Sequential scrotal scintigraphy for the study of varicocele.

Scrotal scintigraphy is a non-invasive procedure for evaluating spermatic vein reflux. This technique was used in 43 infertile patients with varicocele. None of them had infections, traumatic, or chromosomal abnormalities that could be associated with their infertility.

Effect of chromogranin A (pancreastatin) fragment on invasion of prostate cancer cells.

We investigated the effect of chromogranin A (pancreastatin) fragment on the invasion of PC-3, DU-145 and LNCaP prostate cancer cells through a reconstituted basement membrane (Matrigel) using a Transwell cell culture chamber assay. Chromogranin A fragment increased the invasive capacity of both PC-3 and DU- 145 cells, whereas it had no significant effect of LNCaP cells. Chromogranin A fragment also increased the haptotactic migration of both PC-3 and DU-145 cells to fibronectin.

[Sclerosing lipogranuloma of the scrotum: a case report].

We present a case of sclerosing lipogranuloma of the scrotum. A 42-year-old man who had complained of a painless intrascrotal mass of one week's duration visited our clinic. Physical examination revealed a symmetrical Y-shaped hard mass around the penile base in the scrotum.

Cloning and expression of a novel lysophospholipase which structurally resembles lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase.

Lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) is the key enzyme in the esterification of plasma cholesterol and in the reverse cholesterol transport on high-density lipoprotein (HDL). We have found a novel LCAT-related gene among differentially expressed cDNA fragments between two types of foam cells derived from THP-1 cells, which are different in cholesterol efflux ability, using a subtractive PCR technique. The deduced 412-amino-acid sequence has 49% amino acid sequence similarity with human LCAT.

Effect of prostatic neuropeptides on invasion and migration of PC-3 prostate cancer cells.

We investigated the effect of various neuropeptides present in the prostate, including calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP), substance P (SP), neuropeptide Y (NPY), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), calcitonin (CT), leucine-enkephalin (L-ENK), glucagon and parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTH-rP), on the invasion of PC-3 prostate cancer cells through a reconstituted basement membrane (Matrigel) using a Transwell cell culture chamber assay. Both CGRP and GRP increased the invasive capacity of tumor cells, whereas SP inhibited it. On the other hand, VIP, CT, L-ENK, NPY, glucagon and PTH-rP had no significant effect.

Selective interaction of vitamin D receptor with transcriptional coactivators by a vitamin D analog.

The nuclear vitamin D receptor (VDR) is a member of a nuclear receptor superfamily and acts as a ligand-dependent transcription factor. A family of cotranscriptional activators (SRC-1, TIF2, and AIB-1) interacts with and activates the transactivation function of nuclear receptors in a ligand-dependent way. We examined interaction of VDR with these coactivators that was induced by several vitamin D analogs, since they exert differential subsets of the biological action of vitamin D through unknown mechanisms.

Heat influences on plasma insulin and glucagon in response to secretogogues in non-lactating dairy cows.

Four non-lactating cows were offered a maintenance diet of hay wafer and a commercial concentrate. They were housed in a thermoneutral (TN; 20 degrees C) and then a hot (30 degrees C) environment in an artificial climate chamber. Glucose, arginine, butyrate, and insulin were administered through one jugular catheter, and from a catheter on the other side venous blood was collected.

Oxidation of trichloroethylene and dimethyl sulfide by a marine Methylomicrobium strain containing soluble methane monooxygenase.

Sixteen marine methanotrophic bacteria were isolated and 14 marine methanotrophic mixed cultures were obtained. They were assayed for soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) by naphthalene oxidation and only one isolate (strain NI) was positive. Strain NI degraded trichloroehylene (TCE) more efficiently than other methanotrophic isolates containing no sMMO only under copper limiting conditions.

[Rhabdomyosarcoma of the prostate in childhood: a case report].

A case of prostatic rhabdomyosarcoma in an 8-year-old boy is presented. He was referred to Kurobe City Hospital with chief complaints of urinary retention and fever. Radiologic examinations revealed a huge prostatic tumor.

Insulin and glucagon secretion in lactating cows during heat exposure.

Heat stress affects endocrine systems in cows. This study investigated changes in insulin and glucagon secretion between thermoneutral (TN; 18 degrees C, relative humidity [RH] 60%) and hot (28 degrees C, RH 60%) environments in lactating cows. Glucose, arginine, and butyrate were administered i.

Ectopic prostatic tissue outside the urinary tract: a case report.

A 64-year-old man with a 4-month history of dysuria and urinary frequency had a mass behind the bladder. The preoperative diagnosis was a tumor of the left seminal vesicle, but a histologic examination revealed benign prostatic tissue. This is the seventh reported case of ectopic prostatic tissue situated outside the urinary tract.

Relationship between serum levels of interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and bone turnover markers in prostate cancer patients.

To determine the relationship between the serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and those of bone formation and resorption markers in prostate cancer patients, we measured the serum levels of the cytokines and examined their relationship to biochemical markers of bone turnover in 46 untreated patients with prostate cancer. The carboxy-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP) levels were used as a parameter of bone formation, and the carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) levels were used as a marker of bone resorption. The relationship of these markers to the degree of bone metastasis was also examined.

Detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in archival specimens of benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatic cancer using a highly sensitive nested PCR method.

Human papillomavirus is thought to be an etiological factor for urological tumors such as penile cancer. However, there is much conflicting data surrounding prostatic cancer. We recently established a highly sensitive nested PCR method with consensus human papillomavirus (HPV) primers for the detection of many high-risk HPV types.

Effects of heat exposure on plasma insulin, glucagon and metabolites in response to nutrient injection in heifers.

Effects of heat exposure on plasma insulin, glucagon, and metabolite responses following injection of various nutrients were investigated in heifers. Four heifers, fed hay wafer and a commercial concentrate, were exposed to thermoneutral (20 degrees C) and hot (30 degrees C) environments. Glucose, arginine and butyrate (each injection at 0.

Effect of mechanical unloading and reloading on periosteal bone formation and gene expression in tail-suspended rapidly growing rats.

In order to delineate the influence of mechanical unloading on the formation and resorption of trabecular and cortical bone, the effects of mechanical unloading on the volume, structure, and turnover of hindlimbs were examined using tail-suspended rapidly growing rats. In addition, to clarify the mechanism of how mechanical stimulation affects bone formation, the influence of reloading on the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression of genes related to differentiation or proliferation of bone cells was examined. Tail suspension of 5-week-old rats for 14 days caused a suppression of the increase in the diameter, subperiosteal area, and bone mineral density (BMD) of the femur.

[Pulmonary metastasis from renal cell carcinoma diagnosed by using thoracoscopic biopsy: a case report].

A 70-year-old woman underwent radical nephrectomy for right renal cell carcinoma and received prophylactic interferon-alpha (rHuIFN-alpha) administration for one year. Followup computerized tomography scan showed a small nodule in the right lung 39 months postoperatively. Pulmonary nodules had become multiple and increased in size (6 mm) at 53 months.

[Ganglioneuroma arising in the adrenal medulla: a case report].

We report a case of adrenal ganglioneuroma. A 33-year-old woman visited our clinic with a complaint of epigastralgia. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a round mass, 4 cm in diameter, in the left suprarenal fossa.

A new compound heterozygous mutation in the 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 gene in a case of apparent mineralocorticoid excess.

Apparent mineralocorticoid excess (AME) characterized by early-onset hypertension and hypokalemia is due to congenital deficiency of 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11 beta HSD). Two isoforms of human 11 beta HSD are known, and the type 2 isoform (11 beta HSD2) has been recently shown to be responsible for AME. In this study we have analyzed the 11 beta HSD2 gene of a Japanese patient with AME.

[Malignant lymphoma of the testis: report of two cases].

Two cases on non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphoma (NHL) of the testis are reported. A 63-year-old man with left painless scrotal swelling underwent orchiectomy. Although prophylactic irradiation was performed under the diagnosis of seminoma, subsequent immunohistochemistry revealed NHL, large diffuse cell type (B type).

Inhibition of bone resorption by pamidronate cannot restore normal gain in cortical bone mass and strength in tail-suspended rapidly growing rats.

To clarify how the changes in bone formation and resorption affect bone volume and strength after mechanical unloading, the effect of inhibition of bone resorption by a potent bisphosphonate, pamidronate, on bone mineral density (BMD), histology, and strength of hind limb bones was examined using tail-suspended growing rats. Tail suspension for 14 days reduced the gain in the BMD of the femur at both the metaphysis rich in trabecular bone and the diaphysis rich in cortical bone. Treatment with pamidronate increased the total BMD as well as that of the metaphysis of the femur but had almost no effect on the BMD of the diaphysis in both control and tail-suspended rats.

A new synthetic steroid, osaterone acetate (TZP-4238), increases cortical bone mass and strength by enhancing bone formation in ovariectomized rats.

A new synthetic steroid, 17 alpha-acetoxy-chloro-2-oxa-4,6-pregnadiene-3,20-dione (osaterone acetate, TZP-4238), has a potent antiandrogenic and gestagenic action with virtually no estrogenic and androgenic activity in their classical target organs. In the present study, the effects of TZP-4238 on the structure, strength, and turnover of the rat long bones were examined. Female Wistar rats at 12 weeks of age were ovariectomized (OVX) and treated with TZP-4238 or 17 beta-estradiol (E2) every day for 12 weeks.

Polidocanol sclerotherapy for simple renal cysts.

Simple renal cysts were treated by aspiration and injection of the sclerosing agent 3% polidocanol (Aetoxisclerol) in 15 patients. All patients were followed up by ultrasound for 1-24 months. The age ranged from 35 to 81 years.

Effect of growth hormone-releasing factor on the response to insulin of cows during early and late lactation.

The euglycemic clamp technique was used to determine the effect of bovine growth hormone-releasing factor on glucose kinetics and on the response to insulin of 4 dairy cows during early lactation (mean, 35 d postpartum) and of 6 dairy cows during late lactation (mean, 194 d postpartum). Beginning 3 d prior to experiments, cows were injected twice daily with either saline or 2.5 micrograms/kg of growth hormone-releasing factor.