title: Prostate apoptosis after doxazosin treatment in the spontaneous hypertensive rat model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To validate the spontaneous hypertensive rat (SHR) model for basic research into benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), and to assess doxazosin-induced changes in prostatic structure and apoptotic status.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four groups of rats were assessed: group 1, 15 SHRs treated with doxazosin; group 2, 14 SHRs with unilateral excision of the major pelvic ganglion; group 3, 14 untreated SHRs; and group 4, 16 intact Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. The doxazosin mesylate (0.03 mg daily) was given compacted in rat food for 3 months. The prostatic ventral lobe (VL) was excised and weighed. Stereological light microscopy, multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction of prostate caspases, and caspase-3 activity (cellular enzymatic assay) were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was more development of the glandular epithelium (P < 0.001) in SHR rats than in controls, which was even greater after doxazosin exposure (P = 0.027). SHR animals had higher caspase expression (P < 0.05) and activity (P = 0.008) than WKY rats, but both were reduced after doxazosin therapy (P < 0.01 and 0.028, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirmed prostate hyperplasia in the SHR model. Doxazosin exposure did not reduce the volume of glandular epithelium and contributed to protecting against caspase-induced apoptosis. The SHR model may be not a valid option to study doxazosin-induced apoptosis in BPH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Hospital de Getafe, Madrid, Spain. marcos.lujan@terra.es
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lujan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferruelo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berenguer
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017292:Doxazosin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D020169:Caspases; D017292:Doxazosin