Effects of Melandrium firmum methanolic extract on testosterone-induced benign prostatic hyperplasia in Wistar rats

Abstract

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an age-related disease of unknown aetiology characterized by prostatic enlargement coincident with distinct alterations in tissue histomorphology. Instead of therapeutic agents that can cause severe side effects, plant extracts are frequently used to treat BPH. In this study, we investigated whether the Melandrium firmum methanolic extract (MFME) improves BPH, using the testosterone propionate (TP)-induced BPH rat model. Castration was performed via the scrotal route under sodium pentobarbital anaesthesia. BPH in castrated rats was generated via daily subcutaneous injections of TP (3 mg kg 21 ) dissolved in corn oil, for 4 weeks. MFME was administered daily by oral gavage at a dose of 200 mg kg 21 for 4 weeks, along with the TP injections. The control group received injections of corn oil subcutaneously. At the scheduled termination of the experiment, all rats were killed and their prostates weighed; the relative prostate weight (prostate/body weight ratio) was calculated, and histomorphological changes in the prostate were examined. Additionally, we measured the levels of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the serum and the prostate. Experimentally induced BPH led to marked decreases in the relative prostate weight and the DHT levels in the serum and the prostate. Histologically, BPH was evident in the ventral lobe of the prostate, and MFME treatment suppressed the severity of the lesions. These results indicate that MFME effectively inhibits the development of BPH induced by testosterone in a rat model. Further studies will be needed to identify the compound(s) responsibility for inducing the protective effect against BPH and determine its mechanism of action.

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

“…37) Animals with experimentally induced BPH also have significantly increased prostatic PCNA expression. 38,39) We found that rats with BPH that were given QI treatment had significantly reduced expression of PCNA and cyclin D1, as well as fewer PCNA-positive cells. This indicates that QI protected against BPH development due to its anti-proliferative activity.…”

Effect of ethanol extract of Zapoteca portoricensis stem on testosteroneinduced benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) in adult male albino rats

“…Androgens and oestrogens significantly influence the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia. However, the prostate needs androgens for normal physiological functioning and concentration of these hormones in excess of the physiological threshold may result in aberrant growth of the prostate (Lee et al, 2012). An alternative pharmacological approach in patients with BPH is to inhibit the androgens responsible for prostatic hyperplasia.…”

Methyl Jasmonate Ameliorates Testosterone Propionate-induced Prostatic Hyperplasia in Castrated Wistar Rats

“…), and MeJA (50 mg/kg i.p.) were given daily to the animals for 4 consecutive weeks (Umukoro and Olugbemide, 2011;Lee et al, 2012).…”

“…Glutathione reductase, a flavoprotein enzyme, regenerates GSH from GSSG, with NADPH as a source of reducing power. Increase in the levels of lipid peroxidation and decrease in antioxidants have been detected in BPH (Lee et al, 2012). In BPH rats, intake of some herbal extracts has been reported to reduce oxidative stress (Siddiqui et al, 2005;Prasad et al, 2008;Hevesi et al, 2009;Lopez et al, 2009).…”