[Qianliexin Capsules for carrageenin-induced chronic nonbacterial prostatitis: A metabolomics study]

To explore the regulating mechanism of the Chinese medicinal compound Qianliexin Capsules (QLX) in the treatment of chronic nonbacterial prostatitis (CNP).

We randomly divided 18 SPF SD male rats into a normal control (n = 6), a model control (n = 6) and a QLX group (n = 6). After successful establishment of a CNP model in the latter two groups by injecting 50 μl 1% carrageenan bilaterally into the prostate, we treated the rats in the QLX group by intragastrical administration of QLX at 4 g/kg, tid, and those in the normal and model control groups with the same volume of pure water, all for 45 days. Then, we examined the possible lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) of CNP by detecting the prostate indexes, expression of the tissue inflammatory factor IL-1 β, 24-hour urine volume and pain threshold reaction (PTR) time, and conducted a metabonomics analysis of the urine and plasma samples.

Compared with the normal controls, the CNP model rats showed dramatically increased prostate coefficient (［0.75 ± 0.09］ ‰ vs ［1.60 ± 0.35］ ‰, P < 0.01) and the expression of IL-1β (［22.61 ± 2.77］ vs ［55.12 ± 4.94］ ng/ml, P < 0.01), which were both decreased in the QLX group (［0.97 ± 0.10］ ‰ and ［36.64 ± 7.25］ ng/ml) in comparison with those in the model controls (P < 0.01). The urine volume was remarkably reduced in the model control group compared with that in the normal controls (4 ml vs 16.38 ml, P < 0.01), and so was the PTR time (［13.83 ± 5.67］ vs ［23.73 ± 2.52］ s, P < 0.01), while the levels of urea nitrogen (［23.06 ± 3.71］ vs ［17.92 ± 1.41］ mg/dL, P < 0.01), creatinine (［48.08 ± 9.31］ vs ［40.31 ± 3.53］ μmol/L, P < 0.01) and uric acid (［181.36 ± 64.06］ vs ［84.33 ± 21.40］ μmol/L, P < 0.01) increased significantly. The animals in the QLX group exhibited significant improvement in the urine volume (［13.44 ± 2.26］ ml), PTR time (［31.45 ± 2.96］ s), urea nitrogen (［16.49 ± 1.86］ mg/dL), creatinine (［36.88 ± 7.98］ μmol/L) and uric acid (［117.47 ± 40.09］ μmol/L) in comparison with the model controls (P < 0.01). Metabonomics analysis revealed a reversing effect of QLX on the carrageenin-induced alteration in a variety of metabolites in the urine and serum, restoring the ratios of such metabolites as glycine, cysteine, ketoimine quinolinic acid, aminobutyraldehyde and triphosphate to almost normal. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that the main metabolic pathways were aspartate and glutamate pathways. The ratios of such metabolites as neuroside, adipic acid, diacylglycerol, choline lecithin and so on in the plasma sample were dramatically improved in the QLX group compared with those in the model controls (P < 0.01).

QLX significantly improves the symptoms of CNP and has a definite effect on amino acids, phosphatidyl and other biomarkers through the tricarboxylic acid cycle, amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism and other related pathways.