• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.507-515
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• 2014

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which is commonly found in aging men, is characterized by hyperplasia of prostatic stromal and epithelial cells beginning in the periurethral zone of the prostate. The prevalence of BPH increases in an age-dependent manner. Here, we investigated the protective effects of unripe Rubus occidentalis extracts (UROE) on BPH development using a prostate cancer cell line and testosterone-induced BPH rat model. Experiments using an established hormone-dependent prostate cancer cell line (LNCaP) showed that UROE treatment significantly decreased expression of androgen-related genes, including androgen receptor (AR), prostate specific antigen (PSA), and 5-alpha reductase 2, but not 5-alpha reductase 1, which was also observed in flutamide-treated cells. Further, AR and PSA gene expression was reduced by UROE treatment under androgen-stimulated conditions using dihydrotestosterone (DHT). BPH animals displayed elevated prostate weights. However, UROE as well as finasteride treatment significantly reduced prostate weights and DHT levels compared to testosterone-induced BPH animals. Histopathological analysis also showed that UROE treatment suppressed testosterone-induced prostatic hyperplasia. Taken together, the results suggest that UROE may effectively inhibit the development of BPH and thus may be a useful agent in BPH treatment.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.30 no.3 s.58
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• pp.643-664
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• 1997

This study is to provide evidence-based recommendations for the most-effective treatments of benign prostatic hyperplasia based on patient preference or clinical need, and to meta-analyze the Korean literatures for the development of BPH treatment guidelines. For these analyses, extensive literature searches (208 articles), with priority given to the Korean Journal of Urology, were conducted from 1960 to August, 1996. Meta-analysis, like all statistical analysis, has two main functions: data summarization (qualitative meta-analysis) and smoothing o. pattern recognition (quantitative meta-analysis). As well, critical reviews and syntheses with the mean and 90-percent confidence intervals for the likelihood were used to evaluate empirical evidence and significant outcomes of the BPH treatment literatures (106 articles). For this task, the Methodologic Panel for BPH Guidelines was composed of multidisciplinary experts in the field. The results of the study were summarized as follows: For all that watchful waiting is an appropriate treatment strategy for the majority of patients with prostatism, we couldn't find the Korean literatures which carried this article. The literatures on alpha-1-adrenergic receptor blockers provide no evidence to suggest that any one alpha blocker is more effective than another. The finasteride reduces the size of the prostate, on average, and leads to a small yet perceptible reduction in sysptoms. Of all treatment options, prostate surgery with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), transurethral incision of the prostate (TUIP), and so on, offers the best chance for symptom improvement. However, surgery also has the highest rates of significant complications. Therefore, surgery need not always be a treatment of last resort. Balloon dilation of the prostatic urethra is clearly less effective than surgery in relieving symptoms, but it is associated with fewer complications. Emerging technologies for treating BPH include lasers, coils, stents, thermal therapy and hyperthermia. Established technologies will also be reanalyzed as results of new trials are reported. Although this study has some limitations due to lacking for good quality literatures, ' it provides a cornerstone for our medical research. It represents the most current scientific knowledge regarding the clinical epidemiology including treatment of BPH. It will be revised and updated as needed.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.550-558
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• 2021

Fructus Corni, the fruit of Cornus officinalis, has long been used for the prevention and treatment of various diseases. We recently suggested that it was effective against benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of Corni Fructus (CF) water extract on BPH induced by testosterone propionate (TP) in noncastrated and castrated animal models. BPH was induced in Sprague Dawley rats by an intramuscular injection of TP in castrated or noncastrated rats. Finasteride (FINA) treatment was used as a positive control for inhibition of BPH. According to our results, CF administration inhibited excessive enlargement of development of the prostate in both the noncastrated and castrated groups compared to the control and FINA-treated groups. The inhibitory effect of CF on BPH was associated with inhibition of expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, 5α-reductase type 2, steroid receptor coactivator-1, androgen receptor (AR), and prostate-specific antigen. Serum levels of the stress hormone cortisol increased during BPH induction by TP in both the noncastrated and castrated groups, but they were attenuated significantly by CF administration. However, insulin and IGF-1 levels were not increased in the BPH-induced groups and CF, and no effective results were found by CF administration. These results point to a beneficial effect of CF on BPH through inhibition of AR signaling pathway activity and imply that CF shows excellent potential as a therapeutic agent for the prevention and treatment of BPH.