This study aimed to investigate the effects of ethanol extracts of Butea superba in increasing intracavernous pressure (ICP) in vivo. The extracts were prepared from fresh and dried root cores and fresh and dried root barks. Penile erection was induced in aged rats by electrical stimulation of the cavernous nerve. Cavernous smooth muscle relaxation was also observed in vitro in the presence of the extract, cGMP or isobutyl-methylxanthine (IBMX) alone or the extract together with cGMP or IBMX. The dried root core extract from Phrae was the most effective in increasing the ICP. The dose-response relationship study revealed a bell-shape curve with the maximum effective dose at 1 mg/kg. The ICP of the control and 1 mg/kg extract-treated animals were 45.3 +/- 2.5 and 100.9 +/- 14.0 mmHg, respectively. The extract, cGMP and IBMX alone induced dose dependent muscle relaxation. B. superba significantly enhanced the effects of cGMP and IBMX. The results suggest that ethanol extracts of B. superba are effective in enhancing penile erection. The dried root core extract from Phrae is the most effective part with a maximal dose of 1 mg/kg. The results also suggest that B. superba may act through cAMP/cGMP pathways.
Summary. Treatment of pregnant rats with 1 mg indomethacin/kg twice daily i.m. beginning on Day 20 delayed the onset of parturition by about 21 hr and prolonged the duration of spontaneous parturition by 4 hr. Plasma progesterone and oestradiol levels were determined in daily samples of peripheral blood, and uterine contractions were recorded before and during parturition by means of small, chronically implanted intrauterine balloons which were connected to pressure transducers via fluid-filled catheters. Indomethacin treatment did not inhibit or suppress spontaneous or oxytocin-induced contractions, which were of the same intensity in indomethacin-treated as in control rats. Parturition was induced with oxytocin in the same proportion of treated and control rats, but its induction was not successful in treated rats until 1 day later than in controls. The onset of parturition was always related to the plasma progesterone level, which declined at a slower rate in indomethacin-treated than in control rats, reaching baseline values approximately 1 day later in the treated animals. The appearance of 20\g=a\-hydroxysteroiddehydrogenase in the CL of pregnant rats normally occurs on Day 21 of gestation, but activity was not observed until about 1 (0-3) day later in the indomethacin-treated rats, indicating that luteolysis was retarded. Prostaglandin F-2\g=a\infusions given on Day 21 reversed the effects of indomethacin treatment on plasma progesterone, luteal 20\ g=a\ \ x=r eq-\ hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity and the timing and duration of parturition, and reduced the high perinatal mortality associated with indomethacin treatment, suggesting that the effects of indomethacin were related to its inhibitory action on prostaglandin synthetase activity. It is concluded that, in rats, indomethacin exerts its effects on parturition through inhibition of luteal regression which was significantly retarded but not prevented, and that indomethacin does not have a direct effect on myometrial contractility.
An herbal combination formula, known as VigRX, has been studied for purity, safety and for efficacy in a Sprague-Dawley rat model. Two separate assays determined that VigRX was free from pharmaceutical adulterants, including phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors and related analogues. An in vitro assay determined that VigRX is able to inhibit the enzyme Rho-kinase, suggesting a potential mechanism of action for this product. A 2-week (14-day) study in rats demonstrated a marked enhancement in sexual behavior, including decreased intromission and ejaculation latencies, and increased intromission, ejaculation and mounting frequencies, upon oral administration of 30 mg/kg/day. A longer 12-week study using 15 mg/kg/day showed only a decrease in ejaculation latency with respect to sexual behavior. In both studies, the treatment led to increased intracavernosal pressure, increased sperm concentration, and increased width of erect penis (and an increase in erect penile length in the 14-day study only). There was a statistically significant increase in blood testosterone levels in rats at the end of the 12-week study, which did not occur in the 14-day study. A non-dose dependent decrease in kidney and liver weights was found in the 14-day study that was not seen in the 12-week study, and neither study found any notable histopathological changes in any tissues studied. In conclusion, these preliminary results demonstrate safety and efficacy of VigRx for use in supporting male erectile function, and justify further investigation in these areas.
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