[Effect of radix urticae extract and its several secondary extracts on blood SHBG in benign prostate hyperplasia].

The paper presents studies on the interaction of an extract of radix urticae with the sexual hormone binding globulin of the blood plasma and with the androgen receptor of the prostatic cytosol. It is shown that the binding of 5-alpha-dihydrotestosterone with the binding proteins can be influenced by the extract. The significance of such an interaction to the aetiology and pathogenesis of benign prostatic hyperplasia is discussed. It is likely that such mechanisms participate in the action of conservative treatment of prostatic hyperplasia. The investigations are of great importance in the efforts to place phytotherapy of prostatic hyperplasia on a rational basis. Further investigations are necessary to elucidate the active components of the extracts and to discover the mechanism of action in detail. This could also be an advance in the elucidation of the cause of prostatic hyperplasia.