Chrysin attenuates epithelial prostatic hyperplasia in the ventral prostate of spontaneously hypertensive rats

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of chrysin on the ventral prostate of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Ten-week-old male Wistar and SHR rats received 100 mg/kg/day of chrysin (TW and TSHR) or 200 µL/day of the dilution vehicle (CW and CSHR) for 70 days. After the treatment, the animals were euthanized and the prostates were dissected out, fixed, and processed for further morphological, immunohistochemical, and biochemical analyses. Blood was collected for serological analysis. Chrysin did not interfere with the blood pressure. Morphologically, the epithelial height increased in TW and decreased in TSHR. Stereology showed an increase in the epithelial and stromal relative frequency, and a decrease in the lumen of TW, whereas the epithelium in TSHR was reduced. Normal alveoli decreased, and hyperplastic alveoli had an increment in TW, whereas in TSHR normal alveoli increased and intense hyperplasia decreased. The secretion area was reduced in TW. Immunohistochemical analysis showed a smaller number of PCNA-positive cells in TW. Finally, the biochemical analysis showed a reduction in malondialdehyde, carbonylated proteins, superoxide dismutase, and catalase in TW and TSHR. We concluded that the chrysin effect is dependent on the context in which this flavonoid is employed. In normal conditions, the anabolic potential of the chrysin was favored, disrupting the morphology of the prostate. However, when used in animals predisposed to develop hyperplasia, this flavonoid attenuates the hyperplastic status, improving the morphology of the gland.