Rauwolfia vomitoria extract suppresses benign prostatic hyperplasia by reducing expression of androgen receptor and 5a-reductase in a rat model

作     者：Tian Fang Ze-sheng Xue Jia-xuan Li Jia-kuan Liu Di Wu Mei-qian Li Yu-ting Song Shi-feng Yun Jun Yan Tian Fang;Ze-sheng Xue;Jia-xuan Li;Jia-kuan Liu;Di Wu;Mei-qian Li;Yu-ting Song;Shi-feng Yun;Jun Yan

作者机构：Department of Comparative MedicineJinling HospitalNanjing University School of MedicineNanjing 210002Jiangsu ProvinceChina Center for Veterinary Drug Research and EvaluationCollege of Veterinary MedicineNanjing Agricultural UniversityNanjing 210095Jiangsu ProvinceChina Model Animal Research Center of Nanjing UniversityNanjing 210061Jiangsu ProvinceChina Department of Laboratory Animal ScienceFudan UniversityShanghai 200032China Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Model Animals for Disease StudyModel Animal Research Center of Nanjing UniversityNanjing 210061Jiangsu ProvinceChina Department of InformationJinling HospitalNanjing University School of MedicineNanjing 210002Jiangsu ProvinceChina 

出 版 物：《Journal of Integrative Medicine》 (结合医学学报（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2021年第19卷第3期

页      面：258-264页

核心收录：

学科分类：1007[医学-药学(可授医学、理学学位)] 1006[医学-中西医结合] 1005[医学-中医学] 1002[医学-临床医学] 10[医学] 100602[医学-中西医结合临床] 

基　　金：supported by The Beljanski Foundation(to JY)and Military Laboratory Animal Fund(Grant No.SYDW15to TF)。 

主　　题：Benign prostatic hyperplasia Rat model Herbal extract Androgen receptor Rauwolfia vomitoria 

摘      要：Objective:Herbal medicine is an important therapeutic option for benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH),a common disease in older men that can seriously affect their quality of life.Currently,it is crucial to develop agents with strong efficacy and few side effects.Herein we investigated the effects of the extract of Rauwolfia vomitoria,a shrub grown in West Africa,on BPH.Methods:Rats with testosterone-induced BPH were treated with R.vomitoria.Prostates were histologically analyzed by Hematoxylin and eosin staining.Proliferation index and the expression levels of androgen receptor and its associated proteins were quantified through immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting.Androgen receptor target genes were examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.The sperm count and body weight of rats were also measured.Results:The oral administration of R.vomitoria extract significantly reduced the prostate weight and prostate weight index in BPH rats,supported by the decreased thickness of the prostate epithelial layer and increased lumen size.Similar effects were observed in the BPH rats treated with the reference drug,finasteride.R.vomitoria extract significantly reduced the testosterone-induced proliferation markers,including proliferating cell nuclear antigen and cyclin D1,in the prostate glands of BPH rats;it also reduced levels of androgen receptor,its associated protein steroid 5 a-reductase 1 and its downstream target genes(FK506-binding protein 5 and matrix metalloproteinase 2).Notably,compared with the finasteride group,R.vomitoria extract did not significantly reduce sperm count.Conclusion:R.vomitoria suppresses testosterone-induced BPH development.Due to its milder side effects,R.vomitoria could be a promising therapeutic agent for BPH.