Men with hyperlipidemia are more likely to have erectile dysfunction (ED) than those without hyperlipidemia, but the mechanisms are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the underlying mechanism of ED caused by hyperlipidemia. Fourteen 8-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups: a control group and a hyperlipidemia group (fed chow containing 4% cholesterol and 1% cholic acid). After 6 months, we assessed erectile function by performing cavernous nerve electrostimulation followed by intracavernosal pressure/mean arterial pressure measurements, as well as plasma lipid profile assessment in all rats. A transferase-mediated nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, immunohistochemical staining and Western blotting were performed to determine the levels of apoptosis, autophagy and fibrosis in the penile tissue. Compared with the control group, the hyperlipidemia group exhibited: (i) increased plasma lipid levels; (ii) decreased erectile function; (iii) a decreased smooth muscle/collagen ratio; (iv) increased fibrosis; (v) increased apoptosis and decreased autophagy. Overall, hyperlipidemia may attenuate erectile function in rats by causing of cavernosal fibrosis.

Hongjingtian injection is made from Rhodiola wallichiana and used in the treatment of stable angina pectoris associated with coronary heart disease. In this study, the chemical constituents in Hongjingtian injection were comprehensively studied using liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A total of 49 compounds were identified or assumed, including 10 organic acids, nine phenylethanoids, 10 phenylpropanoids, two flavonoid glycosides, seven monoterpene glycosides, seven octylglycosides and four other types of compounds. The structures of seven compounds were confirmed by comparing their retention times, MS and UV spectra with the corresponding authentic standards. Amongst the 49 compounds, 35 were firstly found in R. wallichiana, while they have been reported in other species of the genus Rhodiola, including Rhodiola crenulata, Rhodiola sacra, Rhodiola rosea and Rhodiola kirilowii. The possible fragmentation pathways in the mass spectrometry of the major types of compounds are proposed and summarized. Our study demonstrates a rapid method for characterizing the chemical constituents present in the Hongjingtian injection, which could also be applied to the identification of chemical constituents in other TCM formulae containing R. wallichiana.

Natural products with antioxidative activities are widely applied to prevent and treat various oxidative stress related diseases, including ischemic heart disease. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of those therapies are still needed to be illustrated. In this study, we characterized the cardioprotective effects of Hongjingtian Injection (HJT), an extensively used botanical drug for treating coronary heart disease. The H/R-induced profound elevation of oxidative stress was suppressed by HJT. HJT also attenuates oxidative injury by promoting cell viability, intracellular ATP contents, and mitochondrial oxygen consumption. Validation experiments indicated that HJT inhibited H/R-induced apoptosis and regulated the expression of apoptosis-associated proteins Bcl-2 and cleaved caspase3. Interestingly, HJT significantly regulated the expression of autophagy-related proteins LC3, Beclin, and mTOR as well as ERK and AKT. We provide evidence that the mechanism involves activation of AKT/Beclin-1, AKT, and ERK/mTOR pathway in cardiomyocyte autophagy. Histological and physiological evaluation revealed that HJT significantly decreased the infarct area of the heart, improved cardiac function, and increased the expression of LC3B in a rat model of coronary occlusion. From the obtained data, we proposed that HJT diminished myocardial oxidative damage through regulating the balance of autophagy and apoptosis and reducing oxidative stress.