OBJECTIVETo measure the levels of urinary prostaglandins E2 (PGE2) in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients with or without overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms and determine whether urinary PGE2 can serve as a biomarker for BPH-related OAB.

METHODSThis study included 86 BPH patients and 34 male control subjects without lower urinary tract symptoms. Based on the OAB symptom scores (OABSS), the BPH cases were classified as BPH/OAB (n =49) and BPH/non-OAB (n = 37) to be treated orally with tamsulosin alone and tamsulosin + tolterodine-tartrate, respectively, for 12 weeks. We measured the urinary PGE2 levels of all the subjects by ELISA before and after medication, the total PGE2 level normalized to the concentration of the urinary creatinine (PGE2/Cr). We also obtained the residual urine volume, Qmax, prostate volume, PSA level, IPSS and OABSS of the BPH patients, and compared them among different groups.

RESULTSThe baseline PGE2/Cr level was significantly lower in the control than in the BPH/OAB and BPH/non-OAB groups (both P <0.05), and higher in the BPH/OAB than in the BPH/non-OAB patients (P <0.05). After 12 weeks'treatment, the urinary PGE2/Cr level was remarkably decreased with relief of the OAB symptoms in the BPH/OAB patients (P <0.05) , but not in the BPH/non-OAB group (P >0.05). The concentration of PGE2 was not correlated with the IPSS storage score and OABSS of the BPH/OAB patients (P >0.05).

CONCLUSIONPatients with BPH/OAB have significantly higher urinary PGE2/Cr levels than those with BPH/non-OAB and normal controls, which tend to decrease with the alleviation of OAB symptoms. Our findings suggest that urinary PGE2 can be a potential biomarker for BPH/OAB.

Aged ; Biomarkers ; urine ; Case-Control Studies ; Dinoprostone ; urine ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; complications ; urine ; Urinary Bladder, Overactive ; complications ; urine

Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Child ; Female ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranous ; enzymology ; etiology ; pathology ; virology ; Hepatitis B ; complications ; pathology ; Hepatitis B virus ; Humans ; Male

Torpor refers to a state in which the metabolic activity in the body of the living animal is greatly reduced during the period of reduced food supply, which is manifested as a substantial decrease in body temperature, metabolic level, and exercise level. Mammals have a strict body temperature regulation system to maintain a constant body temperature. When the energy supply is insufficient for a long time, some mammals will enter a hibernation state. Torpor is very similar to the hibernation state. The research on the mechanism of torpor state is of great significance in aerospace, military medicine and other fields. This review summarizes the specific mechanisms regulating the occurrence of torpor from four aspects: adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (adcyap) neurons, leptin, pyroglutamylated RFamide peptide (QRFP) neurons, and sympathetic nervous system, aiming to provide ideas for further research on the mechanism of torpor.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Musculoskeletal Manipulations ; Osteitis ; pathology ; therapy ; Sacroiliac Joint ; pathology ; Sclerosis ; therapy ; Young Adult

Adult ; Aneurysm, Dissecting ; Humans ; Male ; Pulmonary Artery

Objective To evaluate the value of video-assisted thoracic surgery(VATS)for penetrating thoracoabdominal injuries.Methods Under general anaesthesia and double-lumen tracheal intubation,VATS was carried out to examine patients with chest injuries.Those who had mild injuries received VATS combined with mini-incision surgery.Electrocoagulation or suturing was employed to control intraoperative bleeding,and then blood clots were removed.Injured diaphragm muscles were repaired,and organs with hemorrhage or ruptures were sutured or resected.The seriously injured cases underwent open surgery and intra-abdominal exploration instead.Results A total of 18 patients received the operations.Among them,15 patients underwent VATS combined with mini-incision surgery(repair of the diaphragm was performed on 15,controlling intercostal arterial bleeding on 8,repair of the lung on 2,wedge resection of the lung on 2,and coagulated hemothorax removal on 2),the other 3 were converted to open surgery for repairing the diaphragm(3),heart(1),or esophagus(1),or lobectomy(2).Abdominal surgery via the thorax were performed on 13 cases,including repair of the liver in 1,lienectomy in 1,gastrorrhaphy in 1,repair of diaphragmatic hernia in 3,and intra-abdominal exploration in 7.Five patients received open surgery(pancreatic neoplasty in 1,repair of the liver in 1,lienectomy in 1,gastrorrhaphy in 2,and repair of the caul and mesenterium in 3).One patient who had multi-organ penetrating injuries died of hemorrhagic shock,circulatory failure,and DIC after open thoracic and abdominal surgeries.The mean operation time in this series was(125?44)minutes(ranged from 45 to 220),and the mean blood loss was(1089?582)ml(500 to 10 000 ml).Twenty-four hours after the operation,the mean volume of chest drainage was(234?75)ml(100 to 350 ml)in the first 24 hours after the operation.The chest drainage tube was withdrawn 2.5(2 to 5)days postoperation.The patients expelled gas in 1 to 4 days(mean,2 days).Totally,12 patients were followed up for 3 to 12 months(mean,6 months),during which none of them had trauma-related complications.Conclusion VATS combined with mini-incision surgery is safe and effective for patients with thoracoabdominal injuries,if the cases were carefully selected.

