Abstract
The dynamic obstruction of the bladder outlet secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and the contractile properties of the human prostate are mediated primarily by α<sub>1</sub>-adrenoceptors. There are now at least three subtypes (A, B, and D) of α<sub>1</sub>-adrenoceptors, and recent work revealed that α<sub>1A</sub>-adrenoceptor and α<sub>1B</sub>-adrenoceptor may have a prime role for prostatic obstruction, and contraction of artery, respectively. Very recently, the presence of a low affinity α<sub>1</sub>-adrenoceptor for prazosin, named α<sub>1L</sub>, in the human BPH tissue has been determined. Because the DNA sequence of α<sub>1L</sub>-adrenoceptor has not yet been cloned, the α<sub>1L</sub>-adrenoceptor may be another form of the α<sub>1A</sub>-adrenoceptor, or another pharmacologically distinct α<sub>1</sub>-adrenoceptor which mediates the norepinephrine-induced contraction of the prostatic smooth muscle. Furthermore, the contribution of α<sub>1</sub>-adrenoceptors in the prostate to symptoms (not only obstructive, but irritative symptoms) which are elicited by prostatic obstruction remains to be determined.
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