Summary
Alpha-adrenoceptors have been demonstrated within tissues in benign prostatic hyperplasia. In vitro experiments have shown a reduction in smooth muscle tone within prostate strips after addition of alpha-adrenoceptor blocking agents. A small but significant increase in maximal flow rate and improvement in symptoms have been reported in placebo-controlled trials of alpha-adrenoceptor blocking agents. The long-term efficacy of such agents is not yet known.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abrams PH, Shah PJR, Stone R, Choa RG (1982) Bladder outflow obstruction treated with phenoxybenzamine. Br J Urol 54:527–530
Ball AJ, Feneley RCL, Abrams P (1981) The natural history of untreated prostatism. Br J Surg 53:613–616
Bartsch G, Frick J, Rüegg I, Bucher M, Holliger O, Oberholzer M, Rohr HP (1979) Electron microscopic stereological analysis of the human prostate and of benign prostatic hyperplasia. J Urol 122:481–486
Boreham PF, Braithwaite P, Milewski P, Pearson H (1977) Alphaadrenergic blockers in prostatism. Br J Surg 64:756–757
Boyarsky S, Jones G, Paulson DF, Prout GR (1977) A new look at bladder neck obstruction by the Food and Drug Administration regulators: guidelines for investigation of benign prostatic hypertrophy. Trans Am Assoc Genitourin Surg 68:29–32
Brooks ME, Sidi AA, Hanani Y, Braf ZF (1983) Ineffectiveness of phenoxybenzamine in treatment of benign prostatic hypertrophy. A controlled study. Urology 21:474–478
Caine M (1986) The present role of alpha-adrenergic blockers in the treatment of benign prostatic hypertrophy. J Urol 136:1–4
Caine M (1988) Alpha-adrenergic mechanisms in dynamics of benign prostatic hypertrophy. Urology [Suppl] 32:16–20
Caine M, Raz S, Zeigler M (1975) Adrenergic and cholinergic receptors in the human prostate, prostatic capsule and bladder neck. Br J Urol 47:193–202
Caine M, Pfau A, Perlberg S (1976) The use of alpha-adrenergic blockers in benign prostatic obstruction. Br J Urol 48:255–259
Caine M, Perlberg S, Meretyk S (1978) A placebo controlled trial of the effect of phenoxybenzamine in benign prostatic obstruction. Br J Urol 50:551–554
Caine M, Perlberg S, Shapiro A (1981) Phenoxybenzamine for benign prostatic obstruction. Urology 17:542–546
Caine M, Mazouz B, Rossini BM (1984) The effect of nicergoline on the lower urinary tract muscle. Urol Res 12:287–290
Chapple CR, Aubry ML, James S, Greengrass PM, Burnstock G, Turner-Warwick RT, Milroy EJG, Davey MJ (1989) Characterisation of human prostatic adrenoceptors using pharmacology receptor binding and localisation. Br J Urol 63:487–496
Chapple CR, Christmas TJ, Milroy EJG (1990) A twelve week placebo-controlled study of prazosin in the treatment of prostatic obstruction. Urol Int 45:47–55
Chow W, Hahn D, Sandhu D, Slaney P, Henshaw R, Das G, Wells P (1990) Multicentre controlled trial of indoramin in the symptomatic relief of benign prostatic hypertrophy. Br J Urol 65:36–38
Creed KE, Tulloch AGS (1978) The effect of pelvic nerve stimulation and some drugs on the urethra and bladder of the dog. Br J Urol 50:598–602
Dunzendorfer U (1988) Clinical experience: symptomatic management of BPH with terazosin. Urology [Suppl] 32:27–31
Dunzendorfer U, Jonas D, Weber W (1976) The autonomic innervation of the human prostate. Histochemistry of acetylcholinesterase in the normal and pathological state. Urol Res 4:29–31
Furuya S, Kumamoto Y, Yokoyama E, Tsukamoto T, Izumi T, Abiko Y (1982) Alpha-adrenergic activity and urethral pressure in prostatic zone in benign prostatic hypertrophy. J Urol 128:836–839
Gerstenberg T, Blaaberg J, Nielsen ML, Clausen S (1980) Phenoxybenzamine reduces bladder outlet obstruction in benign prostatic hyperplasia. A urodynamic investigation. Invest Urol 18:29–31
Giberti C, Damonte P, Michelotti P, Martorana G (1984) The effect of thymoxamine in benign prostatic hypertrophy: a double-blind cross-over study. IRCS Med Sci 12:591
Hedlund H, Andersson KE (1988) Effects of prazosin and carbachol in patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy. Scand J Urol Nephrol 22:19–22
Hedlund H, Andersson KE, Ek A (1983) Effect of prazosin in patients with benign prostatic obstruction. J Urol 130:275–278
Hedlund H, Andersson KE, Larsson B (1985) Alpha receptors and muscarinic receptors in the isolated human prostate. J Urol 134:1291–1298
Hieble JP, Caine M, Zalaznik E (1985) In vitro characterisation of the alpha-adrenoceptors in human prostate. Eur J Pharmacol 107:111–117
