Dapoxetine attenuates testosterone-induced prostatic hyperplasia in rats by the regulation of inflammatory and apoptotic proteins

Serotonin level plays a role in suppressing the pathological findings of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Thus a new selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, dapoxetine was used to test its ability to ameliorate the pathological changes in the rat prostate. A dose response curve was constructed between the dose of dapoxetine and prostate weight as well as relative prostate weight, then a 5mg/kg dose was used as a representative dose for dapoxetine administration. Rats were divided into four groups; the control group that received the vehicle; the BPH-induced group received daily s.c injection of 3mg/kg testosterone propionate dissolved in olive oil for four weeks; BPH-induced group treated with finasteride 5mg/kg/day p.o and BPH-induced group treated with dapoxetine 5mg/kg/day p.o. Injection of testosterone increased prostate weight and relative prostate weight which were both returned back to the normal value after treatment with dapoxetine as well as finasteride. Testosterone also upregulated androgen receptor (AR) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen gene expression. Furthermore, testosterone injection elevated cyclooxygenase-II (COX II), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl2) expression and tumor necrosis factor alpha content and reduced caspase-3 activity, Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) expression and Bax/Bcl2 ratio. Dapoxetine and finasteride administration reverted most of the changes made by testosterone injection. In conclusion, the current study provides an evidence for the protective effects of dapoxetine against testosterone-induced BPH in rats. This can be attributed, at least in part, to decreasing AR expression, and the anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic activities of dapoxetine in BPH. •Dapoxetine attenuates testosterone-induced prostatic hyperplasia in rats.•Dapoxetine decreased androgen receptor gene expression in rat prostate.•Dapoxetine possess anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic activities.