Posttreatment Exposure Rates for Y-Microsphere Patients: A Comparison of Products.

There has been a significant increase in the use of Y-microspheres in treating liver malignancies. This increase could be seen over the last 30 y, and Food and Drug Administration approval of 2 products-Sirtex SIR-Spheres and Boston Scientific TheraSphere-has helped in the proliferation of these treatments. As the increase in use of both products rose at our institution, there was a need to determine whether there should be special considerations for patients who receive one product compared with patients who receive the other product.

Acute vardenafil administration improves bladder oxygenation in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Introduction: In human bladder, phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) is present not only in the muscular wall but also in the vascular beds, suggesting a role for PDE5 inhibitors in favoring bladder blood flow and tissue oxygenation.

Aim: To investigate whether acute administration of vardenafil could affect bladder oxygenation in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), an animal model of naturally occurring overactive bladder.

Main Outcome Measures: The effect of vardenafil on hypoxia-induced alterations was studied in vivo in SHR by acute dosing (10 mg/kg, 90 minutes before sacrifice) and in vitro in human bladder smooth muscle cells (hBCs).

Vardenafil modulates bladder contractility through cGMP-mediated inhibition of RhoA/Rho kinase signaling pathway in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Introduction: Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5i), the most widely used drugs for erectile dysfunction, could also improve lower urinary tract symptoms, essentially due to overactive bladder (OAB), a condition hypothesized to be a result of an increased RhoA/Rho-kinase (ROCK) signaling. Phosphorylation/inactivation of RhoA by cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent protein kinase (PKG) activity has been described in vascular smooth muscle.

Aim: The aim of this paper was to investigate whether vardenafil-induced cGMP accumulation reduces RhoA/ROCK signaling in bladder.

Estrogens regulate humans and rabbit epididymal contractility through the RhoA/Rho-kinase pathway.

Introduction: We have previously demonstrated that oxytocin (OT) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) peripherally regulate epididymal motility in an estrogen-dependent way. Because RhoA/Rho-kinase (ROCK) pathway is a contractile effector downstream to both OT and ET-1 receptors, we hypothesized an estrogenic modulation of OT- and ET-1-induced contraction through the up-regulation of RhoA/ROCK signaling.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of changing endocrine milieu on RhoA/ROCK pathway in the epididymis.

Cavernous neurotomy in the rat is associated with the onset of an overt condition of hypogonadism.

Background: Most men following radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) are afflicted by erectile dysfunction (ED). RRP-related ED occurs as a result of surgically elicited neuropraxia, leading to histological changes in the penis, including collagenization of smooth muscle and endothelial damage.

Aim: To verify whether hypogonadism could contribute to the pathogenesis of RRP-ED.