Simvastatin inhibits prostatic hyperplasia in rats with metabolic syndrome

Objects To evaluate the influence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) induced by high fat diet (HFD) on prostate tissue and local inflammatory factors in rats model, and the protective efficacy of statins against pathological changes of prostate. Methods 40 Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into 4 subgroups of normal diet (ND), HFD blank, HFD + saline and HFD + simvastatin. After the establishment of models, all subjects were killed to obtain body weight serum lipid, FBG level, FINS and HOMA-IR level. Hyperplasia level of prostate, as well as expression level of interleukin 6 (IL-6), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), interleukin 10 (IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were also measured. Results Models have been successfully established. Level of serum lipid, prostatic weight, hyperplasia as well as expressions of IL-6, TNF-α and IGF-1 in the blank and saline subgroups of HFD group were higher than that of ND group ( P < 0.05). While simvastatin has significantly resisted the former effects of HFD on serum lipid and prostate ( P < 0.05). No significant difference in serum FBG level was found between groups and subunits. FINS levels of ND group was lower than other groups ( P < 0.05). In addition, There is no significant difference in FPG and HOMA-IR levels in blank control subunit, saline control subunit, simvastatin subunit ( P > 0.05). Conclusions MetS induced by HFD is an important factor in the induction of BPH. Simvastatin can alleviate the hyperplasia of prostate through the relief of local inflammation in prostatic tissue.