New therapy with XLQ® to suppress chronic prostatitis through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities.

Chronic prostatitis is a common urological disease. The etiology of this disease and effective therapy for its treatment are yet to be elucidated. We investigated the functions of XLQ® in chronic nonbacterial prostatitis using a complete Freund's adjuvant-induced rat model. Prostates and blood samples were collected for further evaluation after oral gavage with XLQ ® or a vehicle for 4 weeks. The results showed that XLQ ® significantly decreased the prostate index, ameliorated the histopathologic changes, and reduced CD3+ and CD45+ cell infiltration in the prostate stroma. Further study showed that XLQ ® suppressed the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-17A, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and tumor necrosis factor-α. XLQ ® showed a strong antioxidant capacity by enhancing the activities of antioxidative enzymes (e.g., total superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase) and decreasing the level of lipid peroxidation products (malondialdehyde). Moreover, XLQ ® can suppress the activation of nuclear factor-κB and P38-mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways. In summary, XLQ ® has affirmative effects on chronic prostatitis, which could be attributed to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidative capacities. On the basis of these results, XLQ ® can be developed as an effective and safe therapy for chronic prostatitis.