Tissue angiotensin II as a modulator of erectile function. I. Angiotensin peptide content, secretion and effects in the corpus cavernosum.

Purpose: Although Angiotensin II (Ang II) is a major modulator of regional blood flow in the extracavernosal segments of the vascular bed, its role in erectile function is unknown. The corpus cavernosum penis is a modified vascular tissue that contains endothelial and smooth muscle cells. In other segments of the vascular bed, these cell types produce Ang II.