Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) is believed to be pivotal hormone in hypothalamo-pituitary gonadal axis and the hypothalamus is believed as the exclusive organ producing GnRH and pituitary is for GnRH re ceptor until recently. Some reported the exptra-hypothalamic GnRH or extra-pituitary GnRH receptors from decades ago. The aims of this study are to confirm the existence of the GnRH receptor in bladder epithelial cancer cell, HT-1197 and HT-1376, and evaluated the possible role of the GnRH on cell cycle. The GnRH and GnRH receptor were detected by immunohistochemical staining and the effect of GnRH on cell cycle change in both cell line were studied by fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS). The control cells were cultured at media supplemented with normal serum, and experimental group were cultured at media supplemented with charcoal stripped serum (CSS) which excluding peptide hormones except exogenous GnRH with different concentration. The GnRHs and GnRH receptors were detected at both cell lines and the cell cycle analysis showed that there were little difference in proportion of cell cycle among examined 10,000 cells in both cell lines, neither control nor experimental groups. This study shows that the GnRHs and GnRH receptors exist in bladder cancer cells and GnRH did not influence on the cell cycle progression. With this study, we suppose that the bladder cancer cells produce the GnRH and GnRH receptors and the role of the GnRF produced from the bladder cancer cells might be the autocrine rather than endo-or paracrine factor.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Cell Cycle* ; Cell Line ; Charcoal ; Fluorescence ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone* ; Gonadotropins* ; Gonads ; Hypothalamus ; Peptide Hormones ; Receptors, LHRH ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms

Tumors of the urethra and periurethra are rare lesions accounting for less than 1% of tumors arising from the genitourinary tract. Routine examinations of the urethra are X-ray study and endoscopic examination. X-ray and endoscopic examination have the risk of radiation exposure to the reproductive organs or pain at study and they have the limitation on outlining the periurethral environments. In the last few years, diagnosis of disease by ultrasound has made tremendous advances. Many investigations of ultrasound examinations on the male and female lower urinary tract using transrectal, transvaginal and transpubic approaches have been reported. But there has been no report of the ultrasound examination on the urethra and periurethral tumor. We report our experiences with sonourethrography of 6 cases of urethral and periurethral solid tumors. And we concluded that sonourethrography is less expensive, non-invasive and can accurately image the outline of the urethra and periurethral tumor.
Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Ultrasonography ; Urethra ; Urinary Tract

To evaluate the clinical significance of the prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) in prostatic tumors, we reviewed the clinical data of digital rectal examination (DRE), transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) prostate specific antigen (PSA) and PIN from the patients of 50 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and 100 prostate cancers who were pathologically confirmed. The prostate nodules were palpated at DRE in 53% of prostate cancers. The 59% of the prostate cancer patients showed hypoechoic areas on TRUS and they were diagnosed with ultrasound guided directed prostate biopsy. Remaining 41% of the cancers were diagnosed at the directed or random biopsy or the hyperechoic or isoechoic area. Hypoechoic areas were detected from the 12 BPH patients and the PIN were detected at 7 of them at directed biopsies. The level of serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) less than 4ng/ml were 82% of BPH and 57% of prostate cancer. The major PIN grade in BPH patients were 62% for grade 1, 22% for grade 2 and 16% for grade 3 and in the prostate cancer, 9% for grade 1, 27% for grade 2 and 64% for grade 3. The distribution of PIN were even throughout the prostate in BPH but 17% of the prostate cancer showed PINs exclusively at peripheral zone. The remaining cancer patients were multifocal and 52% of total prostate cancers showed more than two thirds of the total PINs were located at peripheral zone. Among the 8 BPH patients who had the PIN grade 3, 3 were diagnosed as the prostate cancer at follow up. We assume that the nodules palpated at DRE and the hypoechoic areas TRUS are highly specific for the prostate cancer but the serum PSA values of 4ng/ml as the upper normal limit is not significantly reliable for the study for high risk group and early detection of prostate cancer. The combined application of DRE, TRUS, PSA and biopsy, including directed and random, would improve the results of prostate cancer diagnosis than single application. And the BPH patients with grade 3 PIN should be regarded as the high risk group for prostate cancer development and should be followed regularly.
Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Digital Rectal Examination ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Prostate ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia* ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Ultrasonography

