Abstract：【Objective】To investigate the effect and mechanism of finasteride on lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in rats. 【Methods】 Thirty rats were divided into sham operation group, model group, and finasteride group, with 10 rats in each group. The model group and finasteride group were used to establish BPH models by castration plus injection of testosterone propionate, while the sham operation group was not castrated and injected with an equal amount of sesame oil. After successful modeling, the finasteride group was intragastrically administered with finasteride at 0.8 mg/kg, and the model group and sham operation group were intragastrically administered with normal saline for 28 consecutive days. After the last gavage, the urination status of each group was detected; the rats were sacrificed to calculate the prostate index and bladder index. HE staining was used to observe the histopathological changes of prostate and bladder tissues, Masson staining to observe the collagen fiber deposition in bladder tissues, and TUNEL method to detect the apoptosis rate of bladder detrusor cells. Western blot was used to detect the relative expression levels of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and cysteine-aspartic acid protease-1 (Caspase-1) in bladder detrusor. 【Results】Compared with the sham operation group, the prostate index, bladder index, micturition frequency, and residual urine volume in the model group were increased (P<0.05), while the total urine volume had no change (P>0.05). Compared with the model group, the prostate index, bladder index, micturition frequency, and residual urine volume in the finasteride group were decreased (P<0.05), and the total urine volume had no change (P>0.05). HE staining showed that the prostate tissue in the model group had obvious hyperplasia, the lamina propria connective tissue of the bladder tissue was hyperplastic, the mucosa was thickened, and a large number of bladder epithelial cells showed papillary hyperplasia; the histopathology of the prostate and bladder tissues in the finasteride group was significantly improved. Compared with the sham operation group, the apoptosis rate of bladder detrusor cells, the positive area ratio of collagen fibers, and the relative expression levels of NLRP3, IL-1β, and Caspase-1 proteins in bladder tissues in the model group were increased (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the apoptosis rate of bladder detrusor cells, the positive area ratio of collagen fibers, and the relative expression levels of NLRP3, IL-1β, and Caspase-1 proteins in bladder tissues in the finasteride group were decreased (P<0.05). 【Conclusion】Finasteride can effectively improve LUTS caused by BPH in rats and inhibit the apoptosis of bladder detrusor cells, and its mechanism may be related to the NLRP3/Caspase-1 signaling pathway.
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2025, Vol. 42 
