The traditional Korean herbal medicine Ga-Gam-Nai-Go-Hyan suppresses testosterone-induced benign prostatic hyperplasia by regulating inflammatory responses and apoptosis

Abstract

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a pathological condition that affects the majority of men above the age of 50 years. Pharmacological agents are typically used to treat BPH; however, there are currently no pharmacological agents that are able to completely cure BPH without causing adverse side effects. As a result of these side effects, there is a great interest in developing effective herbal medicines that are able to inhibit the progression of BPH and are safe for long-term use. Ga-Gam-Nai-Go-Hyan (GGN) is a traditional Korean herbal medicine that has been widely used to treat BPH; however, no biological studies have been performed to elucidate the efficacy of GGN. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of GGN as a treatment for BPH. GGN administration was demonstrated to significantly decrease prostate weight (P<0.001), the relative prostate weight ratio (P<0.001) and the ratio of prostate weight to body weight (P<0.001). In addition, GGN treatment was revealed to suppress testosterone and dihydrotestosterone serum levels (P<0.001) and the growth of prostatic tissue. GGN also decreased the levels of the two inflammatory proteins (P<0.05), inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2, decreased the levels of the two apoptotic suppressors (P<0.05) B-cell lymphoma (Bcl)-2 and Bcl-xL and increased the levels of the pro-apoptotic factors (P<0.05) Bcl-2-associated X protein, caspase-3, caspase-8, Fas, Fas ligand and Fas-associated protein with death domain. The results of the present study suggested that GGN may have suppressive effects on the development of BPH and therefore have the potential to be used for treating BPH.

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.…”

Effects of Taraxaci Herba (Dandelion) on Testosterone Propionate-Induced Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Rats

“…Moreover, disruptions and thickening of the basement membrane were observed. These histopathological changes induced by TP align with previous studies [ 41 , 42 ] and were alleviated by TH, as evidenced by significantly lower histological scores and epithelial thickness compared to the control group. Alongside the decreased prostate weight, these histopathological results suggest that TH possesses an inhibitory effect on benign prostatic hyperplasia.…”

Extracts of Phyllostachys pubescens Leaves Represses Human Steroid 5-Alpha Reductase Type 2 Promoter Activity in BHP-1 Cells and Ameliorates Testosterone-Induced Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Rat Model

“…Recent research suggests that herbs used in oriental medicine can effectively treat BPH or inhibit the occurrence of BPH [ 13 , 14 , 15 ]. These herbal extracts contain alkaloids, flavonoids, isoflavones, saponins, and other phenolics.…”