ABSTRACT
The treatment of the lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) with α-adrenoceptor antagonists (blockers) has evolved considerably since the pioneering clinical work of Marco Caine1 using phenoxybenzamine. Initially, only two types of αadrenoceptor (α1 and α2) were identified. Phenoxybenzamine has antagonist activity at both α1-and α2-adrenoceptors and is therefore a nonselective antagonist. Subsequently, it was found that prostate tissue contraction relied primarily on activation of the α1-adrenoceptor.
