title: Preventive effects of Monascus on androgen-related diseases: androgenetic alopecia, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and prostate cancer.
abstract: Androgen-related diseases impair the well-being of many aging men. Unfortunately, the medications used to treat these diseases have many side effects. Therefore, there is a significant need for the development of novel drugs to treat androgen-related diseases. In this study, we investigated the effects of Monascus cursory extraction (M-CE) on androgen-related diseases, including androgenetic alopecia (AGA), benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer. We found that M-CE suppressed baldness in male B6CBAF1/j mice. Furthermore, M-CE decreased PSA levels, indicating a protective effect of M-CE on testosterone-induced hyperplasia. M-CE also significantly decreased tumor volume and tumor incidence in an N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)/testosterone-induced rat prostate cancer model and markedly decreased dihydrotestosterone (DHT) but not testosterone. Additionally, PCNA expression was decreased in the prostate of rats treated with M-CE. These results suggest that M-CE could be a new potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of androgen-related diseases.
authors: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors: Hui-Wen
authors: HW
authors: Chiu
authors: Mei-Huei
authors: MH
authors: Chen
authors: Wen-Hung
authors: WH
authors: Fang
authors: Ching-Ming
authors: CM
authors: Hung
authors: Yen-Lin
authors: YL
authors: Chen
authors: Ming-Der
authors: MD
authors: Wu
authors: Gwo-Fang
authors: GF
authors: Yuan
authors: Ming-Jiuan
authors: MJ
authors: Wu
authors: Ying-Jan
authors: YJ
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000505:Alopecia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000818:Animals; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008770:Methylnitrosourea / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D032741:Monascus / Q000737:chemistry*; D011467:Prostate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; D013739:Testosterone; D008770:Methylnitrosourea; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen