Objective To observe the effects of bak gene on killing MDR bladder cancer cells and to study its mechanisms. Methods Bak gene was transfected into MDR bladder cancer cells by liposome.The mRNA of bak and bcl 2 were detected by in situ hybridization.The protein of bak and bcl 2 were detected by SABC immunohistochemistry. The growth rate of human bladder cancer cells was studied by constructing the growth curve,cell apoptosis being observed by flow cytometry,and the outline of cells observed by fluorescence stain. Results The expression of bak mRNA was positive in EJ/bak cells (64%, P

The features of the symptoms, laboratory tests and pathological characteristics of adrenal cortical and medullary hyperplasia were studied. In 6 cases of hypercatecholaminenia, plasma norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E), catecholamine (CA) and 24-h urinary vanillylmandelic acid (VMA), 17-hydroxycorticosteroid (OHCS) and 17-ketosteroid (KS) were determined. Adrenal glands were examined by CT scan and 131I-MIBG imaging. Pathological examination was performed after operation. The results showed that in 6 cases of hypercatecholaminenia (3 men and 3 women) aged from 34-50 years, the clinical features were just like "pheochromocytoma", for example, episodic headache, perspiration, palpitation, pallor, apprehension, nausea, tremor, anxiety and so on. Plasma levels of CA, NE and E were elevated in all 6 cases. 24-h urinary samples obtained at the onset revealed elevated VMA in 1 case. 24-h urinary cortisol was obviously elevated in all 6 cases. 24-h urinary 17-OHCS, 17-KS was normal. B-type ultrasound, CT, MRI and 131I-MIBG revealed 9 lateral adrenal gland diffuse or nodular enlargement in 6 cases. Pathologic examination showed adrenal cortical and medullary hyperplasia. Clinically, adrenal cortical and medullary hyperplasia resembled "pheochromocytoma". The most significant feature of this disease was both elevated plasma CA and 24-h urinary cortisol obviously. Pathologic examination showed adrenal cortex nodular hyperplasia and medullar diffuse or limit hyperplasia. Whether it is an independent disease or symptoms of the other disease has not final conclusion up till now.
Adrenal Cortex/*pathology ; Adrenal Gland Diseases/*pathology ; Adrenal Medulla/*pathology ; Adrenocortical Hyperfunction/*pathology ; Catecholamines/blood ; Hyperplasia ; Hypertension/etiology ; Retrospective Studies

Objective To study the outcome of ureterocele trated by open surgery and by endoscopic manipulation. Methods We reviewed 29 cases of ureteroceles, including 16 intravesical ureteroceles and 13 extravesical ureteroceles. 19 cases were treated by open surgery and 10 by endoscopic procedure. Results 11 cases of intravesical ureteroceles and 8 cases of extravesical ureteroceles under went open surgery, The reoperation rate was 18.1% and 12.5%, respectively. 5 cases of intravesical ureteroceles and 5 cases of extravesical ureteroceles underwent endoscopic treatment,the reoperation rate being 40.0% and 80.0% respectively. Conclusions Endoscopic approach might be the primary management for intravesical ureteroceles, but open surgery is a favorable alternative for extravesical ureteroceles.

Objective To evaluate the effect of endothelin A receptor antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ETAR-ASODN)on the growth of human prostatic stromal cells. Methods Primary cultured prostatic stromal cells were derived from patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).The cells of passages 4～6 were routinely used for this study after identification.ETAR-ASODN at the concentrations of 5,10 and 15 ?mol/L were added into the culture cells with lipofectin, and cell proliferation was measured by MTT assay. The expression of ETA receptor was tested by 125 I-ET-1 radioligand banding assay. Results MTT assays showed a significant decrease in cell proliferation in stromal cells after 5,10 and 15?mol/L ETAR-ASODN were added with the A 540 values being 0.304?0.082,0.296?0.008 and 0.194?0.061,respectively.The proliferative activity was significantly decreased compared with control group ( P

LSAB immunohistochemistry and digoxin-labeled in situ hybridization methods were used to detect the expression of EGFR and TGF-a and the transcription of EGFR-mRNA in human renal cell carcinoma (RCC) tissues. The expression rate of EGFR and TGF-α in 46 cases of human RCC tissues were significantly higher than that in 38 cases of corresponding autologous normal kidney tissues (EGFR.. 53. 4 % vs 21.0 %;TGF-α: 39. 1 /% vs 13. 2 %, P＜0. 05). Both EGFR and TGF-α were simultaneously overexpressed in some cases of RCC tissues. No relationship existed between EGFR or TGF-α and the RCC staging and grading. The positive rate of transcription EGFR-mRNA in 25 cases of RCC tissues was significantly higher than that in 20 cases of corresponding autologous normal kidney tissues (44 % vs 15 %, P＜0. 05). The above findings demonstrated that RCC tissues overexpressed EGFR and TGF-αand overtranscribed EGFR-mRNA. The overexpressed EGFR and TGF-α might contribute to the growth and development of RCC by taking part in the autocrine growth loop in RCC.

