title: Change in cytokine levels after administration of saikokaryuukotsuboreito or testosterone in patients with symptoms of late-onset hypogonadism.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate plasma cytokine levels after treatment with saikokaryukotsuboreito (SKRBT), which is a herbal medicine, or androgen replacement treatment (ART), for patients with late-onset hypogonadism (LOH)-related symptoms. Thirty-one patients over 40 years of age with LOH-related symptoms were included in this study. SKRBT was given orally three times daily to a total of 7.5 g/day for 15 eugonadal patients and ART was give to 16 hypogonadal patients by intramuscular injection of testosterone enanthate at 125 mg each time every 2 weeks. Plasma levels of testosterone and 18 cytokines, as well as LOH-related symptoms scored according to the Aging Males' Symptoms (AMS) scale, were compared before and more than 2 months after treatment. In the ART group, the total AMS score was decreased and testosterone was increased significantly after treatment. No cytokine variables were altered significantly after the treatment. In the SKRBT group, although the total AMS score was significantly decreased, testosterone did not change. From the evaluation of cytokines, a significant increase was found in interleukin (IL)- 8, IL-13, interferon-gamma and tumour necrosis factor-alpha. We conclude that SKRBT might improve LOH-related symptoms in eugonadal patients through the beneficial effect of cytokines, a mechanism that is quite different from ART.
authors: Department of Urology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan. akitsuji@uro.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
authors: Akira
authors: A
authors: Tsujimura
authors: Yasushi
authors: Y
authors: Miyagawa
authors: Hidenobu
authors: H
authors: Okuda
authors: Keisuke
authors: K
authors: Yamamoto
authors: Shinichiro
authors: S
authors: Fukuhara
authors: Jiro
authors: J
authors: Nakayama
authors: Tetsuya
authors: T
authors: Takao
authors: Norio
authors: N
authors: Nonomura
authors: Akihiko
authors: A
authors: Okuyama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D000728:Androgens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018793:Interleukin-13; D016209:Interleukin-8; D008297:Male; D020835:Medicine, Kampo / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013739:Testosterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D016207:Cytokines; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D018793:Interleukin-13; D016209:Interleukin-8; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C095444:saiko-ka-ryukotsu-borei-to; D013739:Testosterone