Serenoa repens was not more effective than placebo for treatment of urinary symptoms consistent with BPH
BACKGROUND Benign prostatic hyperplasia ( BPH ) , a nonmalignant enlargement of the prostate , can lead to obstructive and irritative lower urinary tract symptoms ( LUTS ) .
The pharmacologic use of plants and herbs ( phytotherapy ) for the treatment of LUTS associated with BPH is common .
The extract of the berry of the American saw palmetto , or dwarf palm plant , Serenoa repens ( also known by its botanical name of Sabal serrulatum ) , is one of several phytotherapeutic agents available for the treatment of BPH .
OBJECTIVES This systematic review aim ed to assess the effects of Serenoa repens in the treatment of LUTS consistent with BPH .
Evidence that Serenoa repens extract displays an antiestrogenic activity in prostatic tissue of benign prostatic hypertrophy patients.
A double-blind placebo-controlled study was performed in 35 benign prostatic hypertrophy ( BPH ) patients never treated before . The patients were r and omized into two groups , the 1st ( 18 cases ) receiving Serenoa repens extract ( 160 mg t.d . ) for 3 months up to the day before the operation of transvesical adenomectomy and the 2nd ( 17 cases ) receiving placebo .  Steroid receptors were evaluated in the nuclear ( n ) and cytosolic ( c ) fraction using the saturation analysis technique ( Scatchard analysis or single saturating-dose assay ) for and rogen ( AR ) and estrogen ( ER ) receptors and the enzyme immunoassay ( EIA ) for ER and progesterone receptors ( PgR ) . Scatchard analysis of ERc and ERn revealed the presence of two classes of binding sites , one with high-affinity low-capacity binding and the other with low-affinity high-capacity binding . In the untreated BPH group , ER were higher in the n than in the c fraction : ERn were positive in 14 cases and ERc in 12 of 17 cases . In the BPH group treated with S. repens extract on the contrary , ERn were negative for both binding classes in 17 cases and ERc in 6 of 18 cases . Using EIA , ERn and ERc were detected in all 15 sample s examined , but in the treated group , ERn were significantly ( p less than 0.01 ) lower than in the untreated group , whilst ERc remained almost unchanged . Similar results were obtained measuring PgR : the n fraction of the treated group prostatic sample s was significantly ( p less than 0.01 ) lower than that of the untreated group . ( ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS
Serenoa repens was not more effective than placebo for treatment of urinary symptoms consistent with BPH
BACKGROUND Benign prostatic hyperplasia ( BPH ) , a nonmalignant enlargement of the prostate , can lead to obstructive and irritative lower urinary tract symptoms ( LUTS ) .
The pharmacologic use of plants and herbs ( phytotherapy ) for the treatment of LUTS associated with BPH is common .
The extract of the berry of the American saw palmetto , or dwarf palm plant , Serenoa repens ( also known by its botanical name of Sabal serrulatum ) , is one of several phytotherapeutic agents available for the treatment of BPH .
OBJECTIVES This systematic review aim ed to assess the effects of Serenoa repens in the treatment of LUTS consistent with BPH .