The combination of water extracts of Curcumae Radix and Syzygii Flos improves benign prostatic hyperplasia by suppressing testosterone-induced proliferation of prostate cells in vivo and in vitro.

Abstract

Background/objectives: The traditional medicinal use of Curcumae Radix (CR) and Syzygii Flos (SF) supports the possible application in prostate-related diseases. In this study, we studied the therapeutic effects of CR and SF on benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) focusing on the proliferation of prostate cells.

Materials/methods: We established BPH mimicking in vitro and in vivo models to confirm the BPH-improving effects of CR and SF. The human prostate epithelial cell RWPE-1 and myofibroblast stromal cell WPMY-1 were treated 0.5 µM of testosterone propionate (TP) to induce cell proliferation. Also, BPH was induced by a 2-week-pretreatment with daily subcutaneous injections of TP (5 mg/kg/day) in the inguinal region of rats. Then, the TP-injected rats were divided into 5 groups as following: a BPH group (TP with corn oil), a CR group (TP with CR, 50 mg/kg/day), an SF group (TP with SF, 50 mg/kg/day), a CR+SF group (TP with the combination of CR and SF (CR+SF), 50 mg/kg/day), and a finasteride (Fi) group (TP with Fi, 1mg/kg/day). All treatments were carried out for 4 weeks following the pre-2-week period.

Results: TP treatments induced several pathological symptoms of BPH, such as enlarged prostate tissue, increased dihydrotestosterone serum level, and thickened epithelial thickness in TP-induced BPH rats. CR and SF treatment significantly alleviated these signs. In addition, CR and SF reduced the protein expression of BPH-related factors and cell proliferation. Similar patterns of changes were also seen in vitro models. Interestingly, the number of sperms decreased in Fi group, while in the CR+SF group, there was no reduction in sperm counts.

Conclusion: These results showed that CR and SF alleviated BPH by inhibiting cell proliferation. Also, unlike Fi, sperm loss did not occur by CR and SF co-treatment. Based on these results, we suggested that CR and SF are new substitutes for BPH treatment.