Effect of leech-centipede medicine on improving erectile function in diabetes-induced erectile dysfunction rats via PDE5 signalling pathway-related molecules
Research article published in Pharmaceutical biology (2021)
Abstract
CONTEXT: The leech and centipede granules have good curative effects on many diabetic vascular diseases, including diabetes-induced erectile dysfunction (DIED). OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of leech and centipede on erectile function in rats with diabetes-induced erectile dysfunction and its possible mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty male Sprague-Dawley DIED rats were randomly divided into the model group (Group M), low-dose group (Group DD), high-dose group (Group DG) and tadalafil group (Group T) (n = 6); diabetic rats were induced by streptozotocin. Apomorphine was used to induce diabetic erectile dysfunction. The 'leech-centipede' granules (0.15 and 0.6 g/kg) were intragastrically administered in the DD and DG groups for 8 weeks. Blood glucose, serum insulin, testosterone, cGMP levels and protein expression changes were measured in each group. RESULTS: After 8 weeks, the erectile function of rats in the DG group significantly improved (1.26 ± 0.73). Penis tissue cGMP levels were higher in the DG group (1.48 ± 0.11) than in the M group (0.58 ± 0.15). Protein and mRNA expression levels of NOS were significantly higher (0.77 ± 0.05; 0.61 ± 0.02) but those of PDE5 (0.43 ± 0.05; 0.61 ± 0.03) were lower in the DG group than in the M group (0.37 ± 0.06; 0.51 ± 0.01; 0.78 ± 0.06; 0.81 ± 0.04). CONCLUSION: The leech-centipede can improve erectile dysfunction in DIED rats by regulating the expression of cGMP, NOS, and PDE5-related molecules in the PDE5 pathway. This study provides a potential mechanism for the treatment of DIED with leech-centipede.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Resumen
The leech and centipede granules have good curative effects on many diabetic vascular diseases.
Por qué esto importa para la hirudoterapia
This preclinical study explored whether leech-centipede granules improve erectile function in streptozotocin-induced diabetic erectile dysfunction (DIED) rats through the PDE5 signalling pathway. After 8 weeks of intragastric administration, the high-dose group showed significantly improved erectile function, elevated penile tissue cGMP levels, increased NOS protein and mRNA expression, and decreased PDE5 expression compared to the model group. The findings suggest that leech-centipede modulates the cGMP–NOS–PDE5 axis in penile tissue. This is directly relevant to ASH's domain as it investigates biological effects of leech-derived material in a disease model. However, key caveats apply: this is an animal study using combined leech-centipede granules in a traditional Chinese medicine context, not purified leech secretome or live hirudotherapy; the sample size was small (n=6 per group), and the formulation and route differ substantially from clinical hirudotherapy practice.
Citación
Effect of leech-centipede medicine on improving erectile function in diabetes-induced erectile dysfunction rats via PDE5 signalling pathway-related molecules
Wang JS · Pharmaceutical biology, 2021
Contexto clínico relacionado
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Añadido a la biblioteca ASH: May 27, 2026 · Última actualización del sitio: June 18, 2026