Urology
Volume 63, Issue 4 , Pages 641-646 , April 2004

Carnitine versus androgen administration in the treatment of sexual dysfunction, depressed mood, and fatigue associated with male aging

  • G. Cavallini

      Affiliations

    • Andrological Operative Unit, Headquarters of Società Italiana di Studi di Medicina della Riproduzione, Bologna, Italy
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Giorgio Cavallini, M.D., via Mascheraio 46, Ferrara 44100, Italy
  • ,
  • S. Caracciolo

      Affiliations

    • Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
  • ,
  • G. Vitali

      Affiliations

    • Andrological Operative Unit, Headquarters of Società Italiana di Studi di Medicina della Riproduzione, Bologna, Italy
  • ,
  • F. Modenini

      Affiliations

    • Andrological Operative Unit, Headquarters of Società Italiana di Studi di Medicina della Riproduzione, Bologna, Italy
  • ,
  • G. Biagiotti

      Affiliations

    • Andrological Operative Unit, Satellite Center of Società Italiana di Studi di Medicina della Riproduzione, Fermo (Ascoli Piceno), Italy

Received 11 July 2003 ,Accepted 3 November 2003.

References 

  1. Wermer AA. The male climacteric. JAMA. 1939;112:1441–1443
  2. Gray A, Feldmann A, McKinlay JB. Age, disease, and changing sex hormone levels in middle aged men (results of the Massachusetts Male Aging Study). J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1991;73:1016–1125
  3. Heaton JP, Varrin SJ. Effects of castration and exogenous testosterone supplementation in animal model of penile erection. J Urol. 1994;151:797–800
  4. Campbell NC. Biology. 3rd ed. New York: Benjamin Cummings Publishing; 1995;
  5. Baba K, Iwamoto T. Delayed testosterone replacement restores nitric oxide synthetase-containing nerve fibres and erectile response in rat penis. BJU Int. 2000;85:953–957
  6. Basaria S, Dobs AS. Hypogonadism and androgen replacement therapy in the elderly men. Am J Med. 2001;110:563–571
  7. Morales A, Lunenfeld B. Standards, guidelines and recommendations of the International Society for the Study of the Aging Male (ISSAM) (androgen replacement therapy in aging men with secondary hypogonadism—draft of recommendations for endorsement by ISSAM). Aging Male. 2001;4:151–162
  8. Kirby RS, Kirby MG, and Farahd RN: Men's Health. Sedgerfield, United Kingdom, Atlas Medical Publishing, 2001
  9. Brevetti G, Perna S, Sabbà C, et al.  Propionyl-l-carnitine in intermittent claudication: double blind, placebo controlled, dose titration, multicenter study. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1995;26:1441–1446
  10. Bonavita E. Study of efficacy and tolerability of acetyl-l-carnitine in senile brain. Int J Pharm Ther Toxicol. 1986;24:511–516
  11. Furlong JH. Acetyl-l-carnitine metabolism and applications in clinical practice. Alternat Med Rev. 1996;1:85–92
  12. Bidzinska B, Petraglia F, Angioni S, et al.  Effect of different chronic intermittent stressors and acetyl-l-carnitine on hypothalamic beta-endorphin and GnRH and on plasma testosterone levels in male rats. Neuroendocrinology. 1993;57:985–990
  13. Rigatti P, Scattoni V. PSA antigene prostatico specifico. Pavia: Edizioni Medico Scientifiche; 1997;
  14. Carson C, Kirby R, Goldstein I. Textbook of Erectile Dysfunction. Oxford: Isis Medical Media; 1999;
  15. Vermeulen A. The hormonal activity of post-menopausal ovary. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1976;42:247–253
  16. Rosen RC, Riley A, Wagner G, et al.  The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) (a multidimensional scale for assessment of erectile dysfunction). Urology. 1997;49:822–830
  17. Bech P, Kastrup M, Rafaelsen OJ. Minicompendium of evaluation scales for anxiety, depression, mania, schizophrenia, with DSM III correspondent syndromes. Acta Psychiatrica Scand. 1984;73(suppl):1–28
  18. Hwang SS, Chang VT, Cogswell J, et al.  Clinical relevance of fatigue levels in cancer patients at a Veterans Administration Medical Center. Cancer. 2002;94:2481–2489
  19. Camussi A, Moller F, Ottaviano E, et al: Metodi Statistici per la Sperimentazione Biologica, 2nd ed. Bologna, Zanichelli, 1995
  20. Comhaire FH, Cristophe AB, Zalata AA, et al.  The effects of combined conventional treatment, oral antioxidants and essential fatty acids on sperm biology in subfertile men. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acid. 2000;6:159–165
  21. Cavallini G, Biagiotti G, Koverech A, et al.  Oral propionyl-l-carnitine associated to intraplaque verapamil in the therapy of advanced and resistant Peyronie's disease. BJU Int. 2002;89:895–900
  22. Lenzi A, Lombardo F, Sgrò P, et al.  Use of carnitine therapy in selected cases of male factor infertility (a double blind cross over trial). Fertil Steril. 2003;79:292–300
  23. Vicari E, Calogero AE. Effects of treatment with carnitines in infertile patients with prostato-vesciculo-epididymitis. Hum Reprod. 2001;16:2338–2342
  24. Collins R, Peto R, Gray R, et al.  Large-scale randomized evidence: trials and overviews. In:  Weatherhall DJ,  Lendingham JGG,  Warrel DA editor. Oxford Textbook of Medicine. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 1996;p. 21–32
  25. Mills TM, Lewis RW, Stopper VS. Androgenic maintenance of inflow and venoocclusion during erection in rat. Biol Reprod. 1998;59:1413–1418
  26. Shasig R, Raymomd JF, Olsson CA, et al.  Androgen induction of DNA synthesis in the rat penis. Urology. 1998;52:723–728
  27. Malovrouvas D, Petrake C, Costantinidis E. The contribution of cavernous body biopsy in the diagnosis and treatment of male impotence. Histol Histopathol. 1994;9:427–431
  28. Thase ME, Reynolds CF, Jennings JF, et al.  Diminished nocturnal penile tumescence in depression (a replication study). Biol Psychiatry. 1992;31:1136–1142
  29. Alexander GM, Swerdloff RS, Wang C, et al.  Androgen behavior correlation in hypogonadal and eugonadal men (cognitive abilities). Horm Behav. 1988;33:85–88
  30. Chiu MK, Schmidt MJ, Shug AL, et al.  Effect of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate on carnitine acetyl transferase and l-carnitine levels in oophorectomized rats. Biochem Biophys Acta. 1997;1344:201–209

 G. Cavallini and G. Biagiotti are patent inventors for the association of Acetyl-l-Carnitine/Propionyl-l-Carnitine for the therapy of symptoms associated with partial androgen deficiency of the aging male.

PII: S0090-4295(03)01301-3

doi: 10.1016/j.urology.2003.11.009

Urology
Volume 63, Issue 4 , Pages 641-646 , April 2004