OBJECTIVE  To explore the effect and potential mechanism of Ningmitai (NMT) capsule on pain caused by prostatitis.

  METHODS  50 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 5 groups: control group, model group, NMT low dose group, NMT middle dose group, and NMT high dose group. NMT groups were given 6, 12, 18 g·kg^-1 NMT solution, respectively, by gavage after modeling. The control and model groups were intragastrically administered the same amount of normal saline. Behavioral assessment was performed using thermal radiation tail flick test and hot plate test; glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) contents in prostate in each group were detected by Immunohistochemistry; TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β mRNA levels in prostate tissue were measured by qPCR; ELISA technology was applied to determine prostate TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β expression; protein levels of p-ERK/ERK, p-JNK/JNK and p-P38MAPK/P38MAPK were detected by Western blot.

  RESULTS  Compared with the model group, the pain thresholds of the hot plate and tail flick in NMT low dose, middle dose and high dose groups were significantly increased (P < 0.01, P < 0.001); GFAP and TNF-α contents were significantly decreased (P < 0.05); TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β mRNA levels were significantly decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, P < 0.001); expression levels of p-ERK/ERK, p-JNK/JNK and p-P38MAPK/P38MAPK were significantly reduced (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

  CONCLUSION  NMT capsule shows a certain analgesic effect on the pain caused by chronic prostatitis in mice, which is associated with inhibiting inflammatory mediators and deactivating astrocytes.