<i>Quisqualis indica</i> Improves Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia by Regulating Prostate Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis

Abstract

Quisqualis indica (QI) has been used for treating disorders such as stomach pain, constipation, and digestion problem. This study was aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of QI extract on treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in LNCaP human prostate cancer cell line and a testosterone-induced BPH rat model. LNCaP cells were treated with QI plus testosterone propionate (TP), and androgen receptor (AR) and prostate specific antigen (PSA) expression levels were assessed by Western blotting. To induce BPH, the rats were subjected to a daily subcutaneous injection of TP (3 mg/kg) for 4 weeks. The rats in treatment group were orally gavaged with QI (150 mg/kg) together with the TP injection. In-vitro studies showed that TPinduced increases in AR and PSA expression in LNCaP cells were reduced by QI treatment. In BPH-model rats, the prostate weight, testosterone in serum, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) concentration and 5α-reductase type 2 mRNA expression in prostate tissue were significantly reduced following the treatment with QI. TPinduced prostatic hyperplasia and the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and cyclin D1 were significantly attenuated in QI-treated rats. In addition, QI induced apoptosis by up-regulating caspase-3 and -9 activity and decreasing the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)/Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) ratio in prostate tissues of BPH rats. Further investigation showed that TP-induced activation of AKT and glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) was reduced by QI administration. Therefore, our findings suggest that QI attenuates the BPH state in rats through anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activities and might be useful in the clinical treatment of BPH.Key words benign prostatic hyperplasia; dihydrotestosterone; Quisqualis indica; testosterone Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common urogenital disorder that affects up to 85% of males who are over 50 years-old. 1) BPH is characterized by the increased proliferation of epithelial and stromal cells of the prostate.2) BPH generally causes lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), such as incomplete bladder emptying, bladder obstruction, bloody urination, and frequent urination.3)The etiology of BPH is not entirely clear. However, the development and incidence of BPH are associated with dysregulation of androgens, and with increased proliferation and decreased apoptosis of cells in the prostate gland.4-9) Testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) have key roles in the development and growth of the entire male genital tract, and they stimulate differentiation of the prostate gland. 10,11) The adrenal glands and testes synthesize testosterone, and prostatic 5α-reductase type 2 converts it to DHT. 12) DHT then binds to the androgen receptor (AR), which is transported to the nucleus, where it regulates genes important for prostate growth and differentiation. 4) BPH development and progression are associated with activation of the AKT pathway, a major growth factor-mediated signal transduction pathways. 6)Over-stimulation of the ...

Role of PPAR‐α agonist fenofibrate in the treatment of induced benign prostatic hyperplasia with dysplastic changes in rats

“…The development of BPH is closely associated with dysregulation of androgens, increased proliferation and decreased apoptosis of cells in the prostate. This is approved in our study that showed significant decrease of apoptotic marker (caspase3) in group III and this finding is supported by previous studies . Group IV showed highly over expressed caspase3 explaining marked apoptotic features, damage and death of prostatic tissue.…”

Metabolomic Analysis of Morus Cultivar Root Extracts and Their Ameliorative Effect on Testosterone-Induced Prostate Enlargement in Sprague-Dawley Rats

“…Our results showed that Igsu treatment ameliorates BPH comparable to Fi treatment. In previous reported studies, natural plant products such as Pao pereira, Quisqualis indica, and Poncirus trifoliata were shown to attenuate the symptoms of BPH [34][35][36]. The natural plant extracts significantly reduced AR, 5α-reductase, and DHT level in prostate glands of the testosterone-induced BPH rat model.…”

“…The results of the previous studies are very similar to our study, which may be due to the large amounts of flavonoids, polyphenols, and plant sterols found in natural foods. Phytochemicals in natural plants were recently reported to be effective in BPH [25,[34][35][36][37].…”

Effect of <i>Veratrum maackii</i> on Testosterone Propionate-Induced Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Rats

“…27) Previous studies found that the prostate weight was increased in rats injected with testosterone for 4 weeks, and that finasteride treatment suppressed the DHT level in serum and the 5αR2 mRNA level in prostate tissues of BPH-induced rats. 28,29) However, finasteride also produces serious side effects 12,30) which has led researchers to investigate alternative materials that can be used to treat BPH with fewer side effects. The present study found that VM treatment significantly reduced the mRNA expression of 5αR2 and consequently reduced the prostatic DHT level and prostatic size in a rat model.…”