Beneficial Effect of a Multifunctional Polyphytocompound in Experimental Prostatic Hyperplasia in Rats

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to assess the efficacy of a poly-phytocompound in a model of experimental BPH. Adult 8 weeks male Wistar rats were subjected to complete orchiectomy under anesthesia (i.p. injection of 100 mg/kg body weight of sodium pentobarbital). After castration, experimental BPH was reproduced by subcutaneous injection of testosterone (20 mg/kg) for 4 weeks and, at the same time, rats randomly divided in 3 groups (15 rats each): (A) untreated BPH model; (B) BPH plus TR10/P3795 orally and (C) BPH plus finasteride (10 mg/kg body weight) administered orally as positive control group. A third group (D) of sham-operated rats served as control. Both TR10/P3795- and finasteride-treated groups showed a significant (p<0.05) and comparable reduction of all morphometric parameters (volume, weight and weight/body weight ration) which were grossly abnormal in untreated BPH model (p<0.01 vs. sham-op.). Moreover, both treatment schedule maintained a near-to-normal 3 h urinary output (p<0.01 vs. untreated BPH). Untreated BPH showed a significant increase of epithelial size and thickness and these features were equally decreased by TR10/P3795 and finasteride (p<0.05). Either TR10/P3795 or finasteride brought about a significant decrease of serum level of DHT and PAP (p<0.05 vs. sham). There was no difference among the two treatments. Prostatic tissue concentration of MDA, IL-6, TNFα and TGFβ1 significantly increased in untreated BPH model (p<0.001). All these parameters significantly decreased, although not normalised, in TR10/P3795-treated group (p<0.05 vs. sham and vs. finasteride). Finasteride determined only a not significant trend decrease of IL-6 and TNFα. Given the multifactorial aetiology of BPH, the data from this experimental model show the promising larger spectrum of mechanisms of action of the tested poly-phytocompound.