Couplet medicines of leech and centipede granules improve erectile dysfunction via inactivation of the CaSR/PLC/PKC signaling in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats
Basic science / preclinical published in Biosci Rep (2020)
Abstract
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the significant complications of diabetes mellitus (DM), and CASR plays an important role in cellular antiapoptosis and NO production in the vascular endothelium by activating PKC. The present study was aimed to investigate the efficacy of Leech and Centipede Granules (LCG) through the CaSR/PLC/PKC signaling. Fifty male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with streptozotocin to induce the DM model. After 10 weeks, an apomorphine test was used to confirm DMED. Rats with DMED were administrated with LCG and U73122 for 4 weeks. Fasting blood glucose, body weight, insulin and glucagon levels were measured. Erectile function in rats was assessed by apomorphine. Serums were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry, and penile tissues were harvested for histologic and the expression of related targets analyses. After treatment, fasting blood glucose, body weight, insulin, glucagon levels, and erectile function were significantly ameliorated in the LCG groups. The LOX-1, NOX, and EMPs concentrations were significantly decreased with LCG treatment. LCG also continuously increased NO and decreased ET-1 content in penile tissues. LCG and U73122 administration also improved penile fibrosis by significantly decreasing VCAM-1, ICAM-1, and CD62P. The data also showed that LCG reduced the apoptosis level in the penis. Furthermore, the inhibited activation of the CaSR/PLC/PKC pathway was observed in DMED rats with LCG treatment. Collectively, LCG significantly ameliorated erectile function of DMED rats via increased NO generation, inhibiting endothelial cells apoptosis and penile fibrosis, which might benefit from the suppression of CaSR/PLC/PKC pathway in DMED rats.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Resumen
TCM 'couplet medicine' of leech + centipede granules improves erectile dysfunction in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats by inactivating CaSR/PLC/PKC signaling pathway. Validates traditional Chinese medicine formulation.
Por qué esto importa para la hirudoterapia
Este estudio preclínico evaluó una "medicina de pareja" tradicional china, los gránulos de sanguijuela y ciempiés (LCG), en ratas diabéticas inducidas por estreptozotocina con disfunción eréctil confirmada; después de cuatro semanas, LCG mejoró la glucosa en ayunas, el peso corporal, los niveles de insulina/glucagón y la función eréctil evaluada con apomorfina, aumentó el NO peneano mientras disminuía la ET-1, redujo los marcadores endoteliales (LOX-1, NOX, VCAM-1, ICAM-1, CD62P) y la apoptosis, y se asoció con la supresión de la señalización CaSR/PLC/PKC. Su relevancia para la hirudoterapia es parcial e indirecta: la sanguijuela es solo uno de los dos componentes de una formulación combinada de hierbas/animales administrada por vía oral, por lo que cualquier beneficio no puede atribuirse específicamente al material de la sanguijuela, y los gránulos orales son mecánicamente distintos de la aplicación clínica de sanguijuelas. La advertencia clave es que este es solo un modelo animal — los resultados son generadores de hipótesis sobre los efectos vasculares/de señalización de una fórmula de múltiples componentes y no constituyen evidencia para la terapia con sanguijuelas en la disfunción eréctil humana.
Citación
Couplet medicines of leech and centipede granules improve erectile dysfunction via inactivation of the CaSR/PLC/PKC signaling in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
Ma JX et al. · Bioscience reports, 2020
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Añadido a la biblioteca ASH: May 27, 2026 · Última actualización del sitio: June 18, 2026