[Questionnaire on sexual quality of life in aging couples].

A questionnaire study was conducted on sexual life such as intercourse frequency, libido and erectile function and degree of satisfaction of sexual life in aging couples. Half of them had sexual intercourse and satisfaction of life. According to multivariate analysis using stiffness of penis at erection, erection maintained, and difficulty of maintenance of erection state, there was a significant relationship between satisfaction of sexual life and frequency of erection maintained or difficulty of maintenance of erection state, and also between confidence on erection and difficulty of maintenance of erection state.

Antitumor effects of lipoxygenase inhibitors on murine bladder cancer cell line (MBT-2).

Arachidonic acid (AA) metabolites derived from both the lipoxygenase (LOX) and cyclooxygenase (COX) pathways transduce a variety of signals related to cell growth. Selective blockade of the different metabolic pathways of AA (using a general LOX inhibitor NDGA, a 5-LOX inhibitor AA861, a 12-LOX inhibitor baicalein and a general COX inhibitor ibuprofen) revealed that murine bladder cancer cell line (MBT-2) cell proliferation was inhibited by the LOX inhibitors concentration-dependently, but not by the COX inhibitor. Among the LOX inhibitors, baicalein showed the strongest inhibition and induced apoptosis of MBT-2.

The prognostic role of atrial natriuretic peptides in hemodialysis patients.

Background: It is well known that plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is an indicator of extracellular fluid volume expansion and that plasma ANP is considered to be a marker for setting the proper dry weight of HD patients. Although the plasma ANP is a prognostic predictor of cardiac death, the prognostic role of ANP in HD patients has yet to be elucidated. In this study, we investigated the prognostic role of ANP in HD patients.

Renal cell carcinoma with hemorrhagic cyst formation in a 4-year-old boy.

We report on a case of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with hemorrhagic cyst formation in a 4-year-old boy. The patient presented with asymptomatic macrohematuria. Abdominal ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a left renal complicated cyst, 18 mm in diameter.

The prognostic role of brain natriuretic peptides in hemodialysis patients.

Background: Although plasma concentrations of brain natriuretic peptides (BNP) increase in hemodialysis (HD) patients as well as patients with cardiovascular diseases (CD), the clinical significance of BNP in HD patients has yet to be elucidated. In this study, we investigated the pathophysiological significance of BNP in HD patients.

Methods: Plasma BNP concentrations were measured in 164 HD patients after HD and 14 healthy volunteers.

Significance of brain natriuretic peptides in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

It is well known that plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentration is elevated in cardiovascular diseases such as congestive heart failure. However, although it has been reported to increase in hemodialysis (HD) patients, little is known about plasma BNP in patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Plasma BNP concentrations were measured and compared among CAPD patients (n=32), HD patients (n=63) and healthy volunteers (n=14) as well as those patients without cardiovascular disease.