[Effects of glycosides of Tripterygium wilfordii, methyltestosterone and zhuanggushenjin capsule on nitric oxide synthase in rat testes].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of glycosides of tripterygium wilfordii (GTW), methyltestosterone and Zhuanggushenjin capsule on nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in rat testes.


METHODS
Forty-five rats were equally divided into 5 groups, and respectively given GTW [10 mg/(kg x d)], methyltestosterone [2 mg/(kg x d)], Zhuanggushenjin capsule [0.3 g/(kg x d)], distilled water plus Tween 80 (control I), and distilled water alone (control II) for 4 weeks. At the end of the 5th week, the immunochemical ABC method was used to observe the effects of the three drugs on the NOS positive Leydig cells of the rats.


RESULTS
Compared with control II, the GTW group had a significant decrease in the numbers of nNOS and eNOS positive Leydig cells, the methyltestosterone group showed an increase in the number of nNOS but a decrease in that of eNOS positive Leydig cells, and the Zhuanggushenjin group had an increase in the numbers of both nNOS and eNOS positive Leydig cells.


CONCLUSIONS
GTW can reduce NO production by inhibiting eNOS and nNOS, and hence influence the spermatogenic process. Zhuanggushenjin capsule plays an important role in improving male sexual function by enhancing nNOS and eNOS expression and NO synthesis.
Ren
Ya-Ping
YP
Department of Histology and Embryology, Affiliated Hospital, Guilin Medical College, Guilin, Guangxi 541004, China.
Sun
Li
L
Jiang
Wei
W
Hu
Chun-Ping
CP
D000818:Animals; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007985:Leydig Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008777:Methyltestosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I / Q000378:metabolism*; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D029757:Tripterygium
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D008777:Methyltestosterone