At flaccidity, corpus cavernosal blood PO2 is low (25-40mm Hg), the trabecular smooth muscle of the lacunar spaces contracted. It is our hypothesis that these conditons favor the production of growth factors, cytokines, and vasoactive factors which favor connective tissue synthesis.
During erection, corpus cavernosal blood PO2 increases and plateaus at 90-100mm Hg and the trabecular smooth muscle of the lacunar spaces relaxes. We further hypothesize that these conditions favor connective tissue degradation. It is the sum of both processes which lead to the trabecular smooth muscle/connective tissue balance (Adapted from Reference 3).