Copyright © ED Treatment Information Center 1

Can a Spider Bite Treat Erectile Dysfunction?

YouTube Episode 04

The EDTreatmentInformationCenter provides information, resources, help and support for erectile dysfunction sufferers and their partners.

We post authoritative information on the causes and treatment of erectile dysfunction. Where ever possible, we include references and citations to clinicalresearch to support the information we provide.

Follow Us

Website https://edtreatment.info/

FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/EDtreatment.info/

Twitter https://twitter.com/EdtreatmentI

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/ed-treatment-information-center/

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpllQ_r6aGTVv8vDNJw22Gw

Copyright © ED Treatment Information Center 2

Can a Spider Bite Treat Erectile Dysfunction?

I’m Robert Nicholson, and I’m the president of the ED Treatment Information Center.

Today I’m going to answer the burning question, “Can a Spider Bite Treat Erectile Dysfunction.”

And rather than keep you in suspense, the answer is “Yes!”

Figure 1: By João P. Burini [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons.

Copyright © ED Treatment Information Center 3

The Brazilian Wandering Spider (Phoneutria nigriventer)

The story starts with this scary looking guy that lives in the Brazilian rain forest.

Rather than catching its prey in a web or lair, it hunts on the ground at night, giving it the name, Brazilian Wandering Spider.

This is a pretty big spider. Its body can be up to two inches long, and including its legs, it can be six inches across. So it packs a lot of venom. Enough to even pose a risk to a healthy adult.

The symptoms of this spider’s bite include:

• Loss of muscle control

• Paralysis

• Suffocation

• Extreme pain

If one of these critters bites you, you need to get to a doctor right away!

Figure 2: By João P. Burini [GFDL http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons.

Copyright © ED Treatment Information Center 4

… and One More Symptom

But when men show up at a clinic after being bitten by a Brazilian Walking Spider, the doctors notice one more symptom:

The guys often have a peristent erection! An erection that can last for hours.

Wow! So that’s enough to get researchers curious.

Copyright © ED Treatment Information Center 5

What Scientists Have Found

Researchers have narrowed down the component in the toxin that’s responsible for this effect. They’ve found that a protein in the toxin, PnTx2-6, that causes erections in rats1 2.

The exciting thing is that this chemical works on an entirely different principle than all the other medications that are prescribed to treat ED. This protein releases nitric oxide, or NO, which increases blood flow into the penis.

Whereas all the other drugs – Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, and Stendra, are PDE-5 inhibitors, which restrict the blood flow out of the penis.

So if a drug can be safely derived from this toxin, it has the potential to help a lot of men who are not currently helped by prescription drug medications.

1 Jung, A R; Choi, Y S; Piao, S; Park, Y H; Shrestha, K R; Jeon, S H; Hong, S H; Kim, S W; Hwang, T K; Kim K H; Lee J Y. “The effect of PnTx2-6 protein from Phoneutria nigriventer spider toxin on improvement of erectile dysfunction in a rat model of cavernous nerve injury.” Urology. Sep 2014, 84(3):730.e9-17. doi: 10.1016/j.urology.2014.05.030. <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25168567> 2 Nunes, K P; Toque, H A; Borges, M H; Richardson, M; Webb, R C; de Lima, M E. “Erectile function is improved in aged rats by PnTx2-6, a toxin from Phoneutria nigriventer spider venom.” Journal of Sexual Medicine. Oct 2012, 9(10):2574-81. doi: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2012.02878.x. Epub 2012 Aug 23. <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22925420>

Copyright © ED Treatment Information Center 6

When Can You Try It?

Unfortunately, I’m afraid you won’t be able to try this any time soon.

Despite the successful tests on rats, human trials haven’t started yet, and the drug needs to be tested for safety and effectiveness, before finally being approved for sale. This process general takes several years.

But it’s kind of cool that the first new ED medication in 20 years may the result of a spider bite!

Copyright © ED Treatment Information Center 7

Questions?

So guys, I know you’re impatient, but do not try this at home. Do NOT go out and start putting spiders on your penis – especially not big, scary Brazilian Walking Spiders.

But if you do have any questions about this or other topics, please use the Contact Form on our website to let us know what’s on your mind.

https://edtreatment.info/about-edtreatment-info/contact

Till next time!

Bye!

Copyright © ED Treatment Information Center 8

Photo Credits

By João P. Burini [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons.

By Techuser [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons.