Objective To apply MR diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to quantitatively analyze cervical spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality (CSCIWORA). Methods 15 patients with CSCIWORA and 20 healthy controls were scanned with MRI of conventional scans and DTI. The fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were measured. Results FA and ADC of the patients were (0.475±0.109) and (1.438±0.252)×10-3 mm2/s, respectively. Whereas, they were (0.604±0.096) and (1.371±0.280)×10-3 mm2/s in the controls. Compared with the controls, the FA was less (P<0.05) in the patients, but the ADC was not significantly different (P=0.267). The fiber tracking (FT) showed the abnormality of white matter fiber tracts of cervical spinal cord in the patients. Conclusion DTI can detect the CSCIWORA, and FT can directly display the injuries of white matter fiber tracts of cervical spinal cord, which provide more information to evaluate the clinical severity of CSCIWORA.

Trauma, tumor, disease and congenital abnormalities may lead to genital organ damage or function failure, and consequently the requirement of its reconstruction. Tissue engineering follows the principles of cell transplantation, materials science and engineering toward the development of biological substitutes that would restore and maintain normal function. These new techniques have been recently introduced into the field of andrology. Based on the latest advances, the present paper afferds a general prospect of the future direction of the development of tissue engineering in andrology.
Genitalia, Male ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Penis ; surgery ; Tissue Engineering ; Urethra ; surgery

Adenocarcinoma ; secondary ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cryptorchidism ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; pathology ; Testicular Neoplasms ; secondary

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) has a close relation with prostate cancer. It is involved not only in angiogenesis, cell proliferation/survival and glucose metabolism but also in p53, p21 and signal transduction pathway in prostate cancer. Further studies of HIF-1 may yield new approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. We present a review of the structure and biological functions of HIF-1 and its relation with prostate cancer.
Humans ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 ; physiology ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo construct a eukaryotic expression vector carrying human VEGF RNAi and to study the effect of RNA interference on VEGF expression in prostate carcinoma.

METHODSVEGF RNAi was synthesized, inserted into the RNA interference eukaryotic expression vector, and confirmed by the result sequencing. The vector was transfected into prostate cancer PC-3, the VEGF expression detected by Western blot and the cell inhibiting rate determined by MTT.

RESULTSThe VEGF RNAi eukaryotic expression vector was successfully constructed. Compared with the empty vector group and the control group, the amount of VEGF protein expression was obviously decreased in the VEGF RNAi group. The inhibiting rates were 23.5% , 33. 5% and 40. 8% at 24, 48 and 72 h respectively.

CONCLUSIONVEGF RNAi can inhibit the protein expression and growth of PC-3, which provides an experimental base for the biological therapy of prostate cancer.

Cell Line, Tumor ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Male ; Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent ; genetics ; metabolism ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA Interference ; Transfection ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; biosynthesis ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of the binding ability of the dihydrotestosterone(DHT) in prostate.

METHODSTwenty-two normal prostate tissues taken from accident-death corpses without serious diseases, and cytosolic and nuclear fractions were prepared with all the endogenous hormone removed from the cytosolic and nuclear fractions by ether stripping. The content of the bound 3H-DHT was assayed by adding 3H-DHT.

RESULTSThe average DHT-binding capacity of the DHT-binding protein in prostate was (0.0263 +/- 0.0047) nmol/g wet tissue. The DHT-binding capacities of cytosolic and nuclear fractions were (0.0103 +/- 0.0015) nmol/g wet tissue and (0.0155 +/- 0.0035) nmol/g wet tissue respectively, and the difference between them was very significant(P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThe DHT-binding capacity of the DHT-binding protein in prostate is high and maintaining the high DHT level facilitates the effect of DHT.

Adult ; Cell Nucleus ; metabolism ; Cytoplasm ; metabolism ; Dihydrotestosterone ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Prostate ; metabolism ; Protein Binding

OBJECTIVETo improve the understanding of acute obstructive anuria at upper urinary tract in order to cope properly with corresponding clinical problems.

METHODSThe clinical problems of acute obstructive anuria at upper urinary tract in 55 patients was summarized and analysed. Anuria, lumbago, edema and progressive increase of blood creatinine and ureal nitrogen were the main bases of diagnosis. B-typed ultrasonography and plain film of abdomen (KUB) were the first choice in examinations. The treatment principles lied in prompt removal of obstruction as well as effective prevention and treatment of infection to protect renal function to maximum extent.

RESULTSForty-three cases (78.2%) recovered normal renal function. Ten cases (18.2%) still had azotemia three months after treatment. Two cases gave up treatment.

CONCLUSIONSThe reason of tumor for anuria should be paid attention to. The first choice in treatments is ureteral intubation by cystoscope. Diuretic should be used cautiously.

