Influence of Pumpkin Seed Oil on the Rate of Oxygen Consumption by the Prostate Tissue

Abstract

Despite a long and successful experience with the use of pumpkin seed oil (PSO) in patients with chronic prostatitis (CP), the pharmacodynamics of PSO is not fully understood. We hypothesized that pumpkin seeds and PSO contain pharmacologically active substances that are able to influence on the rate of oxygen consumption (ROC) by the prostate tissue, which may be a determinant of their effectiveness in men with CP. The aim: to study the effect of eating pumpkin seeds, containing PSO, on the ROC of the prostate tissue in white outbred rats. Materials and methods. The control group consisted of 16 outbred male rats. The experimental group consisted of 6 white outbred male rats, which on the eve received, in addition to the standard diet, pumpkin seeds without restriction. Thus, 22 adult outbred male rats were used in the study. The ROC of the prostate tissue was measured by an optical sensor of dissolved oxygen with a DKTP-03 thermoelectric converter. A prostatectomy was performed under anesthesia. Immediately after that, prostate tissue weighing 0.5 g was placed in a beaker, filled with 15.0 ml of 0.9% sodium chloride solution at a temperature of 36.6 °C. An optical oxygen sensor DKTP-03 connected to an oxygen analyzer "Expert-009" was placed in a beaker and the tightness was created. The analyzer showed the concentration of dissolved molecular oxygen (CDO2) in a 0.9% solution of sodium chloride, expressed in mg / l. We recorded the CDO2 readings every minute from the beginning of the experiments (0 minutes) to their end (60 minutes). Results and conclusion. we have found for the first time that PSO statistically significantly increases the ROC in rat prostate tissue (p < 0.05).