The effects of the edible birds nest on sexual function of male castrated rats

In this study, the effects of edible bird’s nest on sexual function of male castrated rats were investigated for the first time. The testosterone (T), luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol (E2) levels, the penis and prostate and seminal vesicle indexes, and the protein expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) were estimated. The prostate and seminal vesicle index and the expression of eNOS increased significantly in groups treated with edible bird’s nest in comparison to the control group. The results demonstrated that the edible bird’s nest may promote the sexual function of male castrated rats and T was supposed to be responsible for this function. Edible bird’s nest may serve as an effective medicine for erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment.   Key words: Edible bird’s nest, sexual function, castrated rats, erectile dysfunction, hormones, nitric oxide synthase.