REVIEW ON COMPLICATIONS AND ADVERSE EFFECTS OF METALLIC URINARY STENTS.

Urinary stents, be it urethral or ureteral, polymeric, metallic or biodegradable, are one of the most frequently used tools in urology and they have been used for decades in prophylactic and therapeutic setting. Although relatively low invasive, they are prone to complications and adverse effects so much that complication rates up to 100% have been described. Many reviews have focused either on specific groups of patients or particular stent types, materials or designs but so far, no comprehensive review on complications has been published.

Benefits of accurate and guided endoureterotomy versus ureteral balloon dilatation in the management of ureteral strictures-comparative animal study.

Background: Endoscopic treatment of ureteral strictures provides a minimally invasive approach with a shorter hospital stay and less postoperative pain. There are different therapeutic options, the dilatation balloon and endoureterotomy with holmium yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Ho:YAG) laser are the most used. To assess histological changes after endoureterotomy in the ureteral stricture treatment comparing Ho:YAG laser endoureterotomy versus balloon dilatation endoureterotomy.

Astrocytes adjust the dynamic range of cortical network activity to control modality-specific sensory information processing.

Cortical neuron-astrocyte communication in response to peripheral sensory stimulation occurs in a topographic-, frequency-, and intensity-dependent manner. However, the contribution of this functional interaction to the processing of sensory inputs and consequent behavior remains unclear. We investigate the role of astrocytes in sensory information processing at circuit and behavioral levels by monitoring and manipulating astrocytic activity in vivo.

Animal model assessment of a new design for a coated mitomycin-eluting biodegradable ureteral stent for intracavitary instillation as an adjuvant therapy in upper urothelial carcinoma.

Background: A major limitation in the treatment of upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma is the limited use of adjuvant therapy due to the drawbacks of current techniques for intracavitary instillation. The aim was to assess, in a large animal model, a biodegradable ureteral stent coated with silk fibroin for mitomycin release, i.e.

Microglial phagocytosis dysfunction in stroke is driven by energy depletion and induction of autophagy.

Microglial phagocytosis of apoptotic debris prevents buildup damage of neighbor neurons and inflammatory responses. Whereas microglia are very competent phagocytes under physiological conditions, we report their dysfunction in mouse and preclinical monkey models of stroke (macaques and marmosets) by transient occlusion of the medial cerebral artery (tMCAo). By analyzing recently published bulk and single cell RNA sequencing databases, we show that the phagocytosis dysfunction was not explained by transcriptional changes.

Local diffusion in the extracellular space of the brain.

The brain extracellular space (ECS) is a vast interstitial reticulum of extreme morphological complexity, composed of narrow gaps separated by local expansions, enabling interconnected highways between neural cells. Constituting on average 20% of brain volume, the ECS is key for intercellular communication, and understanding its diffusional properties is of paramount importance for understanding the brain. Within the ECS, neuroactive substances travel predominantly by diffusion, spreading through the interstitial fluid and the extracellular matrix scaffold after being focally released.

Cytotoxicity Assessment of a New Design for a Biodegradable Ureteral Mitomycin Drug-Eluting Stent in Urothelial Carcinoma Cell Culture.

Urothelial tumour of the upper urinary tract is a rare neoplasm, but unfortunately, it has a high recurrence rate. The reduction of these tumour recurrences could be achieved by the intracavitary instillation of adjuvant chemotherapy after nephron-sparing treatment in selected patients, but current instillation methods are ineffective. Therefore, the aim of this in vitro study is to evaluate the cytotoxic capacity of a new instillation technology through a biodegradable ureteral stent/scaffold coated with a silk fibroin matrix for the controlled release of mitomycin C as an anti-cancer drug.

Interactive Effects of Copper-Doped Urological Implants with Tissue in the Urinary Tract for the Inhibition of Cell Adhesion and Encrustation in the Animal Model Rat.

The insertion of a ureteral stent provides acute care by restoring urine flow and alleviating urinary retention or dysfunction. The problems of encrustation, bacterial colonization and biofilm formation become increasingly important when ureteral stents are left in place for a longer period of time. One way to reduce encrustation and bacterial adherence is to modify the stent surface with a diamond-like carbon coating, in combination with copper doping.

Assessment of a Coated Mitomycin-Releasing Biodegradable Ureteral Stent as an Adjuvant Therapy in Upper Urothelial Carcinoma: A Comparative In Vitro Study.

A major limitation of the treatment of low-grade upper tract urothelial carcinoma is the difficulty of intracavitary instillation of adjuvant therapy. Therefore, the aim of this in vitro study was to develop and to assess a new design of biodegradable ureteral stent coated with a silk fibroin matrix for the controlled release of mitomycin C as a chemotherapeutic drug. For this purpose, we assessed the coating of a biodegradable ureteral stent, BraidStent, with silk fibroin and subsequently loaded the polymeric matrix with two formulations of mitomycin to evaluate its degradation rate, the concentration of mitomycin released, and changes in the pH and the weight of the stent.

Urinary Stent Development and Evaluation Models: In Vitro, Ex Vivo and In Vivo-A European Network of Multidisciplinary Research to Improve Urinary Stents (ENIUS) Initiative.

: When trying to modify urinary stents, certain pre-clinical steps have to be followed before clinical evaluation in humans. Usually, the process starts as an in silico assessment. The urinary tract is a highly complex, dynamic and variable environment, which makes a computer simulation closely reflecting physiological conditions extremely challenging.

