Relationship between metabolic syndrome and prostate volume in Korean men under 50 years of age

Purpose

The metabolic syndrome (MS) has been accepted as an important cause of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in old age. However, there are no studies of the influence of MS on prostate volume in relatively young adults. We evaluated the relationship between parameters of MS and prostate volume in men under 50 years of age who visited our health promotion center.

Materials and Methods

A total of 968 men aged 30 to 49 years were enrolled from March 2009 to June 2010. Prostate volume by transrectal ultrasonography of the prostate, serum prostate-specific antigen, digital rectal examination, urinalysis, and MS-related parameters were investigated. We evaluated the correlations of prostate volume with MS and MS-related parameters.

Results

Prostate volume was not significantly larger in the MS group (18.4 cc; range: 14.3-23.1 cc) than in the non-MS group (17.8 cc; range, 13.6-21.6 cc). The prostate volumes in subjects with abnormal fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (18.9 cc; range, 14.3-22.7 cc) and abnormal waist circumference (WC) (19.5 cc; range, 15.6-23.7 cc) were significantly larger than those of subjects with normal parameters (16.9 [range, 12.7-20.4] cc and 17.5 [range, 13.3-21.2] cc, respectively; p=0.001). The logistic regression analysis showed the FPG level and WC to have a significantly positive correlation with the prostate volume (odds ratios: 1.441 [95% CI: 1.303-1.643] and 2.305 [95% CI: 1.470-3.614], respectively).

Conclusions

Groups with abnormal FPG and WC had larger prostate volumes than did normal groups. The abnormal FPG and WC could be more important factors than MS in prostate volume enlargement in relatively young adults.

Swimming: effects on stress urinary incontinence and the expression of nerve growth factor in rats following transabdominal urethrolysis

PURPOSE

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) commonly occurs in women, and it has an enormous impact on quality of life. Surgery, drugs, and exercise have been recommended for the treatment of this disease. Among these, exercise is known to be effective for the relief of symptoms of SUI; however, the efficacy and underlying mechanisms of the effect of exercise on SUI are poorly understood. We investigated the effect of swimming the symptom of SUI in relation to the expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) in rats.

METHODS

Transabdominal urethrolysis was used to induce SUI, in Sprague-Dawley rats. The experimental groups were divided into the following three groups: sham-operation group, transabdominal urethrolysis-induced group, and transabdominal urethrolysis-induced and swimming group. The rats in the swimming group were forced to swim for 30 minutes once daily starting 2 weeks after SUI induction and continuing for 4 weeks. For this study, determination of abdominal leak point pressure and immunohistochemistry for NGF in the urethra and in the neuronal voiding centers (medial preoptic nucleus [MPA], ventrolateral periaqueductal gray [vlPAG], pontine micturition center [PMC], and spinal cord [L4-L5]) were performed.

RESULTS

Transabdominal urethrolysis significantly reduced the abdominal leak point pressure, thereby contributing to the induction of SUI. Abdominal leak point pressure, however, was significantly improved by swimming. The expression of NGF in the urethra and in the neuronal voiding centers (MPA, vlPAG, PMC, and L4-L5) relating to micturition was enhanced by the induction of SUI. Swimming, however, significantly suppressed SUI-induced NGF expression.

CONCLUSIONS

Swimming alleviated symptoms of transabdominal urethrolysis-induced SUI, as assessed by an increase in abdominal leak point pressure. The underlying mechanisms of these effects of swimming might be ascribed to the inhibitory effect of swimming on NGF expression.