Evaluation of the Therapeutic Effect of the Traditional Herbal Medicine Atrifil and Oshagh Gum on Testosterone-Induced Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Wistar Rats

Abstract

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common disease that affects elderly men with various complications. This study evaluates the effects of an Iranian traditional herbal medicine “Atrifil and Oshagh gum” on BPH in male Wistar rats. Atrifil is a combination of three medicinal plants: Emblica officinalis Gaertn, Terminalia chebula Retz, and Terminalia bellerica Retz” extracts, and Oshagh gum is Dorema ammoniacum D. Dono gum. In this study, 30 male Wistar rats were divided into five groups: normal control, disease, finasteride, and extract with 300 and 600 mg/kg groups. The extract is a combination of hydroalcoholic Atrifil extract and Oshagh gum. All groups received intramuscular testosterone enanthate to induce BPH except the normal control group. On the twenty-eighth day, prostate glands were separated. Histopathological changes were observed. Furthermore, the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and prostate weights were measured. The binding propensities of finasteride, equol, and flavonoids present in this extract such as quercetin, rutin, and kaempferol for 5α-reductase, estrogen receptor alpha and beta, and estrogen-related receptor gamma were assessed using in silico docking approach. Histopathological evaluation, biochemical parameter, and PSA level results indicated significant inhibition of accruing and progression of BPH in groups treated with 600 mg/kg extract ( p < 0.01 ). Furthermore, molecular docking showed that rutin had a high affinity to bind the receptors 5α-reductase, estrogen receptor beta, and estrogen-related receptor gamma even more than finasteride, and on average, quercetin had a higher affinity to all these receptors. In the end, it can be concluded that Atrifil and Oshagh gum is effective in preventing BPH.

Diacerein provokes apoptosis, improves redox balance, and downregulates PCNA and TNF-α in a rat model of testosterone-induced benign prostatic hyperplasia: A new non-invasive approach

“…Furthermore, the mean area percent of the stromal deposited collagen increased considerably in the BPH group compared to the control group. Thickening of fibromuscular stroma was also reported in previous models and might be attributed to high serum levels of DHT [35,36].…”

Effects of Calocybe indica Mushroom on Oxidative Stress and Hematological ‎Alterations in Rats with Testosterone-induced Experimental Benign Prostatic ‎Hyperplasia

“…However, the problem with the conventional method of BPH therapy is that it is associated with several side effects (Traish et al, 2015;Lepor, 2016), and do not take care of the complications of BPH such as oxidative stress and hematological aberrations. Thus, there is increased interest in the application of active herbal medicines as a more effective and safer treatment strategy for BPH patients as most herbal medicines are effective antioxidants which seem to reduce free radical production and thus offer protection against oxidative tissue damage (Eleazu et al, 2015;Mitsunari et al, 2021).The potential effect of herbal medicines in ameliorating the effects of BPH has also been previously reported (Kwon, 2019;Csikós et al, 2021;Akbari et al, 2022).The role of mushrooms as biological antioxidant has been given much attention in recent years as several studies have emphasized the nutritional and medicinal value of mushrooms such as its anticancer, cholesterol lowering, neurotrophic, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and neuroprotective properties (Wasser, 2017;Bhambri et al, 2022). Calocybe indica, also known as milky mushroom due to its characteristic colour and wide acceptability as palatable food is a widely cultivated macrofungus.…”

Effect of quercetin administration on electron microscopic changes in testicular interstitial endocrinocytes during long-term central blockade of luteinising hormone in rats

“…It reduces the production of cytotoxic superoxide anion, normalises the activation of lymphocyte subpopulations, and reduces the level of their activation. By inhibiting the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-8, it helps to reduce the volume of necrotic myocardium and enhance reparative processes [6]. The protective action mechanism is also linked to preventing an increase in platelet intracellular calcium concentration and aggregation activation, while simultaneously inhibiting thrombogenesis.…”