[Alpha-blockers and bioflavonoids in men with chronic nonbacterial prostatitis (NIH-IIIa): a prospective, placebo-controlled trial].
OBJECTIVE
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) category IIIa chronic prostatitis syndromes (non bacterial chronic prostatitis) were common disorders but with few effective therapies. Alpha-blockers and bioflavonoids had recently been reported in randomized controlled trials to improve the symptom of these disorders in a significant proportion of men. The aim of this study was to confirm these findings in a prospective randomized, placebo-controlled trial.


METHODS
Forty-five men with category IIIa chronic non bacterial protatitis were randomized into three groups as follows: (1) placebo; (2) phenoxybenzamine-hydrochloride:10 mg two times a day for one month; (3) flavoxate HCI-neptumus: 200 mg three times a day for one month. The NIH chronic prostatitis symptom score was used to grade symptoms at the beginning and conclusion of the study.


RESULTS
All the patients in three groups completed the study except three dropout patients in placebo group because of sever symptoms. The three groups were similar in age, duration of symptoms and initial symptom score. Patients taking placebo had a mean improvement in NIH-CPSI from 21.85 to 19.55 (not significant), while the phenoxybenzamine-hydrochloride group had a mean improvement from 21.95 to 13.75 (P < 0.01), and those taking flavoxate HCI-neptumus had a mean improvement from 21.75 to 16.95 (P < 0.05). The decrease in NIH-CPSI was associated with significant improvement in patients' clinical manifestations.


CONCLUSIONS
Therapy with alpha-blockers was well tolerated with significant symptomatic improvement in most men having chronic non-bacterial chronic protatitis while the bioflavonoids group had no significant improvement. Mechanism of both medicines needs further study.
Lü
Ming
M
Depatment of Clinical Epidemiology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China.
Zhao
Sheng-tian
ST
Wang
Shu-mei
SM
Shi
Ben-kang
BK
Fan
Yi-dong
YD
Wang
Jie-zhen
JZ
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005422:Flavoxate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011472:Prostatitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D005419:Flavonoids; D010276:Parasympatholytics; D005422:Flavoxate