Effects of Gegen (Puerariae lobatae Radix) water extract on improving detrusor overactivity in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Abstract

Aim Ex vivo experiments showed that the water extract of Puerariae lobatae Radix (named Gegen in Chinese) induced detrusor relaxation. The aim of this study was to prove the in vivo efficacy of Gegen on improving detrusor overactivity and its possible synergism with darifenacin (a first-line muscarinic receptor-3 inhibitor) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), a rat model exhibiting symptoms of detrusor overactivity. Method After daily oral administration of Gegen 30 (Gegen, 30 mg/kg); Gegen 300 (Gegen, 300 mg/kg); Low-Dar (darifenacin, 3 mg/kg); High-Dar (darifenacin, 30 mg/kg) Low-Dar+Gegen 30 or High-Dar+Gegen 30 for 3 weeks, bladder detrusor strips of the rats were isolated and assessed with different stimulators for the measurement of tonic and phasic contractile activities (including phasic amplitude and frequency). Modes of stimulation included the use of carbachol, isoprenaline and electrical field stimulation (EFS). Results All drug treatments significantly reduced carbachol-stimulated tonic contractile activities, but did not change the phasic amplitude. Meanwhile, the treatments with Gegen 300; Low-Dar; Low-Dar+Gegen 30; and High-Dar+Gegen 30 decreased carbachol-stimulated phasic frequency. Gegen 300 and Low-Dar+Gegen 30 showed stronger potency on lowering EFS-induced responses. Under isoprenaline-induced relaxation, only Gegen 300 significantly enhanced this relaxation by decreasing tonic contraction; Gegen 300; Low-Dar; Low-Dar+Gegen 30; and High-Dar+Gegen 30 increased the reduction of phasic frequency, but all treatment did not alter their phasic amplitude. Combination Index (CI) showed that the combination with Low-Dar and Gegen 30 had very strong synergism (CI < 0.1) on inhibiting EFS-induced contractile response. Conclusion Gegen improved detrusor overactivity through neurogenic and anti-muscarinic mechanisms. Gegen and darifenacin together attained synergism for detrusor overactivity treatment via the neurogenic pathway.