Inhibitory effects of crude polysaccharides from Semen vaccariae on benign prostatic hyperplasia in mice

Semen vaccariae, the seeds of Vaccaria Segatalis, is a famous traditional herb for the treatment of stranguria disease, e.g. benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The present study investigated the effect of crude polysaccharide from Semen vaccariae (SVCP) on BPH in mice in order to further understand the efficacy substance of this medicinal plant.

Sixty healthy adult male Kunming mice were randomly divided into five groups with 12 mice for each group: sham-operated group, BPH model group; BPH model group treated with Pule'an at a dose of 1.20 g/kg; BPH model group treated with SVCP at dose levels of 1.67 g/kg and 0.42 g/kg. The drugs were administered orally once a day consecutively for 12 days. The BPH in mice was created by subcutaneous injection of testosterone propionate for 5 mg/(kgd) to the uncastrated mice once a day consecutively for 12 days. The inhibitory effects on BPH of SVCP were evaluated by prostatic index, testicular index and histopathologic examination.

Comparing with BPH model group, BPH mice fed with SVCP exhibited significant differences in both the prostatic index and testicular index. On the aspect of histopathology, the SVCP treated BPH mice exhibited similar histological aspects observed in the mice of sham group while the BPH mice exhibited typical features of prostate glandular hyperplasia.

SVCP exhibited a significant inhibitory activity on BPH by reducing the prostatic index, testicular index, and ameliorating the pathomorphology. The results indicated that the polysaccharide should be the main efficacy substance of Semen vaccariae and may contribute, in a large part, to Semen vaccariae's traditional medicinal use for the treatment of stranguria disease.