Control of growth, morphology, and alkaline phosphatase activity by butyrate and related short-chain fatty acids in the retinoid-responsive 9-1C rat prostatic adenocarcinoma cell.

The actions of butyrate and related short-chain fatty acids were analyzed on the 9-1C retinoid-responsive rat prostatic adenocarcinoma cell. The 9-1C cells, which are inducible for alkaline phosphatase (AP) by retinoic acid, were also inducible for the enzyme by three- to six-carbon fatty acids. The most effective inducer was the four-carbon acid, butyrate, which caused an essentially linear increase in AP activity in the concentration range of 2 to 10 mM. A comparison of AP induction by butyrate and retinoic acid showed the retinoid to be a more potent inducer of the enzyme by several orders of magnitude. Butyrate and related short-chain fatty acids also suppressed 9-1C cell growth, an effect which is not mediated by retinoic acid in these cells. Total growth suppression was achieved at butyrate concentrations of 5 mM and above; 1.5 mM caused 50% inhibition. As in the case of AP induction, all three- to six-carbon fatty acids suppressed growth to some extent, although butyrate was the most effective. The order of carbon chain length effectiveness for both AP induction and growth suppression by the fatty acids was 4 greater than 5 greater than 3 greater than 6. Butyrate appeared to be unique among the various fatty acids in causing an increase in cell protein. The protein content of 9-1C cells cultured in the presence of 4 mM butyrate for 72 h was more than 4-fold greater than that of control cells. This observation paralleled observations on cell volumes analyzed by forward-angle light-scatter flow cytometry, which showed a concentration-related increase in the cross-sectional areas of 9-1C cells following butyrate treatment. This effect has also been shown, in a recent study, to be mediated by retinoids. One of the most striking effects of butyrate treatment was on cellular morphology. The fatty acid caused 9-1C cells, which normally grow in a disorganized array with no apparent affinity for each other, to spread out and become organized into parallel tracts through the monolayer.

Effect of retinoic acid on the growth and morphology of a prostatic adenocarcinoma cell line cloned for the retinoid inducibility of alkaline phosphatase.

Cells derived from the G-subline of the Dunning R-3327 rat prostatic adenocarcinoma were selected on the basis of their inducibility for alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity by retinoic acid. A p-nitrophenylphosphate-agarose overlay procedure was used to identify AP-inducible clones. The frequency of AP-inducible cells in one rapidly growing tumorigenic clone, designated 9-1C, has remained at 100% during at least 4 months of continuous culture. In culture, 9-1C cells had a mean population-doubling time in log phase of 14 hr. Retinoic acid (10 microM) did not significantly affect the rate of growth in log phase. It did, however, cause the cultures to saturate at a cell density which was 40% lower than that of control cultures. This effect on saturation density was reversible within 24 hr after removing retinoic acid from the medium. Retinoic acid-treated cells occupied greater areas on the culture dish surface, and the cross-sectional area of these cells, measured on dispersed cells by light-scatter flow cytometry, was 35 to 40% greater than that of control cells. The inducibility of 9-1C cells for AP activity decreased as the culture density increased. Cells of the 9-1C clone produced tumors when injected into male and female Fischer X Copenhagen F1 rats. No histological differences were detected between tumors grown in male and female rats. Although the tumors were poorly differentiated, primitive acinar-like structures were observed. Cells staining uniformly positive for AP activity were distributed randomly throughout the tumors. In the acinar-like structures, AP activity was localized only on the apical surfaces of the cells lining the lumens. This was also the site of enzyme activity in acini of the lateral component of the dorsolateral prostate, the source of the original R-3327 tumor. In the lateral prostatic component, AP activity was also found in the basal region of the acini, and the secretory material filling the lumens was strongly positive for the enzyme. These two regions of the tumor acini were negative for AP activity. With the exception of activity in capillaries at the basal surface, the acini of the dorsal component of the dorsolateral prostate were devoid of AP activity.

Postmenopausal vesical endometriosis.

Vesical endometriosis in a postmenopausal patient is reported. An abdominal hysterectomy had been performed twenty-four years previously, and exogenous estrogens had not been administered. The patient was treated surgically with a partial cystectomy.

Ruptured mycotic aortic aneurysm.

A right flank mass, in a patient with fever of unknown origin, pain, and superiorly displaced right kidney on excretory urogram, was explored through a subcostal incision. Finding of a retroperitoneal abscess was anticipated; instead of a ruptured mycotic aortic aneurysm was encountered. An awareness that entities such as this may exist is imperative in the differential diagnosis of flank masses. Treatment through a flank incision presents an elusive if not impossible feat. Because of the gravity of the underlying disease, misdiagnosis almost always results in death.

Hemangioma of scrotum, perineum, and buttocks.

A case of cavernous hemangioma of the scrotum with involvement of the perineum and buttock is presented and discussed.

