Prognostic value of immunological profile based on CD8+ and FoxP3+ T lymphocytes in the peritumoral and intratumoral subsites for renal cell carcinoma

International Urology and Nephrology - We aimed to assess an “Immunological Profile (IP)” including CD8+ and FoxP3+ T lymphocytes for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) to evaluate its effects...     

Lymphocyte and monocyte vitamin D receptor expression during paricalcitol or calcitriol treatments in patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease

International Urology and Nephrology - In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of paricalcitol and calcitriol usage on vitamin D receptor (VDR) contents of CD8+?,...     

The effect of Ramadan fasting on kidney function in patients with chronic kidney disease

International Urology and Nephrology - Because of the increase in globalization, clinicians all over the world are confronted the questions about safety of Ramadan fasting. However, there is no...     

Comparison of the safety and efficacy of the on-demand use of sertraline,dapoxetine, and daily use of sertraline in the treatment of patients with lifelong premature ejaculation: A prospective randomised study

This study compared the safety and efficacy of the on-demand (OD) use of sertraline (50 mg), sertraline (100 mg) and dapoxetine (30 mg), and the daily use of sertraline (50 mg) in the treatment of patients with premature ejaculation (PE). This prospective randomised study involved 120 lifelong PE patients (intravaginal ejaculatory latency time [IELT]: <1 min; Arabic Index of Premature Ejaculation [AIPE] score: < 30) without secondary causes of PE, identified between March 2018 and May 2020. Patients were divided into 4 groups (30 patients per group) and treated for 8 weeks. Assessments were conducted using the AIPE form as a diagnostic tool. Sertraline (50 mg, daily; 196.7 ± 115.5 s) and sertraline (100 mg, OD; 173.3 ± 97.0 s) had similar IELT and AIPE scores. The latter groups had better results in comparison with sertraline (50 mg, OD; 100.5 ± 54.4 s) and dapoxetine (93.7 ± 53.5 s; p < 0.01). Sertraline (100 mg, OD) had a similar efficacy to that of sertraline (50 mg, daily) and was more effective than sertraline (50 mg, OD) and dapoxetine (30 mg, OD). Sertraline (100 mg, OD) can be considered in the treatment of lifelong PE treatment, having tolerable side effects.     

Melatonin prevents deterioration of erectile function in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats via sirtuin-1 expression

A review of the literature indicated that sirtuin-1 expression, a regulator of nitric oxide bioavailability in erectile dysfunction (ED) after melatonin therapy, has not yet been investigated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the protective effects of melatonin for erectile function with sirtuin-1 protein expression in type 1 diabetic rat models. Fifty male Sprague Dawley rats were placed into five groups. Except for those in the control group (C), each animal received a single dose (60 mg/kg) of streptozotocin to induce diabetes. The animals were placed into the diabetes (D) group, insulin (I) group (6 U/kg/day), melatonin (Mel) group (10 mg kg⁻¹ day⁻¹) and combined treatment (I + Mel) group. Ten weeks later, the serum testosterone levels, intracavernosal pressure (ICP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), malondialdehyde (MDA), cyclic guanosine monophosphate (c-GMP), 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), caspase-3 activity, sirtuin-1 and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) protein expression and histological findings were assessed. The mean ICP/MAP ratio for the D group was lower than the mean ratios for the other groups. The treatment groups, particularly the I + Mel group, exhibited lower 8-OHdG and MDA levels and caspase-3 activity than the D group. The sirtuin-1 and eNOS expression and cavernosal tissue (CT) histology seemed to have been preserved by the melatonin and/or insulin therapy. These results were indicative of a profound protective effect of melatonin by the activation of sirtuin-1 protein expression against hyperglycemia-induced oxidative CT injury.     

The relationship between the severity of erectile dysfunction and aortic stiffness

Aortic stiffness increases in patients with erectile dysfunction (ED) but it is not known whether aortic stiffness affects the degree of ED. In the present study, we aimed to determine whether there is any relationship between aortic stiffness and the severity of ED. Patients with ED were divided into 3 groups according to the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) scores. Mild ED was named as group 1, moderate ED as group 2 and severe ED as group 3. The values of fasting blood glucose (FBG), serum lipid values, total testosterone (T. tes), and free testosterone (F tes) were recorded. Aortic stiffness was determined by pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AIX) measurements. The mean or median values of the laboratory parameters among the groups were similar (p > .05). No statistical difference was found between the groups in terms of AIX value (p = .386). Mean PWV values were calculated as 7.26, 8.30 and 8.78 in group 1, group 2 and group 3 respectively. PWV values were significantly different between groups (p < .0001). PWV values were found to be increased with increasing severity of erectile dysfunction.     

Surgery for Hepatolithiasis: Single Center Experience of 12 Patients

Hellenic Journal of Surgery - Hepatolithiasis is the presence of stones within the intrahepatic bile ducts, regardless of common bile duct and gallbladder stones. It is rarely seen in our country...     

The effects of bone chips dehydrated with solvent on healing bone defects

The effect of bone chips dehydrated with solvent on the healing of bone defects was evaluated. Solvent-dehydrated spongiose bone chips were placed in experimentally formed cavities in the right back tibia of rabbits. After 10, 20 and 30 days, histopathological cross-sections from the bone grafts were examined microscopically for bone healing and formation of spongiose bone, cortex and bone marrow. Spongiose bone chips had a positive and accelerating influence on the healing of bone defects in the 10-day period after transplantation, but no significant differences were observed between the treated and control groups 20 and 30 days after transplantation.     

Marine natural products: Bryostatins in preclinical and clinical studies

Context: Bryostatins represent an important group of pharmaceutically promising substances. These compounds are produced by commensal microorganisms naturally occurring in marine invertebrates, mainly in bryozoans. The most frequently investigated substance is bryostatin-1, which is a highly oxygenated macrolide with a polyacetate backbone.

Objective: The aim of this work was to summarize documented preclinical and clinical effects of bryostatin-class compounds.

Methods: A literature search was made of Medline and Web of Science databases in 2012.

Results and conclusion: Our review showed that bryostatins are potent agonists of protein kinase C. In addition to this, their significant antineoplastic activity against several tumor types has also been established and described. Bryostatin's anticancer activity has been proved against various cancer types. Moreover, significant results have been achieved by using bryostatin-1 in combination with other therapies, including combination with vaccine testing. Concerning other important properties that bryostatins possess, their ability to sensitize some resistant cells to chemotherapy agents, or immunoactivity and further stimulating growth of new neural connections, and enhancing effect on long-term memory are worth mentioning. In particular, some new bryostatin analogs could represent potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of cancer and other diseases in future.     

Direct electrical stimulation of the optic radiation in patients with covered eyes

Direct electrical stimulation (DES) of the optic radiation (OR) during an awake tumor resection has been repeatedly reported. In all cases, visual function monitoring was performed in patients with open eyes which were looking at a picture. We report a new modification of the standard method, OR stimulation in patient with closed and covered eyes. To the best of our knowledge, this method was not presented before. According to our first experience, this methodology may be in some cases a potentially more sensitive form of neuromonitoring than the OR stimulation in patients with open eyes, as the phosphenes elicited by DES may be more distinct in patients with covered eyes. The technique is discussed, and a literature review on intraoperative identification of the OR is presented as well. However, a future prospective study is needed to confirm the relevance of our finding.