VEGFA and erectile dysfunction: VEGF upregulates eNOS in corpus cavernosal smooth muscle cells and elicits an increase in production of NO in human endothelial cells grown in culture.[5] Intravenous injection of VEGF is reported to facilitate the recovery of erectile function in a rat model of arteriogenic erectile dysfunction.[6] Blocking the effect of VEGF could conceivably have the opposite effect, inhibiting erectile function.