PURPOSE: Recent studies suggest that the symptomatic improvement in benign prostatic hyperplasia significantly related with transition zone volume (TZV). The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical significance of TZV and transition zone index (TZI) in changes of prostate volume (PV) and clinical parameters following finasteride therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 140 patients over 50 years of age with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia were treated with finasteride (5mg/d) for 12 months and underwent transrectal ultrasound evaluation of PV and TZV prior to initiating therapy and after 12 months. Patients were grouped according to the results of PV (> OR =40ml or <40ml), TZI (> OR =0.45 or <0.45) and PSA level (> OR =2.5 or <2.5). The responders was determined as improvement in peak flow rate more than 3mL/sec. RESULTS: PV decreased by 14.11% in patients with TZI less than 0.45, while the decrease was 19.25% for men with TZI greater than 0.45 (p<0.01). In addition, PV was significantly decreased by 16.72% in patients with PV less than 40cc and TZI greater than 0.45 (p<0.01). PV decreased by 17.37% in patients with PSA less than 2.5, while the decrease was 18.92% in men with PSA greater than 2.5. In responders, only TZI was significantly different among PSA, PV and TZI (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment effect of finasteride on symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia patients was increased in proportion to enlarged PV, increased TZI, increased PSA. TZI was a useful proxy for predicting clinical outcomes in initiating finasteride therapy on benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Finasteride* ; Humans ; Male ; Prostate ; Prostatic Hyperplasia* ; Proxy ; Ultrasonography

Baicalin is flavonoid and major component of PC-SPES. Flavonoids including baicalin have been reported to not only function as anti-oxidant but also cause cytotoxic effect. Baicalin hydrate has been reported to induce cell death, however the mechanism by which baicalin hydrate induces the apoptosis of cancer cells is still unclear. To evaluate the mechanistic insights of apoptosis by baicalin hydrate, we tested the activities of apoptosis signaling pathway in HeLa cells. The viability of HeLa and HeLa s3 cells was markedly decreased by baicalin hydrate in a dose- and time- dependent method. Baicalin hydrate induced the apoptotic death of HeLa cells, which was characterized by the chromatin condensation of the nuclei and phosphorylation of histone H2AX. Baicalin hydrate increased the sub-G1 DNA content of HeLa cell lines. Baicalin hydrate digested Bid protein, increased Bak protein level and also, induced mitochondrial dysfunction disrupted as shown as the mitochondrial membrane potential. It activated caspase-3, thereby resulted in cleavage of poly (ADP) ribose polymerase (PARP).
Apoptosis ; bcl-2 Homologous Antagonist-Killer Protein ; BH3 Interacting Domain Death Agonist Protein ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Death ; Chromatin ; DNA ; Flavonoids ; HeLa Cells ; Histones ; Humans ; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial ; Phosphorylation ; Ribose ; Signal Transduction*

We experienced a case of malignant mucinous tumor of ovary developed in 17-year-oldnulliparous women and brief review of the case and its literature are presented.
Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous* ; Adolescent* ; Female* ; Humans ; Mucins* ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Ovary

Primary vesical actinomycosis is an extremely rare disease. In most cases it is misdiagnosed as vesical or urachal tumor and usually diagnosed through post-operative pathologic confirmation. Here we report a case of primary vesical actinomycosis confirmed by preoperative repeated multiple transabdominal biopsies. The patient was a 49-yr-old woman who presented with frequency, dysuria, and intermittent gross hematuria for 2 months. Computed tomography and cystoscopic examination showed broad-based, edematous, and protruding mass at the dome and anterior portion of the bladder. The clinical and imaging findings of the patient initially suggested vesical malignancy. Transurethral resection and multiple biopsies of the mass were performed. Pathologic examination demonstrated fibrosis with chronic inflammation. We performed repeated transabdominal multiple needle biopsies for further pathologic confirmation. Histopathologic examination demonstrated typical sulfur granules, which were consistent with actinomycosis.
Abdomen ; Actinomycosis/drug therapy/*pathology/surgery/ultrasonography ; Biopsy, Needle/methods ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Penicillins/therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Urinary Bladder/*pathology/surgery/ultrasonography ; Urinary Bladder Diseases/drug therapy/*pathology/surgery/ultrasonography

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether oxidants are formed as part of the cisplatin-induced apoptotic process, intracellular markers of oxidative stress were examined. METHODS: Apoptotic death of HeLa cells by cisplatin was confirmed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: The pre-treatment with glutathione (GSH) significantly attenuated cisplatin-induced apoptosis through the reduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and diminished caspases-3 and 9 protease activity. Furthermore, z-VAD-fmk, an inhibitor of pan-caspase, effectively inhibited the activation of caspases and prevented apoptosis by cisplatin, although cisplatin-induced ROS generation was not attenuated. CONCLUSION: These data indicate that ROS may play a role as an upstream mediator of caspases. Taken together, our results suggest that oxidative stress mediates cisplatin-induced apoptosis in HeLa cells.
Apoptosis* ; Caspases ; Cisplatin ; Flow Cytometry ; Glutathione ; HeLa Cells* ; Humans ; Oxidants ; Oxidative Stress* ; Reactive Oxygen Species

OBJECTIVES: This study was carried out to establish human embryonic stem cells derived from frozen-thawed embryos using mouse embryonic fibroblasts (mEFs), human fetal skin and muscle fibroblasts as feeder cells, and to identify the characteristic of embryonic stem cells. METHODS: When primary mEFs, human fetal skin and muscle fibroblasts were prepared, passaging on 4 days from replating could have effective trypsinization and clear feeder layers. Eight of 23 frozenthawed 4~8 cell stage embryos donated from consenting couples developed to blastocysts. Inner cell mass (ICM) was isolated by immunosurgery. ICM was co-cultured on mEFs, human fetal skin or muscle fibroblasts. The ICM colonies grown on mEFs, human fetal skin or muscle fibroblasts were tested the expression of stage specific embryonic antigen-3, -4 (SSEA-3, -4), octamer binding transcription factor-4 mRNA (Oct-4) and alkaline phosphatase surface marker. RESULTS: We obtained 1 ICM colony from 2 ICM co-cultured on mEFs as feeder cells and did not obtain any ICM colony from 6 ICM clumps co-cultured on human fetal skin or muscle fibroblasts. The colony formed on mEFs could be passaged 30 times every 5 days with sustaining undifferentiated colony appearance. When the colonies cultured on mEFs were grown on human fetal skin or muscle fibroblasts, the colonies could be passaged 15 times every 9 days with sustaining undifferentiated colony appearance. The colonies grown on mEFs and human fetal fibroblasts expressed SSEA-4 and alkaline phosphatase surface markers and positive for the expression of Oct-4 by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The produced embryoid body differentiated spontaneously to neural progenitorlike cells, neuron-like cells and beating cardiomyocyte-like cells, and frozen-thawed embryonic stem cells displayed normal 46, XX karyotype. CONCLUSIONS: The human embryonic stem cells can be established by using mEFs and human fetal fibroblasts produced in laboratory as feeder cells.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Animals ; Blastocyst ; Embryoid Bodies ; Embryonic Stem Cells* ; Embryonic Structures ; Family Characteristics ; Feeder Cells* ; Fibroblasts* ; Humans* ; Karyotype ; Mice* ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin ; Trypsin