An exploration of oxytocin receptor signalling in the prostate and bladder: Implications for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia and overactive bladder syndrome

With ageing, men begin to experience changes in urinary behaviour, such as frequency, urgency, and urinary incontinence, that are linked to an overexpression of oxytocin receptors resulting in an increase in smooth muscle tension within the prostate and bladder. While not life-threatening, such conditions might be indicative of further upstream disorders such as benign prostatic hyperplasia and overactive bladder syndrome. Therefore, this PhD project is based on investigating the role of oxytocin and its antagonists (atosiban, cligosiban, & ß-Mercapto-ß, ß-cyclopentamethylenepropionyl) in regulating smooth muscle tension within different age groups (young, aged, and fat cohorts) of rat prostate and bladder.