[Antimitogenic Effect of Pygeum Africanum Extracts on Human Prostatic Cancer Cell Lines and Explants from Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia]

Objectives: To analyze the effect of Pygeum africanum extracts on the in vitro proliferation of human prostate cells.

Methods: Prostate cancer cell lines and benign prostatic hyperplasia derived epithelial cells were cultured and treated with P. africanum extracts. The effect on cell proliferation was monitored by H3-thymidine and bromodeoxyuridine uptake and flow cytometry assays.

Results: The incubation with P. africanum extracts, with or without addition of amino acids, significantly and in a dose-dependent manner inhibits the proliferation of prostate cancer derived cells LnCaP, PZ-HPV-7, and CA-HPV-10. In the PZ-HPV-7 cells P. africanum extracts counteract the mitogenic action of EGF and block the transition from G1 to S in the cell cycle. P. africanum extracts also exert a potent antimitogenic action on the epithelial cells derived from benign prostatic hyperplasia explants.

Conclusion: The ethanolic P. africanum extracts have an antimitogenic effect on prostate cancer cells and benign prostatic hyperplasia epithelial cells. Such effect is associated with the inhibition of the mitogenic action of EGF, and it is accompanied by a decrease of cells entering the S Phase of the cell cycle.