Abstract
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a disorder that affects males at the age of 40. Icariin (ICA) is a flavonoid reported to treat impotence, atherosclerosis, and osteoporosis. This study aimed to investigate the potential protective effect of ICA in rats with testosterone-induced BPH. ICA prevented increased prostate weight and prostate index levels compared to animals with BPH. Histological examination showed that ICA significantly ameliorated histological changes in the prostate tissues compared to the BPH group. In addition, ICA significantly improved testosterone-induced oxidative stress evidenced by lowering MDA levels, as well as enhancing the levels of antioxidants including GSH, CAT, GPx and SOD. Moreover, compared to the BPH group, ICA prevented the accumulation of collagen fibres and the expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA). ICA was also able to prevent testosterone-increased macrophage accumulation in prostate tissues evidence by reducing the expression of F4/80 marker. In conclusion, this study provides a new evidence that ICA experimentally attenuates testosterone-induced BPH in rats, partially by inhibiting macrophage accumulation.