Pediatric urinary stone composition in the United States.

Purpose: The incidence of urolithiasis in children is increasing. However, stone composition studies in this population are limited. We sought to determine the effects of age, gender and geographical location on urinary stone composition in the United States pediatric population.

Sonic hedgehog activates mesenchymal Gli1 expression during prostate ductal bud formation.

Ductal budding in the developing prostate is a testosterone-dependent event that involves signaling between the urogenital sinus epithelium (UGE) and urogenital sinus mesenchyme (UGM). We show here that ductal bud formation is associated with focused expression of Sonic hedgehog (Shh) in the epithelium of nascent prostate buds and in the growing tips of elongating prostate ducts. This pattern of localized Shh expression occurs in response to testosterone stimulation.