산수유 추출물에 의한 LNCaP 전립선 세포의 증식 억제 및 양성 전립선 비대증 유발 인자의 발현에 미치는 영향

Inhibition of Proliferation of LNCaP Prostate Cells by Corni Fructus Extract Is Associated with a Decrease in the Expression of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia-Causing Factors

Objectives: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a progressive pathological condition characterized by excessive proliferation of the prostate. In this study, we evaluated the effect of Corni Fructus water extract (CF) on the promotion of prostate cell proliferation by dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Methods: The effect of CF on the proliferation of LNCaP prostate cells was evaluated, and DHT was treated to induce an in vitro BPH model. To study the mechanism of inhibition of cell proliferation and BPH by CF, changes in the expression of key factors related to cell cycle and BPH were investigated. We further investigated the effect on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory efficacy of CF. Results: Inhibition of LNCaP cell proliferation by CF was associated with decreased expression of cyclin D1 and cyclin A and increased expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21. CF also suppressed expression of BPH inducing factors such as 5α-reductase type 2 and androgen receptor (AR) as well as prostate specific antigen (PSA). Furthermore, CF significantly blocked DHT-induced LNCaP cell proliferation and effectively attenuated DHT-induced expression of BPH mediators and cyclins. In addition, CF inhibited DHT-induced oxidative and inflammatory reactions by inhibiting production of ROS and NO. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that CF probably acted as 5α-reductase type 2 inhibitor, preventing the 5α-reductase type 2-AR signaling pathway, thereby reducing the conversion of testosterone to DHT and the expression of PSA, which is at least correlated with the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of CF.