Magnetic resonance imaging of the male pelvic floor: the anatomical configuration and dynamic movement in healthy men.

The male pelvic organs and the rhabdosphincter were visualized using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in five young male volunteers (mean age, 25.6 years). The prostate was crescent-shaped in three subjects and doughnut-shaped in two subjects.

Ileal neobladder for bladder substitution after radical cystectomy.

Background: Studer's ileal neobladder is technically simple, and favorable clinical results have been reported. However, there have been only a few follow-up studies on this type of ileal neobladder. We reviewed the clinical outcomes of patients who received Studer's ileal neobladder, with a minor modification, in our institution.

[Recent progress in surgical management for urogenital cancers--improvement of patients' QOL following surgery].

We report our experience of urinary reconstruction with ileal neobladder, and nerves-paring radical cystoprostatectomy or radical prostatectomy in an attempt to improve quality of life (QOL) in patients following surgery. While the ileal neobladder is not always indicated for patients who require cystectomy for invasive bladder carcinoma, voiding through the urethra in this urinary reconstruction contributes to improvement of post-cystectomy QOL. Daytime continence is achieved in 90% of patients.

Voiding dysfunction in ileal neobladder.

Purpose: We attempt to understand better the voiding mechanism and determine the causes of voiding dysfunction in ileal neobladder patients.

Materials And Methods: The voiding condition in 12 bladder cancer patients who had undergone neobladder construction after radical cystectomy was examined by pressure-flow study and voiding cystourethrography. The patients were classified into 2 groups based on the maximum flow rate in a pressure-flow study: fine voiders (6), with a maximum flow rate of 15 ml.

Morphological and pharmacological characterization of guinea-pig prostatic smooth muscle cells in vitro.

Background: Prostatic smooth muscle is thought to play a major role in the pathogenesis of bladder outlet obstruction in patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy. However, the physiology of prostatic smooth muscle cells remains largely unknown, in part due to the lack of a suitable model system. We therefore sought to establish an in vitro culture of guinea pig prostatic smooth muscle cells.

Bilateral deoxycorticosterone-secreting adrenocortical adenoma.

A case of a 58-year-old man with bilateral deoxycorticosterone (DOC)-secreting adrenocortical adenoma is reported. Before surgery, plasma levels of DOC and corticosterone were markedly elevated, but both adrenal hormone levels normalized after the surgical removal of the bilateral adrenal tumors. The histologic examination revealed bilateral adrenocortical adenoma, but curiously, the tissue concentrations of DOC and corticosterone were elevated only in the right adrenal gland.

Ectopic ureterocele with a horseshoe kidney in an adult.

A rare adult case of a left ectopic ureterocele associated with a duplex horseshoe kidney is reported. To the best of our knowledge, only one pediatric case of horseshoe kidney with an ectopic ureterocele has been reported. The present case was successfully treated by ureteropyelostomy, upper ureterectomy and unroofing of the ureterocele.

[Effects of anti-cancer agents on cultured rat Sertoli cells].

We performed primary immature Sertoli cell culture to investigate whether or not anti-cancer agents would have a direct effect on rat Sertoli cells. Sertoli cells, isolated from testes of 18-day-old rats, were cultured in pellets with medium for 5 days. The concentration of transferrin in cultured medium were measured as the function of Sertoli cells.

Restoration of testicular transferrin, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and spermatogenesis by exogenously administered purified FSH and testosterone in medically hypophysectomized rats.

To investigate the relation between testicular transferrin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) secreted by Sertoli cells and the differentiation of germ cells in the rat, testosterone and/or purified FSH was administered to rats medically hypophysectomized by an LH-RH agonist. Spermatogenesis was quantitatively analyzed and concentrations of intratesticular transferrin and IGF-1 were measured by radioimmunoassays. The last step of spermatogenesis was quantitatively restored by combined administration of testosterone and purified FSH.

Role of the hypothalamic opioidergic system in the control of gonadotropin secretion in elderly men.

The role of opioidergic system in controlling gonadotropin secretion in elderly men still remains uncertain. In the present study, we attempted to examine the opioidergic inhibitory tone imposed on GnRH release mechanism in elderly men by monitoring the plasma gonadotropin response to the opiate receptor antagonist naloxone hydrochloride. Six normal young men and 10 elderly men with no endocrinological diseases volunteered for the present study.

Cholecystokinin stimulates gonadotropin-releasing hormone release in the monkey (Macaca mulatta).

There is evidence to suggest that the arginine vasopressin release observed in association with emesis after i.v. injection of cholecystokinin (CCK) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) is mediated by stimulation of emetic centers in the brainstem.

Remote and chronic access to the third cerebral ventricle of the unrestrained prepubertal rhesus monkey.

One channel of a commercially available standard-size three-channel fluid swivel was modified to permit continuous access to the brain of unrestrained prepubertal rhesus monkeys via a continuous length of small-bore Teflon tube originating from a swivel device on top of the animal's cage and terminating in the third cerebral ventricle. This system was employed to achieve continuous access to the third cerebroventricle in four monkeys for periods of up to 12 mo. The value of the system for studies of the neurochemical control of hypothalamic-releasing factor secretion was established by monitoring adenohypophysial responses to neurotransmitter receptor agonists infused into the third ventricle.

