[Effects of prostate water pellets on the serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha in rats with chronic bacterial prostatitis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Prostate Water Pellets (PWP) on serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha in rats with chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP). METHODS: Fifty healthy, adult, male Wistar rats with the weight of 180 - 220 g were divided into five groups of ten rats each at random: the control group, model group, high dosage of PWP group, low dosage of PWP group and levofloxacin group. The CBP rat model were created by injecting Escherichia coli (0.2 ml/rat, 10(7)/ml) into prostates. A month later after the model creation, high and low dosage of PWP suspension were used by gavage in CBP rats for 30 days, respectively. Levofloxacin tablets were used by gavage as the positive control, and distilled water was used by gavage in the control and model group. After thirty days, serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha were measured with radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: Compared with the model group, serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha of rats in high and low dosage PWP groups were lower and the difference was significant statistically (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: It has effect to treat CBP rat with the PWP and its mechanism may relate with the decreasing levels of proinflammatory cytokines(IL-6 and TNF-alpha) in blood.