Efeitos do óleo de coco na hiperplasia prostática benigna induzida pela testosterona em gerbilos da Mongólia (Meriones unguiculatus)
Carregando...
Data
2021-09-30
Autores
Jubilato, Fernanda Costa
Título da Revista
ISSN da Revista
Título de Volume
Editor
Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)
Resumo
A hiperplasia prostática benigna (HPB) é o crescimento benigno e não controlado da próstata e alguns fatores que contribuem para essa condição são as alterações dos hormônios esteroides e a variação na expressão dos seus receptores, assim como a inflamação crônica. Essa doença acomete mais que 40% dos homens acima de 40 anos, causando diversos sintomas que afetam a qualidade de vida dos pacientes. Os medicamentos para HPB causam diversos efeitos colaterais e por isso, compostos naturais são investigados como tratamentos alternativos. O óleo de coco (CO) possui em sua composição, ácidos graxos como ácido láurico e cáprico, que apresentaram efeitos benéficos para o tratamento da HPB. No entanto, os efeitos desse óleo sobre a próstata ainda são pouco conhecidos. O gerbilo da Mongólia (Meriones unguiculatus) é um roedor muito utilizado em estudos da próstata e a administração de testosterona é capaz de induzir a HPB, o que favorece a utilização dessa espécie como modelo para estudos dessa natureza. Assim, esse trabalho investigou os efeitos do CO sobre a hiperplasia prostática induzida pela testosterona em gerbilos adultos. Dividimos os animais em três grupos experimentais: controle intacto (IC) formado por animais que não receberam nenhum tratamento; hiperplasia induzida (HI), animais que receberam injeções subcutâneas de testosterona (3mg/Kg) em dias alternados por 30 dias e o grupo hiperplasia mais óleo de coco (HCO) em que os animais receberam injeções subcutâneas de testosterona em dias alternados por 30 dias e em seguida CO (Copra) (1 ml/Kg) via gavagem, diariamente, por 30 dias. Verificamos que o tratamento com CO na próstata hiperplásica não alterou o peso da próstata ventral em comparação ao grupo hiperplásico, porém causou alterações na morfologia, reduzindo a altura e a frequência do epitélio e do estroma muscular, a área nuclear, assim como a frequência das fibras colágenas. Observamos redução da imunomarcação dos receptores de andrógeno (ARs) e de estrógeno (ERα e ERβ) e observamos a mesma tendência no western blot, embora não significativo. A proliferação celular foi maior no grupo HCO, porém também verificamos aumento da morte celular por apoptose nesse grupo. Houve a redução da expressão das enzimas 5 α redutase, ciclooxigenase 2 (COX-2), metaloproteinases de matriz 2 e 9 (MMP2 e MMP9). Observamos a redução dos focos inflamatórios subepiteliais e periductais, como também a redução de células positivas para marcadores de macrófagos F4/80 no estroma e CD68 e CD163 no epitélio do grupo HCO. O nível sérico de testosterona aumentou nos grupos HI e HCO. Esses resultados demonstram que o óleo de coco possui efeito pro-apoptótico e anti-inflamatório, como também altera a expressão dos ARs e ERs, minimizando os efeitos hiperplásicos, indicando que este óleo pode ser benéfico e auxiliar no tratamento da HPB.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the benign and uncontrolled growth of the prostate, and some factors that contribute to this condition are changes in steroid hormones and variation in the expression of their receptors, as well as chronic inflammation. This disease affects more than 40% of men over the age of 40, causing various symptoms that affect the quality of life of patients. Medications for BPH cause several side effects and therefore natural compounds are investigated as alternative treatments. Coconut oil (CO) has in its composition, fatty acids such as lauric and capric acid that have shown beneficial effects for the treatment of BPH. However, the effects of this oil on the prostate are still poorly known. The Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) is a rodent widely used in studies of the prostate and the administration of testosterone can induce BPH, which favors the use of this species as a model for studies of this nature. Thus, this work investigated the effects of CO on testosterone-induced prostatic hyperplasia in adult gerbils. We divided the animals into three experimental groups: intact control (IC) formed by animals that received no treatment; induced hyperplasia (HI), animals that received subcutaneous injections of testosterone (3mg/Kg) every other day for 30 days and the group hyperplasia plus coconut oil (HCO) in