Objective To investigate the effects of three procedures for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) on neuroendocrine and immune responses and its clinical significance. Methods Patients were divided into three groups with 20 patients in each group: the Group Ⅰreceived the transuretheral resection of prostate (TURP), the Group Ⅱ received the suprapubic transvesical prostatectomy (SPP) and the Group Ⅲ underwent the retropubic prevesical prostatectomy (RPP). The pre- and post- operative serum concentrations of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and cortisol as well as changes of T-cell subgroups in the three groups were analyzed , respectively. Results Serum IL-6 concentrations remarkably increased at the third postoperative hour in patients of all the three groups, but those in Group Ⅱ and Group Ⅲ were significantly higher than those in Group Ⅰ( P 0 05). The ratio of CD 4 +/CD 8 + decreased markedly on the second postoperative day in Group Ⅱ and Group Ⅲ ( P

Objective To investigate the expression of endothelin 1 (ET 1) and ETA/B receptors mRNA in prostatic tissues and its clinical significance in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Methods Immunohistochemical staining and RT PCR were used to detect the expression level of ET 1,ETAR mRNA and ETBR mRNA,respectively.The detection results were analyzed in correlation with the clinical parameters of BPH patients. Results The expression level of ET 1 and ETA/BR mRNA in BPH tissue(integral optical densities,0.94?0.08,0.64?0.08,0.97?0.08,respectively)was higher than that in normal prostatic tissue(0.57?0.06,0.37?0.05,0.51?0.04,respectively).In BPH group,the expressed quantities of ET 1 and ETAR mRNA showed positive correlation with IPSS,prostatic volume,prostatic urethral length,prostatic urethral pressure and maximum urethral pressure of BPH patients,but it showed negative correlation with maximum flow rate and average flow rate of them. Conclusions Increased expression of ET 1 and ETAR might play a role in bladder outflow obstruction(BOO) of the patients with BPH.

To modify the splicing pattern of Bcl-x and compare the effect of this approach with that of the antisense gene therapy in BIU-87 cell line of bladder cancer, by using 5'-Bcl-x AS to target downstream alternative 5'-Bcl-x splice site to shift splicing from Bcl-xL to Bcl-xS and 3'-Bcl-x AS antisense to the 3'-splice site of exon III in Bcl-x pre-mRNA to down regulation of Bcl-xL expression, the inhibitory effects on cancer cells by modification of alternative splicing and antisense gene therapy were observed and compared by microscopy, MTT Assay, RT-PCR, FACS, Westhern bloting and clone formation. The growth of cells BIU-87 was inhibited in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Its inhibitory effect began 12 h after the exposure, reaching a maximum value after 72h. The number of cells decreased in S phase and the number increased in G1 phase. The ability to form foci was reduced and the antisense gene therapy was approximately half as efficient as modification of alternative splicing in inducing apoptosis. It is concluded that modification of splicing pattern of Bcl-x pre-mRNA in bladder cancer cell BIU-87 is better than antisense gene therapy in terms of tumor inhibition.

To study the expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) protein in prostate cancer (Pca) and its biological significance, the expression of HIF-1alpha was assayed by means of immunohistochemical technique in 42 prostate cancer, 12 prostatic intraepithelial neoplasm (PIN) and 9 normal prostate tissue (NP) specimens. Western blot was used to examine the expression of HIF-1alpha in prostate cancer cell line (PC-3M) induced by different oxygen tension. HIF-1alpha expression was positive in 33 Pca and 9 PIN specimens, and the positive rate of HIF-1alpha was higher in distant metastasis patients than in patients without metastasis of prostate cancer (P<0.05), while there was no expression of HIF-1alpha in NP. The level of HIF-1alpha in PC-3M significantly increased with the decrease of oxygen tension (P<0.01). Overexpression of HIF-1alpha is the preliminary event of the formation of Pca, which may induce carcinoma into malignant phenotype. Thus it may serve as an early diagnosis marker and the novel target for Pca treatment.
Adenocarcinoma/*metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit/*biosynthesis ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit/genetics ; Prostatic Neoplasms/*metabolism ; Tumor Markers, Biological/*biosynthesis

The killing effects of herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene/ganciclovir (HSV-tk/GCV) approach by the addition of several commonly clinical chemotherapeutic agents on hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) cells PC-3m were investigated. After transferring of the HSV-tk gene into PC-3m cells, mRNA and protein expression of HSV-tk was detected by reverse-transcript polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and strept avidin-biotin complex (SABC) immunohistochemical method. The killing effect of GCV, cisplatin (CDDP), etoposide (VP-16), vincristine (VCR), methotrexate (MTX), 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu), and suramin on PC-3m cells was evaluated by morphological assessment analysis, trypan blue exclusion assay and MTT assay respectively. Additionally, the cooperative effect of HSV-tk/GCV system combined with the above agents on the target cancer cells was determined by MTT. Furthermore, apoptosis and necrosis induced by GCV plus 5-Fu or suramin was analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM). The results showed that that there was HSV-tk mRNA and protein expression in pDR2-tk plasmid transduced PC-3m cell. Combination of GCV with VP-16, VCR, 5-Fu or suramin led to an enhanced cellular killing effect, but with CDDP resulted in a reduced one and with MTX in an approximate one. FCM revealed that synergistic use of GCV and 5-fu or suramin resulted in a rather large proportion of apoptosis and necrosis with the apoptosis index being 36.38% and 35.51%, and the proportion of necrosis being 33.05% and 28.87%, respectively. In conclusion, HSV-tk/CGV approach by addition of certain clinical available chemotherapeutic drugs brings on statistically significant enhanced cell killing over single-agent treatment. Our results highlight the potential for such new combination therapies for future treatments of HRPC.