Inhibitory effects of Ponciri Fructus on testosterone-induced benign prostatic hyperplasia in rats

• Published in: BMC complementary and alternative medicine 2017-08, Vol.17 (1), p.384-384, Article 384
• Main Authors: Jeon, Woo-Young, Kim, Ohn Soon, Seo, Chang-Seob, Jin, Seong Eun, Kim, Jung-Ae, Shin, Hyeun-Kyoo, Kim, Yong-Ung, Lee, Mee-Young
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acids; Animal experimentation; animal models; Animals; antigens; Antioxidant enzymes; Antioxidants; Antioxidants (Nutrients); Antioxidants - metabolism; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Antioxidants - therapeutic use; Benign; Benign prostatic hyperplasia; blood serum; Catalase; Catalase - metabolism; Chemical compounds; Cholestenone 5 alpha-Reductase - metabolism; complement; Corn; Corn oil; Dihydrotestosterone; Dihydrotestosterone - blood; Disease Models, Animal; Enlargement; Enzymes; Ethanol; Flavonoids; Free radicals; Fruit; Fruits; Genital diseases; Glutathione; Glutathione peroxidase; Glutathione Peroxidase - metabolism; Glutathione reductase; Glutathione Reductase - metabolism; glutathione-disulfide reductase; Growth factors; Health aspects; histology; Hyperplasia; Laboratory animals; Male; males; Oils & fats; oral gavage; Organ Size; Oriental traditional medicine; Oxidative stress; Pathogenesis; Peroxidase; Pharmacology; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Ponciri Fructus; Poncirus; Poncirus trifoliata; Proliferating cell nuclear antigen; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen - metabolism; Propionic acid; Prostate; Prostate - drug effects; Prostate - metabolism; Prostate - pathology; Prostatic hyperplasia; Prostatic Hyperplasia - chemically induced; Prostatic Hyperplasia - drug therapy; Prostatic Hyperplasia - metabolism; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Rodents; Superoxide dismutase; Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism; Testosterone; Testosterone - blood; Testosterone Propionate; therapeutics; Vegetable oils; Zea mays
• ISSN: 1472-6882; 1472-6882
• DOI: 10.1186/s12906-017-1877-y

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is non-cancerous condition of enlargement of the prostate, a common occurrence in older men. The immature fruits of Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Rafinesque (Rutaceae), Ponciri Fructus are widely used in traditional oriental medicine for the therapy of various diseases. However, little is known about the mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of BPH. In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of a Ponciri Fructus extract (PFE) on the development of BPH in a in a rat model of BPH induced by testosterone propionate (TP). Male Sprague Dawley rats were used as a model of BPH after its induction by daily subcutaneous injections of TP/corn oil, for a period of four weeks. PFE was administrated daily 1 h before TP/corn oil injection by oral gavage at a dose level of 200 mg/kg during the 4 weeks of TP/corn oil injections. All rats were sacrificed at the end of the experiment, we measured the relative prostate weight, the levels of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), histological changes, activities of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and superoxide dismutase), and expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). In addition, we also measured the inhibition (%) of 5α-reductase in the prostatic tissue. Our findings indicate that PFE significantly inhibited the development of BPH; decreased the relative prostate weight, the level of testosterone and DHT in serum and prostatic tissue, prostatic hyperplasia, expression of PCNA, and increased the antioxidant enzymes. Moreover, PFE showed a weak inhibitory activity on 5α-reductase. These results suggest that PFE may be used as a therapeutic agent for BPH via antiproliferative and antioxidant effects.