Experimental electrical stimulation of the bladder using a new device.

Repeated bladder contractions were evoked during a six month period in three unanaesthetized female minipigs by using unipolar carbon fiber electrodes embedded in the bladder wall adjacent to the ureterovesical junction. In contrast to bipolar and direct bladder muscle stimulation unipolar electrodes at each ureterovesical junction evoked bladder pressure increase similar to those produced in previous investigations in dogs. Sacral nerve stimulation of S2 evoked bladder contraction at a minimal current.

Enuresis as protective factor in vesicoureteral reflux.

In 83 patients with non-neurologic, nonoperated vesicoureteral reflux the relation between enuresis and nephropathy was analyzed. The material showed that in spite of identical age, sex distribution, previous history of recurrent urinary tract infections, and the number of refluxing units, patients with enuresis showed a significantly lower degree of reflux nephropathy. This significant difference was even more pronounced when the age of the patients was considered.

Diurnal anti-diuretic-hormone levels in enuretics.

The diurnal antidiuretic hormone levels were studied in eleven enuretics and related to urine production and functional bladder capacity. A fluid deprivation test monitoring antidiuretic hormone levels was undertaken in four patients. The study suggests that the normal increase in nighttime antidiuretic hormone levels is absent in enuretics, who show a stable hormone level both day and night.

Simultaneous registration of sleep-stages and bladder activity in enuresis.

A combined monitoring of sleep stages and bladder activity for the evaluation of enuresis is on trial. Polygraphic recordings in 7 patients, comprising the preliminary material, have shown single-event bladder contractions without forewarning or changes in sleep stages. A volume dependency of the enuresis episodes seems so far to be a major mechanism.

A case of nonobstructed diuresis renography and positive Whitaker test.

Three different tests are now widely used in evaluating hydronephrosis, a renal pelvic puncture with perfusion test, the furosemide urography and the furosemide renography. A case is reported in which the different tests result in different diagnosis concerning the degree of pyelourethral obstruction.

A device for treatment of destrusor hyperreflexia by bio-feedback.

Treatment of detrusor hyperreflexia is still a difficult field. Recently bio-feedback has been described as a successful treatment of voiding dysfunction. In this paper we describe a device, which makes it possible for the patients to register any pressure changes in the bladder.

Dynamics of the urinary tract in longterm vesico-ureteral reflux with infravesical obstruction and infection in pigs; V.

In a study of the dynamic function of the urinary tract in infravesically obstructed pigs with vesicoureteric reflux, 5 pigs with 6 refluxing ureters evidenced urinary tract infection after 8 and 10 weeks of obstruction. Examination showed that the median ureteric baseline activity had decreased to 0.0 A.

Sexual life following 'minimal' and 'total' transurethral prostatic resection.

81 otherwise healthy men with an average age of 67 years and verified prostatic hypertrophy were randomized into two groups for either 'minimal' or 'total' transurethral prostatic resection (TUR-P). Interviews on sexual life were made preoperatively and 6 and 12 months postoperatively. 58 men (72%) were prior to the operation sexually active.

Renal morphology in experimental vesico-ureteral reflux in pigs.

As part of a study of experimental vesicoureteric reflux 20 pigs were allocated into five groups according to the presence of reflux, infravesical obstruction and urinary tract infection. The pigs were followed for 20 weeks and thereafter the pathology of the kidneys were studied. It was confirmed that reflux and urinary tract infection produce reflux nephropathy and that the most severe lesions were found in case of dilatation of the upper urinary tract due to infravesical obstruction.

Detrusor activity at rest in patients with idiopathic detrusor hyperreflexia.

The detrusor activity of the bladder at rest was investigated in the supine position for one hour following instillation of 100 cc of saline in 8 patients with idiopathic hyperreflexia. During the investigation, 5 patients showed bladder hyperreflexia. In 4 cases the activity was accompanied by an increase in the anal sphincter activity, while 1 case showed decreasing sphincteric activity prior to contractions.

Changes in bladder volumes with repetition of water cystometry.

Fifty-six patients were investigated by repetitive cystometry in the supine or sitting position. The incidence of detrusor hyperreflexia and the circumstances under which it was found did not differ from previous studies. The cystometry data concerning volumes showed a remarkable degree of variability.

Functional bladder neck obstruction in women.

Symptoms of bladder neck dysfunction in the female are rarely encountered. In 5 females, i.e.

Light microscopic visualization of colloidal gold on resin-embedded tissue.

RNase labeled with colloidal gold was used as a model for the present technique evolved for the light microscopic localization of gold-labeled substances in semithin resin-embedded sections. Tissue sections placed on glass slides were treated with the gold-enzyme complex and subsequently exposed to a photographic developed containing silver lactate. During the development gold particles are encapsulated in growing shells of metallic silver and gradually made visible in the light microscope.

Renal enlargement: comparative autoradiographic studies of 3H-thymidine uptake in diabetic and uninephrectomized rats.

Incorporation of 3H-thymidine into renal cortical tissue has been studied by light microscopic autoradiography in streptozotocin-diabetic rats, uninephrectomized rats, uninephrectomized diabetic rats, insulin-treated diabetic rats and control rats. The percentage of labelled cortical nuclei (the labelling index) was determined separately in glomeruli, proximal tubules and distal tubules after 2, 4 and 6 days on autoradiographs from 1 micron thick plastic embedded sections. The incorporation of thymidine in glomerular nuclei was consistently low (less than 1%) and no differences were found between the control and experimental groups.

Cellular outgrowth from isolated glomeruli. Origin and characterization.

The incorporation of 3H-thymidine by isolated decapsulated glomeruli from pigs was studied up to 5 days after explantation by light and electron microscopic autoradiography. The visceral epithelial cells (VEC) were the only cell type to be labeled during the first 2.5 days, showing that this tracer can be applied as a specific marker for VEC in decapsulated glomeruli.

Constant perfusion provocation in idiopathic hydronephrosis.

Twenty-two hydronephrotic units in 20 patients underwent preoperative pressure flow study in combination with electromyographic study of pelvic and ureteric peristalsis. Ten units had a continuous pressure rise during perfusion, whereas the rest had a stabilization of the intrapelvic pressure below 20 cm. of water.

Characterization of a human ovarian teratocarcinoma-derived cell line.

A cell line (PA I), derived from human ovarian teratocarcinoma cells, was obtained by culturing ascitic fluid cells from a patient with recurrence of malignant ovarian teratoma. During early passages the cultured cells showed a variable morphology, a long doubling time, and a low plating efficiency (2%). After about 50 passages in vitro, a cell population which was more homogeneous and resembled embryonal carcinoma cells were obtained.

Origin of outgrowth from isolated glomeruli in culture.

The primary cellular outgrowth from isolated glomeruli was identified by examinations of the ultrastructural changes occurring in the three glomerular cell types during culture and by light and electron microscopic autoradiographic preparations of isolated glomeruli incubated with 3H-thymidine. It is demonstrated that the visceral epithelial cells constitute the majority of cells in the primary glomerular outgrowth and that another cell type probably originates from the mesangial cells. A method is described to obtain rather pure cultures of proliferating visceral epithelial cells suitable for further studies of their metabolic properties.