title: Antioxidative mechanism of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides promotes repair and regeneration following cavernous nerve injury.
abstract: Polysaccharides extracted from Lycium barbarum exhibit antioxidant properties. We hypothesized that these polysaccharides resist oxidative stress-induced neuronal damage following cavernous nerve injury. In this study, rat models were intragastrically administered Lycium barbarum polysaccharides for 2 weeks at 1, 7, and 14 days after cavernous nerve injury. Serum superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities significantly increased at 1 and 2 weeks post-injury. Serum malondialdehyde levels decreased at 2 and 4 weeks. At 12 weeks, peak intracavernous pressure, the number of myelinated axons and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase-positive nerve fibers, levels of phospho-endothelial nitric oxide synthase protein and 3-nitrotyrosine were higher in rats administered at 1 day post-injury compared with rats administered at 7 and 14 days post-injury. These findings suggest that application of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides following cavernous nerve crush injury effectively promotes nerve regeneration and erectile functional recovery. This neuroregenerative effect was most effective in rats orally administered Lycium barbarum polysaccharides at 1 day after cavernous nerve crush injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China; Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Zhan-Kui
authors.initials: ZK
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Basic Medical School, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Lian
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Health, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Xie-Gang
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9878-5210
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Ding
keywords: Lycium barbarum polysaccharides; cavernous nerve; erectile dysfunction; glutathione peroxidase; intracavernous pressure; malondialdehyde; nerve regeneration; neural regeneration; oxidative stress; superoxide dismutase