Administration of Goji (Lycium chinense Mill.) Extracts Improves Erectile Function in Old Aged Rat Model

Hyong Woo Moon; Jung Woo Park; Kyu Won Lee; Hyun Cheol Jeong; Jin Bong Choi; Sae Woong Choi; Woong Jin Bae; Hyuk Jin Cho; U Syn Ha; Sung Hoo Hong; Jeong Ho Geum; Seong Bin Hong; Sae Woong Kim

doi:10.5534/wjmh.2017.35.1.43

Administration of Goji (Lycium chinense Mill.) Extracts Improves Erectile Function in Old Aged Rat Model

World J Mens Health. 2017 Apr;35(1):43-50. doi: 10.5534/wjmh.2017.35.1.43. Epub 2016 Dec 22.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Urology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
² Catholic Integrative Medicine Research Institute, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
³ Biomix Inc., Goyang, Korea.
⁴ Catholic Integrative Medicine Research Institute, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea. ksw1227@catholic.ac.kr.

Abstract

Purpose: This study investigated the effect of goji (Lycium chinense Mill.) on erectile dysfunction in old-aged rats.

Materials and methods: Twenty-four 18-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats (defined as old-aged rats) were used. Treatment groups contained eight rats each: a control group, goji extract of 150 mg/kg/day group, and goji extract of 300 mg/kg/day group. Treatment was by orogastric tube once daily for 6 weeks. After 6 weeks of treatment, testes weight, serum testosterone, superoxide dismutase, nitric oxide (NO)-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-related parameters, intracavernous pressure/mean arterial pressure, and histological changes were examined.

Results: Treatments with goji extracts increased serum testosterone level, increased the expression of endothelial NO synthase, neuronal NO synthase, and cGMP, improved the oxidative stress marker, and decreased corporal fibrosis.

Conclusions: Our results indicate that goji extract may have a positive effect on erectile dysfunction via its antioxidant effects.

Keywords: Antioxidants; Erectile dysfunction; Testosterone.