The protective effect of dexpanthenol on testicular atrophy at 60th day following experimental testicular torsion

Despite the prompt diagnosis and treatment of testicular torsion (TT), there are problems with fertility and atrophy after testicular salvage. Dexpanthenol (Dxp) is the biologically active alcohol of pantothenic acid (PA). Dxp is converted to PA in tissues. PA increases the content of reduced glutathione (GSH), Coenzyme A and ATP synthesis in cells. GSH and glutathione-dependent peroxidases (GPX) are the major defense systems against oxidative stress. GPX-4 is the major antioxidant in testicular tissue. However, the activity of GPX-4 appeared and increased only after puberty. We investigated the effect of Dxp on testicular atrophy after TT at the 60th day. Rats were separated randomly into four groups. Group C: control group, group Td: torsion + detorsion, group Sal: torsion + saline + detorsion, group Dxp: torsion + Dxp + detorsion. The left testis was rotated 720° for 2 h. In group Sal, normal saline and in group Dxp, Dexpanthenol were injected intraperitonally, 30 min before detorsion. After 60 days, the testicular weights and volumes were measured. Histopathology of the left testis was evaluated with mean seminiferous tubular diameter (MSTD) and mean testicular biopsy score (MTBS). The left (torsed) testicular weight and volume of groups Td and Sal were significantly lower compared to group Dxp. The MSTD and MTBS of group Td and Sal were significantly lower than group Dxp. Contralateral testicular weight and volume of groups Td, Sal and Dxp had no significant difference compared to the control group. Dxp significantly prevented testicular atrophy after 60 days of TT. Dxp has FDA approval, is safe, cost effective and readily available. Its relevance for clinical trials may especially be for the problem of testicular atrophy catastrophe, seen very frequently following testicular salvage.     

BHK cell attachment and growth on EDA-plasma-modified poly(L-lactide/epsilon-caprolactone) biodegradable films

In this study, attachment and growth of Baby Hamster Kidney (BHK) cells on ethylene diamine (EDA)-plasma-treated poly(L-lactide/epsilon-caprolactone) biodegradable copolymer films were investigated. The co-polymer (Mw: 58000; Mn: 35000 and PI 1.60) was synthesised by ring-opening polymerization of the respective dimers with using stannous octoate as the catalyst. The final ratio of L-lactide to epsilon-caprolactone obtained by 1H-NMR was 87:13. The co-polymer films were treated with the EDA-plasma in a glow-discharge apparatus. The BHK-30 cell line was cultured on plain and EDA-plasma-treated films and their pre-wetted forms (with ethanol and/or cell culture medium before use). Cell attachment and growth were followed. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and glucose uptake in cell culture medium were also investigated. There was no attachment in the first 12 h. Glow-discharge treatment increased significantly the attachment and growth. Pre-wetting with ethanol and cell culture medium was also increase significantly both the attachment and growth.     

Homeostasis of memory T cells

Summary: The pool of memory T cells is regulated by homeostatic mechanisms to persist for prolonged periods at a relatively steady overall size. Recent work has shown that two members of the common γ chain (γc) family of cytokines, interleukin‐7 (IL‐7) and IL‐15, govern homeostasis of memory T cells. These two cytokines work in conjunction to support memory T‐cell survival and intermittent background proliferation. Normal animals contain significant numbers of spontaneously arising memory‐phenotype (MP) cells, though whether these cells are representative of true antigen‐specific memory T cells is unclear. Nevertheless, it appears that the two types of memory cells do not display identical homeostatic requirements. For antigen‐specific memory CD8⁺ T cells, IL‐7 is primarily important for survival while IL‐15 is crucial for their background proliferation. For memory CD4⁺ T cells, IL‐7 has an important role, whereas the influence of IL‐15 is still unclear.     

