Cordyceps militaris Fruit Body Extract Decreases Testosterone Catabolism and Testosterone-Stimulated Prostate Hypertrophy

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 13; no. 1; p. 50
• Main Authors: Kusama, Kazuya, Miyagawa, Mayuko, Ota, Koichiro, Kuwabara, Naoko, Saeki, Kaori, Ohnishi, Yuki, Kumaki, Yasuhiro, Aizawa, Tomoyasu, Nakasone, Toyokazu, Okamatsu, Shigemi, Miyaoka, Hiroaki, Tamura, Kazuhiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 26.12.2020; MDPI
• Subjects: Aging; Androgens; Animal models; benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH); Catabolism; Cell culture; Cell lines; Cell proliferation; Cordyceps militaris; Culture media; Cytochrome; Dehydrogenases; Dihydrotestosterone; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Enzymes; Evaluation; Fruit bodies; Fruits; Fungi; Gene expression; Hormones; Hyperplasia; Hypertrophy; Hypogonadism; late-onset hypogonadism (LOH); Males; Middle age; Natural & organic foods; Natural products; Pathogenesis; Prostate; Serum levels; Software; Testes; Testosterone; United States > US; Japan; benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH); prostate; testosterone; late-onset hypogonadism (LOH); Cordyceps militaris
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu13010050

The androgens testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) are essential for a variety of systemic functions in mature males. Alteration of these hormones results in late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). The fruit bodies of fungi of the genus have been regarded as folk medicine or health food with tonic and antifatigue effects. The extract from the fruit body of parasitizing (CM) was evaluated as a novel-candidate natural product for ameliorating male andropause symptoms. To explore the effects of CM on LOH and BPH, CM was applied to rat models and cultured testicular cells and prostate cells. The concentrations of androgens in the serum and culture media were determined by ELISA. Expression of steroidogenic enzymes and androgen-related genes was evaluated by qPCR, and prostatic cell proliferation was assessed with the cell-viability assay. CM maintained the serum levels of testosterone and DHT, but inhibited testosterone-induced prostate hypertrophy. CM also increased the secretion of testosterone and DHT by primary testicular cells, with no changes in the mRNA expression of steroidogenic enzymes, but decreased the growth of prostatic cell lines. Our data suggest that CM could improve both LOH and BPH in males.