Palmitoylethanolamide/Baicalein Regulates the Androgen Receptor Signaling and NF-κB/Nrf2 Pathways in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

D'Amico R, Genovese T, Cordaro M, Siracusa R, Gugliandolo E, Peritore AF, Interdonato L, Crupi R, Cuzzocrea S, Di Paola R, Fusco R, Impellizzeri D. Antioxidants (Basel). 2021 Jun 24;10(7):1014.

Laboratory studyOther animalsWith baicalein

This study tested palmitoylethanolamide together with baicalein. Its results cannot be assigned to palmitoylethanolamide alone. More combination studies.

Design

Laboratory study

Subjects

Rats with testosterone-induced benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)

Dose used in the study

Baicalein 1 mg/kg, ultramicronised PEA 9 mg/kg, or um-PEA/baicalein combination 10 mg/kg (10:1 ratio), oral, daily

Duration

14 days, alongside daily testosterone propionate 3 mg/kg injections

What was measured

Prostate morphology, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels, androgen receptor and 5-alpha-reductase expression, and markers of inflammation, apoptosis and oxidative stress

What the authors reported

Testosterone caused BPH-like changes with raised DHT, androgen receptor and 5-alpha-reductase, plus more inflammation, apoptosis and oxidative stress. The PEA/baicalein combination reduced prostate weight and DHT production and modulated the apoptotic, inflammatory and oxidative stress pathways.

Limits of this study

A rat model of chemically induced BPH; it cannot show effect in men. Salvatore Cuzzocrea is a co-inventor on PEA-related patents held with Epitech Group, described as unrelated to this study.

Source

PubMed 34202665 · doi:10.3390/antiox10071014

Entry checked against the abstract on PubMed on 2026-09-22. The dose shown is the dose the researchers used. It is not a recommendation. How to read this page.