Photo Credit: Sakurra
The following is a summary of “Smooth muscle contractility of laser-enucleated prostate tissues and impacts of preoperative α1-blocker treatment in patients with and without catheterization,” published in the February 2025 issue of Scientific Reports by Keller et al.
Prostate smooth muscle contraction plays a key role in treating voiding symptoms in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and radical prostatectomy (RP) tissues are used for studies but have limitations due to trauma and uncertain relevance to BPH.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study on prostate smooth muscle contractions in laser-enucleated tissues.
They contracted holmium/thulium laser enucleation (HoLEP/ThuLEP) and TURP tissues using KCl, noradrenaline, and electric field stimulation (EFS) in an organ bath and compared contractions to RP tissues from previous studies.
The results showed KCl-induced contractions averaged 2.5 mN, 0.7 mN, and 3.3 mN in HoLEP/ThuLEP, TURP, and RP tissues, with non-responsive tissues at 2.4% and 37% in HoLEP/ThuLEP and TURP. Maximum EFS-induced contractions (Emax) for EFS averaged 47% of KCl in HoLEP/ThuLEP, 27% in TURP, and 68–235% in 21 RP studies. Emax for noradrenaline was 99.7% in HoLEP/ThuLEP, 56% in TURP, and 92–260% in RP. Preoperative α1-blockers reduced EFS- and noradrenaline-induced contractions and increased EC50 for noradrenaline in catheterized but not non-catheterized patients. Ex vivo α1-blockers increased EC50 for noradrenaline and reduced Emax for EFS.
Investigators found that laser-enucleated tissues allowed investigation of prostate smooth muscle contraction in medication-refractory voiding symptoms. Different effects of preoperative α1-blockers on ex vivo contractility in catheterized and non-catheterized patients highlighted patient heterogeneity in BPH surgery.
Source: nature.com/articles/s41598-025-88884-7
