Abstract
Objectives
Prostate cancers and many thereof derived cell lines, as the LNCaP cells, grow androgen-dependent.
In vivo testosterone is locally converted by 5α-reductase to 5α-dihydrotestosterone
(5α-DHT) which is the major androgenic principle in prostates and seminal vesicles.
The occurrence of prostate cancer and growth of LNCaP cells can be effectively inhibited
by finasteride, a synthetic 5α-reductase inhibitor and by a black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa, CR) extract. In the present contribution we tested whether the aqueous/ethanolic
C. racemosa extract BNO 1055 contains 5α-reductase inhibitors.
Methods
Immature 24-day-old male rats were fed with testosterone (T)-containing food and injected
with 30 mg CR BNO 1055 or 0.5 mg finasteride for 5 days. Average daily T-uptake was 39 mg/animal. Other animals remained untreated or received vehicle injections only.
Results
In comparison to totally untreated rats the testosterone treatment increased weight
of prostates and seminal vesicles 3–5-fold and this proliferation was largely and
equipotently inhibited by finasteride and CR BNO 1055. 5α-Dihydrotestosterone concentrations
in prostate tissue extracts were also reduced by both compounds and the testosterone-upregulated
androgen receptor and insulin like growth factor I gene expression inhibited in the
seminals vesicles.
Conclusion
Taken together, these results indicate that the CR extract BNO 1055 contains one or
more potent 5α-reductase inhibitors which may make this extract suitable for the prevention
and treatment of prostate cancer and possibly of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH).
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: July 18, 2006
Identification
Copyright
© 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