34 cases of the scrotal injuries were evaluated from Jan. 1, 1980 to Jun. 30, 1984 in National Police Hospital on the testicular salvage rate in relation with the status of preoperative palpation of testis and early or delayed exploration. The rate of orchiectomy was 0 % (0/ 16) in group A(palpable testis in preoperative physical examination) and 55.5% (10/ 18) in group B(impalpable testis). In group B, the testicular salvage rate was 80% with early exploration and 0 %(0/8) with delayed explorations.
Humans ; Orchiectomy ; Palpation ; Police ; Testis

This study was aimed to examine whether biological characteristics of the cancer cell lines have any correlation with distinctive movement of the reconstituted basement membrane in modified Boyden chamber. The in vitro model consists of a chamber and basement membrane filter. Matrigel was applied on the upper surface of the filter and type IV collagen, fibronectin and laminin were also applied to the lower surface of the filter, respectively. The cancer invasiveness was measured by the number of the moved cells through basement membrane differing in component, thickness and incubation time. For chemoattractant study, serum free medium, medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum and medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum and 0.1% bovine serum albumin were used. The invaded cancer cells were counted under high-power field microscope and the morphologic feature of invading cancer cells on reconstituted basement membrane was examined with scanning electron microscopy. The effects of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) and wild type tumor necrosis factor-alpha (wTNF-a) on invasiveness of three prostate cancer cell lines (hormone intermediate sensitive ALVA 101, and hormone refractory ALVA 41 and PPC-1) were investigated. The rate of movement of the cancer was reduced increasing thickness of the matrigel but increased in proportion to the incubation time (p<0.05). The components applied on the lower surface of the filter did not affect cancer cell invasiveness (p>0.05). TIMP-2 reduced the invasiveness of three kinds of cancer cell line at both the high and low concentration, indicating that this agent interferes the movement of the cells. Furthermore, this result suggests that TIMP-2 might repress metal-dependent enzymes, which are thought to elicit the invasiveness of the cancer cells. The wTNF-a did not show any effects on the invasiveness of three cell lines. The additive chemoattractant effect of 0.1% bovine serum albumin was not observed and serum free medium also did not induce the cancer cell invasion across the reconstituted basement membrane. The migration of the ALVA 41 and PPC-1 were more than the ALVA 101. The scanning electron microscopic examination showed the figures of migration of cancer cells through the pores on filter, supporting our experiments are performed in validness. The effect of protease inhibitor was distinct in different cancer cell lines studied. From this experiment, we conclude that the rate of movement of both ALVA 41 and PPC-1 cells with shorter doubling time and the hormone refractory was faster than that of ALVA 101 cells with longer doubling time and the hormone sensitive, suggesting biological characteristics of the cells are implicated in degree of cancer cell invasiveness and their malignancies.
Basement Membrane* ; Cell Line ; Collagen Type IV ; Fibronectins ; Laminin ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Population Characteristics ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; Protease Inhibitors ; Serum Albumin, Bovine ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Percutaneous nephrostomy has become a common procedure in the field of the urology and the operation through the nephrostomy tract is one of the challenging procedure for the treatment of the disease of the kidney and ureter. We introduce a case of our successful experience of the percutaneous balloon dilatation of the ureteral stricture which was caused by previous ureterolithotomy.
Constriction, Pathologic* ; Dilatation* ; Kidney ; Nephrostomy, Percutaneous ; Ureter* ; Urology

PURPOSE: The voiding difficulty in aged people is usually caused by prostate tumor and these tumors are influenced by the androgen. The purpose of this research was to study the prostatic genetic change caused by changes of hormonal mileu and evaluate the pattern of the changes of p57 and bcl-2 mRNA in human and rat prostate at different biological condition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was performed in two ways, with animal model and human prostate. As animal model, the rats were castrated surgically or chemically(5-alpha reductase inhibitor) and their prostates were collected according to the schedule. Pattern of expression changes in p57 and bcl-2 mRNA was observed. In human prostate, three normal prostates from young 30th, five benign hyperplastic prostates and five cancerous prostates were collected for evaluation of p57 mRNA expression. The evaluation of the expression of those genes was done by in situ hybridization. RESULTS: The expression of the p57 mRNA was observed at the cytoplasm in all three types of the prostate tissues. The expressions of mRNA message were increased from the post-orchiectomy three days group up to postorchiectomy two weeks. After two weeks, there were little change in expression of the p57 mRNA. Compared with normal prostate group, the expressions of p57 mRNA were reduced in BPH and prostate cancer groups without treatment. The expression of bcl-2 was increased in expression upto postorchiectomy 4th week and reduced. In BPH and prostate cancer, the expression of the bcl-2 mRNA was increased in comparison with normal prostate. CONCLUSIONS: With above experiment, the expression patterns of p57 and bcl-2 mRNAs reversed and the prostate cancer showed reduced expression. This result suggests that p57 and bcl-2 may play important roles in differentiation of BPH and prostatic cancer. The differentiation of BPH and prostate cancer by p57 and bcl-2 were impossible.
Animals ; Appointments and Schedules ; Castration* ; Cytoplasm ; Humans* ; In Situ Hybridization ; Models, Animal ; Oxidoreductases ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger*

