Biomedical subjects

Catherine A Thomas

Publications and source records attributed to Catherine A Thomas.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Botulinum A toxin for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia/lower urinary tract symptoms.

Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) has been called the most poisonous poison and a potential bioterrorism weapon, and yet modern medicine has been able to harvest the elegant and specific activity of this toxin to treat a variety of medical conditions. BoNT application recently has been extended to prostate disorders, and this article reviews the literature on the mechanisms of action and clinical efficacy of BoNT treatment in the prostate. BoNT has demonstrated promising preliminary results for male lower urinary tract symptoms, and translational research suggests novel mechanism of action of BoNT in the prostate. It is important to remember that the application of BoNT in the prostate is not approved by the regulatory agencies and caution should be applied until larger randomized clinical studies are completed.

Botulinum Toxins, Type A↗

PubMed2006

The overactive bladder: Epidemiology and morbidity.

The International Continence Society recognizes the overactive bladder (OAB) as a "symptom syndrome suggestive of lower urinary tract dysfunction" that is defined as "urgency, with or without urge incontinence, usually with frequency and nocturia." Patients who have OAB are often sleep deprived and their sexual life is hindered. These patients have a restricted social life and an increased risk for depression. Accurate prevalence figures are difficult to obtain because most patients consider OAB an inevitable part of aging and some patients are too embarrassed to seek diagnosis. Primary care physicians need to be educated about the importance of identifying this clinical problem and managing it in a way that will minimize morbidity and maximize quality-of-life improvement. This article describes the various aspects of OAB, with special emphasis on epidemiology and morbidity.

Humans↗

PubMed2006

The case for bladder botulinum toxin application.

Botulinum toxin (BoNT) has been shown to be and effective agent in suppressing detrusor overactivity due to neurogenic causes. Recently, BoNT has been extended to patients who have idiopathic detrusor overactivity. This article reviews the use of BoNT to treat disorders of neurogenic detrusor overactivity and establishes BoNT as a therapeutic modality to treat idiopathic bladder overactivity. It is important to remember that the application of BoNT in the lower urinary tract is not approved by the regulatory agencies and caution should be applied until larger randomized clinical studies are completed.

Administration, Intravesical↗

PubMed2006

The promise of beta3-adrenoceptor agonists to treat the overactive bladder.

The detrusor muscle contains beta-adrenoceptors (beta-ARs), of which two subtypes--beta1-AR and beta2-AR--have been identified in most species. Although beta2-AR has an important role in muscle relaxation, evidence suggests that a third subtype--beta3-AR--mediates relaxation of human detrusor muscle. This article reviews the evidence for beta3-AR in human detrusor muscle and urothelium and discusses the potential use of beta3-AR agonists for the treatment of overactive bladder. In addition, the cAMP-dependent and -independent mechanisms of relaxation by way of beta-ARs in rat detrusor muscle, with and without pre-contraction, are reported. Finally, the consequences of mutation of a beta3-AR gene (relating to the pathophysiology of idiopathic detrusor instability) are discussed.

Adrenergic beta-3 Receptor Agonists↗