Technological Advances in Penile Implant Surgery

BackgroundDuring the last century, surgical management of erectile dysfunction has evolved from an experimental concept to a core treatment modality with widespread use among the men's health community. Over time, innovations in materials, mechanical design elements, device coatings, and surgical technique have provided patients with low-risk, reliable, and reproducible erectile function with high satisfaction rates.AimTo provide a foundation for future innovation by improving understanding of historical penile prosthetics and the rationale behind incremental technological improvements for the contemporary Men's Health physician.MethodsLiterature review was conducted to generate a comprehensive review of historical technological innovations in penile implant surgery. Companies with FDA approved penile prosthetics in use in the United States were contacted for information regarding technological innovations in the past and future devices in development. A separate literature review was performed to identify any significant future device design elements being tested, even in the ex vivo setting, which may have future clinical applications.OutcomesTechnological innovations in penile implant surgery were described.ResultsCurrent options for the prosthetic surgeon include malleable penile prostheses (MPP), self-contained (2-piece) inflatable penile prostheses, and multicomponent (3-piece) inflatable penile prostheses. Current MPPs consist of a synthetic coated solid core which allow for manipulation of the penis for concealability while maintaining sufficient axial rigidity to achieve penetration when desired. Multi-component (3-Piece) IPPs currently include the Coloplast Titan and Boston Scientific/AMS 700 which consist of a fluid reservoir, intrascrotal pump, and intracavernosal cylinders. The devices have undergone numerous design updates to the cylinders, pump, reservoir, tubing, and external coatings to increase reliability and decrease short- and long-term complications.Clinical ImplicationsFuture innovations in penile prosthetic surgery seek to broaden the indications and applicability to the transgender community and improve both safety and functionality for patient and partner.Strengths & LimitationsThe review is limited primarily to penile prosthetics approved for current or historical clinical use in the United States and may not be representative of the global prosthetic environment. Additionally, the research and development of future innovations, particularly those provided by device manufacturers, is likely limited by non-disclosure to maintain a competitive advantage.ConclusionsPenile prosthetic surgery will undoubtedly remain integral to the treatment of erectile dysfunction, and education regarding the current state of technological innovation will empower the prosthetic surgeon and biomedical engineering community to improve contemporary patient care and drive the development of the next generation of implantable penile prosthetics.Barnard JT, Cakir OO, Ralph D, et al. Technological Advances in Penile Implant Surgery. J Sex Med 2021;18:1158–1166.     

Flexural properties of rectangular nickel-titanium orthodontic wires when used as ribbon archwires

Objective:To compare the flexural properties of rectangular nickel-titanium (Ni-Ti) orthodontic wires in occlusoapical and faciolingual orientations using a standardized test method.Materials and Methods:Twenty-two rectangular Ni-Ti wire groups were tested in occlusoapical (ribbon) orientation: eight conventional Ni-Ti products, five superelastic Ni-Ti products, and nine thermal Ni-Ti products (n = 10 per group). Six products of thermal Ni-Ti wire were tested in faciolingual (edgewise) orientation. A three-point bending test was performed to measure deactivation force at 3.0-, 2.0-, 1.0-, and 0.5-mm deflections of each rectangular wire at 37.0 ± 0.5°C. Analysis of variance and post hoc Student-Newman-Keuls tests were used to compare the mean values of the different groups (α = .05).Results:The ranges of deactivation forces varied greatly with different kinds, sizes, products, and deflections of Ni-Ti wires. One product of conventional and superelastic Ni-Ti wires had steeper force-deflection curves. Four products had similarly shaped flat force-deflection curves, whereas the sixth product had a moderately steep force-deflection curve. Thermal Ni-Ti wires had smaller deactivation forces ranging from 0.773 N (78.8 g) to 2.475 N (252.4 g) between deflections of 1.0 and 0.5 mm, whereas wider ranges of force from 3.371 N (343.7 g) to 9.343 N (952.7 g) were predominantly found among conventional Ni-Ti wires between deflections of 3.0 and 2.0 mm.Conclusions:Clinicians should critically select archwires for use in the occlusoapical orientation not only based on Ni-Ti wire type, size (0.022 × 0.016-in or 0.025 × 0.017-in), and product but also with deactivation deflections from 0.5 and 1.0 mm to obtain light forces in the occlusoapical orientation.     

Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the myostatin (MSTN) and muscle creatine kinase (CKM) genes are not associated with elite endurance performance

Maximal oxygen uptake (VO_2max) is one of the most important determinants of elite endurance performance. VO_2max is determined by a whole range of genetic and environmental factors. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in muscle myostatin (MSTN) and creatine kinase (CKM) genes are candidates for VO_2max and skeletal muscle performance phenotypes. Common MSTN (rs3791783, rs11681628 and rs7570532) and CKM (rs344816, rs10410448, rs432979, rs1133190, rs7260359, rs7260463 and rs4884) SNPs, selected from HapMap CEU data in order to tag the genetic variability of the proteins, were genotyped in 316 male Caucasian elite endurance athletes and 304 sedentary controls from the Genathlete study. Association with elite endurance performance was determined by logistic regression analysis. The P‐value for statistical significance was set at <0.01. None of the SNPs or haplotypes showed a significant association with elite endurance status. We conclude that common variants of MSTN and CKM genes do not play a role in attaining high‐level endurance performance in Caucasian populations.     

