Purple Corn Extract Improves Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia by Regulating Prostate Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Natural Products
• Urology

Background:

• Purple corn (Zea mays L.) is recognized for its anthocyanin content and traditional medicinal uses.
• Existing research highlights purple corn's benefits for obesity and urinary tract infections, but not for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential therapeutic effects of purple corn extract (PCE) on benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
• To elucidate the mechanisms by which PCE ameliorates BPH in cellular and animal models.

Main Methods:

• Utilized dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-stimulated WPMY-1 cells and testosterone propionate (TP)-induced rats to model BPH.
• Assessed the impact of PCE on androgen receptor (AR) signaling, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) pathway, and apoptosis-related gene expression.
• Evaluated changes in prostate weight and histological alterations.

Main Results:

• PCE significantly reduced upregulated androgen receptor (AR) and related gene expression in DHT-stimulated WPMY-1 cells.
• PCE modulated the PI3K/AKT signaling cascade, increasing proapoptotic gene expression.
• PCE administration led to a reduction in prostate weight and restoration of prostate histology in TP-induced rats by inhibiting AR signaling markers.

Conclusions:

• Purple corn extract (PCE) demonstrates a significant ameliorative effect on benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
• PCE alleviates BPH by effectively modulating prostate cell proliferation and apoptosis through the regulation of androgen/AR signaling and the PI3K/AKT pathway.