Horby-Petersen J, Schmidt PF, Meyhoff HH, Frimodt-Moller C, Mathiesen FR (1985) The effects of a new serotonin receptor antagonist (ketanserin) on the lower urinary tract function in patients with prostatism. J Urol 133:1095–1098
Iacovou JW, Dunn M (1987) Indoramin — an effective new drug in the management of bladder outflow obstruction. Br J Urol 60:526–528
James S, Chapple CR, Phillips MI, Greengrass PM, Davey MJ, Turner-Warwick RT, Milroy EJG, Burnstock G (1989) Autoradiographic analysis of alpha-adrenoceptors and muscarinic cholinergic receptors in the hyperplastic human prostate. J Urol 142:438–444
Jensen D (1981) Uninhibited neurogenic bladder treated with prazosin. Scand J Urol Nephrol 15:229–233
Kirby RS, Coppinger SWC, Corcoran MO, Chapple CR, Flannigan M, Milroy EJG (1987) Prazosin in the treatment of prostatic obstruction. A placebo controlled study. Br J Urol 60:136–142
Kleeman FJ (1970) The physiology of the internal urinary sphincter. J Urol 104:549–552
Krane RJ, Olsson CA (1973) Phenoxybenzamine in neurogenic bladder dysfunction: I. A theory of micturition. J Urol 110:650–652
Kunisawa Y, Kawabe K, Niijima T, Honda K, Takenaka T (1985) A pharmacological study of alpha adrenoceptor sub-types in smooth muscle of human urinary bladder base and prostatic urethra. J Urol 134:396–398
Lepor H, Shapiro E (1984) Characterization of alpha-1 adrenergic receptors in human benign prostatic hyperplasia. J Urol 132:1226–1229
Lepor H, Gup DI, Bauman M, Shapiro E (1988) Laboratory assessment of terazosin and alpha-1 blockade in prostatic hyperplasia. Urology [Suppl] 32:21–26
Lepor H, Knapp-Maloney G, Sunshine H (1990) The efficacy and safety of terazosin for the treatment of BPH (abstract). J Urol 143:267
Leventhal A, Pfau A (1978) Pharmacologic management of postoperative overdistension of the bladder. Surg Gynecol Obstet 146:347–349
Levin RM, Wein AJ (1979) Distribution and function of adrenergic receptors in the urinary bladder of the rabbit. Mol Pharmacol 16:441–448
Malone PR, Cook A, Edmondson R, Gill MW, Shearer RJ (1988) Prostatectomy: patients' perception and long-term follow-up. Br J Urol 61:234–238
Martorana G, Giberti C, Damonte P, Ciprandi G, Dirienzo W, Giuliani L (1984) The effect of prazosin in benign prostatic hypertrophy, a placebo controlled double-blind study. IRCS Med Sci 12:11–12
Perlberg S, Caine M (1977) Dynamics of acute retention in prostatic patients and role of adrenergic receptors. Urology 9:399
Perlberg S, Caine M (1982) Adrenergic response of bladder muscle in prostatic obstruction. Urology 11:524–528
Ramsay JWA, Scott GI, Whitfield HN (1985) A double blind controlled trial of a new alpha-1 blocking drug in the treatment of bladder outflow obstruction. Br J Urol 57:657–659
Raz S, Zeigler M, Caine M (1973) Pharmacological receptors in the prostate. Br J Urol 45:663–668
Reuther K, Aagaard J (1984) Acute retention of urine due to benign prostatic obstruction treated with alpha-adrenergic blockers. Urol Int 39:114–118
Ronchi F, Margonato A, Ceccardi R, Rigatti P, Rossini BM (1982) Symptomatic treatment of benign prostatic obstruction with nicergoline: a placebo-controlled clinical study and urodynamic evaluation. Urol Res 10:131–134
Roos NP, Wennberg JE, Malenka DJ, Fisher ES, McPherson K, Andersen TF, Cohen MM, Ramsey E (1989) Mortality and reoperation rate after open and transurethral resection of the prostate from benign prostatic hyperplasia. New Engl J Med 320:1120–1124
Rossi MA, Carillo SV (1985) Does norepinephrine play a central causative role in the process of cardiac hypertrophy? Am Heart J 100:622–624
Shapiro E, Lepor H (1986) Alpha-2 adrenergic receptors in hyperplastic human prostate: identification and characterisation using [3H]-Rauwolscine. J Urol 135:1038–1042
Shapiro E, Mazouz B, Caine M (1981) The alpha adrenergic effect of prazosin on the human prostate. Urol Res: 9:17–20
Siroky MB, Olsson CA, Krane RJ (1979) The flow rate nomogram: I. Development. J Urol 122:665–668
Vaalasti A, Hervonen A (1980) Autonomic innervation of the human prostate. Invest Urol 17:293–297
Whitfield HN, Doyle PT, Mayo ME, Poopalasingham N (1976) The effect of adrenergic blocking drugs on outflow resistance. Br J Urol 47:823–827
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Christmas, T.J., Kirby, R.S. Alpha-adrenoceptor blockers in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. World J Urol 9, 36–40 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00184712
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00184712