Basu Chakrabarty

Benign prostatic enlargement (BPE) can impact lower urinary tract function due to its potential progression to benign prostatic obstruction (BPO). Treatment options include removal of the obstruction by surgery or through use of therapeutics designed to slow growth or reduce tissue stress imposed by muscular stromal components. Inflammation and development of fibrosis can also raise intrinsic tissue stress within the gland, further impacting obstruction.

1 INTRODUCTION Nitric oxide (NO•) is a free radical molecule with an unpaired electron that renders it short-lived but highly reactive. It has a wide range of activities in different tissues and its role in regulating cardiovascular function was recognized by the award of the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1998.1 NO• can have deleterious properties as well as crucial signaling functions.

ORIGINAL BASIC SCIENCE ARTICLE Christopher Fry DSc Corresponding Author E-mail address: chris.fry@bristol.ac.uk http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3647-5983 The School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK Correspondence Christopher Fry, DSc School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK.