Effect of alcoholic extract of urtica dioica leaves and Aspirin in experimentally induced prostatitis in mice

Abstract

Urtica dioica leaves were powdered and extracted with methanol 70 %. 17 beta-estradiol was used to induce prostatitis. Fifty mice were divided into five groups, The first control group (T1) , The second induction group (T2) was treated by distilled water, the third induction group (T3)was treated with crude extract of Urtica dioica leaves 300mg/kg B.W, the fourth induction group (T4) was treated with aspirin 50mg/kg B.W, the fifth induction group (T5)was treated with crude extract of Urtica dioica leaves 150mg/kg B.W and aspirin 25mg/kg B.W. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) for induction groups treated with 17 beta-estradiol showed significant decrease as compared with (T1), while the T3,T4 and T5 showed no significant difference as compared with T1. The result of testosterone hormone of (T3) showed significant increase as compared with (T1) and other groups. The results of body and prostate weight for T3,T4 and T5 revealed no significant difference as compared with T1. The fertility index of (T3) was increased as compared with T1 while the T4 was decreased as compared with T1. The histopathological changes after induction of prostatitis revealed hyperplasia of the prostatic glands and infiltration of inflammatory cells, while the T3 revealed the return of the acini to normal shape, and hydropic degeneration in the epithelium of prostatic glands disappeared. The T4 showed decreased hydropic degeneration, few inflammatory cell and epithelial hyperplasia, while the T5 was characterized by few inflammatory cell infiltration and the acini showed very decreased hydropic degeneration. In this study we concluded that the alcoholic Urtica dioica extract could markedly treat proststitis by its anti-inflammatory effect with reduce side effect of aspirin such as infertility.