OBJECTIVE   To observe the effect of Shanhaidan Granules on erectile dysfunction (ED) disease, and to explore its possible related mechanisms based on the results of previous network pharmacological analysis.

  METHODS   140 Wistar rats were selected as experimental animals including 70 male rats and 70 female rats. Male rats were used to establish vascular ED animal models by bilateral internal iliac artery ligation, which were randomly divided into normal group, model group, sildenafil group, Shugan Yiyang capsule group, Shanhaidan granules low-dose group, medium-dose group and high-dose group. The normal group and the model group were given equal volumes of double distilled water. The sexual behavior indexes of rats in each group were investigated weekly. After 8 weeks of gavage, TUNEL staining was used to detect the apoptosis of spermatogenic cells in the testis. Western blot and qPCR were used to detect the expression levels of iNOS, eNOS, nNOS and p38 in penile tissues.

  RESULTS   Compared with the model group, Shanhaidan granules significantly shortened the capture latency and ejaculation latency of ED rats, reduced the number of apoptotic spermatogenic cells in the testicular tissue, increased the expressions of iNOS, eNOS, nNOS, and inhibited p38 phosphorylation.

  CONCLUSION   Shanhaidan granules can effectively improve the disease state of ED model rats, and its mechanism may be partly related to the regulation of iNOS, eNOS, nNOS and p38.