1.Suppression of Proliferation of Prostate Cancer Cells and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia by Porcine Placenta Extracts
Masahiko TEBAKARI ; Fumiya ASUKABE ; Eijiro TAGASHIRA ; Michihiko KUMAGAI
Japanese Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2008;5(3):219-224
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.
2.Inhibitory Activity of Porcine Placenta Extracts on Angiotensin I Converting Enzyme
Masahiko TEBAKARI ; Makiko MATSUI ; Fumiya ASUKABE ; Michihiko KUMAGAI
Japanese Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2009;6(1):35-38
Objective: Angiotensin I Converting Enzyme was used to study the inhibitory activity of porcine placenta extracts.
Methods: ACE was derived from rabbit lung. Bz-Gly-His-Leu was used as a substrate. Production of hippuric acid was measured by HPLC.
Result: ACE inhibitory activity was measured in a two-fold dilution of porcine placenta extracts. The IC50 of porcine placenta extracts was 95.7 μg. The results of a Lineweaver-Burk plot suggested that porcine placenta extracts exhibited a competitive inhibition.
Conclusion: In this paper, we found that porcine placenta extracts had an anti-ACE activity.