Studies on self-esteem of penile size in young Koreanmilitary men

Aim: To investigate the flaccid and stretched penile sizes of young Korean men and their complexes or pride about their penile size. Methods: After an explanation and agreement to the purpose and methods of this study, 123 Korean men in their early 20's visiting the Jinhae Military General Hospital were included in the study. The flaccid penile length, flaccid mid-shaft circumference, stretched length and pre-pubic bone fat pad depth were measured in a warm comfortable environment. The accuracy the subjects assessed their penile size was investigated by asking them to rate their penile size, as 'very small', 'small', 'normal', 'large' or 'very large'. All subjects were asked to complete the Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory (MMPI) test. Results: The mean flaccid length, flaccid circumference, stretched length and fat pad depth of the 123 subjects were (6.9 ± 0.8) cm, (8.5 ±1.1) cm, (9.6 ± 0.8) cm and (1.1 ± 0.4) cm, respectively. The answer distribution on penile size was 1 (0.8 %) 'very small', 29 (23.6 %) 'small', 86 (69.9 %) 'normal', 6 (4.9 %) 'large' and 1 (0.8 %) 'very large'. Subjects who underestimated their penile size showed significantly higher scores on the hypochondriasis (Hs), depression (D) and psychasthenia (Pt) subscales of the MMPI than those in the Unbiased Group (P<0.05). Conclusion: In consultation, with a patient requesting penile augmentation, the urologist should consider the psychologic attitude of the patient to his penile size.

Improvement of erectile function by Korean red ginseng （Panax ginseng） in a male rat model of metabolic syndrome

The seriousness of metabolic syndrome is not due to the disease itself but its promotion of other diseases, such as erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. We investigated the effects of Korean red ginseng （KRG, Panax ginseng） extract on erectile function in a rat model of metabolic syndrome. We divided the rats into three groups： control, metabolic syndrome＋normal saline （N/S） and metabolic syndrome ＋ KRG. To determine the occurrence of metabolic syndrome in all groups, body weight and various biochemical parameters （e.g., blood glucose, insulin, cholesterol） were measured, and the intra-abdominal glucose tolerance test was performed. To investigate penile erection, the peak intracavernosal pressure （ICP）, mean arterial pressure （MAP） and Masson＇s trichrome stain were evaluated. Erectile function was also investigated by measuring the cyclic guanosine monophosphate （cGMP） levels of the corpus cavernosum. We found that the various biochemical parameters and body weight were similar in the metabolic syndrome＋KRG group and the control group, although the values were slightly higher. The peak ICP/MAP ratio of the metabolic syndrome＋N/S group was markedly decreased compared to the other groups. The cGMP level of the corpus cavernosum in the metabolic syndrome＋N/S group was significantly lower than that of the other groups. As demonstrated in this model of metabolic syndrome with erectile dysfunction, KRG may improve erectile function.