OBJECTIVETo explore the acting mechanism of Danpu Capsule (DPC) in treating chronic prostatitis by observing its effect on inflammatory factors in autoimmune prostatitis rat model.

METHODSThe rat model was established by abdominal subcutaneous multiple points injection of rat's prostate tissue antigen. Thirty modeled rats were randamly divided into 3 groups, the DPC group, the Qianlietai Tablet (QLT) group and the model group. They were treated via gastrogavage respectively with DPC, Qianlietai Tablet and normal saline respectively. Besides, a control group was set up with 10 healthy rats. All animals were sacrificed 56 days after treatment. Pathologic change of prostatic tissue was observed by light microscopy, and the levels of interleukin 8 (IL-8), interleukin 10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in blood serum and prostatic tissue were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTSCompared with the normal group, the serum and prostatic levels of IL-8, IL-10 and TNF-alpha, as well as the prostatic level of PGE2 in the model group were higher (P <0.05 or P <0.01). In the DPC group, the serum and prostatic levels of IL-8 was 3.07 +/- 0.61 ng/L and 7.32 +/- 2.44 ng/L respectively, which was lower than those in the model group (4.73 +/- 1.95 ng/L and 10.14 +/- 3.64 ng/L, respectively); that of TNF-alpha in the DPC group (85.34 +/- 19.20 ng/L and 87.01 +/- 15.4 ng/L) was also lower in the model group (111.48 +/- 31.57 ng/L and 119.88 +/- 14.13 ng/L); similar difference between the two groups was also shown in prostatic level of IL-10 (34.05 +/- 7.56 ng/L vs 47.20 +/- 15.97 ng/L), and so was PGE2 (603.97 +/- 114.62 ng/L vs 712.58 +/- 117.10 ng/L), all with statistical significance (P <0.05 or P <0. 01).

CONCLUSIONDPC could reduce the prostatic inflammatory response of model rats, and regulate the local immune condition.