AB154. Testosterone improves erectile function through regulation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-oxidase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression in castrated rats

Objective: We investigated the protective effects of the herbal formulation in androgen-deprived rat bladder. Methods: Male rats aged 8 weeks were randomly divided (n=8 in each): sham operation only (normal control), androgen-deprived only (androgen-deprived control), androgen-deprived followed by treatment with 200 and 400 mg/kg. After leuprorelin 0.5 mg/kg was subcutaneously injected in androgen-deprived groups, oral administration of either distilled water (normal control, androgen-deprived control) or herbal formulation (treatment groups) was continued for 4 weeks. Serum testosterone level, RhoGEFs, nitric oxide (NO)-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) related parameters, oxidative stress, and histologic change were evaluated after treatment. Results: Treatment with the herbal formulation (I) increased the serum testosterone levels; (II) restored the expression of RhoGEFs, eNOS and nNOS; (III) increased the expression of superoxide dismutase; and (IV) decreased bladder fibrosis. Conclusions: Our results suggest that a positive influence on molecular change in the urinary bladder would be attributable to an antioxidant effect or to an elevation in NO-cGMP activity.