OBJECTIVECytokines such as VEGF and IGF play an important role in maintaining the function of blood vascular endothelium. And Akt1 is an important molecule in the intra-cellular signaling transduction. This study aims to investigate the molecular mechanism of Shugan Yiyang (SGYY) capsule in the treatment of arteriogenic erectile dysfunction (AED) by detecting the expressions and phosphorylation of VEGF, IGF and Akt1 in AED rats.

METHODSWe established AED models in 60 three-month-old adult male SD rats by bilateral ligation of the internal iliac artery, and assigned them to a sham operation group, a model control group, a sildenafil group, a low-dose SGYY group (0.5 g/[kg x d]) and a high-dose SGYY group (1 g/[kg x d]). After 30 days of gavage, we assayed the plasma concentrations of VEGF and IGF in the carotid artery of the rats by ELISA, detected the expressions of VEGF and IGF mRNA by real-time PCR and determined the expression and phosphorylation of Aktl protein in the corpus cavernosum penis by Western blot.

RESULTSIn the model control group, the expressions of VEGF and IGF mRNA were 0.41 +/- 0.06 and 0.42 +/- 0.06, the plasma concentrations of VEGF and IGF were (28.59 +/- 24.97) pg/ml and (15.82 +/- 4.37) ng/ml, and the expression of p-Aktl/Akt1 was 0.93 +/- 0.14. While in the high-dose SGYY group, the expressions of VEGF and IGF mRNA were 0.77 +/- 0.04 and 0.78 +/- 0.05, the plasma concentrations of VEGF and IGF were (95.83 +/- 37.34) pg/ml and (20.45 +/- 3.83) ng/ml, and the expression of p-Aktl/Aktl was 1.43 +/- 0.50. All the parameters above were significantly higher in the high-dose SGYY than in the model control group (P < 0.05), and so were they in the low-dose SGYY group except the plasma concentration of IGF (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSGYY can significantly upregulate the expressions of VEGF, IGF and Akt1 in the corpus cavernosum penis of AED rats, and improve the function of blood vascular endothelium, which is probably an important mechanism of SGYY capsule acting on AED.