Network structure of functional hippocampal lateralization in birds

Functional hemispheric asymmetry is a common feature of vertebrate brain organization, yet little is known about how hemispheric dominance is implemented at the neural level. One notable example of hemispheric dominance in birds is the leading role of the left hippocampal formation in controlling navigational processes that support homing in pigeons. Relying on resting state fMRI analyses (where Functional connectivity (FC) can be determined by placing a reference ‘seed’ for connectivity in one hemisphere), we show that following seeding in either an anterior or posterior region of the hippocampal formation of homing pigeons and starlings, the emergent FC maps are consistently larger following seeding of the left hippocampus. Left seedings are also more likely to result in FC maps that extend to the contralateral hippocampus and outside the boundaries of the hippocampus. The data support the hypothesis that broader FC is one neural‐organizational property that confers, with respect to navigation, functional dominance to the left hippocampus of birds. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Anatomic implications of lesser trochanterplasty

Objective

The aim of this study was to measure the area of iliopsoas tendon attachment and the distance of sciatic nerve, medial circumflex femoral artery (MCFA) and quadratus muscle to lesser trochanter tip, before and after 5, 10, 15 mm depth excision of lesser trochanter.

Experimental fascial flap model in the dog: free flap of the dorsal thoracic fascia

For years, various types of fascial flaps have been used in clinical practice; however, there are many unanswered questions regarding their basic physiology, anatomy and histopathologic changes occurring after transfer. Simple and reliable flap models are needed to investigate these questions, but very few of these flap models have been described in experimental animals to date. The purpose of this study was to describe a new reliable fascia flap model in the dog-the dorsal thoracic fascia flap. This fascia is defined as the anatomic layer that contains the blood supply to the scapular and parascapular fasciocutaneous flaps. Fourteen adult dogs were used in this experiment. The vascular anatomy of the dorsal thoracic fascia was studied by anatomic dissection and microangiography. Anatomic dissection revealed that the main axial vessel supplying the dorsal thoracic fascia was the superficial branch of the thoracodorsal vessel. Based on the vascular pedicle, fascia flaps generally measuring 15 x 24 cm were created. At gross observation, all of these large flaps based solely on the vascular pedicle were observed to be well-perfused. Microangiographic examination revealed the intense vascularity of the superficial branches of the thoracodorsal vessels in the whole area of all flaps. It was concluded that this is a simple and reliable fascial flap model which can be prepared as a free or pedicled flap. It has a consistent, long vascular pedicle with large vessel diameters supporting a large fascial flap.     

Local versus general anesthesia for carotid endarterectomy: report of 329 cases

Since stroke is an important cause of morbidity and mortality, carotid endarterectomies are used frequently to reduce the risk of stroke and death. Unfortunately, an inherent risk of the carotid endarterectomy procedure is that surgery itself may result in stroke. At this point the question is which method of anesthesia, local or general, is better to protect and monitorize the brain function during cross-clamp period in carotid endarterectomies? In the authors' center, 365 carotid endarterectomies were applied to 329 patients between 1990 and 2001; 165 operations were done under general anesthesia and the other 200 operations were done under local anesthesia. These 2 groups, general (group I) and local anesthesia (group II), were studied retrospectively according to preoperative and postoperative data. In group I, the rate of major stroke was 7.3%, but this rate was 1% in group II (p < 0.05). Intraoperative shunts were used in 50 (30.3%) operations of group I, but the usage of shunt was 8% (16 operations) in group II (p < 0.0001). The hospitalization period was also much shorter in group II than in group I. The time of hospitalization was 4.1 +/-1.9 days in group I and 2.4 +/-1.1 days in group II (p < 0.0001). In terms of cost analysis, the mean costs were 1007.14 dollars +/-135.71 dollars in group I and 885.71 dollars +/-78.57 dollars in group II (p < 0.0001). In short, the local procedure was more cost-effective. As a result, in carotid endarterectomy procedures, the authors prefer local anesthesia to achieve better brain function monitoring and to reduce hospitalization time and cost.