Pumpkin seed oil and phytosterol-F can block testosterone/prazosin-induced prostate growth in rats.

INTRODUCTION: This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of pumpkin seed oil alone or combined with Phytosterol-F on testosterone/prazosin-induced (T-P) prostate growth in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty adult Wistar rats were divided into five groups, including: one control group, rats treated with vehicle only, one group treated with T-P, and two groups of T-P-treated rats, one receiving orally pumpkin seed oil alone and one group receiving orally pumpkin seed oil combined with Phytosterol-F. Two weeks later, the prostatic weight-to-body weight ratio was determined after sacrifice. The total protein concentration was measured by using a protein assay. Some ventral prostatic tissues were histologically examined after hematoxylin-eosin staining. RESULTS: Histological sections of the ventral prostate showed that the architecture of the prostate glands became hyperplastic in the T-P rats, but not in the control or vehicle-treated animals. As compared with the control or vehicle group, T-P rats had a significantly higher prostatic weight-to-body weight ratio for the ventral prostate (p=0.05 and p=0.007, respectively), but not for the dorsolateral prostate (p=0.53 and p=0.73, respectively). The T-P rats had significantly higher protein levels within both lobes (ventral lobe, p=0.02 and p<0.0001, respectively; dorsolateral lobe, p=0.06 and p=0.005, respectively). As compared with the T-P-alone rats, the TP rats treated with pumpkin seed oil alone or pumpkin seed oil combined with Phytosterol-F had a significantly lower weight ratio for the ventral prostate (p=0.01 and p=0.004, respectively) and significantly lower protein levels within both lobes (p=0.03 and p=0.003, respectively; p=0.007 and p=0.002, respectively). In addition, Phytosterol-F had some additive effect on the total protein synthesis within the ventral prostate (p=0.02). CONCLUSION: Pumpkin seed oil alone or combined with Phytosterol-F can block the T-P-induced increases in prostatic weight-to-body weight ratio and protein synthesis.

Studies on the synthesis of two hydrophilic hypocrellin derivatives with enhanced absorption in the red spectral region and on their photogeneration of O2*- and O2(1(delta)g).

To improve hydrophilicity and photoactivity of the new type of photosensitizer, hypocrellin, two new derivatives were synthesized through a mild reaction method between hypocrellion B (HB) and ethanolamine in tetrahydrofuran (THF) and their molecular structures were characterized by IR, NMR, MS and UV-Vis spectrometry. In the molecular structures of the two derivatives, the peri-hydroxylated perylenquinone structure of the parent HB is preserved and their photoresponses at 600-900 nm (the red spectral region) are enhanced markedly (the molar absorption coefficients at 650 nm for the two new derivatives are EAHB1 log epsilon = 3.72 and EAHB2 log epsilon = 3.91, respectively. In contrast, the parent compound HB exhibits little absorption at 650 nm). Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spin trapping measurement and a 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA) bleaching method were employed to investigate the photodynamic action of two chemicals in the presence of oxygen. The quantum yields of O2(1(delta)g) generation of EAHB1 and EAHB2 are 0.08 and 0.45, respectively; the relative quantum yields of (O2*-) generation of EAHB1 and EAHB2 are 0.15 and 0.76, respectively, with the parent compound HB as the standard.