Quercetin in Tonglong Qibi decoction ameliorates testosterone-induced benign prostatic hyperplasia in rats by regulating Nrf2 signalling pathways and oxidative stress

Abstract

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common urological disease in older males. Existing pharmacotherapy shows several side effects, and the exploration of new therapeutic strategies is of high significance. Tonglong Qibi (TQ) decoction was proved to ameliorate BPH, while the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. In the current study, we explored the anti-BPH effects of TQ in vivo and identified its main therapeutic component and the underlying mechanisms in vitro. We demonstrated that TQ mitigated BPH in rats and showed no toxicity to the liver and reproductive system. Network pharmacology identified quercetin as the main component in TQ treating BPH. Quercetin reduced proliferation, oxidative stress, and increased Nrf2 expression in hyperplastic prostate epithelial cells. These findings indicate that quercetin in TQ alleviates BPH via inhibiting oxidative stress and activating the Nrf2 signalling pathway.

Keywords: Tonglong Qibi decoction; benign prostatic hyperplasia; quercetin.