Gene transfer of inducible nitric oxide synthase complementary DNA regresses the fibrotic plaque in an animal model of Peyronie's disease.

The goal of the present study was to investigate the antifibrotic role of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in Peyronie's disease (PD) by determining whether a plasmid expressing iNOS (piNOS) injected into a PD-like plaque can induce regression of the plaque. A PD-like plaque was induced with fibrin in the penile tunica albuginea of mice and then injected with a luciferase-expressing plasmid (pLuc), either alone or with piNOS, following luciferase expression in vivo by bioluminescence imaging. Rats were treated with either piNOS, an empty control plasmid (pC), or saline. Other groups were treated with pC or piNOS, in the absence of fibrin. Tissue sections were stained for collagen, transforming growth factor (TGF) beta1, and plasminogen-activator inhibitor (PAI-1) as profibrotic factors; copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZn SOD) as scavenger of reactive oxygen species (ROS); and nitrotyrosine to detect nitric oxide reaction with ROS. Quantitative image analysis was applied. Both iNOS and xanthine oxido-reductase (XOR; oxidative stress) were estimated by Western blot analysis. Luciferase reporter expression was restricted to the penis, peaked at 3 days after injection, but continued for at least 3 wk. In rats receiving piNOS, iNOS expression also peaked at 3 days, but expression decreased at the end of treatment, when a considerable reduction of plaque size occurred. Protein nitrotyrosine, XOR, and CuZn SOD increased, and TGFbeta1 and PAI-1 decreased. The piNOS gene transfer regressed the PD plaque and expression of profibrotic factors, supporting the view that endogenous iNOS induction in PD is defense mechanism by the tissue against fibrosis.

Wogonin suppresses cellular proliferation and expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 in Peyronie's plaque-derived cells.

OBJECTIVE: To test the effect of wogonin on cellular proliferation and expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) in cells derived from normal and diseased tunica albuginea (TA), as related to Peyronie's disease (PD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cells with characteristics of fibroblasts were isolated from three tissue sources. Those from the plaque of patients with PD were designated as P cells, those from the adjacent, normal-appearing tissue as C cells, and those from the TA of patients without PD as N cells. These cells were treated with wogonin at doses of 0, 10, 20 and 40 micromol/L for 24 h or treated at a fixed dose of 40 micromol/L for 1, 8 and 24 h. Cell proliferation was assayed with a commercial kit, MCP-1 mRNA expression by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and secreted MCP-1 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Wogonin suppressed cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner; the effect was more pronounced against P cells at 8 and 24 h. Wogonin down-regulated MCP-1 mRNA expression, especially in P cells. Wogonin suppressed the level of secreted MCP-1 by 59-88%. P cells, which secreted far more MCP-1 than N and C cells at 1 h, were suppressed by 88%. C cells were the least suppressed at all three times. CONCLUSIONS: Wogonin suppressed the proliferation, the expression of MCP-1 mRNA, and the expression of secreted MCP-1 in TA-derived cells. In most cases, the effect of wogonin was greatest against cells derived from the plaque. Wogonin appears to be a worthy candidate for preclinical trials in men with PD.