Preventive effect of Dinoprostone (Prostaglandin E2) on testosterone-induced prostatic hyperplasia in a rat model

Background : Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a popular age-linked ailment featured by prostatic enlargement and urinary obstruction. Dinoprostone (DINO) is prostaglandin E 2 having anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory actions. Objective : This research attempted to assess the effect of DINO vs. finasteride (FINA) on testosterone (TEST)-induced BPH in rats. Methods : 40 adult male rats were haphazardly separated into 4 groups (n = 10); namely control, TEST, TEST + FINA, and TEST + DINO. BPH was induced with subcutaneous TEST (3 mg per kg per day) for 4 weeks. FINA (5 mg per kg) and DINO (7 mg per kg) were delivered orally. Results : TEST administration led to marked prostatic enlargement and hyperplasia, paralleled by remarkable elevations in PCNA, DHT, 5α-reductase, β-catenin, ERβ, pro-inflammatory IL-6, and pro-fibrotic TGF-β and VEGF mediators. FINA and DINO effectively attenuated these alterations, restoring prostate weight and histoarchitecture, downregulating β-catenin and ERβ, ameliorating PCNA expression, and suppressing DHT and 5α-reductase activity. Both drugs modified inflammatory and angiogenic mechanisms and corrected PPAR-γ expression and regulated BCL-2 levels, indicating diminished apoptosis. While FINA surpassed DINO in inhibiting DHT, IL-6, and β-catenin expression, both treatments were equally effective in terms of anti-hypertrophic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-angiogenic actions. Conclusions : DINO demonstrated promising anti-BPH effects comparable to FINA, acting via EP receptor-mediated modulation of prostatic growth and inflammation. These findings are viewed as preliminary and warrant further investigations of DINO for BPH treatment.