Therapeutic strategies for benign prostatic hypertrophy

Animal models for benign prostatic hyperplasia

Although the etiology of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is unknown, various animal models have been used for several decades to identify potential therapeutic approaches. These models can be divided into those measuring smooth muscle tone and those measuring cellular proliferation. Animal models have played an important role in the development of the two drug classes currently approved for the treatment of BPH: the α-adrenoceptor antagonists and the steroid 5-α-reductase inhibitors. However, models measuring prostatic tone have not been particularly useful in the identification of new α-adrenoceptor antagonists having advantages over currently available drugs, and it is not certain that reduction of prostatic smooth muscle tone is responsible for the relief of BPH symptoms. A further limitation with BPH models is that prostatic hyperplasia similar to the human condition does not occur spontaneously or cannot be induced in any suitable animal species. The identification of a more useful BPH model is focused on cellular mechanisms of prostatic growth, looking similarities between humans and experimental animals.

Polyphenol composition and antioxidant capacity of Epilobium species

Epilobium species (Onagraceae) are commonly used herbal remedies in traditional, adjuvant therapy of benignus prostate hyperplasia (BPH), however the pharmacological and clinical standardization of commercially available Epilobii herba (willow-herb) remains difficult. Willow-herb products usually consist of mixtures from various species, with different phenoloid content, often only partially identified. The present study reports comprehensive LC-MS/MS investigation on the polyphenol composition of the most common Epilobium species, emphasizing the pharmaceutical importance of a uniform standardization protocol in case of their products. The antioxidant capacity of species was evaluated by a simple spectrophotometric method, using ABTS(+) (2,2'azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)). High ratio of macrocyclic tannins, mainly oenothein B was identified in all Epilobium species examined. Flavonoid composition of Epilobium extracts showed several differences, especially comparing E. angustifolium to other species. Myricetin, quercetin, kaempferol and their various glycosides were dominant in samples, but their combination and ratio were distinctive in all cases. Epilobium extracts showed high radical-scavenger activity, comparable to that of well-known antioxidants, Trolox and ascorbic acid. Among species examined, extract of Epilobium parviflorum possessed the highest antioxidant capacity (EC(50)=1.71+/-0.05 microg/ml).