Protective effects of grape seed-derived procyanidin extract against carrageenan-induced abacterial prostatitis in rats

The potential of grape seed-derived procyanidin extract (GSP) to protect against carrageenan-induced abacterial prostatitis in rat was investigated. After the experimental period, the effects of GSP on the levels of prostatic interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL)-6, IL-10 and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Prostatic oxidative stress was evaluated by detecting the activities of antioxidant enzymes. The prostatic levels of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) and its phosphorylation state were determined using Western blot analysis. It was found that GSP could ameliorate the carrageenan-induced ERK over-phosphorylation state as well as the disordered levels of proinflammatory cytokines, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes. These results suggest that the GSP exerts prostate protective effects via suppressing elevated levels of ERK phosphorylation state, proinflammatory cytokines and lipid peroxidation, and normalizing antioxidant enzyme activities.