CXCL12 and benign prostatic hyperplasia: In addition, the mRNA expression levels of the downstream target genes of NFκB signaling, including CXCL6, HAS2, CXCL5, CXCL12, MMP13 and TNC, were also significantly reduced (p < 0.01), as well as the up-regulation of the apoptosis-associated genes PDCD4, DDIT3 and FBXO32 (p < 0.05), in BPH explants treated with Pao extract (Fig. 5c).