Botulinum toxin A administration and orchiectomy in the treatment of canine benign prostatic hyperplasia

Abstract

The pathogenesis of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is not completely known, however, dihydrotestosterone is a hormone involved in enlargement of the prostate. Recently, the effect of botulinum toxin A (BT-A) was investigated and has shown to induce atrophy of the gland. Based on that, the aims of this study were to compare the effects of administration of BT-A with orchiectomy in the treatment of BPH, in addition to assessing the effects of BT-A on libido and semen quality. Therefore, 16 sexually intact male dogs were submitted to orchiectomy or administration of 500U BT-A, and evaluated for 16 weeks. Orchiectomy presented excellent results, reducing the prostate volume up to 80%. Administration of BT-A did not interfered on libido, erection or semen characteristics. On the other hand, reduced significantly the prostate volume. The results suggest that intraprostatic injection of BT-A is an effective alternative treatment without adverse effects for valuable breeding dogs with BPH. However, this therapy showed lower reduction of prostate volume when compared to orchiectomy.