Safety and effectiveness of Lithostar shock tube C in the treatment of urinary calculi.

Over 14 years of clinical use of extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (SWL), great technical modifications resulted in the development of many second-generation lipthotripters. The Siemens Lithostar machine, with its standard shockwave tube, was introduced in 1986. The objective of this study was to assess the safety and effectiveness of the newly proposed Lithostar shock tube C in the treatment of urinary calculi.

Early experience with extracorporeal shockwave Dornier lithotriptor "compact".

One of the latest developments in extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) is a combination of an electromagnetic energy source with an upgraded parallel online ultrasound imaging for localization. The device is compact, requiring no significant installation or site preparation. Furthermore, it increases the margin of safety of SWL by virtue of the continuous ultrasound monitoring.

Role of prostate-specific antigen density after applying age-specific prostate-specific antigen reference ranges.

Objectives: To determine the potential role of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) density (PSAD) in the early detection of prostate carcinoma if we apply age-specific PSA reference ranges (2.5 ng/mL or less for ages 40 to 49 years, 3.5 or less for ages 50 to 59, 4.

Apomorphine versus mating behavior in testing erectile capabilities of diabetic rats.

Objectives: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an important cause of organic impotence. It is estimated that 35% to 75% of diabetic patients are impotent. In the present study we investigated the effect of experimentally induced diabetes (streptozocin 60 mg/kg, intraperitoneally, for 9 weeks) on sexual behavior and compared it to the apomorphine (APO) bioassay test.

Long-term effect of sphincteric fatigue during bladder neurostimulation.

Commercially available stimulators lack several features, including multiple channel capability and flexible stimulation parameters. These factors limit clinical application. A new computerized electrical stimulator system was developed by our team and evaluated for its efficacy in bladder evacuation in an animal model after spinal cord transection.

Neural stimulation for chronic voiding dysfunctions.

Neural stimulation of the sacral nerve roots could become an acceptable and promising modality in controlling variable forms of difficult voiding dysfunctions. A total of 50 patients who presented with various forms of voiding dysfunction underwent initial screening by percutaneous nerve evaluation of the S3 nerve root guided by movements of the levator ani and toes. Only 17 patients demonstrated a satisfactory response to percutaneous nerve evaluation and subsequent subchronic wire testing for 4 to 5 days, and they were eligible to enter the study.

The role of combined pelvic floor stimulation and biofeedback in female urinary incontinence: early experience.

A series of 109 female patients with urinary incontinence were treated by pelvic floor stimulation and biofeedback. Eighty-one patients received the full course of treatment and 28 patients dropped out. Among the 81 patients who completed the treatment, the improvement and cure rates (completely dry) shortly after treatment were 70.

The loss of E-cadherin mRNA transcripts in rat prostatic tumors is accompanied by increased expression of mRNA transcripts encoding fibronectin and its receptor.

We compared the levels of mRNA transcripts encoding E-cadherin, N-cadherin, beta 1 integrin subunit, alpha 5 integrin subunit and fibronectin in the normal rat prostate gland, as well as in tumors derived from three invasive sublines (G, MatLyLu, AT-2) of the Dunning R-3227 rat prostatic adenocarcinoma. E-cadherin mRNA transcripts were only detectable in total RNA extracts prepared from normal rat prostates, whereas N-cadherin mRNA transcripts were only found in normal rat brains. In contrast, the mRNA transcripts encoding the beta 1 integrin subunit, alpha 5 integrin subunit and fibronectin were all elevated in the tumors, as compared to the levels of these transcripts in normal tissues.

Effects of verapamil, prostaglandin F2 alpha, phenylephrine, and noradrenaline on upper urinary tract dynamics.

Objectives: The effects of verapamil (VRP), prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha), phenylephrine, and noradrenaline on upper urinary tract dynamics were studied in vivo, using a pig model involving 12 miniswine which were subjected to acute pharmacologic perfusion studies of the upper urinary tract.

Method: Changes in renal pelvic pressure (Ppvs) and ureteral peristalsis frequency were recorded at 2 mL/min perfusion rate premedication, and then during perfusion with different concentrations of each drug tested in three experiments.

Results: Ppvs showed no significant variations with VRP perfusion when compared with premedication readings, whereas ureteral peristalsis frequency was decreased significantly by 10(-3) mol/L of VRP.

Dog as an animal model for neurostimulation.

The dog provides an important model to study the effect of neural stimulation of different parts of the central and peripheral nervous systems. A multitude of experiments on neurostimulation and neuromodulation to ensure bladder evacuation have been conducted on dogs. The present article reviews the most prominent contributions in the English literature related to neurostimulation using the dog as an experimental model.

Conscious minipig model for evaluating the lower urinary tract.

An animal model using minipigs to study urodynamic pressure flow relationships in the conscious animal is described. Port-catheters were implanted subcutaneously in the backs of 22 minipigs with access to the bladder (to measure intravesical pressure Pves) and to the peritoneal cavity (to measure abdominal pressure Pabd). The subtracted pressure (Pdet = Pves = Pabd) was recorded during the storage phase following Furosemide diuresis.

