Pericyte, also known as mural cell or Rouget cell, is one of the main cells that make up the wall of capillaries. Pericytes play important roles not only in the maturation, stability, and function maintenance of blood vessels, but also in the growth and development of tissues and organs, wound repair, and other physiological and pathological processes. Researches on the functions of pericytes are mainly concentrated on their multipotency, adjustment of vascular functions, and process of fibrosis, as well as on renal fibrosis, renal blood flow regulation, and glomerular filtration in urology, but are quite insufficient in andrology. This article reviews the location, origin, distribution, morphology, markers, and functions of pericytes, aiming to induce further studies of pericytes in andrology.
Fibrosis ; pathology ; Humans ; Pericytes ; physiology ; Urogenital System ; cytology

In addition to its well established role as a neurotransmitter, extracellular ATP has been considered as a paracrine/autocrine factor, either released from sperm or epithelial cells, in the male reproductive tract and shown to play a versatile role in modulating various reproductive functions. This review summarizes the signal pathways through which ATP induces anion secretion by the epithelia of the epididymis, as well as its epithelium-dependent modulation of smooth muscle contraction of the vas deferens. Finally, the overall role of ATP in coordinating various reproductive events in the male genital tract is discussed.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; physiology ; Animals ; Epididymis ; physiology ; Epithelium ; physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Muscle Contraction ; Muscle, Smooth ; physiology ; Signal Transduction ; Urogenital System ; physiology ; Vas Deferens ; physiology

BACKGROUNDTrichomonas vaginalis (T. vaginalis) belongs to a common sexually transmitted disease pathogen causing genitourinary trichomoniasis in both sexes. We investigated the pathogenetic mechanism of genitourinary trichomoniasis.

METHODSCultured T. vaginalis bodies were injected into the vaginas of rats, or incubated with genitourinary epithelial cells of female subjects, male subjects, and sperm. The ultrastructural and microscopic changes were observed via transmission and scanning electron microscopy and through microscopic histochemistry.

RESULTSGroups of T. vaginalis adhered to PAS positive columnar cells at the surface of stratified epithelium in the middle and upper portions of the vaginas. They also traversed under these cells. The parasites were shown to be PAS, cathepsin D, and actin positive, and they could release hydrolase into the cytoplasm of adhered epithelial cells. In the amebiform T. vaginalis, microfilaments were arranged into reticular formation. Similar phenomena were found during the interaction of T. vaginalis with host cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Usually several protozoa adhered to an epithelial cell and formed polymorphic pseudopodia or surface invaginations to surround and phagocytize the microvilli or other parts of the epithelial cytoplasm. Adhesion and phagocytosis of sperm by the protozoa occurred at 15 - 30 minutes of incubation. Digestion of sperm was found at 45 - 75 minutes and was complete at 90 - 105 minutes.

CONCLUSIONST. vaginalis tends to parasitize at the fornix of the vagina, because this is the site where columnar cells are rich in mucinogen granules and their microvilli are helpful for adhesion and nibbling. T. vaginalis possesses some invading and attacking abilities. Shape change, canalization, encystation, phagocytosis, digestion, the cell coat, cytoskeleton, and lysosome all play important roles in the process of adhesion. They have two methods of phagocytosis: nibbling and ingestion. Genitourinary epithelium may be injured directly by the digestive action of hydrolases, phagocytosis, and the mechanical action of pseudopodia.

Animals ; Cell Adhesion ; physiology ; Cells, Cultured ; Epithelial Cells ; physiology ; Humans ; Hydrolases ; metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Phagocytosis ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Trichomonas vaginalis ; metabolism ; ultrastructure ; Urogenital System ; cytology

