World J Mens Health.  2024 Oct;42(4):830-841. 10.5534/wjmh.230200.

Ethanol Extracts of Cornus alba Improve Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia by Inhibiting Prostate Cell Proliferation through Modulating 5 Alpha-Reductase/ Androgen Receptor Axis-Mediated Signaling

• Hwang B
• Kim J
• Park S
• Chung HJ
• Kim H
• Choi YH
• Kim WJ
• Myung SC
• Jeong TB
• Kim KM
• Jung JC
• Lee MW
• Kim JW
• Moon SK

• KMID: 2559721
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5534/wjmh.230200

Abstract

Purpose
The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of ethanol extracts of Cornus alba (ECA) against benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in vitro and in vivo.
Materials and Methods
The prostate stromal cells (WPMY-1) and epithelial cells (RWPE-1) were used to examine the action mechanism of ECA in BPH in vitro. ECA efficacy was evaluated in vivo using a testosterone propionate (TP)-induced BPH rat model.
Results
Treatment with ECA inhibited the proliferation of prostate cells by inducing G1-phase cell cycle arrest through the regulation of positive and negative proteins. Treatment of prostate cells with ECA resulted in alterations in the mitogen-activated protein kinases and protein kinase B signaling pathways. The transcriptional binding activity of the NF-κB motif was suppressed in both ECA-treated prostate cells. In addition, treatment with ECA altered the level of BPH-associated axis markers (5α-reductase, fibroblast growth factor-2, androgen receptor, epidermal growth factor, Bcl-2, and Bax) in both cell lines. Finally, the administration of ECA attenuated the enlargement of prostatic tissues in the TP-induced BPH rat model, accompanied by histology, immunoblot, and serum dihydrotestosterone levels.
Conclusions
These results demonstrated that ECA exerted beneficial effects on BPH both in vitro and in vivo and might provide valuable information in the development of preventive or therapeutic agents for improving BPH.

Keyword

Benign prostatic hyperplasia; BPH rat model; Ethanol extracts of Cornus alba; RWPE-1; WPMY-1