Spiders are true friends of an erect penis [Spidey-Sense Tingling]
Venom from a spider that roams Central and South America has long been known to cause massive, uncomfortable erections that often lead to death. Scientists are finally putting them to work.
The bite from the Brazilian wandering spider (Phoneutria nigriventer) causes a painful erection that can last for many hours and later lead to impotence, researchers from the United States and Brazil noted.
After isolating the toxin, the researchers radioactively labeled and injected a purified form of the toxin, Tx2-6, into rats that suffered from high blood pressure and severe erectile dysfunction. The investigators then measured the presence of the toxin in the animals’ penises and used the toxin to contract and relax strips of penile tissue. Results showed improved levels of nitric oxide, which led to penile relaxation and erections.
Scientists are not quite ready to use the strongest and most deadliest spider venom known on the earth as the basis for treating Erectile Dysfunction, but damn – this could be a new alliance between man and arachnid.
