Can spiders cure erectile dysfunction?

American scientists have found that a spider bite can lead to a four hour erection.

Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia say the venom of the Brazilian wandering spider could pave the way to a new cure for erectile dysfunction.

Dr Kenia Nunes, a physiologist at the college, said: "This is good because we know that some patients don't respond to the conventional therapy. This could be an optional treatment for them."

However, further research is required before the method is used as tests on rats showed side-effects including loss of muscle control, severe pain, difficulty breathing and death.

Dr Nunes explained: "The venom of the Phoneutria nigriventer spider is a very rich mixture of several molecules. These molecules are called toxins, and then we have various toxins in this venom with different activity.

"Because of this, when a human is bitten by this spider, we can observe many different symptoms including priapism, a condition in which the penis is continually erect."