Objective To investigate the ef®cacy of transurethral needle ablation (TUNA) of the prostate for treating chronic nonbacterial prostatitis unresponsive to conservative therapies. Patients and methods Forty-two patients (mean age 38.5 years, range 25±52) with nonbacterial prostatitis in whom clinical management was unsuccessful in relieving the symptoms or signs of prostatitis were treated using TUNA. All patients had a high leukocyte count (>15 per high-power ®eld) in expressed prostatic secretions (EPS) with no bacterial growth in either urine or prostatic secretion cultures. Before TUNA all patients were evaluated using a symptom score, satisfaction score (quality of life) and an examination of prostatic secretions. All patients were reassessed using the same variables 1 and 3 months after TUNA. Of the 42 patients, 10 had their semen analysed before and 3 months after treatment.Results The mean (SD) symptom and satisfaction scores improved signi®cantly, from 11.02 (2.90) to 5.00 (2.61) and from 4.84 (0.57) to 1.26 (1.18), respectively, 3 months after TUNA (both P<0.05). Of the 42 patients, 30 (71%) had normal EPS results within 3 months of TUNA. Also, of 37 patients with high leukocyte counts (>100 per high-power ®eld) before TUNA, 26 (70%) had normal EPS results within 3 months afterward, and 29 (78%) had a satisfaction score of <3 points. Conclusions TUNA may be a possible treatment option for patients with chronic nonbacterial prostatitis that is unresponsive to conservative therapies. A long-term follow-up and randomized studies are needed to con®rm the ef®cacy of the TUNA against intractable chronic prostatitis.

OBJECTIVE To assess the effects of α1A‐adrenoceptor antagonists on urethral perfusion pressure (UPP) in the female rate and their therapeutic potential for treating female bladder outlet obstruction (BOO). MATERIALS AND METHODS A cannula was inserted into the femoral arteries of female rats to administer tamsulosin (group I), doxazosin (group II) or phentolamine (group III) and to monitor systemic blood pressure. Tamsulosin was also administered to male rats (group IV). UPP and vesical pressures (Pves) were monitored using a triple‐lumen catheter. RESULTS After administration of tamsulosin to group I the frequency of bladder contractions decreased significantly and the duration of minimal urethral relaxation with high‐frequency oscillations (HFOs) was significantly prolonged. Except for mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), none of the variables in group I differed significantly from those in group II and group III. The change in MAP after tamsulosin treatment was significantly lower than after doxazosin or phentolamine. Except for the maximum Pves, which was significantly higher in males (group IV) than in females of group I, the UPP and Pves curves of male rats were similar to those of females before giving tamsulosin. The prolonged frequency and duration of HFO in group IV (with tamsulosin) were significantly different from those of females. CONCLUSIONS The α1A‐adrenergic receptor may be a functional subtype in the female rat urethra. α1A‐adrenoceptor antagonists prolonged the duration of HFOs and decreased the frequency of involuntary bladder contraction. It is possible that treatment with α1A‐adrenoceptor antagonists would not only improve obstructive symptoms, but also ameliorate irritative symptoms by prolonging HFOs and the frequency of involuntary bladder contractions.