Benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH) is an age-related disease characterized by prostatic enlargement.[1] Quisqualis indica(QI) known as Rangoon creeper is mostly used against pyrexia, staphylococcal and helminth infection.[2] QI extract was standardized by reference to its quisqualic acid content using validated HPLC assay. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of standardized QI extract against experimentally-induced BPH and lower urinary tract syndrome(LUTS). Testosterone induced BPH in rats was generated via daily subcutaneous injections of testosterone (3 mg/kg) for 4 weeks. The rats were divided into the following six groups (normal/vehicle; BPH/vehicle; BPH/finasteride; and three QI doses) and orally administrated for 4 weeks. The relative prostate weight (prostate/body weight ratio) was calculated. Histological changes and the protein levels of AR and ER were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and western blot. The present studies shown that dose-dependent and significant decreases in prostate weight/body weight ratio and prostate epithelial thickness in the BPH + QI treated rats compared with the untreated BPH rats. P rotein expression of androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptor α (ERα) were shown in the standardized QI extract treated groups as compared to BPH alone treatment. Furthermore, standardized QI extract selectively inhibited α1-adrenergic receptor in vitro and then reduced alpha1-adrenergic receptor induced contraction of prostate smooth muscle ex vivo. These results showed that standardized QI extracts could be useful in the clinical treatment of BPH and lower urinary tract syndrome. This work was supported by IPET through Agri-Bio Industry Technology Development Program, funded by MAFRA( 116078-3).
[1] Barkin, J. Benign prostatic hyperplasia and lower urinary tract symptoms: evidence and approaches for best case management. Can J Urol, 18,14–19(2011).
[2] Singh H. Evaluation of antidiarrheal activity of Quisqualis indica L. leaves. Indian J Nat Prod Resour, 4,155(2013).