Eviprostat is a phytotherapeutic agent that has been used widely for more than 40 years in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in Japan and Germany, and is known to have antioxidant activity. The present study investigated the effect of Eviprostat on the levels of the urinary oxidative stress marker 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in a rabbit model of surgical partial bladder outlet obstruction (PBOO) and in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) associated with BPH. In the rabbit model, 8-OHdG levels in urine collected after 3 weeks of PBOO were 3.8-fold higher than in the urine of sham-operated rabbits. When twice-daily Eviprostat was administered orally throughout the 3-week PBOO period, the increase in urinary 8-OHdG levels was suppressed by 70%. In the clinical study, nine patients who received Eviprostat for 4 weeks showed 2.5-fold lower urinary 8-OHdG levels than before treatment. During Eviprostat treatment, the total International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) decreased from 16.56 +/- 2.74 to 13.67 +/- 2.30 and the quality of life score from 4.22 +/- 0.40 to 3.22 +/- 0.46. The findings provide evidence that the antioxidant activity of Eviprostat is responsible for its beneficial effects in the treatment of BPH.
(c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.