Safety and efficacy of laser and cold knife urethrotomy for urethral stricture.

Background: Endoscopic treatment for urethral stricture, including cold knife and laser, poses a major challenge to clinical practice. Both the benefits and drawbacks of these two treatments remain controversial. This article aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of laser and cold knife urethrotomy for urethral stricture.

Supine versus prone position in percutaneous nephrolithotomy for kidney calculi: a meta-analysis.

Background: Supine position and prone position were the choice for percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). However, there is still no consensus on the optimal position for PCNL.

Methods: A systematic literature review was performed, searching Pubmed, Embase, CENTRAL and reference lists for relevant studies.

Study on syntheses and anticoagulant action of heparin/rare earth nano-oxides hybrid material.

Four hybrid materials of RE2O3-TDI-Heparin (TDI=Toluene 2,4-diisocyanate, RE=La, Eu, Nd, Sc) were prepared by the method of graft. The materials were characterized by IR, TG, and SEM, which confirmed that the heparin was grafted on the surface of TDI modified rare earth nano-oxides. The cell adhesion experiment and the anticoagulant experiment demonstrated that the materials have lower cell toxicity, better cell adhesion as well as better anticoagulant action.

Adenosine A(2A) agonist administration improves islet transplant outcome: Evidence for the role of innate immunity in islet graft rejection.

Activation of adenosine A(2A) receptors inhibits inflammation in ischemia/reperfusion injury, and protects against cell damage at the injury site. Following transplantation 50% of islets die due to inflammation and apoptosis. This study investigated the effects of adenosine A(2A) receptor agonists (ATL146e and ATL313) on glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in vitro and transplanted murine syngeneic islet function in vivo.

Dorsal onlay versus ventral onlay urethroplasty for anterior urethral stricture: a meta-analysis.

Background: Ventral and dorsal sides of urethra were chosen to place grafts in free graft onlay urethroplasty. As the advantages and disadvantages of these two sites are still unclear, we systemically analyzed clinical articles reported in the literature.

Materials And Methods: The literature till October 2007 regarding the use of ventral/dorsal graft urethroplasty in anterior urethral strictures was searched using the MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE databases.

[Surgical correction of concealed penis].

Objective: To discuss the severity grading and procedure design of concealed penis.

Methods: Between June 2004 and April 2008, 196 cases of concealed penis were surgically corrected. The age ranged from 1 year and 4 months to 44 years, with a median of 9 years.

A functional insertion/deletion polymorphism in the promoter region of the NFKB1 gene increases susceptibility for prostate cancer.

Among men, cancers of the prostate, lung and bronchus, and colon and rectum account for about 50% of all newly diagnosed cancers, and prostate cancer alone accounts for about 25% of incident cases. Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB)-activation plays a critical role in prostate cancer by NF-kappaB inhibitor kinase beta pathway-mediated inflammatory-induced tumorigenesis. A functional insertion/deletion polymorphism (-94 insertion/deletion ATTG) in the promoter of the NFKB1 gene, which encodes the p50 subunit of NF-kappaB, was identified recently.

Blockade of alpha 1A-adrenoceptor: a novel possible strategy for male contraception.

Worldwide almost one quarter of all couples practicing contraception rely on male methods. However, currently available options for male contraception are limited. Thus, it is urgent to develop safe, effective, and reversible male contraceptives.

[Urethral acellular matrix graft for repairing urethral defect in rabbits].

Objective: To assess the biocompatibility of a urethral acellular matrix graft (UAMG) and evaluate its effect in repairing urethral defect in rabbit models.

Methods: The UAMG was prepared and its structural features were observed using optical and electron microscopy. In vitro cultured rabbit bladder smooth muscle cells were seeded on UAMG and the cell proliferation was observed.

Increased expression of connective tissue growth factor in patients with urethral stricture.

Urethral stricture (US) is a urologic disorder with a high morbidity and recurrence rate, and may arise due to external trauma, surgical procedures or urethritis. The pathogenesis of US is closely associated with scar formation, including excessive collagen-rich connective tissues. Previous studies have shown that connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) plays a key role in the fibrosis process of many tissues and organs, such as kidney and lung.

[Construction of tissue-engineered urothelial tissue in vitro and in vivo with bladder acellular matrix as scaffold].

Objective: To investigate the construction of urothelial structure by tissue engineering.

Methods: Fresh bladder of New Zealand white rabbits were processed to prepare the bladder acellular matrix graft (BAMG) as the scaffold, which was evaluated by Masson's trichrome staining and the scanning electronic microscope. Bladder epithelia were obtained by enzymatic digestion and were proliferated in vitro.

[Biocompatibility of bladder extracellular matrix as tissue engineering scaffold].

Objective: To investve To investigate the biocompatibility of rabbit bladder extracellular matrix (BECM) and evaluate the feasibility of using BECM as scaffold for reconstruction of tissue engineering urinary tract.

Methods: By the application of associating the solution diosmosis, enzymatic digestion with chemical detergent, the rabbit bladder was decellularized to prepare the BECM, on which rabbit bladder transitional epithelial cells were cultured and seeded in vitro, of which the adhesion and proliferation were observed. MTT method was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of BECM, which was implanted into the rabbit back for evaluating its histocompatibility meant that the toxicity, degradation and local inflammatory response were studied through gross observation and HE staining.

Improved technique of mouse heterotopic heart graft retransplantation.

Research on chronic graft failure requires a graft retransplantation model to elucidate the affects of early transplant episodes on long-term graft survival. Prolonged ischemic time is the major hurdle for this retransplant model. Here we describe a novel technique of mouse heart retransplantation, with a shortened retransplant ischemic time and higher success rate.

[The status of chymeric cells in human to pig spleen transplantation model].

Objective: To establish a human to pig xenotransplantation GVHD model to simulate the human anti pig grafts immunoreaction in vivo.

Methods: The Chinese Neijiang pigs were immunosuppressed by CTX followed by the transplant of human spleen slices into pig's peritoneal cavity. We tested the routine items of the pigs' peripheral blood regularly, monitored the chimeric level by FCM, and examined the cytotoxicities of both human anti pig and pig anti human by CML.

[Expression of cyclooxygenase in bladder transitional cell carcinoma].

Objective: To evaluate the role of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in the development of bladder transitional cell carcinoma.

Methods: Thirty-four specimens were obtained from patients with bladder transitional carcinoma, and 7 specimens of normal bladder tissues were obtained from renal transplantation donors. Immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR were performed to study the expression of COX-1 and COX-2.

[Cultivation of fibroblasts derived from urethral scar and the effects of salviae miltiorrhizae and ligustrazine on its growth].

Objective: To explore the possible effect and related mechanism of salviae miltiorrhizae (SM) and ligustrazine in the treatment of urethral scar.

Methods: In vitro cultivation of fibroblasts derived from urethral scar has been developed. The effects of these two medicines on its morphology and proliferation have been detected based on the in vitro culture system.