Finasteride inhibits microvascular density and VEGF expression in the seminal vesicle of rats / 中华男科学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>Objective</b>To investigate the effect of finasteride on the microvascular density (MVD) and the expression of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the seminal vesicle of rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty male SD rats were randomly and equally divided into groups A, B, C and D, those in groups A and B fed with normal saline as the control and those in C and D with finasteride at 40 mg per kg of the body weight per day, A and C for 14 days and B and D for 28 days. Then the seminal vesicles of the animals were harvested for HE staining, measurement of MVD, determination of the expressions of CD34 and VEGF by immunohistochemistry, and observation of histomorphological changes in the seminal vesicle.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expressions of CD34 in groups C and D were decreased by 6.7% and 15.8% as compared with those in A and B (P<0.01), and that in group D decreased by 9.3% in comparison with that in C (P<0.01). The expression indexes of VEGF in groups C and D were decreased by 6.9% and 14.1% as compared with those in A and B (P<0.01), and that in group D decreased by 9.0% in comparison with that in C (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Finasteride can inhibit the expression of VEGF in the seminal vesicle tissue of the rat and hence suppress the angiogenesis of microvessels of the seminal vesicle.</p>