Doxazosin gastrointestinal therapeutic system versus tamsulosin for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: a study in Chinese patients.

AIM: The efficacy and safety profiles of two alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonists, doxazosin gastrointestinal therapeutic system, a controlled-release formulation of doxazosin, and tamsulosin, were compared in Chinese men with confirmed benign prostatic hyperplasia. METHODS: After a 2-week placebo run-in phase, 117 patients were randomized to daily treatment with doxazosin gastrointestinal therapeutic system (4 mg doxazosin) (n = 60) or 0.2 mg tamsulosin (n = 57) for 6 weeks with no titration of study medications. Efficacy was measured by the International Prostate Symptom Score, maximum urinary flow rate, postvoid residual urine volume, and quality-of-life score from the International Prostate Symptom Score. Adverse events were recorded. RESULTS: Both drugs significantly improved the International Prostate Symptom Score (total, irritative subscore and obstructive subscore) and maximum urinary flow rate. Doxazosin gastrointestinal therapeutic system reduced postvoid residual urine volume significantly more than tamsulosin (-25 +/- 5 mL vs 2 +/- 5 mL, P = 0.041) in patients with residual volume >0 mL at baseline. Other differences between groups were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The doxazosin gastrointestinal therapeutic system and tamsulosin were effective and well tolerated for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia in Chinese men.

[In vitro effect of zilongjin on prostate cancer cell line LNCaP].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Zilongjin (ZLJ) on human androgen-dependent type of prostate cancer cell line LNCaP. METHODS: MTT assay, flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy were used to observe the effect of ZLJ in anti-proliferation, cell cycle arresting and apoptosis induction. RT-PCR was used to examine the effect of ZLJ on expressions of prostate marker gene (PSA), androgen receptor (AR), apoptosis related genes (bcl-2 and bax), and Western blot assay was used to detect the effect on protein expression of bcl-2 and bax. RESULTS: ZLJ could cause apparent inhibition on proliferation, induce G0/G1 phase arresting and apoptosis in time- and dose-dependent manner on LNCaP cells. The concentration for inhibiting cell growth by 50% (IC50) in 72 hrs was 0.79 mg/ml. ZLJ could down-regulate the expression of PSA, AR, bcl-2 genes and lower bcl-2 protein expression, but showed ineffective on bax protein expression. CONCLUSION: ZLJ displays its anti-tumor effects by way of inhibiting the cell proliferation, arresting the G0/G1 phase, inducing apoptosis, down-regulating PSA, AR, bcl-2 gene expression and lowering bcl-2 protein expressions.