Talpur Nadeem, Echard Bobby, Bagchi Debasis, Bagchi Manashi, Preuss Harry G
Department of Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA.
Mol Cell Biochem. 2003 Aug;250(1-2):21-6. doi: 10.1023/a:1024988929454.
Pharmaceuticals such as finasteride and alpha blockers are used to treat symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and are known to cause severe adverse reactions. Accordingly, a search for safer, natural products has been undertaken. Two natural agents (nutraceuticals) have come under recent scrutiny; because natural products, in general, often have evidence of long-term safety. The present study compares the in vivo effects on androgen-induced prostatic enlargement in rats of two nutraceuticals--the widely recognized Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) and the less well-known Cernitin (defined pollen extract). Non-castrated rats, had a mean prostate weight of 124 mg +/- 8.8 (S.E.M.) compared to the 24.5 mg +/- 1.9 (S.E.M.) of the castrated rat followed under the same regimen (p < 0.01). When castrated rats were given testosterone, the mass increased significantly to 250.0 mg +/- 31.7 (S.E.M.) (p < 0.01). In the five remaining groups, castrated rats receiving testosterone were given finasteride, an extract of Saw Palmetto, crushed whole berry derived from Saw Palmetto fruit, a water soluble and fat soluble extract of Cernitin or a combination of the Saw Palmetto extract and Cernitin. All treatments decreased the size of the prostate to roughly the same size as in the non-castrated rats, a size that was significantly smaller than castrated rats treated with testosterone in the same manner (p < 0.01). A second study examining non-castrated rats treated with very high doses of testosterone showed similar results. In both studies, the nutraceuticals generally decreased body weight. In conclusion, these studies show the ability of Saw Palmetto (whole berry and extract) and Cernitin to influence prostatic hyperplasia via effects on androgen metabolism.
非那雄胺和α受体阻滞剂等药物用于治疗良性前列腺增生（BPH）的症状，并且已知会引起严重的不良反应。因此，人们一直在寻找更安全的天然产品。最近，两种天然制剂（营养保健品）受到了审查；因为一般来说，天然产品往往有长期安全性的证据。本研究比较了两种营养保健品——广为人知的锯棕榈（Serenoa repens）和鲜为人知的舍尼通（精制花粉提取物）对大鼠雄激素诱导的前列腺增生的体内作用。未去势大鼠的平均前列腺重量为124毫克±8.8（标准误），而在相同方案下观察的去势大鼠的平均前列腺重量为24.5毫克±1.9（标准误）（p<0.01）。当给去势大鼠注射睾酮时，前列腺重量显著增加至250.0毫克±31.7（标准误）（p<0.01）。在其余五组中，给接受睾酮的去势大鼠分别给予非那雄胺、锯棕榈提取物、锯棕榈果实碾碎的全果、舍尼通的水溶性和脂溶性提取物或锯棕榈提取物与舍尼通的组合。所有治疗均使前列腺大小减小至与未去势大鼠大致相同的大小，该大小显著小于以相同方式接受睾酮治疗的去势大鼠（p<0.01）。另一项研究检查了用非常高剂量睾酮治疗的未去势大鼠，结果相似。在两项研究中，营养保健品通常都会降低体重。总之，这些研究表明锯棕榈（全果和提取物）和舍尼通能够通过影响雄激素代谢来影响前列腺增生。