30 benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and 20 prostate carcinoma patients whom confirmed pathologically, admitted in recent 4 months, were reviewed with transrectal ultrasonogram of prostate. The BPH was characterized by transversely elongated, symmetrical shape, evan capsule with regular continuity and homogenous or hyperechogenicity. But prostate carcinoma showed anteroposteriorly elongated, asymrnetrical shape, irregular, thickened or interrupted capsule and hypoechogenicity or mixed echogenicity. The diagnostic accuracy of BPH was 97% but the prostate carcinoma was 85%. The resolution and precision of the prostate image, especially on the prostate capsule, were more accurate than any other imaging modalities and the combination with them, we can establish the most accurate staging and appropriate treatment plan.
Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Prostate* ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: Telomeres define the natural ends of linear chromosomes and their sequence organization is highly conserved in the majority of eukaryotes. Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein involved in maintaining telomere length in stem cells and immortal and actively dividing cells. If there lacks telomerase in cell, length of telomere will be shortened, and results in cell death. We investigated the changes of telomerase activity in the developmental stages of rat urinary system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Organs(kidney, ureter and bladder) were aseptically removed from Sprague-Dawley rats of fetal(17-day-gestation), growing(1, 2, 3, 4, and 6-week-old) and adult period(12-week-old). Samples for telomerase activity were frozen on liquid nitrogen immediately after sacrifice, and stored until the use at -750C for measurement of telomerase activity. Telomerase activity was measured by a PCR-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol(TRAP) assay. Telomerase activity was quantitated with a phosphoimager(GS525 Molecular Imager System, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Hercules, California, USA). RESULTS: Telomerase activities in the kidney were highly expressed at the fetal period, however they were significantly decreased since 1week after birth and maintained weakly until adult period. Telomerase activities of the bladder and ureter showed active expression throughtout whole life. When comparing the telomerase activities of the ureter and bladder to those of the kidney, the ureter and bladder showed higher acitivities than the kidney throughtout whole life except fetal period. CONCLUSIONS: There may be a developmental and tissue-specific regulation of telomerase in the urinary system of rat and an active mechanism for maintaining telomeres in the ureter and bladder after birth.
Adult ; Animals ; California ; Cell Death ; Eukaryota ; Humans ; Kidney ; Nitrogen ; Parturition ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Ribonucleoproteins ; Stem Cells ; Telomerase* ; Telomere ; Ureter ; Urinary Bladder

Between January 1989 and July 1990, nonsurgical managements were tried in 9 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia who were with a high surgical risk or didn`t want an operation. The prostatic balloon catheters were used in 3 patients and the urological spirals in 6 patients. They were followed with clinical evaluations, urine cultures and urine flow rates at 2 and 6 weeks. All procedures were done under the local anesthesia, except one spinal anesthesia. In the prostatic balloon catheter group, all three patients had recurrent voiding symptoms at 2, 3 and 9 months after prostatic balloon dilatation, respectively. In the urological spiral group, one procedure failed due to upward migration of the spiral into the bladder. In the remaining 5 patients, it has worked well up to 11 months after the procedure. Despite of some improvements in subjective voiding symptoms after procedure, there was no significant difference between before and after the procedure in maximum flow rate and total voided volume. Our results suggest that this modality, especially the urological spiral, can be a useful alternative to an operation in selected patients with an increased surgical risk.
Anesthesia, Local ; Anesthesia, Spinal ; Catheters* ; Dilatation ; Humans ; Prostatic Hyperplasia* ; Urinary Bladder