Chinese herbal medicine enhances sexual function and c-Fos/nNOS expression in the nucleus accumbens of orchidectomized rats

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• 作者：Liu Hongyu^a ; ^{lhyxian@nuc.edu.cn" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author} ; Cui Jianmei^a ; Zhai Haifeng^b ; Xue Jinjuan^a ; Wang Xiaoyang^c ; ^{wangxy1212@163.com" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author}
• 关键词：Medicine ; Chinese traditional ; Reinforcing kidney ; Orchidectomy ; Sexual function ; physiological ; Nucleus accumbens ; c-Fos ; Nitric oxide synthase type I
• 刊名：Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：June 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：36
• 期：3
• 页码：347-352
• 全文大小：1240 K

文摘

To determine whether the central nervous system is involved in the effect of Chinese herbal medicine on sexual function recovery in orchidectomized rats.

Methods

Orchidectomized rats were administered intragastrically with a decoction of “kidney-nourishing” Chinese herbal medicine once per day for 28 days. Accessory genital organ weight, plasma testosterone, and mating behavior were investigated. The expression of c-Fos and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in neuronal cells in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) was analyzed by immunohistochemistry.

Results

There was a decrease in accessory genital organ weight, plasma testosterone, and sexual behavior, as well as a low number of c-Fos-positive cells and a large nNOS-positive cell area in orchidectomized rats. Administration of the herbal medicine increased accessory genital organ weight, testosterone level, mating behavior, and c-Fos-positive cell number, while it decreased the nNOS-positive cell area in orchidectomized rats.

Conclusion

An increase of plasma testosterone after administration of “kidney-nourishing” herbal medicine might contribute to the elevated sexual function and activity in orchidectomized rats. In addition, a central nervous system mechanism, such as the functional alteration of NAc, might be involved.