Effects of phosphodiesterase inhibitors on contraction induced by endothelin-1 of isolated human prostatic tissue.

Objectives: To study the effects of selective phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors on the contraction induced by endothelin-1 (ET-1) of isolated human prostatic tissue.

Methods: Using the organ bath technique, the effects of the cumulative addition of the PDE1 inhibitor vinpocetine, PDE2 inhibitor erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine hydrochloride (EHNA), PDE4 inhibitor rolipram, and PDE5 inhibitors sildenafil, vardenafil, and tadalafil (1 nM to 10 microM) were investigated on the contraction brought about by the peptide ET-1 (1 microM) on normal human prostatic tissue isolated from the transition zone. In the present study, the nitric oxide donor drug sodium nitroprusside and adenylyl cyclase activator forskolin were used as reference compounds.

Methylation of the TPEF- and PAX6-promoters is increased in early bladder cancer and in normal mucosa adjacent to pTa tumours.

Objective: To evaluate CpG island methylation patterns of cancer-associated genes for their applicability as molecular biomarkers for the detection of superficial bladder cancer and for the discrimination of invasive from noninvasive tumours.

Patients And Methods: We analysed the methylation status of CpG islands in the promoter region of the cancer-associated genes GSTP1, DAPK, MDR1, TPEF, PAX6, and TSLC1 in primary papillary bladder cancer specimens from 39 patients (pT1 10, pTis one, pTa 20, pT2 five). Tumour-adjacent normal mucosa served as the control.