OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of Prostate Water Pellets (PWP) on the number of colonies, NO concentration and NOS activity in the prostate tissues of rats with chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP).

METHODSA total of 120 healthy adult male Wistar rats weighing 250-300 g were equally randomized into 6 groups: blank control, model control, positive control, high-dose PWP, medium-dose PWP and low-dose PWP. The CBP rat models were established by injecting colibacilli (10(7)/ml) into the prostate. A month later, the high- , medium- and low-dose PWP groups were treated intragastrically with PWP at 4.4 g/kg, 2.2 g/kg and 1.1 g/kg per day respectively, the positive controls with levofloxacin at 0.018 g/kg per day, and the blank and model controls with normal saline, all for 35 days. Then the numbers of colonies in the prostate tissues were measured, and the changes in NO concentration and NOS activity detected by the nitrite reductase method.

RESULTSCompared with the model controls, the number of colonies, NO concentration and NOS activity were significantly reduced in the prostate tissues of the rats of the high- , medium- and low-dose PWP groups (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONPWP was proved to be efficacious for CBP in rats, whose mechanism might be related with its inhibitory effect on bacterial growth and decreasing effect on NO concentration and NOS activity in the prostate tissues.