Total spinal anesthesia is a serious life threatening complication of spinaI and epidural anesthesia and paravertebral block etc. We had 2 cases of accidental total spinal anesthesia associated with cranial nerve paralysis and eventual unconsciousness. Thereafter we have attempted to observe the clear physiologic changes resulting from total spinal anesthesia. Deliberate total spinal anesthesia was induced in 11 elective cases(Table I) for various proposed surgeries such as tonsillectomy, mastectomy and a variety of abdominal operations. Lumbar tapping for total spinal anesthesia was performed in a sitting position at a level between L 2-5, using a 22 gauze Whitacre pencil point needle, then 300 to 750 mg of 2% or 5% lidocaine solution was injected into the subarachnoid space, followed by the patient lying down in a steep Trandelenburg position. Shortly after the spinal injection of lidocaine, many physiologic ehangea from total spinal anesthesia could be clearly observed. We have described the results of our observation as well as the general physiology of spinal anesthesia according to the following classification, the nervous system, csrdiovascular system, gastrointestinal system, genitourinary system, levels of seeing, hearing and consciousness. Note that this study was done according to the studies which Koster, HK had performed on 3500 cases in 1928.
Anesthesia, Epidural ; Anesthesia, Spinal* ; Classification ; Consciousness ; Cranial Nerves ; Deception ; Hearing ; Humans ; Injections, Spinal ; Lidocaine ; Mastectomy ; Needles ; Nervous System ; Paralysis ; Physiology* ; Subarachnoid Space ; Tonsillectomy ; Unconsciousness ; Urogenital System

Child ; Child Development ; drug effects ; Endocrine Glands ; drug effects ; growth & development ; physiology ; Hazardous Substances ; poisoning ; Humans ; Nervous System ; drug effects ; Urogenital System ; drug effects

Until recently, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was the only growth factor proven to be specific and critical for blood vessel formation. Other long-known factors, such as the fibroblast growth factors (FGFs), platelet-derived growth factor, or transforming growth factor-beta, had profound effects in endothelial cells. But such factors were nonspecific, in that they could act on many other cells, and it seemed unlikely that these growth factors would be effective targets for treatment of endothelial cell diseases. A recently discovered endothelial cell specific growth factor, angiopoietin, has greatly contributed to our understanding of the development, physiology, and pathology of endothelial cells (Davis et al., 1996; Yancopoulos et al., 2000). The recent studies that identified and characterized the physiological and pathological roles of angiopoietin have allowed us to widen and deepen our knowledge about blood vessel formation and vascular endothelial function. Therefore, in this review, we describe the biomedical significance of these endothelial cell growth factors, the angiopoietins, in the vascular system under normal and pathological states.
Alternative Splicing ; Angiogenesis Factor/genetics/*metabolism ; Animal ; Cell Survival ; Endothelial Growth Factors/metabolism ; Endothelium, Vascular/cytology/*physiology ; Hematopoiesis/physiology ; Human ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/metabolism ; Lymphokines/metabolism ; Membrane Glycoproteins/genetics/*metabolism ; Neoplasm Proteins/metabolism ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; Signal Transduction/physiology ; Urogenital System/physiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the blockness effects of purified polyclonal anti-porin I antibody on N. gonorrhoeae adherence to genitourinary tract epithelia of BALB/c mouse.

METHODSPolyclonal anti GST-PI antibody was generated by immunizing rabbit with GST-PI fusion protein which was constructed and expressed by ourselves. The purified immunoglobulin G was obtained by ammonium sulphate deposition and DEAE cellulose chromatography. Mice model of gonorrhea was established. In order to evaluate the effects of PI-IgG on gonococcus adhesion to vagina mucus, the macroscopic and pathological assessing as well as gonococcus culture was employed after gonococcus challenge on PI-IgG immunized mice.

RESULTNo pus and pathological inflammation were observed on mice vagina mucus treated with 1 mg/ml PI-IgG 3 hours before gonococcus challenge. Gonococcus could not be detected in the smears and washing solutions from vagina. Pathological inflammation was found in mice treated with anti PI-IgG, in which the concentrations were lower than 1 mg/ml or the treated time was longer than 3 hours prior to gonococcus challenge.

CONCLUSIONThe purified anti PI-IgG can effectively inhibit the adherence and infection of gonococci to genitourinary tract epithelia of BALB/c mice. In addition, the blocking duration of anti PI-IgG is associated with antibody concentration.

Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; pharmacology ; Bacterial Adhesion ; drug effects ; Epithelium ; drug effects ; microbiology ; Female ; Glutathione Transferase ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Gonorrhea ; microbiology ; prevention & control ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Neisseria gonorrhoeae ; drug effects ; physiology ; Porins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; immunology ; Rabbits ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; immunology ; Urogenital System ; drug effects ; microbiology