ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#Herbal medicine is an important therapeutic option for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a common disease in older men that can seriously affect their quality of life. Currently, it is crucial to develop agents with strong efficacy and few side effects. Herein we investigated the effects of the extract of Rauwolfia vomitoria, a shrub grown in West Africa, on BPH.@*METHODS@#Rats with testosterone-induced BPH were treated with R. vomitoria. Prostates were histologically analyzed by Hematoxylin and eosin staining. Proliferation index and the expression levels of androgen receptor and its associated proteins were quantified through immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting. Androgen receptor target genes were examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The sperm count and body weight of rats were also measured.@*RESULTS@#The oral administration of R. vomitoria extract significantly reduced the prostate weight and prostate weight index in BPH rats, supported by the decreased thickness of the prostate epithelial layer and increased lumen size. Similar effects were observed in the BPH rats treated with the reference drug, finasteride. R. vomitoria extract significantly reduced the testosterone-induced proliferation markers, including proliferating cell nuclear antigen and cyclin D1, in the prostate glands of BPH rats; it also reduced levels of androgen receptor, its associated protein steroid 5α-reductase 1 and its downstream target genes (FK506-binding protein 5 and matrix metalloproteinase 2). Notably, compared with the finasteride group, R. vomitoria extract did not significantly reduce sperm count.@*CONCLUSION@#R. vomitoria suppresses testosterone-induced BPH development. Due to its milder side effects, R. vomitoria could be a promising therapeutic agent for BPH.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a colorectal cancer colostomy orthotopic transplantation mice model.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A colostomy was preformed in BALB/C nu-nu nude mice. After two weeks, when the stoma healed, tumor tissues developed from Lovo cells were implanted into the submucosa of the stoma. When tumor grew up to 5 mm, fluorouracil(5-FU, 20 mg/kg) was administrated by intraperitoneal injection. Tumor developed at the colostomy was observed and its biological characteristics and behaviour were evaluated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Colostomy was performed in 10 mice and stoma healed at two weeks. Ten colostomies developed detectable tumor in two to three weeks. Three to five weeks later, the tumors grew up to 5 mm. Survival time of mice injected with 5-FU was(15.2+/-3.7) weeks (ranged:11-21 weeks), and the survival time of the no-treatment group was(12.3+/-2.8) weeks(ranged:9-19 weeks). The difference was statistically significant(P=0.001). The rate of mesenteric metastasis was 1/5 and 2/5 in the treatment and no-treatment group respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Colostomy orthotopic transplantation mice model is an ideal mice model with the advantages of having high success rate, visualization of implanted tumor in living animal, long survival time and significant tumor response to common chemotherapeutic agent.</p>