The female partner''s satisfaction with sildenafil citrate treatment of erectile dysfunction

BACKGROUND: Data on female partners' satisfaction are scarce, although there have been many articles on patient satisfaction after sildenafil citrate treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the satisfaction of female partners of patients receiving sildenafil citrate for their erectile dysfunction (ED) and to assess the female partners' sexual function. METHODS: Ninety-eight patients with ED were treated. Their female partners were asked to answer a questionnaire we have prepared to evaluate the efficacy of treatment, sexual satisfaction and changes in quality of life. It also included a question about female sexual function. From the results, the relationship between their female partner's satisfaction and efficacy of treatment, as well as female sexual function, were assessed. RESULTS: Thirty (31%) questionnaires were returned to us for analysis. Effectiveness of the treatment was acknowledged by 90% of the partners. An improvement in their partner's quality of life was noticed by 60% of the women. The majority (66.7%) of the female partners were satisfied with sildenafil citrate treatment and 20% were disappointed. Moreover, 20% of the female partners were concerned about adverse events. Regarding female sexual function, some form of sexual dysfunction affected 46.7% of the women. Furthermore, a significant number (P = 0.0230) of the female partners disappointed with the treatment had some kind of sexual dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that female partners reported relatively high levels of treatment satisfaction. Female partners' sexual function and anxiety regarding adverse events should be evaluated when their satisfaction with sildenafil citrate treatment is poor despite an improvement of erectile function.     

MORPHOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL EVIDENCE FOR APOPTOSIS IN THE TERMINAL HYPERTROPHIC CHONDROCYTES OF THE GROWTH PLATE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanism of cell death in chondrocytes of the growth plate. In the degenerative chondrocyte zone of the growth plate, apoptotic chondrocytes were defeated by the in situ nick end labelling method, by DNA analysis in agarose gel, and by electron microscopy. The results of the in situ nick end labelling method and the occurrence of a ladder pattern of DNA in agarose gel analysis indicated the activation of endogenous endonucleases, resulting in DNA fragmentation. Electron micrographs showed the early morphological changes associated with apoptosis. This report presents both morphological and biochemical evidence for apoptosis in the terminal hypertrophic chondrocytes of the growth plate. These data suggest that apoptosis of degenerative chondrocytes may play an important role in the control of normal and pathological endochondral ossification.     

Effect of Autochthonous Serum on Lymphocyte Response to Tumor Cells and Phytohemagglutinin in Patients With Various Types of Cancer

The serum-blocking effect on lymphocyte response to both authochthonoustumor cells and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) in sera of patientswith various types of cancer was evaluated. The blocking effecton lymphocyte respone to tumor cells correlated with the tumorburden and the subsequent clinical course of the disease. Theeffect on response to PHA, however, showed no significant relationshipwith either the tumor burden or the subsequent clinical course.Under the experimental conditions, no significant correlationof the serum-blocking effect on lymphocyte response to tumorcells with that on lymphocyte response to PHA was found.     

Haemorheological Characterisation of a Model of Diet-induced Hypercholesterolaemia in Rats

This investigation examined the haemorheological changes that occurred in rats during and after administration of high-fat diets containing 10% lard and 1% cholic acid, both with and without 2% cholesterol for a period of 2 weeks. Rats fed the high-fat diet enriched with cholesterol showed markedly impaired fluidity of whole blood, increases of blood viscosity, plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, VLDL-cholesterol, and impaired skin microcirculation shortly after the start of this diet regimen. Additionally, increased liver mass, and lipid accumulation in hepatocytes were observed after two weeks. In contrast, rats fed the high-fat, cholesterol-free diet had less pronounced haemorheological disorders, increased liver mass and lipid accumulation in the liver than rats given the cholesterol-enriched diet. Histopathologically, there were no marked changes in blood vessels or liver in rats fed these diets for 2 weeks, except for fatty liver changes. Dietary induced hypercholesterolaemia therefore contributes to the haemorheological disorder, impaired microcirculation and fatty liver change.     

Bcl-2 EXPRESSION IS CORRELATED WITH A LOW APOPTOTIC INDEX AND ASSOCIATED WITH PROGESTERONE RECEPTOR IMMUNOREACTIVITY IN ENDOMETRIAL CARCINOMAS

A total of 103 endometrial carcinomas (endometrioid type), as well as 15 samples of normal (atrophic or proliferative phase) and 26 of hyperplastic endometrium, were immunohistochemically investigated for expression of Bcl-2, and oestrogen and progesterone receptors (ER and PR), and the results compared with findings for apoptosis and cell proliferation. Carcinoma cases were subdivided into tubular and solid components on the basis of tumour growth patterns. Immunopositivity for Bcl-2, ER, and PR in tubular components was significantly higher than in the solid category, being negatively associated with histological grading. Immunoreactivity scores revealed that Bcl-2 in the tubular group was positively correlated with PR but not ER, while its expression in normal and hyperplastic endometrium was closely linked with both. Apoptotic and mitotic indices (AI and MI) were both significantly lower in tubular than in solid areas. In the tubular areas, AI values were significantly lower in the subgroup with a high level of Bcl-2 expression than in either low-level or negative groups. These results indicate that Bcl-2 expression may play a central role in the inhibition of apoptosis in endometrial carcinoma, in particular those cases with tubular components, possibly being associated with PR rather than ER. Changes in the propensity for apoptosis may be related to alterations of tumour growth pattern and of features of differentiation.     

Study of Tumor-Associated Blastogenic Reactivity of Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes and Regional Lymph Node Lymphocytes in Human Malignancy

The in vitro blastogenic responses of peripheral blood lymphocytes(PBL) and the regional lymph node lymphocytes (LNL) from cancerpatients to autochthonous tumor cells (TC) were investigated.A positive lymphocyte response to autochthonous TC was observedin 23% (6/26) for PBL and 34% (9/26) for LNL. There seemed tobe an inverse relationship between PBL and LNL responses toautochthonous TC. There was no significant difference betweenPBL and LNL responses to autochthonous TC according to the primarysite of the tumor. Analysis of PBL and LNL responses to autochthonousTC according to the extent of the disease revealed that LNLwere definitely more reactive than PBL in patients with a primarytumor that had not spread to the regional lymph nodes.