Chronic penile denervation in the rat: effect on cavernous tissue morphology and function.

We evaluated the effects of chronic penile denervation on cavernous tissue morphology and function in 36 Sprague-Dawley rats. At age seven weeks, 18 animals underwent bilateral cavernous nerve neurectomy: 18 animals underwent sham operation as a control. A functional, biochemical and morphological assessment of the rats' penises was performed at 4 months.

Sigmoido-rectal intussusception.

Sigmoido-rectal intussusception is the least common type of intussusception seen in infants and children and is therefore usually misdiagnosed as rectal prolapse. Delay in diagnosis and treatment is due to lack of its awareness amongst surgeons, incomplete assessment of the prolapsed bowel at the anal orifice, and absence of classical traid of intussusception i.e.

Regression of LNCaP human prostate tumor xenografts in athymic nude mice by 13-cis-retinoic acid and androgen ablation.

The present study was designed to investigate the effects of 13-cis-retinoic acid (13-cis-RA) (100 micrograms/mouse/day) and androgen ablation (castration) alone and in combination on growth of a human prostatic carcinoma line (LNCaP) transplanted to athymic nude mice as an experimental model. The results of these studies suggest that; (1) androgen ablation (castration) significantly decreased the size of LNCaP xenograft as compared to untreated animals; (2) when 13-cis-RA was administered to nude mice carrying established tumors (0.51 +/- 0.

Cystic fibrosis and pancreatic cancer cells synthesize and secrete MUC1 type mucin gene product.

The purpose of this study was to determine the biochemical and molecular characteristics of mucin synthesized by cystic fibrosis cells (CFPAC-1), a pancreatic cancer cell line derived from a patient with cystic fibrosis, and pancreatic cancer (SW-1990) cell lines. High molecular weight glycoproteins (HMG) were quantified by [3H]-glucosamine labeling and chromatography on sepharose CL-4B. Mucin gene expression was determined by using cDNA probes for 2 distinct intestinal mucins (MUC2 and MUC3) and one stomach mucin (MUC1).

Terms and techniques: New approach to hot-start polymerase chain reaction using Taq DNA polymerase antibody.

The purpose of this study was to optimize the conditions for polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The most common problem with conventional PCR is the presence of nonspecific products and primer-dimers formation, which could be due to several factors such as annealing temperature, primer concentration, and Taq DNA polymerase activity during setup of the PCR. Recently, a neutralizing monoclonal antibody (TaqStart) that blocks Taq DNA Polymerase activity has been developed.

Inhibition of mucin synthesis by benzyl-alpha-GalNAc in KATO III gastric cancer and Caco-2 colon cancer cells.

Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that benzyl-alpha-GalNAc inhibits the glycosylation of mucin in colon cancer cells. In this study, we determined whether benzyl-alpha-GalNAc inhibits mucin glycosylation in KATO III gastric cancer cells. We also examined its effects on expression of mucin antigens, and compared the mucins made by KATO III with those of a colonic cancer cell line, Caco-2.

Establishment and characterization of an immortalized but non-transformed human prostate epithelial cell line: BPH-1.

This report describes the development and characterization of an epithelial cell line (BPH-1) from human prostate tissue obtained by transurethral resection. Primary epithelial cell cultures were immortalized with SV40 large T antigen. One of the isolated clones was designated BPH-1.

Equilibrium linkage analysis of cardiac thin filament assembly. Implications for the regulation of muscle contraction.

A major focus in studies of muscle contraction has been the effect of Ca2+ on the interactions among the thin filament's five constituent polypeptides: actin, tropomyosin, troponin C (TnC), troponin T (TnT), and troponin I (TnI). We have investigated these interactions by analyzing thin filament assembly as a linear lattice binding problem with linkage relationships in the associations of tropomyosin, actin, and troponin. Binding of TnT, the binary TnT.

Inhibition of tumorigenic potential and prostate-specific antigen expression in LNCaP human prostate cancer cell line by 13-cis-retinoic acid.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a member of the kallikrein family and has been an important biological marker for prostate cancer. The mechanisms regulating PSA expression in prostatic cancer cells are unclear. The present study was designed to elucidate the role of 13-cis-retinoic acid (RA) in regulation of PSA and the tumorigenic potential of the human prostate cancer cell line LNCaP.

Stable differentiation of a human colon adenocarcinoma cell line by sodium butyrate is associated with multidrug resistance.

Colorectal cancers are often composed of cell types representing various differentiated cell lineages, however little is known concerning the relationship of differentiation and drug resistance in these cancers. The present study was performed to develop and characterize a stable, differentiated clone of the human colon cancer cell line LS174T and to characterize the drug resistance of this cell line in relation to its undifferentiated parental cell line. LS174T cell line was treated with the differentiating agent sodium butyrate (0.

13-cis-retinoic acid-mediated growth inhibition of DU-145 human prostate cancer cells.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of 13-cis-retinoic acid (13-cis-RA) on the growth regulation of DU-145 human prostatic cancer cells. The results of these experiments demonstrate that cell growth and metastatic potential of DU-145 cells were significantly inhibited by 13-cis-RA (10 microM). In order to elucidate the possible molecular mechanisms of 13-cis-RA action on prostate cancer cells, we examined the expression of nuclear receptor genes (hRXR alpha) and found that 13-cis-RA treated cells showed higher mRNA expression for hRXR alpha nuclear receptors compared to untreated cells.

HLA expression by benign and malignant prostatic epithelium: augmentation by interferon-gamma.

