Effects of Kangquan Recipe on sex steroids and cell proliferation in rats with benign prostatic hyperplasia.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of Kangquan Recipe (KQR) on sex steroids and cell proliferation in an experimental benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) model in rats.


METHODS
Seventy-two SD rats were randomly divided into six groups: the normal group, the model group, the finasteride group, and the low-, middle-, and high-dose KQR groups, 12 in each group. Except those in the normal group, the rats were injected with testosterone after castration for the establishment of BPH model and then given respectively with normal saline, finasteride, and low-, middle-, and high-dose of KQR for 30 days. The levels of plasma testosterone (T) and estradiol (E(2)) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the mRNA expression ) of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in prostate tissue was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) after administration.


RESULTS
Compared with the model group, the prostate weight, the plasma T, and the mRNA expression of PCNA were significantly lower, and the plasma E(2) and the ratio of E(2)/T were higher in the three KQR groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the prostate weight, plasma T and E(2), and ratio of E(2)/T among the finasteride group and the three KQR groups (P>0.05). The mRNA expressions of PCNA were significantly higher in the middle- and low-dose of KQR groups than those in the finasteride group (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
KQR shows multitarget effects on experimental BPH rats, and the mechanism might be related with regulating the balance of plasma T and E(2) and decreasing the PCNAmRNA expression in prostate tissue to restrain cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner.
Huang
Yuan-peng
YP
Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, Fujian, 361004, China.
Du
Jian
J
Hong
Zhen-feng
ZF
Chen
Zhi-qing
ZQ
Wu
Jin-fa
JF
Zhao
Jin-yan
JY
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D055927:Cookbooks as Topic; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000379:methods; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011467:Prostate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; C533454:kangquan
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