Acute Disease ; Adult ; Aged ; Anuria ; etiology ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Urethral Obstruction ; complications ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo determine the expression of estrogen receptor-alpha (ERalpha) and estrogen receptor-beta (ERbeta) in prostatic carcinoma (PCa).

METHODSThe expression of ERalpha and ERbeta was analysed in 32 cases of PCa, 12 cases of normal prostate tissue and 32 cases of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) by semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the genes were sequenced.

RESULTSCompared with the tissue of BPH, the ERalpha expression significantly increased, but the ERbeta expression decreased in the tissue of PCa (P < 0.01). Compared with in the early stage and high differentiation of prostatic carcinoma, the ERalpha expression increased obviously, but ERbeta expression decreased in the developed stage and low differentiation (P < 0.01). ERalpha increased, but ERbeta decreased in hormone-refractory prostatic carcinoma (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONERalpha and ERbeta may play an important role in the development of PCa. It is shown that analysis of the expression of ER, especially ERbeta in PCa, will benefit to the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

Aged ; Estrogen Receptor alpha ; biosynthesis ; Estrogen Receptor beta ; biosynthesis ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; metabolism ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

OBJECTIVETo determine the effect of MEK inhibitor (U0126) on donor testes from ischemia-reperfusion injury after orthotopic testicular transplantation in rats.

METHODSThe rats were divided into 7 groups, Group 1: normal control; Group 2: cold perfusion control; Group 3: sham operation control; Group 4: transplanted for 30 min; Group 5: transplanted for 1 week; Group 6: transplanted for 30 min with pretreatment of U0126; Group 7: transplanted for 1 week with pretreatment of U0126. The orthotopic testicular transplantation model was established with cuff. The levels of ERK1, ERK2, pERK1 and pERK2 of donor testes were evaluated; the change of histology and gonadal hormones were measured as well.

RESULTGroup 1, 2 and 3 had no significant differences in all results (P>0.05). The levels of ERK1, ERK2, pERK1 and pERK2 in Group 4 were significantly increased compared with Group 1 (P<0.05), the levels of ERK1 and ERK2 in Group 6 were not different from those of Group 4 (P >0.05), but the levels of pERK1 and pERK2 in Group 6 were lower than those in Group 4 significantly(P <0.05), the histological changes in Group 6 were similar to Group 1 but milder than that in Group 4. The histological injury was more severe in Group 5 than that in Group 7, and the levels of gonadal hormones in Group 5 were lower than those in Group 7 (P <0.05) which remained at the normal levels.

CONCLUSIONU0126 has a protective effect on the donor testes in a short period through inhibiting expression of pERK1/2 activated by testicular transplantation.

Animals ; Butadienes ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Enzyme Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Male ; Nitriles ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred Lew ; Reperfusion Injury ; prevention & control ; Testis ; blood supply ; transplantation

AIMTo explore whether the anti-tumor action of 17beta-estradiol is enhanced by re-expression of the homeodomain transcription factor Nkx3.1 in PC3 human prostate cancer cells.

METHODSPC3 cells were stably transfected with pcDNA3.1-Nkx3.1-His vector, which carries a full-length cDNA of human Nkx3.1. The PC3 cells stably transfected with vector pcDNA3.1 were set as a control. The expression of Nkx3.1 protein in the cells was confirmed by Western blot analysis. The effect of Nkx3.1 on cell proliferation of PC3 cells was examined with MTT assay. The antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of 17beta-estradiol alone or in combination with Nkx3.1 were estimated on PC3 cells by using MTT growth tests and flow cytometric analyses. The expression of apoptosis-related proteins was analyzed using Western blotting.

RESULTSThe plasmid carrying Nkx3.1 gene induced high expression of Nkx3.1 protein in PC3 cells. The re-expression of exogenous Nkx3.1 did not cause a significant reduction in cellular proliferation, whereas the expression of Nkx3.1 enhanced the 17beta-estradiol anti-proliferative effect in PC3 cells. Nkx3.1 expression promoted 17beta-estradiol-induced apoptosis of PC3 cells, as shown by analysis of Bcl-2, Bax, Caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase expression.

CONCLUSIONThe present study demonstrates that re-expression of Nkx3.1 enhances 17beta-estradiol anti-tumor action in PC3 human prostate cancer cells. The in vitro study suggests that re-expression of Nkx3.1 is worthy of further consideration as an adjuvant treatment of androgen independent prostate cancer with estrogen anti-tumor therapies.

Adenocarcinoma ; drug therapy ; genetics ; pathology ; Androgen-Insensitivity Syndrome ; drug therapy ; genetics ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor ; Estradiol ; pharmacology ; Flow Cytometry ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; drug effects ; genetics ; Homeodomain Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; genetics ; pathology ; Transcription Factors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transfection