Benign prostatic hyperplasia: transcatheter arterial embolization as potential treatment--preliminary study in pigs

To prospectively evaluate the technical feasibility and safety of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) of the prostate in healthy pigs.

The study was approved by the institutional ethics committee for animal research. Sixteen large white male pigs were randomly assigned to the embolization group (n = 8) or control group (n = 8). Selective angiography was performed in all animals after general anesthesia was induced. In the embolization group, microspheres 500-700 microm in diameter were used to occlude the prostatic branches. Three months later, the animals' sexual function while breeding with female pigs was subjectively evaluated by using a three-point scale. At necropsy, the prostates were removed for size measurement and histopathologic examination. Paired Student t and Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used for statistical analysis.

TAE was technically successful in all animals, without associated complications. The mean prostate volume after embolization was significantly (P < .001) reduced compared with the mean prostate volume for the group control. No significant difference (P = .328) in sexual function was noted between the two groups. Histologic examination revealed that the microspheres had occluded the arterioles of the prostate, with disappearance of the nearby partially normal gland structure and atrophy of the residual gland tissue.

TAE of the prostate can induce shrinkage of the prostate without compromising the sexual desire and erectile function of animals. This finding suggests that TAE has potential as an alternative treatment for symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia in humans.