Aconiti Lateralis Radix Preparata, the Dried Root of Aconitum carmichaelii Debx., Improves Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia via Suppressing 5-Alpha Reductase and Inducing Prostate Cell Apoptosis

Abstract

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common disease in elderly men which can be characterized by an abnormal enlargement of the prostate associated with lower urinary symptoms. Current medications available for BPH treatment display several adverse effects; thus, the search for effective treatments with less side effects is still ongoing. In this study, we investigated the effect of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Preparata (dried root of Aconitum carmichaelii Debx.; AL), which is an herb used to treat extremely cold symptoms in traditional Korean medicine, on BPH using a testosterone propionate- (TP-) induced BPH rat model. Eight-week inguinal injection of TP induced BPH in rats, the prostate of which was displaying an abnormal proliferation. The pathological proliferation of the prostate was ameliorated by AL treatment of 4 weeks. Pathohistological changes in the prostate including epithelial thickness and lumen area were restored in AL-treated rats. Furthermore, 5α-reductase (5AR) and androgen receptor (AR), the two main factors in the pathogenesis of BPH, were decreased. In addition, the ratio of BAX and Bcl-2, an indicator of apoptosis, was increased by AL as well. Similar results were observed in AL-treated LNCaP prostate cancer cells. AL treatment suppressed the expression of the 5AR-AR axis and increased the ratio of BAX and Bcl-2. Apoptosis in the testis is considered a crucial side effect of finasteride, a 5AR inhibitor used to treat BPH. Our results showed that AL treatment did not display such effects, while finasteride treatment resulted in loss of spermatogenic cells within the prostate. Overall, these results suggest AL as a potentially safe nature-derived therapeutic agent for BPH treatment.

Gamma Irradiated Rhodiola sachalinensis Extract Ameliorates Testosterone-Induced Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia by Downregulating 5-Alpha Reductase and Restoring Testosterone in Rats

“…In this study, BPH induced by DHT markedly increased in the prostate volume, which is consistent with previous studies [20,21]. In contrast, as the concentration of testosterone in the prostate tissue increased, it was also reported that the hyperplasia of the prostate was induced [22,23].…”

“…Though the mechanism of 5-AR is complex, inhibition of 5-AR by current BPH medications, such as finasteride, we used as positive control results in decreased conversion of testosterone to DHT. As 5-AR is the initial trigger of prostatic hyperplasia [23], our results suggested a pharmaceutical potential of HKC extracts on BPH treatment. Further investigation will be carried on to optimize the dose-activity for better control of efficacy and safety, as recommended in the WHO guidelines, for the standardized crude extracts, or even the isolated compounds.…”

A histological study of the effect of panax ginseng versus finasteride on induced benign prostatic hyperplasia in rats with potentiality of spontaneous recovery

“…Despite popularity and effectiveness of finasteride in management of BPH, various annoying side effects were reported by their use. Additionally, it needs several months of uninterrupted use to show improvement of BPH symptoms and if stopped, LUTS recur [3,21] . Thus, there was a need for other effective, natural agents achieving more compliance especially that BPH is a chronic disease.…”

“…It is characterized by prostatic enlargement due to proliferation of both epithelial and stromal cells [2] . This enlargement can compress the prostatic urethra causing annoying lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) including intermittent urination, frequent incomplete voiding, dysuria, nocturia and urgency [3] .…”

Characteristic profiling of Aconiti Lateralis Radix for distinguishing it from compatible herbal pair using UPLC–Q‐TOF–MS coupled with chemometrics

“…Aconiti Lateralis Radix (Fuzi in Chinese) is a processed product of the daughter root obtained from Aconitum carmichaelii Debx. and is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM; Chinese Pharmacopoeia Committee, 2015a; Park et al, 2019). In TCM terminology, Fuzi has the effect of reviving the yang for resuscitation and thus can be applied to treat all kinds of yang deficiency and cold syndromes, such as cold arthralgia, cold epigastralgia and chills, and pain of the waist and knees (Park et al, 2019; Suzuki et al, 2016; Wen et al, 2019).…”