Chronic prostatitis is a poorly understood entity that is characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of benign prostatic epithelium. Previously, we and others have shown that prostatic epithelium involved by prostatitis is phenotypically different from uninvolved epithelium. In addition, we have shown that malignant prostatic epithelium is rarely, if ever, infiltrated by lymphocytes.

Pelvic plexus denervation in rats causes morphologic and functional changes of the prostate.

The effect of pelvic plexus denervation on biochemical, morphologic and functional characteristics of the rat prostate was assessed in 11 adult Sprague-Dawley rats. Unilateral denervation was performed by removing the right pelvic ganglion from the surface of the prostate; the contralateral lobe was similarly dissected, but not denervated, to serve as a control. After 15 to 18 days, the prostate was excised and specimens from both sides were used for morphologic (light and electron microscopy) and biochemical studies (sodium-dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis).

Phenotypic and cytogenetic characterization of a human corpus cavernosum cell line (DS-1).

We report here the establishment and characterization of a corpus cavernosum cell line (DS-1) from human penile tissue. This is the first cell line of its type derived from cavernosum tissue. DS-1 cells have become immortalized in culture, and show growth in monolayers.

Mucin synthesis and secretion in various human epithelial cancer cell lines that express the MUC-1 mucin gene.

Previous studies have suggested that mucin gene expression is tissue-specific; however, the relationship between unique mucin gene products and the biochemical properties of mucins is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the biochemical and molecular characteristics of mucin synthesized by adenocarcinoma cell lines derived from breast (ZR-75-1), stomach (MGC-803), pancreas (Capan-2), and lung (Chago K-1). Mucin was quantitated by [3H]glucosamine labeling and Sepharose CL-4B chromatography.

Effect of glucose and confluency on phosphorus metabolites of perfused human prostatic adenocarcinoma cells as determined by 31P MRS.

A series of perfused cell 31P MRS studies were conducted using a well established human prostate adenocarcinoma cell line (DU 145) at different phases of growth, and exposed to varying glucose concentrations during growth. The spectral characteristics of perfused DU 145 cells were compared with the same cells grown in nude mice (xenografts). Perfused DU 145 cells had lower levels of inorganic phosphate and phosphocreative relative to in vivo nude mice xenografts.

Citrate alterations in primary and metastatic human prostatic adenocarcinomas: 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy and biochemical study.

The objectives of this study were to quantitatively verify the low levels of citrate previously observed in primary human prostatic adenocarcinomas and to determine whether citrate was further reduced in metastatic prostatic cancer. This was accomplished by comparison of citrate concentrations of DU 145 xenografts (a poorly differentiated human prostatic adenocarcinoma cell line grown in nude mice) with concentrations in primary human adenocarcinomas. Following in vivo 1H NMR studies of DU 145 xenografts, citrate concentrations of DU 145 xenografts and surgically removed primary prostatic adenocarcinoma tissue were determined by quantitative high resolution 1H NMR and enzymatic assay.

Heterogeneity of mucin gene expression in normal and neoplastic tissues.

To determine the relative expression of distinct mucin genes in normal and neoplastic tissue, antibodies and cDNA probes that recognize the core tandem repeat sequences of membrane-bound (MUC1) and secreted (MUC2 and MUC3) mucins were used for immunohistochemical and RNA Northern and slot-blot analysis. MUC1 mRNA was detected in all epithelial tissues tested. MUC1 core peptide, recognized by monoclonal antibodies 139H2 and DF3, was highly expressed on apical membranes of bronchus, breast, salivary gland, pancreas, prostate, and uterus, and was sparsely expressed in gastric surface cells, gallbladder, small intestine, and colonic epithelium.

Sodium nitroprusside and neurostimulation cause increased levels of cyclic guanosine monophosphate and not cyclic adenosine monophosphate during canine penile erection.

We investigated the changes of cGMP and cAMP during penile erection induced by direct electrical stimulation of the pelvic nerve or sodium nitroprusside administration. Immediately after penile erection, the samples were put into liquid nitrogen and cyclic nucleotide content was measured. The results of these investigation suggest that both pelvic nerve stimulation and sodium nitroprusside induced penile tumescence.

Downregulation of saturated fatty acid and upregulation of unsaturated fatty acid by 13-cis-retinoic acid in human prostate cancer cells.

Retinoids play a major role in regulation of epithelial cell growth and cellular differentiation, but their mechanism(s) of action are still unclear. In the present study, we examined the effects of 13-cis-retinoic acid (13-cis-RA) on cytotoxicity, growth properties, morphology, neutral lipids, phospholipids and fatty acids in cultured human prostate cancer cell lines. The results of these experiments suggest that 13-cis-RA (10 microM) inhibits the DNA synthesis and nude mice tumorigenicity by 2- to 3-fold, compared to control.

Establishment and characterization of a human primary prostatic adenocarcinoma cell line (ND-1).

A human primary prostatic adenocarcinoma cell line named ND-1 has been established in long term tissue culture. The cultured cells show growth in both monolayers and in soft agar suspension and produce subcutaneous tumors in nude mice. Cytogenetic analysis by G-banding demonstrated an aneuploid karyotype with a modal chromosome number of 62, and multiple marker chromosomes with 25-30% structural abnormalities.

Mucin oligosaccharide biosynthesis in human colonic cancerous tissues and cell lines.

Background: The Tn, sialosyl-Tn, and T antigens are carbohydrate-associated antigens that represent initial steps in mucin O-linked glycosylation. Previous immunohistochemical studies have shown that these three antigens are rarely, if ever, expressed in normal colonic mucosa; however, most colonic cancerous tissues express these structures. Little is known about the factors that control the expression of these antigens in colonic tissues or cell lines.