Viagra may make a man more loving as well as improve his physical performance, research suggests. Viagra was found to boost levels of oxytocin
Scientists have discovered that the impotence drug can boost levels of a "cuddle chemical" in the brain.
Oxytocin, also known as the "love hormone", is thought to promote romantic feelings and bonding between couples.
The hormone is released during orgasm in both men and women and has been linked to sexual arousal. It also plays important roles in childbirth and breast-feeding.
Viagra, the brand name of the drug sildenafil, overcomes impotence by blocking an enzyme that limits blood flow to the penis.advertisement
The same protein, phosphodiesterase type 5, also acts as a brake to regulate oxytocin release in the brain. Viagra eases the brake off and allows cells in the brain's pituitary gland to generate more of the hormone.
Just as Viagra needs a sexual trigger to cure impotence, the drug will only induce oxytocin release in response to the right nerve messages.
The discovery was made by scientists who measured the oxytocin produced by rat pituitaries during nerve stimulation. When the pituitaries were exposed to sildenafil, they released three times more oxytocin than they did without the drug.
Professor Meyer Jackson, who led the study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the United States, said: "Erectile dysfunction drugs do not induce erections spontaneously, they enhance the response to sexual stimulation. Viagra will not induce the release of oxytocin on its own, but it will enhance the amount of release you get in response to electrical stimulation."
Experts believe the release of oxytocin might provide a biological explanation for why people fall in love, especially after sex.
Scientists have discovered that the impotence drug can boost levels of a "cuddle chemical" in the brain.
Oxytocin, also known as the "love hormone", is thought to promote romantic feelings and bonding between couples.
The hormone is released during orgasm in both men and women and has been linked to sexual arousal. It also plays important roles in childbirth and breast-feeding.
Viagra, the brand name of the drug sildenafil, overcomes impotence by blocking an enzyme that limits blood flow to the penis.advertisement
The same protein, phosphodiesterase type 5, also acts as a brake to regulate oxytocin release in the brain. Viagra eases the brake off and allows cells in the brain's pituitary gland to generate more of the hormone.
Just as Viagra needs a sexual trigger to cure impotence, the drug will only induce oxytocin release in response to the right nerve messages.
The discovery was made by scientists who measured the oxytocin produced by rat pituitaries during nerve stimulation. When the pituitaries were exposed to sildenafil, they released three times more oxytocin than they did without the drug.
Professor Meyer Jackson, who led the study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the United States, said: "Erectile dysfunction drugs do not induce erections spontaneously, they enhance the response to sexual stimulation. Viagra will not induce the release of oxytocin on its own, but it will enhance the amount of release you get in response to electrical stimulation."
Experts believe the release of oxytocin might provide a biological explanation for why people fall in love, especially after sex.