Xia Li Qi capsules improve urinary function in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia potentially by inhibiting inflammation and androgen receptor signalling.
In a randomised controlled trial involving 115 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia, 58 patients were given Xia Li Qi(xLQ) capsules and 57 were given a placebo for a period of 8 weeks. The primary focus was the change in International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) from the beginning to the end of the trial. Secondary indicators included National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI), maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), mean urinary flow rate (Qave), prostate volume, post-void residual urine volume, quality of life, and the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5). Additionally, BPH-1 cells were used for separate experiments to assess cell proliferation, levels of inflammatory cytokines, androgen receptor (AR)-related genes, and significant signalling.
Upon completion, both the Xia Li Qi and placebo groups showed significant improvements in the IPSS, NIH-CPSI, Qmax, Qave, and quality of life. Notably, Qmax and Qave were significantly higher in the Xia Li Qi group, accompanied by a decrease in residual urine volume. However, the quality of life improvement in the Xia Li Qi group did not survive correction for multiple comparisons and the prostate volume and IIEF-5 didn't change. It was found that Xia Li Qi inhibited the proliferation of BPH-1 cells, reduced levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α), suppressed AR-related gene expression, and decreased the phosphorylation of p38, JAK1, and STAT3; these effects were partially reversed by p38 activation, suggesting the potential mechanism to explore for future trials.
