title: Therapeutic effects of Qian-Yu decoction and its three extracts on carrageenan-induced chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Qian-Yu decoction (QYD) is a traditional Chinese medicinal recipe composed of Radix astragali (Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge var. mongholicus (Bunge) P.K. Hsiao, Fabaceae ), Herba epimedii (Epimedium brevicornum Maxim., Berberidaceae), Herba leonuri (Leonurus japonicus Houtt., Lamiaceae), Cortex phellodendri (Phellodendron chinense Schneid., Rutaceae) and Radix achyranthis bidentatae (Achyranthes bidentata Bl., Amaranthaceae). This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic activity of QYD against carrageenan-induced chronic prostatic/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) in rats and further elucidate its effective components.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three types of components, total polysaccharides, total flavonoids and total saponins were separately extracted from QYD. Carrageenan-induced CP/CPPS rats were intragastrically administered with lyophilized product of QYD, individual extracts and all the combined forms of extracts for three weeks. Prostatic index (PI) was determined and histopathological analysis was performed. The levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and prostaglandin E2 (PEG2) in rat prostate tissues were measured using ELISA. The production of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was evaluated by an enzymatic activity assay, and the release of nitric oxide (NO) was determined by a nitrate/nitrite assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment with QYD significantly ameliorated the histological changes of CP/CPPS rats and reduced the PI by 44.3%, with a marked downregulation of TNF-α (42.8% reduction), IL-1β (45.3%), COX-2 (36.6%), PGE2 (44.2%), iNOS (54.1%) and NO (46.0%). Each of three extracts attenuated the symptom of CP/CPPS, but much more weakly than QYD. The combined administration of three extracts showed efficacy comparable to that of QYD while better than that of any combination of two extracts. A principal component analysis of the six inflammatory mediators as variables indicated that the effects of TS on CP/CPPS were rather different from those of TF and TP, which were similar.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  QYD can be beneficial in prevention and treatment of CP/CPPS. Polysaccharides, flavonoids and saponins, as the major effective components of QYD, exert a cooperative effect on CP/CPPS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Wuhan Third Hospital, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.|Central Laboratory of Longhua Branch, Shenzhen People's Hospital, Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.|Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Postdoctoral Research Station, Jinan University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Keda
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory of Longhua Branch, Shenzhen People's Hospital, Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.|Key Lab for New Drug Research of TCM and Shenzhen Branch, State R&D Centre for Viro-Biotech, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiaobin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Wuhan Third Hospital, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yonggang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory, Wuhan Third Hospital, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Wuhan Third Hospital, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Wuhan Third Hospital, Wuhan, People's Republic of China. wujinhuyx@sina.com.
authors.forename: Jinhu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002351:Carrageenan; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011467:Prostate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D011472:Prostatitis / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012503:Saponins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013577:Syndrome
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D005419:Flavonoids; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D011134:Polysaccharides; D012503:Saponins; D002351:Carrageenan
keywords: Anti-inflammatory; Carrageenan; Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome; Flavonoid; Polysaccharide; Qian-Yu decoction; Saponin