OBJECTIVE To evaluate the potential of sildenafil, vardenafil and tadalafil, all phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors used for treating erectile dysfunction, for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). MATERIALS AND METHODS The mRNA expression of the PDE-5 was determined in rat LUT tissues. The PDE-5 inhibitors were also tested in organ-bath expe...

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), a glutamyl preferring carboxypeptidase, is found in prostate and other carcinomas present on both tumor cells and associated microvascular lining cells. We find that the channel structures delineated by PSMA-expressing cells in human and rat prostate tumors are in functional continuity with the vasculature and thus form part of tumor microvasculature. ...

We are investigating the role of the early response transcription factor, nerve growth factor inducible A gene (NGFI-A), as a modulator of rednoblastoma (RB) gene transcription in prostate cells. Examination of the RB promoter reveals a novel element GCGGGGGAG located at nucleotides 152-144 upstream of the methionine initiation codon. This sequence shares strong homology with the consensus NGFI...

We have established a transgenic rat for adenocarcinoma of the prostate (TRAP) model that features uniform adenocarcinoma development in prostatic lobes at high incidence within a short experimental period. However, no invasive carcinomas with reactive stroma characteristics similar to those in man were observed. We therefore have focused on a new model for invasive carcinoma of the prostate us...

The cysteine rich prostate and testis expressed (Pate) proteins identified till date are thought to resemble the three fingered protein/urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor proteins. In this study, for the first time, we report the identification, cloning and characterization of rat Pate gene cluster and also determine the expression pattern. The rat Pate genes are clustered on chromos...

Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) is produced by prostate carcinoma cells and tumors, but little is known of its role in prostate carcinogenesis. The goal of this study was to evaluate PTHrP expression in the regulation of prostate carcinoma growth using human and animal models. PTHrP expression was assessed in prostate cancer cell lines in vitro. Seven of nine cell lines produced PTH...

background: prostate cancer (pca) is an important health problem in the aging male population in the world. it is the third most common cancer in the world. despite of its importance, relatively little is known about its etiology. sexually transmitted infections (sti) and urogenital pathogens such as mycoplasma and ureaplasma, have been proposed as a risk factor for prostate cancer development....

BACKGROUND. The incidence of prostate cancer (PCa) and benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) continues to rise in the Western world. The development and growth of the prostate gland depends on androgen stimulation. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is the primary androgen responsible for prostate development and also for the pathogenesis of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).DHT is synthesized in prostate...

This is the first report of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in an orthotopic prostate tumor model and shows that PDT combined with surgery (tumor bed sterilization) gave significant local control of the primary tumor and significant reduction in distant metastases. By contrast, either treatment alone (surgery or PDT) gave relatively poorer local control, and PDT gave a significant increase in the me...

BACKGROUND The etiology of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), a common among aged men, is not fully understood, however, in addition to androgens and aging, chronic ischemia has been proposed to contribute. Using an established rat model, we investigated whether chronic ischemia alters the structural and functional properties of the ventral rat prostate, and whether phosphodiesterase type 5 (P...