Prospective evaluation of prostate-specific antigen density and systematic biopsies for early detection of prostatic carcinoma.

Significant controversies persist in regard to the need for systematic biopsies in patients with serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels above 4 ng/mL (Hybritech assay), especially if they show no signs of prostatic cancer on digital rectal examination (DRE) or transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS). We evaluated 565 consecutive patients referred to us for prostatism, suspicious lesions on DRE, or an elevated serum PSA level. These patients do not represent a purely screened population.

Long-term effects of ureteric stent after ureteric dilation.

Balloon dilation of the right ureterovesical junction (UVJ) and distal ureter to three times its normal caliber was performed in 12 pigs. A right double-J (D-J) stent was inserted after dilation in 6 pigs. Bilateral upper tract dynamics with different perfusion rates (0.

Healing and muscular restoration of the ureteral wall following balloon-induced rupture: an experimental animal model with light microscopic and ultrastructural observations.

Ureteral regrowth following balloon-induced rupture was studied using an animal model, with emphasis on the pattern and cellular events of self-reconstitution in the late phase of healing. At 4 weeks, the ureteral healing/remodeled region included a wedge-shaped muscular component which pointed toward a fibrous central zone, was continuous with the adjacent muscularis propria, and abutted on a thin-lining epithelium. Progressive enlargement, aggregation, and bundle formation of myogenic cells was observed along the centrifugal axis.

Effect of balloon dilation of ureter on upper tract dynamics and ureteral wall morphology.

Sixteen male Yucatan minipigs underwent balloon dilation of the right ureterovesical junction (UVJ) and lower ureter to twice its normal caliber. With the bladder open, bilateral upper tract dynamics measurements under different perfusion rates (0.5, 2, and 4 ml/min) were recorded predilation, immediately after dilation, and 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 weeks after dilation.

A new bladder stimulator--hand-held controller and miniaturized implant: preliminary results in dogs.

A new urinary-tract stimulator that is intended to restore normal bladder function to patients who have spinal-cord injuries is described. The system is composed of two principal parts. The first, which is external, consists of a hand-held device based on an inductive-coupling technique.

The effect of diabetes on sexual behavior and reproductive tract function in male rats.

The effect of streptozotocin induced diabetes and sabeluzole (SBZ) on sexual function was evaluated in male rats. SBZ is a benzothiazole derivative with antihypoxic and antiischaemic activities. Rats were rendered diabetic by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin, 60 mg.

A transcutaneous implantable bladder controller.

We describe a computerized experimental system to investigate the effect of early electrical stimulation of the bladder during the spinal shock phase in paraplegic dogs. This system is composed of two main devices; an external part (or controller) based on a portable microcomputer, and a versatile implant (internal) based on a multichannel CMOS microstimulator. Using a new operative technique, this system enabled us to obtain many favorable results.

Effect of early bladder stimulation on spinal shock: experimental approach.

The period of spinal shock which frequently follows spinal cord injury is associated with bladder areflexia and urinary retention. We studied the effect of early bladder electric stimulation on detrusor activity during the spinal shock phase in the dog. The animals had a spinal cord section at T10 vertebra, and their bladder management was assigned to one of the three following groups: intermittent catheterization, indwelling catheterization, and electric bladder stimulation.

Electrical stimulation induced sphincter fatigue during voiding.

The stimulation of the sacral nerves to induce voiding is often associated with simultaneous contraction of the striated sphincter rendering micturition difficult or impossible. Rhizotomy of some sacral nerves was found to be necessary to facilitate voiding with stimulation. An main objective in the present experiment was to evaluate the feasibility of achieving the same result using electrical stimulation to fatigue the sphincter.

Computerized transcutaneous control of a multichannel implantable urinary prosthesis.

In the present paper we describe a personal computer interface of a multichannel implantable urinary prosthesis. This system is composed of two main parts: the first one is internal and consists of an implant using a 4-microns CMOS gate array chip controlling a wide variety of waveforms via eight monopolar channels. The second, an external controller featuring a versatile software, a PCB card plugged in a portable microcomputer, and a radiofrequency-coupled technique.

Role of electric stimulation in bladder evacuation following spinal cord transection.

Neural stimulation is potentially a valuable therapeutic tool in the treatment of neurogenic bladder with detrusor areflexia. We studied 20 dogs in different groups, up to eight months, and compared the effect of electric stimulation with intermittent catheterization, specially during spinal shock phase. We found that early stimulation hastened the return of detrusor activity.

Digital subtraction cavernosography: method to detect venous leakage.

Cavernosography has become an important diagnostic test for detecting venous leakage as a cause of vasculogenic impotence. Digital subtraction cavernosography (DSC) was carried out on 21 patients with a history of venous leakage resulting in impotence. The DSC technique was compared to conventional cineradiography.

Congenital keratinizing desquamative squamous epithelium of the entire urinary tract.

We report the clinical and pathological findings of a case of congenital desquamative squamous epithelium of the entire urinary tract associated with body dysmorphism. This entity has not been described previously in the literature.