title: Terazosin treatment induces caspase-3 expression in the rat ventral prostate.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Quinazoline-based alpha1-adrenergic receptor antagonists may not act solely on smooth muscle contractility. We evaluated the in vivo effect of terazosin on the expression of caspase-3 in the rat ventral prostate.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen Wistar rats were treated with terazosin (1.2 mg/kg body weight, given orally every second day) for 120 days. Another 15 control animals received the same amount of distilled water. The expression of caspase-3 was assessed immunohistochemically in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Terazosin treatment did not affect prostate weight and histomorphology. In controls caspase-3 was expressed weakly and sporadically. In contrast, strong and weak expression was evident in 67% and 33% of the terazosin-treated specimens, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings implicate the induction of caspase-3 expression by terazosin as a potential molecular mechanism of its apoptotic action on prostate cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, University of Athens Medical School, Greece.
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vlachodimitropoulos
authors.forename: Aspasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kyroudi
authors.forename: Mirsini
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kouloukoussa
authors.forename: Despina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Perrea
authors.forename: Dionisios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mitropoulos
keywords: Alpha-adrenoreceptor antagonists; Apoptosis; Caspase-3; Prostate; Rat; Terazosin