title: Contractility and pacemaker cells in the prostate gland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We focused on the current opinion on mechanisms generating stromal tone in the prostate gland.
  
  
  METHODS
  We selected the guinea pig as the main species for investigation since its prostate has a high proportion of smooth muscle that undergoes age related changes similar in many respects to that in humans. The main techniques that we used were tension recording and electrophysiology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We previously reported distinct electrical activity and cell types in the prostate, and speculated on their functional roles. We believe that a specialized group of c-kit immunoreactive prostatic interstitial cells that lie between glandular epithelium and smooth muscle stroma have a role similar to that of gastrointestinal interstitial cells of Cajal, generating the pacemaker signal that manifests as slow wave activity and triggers contraction in smooth muscle cells in guinea pig prostates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since changes in muscle tone are involved in the etiology of age dependent prostate specific conditions such as benign prostatic hyperplasia, knowledge of the electrical properties of the various prostatic cell types and their interactions with each other, with nerves and with the hormonal environment, and how these factors change with age is of considerable medical importance.
authors.affiliation: Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Dan-Thanh T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Anupa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dey
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Sab
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ventura
authors.forename: Betty
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Exintaris
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001683:Biological Clocks; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D011467:Prostate / Q000166:cytology* / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*