Buyang Huanwu Decoction Ameliorates Damage of Erectile Tissue and Function Following Bilateral Cavernous Nerve Injury / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To verify the effect of Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BHD) in ameliorating erectile dysfunction (ED) after radical prostatectomy (RP).@*METHODS@#The composition of BHD was verified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS) analysis. Bilateral cavernous nerve crush injury (BCNI) in rats was used to mimic the neurovascular injury occurring after RP. By the envelope method, forty rats were randomly divided into 4 groups as follows: sham (cavernous nerves exposed only), model (BCNI), low-dosage BHD [LBHD, 12.8 g/(kg·d)], and high-dosage BHD [HBHD, 51.2 g/(kg·d)] groups, 10 rats in each group, feeding for 3 weeks respectively. Erectile function was evaluated by measuring intracavernosal pressure (ICP). Changes in the histopathology of corpus cavernosum (CC) were examined by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Meanwhile, the fibrosis of CC was measured by Masson's trichrome staining and Western blot was used to detect the expressions of collagen I, transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF- β 1) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). Apoptosis index was detected by terminal-deoxynucleoitidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling (TUNEL) and Western blot for determining the expressions of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2-associated X (Bax). The oxidative stress in the CC were assessed by the superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. The proteins expression of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and c-Jun were detected by Western blot. In addition, the expression of α-SMA and p-c-Jun in the CC was observed by double immunofluorescence staining.@*RESULTS@#The UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS analysis showed that BHD contained calycosin-7-O- β -D-glucoside, ononin, calycosin and formononetin. Compared with the model group, LBHD and HBHD treatment improved the ICP and the circumference, area, and weight of CC (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Furthermore, LBHD and HBHD treatments increased CC smooth muscle content and decreased apoptosis index (P<0.05 or P<0.01). LBHD and HBHD also elevated SOD and expression level of α -SMA and Bcl-2, and reduced MDA and ROS levels, as well as expression of TGF- β 1, collagen I, Bax, p-c-JNK, p-JNK in the CC compared with the model group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The double immunofluorescence staining showed that the fluorescence degree of p-c-Jun in both LBHD and HBHD treatment groups was significantly reduced, whereas the α -SMA expression increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01).@*CONCLUSIONS@#BHD can improve ED of rats with BCNI, which is related to inhibiting fibrosis, apoptosis, and oxidative stress of CC. The ROS/JNK/c-Jun signaling pathway may play an important role in the process.

Change of hs-CRP, sVCAM-1, NT-proBNP levels in patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension after therapy with magnesium sulfate and nifedipine

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the change of the hs-CRP, sVCAM-1, NT-proBNP levels of the patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) syndrome.@*METHODS@#A total of 200 patients with PIH were divided into mild, moderate and severe group, and 50 healthy pregnancy patients served as the control group. The serum sVCAM-1 levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, hs-CRP were detected by immunity transmission turbidity, and NT-proBNP levels were determined by the colloidal gold method. Patients were treated with magnesium sulfate and nifedipine and the contrastive analysis was performed before and after treatment. And the pathological changes in placental of PIH patients were detected by hematoxylin-eosin staining at the same time.@*RESULTS@#The hs-CRP, sVCAM-1, NT-proBNP levels of patients in the mild, moderate and severe PIH group were significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). The hs-CRP, sVCAM-1, NT-proBNP levels in the severe group were significantly higher than the mild group and the moderate group, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The hs-CRP, sVCAM-1, NT-proBNP of the moderate group were significantly higher than the mild group (P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between hs-CRP, sVCAM-1, NT-proBNP expression levels and the degree of the PIH. The expression of hs-CRP, sVCAM-1, NT-proBNP levels of the moderate and the severe group were significantly decreased (P<0.05). The number of placental villi and interstitial blood vessel in the moderate and severe PIH group were significantly less than the control group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The increased levels of serum hs-CRP, sVCAM-1, NT-proBNP may be involved in the process of vascular endothelial cell injury of the PIH, and the hs-CRP, sVCAM-1, NT-proBNP can be used as the auxiliary index for diagnosis of PIH and determination of PIH severity.