Intracorporeal Double-J stent placement during robot-assisted urinary tract reconstruction: technical considerations.

Background And Purpose: An integral component of many urologic reconstructive surgical procedures is the positioning of a Double-J stent to span the anastomosis. Some surgeons prefer to place a retrograde stent during cystoscopy, either during or after the reconstruction. In this communication, we describe our straightforward and effective approach of performing this critical step intracorporeally using robotic assistance in a variety of upper tract urologic reconstructive procedures.

Does nephrometry scoring of renal tumors predict outcomes in patients selected for robot-assisted partial nephrectomy?

Background And Purpose: Robot-assisted partial nephrectomy has emerged as a viable surgical treatment for patients with certain renal tumors. We hypothesized that extirpation of more complex tumors, as graded with the nephrometry score, would result in worse operative and postoperative outcomes when compared with tumors with lower nephrometry scores. We report whether nephrometry-graded tumor complexity impacted operative or postoperative outcomes.

Growth inhibition of androgen-responsive prostate cancer cells with brefeldin A targeting cell cycle and androgen receptor.

Background: Androgen ablation is one of the viable therapeutic options for patients with primary hormone (androgen)-dependent prostate cancer. However, an antibiotic brefeldin A (BFA) has been shown to exhibit the growth inhibitory effect on human cancer cells. We thus investigated if BFA might inhibit proliferation of androgen-responsive prostate cancer LNCaP cells and also explored how it would be carried out, focusing on cell cycle and androgen receptor (AR).

Synergistic potentiation of interferon activity with maitake mushroom d-fraction on bladder cancer cells.

Objective: To examine whether the combination of interferon (IFN)-alpha and maitake mushroom D-fraction (PDF), a bioactive mushroom extract, might potentiate the anticancer activity of IFN-alpha in bladder cancer T24 cells in vitro.

Materials And Methods: Effects of recombinant IFN-alpha(2b) (0-50 000 IU/mL), PDF (0-700 microg/mL), or their combinations were assessed on T24 cell growth at 72 h. Cell cycle analysis and assays for double-stranded DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) were performed to explore possible antiproliferative mechanism of these agents.

Mode of cytotoxic action of nephrotoxic agents: oxidative stress and glutathione-dependent enzyme.

Objective: To investigate the cytotoxic action of nephrotoxic agents using an in vitro renal cell model, focusing on the cellular oxidative status and a specific glutathione (GSH)-dependent enzyme, glyoxalase I (Gly-I).

Materials And Methods: Renal proximal tubular LLC-PK(1) cells were exposed to mercuric chloride, glycerol, cisplatin, gentamicin and cyclosporin A, and cell number/viability were determined. Oxidative stress was assessed by lipid peroxidation (LPO) assay, and Gly-I activity was measured by enzymatic method on a spectrophotometer.

Flexible ureteroscopy update: indications, instrumentation and technical advances.

Retrograde ureteroscopy has recently gained a broadened indication for use from diagnostic to a variety of complex minimally invasive therapies. This review aims to look at the recent advances in the instrumentation and accessories, the widened indications of its use, surgical techniques and complications. With minimization of ureteroscopic instruments manufacturers are challenged to develop new, smaller and sturdier instruments that all will also survive the rigors of surgical therapy.

Possible disease remission in patient with invasive bladder cancer with D-fraction regimen.

Superficial bladder tumors are the most prevalent form of bladder cancers and transurethral resection is the primary surgical modality for those tumors. However, nearly 65% of patients will have tumor recurrence in five years while about 15% will have progression to muscle invasion. Thus, the primary therapeutic aim is to prevent multiple recurrences and progression to a more advanced, invasive disease.

Possible immunotherapeutic potentiation with D-fraction in prostate cancer cells.

Background: Prostate cancer remains the most common malignancy among elderly men and the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Although several conventional therapies are currently available, they have a low efficacy and the more effective treatment modalities need to be established. Interferons (IFNs) are one of such options known as immunotherapy and demonstrated their antitumor effects on certain cancer types.

Accuracy of three-dimensional CT angiography for preoperative vascular evaluation of laparoscopic living renal donors.

Purpose: A retrospective review of preoperative three-dimensional (3D) CT and the operative findings during laparoscopic donor nephrectomy.

Patients And Methods: Fifty-four consecutive patients underwent laparoscopic donor nephrectomy. Of these patients, 51 had preoperative 3D reconstructed CT scans.

Characterization of intrapelvic pressure during ureteropyeloscopy with ureteral access sheaths.

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of the ureteral access sheath on intrarenal pressures during flexible ureteroscopy in light of the recent resurgence in their use. As such, using human cadaveric kidneys, we studied changes in intrarenal pressure in response to continuous irrigation at different pressures with and without access sheaths of various sizes and lengths.

Methods: This study was performed using seven cadaveric kidneys.