title: [Bushen Huoxue Fang promotes the apoptosis of epithelial cells in the prostatic ductal system of rats with benign prostatic hyperplasia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of Bushen Huoxue Fang (BSHX) on the apoptosis of epithelial cells in the prostatic ductal system of rats with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and its possible action mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred 3- month-old male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups of equal number (control, castrated, BPH model, and BSHX). BPH models were made by subcutaneous injection of testosterone following castration; the rats in the BSHX group were treated intragastrically with BSHX at 2.34 g/ml after modeling, while those in the other two groups with equal volume of saline, all for 37 days. On the 38th day, all the rats were sacrificed and their prostates harvested for detection of the distribution of TGF-beta1 and alpha-actin and the count of positive cells in the prostatic ductal system by immunohistochemical staining. The apoptosis rate of epithelial cells in the prostatic ductal system was determined by TUNEL assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression of TGF-beta1 was significantly increased in the rats of the BSHX group as compared with the BPH models in both the proximal prostatic duct ([15.28 +/- 4.30]% vs [36.42 +/- 8.10]%, P < 0.01) and the distal prostatic duct ([4.42 +/- 2.07]% vs [8.71 +/- 2.28 ]%, P < 0.05), while the expression of alpha-actin in the proximal duct was remarkably higher in the BSHX-treated rats than in the models ([28.14 +/- 7.43]% vs [18.28 +/- 4.07]%, P < 0.01), but lower than in the control animals ([33.57 +/- 6.85]%, P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the BPH models and BSHX-treated rats both exhibited markedly decreased apoptosis of epithelial cells in the proximal prostatic duct ([39.42 +/- 9.20]% vs [3.86 +/- 1.34]%, P < 0.01, and [31.14 +/- 5.64]%, P < 0.01) and distal prostatic duct ([17.60 +/- 4.86]% vs [3.07 +/- 1.14]%, P < 0.01, and [12.37 +/- 2.25]%, P < 0.05). The apoptosis rate of epithelial cells in the prostatic ductal system was significantly higher in the BSHX-treated rats than in the BPH models (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  By upregulating the expression of TGF-beta, BSHX can suppress the reduction of smooth muscle cells in the proximal prostatic duct, promote the apoptosis of prostatic epithelial cells, and thus effectively inhibit benign prostatic hyperplasia.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Qiu-Fen
authors.initials: QF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dai-Zhi
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Shao-Bo
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Xian-De
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Shun-An
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Xiao-Gang
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Yu-Bing
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C508962:Tgfb1 protein, rat; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; C527851:bushen huoxue