The Anti-inflammatory Effect of Cobalt-Protoporphyrin for Rats with Epididymitis Induced by Escherichia coli Infection / 대한비뇨기과학회지

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), an inducible heat shock protein, catalyzes the heme to iron, biliverdin and carbon monoxide. It also has an inhibitory effect on necrosis and inflammation. Cobalt (III)-protoporphyrin IX (CoPP) is known to be a HO-1 inducer. Our intension was to find whether CoPP has an anti-inflammatory effect through the induction of HO-1 in rats with epididymitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty two Sprague-Dawley male rats (age 8-12 weeks, weight 200-250gm) were selected for the experiments. Anesthesia was performed with an intraperitoneal injection of ketamine hydrochloride (140mg/kg). Four rats were taken and used as a control group. Epididymitis was induced in 28 rats by an injection of E. coli (1 x 10(5)/ml) to the epididymis. In the first step, groups of 4 rats were sacrificed serially after 4, 12, 48, and 72 hours for Hematoxylin & Eosin (H&E) staining and Western blot for inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2. In the second step, groups of 4 rats were injected with either dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) 7 microliter, DMSO 7 microliter with 50mg/ml CoPP or DMSO 7 microliter with 100mg/ml CoPP. They were then sacrificed 72 hours later for H&E staining and Western blot for iNOS and COX-2. RESULTS: In the first step, increased inflammation was evident H&E staining over time. Western blots, iNOS expression was detected after 48 hours and COX-2 was after 12 hours. In the second step, decreased inflammation was evident H&E staining, and the expressions of iNOS and COX-2 were suppressed in the CoPP treated group. CONCLUSIONS: CoPP can reduce the inflammation of epididymis in rats, and the mechanism may be related with HO-1.