[Dopaminergic control of gonadotropin secretion in male senescence].

To verify the role of the dopaminergic mechanism in the control of gonadotropin secretion and aging of this mechanism in men, we studied serum gonadotropin response to LH-RH (100 micrograms i.v.) in basal condition and during dopamine infusion (DA 4 micrograms/kg/min).

[Salivary testosterone levels in normal boys at puberty].

Salivary testosterone (Salivary-T) was measured in 133 normal boys at puberty (8-14 years old) and 21 adult males (24-36 years old) by using radioimmunoassay. Also, a simultaneous measurement was performed on salivary-T and serum total testosterone (Total-T) and free testosterone (Free-T) in order to study the correlation between saliva and serum. The results were summarized as follows: (1) Good correlations were observed in the values between Salivary-T and Total-T or Free-T.

[Therapeutic efficacy of testolactone (aromatase inhibitor) to oligozoospermia with high estradiol/testosterone ratio].

To our knowledge, the action of estradiol which is produced from testosterone by aromatase on human spermatogenesis has not been fully clarified. In oligozoospermia, with high values of E2/T ratio, it is considered that the role of estradiol is suppressive to spermatogenesis. In this study, alteration of spermatogenesis was evaluated when serum estradiol levels were decreased by suppression of aromatase activity.

The assessment of bioavailable androgen levels from the serum free testosterone level.

Recently, it has been concluded that measurement of the serum free testosterone level is crucial for evaluating male gonadal function. However, the extent of the decline of serum free testosterone levels with aging and the actual levels in male infertility have not yet been clearly defined. In this study, the clinical significance of serum free testosterone levels was evaluated in a total of 248 subjects, including 120 healthy adult males (54 males aged 20-39, 26 males aged 40-59 and 41 males aged more than 60), 94 infertile males, 28 male hemodialysis patients, and 6 patients with Klinefelter's syndrome.

Transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder or renal pelvis in children.

Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder or renal pelvis is rare in children. We report 2 children with TCC of the bladder and 1 with TCC of the renal pelvis. One of the two children with bladder carcinoma experienced frequent intravesical recurrences, which is in contrast to the usual clinical course of bladder carcinoma in children.

[Nocturnal luteinizing hormone secretion patterns at the onset of puberty measured using a highly sensitive immunofluorometric assay].

Nocturnal LH pulse was analyzed in 4 prepubertal, 3 early pubertal and 2 midpubertal boys by measuring serum LH concentrations. Blood samples were taken every 30 minutes while awake, and every 20 minutes after subjects had gone to sleep. Serum LH was measured by using immunofluorometric assay (IFMA) with a lower detection limit of 0.

[Therapeutic evaluation of male infertility--the increase of seminal transferrin level and the improvement in sperm concentration following administration of clomiphene citrate].

This study was designed to evaluate the functional changes of Sertoli cells following the administration of clomiphene citrate for male infertility. Sperm count and seminal transferrin level were measured before and after the treatment in 22 cases of oligozoospermia (sperm count: less than 20 X 10(6)/ml) and 14 cases of subnormal sperm count group (sperm count: 20-30 X 10(6)/ml). Clomiphene citrate was administered per os for more than 3 months consecutively in a dose of 25 mg/day.

[Determination of the normal range of serum LH and FSH levels in normal adult males--comparison with IRMA and RIA].

To determine the normal range of serum LH and FSH levels, blood samples from 53 normal adult males were measured by a double antibody radioimmunoassay system and a new immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) system. It was necessary to evaluate the individual pulsatile secretion and the differences in measured values among laboratories to determine the normal range. Therefore, in 53 normal adult males lacking any evidence of hormonal abnormalities, blood was sampled at 9:00 a.

[Mass screening of prostate in Shiribeshi area in Hokkaido--incidence and clinical symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy and prostatic carcinoma].

A prostate mass screening was performed in 6 towns in Shiribeshi area in Hokkaido Prefecture on 384 males who were over 50 years old. The screening included digital palpation, uroflowmetry, blood sampling for tumor markers, questionnaire for voiding disturbances and transrectal sonography. Prostatic carcinoma was found in 9 (2.

[A clinical study of congenital adrenal hyperplasia].

We have compared three treatments of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) for their effect on physical development. Thirteen girls and two boys with CAH due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency were treated with three different treatments, hydrocortisone (HC), dexamethasone (DXM) and cyproterone acetate (CA). The results showed that height growth was better with HC and CA than DXM, and bone excessive maturation was more suppressed with DXM and CA than HC.

Effect of kallikrein on the Sertoli cell function.

The effect of kallikrein on the Sertoli cells was investigated to determine the rat testicular androgen binding component (ABC = androgen binding protein + androgen receptor) concentration using the dextran-coated charcoal method. The results showed that the concentrations of testicular ABC were increased significantly by the administration of kallikrein to levels approaching those seen after stimulation by LH-RH or FSH. Therefore, it is suggested that kallikrein has an effect that influences the Sertoli cells directly or indirectly.