which the animals received subcutaneous injections of testosterone every other day for 30 days and then CO (Copra) (1 ml/Kg) via gavage, daily, for 30 days. We found that treatment with CO in the hyperplastic prostate did not change the weight of the ventral prostate compared to the hyperplastic group, but caused changes in morphology, reducing the height and frequency of the epithelium and muscle stroma, nuclear area, as well as the frequency of collagen fibers. We observed reduced immunolabeling of androgen receptors (ARs) and estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) and observed the same trend in western blot, although not significant. Cell proliferation was higher in the HCO group, but we also observed increased cell death by apoptosis in this group. There was a reduction in the expression of enzymes 5 α reductase, cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2), matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP2 and MMP9). We observed a reduction in subepithelial and periductal inflammatory foci, as well as a reduction in positive cells for macrophage markers F4/80 in the stroma and CD68 and CD163 in the epithelium of the CO group. The serum testosterone level increased in the HI and HCO groups. These results show that coconut oil has pro-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects, as well as changes the expression of ARs and ERs, minimizing hyperplastic effects, indicating that this oil may be beneficial and assist in the treatment of BPH.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the benign and uncontrolled growth of the prostate, and some factors that contribute to this condition are changes in steroid hormones and variation in the expression of their receptors, as well as chronic inflammation. This disease affects more than 40% of men over the age of 40, causing various symptoms that affect the quality of life of patients. Medications for BPH cause several side effects and therefore natural compounds are investigated as alternative treatments. Coconut oil (CO) has in its composition, fatty acids such as lauric and capric acid that have shown beneficial effects for the treatment of BPH. However, the effects of this oil on the prostate are still poorly known. The Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) is a rodent widely used in studies of the prostate and the administration of testosterone can induce BPH, which favors the use of this species as a model for studies of this nature. Thus, this work investigated the effects of CO on testosterone-induced prostatic hyperplasia in adult gerbils. We divided the animals into three experimental groups: intact control (IC) formed by animals that received no treatment; induced hyperplasia (HI), animals that received subcutaneous injections of testosterone (3mg/Kg) every other day for 30 days and the group hyperplasia plus coconut oil (HCO) in which the animals received subcutaneous injections of testosterone every other day for 30 days and then CO (Copra) (1 ml/Kg) via gavage, daily, for 30 days. We found that treatment with CO in the hyperplastic prostate did not change the weight of the ventral prostate compared to the hyperplastic group, but caused changes in morphology, reducing the height and frequency of the epithelium and muscle stroma, nuclear area, as well as the frequency of collagen fibers. We observed reduced immunolabeling of androgen receptors (ARs) and estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) and observed the same trend in western blot, although not significant. Cell proliferation was higher in the HCO group, but we also observed increased cell death by apoptosis in this group. There was a reduction in the expression of enzymes 5 α reductase, cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2), matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP2 and MMP9). We observed a reduction in subepithelial and periductal inflammatory foci, as well as a reduction in positive cells for macrophage markers F4/80 in the stroma and CD68 and CD163 in the epithelium of the CO group. The serum testosterone level increased in the HI and HCO groups. These results show that coconut oil has pro-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects, as well as changes the expression of ARs and ERs, minimizing hyperplastic effects, indicating that this oil may be beneficial and assist in the treatment of BPH.
Descrição
Palavras-chave
Óleo de coco, Hiperplasia, Testosterona, Próstata, Gerbilos, Coconut oil, Hyperplasia, Testosterone, Prostate, Gerbil