Anti-tumour Potential of Punica granatum (Pomegranate) Seed in Testosterone-induced Benign Prostate Hyperplastic Wistar Albino Rats

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the anti-tumour potentials of Punica granatum (Pomegranate) seed in testosterone-induced Benign Prostate Hyperplastic Wistar albino Rats.

Study Design: This study is an experimental study.

Place and Duration of Study: The experimental aspect of this study was conducted at the animal house, Department of Pharmacology, University of Port Harcourt between April and September, 2019.

Methodology: Seventy (70) adult albino Wistar rats were used for this study. They were divided into 12 groups of 5 rats each (apart from normal control, BPH and PC control groups that contained 10 rats each) that were further divided into 5 rats for each group and fed with commercial rat diet and clean drinking water ad libitum. Aqueous and ethanol extracts of Punica granatum seed were prepared using the maceration method. Benign Prostate Hyperplasia was induced in rats after they submitted to bilateral orchiectomy by daily injections of testosterone propionate (TP) (4 mg/kg b.wt.sc). Rats were treated with 500 or 1500 mg/kg b.wt. of aqueous or ethanoI extracts of Punica granatum seed, dutasteride or in combination. Administration of extracts was done by gavage. At the end of 30 days, the rats were anaesthetized with chloroform and blood samples were collected into lithium heparin bottles through cardiac puncture and serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) was analyzed using rat specific ELISA kits for PSA. The prostate gland was excised, washed, weighed and length, breath and width were measured. The organs were later preserved in formalin for histological analysis. Statistical analysis was done using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 22.0 and P values less than .05 were considered significant.

Results: The results showed that subcutaneous administration of 4mg/kg of testosterone propionate caused a significant increase in prostrate weight (from 216.2 ± 10.5 to 635 ± 78.8 mg), prostate volume (from 0.83 ± 0.11cm3 to 0.23 ± 0.05 cm3) and prostate specific antigen (from 76.34 ± 3.55 to 716 ± 56.1 pg/ml) at p<.05. However, when the rats were treated with both aqueous and ethanol extracts of Punica granatum seed, in combination with dutasteride and when simultaneously administered with testosterone, the above stated parameters were observed to have significantly decreased. Moreover, histological findings for rat prostates corroborated with the biochemical findings.

Conclusion: From our findings of the biochemical and histological changes in rats, BPH was induced in castrated male rats after the subcutaneous injection of 4mg/kg b.wt. testosterone propionate. It was also observed that extracts of Punica granatum seed administered orally ameliorated BPH in rats, by decreasing prostate size and weight, prostate index and prostate specific antigen levels in treated rat groups compared with the BPH model group. Both doses of the two plant extracts individually and in combination with dutasteride also markedly reduced prostate parameters.