title: Protective effects of seahorse extracts in a rat castration and testosterone-induced benign prostatic hyperplasia model and mouse oligospermatism model.
abstract: This study investigated the effects of seahorse (Hippocampus spp.) extracts in a rat model of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and mouse model of oligospermatism. Compared to the sham operated group, castration and testosterone induced BPH, indicated by increased penile erection latency; decreased penis nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity; reduced serum acid phosphatase (ACP) activity; increased prostate index; and epithelial thickening, increased glandular perimeter, increased proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) index and upregulation of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in the prostate. Seahorse extracts significantly ameliorated the histopathological changes associated with BPH, reduced the latency of penile erection and increased penile NOS activity. Administration of seahorse extracts also reversed epididymal sperm viability and motility in mice treated with cyclophosphamide (CP). Seahorse extracts have potential as a candidate marine drug for treating BPH without inducing the side effects of erectile dysfunction (ED) or oligospermatism associated with the BPH drug finasteride.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Marine Drugs, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China. Electronic address: Donghuixu007@163.com.
authors.forename: Dong-Hui
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Marine Drugs, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
authors.forename: Li-Hong
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Marine Drugs, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
authors.forename: Xue-Ting
authors.initials: XT
authors.lastname: Mei
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Yi-Da-Zhou Marine Biology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
authors.forename: Bing-Ji
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Marine Drugs, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
authors.forename: Jun-Li
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Marine Drugs, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
authors.forename: Shi-Bo
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001688:Biological Products / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002369:Castration; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D010413:Penis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D011467:Prostate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D023701:Smegmamorpha; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013739:Testosterone
chemical_list: D001688:Biological Products; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D013739:Testosterone; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D000135:Acid Phosphatase
keywords: Benign prostatic hyperplasia; Finasteride; Hippocampus spp.; Oligospermatism; Seahorse