Injections of botulinum toxin A, or Botox, into the prostate gland eased the symptoms of enlarged prostate in men for up to a year, according to the results of a small study.
Researchers at the Chang Gung University Medical College, Taiwan, and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania, based their study on 37 men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BHP), or enlarged prostate.
All patients received a single injection of Botox into their prostate, the researchers said in their paper published in a summary ahead of this week's American Urological Association's annual conference, in Annaheim, California.
A year into the treatment 27 patients - 73 percent of the group - experienced a 30 percent improvement in urinary tract symptoms and quality of life, said Dr Yao-Chi Chuang, chief investigator for the Taiwanese university.
Chuang said Botox - a popular, surgery-free cosmetic treatment for wrinkles - reduces the size of the prostate gland through a cellular process called apoptosis, in which the prostate cells die in a programmed manner.
The treatment posed no significant side effects, such as stress urinary incontinence or erectile dysfunction, said Pittsburgh's Michael Chancellor, senior author of the study.
The reduction in size of the prostate can improve urine flow and decrease residual urine left in the bladder, he said.
"Our results are encouraging because they indicate that Botox could represent a simple, safe and effective treatment for enlarged prostate that has long-term benefits," Chancellor added.
BHP is one of the most common diseases affecting men as they age. More than half of all men over the age of 60 and by age 80 develop enlarged prostates, the researchers said.
Forty to 50 percent will develop symptoms of BHP, including more frequent urination, urinary tract infections, the inability to completely empty the bladder and, in severe cases, eventual damage to the bladder and kidneys, they added.
Botox is a powerful neurotoxin introduced nearly two decades ago. It is used to cure some facial problems but is best known for its cosmetic qualities in paralysing facial muscles and thus giving foreheads a wrinkle-free appearance.
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