Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of kelong-capsule on testosterone-induced benign prostatic hyperplasia in rats

Abstract

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common disease in the current ageing male population. This research aims to study the effects of Kelong-Capsules (KLC) on testosterone-induced BPH. Thirty rats were randomly divided into normal group, model group, and three treatment groups. Three treatment groups were given KLC (3.6 g/kg), KLC (7.2 g/kg), and finasteride (0.9 mg/kg), respectively, for 28 days after establishing the animal model. The BPH rat models were evaluated by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) symptoms and prostate index (PI). Results indicated that three treatment groups all alleviated the pathological changes of prostate and kidney at different levels. Compared with the model group, the PI of the groups treated with KLC (7.2 g/kg) and finasteride decreased significantly. The expressions of NF-E2 related factor 2 (Nrf-2) and quinine oxidoreductase (NQO1) in the group treated with KLC (3.6 g/kg) increased markedly (p<0.01). The cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein expression of the group treated with KLC (7.2 g/kg) was increased (p<0.01). In conclusion, KLC could obviously inhibit the growth of prostate, and KLC (3.6 g/kg) could promote the expressions of Nrf2 and NQO1.