Acidic nanoparticles protect against α-synuclein-induced neurodegeneration through the restoration of lysosomal function.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, associated with the accumulation of misfolded α-synuclein and lysosomal impairment, two events deemed interconnected. Protein aggregation is linked to defects in degradation systems such as the autophagy-lysosomal pathway, while lysosomal dysfunction is partly related to compromised acidification. We have recently proven that acidic nanoparticles (aNPs) can re-acidify lysosomes and ameliorate neurotoxin-mediated dopaminergic neurodegeneration in mice.

Biodegradable ureteral stents: in vitro assessment of the degradation rates of braided synthetic polymers and copolymers.

Objectives: The control and predictability of degradation rates and the absence of obstructive phenomena are two main challenges for research regarding biodegradable ureteral stents. The objectives are to assess the degradation performance and safety of braided combinations of three synthetic biodegradable polymers and copolymers; and to evaluate the interference of a heparin dip coating on degradation and bacterial colonization.

Methods: The hydrolysis of polyglycolic acid (PGA), poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) and Glycomer™ 631 is assessed in this in vitro study that comprises ten groups.

The Heart of the Killer Whale: Description of a Plastinated Specimen and Review of the Available Literature.

The killer whale (, Linnaeus, 1958) is the largest extant delphinid. Despite its worldwide distribution in the wild and in dolphinariums, its anatomy remains relatively poorly described. In the present study, we describe the detailed morphology of a plastinated killer whale heart.

Super-resolution STED microscopy in live brain tissue.

STED microscopy is one of several fluorescence microscopy techniques that permit imaging at higher spatial resolution than what the diffraction-limit of light dictates. STED imaging is unique among these super-resolution modalities in being a beam-scanning microscopy technique based on confocal or 2-photon imaging, which provides the advantage of superior optical sectioning in thick samples. Compared to the other super-resolution techniques that are based on widefield microscopy, this makes STED particularly suited for imaging inside live brain tissue, such as in slices or in vivo.

Heparin coating in biodegradable ureteral stents does not decrease bacterial colonization-assessment in ureteral stricture endourological treatment in animal model.

Background: We assessed an antireflux biodegradable heparin-coated ureteral stent (BraidStent-H) in an animal model comparative study after endoscopic treatment of ureteral strictures.

Methods: A total of 24 female pigs underwent initial endoscopic, nephrosonographic, and contrast fluoroscopy assessment of the urinary tract. Afterward, unilateral laparoscopic ureteral stricture model was performed.

Assessment of the Grades of Vesicoureteral Reflux in Stented Ureters: An Experimental Study.

Introduction: The aim of this experimental study is to assess, in a porcine model, the onset and grades of vesicoureteral reflux associated with ureteral stents.

Methods: Twenty-four female porcine models were used. A 4.

Comparative assessment of biodegradable-antireflux heparine coated ureteral stent: animal model study.

Background: Double J ureteral stents are widely used on urological patients to provide drainage of the upper urinary tract. Unfourtunately, ureteral stents are not free from complications, as bacterial colonization and require a second procedure for removal. The purpose of the current comparative experimental study is to evaluate a new heparin-coated biodegradable antireflux ureteral stent (BraidStent®-H) to prevent urinary bacterial colonization.

Iatrogenic Ureteral Injury Treatment with Biodegradable Antireflux Heparin-Coated Ureteral Stent-Animal Model Comparative Study.

The aim is to assess the effectiveness of a biodegradable antireflux ureteral stent with heparin coating in a comparative study (BraidStent-H) in an animal model for the treatment of iatrogenic ureteral perforation. A total of 24 female pigs underwent initial endoscopic, nephrosonographic, and contrast fluoroscopy assessment of the urinary tract. Afterward, unilateral iatrogenic perforation in proximal ureter model was performed.

Reactive molecular dynamics simulations of hydration shells surrounding spherical TiO nanoparticles: implications for proton-transfer reactions.

In many potential applications, nanoparticles are typically in an aqueous medium. This has strong influence on the stability, optical properties and reactivity, in particular for their functionalization. Therefore, the understanding of the chemistry at the interface between the solvent and the nanoparticle is of utmost importance.

Current Techniques for Investigating the Brain Extracellular Space.

The brain extracellular space (ECS) is a continuous reticular compartment that lies between the cells of the brain. It is vast in extent relative to its resident cells, yet, at the same time the nano- to micrometer dimensions of its channels and reservoirs are commonly finer than the smallest cellular structures. Our conventional view of this compartment as largely static and of secondary importance for brain function is rapidly changing, and its active dynamic roles in signaling and metabolite clearance have come to the fore.

Synucleinopathy alters nanoscale organization and diffusion in the brain extracellular space through hyaluronan remodeling.

In recent years, exploration of the brain extracellular space (ECS) has made remarkable progress, including nanoscopic characterizations. However, whether ECS precise conformation is altered during brain pathology remains unknown. Here we study the nanoscale organization of pathological ECS in adult mice under degenerative conditions.

Experimental Assessment of New Generation of Ureteral Stents: Biodegradable and Antireflux Properties.

The aim was to assess a new biodegradable and antireflux intraureteral stent (BraidStent) design in a swine model after ureteral laparoscopic operation. A total of 24 female pigs underwent initial endoscopic, nephrosonographic, and contrast fluoroscopy assessment of the urinary tract. Afterward, unilateral ureteropelvic junction obstruction was performed by laparoscopic approach.