Objective To evaluate the outcomes of thoracoscopy-assisted mini-incision procedure in patients with lung cancer.Methods From January 2003 to June 2003,66 patients with non-small cell lung cancer were treated in our hospital by lobectomy combined with mediastinal lymph node resection using thoracoscopy-assisted mini-incision(36 patients,VATS Group)or traditional surgery(30 patients,traditional group).The clinical and follow-up data of the two groups were compared after the operation.Results No significant difference was found in the operation time between the VATS and traditional groups(114.6?47.4)min vs(123.3?43.9)min,t=-0.768,P=0.449],while the postoperative hospital stay of the VATS group was significantly shorter than that in the traditional group (9.2?1.4)d vs(10.5?1.7)d,t=-3.408,P=0.001].Log-rank test showed that the survival curve in the two groups was comparable(?2=0.270,P=0.605).Cox regression model indicated that the pathological characteristics(risk ratio:3.912,P=0.000),TNM stage(risk ratio:3.737,P=0.000),and lymph node metastasis(risk ratio:15.495,P=0.000)were independent,unfavorable prognostic factors for the disease;whereas,no relation was detected between the thoracotomy incision and prognosis(P=0.414).Conclusions Thoracoscopy-assisted mini-incision procedure is a safe and reliable approach for patients with lung cancer with satisfying outcomes.

Background A stable diabetic cataract animal model is a premise for screening and evaluating the drug for cataract therapy.Galactose cataract model is widely used in relevant experimental study,but the onset,extent and the type of lens opacification may be different due to different modeling way.Objective This study was to investigate the manifestations and pathological characteristics of cataract induced by D-galactose.Methods Fifty-six SPF SD rats were randomly divided into cataract-model group and control group and 28 rats for each group.50% D-galactose feed was given daily in model group,and regular feed was given in control group.Lenses of rats were examined under the slit lamp through the 30-day period at a 2-day interval,and then the opacity of lenses was graded on the modified Suryanarayana criteria.The body weight of rats was recorded and compared between two groups at day 5,10,15,20,25 and 30.The lenses samples were obtained for the histopathological examination by hemotoxylin and eosin staining.The wet weight,dry weight of the lenes and their ratio were detected and compared between these two groups.The use of animals followed the Regulation for the Administration of Affair Concerning Experimental Animals by State Science and Technology Commission.Results The body weight was reduced in model rats compared with control rats with the statistically significant difference from 10 days through 30 days(P＜0.05).The different grades of opacification of lens cortical and nuclear progressed in model rats throughout the experiment duration,but the lenses were clear in control rats.The slit-lamp microscopy and pathological examinations revealed that lenses opacity in model rats started from the cortex at the equator zone and developed towards central zone gradually with the lapse of experimental time.Following the entire opacity of lens cortex,lens nucleus were cloudy and expanded.The swelling and degeneration of the fiber cells in lens cortex,the differentiation,migration and denuclearation delay of lens epithelial cells were seen in model rats under the light microscope.The wet weight of lenses was increased and the dry weight was decreased in model rats in comparison with control rats in experimental 30 days,showing significant difference between two groups(t=138.571,t=52.468,P＜0.05).Conclusion The development of galactose-induced cataract animal model resemble one of age-related cortical cataract in human with the similar generating mechanism.This cataract model is reproducible and classifiable.

A new method of determination of COHb is reported in this paper by two- wavelength second-derivative spectrophotometry.Blood was diluted with a solution of THAM containing Na_2S_2O_4.The second-derivative spectrum was measured in the region of 500-600 nm and the derivative absorbance differerce ?Ax was deter mined at the wavelengths of 564 nm and 576 nm.Then the solution was satura- ted with CO gas.The second-derivative spectrum of COHb was measured in the same region.The derivative absorbance difference ?A_(100) was determined at the same wavelengths.The COHb in blood was calculated by the ratio of ?Ax to ?A_(100).The results of determination of COHb in standard blood samples were in good agreement with the theoretical values.