Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), an imbalance between
androgen/
estrogen, overexpression of stromal, and epithelial
growth factors associated with chronic
inflammation, has become an atypical direct cause of mortality of aged male diseases. Ginkgo possesses anti-inflammatory, blood flow-enhancing, and
free radical scavenging effects. Considering strenuous exercise can reduce BPH risks, we hypothesize Ginkgo + exercise (Ginkgo + Ex) could be beneficial to BPH. To verify this, rat BPH model was induced by s.c. 3.5 mg
testosterone (T) and 0.1 mg
estradiol (E2) per head per day successively for 8 weeks, using
mineral oil as placebo. Cerenin(®) 8.33 μ L/100 g was applied s.c. from the 10th to the 13th week, and simultaneously, Ex was applied (30 m/min, 3 times/week). In BPH, Ginkgo alone had no effect on T, 5 α -
reductase, and
dihydrotestosterone (DHT), but suppressed
androgen receptor (AR),
aromatase, E2 and
estrogen receptor (ER), and the
proliferating cell nuclear antigen (
PCNA); Ex alone significantly reduced T,
aromatase, E2, ER, AR, and
PCNA, but highly raised DHT. While Ginkgo + Ex androgenically downregulated T,
aromatase, E2, and ER, but upregulated DHT, AR, and
PCNA, implying Ginkgo + Ex tended to worsen BPH. Conclusively, Ginkgo or Ex alone may be more beneficial than Ginkgo + Ex for treatment of BPH.