Objective: Anti-androgenic action of porcine placenta extracts were investigated.
Methods: To determine if porcine placenta extracts can inhibit androgen-stimulated growth of LNCaP cells, a dose response assay was performed. LNCaP cells were treated with varying concentrations of porcine placenta extracts with or without dihydrotestosterone.
A castrated rat was used to study influence of an exogenous androgen.
Results: Porcine placenta extracts-treated cells showed a statically significant decrease in cell number, indicating decreased cell growth.
The secretion of PSA(prostate specific antigen) was determined by ELISA. It was also inhibited in the presence of porcine placenta extracts and dihydrotestosterone.
Immunoblotting detected decreases in androgen receptor protein after treatment with the porcine placenta extracts.
In vivo studies in a castrated rat showed that enlargement of the prostate by testosterone was inhibited by porcine placenta extracts.
Conclution: These results suggest that porcine placenta extracts contain a substance with anti-androgenic actions.