The Journal of urology
-
The Journal of urology · Apr 2003
ReviewDoxazosin and terazosin suppress prostate growth by inducing apoptosis: clinical significance.
Doxazosin and terazosin are known to relax prostate smooth muscle through blockade of alpha 1-adrenergic innervation to the prostate. This action alone however does not fully account for the long-term clinical responses exerted by these drugs in the treatment of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). ⋯ The correlation of induced prostate smooth muscle cell apoptosis with improvement of urinary symptoms in patients with BPH treated with doxazosin and terazosin, identifies apoptosis as an additional molecular mechanism for the long term therapeutic impact of these drugs in BPH. Moreover, the apoptotic effect elicited by quinazolines may have high clinical significance in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer.