Abstract
BACKGROUND: Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a common male urological disease characterized by chronic pelvic pain and various discomforts. Astaxanthin (AST) has multiple functions, including anti-inflammatory property, but it is unclear whether AST plays a key role in CP/CPPS and how it works. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of AST on CP/CPPS in rats and the underlying mechanism. METHODS: A CP/CPPS rat model was induced by intraprostatic injection of carrageenan and the blood specimens and prostates were harvested for further research after oral administration of AST for 4 weeks. RESULTS: Tactile allodynia test showed that AST ameliorated chronic pelvic pain in a dose-depended manner. In addition, histological evaluation indicated that AST alleviated CP/CPPS rat prostate histological inflammation. Meanwhile, AST suppressed the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Besides, AST inhibited the activities of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2). Furthermore, AST decreased the activation of the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Our study has shown that AST exerts an anti-inflammatory and protective effect against CP/CPPS and the function is mediated at least through the suppression of NF-κB signaling pathway. These results provide evidence of AST as the potential agents for the treatment of CP/CPPS.