Construction of lncRNA- and circRNA-associated ceRNA networks in the prostatic urethra of rats after simulating transurethral laser prostatectomy (TULP).

Non-coding RNA appears to be involved in wound repair. Competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) appears to be an important post-transcriptional mechanism, it means that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) or circular RNA (circRNA) acts as a microRNA (miRNA) sponge to further regulate mRNA. However, ceRNA network related to wound repair after prostatectomy has yet been constructed.

Inhibition of FGFR3 upregulates MHC-I and PD-L1 via TLR3/NF-kB pathway in muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Background: Improving the potency of immune response is paramount among issues concerning immunotherapy of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC).

Methods: On the basis of immune subtypes, we investigated possible molecular mechanisms involved in tumor immune escape in MIBC. According to the 312 immune-related genes, three MIBC immune subtypes were clustered.

The Symptoms of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Patients with Stromal-Dominated Hyperplasia Nodules May Be Associated with Prostate Fibrosis.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to observe the effect of the stroma proportion in hyperplasia nodules on the clinical symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients and to identify the different genes and pathways in prostatic hyperplasia nodules between patients with epithelial-dominated hyperplasia (EDH) and stromal-dominated hyperplasia (SDH) nodules.

Methods: Sixty-seven BPH patient samples underwent transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) were collected and retrospectively analyzed. The differences in clinical parameters between the EDH and SDH groups were investigated.

Upregulation of FGF7 Induced Intravesical Prostatic Protrusion of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia via the ERK1/2 Signaling Pathway.

Introduction: Intravesical prostatic protrusion (IPP) has been reported to be associated with bladder outlet obstruction and is the main cause of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) during the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). However, the molecular mechanism of IPP remains unclear.

Methods: Clinical data analysis was performed to analyze the association between IPP and long-term complications in patients with BPH.

Upregulation of KLF14 expression attenuates kidney fibrosis by inducing PPARα-mediated fatty acid oxidation.

Tubulointerstitial fibrosis (TIF) is essential during the development of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and is associated with the impairment of fatty acid oxidation (FAO). Kruppel-like factor 14 (KLF14) is an important gene in lipid metabolism, but its role in TIF remains unknown. TGF-β-stimulated HK-2 cells and mouse unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) were used as renal fibrosis models.

Tumor-associated macrophages in direct contact with prostate cancer cells promote malignant proliferation and metastasis through NOTCH1 pathway.

M2 macrophages are well accepted to promote cancer progression in the prostate cancer (PCa). Paracrine is the principally studied mode of communication between M2 macrophages and tumor cells. In addition to this, we present here a novel model to demonstrate these cellular communications.

Imbalance in the estrogen/androgen ratio may affect prostate fibrosis through the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway.

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effects of an imbalance in the estrogen/androgen ratio on prostate fibrosis.

Methods: Different concentrations of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) or estradiol (E) dissolved in corn oil were injected subcutaneously into the nape of the castrated Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats over 28 consecutive days. Masson's trichrome staining and immunohistochemical staining were performed to detect the content of collagen fibers and the expression of collagen I, fibronectin, and elastin in the rat prostate of each group, respectively.

ROS-NLRP3 signaling pathway induces sterile inflammation after thulium laser resection of the prostate.

The sterile inflammation (SI) of the urinary tract is a common problem requiring serious consideration after prostatectomy. This study mainly focuses on the role of the reactive oxygen species-NLR family, pyrin domain-containing 3 (ROS-NLRP3) signaling pathway in SI after thulium laser resection of the prostate (TmLRP). Urinary cytokines were determined in patients who received TmLRP, and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) was detected in the resected tissues.

[Effects of all-trans retinoic acid on the macrophage function of prostatic stromal cells].

Objective: To investigate the effects of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) on prostatic stromal cells during wound repair after prostatectomy in vitro.

Methods: Each of the M1 and M2 types of monocytic macrophage (THP-1) cells were divided into an experimental, a control and a non-activated group, the M1 macrophages of the former two groups activated by PMA and IFNγ, and the M2 macrophages by PMA and IL-4, respectively. The cells in the two experimental groups were treated with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) at 100 nmol/L, followed by detection of the expressions of IL-10, IL-12, IL-6, TNF-α and TGF-β in the supernatant by ELISA.

Analysis of the Expression and Prognostic Value of Annexin Family Proteins in Bladder Cancer.

Background: Bladder cancer (BC) is the most common tumor of the urinary system. Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) has a high recurrence rate after surgery, and patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) have poor quality of life after radical surgery. Understanding the molecular mechanism of bladder cancer is helpful for providing a more appropriate treatment approach.

A novel mouse model simulating transurethral laser vaporization prostatectomy.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common disease in elderly men, and transurethral laser prostatectomy (TULP) has been widely used in the clinic to remove bladder outlet obstruction caused by BPH. Previous animal models for wound repair after prostatectomy have many limitations, and there have been no previous reports of a mouse model of TULP. Therefore, this study aimed to establish a novel mouse model of TULP.

Human umbilical cord Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation could improve diabetic intracavernosal pressure.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) secrete various cytokines with angiogenic and neuroprotective effects. This study aimed to assess the effects of human umbilical cord Wharton's jelly-derived MSCs (hWJ-MSCs) on diabetes-related intracavernosal pressure (ICP) impairment in rats. hWJ-MSCs were isolated from human umbilical cord Wharton's jelly and transplanted into the corpus cavernosum of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats by unilateral injection.

Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound stimulates proliferation of stem/progenitor cells: what we need to know to translate basic science research into clinical applications.

Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) is a promising therapy that has been increasingly explored in basic research and clinical applications. LIPUS is an appealing therapeutic option as it is a noninvasive treatment that has many advantages, including no risk of infection or tissue damage and no known adverse reactions. LIPUS has been shown to have many benefits including promotion of tissue healing, angiogenesis, and tissue regeneration; inhibition of inflammation and pain relief; and stimulation of cell proliferation and differentiation.

Modeling of diagnosis for metabolic syndrome by integrating symptoms into physiochemical indexes.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a major global health concern comprising a cluster of co-occurring conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. MS is usually diagnosed using a combination of physiochemical indexes (such as BMI, abdominal circumference and blood pressure) but largely ignores clinical symptoms when investigating prevention and treatment of the disease. Exploring predictors of MS using multiple diagnostic indicators may improve early diagnosis and treatment of MS.

LMO2 upregulation due to AR deactivation in cancer-associated fibroblasts induces non-cell-autonomous growth of prostate cancer after androgen deprivation.

The androgen receptor (AR) is expressed in prostate fibroblasts in addition to normal prostate epithelial cells and prostate cancer (PCa) cells. Moreover, AR activation in fibroblasts dramatically influences prostate cancer (PCa) cell behavior. Androgen deprivation leads to deregulation of AR downstream target genes in both fibroblasts and PCa cells.

Peripheral zone PSA density: a predominant variable to improve prostate cancer detection efficiency in men with PSA higher than 4 ng ml.

To improve the diagnostic efficiency of prostate cancer (PCa) and reduce unnecessary biopsies, we defined and analyzed the diagnostic efficiency of peripheral zone prostate-specific antigen (PSA) density (PZ-PSAD). Patients who underwent systematic 12-core prostate biopsies in Shanghai General Hospital (Shanghai, China) between January 2012 and January 2018 were retrospectively identified (n = 529). Another group of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (n = 100) were randomly preselected to obtain the PSA density of the non-PCa cohort (N-PSAD).

[Bladder outlet obstruction index alone is not reliable for the diagnosis of benign prostate hyperplasia].

Objective: To evaluate the clinical application value of the bladder outlet obstruction index (BOOI) in the diagnosis of BPH.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the urodynamic parameters and BOOI of 199 cases of BPH diagnosed from July 2016 to September 2018, which were divided into a BOO (n = 119), a suspected BOO (n = 39) and a non-BOO group (n = 41) based on the BOOI. We obtained the prostate volume (PV), IPSS, IPSS-voiding symptom score (IPSS-VS), quality of life score (QOL), maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) and postvoid residual urine volume (PVR) from the patients, compared them among the three groups and analyzed their correlation to BOOI using Pearson's linear correlation analysis.

Prostatic anatomical parameters correlate with clinical characteristics suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

We conducted the present study to assess the correlation of the prostatic anatomical parameters, especially the ratio of peripheral zone thickness and transitional zone thickness, with clinical and uroflowmetry characteristics suggestive of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). A total of 468 consecutive patients with a detailed medical history were identified. All patients were evaluated by scoring subjective symptoms with the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and quality of life (QoL).

In utero di-n-butyl phthalate exposure induced abnormal autophagy in renal tubular cells via hedgehog signaling in newborn rats.

Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) is a pollutant that is widely present in the environment. We have previously demonstrated that maternal exposure to DBP resulted in renal fibrosis in offspring, but the underlying mechanism was not well elucidated. Therefore, the current study aims to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms in these sex-specific developmental alterations.

CAFs-derived MFAP5 promotes bladder cancer malignant behavior through NOTCH2/HEY1 signaling.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are an important component of the tumor microenvironment and contribute to tumor cell proliferation and metastasis. Microfibrillar-associated protein 5 (MFAP5), a component of elastic microfibers and an oncogenic protein in several types of tumors, is secreted by CAFs. However, the role of MFAP5 in the bladder cancer remains unclear.

Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) reduces epithelial-mesenchymal transition via IP3R in hypospadias during maternal exposure.

Objective: This study focused on the oxidative stress effect of di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) on development of the urinary system.

Methods: We examined the mRNA expression of genital tubercle (GT) in control and DBP induced hypospadias group by Affymetrix Rat 230 2.0 Array.

SIRT7 depletion inhibits cell proliferation and androgen-induced autophagy by suppressing the AR signaling in prostate cancer.

Background: Sirtuin-7 (SIRT7) is associated with the maintenance of tumorigenesis. However, its functional roles and oncogenic mechanisms in prostate cancer (PCa) are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the roles and underlying molecular mechanisms of SIRT7 in PCa cell growth and androgen-induced autophagy.

Estradiol is an independent risk factor for organic erectile dysfunction in eugonadal young men.

Erectile dysfunction attributable to testosterone deficiency is less common in young males, and the effect of estradiol on erectile function in eugonadal young males is unclear. We analyzed data from 195 male participants, including 143 eugonadal patients with erectile dysfunction and 52 healthy men. To distinguish psychogenic and organic erectile dysfunction, penile rigidity was measured using the nocturnal penile tumescence rigidity test.

RNA-binding protein Musashi2 stabilizing androgen receptor drives prostate cancer progression.

The androgen receptor (AR) pathway is critical for prostate cancer carcinogenesis and development; however, after 18-24 months of AR blocking therapy, patients invariably progress to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), which remains an urgent problem to be solved. Therefore, finding key molecules that interact with AR as novel strategies to treat prostate cancer and even CRPC is desperately needed. In the current study, we focused on the regulation of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) associated with AR and determined that the mRNA and protein levels of AR were highly correlated with Musashi2 (MSI2) levels.