Decidualized Endometrial Stromal Cells Promote Mitochondrial Beta-Oxidation to Produce the Octanoic Acid Required for Implantation.

Decidualization denotes the morphological and biological differentiating process of human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs). Fatty acid pathways are critical for endometrial decidualization. However, the participation of fatty acids as an energy source and their role in endometrial decidualization have received little attention.

High stretch cycling inhibits the morphological and biological decidual process in human endometrial stromal cells.

Purpose: Subendometrial myometrium exerts wave-like activity throughout the menstrual cycle, and uterine peristalsis is markedly reduced during the implantation phase. We hypothesized that abnormal uterine peristalsis has an adverse effect on the endometrial decidualization process. We conducted an in vitro culture experiment to investigate the effect of cyclic stretch on the morphological and biological endometrial decidual process.

Endometrial microRNAs and their aberrant expression patterns.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression. They play fundamental roles in several biological processes, including cell differentiation and proliferation, embryo development, organ development, and organ metabolism. Besides regulating the physiological processes, miRNAs regulate various pathological conditions such as tumors, metastases, metabolic diseases, and osteoporosis.

Heparin prevents oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in human decidualized endometrial stromal cells.

Clinical trials have shown that administering heparin during the luteal phase has beneficial effects on implantation and live birth rates. Heparin exerts direct effects on decidual human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs), which are independent of its anticoagulant effect. However, the accurate effects of heparin on the decidualization process remain unidentified.

[The Predictive Factors of Stent Failure in the Treatment of Malignant Extrinsc Ureteral Obstruction Using Internal Ureteral Stents].

In this study, we retrospectively reviewed the experiences at our single institute in the treatment of malignant extrinsic ureteral obstruction (MUO) using ureteral stents to investigate the clinical outcomes and the predictive factors of stent failure. In 52 ureters of 38 patients who had radiologically significant hydronephrosis due to MUO, internal ureteral stents (The BARD(R) INLAY(TM) ureteral stent set) were inserted. The median follow-up interval after the initial stent insertion was 124.

Loss of miR-542-3p enhances IGFBP-1 expression in decidualizing human endometrial stromal cells.

Endometrial decidualization represents an essential step for the successful implantation of the embryo; however, the molecular mechanism behind this differentiation process remains unclear. This study aimed to identify novel microRNAs (miRNAs) involved in the regulation of decidual gene expression in human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs). An in vitro analysis of primary undifferentiated and decidualizing HESCs was conducted.

[A Case of Emphysematous Cystitis with Bladder Diverticulum].

Emphysematous cystitis (EC) is a rare form of acute complicated urinary tract infection (UTI). We report a case of EC with bladder diverticulum. A 77-year-old man who had a medical history of diabetes mellitus was admitted to our hospital with the chief complaint of macrohematuria and pneumaturia.

MicroRNA-135b suppresses extravillous trophoblast-derived HTR-8/SVneo cell invasion by directly down regulating CXCL12 under low oxygen conditions.

The expression of numerous microRNAs (miRNAs) in the trophoblasts changes under low oxygen conditions. However, little is known regarding the regulation of the trophoblast invasion by miRNAs under low oxygen conditions. The aim of this study was to identify those miRNAs and their target genes associated with the trophoblast invasion under low oxygen conditions.

Analysis of supercooling activities of surfactants.

Supercooling-promoting activities (SCAs) of 25 kinds of surfactants including non-ionic, anionic, cationic and amphoteric types were examined in solutions (buffered Milli-Q water, BMQW) containing the ice nucleation bacterium (INB) Erwinia ananas, silver iodide (AgI) or BMQW alone, which unintentionally contained unidentified ice nucleators, by a droplet freezing assay. Most of the surfactants exhibited SCA in solutions containing AgI but not in solutions containing the INB E. ananas or BMQW alone.

[A case of emphysematous pyelonephritis successfully treated by multiple CT-guided percutaneous drainage procedures].

A case of emphysematous pyelonephritis successfully treated by multiple, computed tomography (CT)- guided, percutaneous drainage procedures. A 63-year-old female with complaints of high-grade fever and vomiting was transferred to our hospital with leukocytosis and hyperglycemia. CT revealed a gas shadow widespread not only in the left renal parenchyma but also in the retroperitoneal space with extension to the right pararenal space.

Androgens modulate the morphological characteristics of human endometrial stromal cells decidualized in vitro.

The activated androgen receptor (AR) in decidualizing human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs) regulates genes involved in cytoskeletal organization, cell motility, and cell cycle progression. Androgens also enhance the secretion of prolactin, a widely used marker of decidualized HESCs. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the direct effects of androgens on the ultrastructural changes associated with decidual transformation of HESCs.

Androgen signaling in decidualizing human endometrial stromal cells enhances resistance to oxidative stress.

Objective: To investigate the effect of androgens on the expression of genes involved in oxidative stress resistance in decidualized human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs).

Design: In vitro experiment.

Setting: University hospital.

Differential effects of urinary and recombinant chorionic gonadotropin on oxidative stress responses in decidualizing human endometrial stromal cells.

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is one of the earliest signals secreted by the implanting embryo. In addition to its well-known luteotropic function in early pregnancy, hCG also acts directly on decidualizing endometrium. Recently, we demonstrated that recombinant hCG (rhCG) prevented apoptosis in decidualizing human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs) exposed to oxidative stress.

