Effect of a Chinese herbal medicine mixture on a rat model of hypercholesterolemic erectile dysfunction

Purpose: We examine the effect of a Chinese herbal medicine mixture on erectile function in a rat model of hypercholesterolemic erectile dysfunction. Materials and Methods: In this study 32, 3-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats were used. The 8 control animals were fed a normal diet and the remaining 24 were fed 1% cholesterol diet for 4 months. After 2 months herbal medicine was added to the drinking water of the treatment group of 16 rats but not the cholesterol only group of 8. Of the 16 rats 8 received 25 mg./kg. per day (group 1) and 8 received 50 mg./kg. per day (group 2) of Chinese herbal medicine mixture. Serum cholesterol levels were measured at 2 and 4 months. At 4 months erectile function was evaluated with cavernous nerve electrostimulation in all animals. Penile tissues were collected for electron microscopy, and to perform Western blot for endothelial nitric oxide synthase, neuronal nitric oxide synthase, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and caveolin-1. Results: Serum cholesterol levels were significantly higher in animals fed the 1% cholesterol diet compared to controls at 2 and 4 months. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference among group 1 (145 +/- 30 mg./dl.), group 2 (157 +/- 20) and the cholesterol only group (143 +/- 15). Systemic arterial pressure was not significantly different between the animals that were fed the 1% cholesterol diet and the controls. During electrostimulation of the cavernous nerve peak sustained intracavernous pressure was significantly lower in the cholesterol only group (50 +/- 23 cm. H2O) compared to the control group. Conversely erectile function was not impaired in the herbal medicine treated rats. Electron microscopy showed many caveolae with fingerlike processes in the cavernous smooth muscle and endothelial cell membranes in control and treated rats but not in the cholesterol only group of rats. Western blot did not show a difference among groups in protein expression for endothelial nitric oxide synthase and neuronal nitric oxide synthase in penile tissue but caveolin-1 and bFGF protein expression was significantly higher in groups 1 and 2 than in the cholesterol only and control groups. Conclusions: Rats developed erectile dysfunction after being fed a 1% cholesterol diet for 4 months. Although serum cholesterol levels were similar in the cholesterol only rats and those treated with Chinese herbal medicine mixture, erectile response was significantly better in the treated group. The mechanism of the herbal medicine is unknown. High levels of bFGF and caveolin-1 expression in the treated group may protect the cavernous smooth muscle and endothelial cells from the harmful effect of high serum cholesterol.