Hydrolysates of Pomacea canaliculata alleviate testosterone-induced benign prostatic hyperplasia in in vitro and in vivo models

초록

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a common condition in elderly men, is usually induced by dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is converted from testosterone by alpha-reductase, and androgen signaling. This study aimed to investigate the potential ameliorative effect of the hydrolysate extract of Pomacea canaliculata (HPC) on BPH development in in vitro and in vivo models. The results revealed that the hyperproliferation of LnCaP prostate cells induced by DHT treatment was significantly inhibited by pretreatment with HPC; DHT treatment induced the expression of growth factors and transforming growth factor-beta; however, this effect was counteracted in the presence of HPC. Moreover, the DHT-induced expression and production of the androgen receptor (AR) and prostate-specific antigen were reduced by pretreatment with HPC. This effect was accompanied by the inhibition of changes in the expression of apoptosis regulators, inflammatory cytokines, and cyclooxygenase-2. In the testosterone propionate (TP)-induced BPH model constructed using Sprague-Dawley rats, HPC alleviated prostate hypertrophy and BPH-related pathological characteristics. Furthermore, similar to the in vitro results, HPC attenuated the expression of cell proliferation markers and factors related to apoptosis and inflammation in rats with TP-induced BPH. HPC also lowered the expression of AR and 5 alpha-reductase, which converts testosterone to DHT. Thus, HPC can inhibit prostate growth by regulating the AR signaling pathway in the prostate, suggesting that HPC could be used as a potential agent for the prevention or treatment of BPH.

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