A new staging criterion for bladder carcinoma using gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging with an endorectal surface coil: a comparison with ultrasonography.

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of a new staging criterion, submucosal linear enhancement (SLE) on gadolinium-diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid-enhanced T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using an endorectal surface coil (endorectal enhanced MRI), and to compare the accuracy of this method with that of transurethral ultrasonography (TUUS).

Patients And Methods: The study included 71 patients with bladder tumours (63 men and eight women, mean age 65.5 years, range 31-85).

[Preoperative balloon occluded arterial infusion chemotherapy for locally invasive bladder cancer--accurate staging for bladder preservation].

The possibility of bladder preservation by preoperative balloon occluded arterial infusion (BOAI) chemotherapy was studied in 111 patients with locally invasive bladder cancer. BOAI was performed by blocking the blood flow of the internal iliac artery and by performing intra-arterial infusion of adriamycin (50 mg/body) and cisplatin (100 mg/body). Before BOAI the clinical diagnosis was T2 in 36, T3a in 29, T3b in 27, T4 in 11 and after BOAI it was T0 in 1, T1 in 27, T2 in 25, T3a in 20, T3b in 20, and T4 in 10.

Normal bladder wall morphology in Gd-DTPA-enhanced clinical MR imaging using an endorectal surface coil and histological assessment of submucosal linear enhancement using [14C]Gd-DOTA autoradiography in an animal model.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate normal bladder wall morphology in gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA)-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging using an endorectal surface coil and to perform histological assessment of submucosal linear enhancement with experimental [14C]-gadolinium-tetraazacyclododecane-tetraacetic acid (Gd-DOTA) autoradiography.

Methods And Material: MR imaging of the bladder was performed using an endorectal coil in 13 consecutive patients with bladder carcinoma and T1-, T2-, and Gd-DTPA-enhanced spin-echo images of the bladder wall were compared. After injection of [14C]Gd-DOTA into a hamster, autoradiograms of the bladder wall were obtained and compared with serial histological sections.

[Bone metabolism and phosphorus metabolism in patients with prostate cancer: paracrine and endocrine effects produced by prostate neoplasm].

We examined whether paracrine factors produced by prostate cancer cells can modulate bone metabolism in proportion to the volume of cancer cells in bone metastasis. Endocrine factors produced by prostate cancer cells affect both phosphate and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D metabolisms. Levels of urine pyridinoline (U-Pyr) excretion and serum carboxy-terminal propeptide of type 1 procollagen (P1CP) in patients with bone metastasis were significantly higher than those in patients without bone metastasis (P < 0.

Balloon-occluded arterial infusion as a useful neoadjuvant chemotherapy for bladder cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the balloon-occluded arterial infusion (BOAI) of cisplatin and adriamycin as a preoperative adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with bladder cancer of stage > or = T2 or in those with stage T1 and multiple large tumours.

Patients And Methods: The study comprised 120 patients with bladder cancer who underwent BOAI from November 1984 to December 1995. BOAI chemotherapy (adriamycin and cisplatin) was administered under ischaemia through a 7 F torque-control balloon catheter, both sides of which were inserted into the contralateral internal iliac artery.

[Clinical statistics of living and cadaveric renal transplantation at the Department of Urology, Mie University School of Medicine].

A statistic survey was made on the clinical results of living and cadaveric renal transplantations performed at our department between October 1980 and June 1996. A total of 38 patients received 6 living and 32 cadaveric renal transplants. The graft and patient survival rates of a living renal transplantation were 83.

[Effect of pamidronate and interferon-alpha on bone and lung metastases and hypercalcemia in a patient with renal cell carcinoma].

Pamidronate is a second generation bisphosphonate used for treating tumor-induced hypercalcemia and for preventing the development of new bone metastasis. A 47-year-old man with renal cell carcinoma was admitted in our institution because of hypercalcemia with multiple metastasis in bone, lung and lymph nodes. After embolization of the right renal artery, the patient was treated with pamidronate and interferon-alpha.

[Two cases of giant condyloma of the penis treated with penis-sparing methods].

Herein, we report two cases of giant condyloma of the penis treated with penis-sparing methods. In the first case, the papillomatous tumor disappeared with topical use of fluorouracil ointment. In the second case, the tumor was treated with topical use of fluorouracil or bleomycin hydrochloride, followed by the resection of tumor.

[A clinical study of renal cell carcinoma with extension into the inferior vena cava].

Nineteen patients with renal cell carcinoma with tumor extension into the inferior vena cava (IVC) were investigated between January, 1973 and March, 1994. The patients were between 50 and 78 years old with a mean of 65.9 years.

Prognostic factors of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets in patients with renal cell carcinoma.

In 76 patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) we assessed the therapeutic effects of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) and the outcome of curative resection by analyzing changes in peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets to try to find prognostic indices. The percentage of activated CD8-positive cells present in blood samples before IFN-alpha therapy was significantly higher in progressive disease (PD) patients who died within 8 months than in PD patients who survived for more than 18 months. The high percentage of activated CD8-positive cells present in postoperative blood samples was the most remarkable characteristic in patients in which RCC recurred.