Effects of Chaga Medicinal Mushroom Inonotus obliquus (Agaricomycetes) Extracts on NOS-cGMP-PDE5 Pathway in Rat Penile Smooth Muscle Cells.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to explore the effects of Inonotus obliquus (chaga) extracts on the NOS-cGMP-PDE5 pathway in rat corporal primary smooth muscle cells, potentially for treating erectile dysfunction.
Results Summary
IO2 (alcohol precipitation extract) showed higher antioxidant activity and polysaccharide content than IO1 (water extract). Both extracts increased eNOS and iNOS expression, but only IO2 significantly induced cGMP without affecting PDE5, suggesting potential benefits for erectile dysfunction.
Population
Rat corporal primary smooth muscle cells
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Inonotus obliquus water extraction and alcohol precipitation extracts (IO2) | increase | Inonotus obliquus water extracts (IO1) | - | significantly higher | had a significantly higher polysaccharide content than | #1 |
Inonotus obliquus water extraction and alcohol precipitation extracts (IO2) | increase | ORAC value | - | significantly higher | showed a significantly higher | #2 |
Inonotus obliquus water extraction and alcohol precipitation extracts (IO2) | decrease | half inhibitory concentration for DPPH scavenging activity | - | significantly lower | showed a significantly lower | #3 |
Inonotus obliquus water extracts (IO1) | increase | eNOS | rat corporal primary SMC | significantly | increased the expression of | #4 |
Inonotus obliquus water extracts (IO1) | increase | iNOS | rat corporal primary SMC | significantly | increased the expression of | #5 |
Inonotus obliquus water extraction and alcohol precipitation extracts (IO2) | increase | eNOS | rat corporal primary SMC | significantly | increased the expression of | #6 |
Inonotus obliquus water extraction and alcohol precipitation extracts (IO2) | increase | iNOS | rat corporal primary SMC | significantly | increased the expression of | #7 |
Inonotus obliquus water extracts (IO1) | increase | PDE5 expression | rat corporal primary SMC | significantly | increased | #8 |
Inonotus obliquus water extraction and alcohol precipitation extracts (IO2) | no change | PDE5 expression | rat corporal primary SMC | no effect | showed no effect on | #9 |
Inonotus obliquus water extraction and alcohol precipitation extracts (IO2) | increase | cGMP | rat corporal primary SMC | significant | showed significant inducible effect on | #10 |
Some medicinal mushrooms have effects on sexual dysfunctions. Nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-cyclic gua-nosine monophosphate (cGMP)-phosphodiesterase 5 enzyme (PDE5) pathway is one of the pathophysiological basis of erectile dysfunction (ED). The normal erectile function involves the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO), and the subsequent accumulation of cGMP, whereas cGMP degradation is specifically controlled by PDE5, which promotes corporal smooth muscle cell (SMC) tone and terminates erection. The antioxidant activities of Inonotus obliquus (chaga) water extracts (IO1) and water extraction and alcohol precipitation extracts (IO2) were compared using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging assay and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) method. Three subtypes of NOS (nNOS, iNOS, and eNOS) and PDE5 protein expressions were tested by Western blotting, and cGMP was determined by ELISA on a rat corporal primary SMC. The results revealed that IO2, which had a significantly higher polysaccharide content than IO1, showed a significantly higher ORAC value and a significantly lower half inhibitory concentration for DPPH scavenging activity than IO1. We observed that both IO1 and IO2 increased the expression of eNOS and iNOS significantly compared with the control. Furthermore, when compared with the control, IO1 increased PDE5 expression significantly, while IO2 showed no effect. The different impacts on PDE5 might be the reason that IO2, not IO1, showed significant inducible effect on cGMP compared with the control. This is to our knowledge, the first study exploring the effect of I. obliquus on NOS-cGMP-PDE5 pathway on SMC. The results provide a possible selection of I. obliquus for the treatment of ED.