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A galenical of traditional chinese herbal mixture (THC‐002) reduces expression of tachykinin peptides within urethras of spontaneously hypertensive rats
Author(s) -
Ishikawa Masakuni,
Imamura Tetsuya,
Ishizuka Osamu,
Kurizaki Yoshiki,
Noguchi Wataru,
Zhang Lei,
Nishizawa Osamu
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
neurourology and urodynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1520-6777
pISSN - 0733-2467
DOI - 10.1002/nau.21179
Subject(s) - medicine , saline , substance p , immunohistochemistry , endocrinology , neurokinin a , neurokinin b , neuropeptide , receptor
Aims We investigated expression of tachykinin peptides neurokinin A, neurokinin B, and substance P within urethras of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and determined if a traditional Chinese herbal mixture, THC‐002, decreased them. Methods Ten‐ and 40‐week‐old male SHRs were randomly separated into three groups (n = 12 each). Rats of one group were given orally 20 ml 0.9% NaCl solution per kg body weight daily for 1 week. One hour later, each received a similar volume of water. Rats in the second group were also given saline. One hour later, each received 20 mg THC‐002 per kg body weight. The third group was untreated. The urethras were removed and separated into prostatic and non‐prostatic regions and analyzed by real‐time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (n = 6) and immunohistochemistry (n = 6). Results In 40‐week‐old untreated SHRs, neurokinin B mRNA and protein, and substance P mRNA in prostatic urethras were significantly higher compared to the 10‐week‐old ones. Neurokinin A mRNA and protein, and substance P protein of the 40‐week‐old saline‐loaded prostatic urethras were significantly higher compared to the 40‐week‐old untreated ones. In 40‐week‐old untreated SHRs, the non‐prostatic urethral neurokinin B protein was significantly higher compared to the 10‐week‐old ones. In 40‐week‐old, saline‐loaded SHRs, neurokinin A protein of the non‐prostatic urethras was significantly higher compared to 40‐week‐old the untreated ones. In 40‐week‐old SHRs, THC‐002 significantly decreased the expression of the urethral tachykinins, except for non‐prostatic urethral neurokinin A mRNA. Conclusions Aging and saline‐loading increased the expression of urethral tachykinin mRNAs and peptides. THC‐002 partially decreased them. Neurourol. Urodynam. 31:201–206, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.