Recurrent Median Nerve Injury in a Weight Lifter.

Recurrent median neuropathy is an uncommon injury that can be commonly mistaken for other pathological causes. It is important to be aware of the potential causes and symptoms of injury as delay in diagnosis can lead to permanent decrease in hand function and disability. This case is a description of a 33-year-old male patient who previously presented with radicular symptoms and had complete resolution of his pain after a C7 selective nerve root block.

Alternative therapeutic approach to renal-cell carcinoma: induction of apoptosis with combination of vitamin K3 and D-fraction.

Purpose: Because of a dismal prognosis for advanced renal-cell carcinoma (RCC), an alternative therapeutic approach, using vitamin K3 (VK3) and D-fraction (DF) was investigated. VK3 is a synthetic VK derivative and DF is a bioactive mushroom extract, and they have been shown to have antitumor activity. We examined if the combination of VK3 and DF would exhibit the improved anticancer effect on RCC in vitro.

Possible hypoglycemic action of SX-fraction targeting insulin signal transduction pathway.

Background: SX-fraction (SXF) is a bioactive glycoprotein with hypoglycemic activity that has been demonstrated in our pilot clinical study. However, how it would actually work in diabetic patients remains unclear. To explore such a mechanism, the effects of SXF on the insulin signal transduction pathway were investigated using skeletal muscle L6 cells in vitro.

Induction of cell death in renal cell carcinoma with combination of D-fraction and vitamin C.

Hypothesis: Although several conventional therapeutic options for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are currently available, the unsatisfactory outcomes demand establishing more effective interventions. D-fraction (PDF), a bioactive proteoglucan of Maitake mushroom, demonstrates anticancer and immunomodulatory activities, which are also shown to be potentiated by vitamin C (VC). We thus hypothesized that a combination of PDF and VC (PDF + VC) could be an alternative approach to more effectively inhibit the growth of RCC.

Nephrotoxin-induced renal cell injury involving biochemical alterations and its prevention with antioxidant.

Background: Although nephrotoxic agents or nephrotoxins are known to induce acute renal cell injury, their cytotoxic action is not fully elucidated. It is thus crucial to explore such a cytotoxic mechanism and the increasing volume of reports indicated a significant involvement of oxidative stress. To test this possibility, we investigated if a nephrotoxin would exert oxidative stress, leading to renal cell injury accompanied by certain biochemical alterations.

Ureteroscopic and extirpative treatment of upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma: a 15-year comprehensive review of 160 consecutive patients.

Unlabelled: Study Type--Therapy (case series) Level of Evidence 4. What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Upper urinary tract urothelial carcinomas (UTUC) have historically been treated with radical, extirpative surgery, primarily nephroureterectomy with bladder-cuff excision. In general, there has been growing interest in renal preservation, as evidenced by the broadening application of nephron-sparing surgery for renal parenchymal tumours.

Additively enhanced antiproliferative effect of interferon combined with proanthocyanidin on bladder cancer cells.

Although interferon (IFN) has been often used as immunotherapy for bladder cancer, its efficacy is rather unsatisfactory, demanding further improvement. Combination therapy is one of viable options, and grape seed proanthocyanidin (GSP) could be such an agent to be used with IFN because it has been shown to have anticancer activity. We thus investigated whether combination of IFN and GSP might enhance the overall antiproliferative effect on bladder cancer cells in vitro.

Attenuation of androgenic regulation by brefeldin A in androgen-responsive prostate cancer cells.

Objectives: To investigate the effects of an antibiotic brefeldin A (BFA) on androgen-regulated cellular events in androgen-responsive prostate cancer cells, focusing on PSA (prostate-specific antigen) status, cell growth, and bioactivity of androgen receptor (AR).

Materials And Methods: Androgen-responsive human prostate cancer LNCaP cells were employed and 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) was used as an androgenic mediator to induce androgen-modulated cellular events. Effects of BFA on synthesis and secretion of PSA, cell growth, and AR activity were assessed using Tandem PSA assay, trypan blue exclusion method, and AR binding assay, respectively.