title: [Effects of glycosides of Tripterygium wilfordii, methyltestosterone and zhuanggushenjin capsule on nitric oxide synthase in rat testes].
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Affiliated Hospital, Guilin Medical College, Guilin, Guangxi 541004, China.
authors.forename: Ya-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Chun-Ping
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D008777:Methyltestosterone