title: Bawu decoction () ameliorates benign prostatic hyperplasia in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of Bawu Decoction (, BWD, Palmul-tang in Korean) against benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups, with 6 rats in each group. The 4 study groups included sham-operated group (CON), BPH model group, fifinasteride-treated group, and BWD-treated group. All the groups except CON group received a subcutaneous injection of 10 mg/kg of testosterone, while CON group received saline. Finasteride at a dose of 5 mg/kg was administered to the finasteride-treated group for a period of 4 weeks. BWD group received BWD at a dose of 200 mg/kg for 4 weeks. The prostatic weight, prostate weight to body weight ratio, relative prostate weight ratio, serum testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) level, and histological analysis of prostatic tissue were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to BPH model group, BWD administration was associated with reductions in prostatic weight, prostate and relative prostate weight ratio weight to body weight ratio (P<0.05). The concentration of serum testosterone and DHT were higher in BPH group compared with CON group (P<0.05). Administration of finasteride and BWD suppressed the elevation of serum testosterone and DHT levels signifificantly (both P<0.05). In addition, BWD suppressed the growth of prostatic tissue (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BWD has suppressant effects on development of BPH through inhibition of serum testosterone and DHT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Korean Medicine, Sangji University, Wonju-si Gangwon-do, 220-702, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Eom
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, College of Korean Medicine, Sangji University, Wonju-si Gangwon-do, 220-702, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Se-Yun
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Cheon
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, College of Korean Medicine, Sangji University, Wonju-si Gangwon-do, 220-702, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung-Sook
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Korean Medicine, Sangji University, Wonju-si Gangwon-do, 220-702, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Myung-Dong
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, College of Korean Medicine, Sangji University, Wonju-si Gangwon-do, 220-702, Republic of Korea. hjan@sj.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Hyo-Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: An
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000097:blood; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011467:Prostate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; D013739:Testosterone
keywords: Bawu Decotion; Palmul-tang; benign prostatic hyperplasia; dihydrotesterone; finasteride; rat; testosterone