. Neurol. Chicago 19: 184–194, 1968.
 75. Root, W. S., and P. Bard. The mediation of feline erection through sympathetic pathways with some remarks on sexual behavior after deafferentation of the genitalia. Am. J. Physiol. 151: 80–90, 1947.
 76. Sand, R. S., R. H. Dutt, and D. F. Preston. Measuring blood flow through ram testes using xenon133 washout. J. Anim. Sci. 31: 230, 1970.
 77. Sand, R. S., R. H. Dutt, and D. F. Preston. Effect of local heating on ram testis blood flow. J. Anim. Sci. 32: 391, 1971.
 78. Setchell, B. P. Testicular blood supply, lymphatic drainage and secretion of fluid. In: The Testis, edited by A. D. Johnson, W. R. Gomes, and N. L. VanDemark. New York: Academic, 1970, vol. I, p. 101–239.
 79. Setchell, B. P. The Mammalian Testis. New York: Cornell Univ. Press, 1978.
 80. Setchell, B. P., and G. D. Thorburn. The effect of local heating on blood flow through testes of some Australian marsupials. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 31: 675–677, 1969.
 81. Setchell, B. P., and G. M. H. Waites. Pulse attenuation and countercurrent heat exchange in the internal spermatic artery of some Australian marsupials. J. Reprod. Fertil. 20: 165–169, 1969.
 82. Setchell, B. P., G. M. H. Waites, and G. D. Thorburn. Blood flow in the testis of the conscious ram measured with krypton85. Circ. Res. 18: 755–763, 1966.
 83. Shirai, M., N. Ishii, S. Mitsukawa, S. Matsuda, and M. Nakamura. Hemodynamic mechanism of erection in the human penis. Arch. Androl. 1: 345–349, 1978.
 84. Siroky, M. B., and R. J. Krane. Mechanism of penile erection: a neuropharmacological study. Surg. Forum 30: 545–546, 1979.
 85. Sjöstrand, N. O., and E. Klinge. Autonomic control of penile volume in rabbit. Acta Physiol. Scand. 102: 72A–73A, 1978.
 86. Sjöstrand, N. O., and E. Klinge. Principal mechanisms controlling penile retraction and protrusion in rabbits. Acta Physiol. Scand. 106: 199–214, 1979.
 87. Waites, G. M. H., V. Archer, and G. A. Langford. Region sensitivity of the testicular artery to noradrenaline in ram, rabbit, rat and boar. J. Reprod. Fertil. 45: 159–163, 1975.
 88. Waites, G. M. H., and G. R. Moule. Blood pressure in the internal spermatic artery of the ram. J. Reprod. Fertil. 1: 223–229, 1960.
 89. Waites, G. M. H., B. P. Setchell, and D. Quinlan. Effect of local heating of the scrotum, testes, and epididymes of rats on cardiac output and regional blood flow. J. Reprod. Fertil. 34: 41–49, 1973.
 90. Wakely, J., and N. Hodson. Mixed innervation of the rabbit testicular artery (Abstract). Study Fertil., Winter Meet., Zool. Soc. London. 1973.
 91. Watson, J. W. Mechanism of erection and ejaculation in the bull and ram. Nature London 204: 95–96, 1964.
 92. Weiss, H. D. The physiology of human penile erection. Ann. Intern. Med. 76: 793–799, 1972.
 93. Young, S. L., R. S. Hudson, and D. F. Walker. Impotence in bulls due to vascular shunts from the corpus cavernosum penis. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 171: 643–648, 1977.
 94. Zeitlin, A. B., T. L. Cottrell, and F. A. Lloyd. Sexology of the paraplegic male. Fertil. Steril. 8: 337–344, 1957.

Contact Editor

Submit a note to the editor about this article by filling in the form below.

* Required Field

How to Cite

Sidney D. Beckett. Circulation to Male Reproductive Organs. Compr Physiol 2011, Supplement 8: Handbook of Physiology, The Cardiovascular System, Peripheral Circulation and Organ Blood Flow: 271-283. First published in print 1983. doi: 10.1002/cphy.cp020309