Closure pressure studies of the tapered ileal segment and reinforced ileocecal valve in continent urinary diversion.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the function of the continent segment, a tapered terminal ileum with reinforced ileocecal valve, utilized in continent colonic urinary reservoir. METHODS: Closure pressure study of the continent mechanism was performed in 20 patients with the colonic reservoir empty and at maximum capacity. RESULTS: Maximum pressure within the tapered ileum was recorded at the reinforced ileocecal valve and was recorded when the reservoir was full. Pressure ranged between 60 and 200 cm water (mean, 139.5 cm H2O). The pressure within the reinforced segment exceeded the pressure within the reservoir at all times. CONCLUSIONS: When properly reinforced, the ileocecal valve is able to maintain a closing pressure above that of the detubularized urinary reservoir, making it a reliable continent mechanism.

Management of massively refluxing megaureters.

We report on 15 patients with massively refluxing megaureters in 28 renoureteral units. All had a history of urinary tract infections, and 14 were treated with initial vesical drainage. All had ureteral reimplantation, and half of those who initially underwent diversion did not require tailoring. Overall success was 87 per cent.

Urodynamics in women with stress and urge incontinence.

Subtracted bladder pressure recording is the ideal method to diagnose bladder instability in supine and erect positions. Uroflowmetry demonstrated higher peak flow rates in our stable bladder group. Lateral cystourethrography showed a higher degree of urethral hypermobility in the same group. We believe that cystometry with subtraction is still the cornerstone in the evaluation of these patients. Uroflowmetry and lateral cystography may add some information and deserve further investigation in a large number of patients. Intravesical pressure alone, external urethral sphincter electromyography, and static urethral pressure profilometry were of no value in the evaluation of our patients.

Penile angiosarcoma presenting in bladder.

A case of angiosarcoma of the right corpus cavernosum with direct extension to the bladder, prostate, and seminal vesicles and metastasis to brain, liver, and cheek is presented, and the literature is reviewed.

Use of exteriorized stents in vasovasostomy.

Ten patients, three to fifteen years postvasectomy, underwent vasovasostomy. Using 2-0 nylon, stents were brought to the scrotal surface. Vas anastomosis was accomplished with a single transmural layer of 6-0 or 7-0 proline or chromic sutures under loupe magnification. Stents were removed in seven to ten days. After two years, a pregnancy rate of 70% was achieved, comparing favorably with other more difficult operative techniques.

Pathologic vascularity of renal angiomyolipoma: cast corrosion and angiographic study.

Angiomyolipomas of the kidney at times have been preoperatively identified by the interlobar or interlobular artery eneurysms in the early vascular phase of renal arteriograms. A case report is presented in which a plastic cast corrosion technique was used postnephrectomy to demonstrate the presence of aneurysms identified angiographically prior to surgery. Portions of a cast corrosion model of a hypernephroma are also exhibited to compare and contrast pathologic vascular features of both types of tumors.

Investigation of different combinations of estrogen therapy and radiation therapy on prostatic adenocarcinoma (R-3327).

The relative effectiveness of different combinations of estrogen therapy and radiation therapy against the R-3327 prostatic adenocarcinoma of the Copenhagen rat was studied. Because of similar actions of estrogens and radiation in the cell cycle, and possibly antagonistic effects reported in the clinical literature, we looked for an antagonism between these two therapeutic modalities. Radiation therapy consistently showed a greater tumor inhibitory effect than estrogen therapy alone at the dose tested. Combinations of radiation therapy with hormonal manipulation did not appear to show a greater inhibition of tumor growth than radiation therapy alone. There also did not appear to be an antagonistic effect between these two modalities in this system.

Leiomyosarcoma of prostate gland.

A case of leiomyosarcoma of the prostate is presented. The patient was successfully treated with transperineal radon seed implantation and external irradiation. The five-year, disease-free survival suggests that such patients can benefit from this therapeutic approach.

Renal angiomyolipoma; polycystic kidney, and renal cell carcinoma in patient with tuberous sclerosis.

A patient with tuberous sclerosis presented with renal failure secondary to bilateral angiomyolipoma. The angiomyolipoma was associated with polycystic disease and a foci of renal cell carcinoma. This unusual combination has not been reported previously, although each entity has been described separately in tuberous sclerosis.

Double-ended pigtail ureteral stent: useful modification to single end ureteral stent.

A newly created ureteral stenting catheter of double-ended pigtail design is introduced. The pigtail design at both ends maintains the catheter in place by serving as a solid anchoring device, both intravesically and within the renal pelvis; upward or downward migration of the stent is thus prevented. It is designed also to minimize trigonal irritation. The catheter can be introduced easily either cystoendoscopically or through a percutaneous antegrade route, or by a combination of both methods. It offers the additional advantage of being readily available from an inexpensive stock source; it may be quickly and easily custom made and shaped for any ureter by the physician immediately prior to its insertion. It thus avoids having to have premanufactured, more expensive ureteral stents of different lengths. Open surgery for upper urinary tract decompression can thus be avoided.

Significance of asymptomatic bacteriuria in neurogenic bladder disease.

Whether or not to treat bacteriuria (greater than or equal to 100,000 col/cc) in the asymptomatic patient has long been controversial. Fifty-two patients with uncomplicated neurogenic bladder disease secondary to spinal cord injury and bacteriuria were followed throughout their hospitalization. Antibiotics were reserved only for symptomatic patients. Our results indicate the value of no treatment for chronic bacteriuria as an alternative to chronic suppressive therapy.

Centrifugal cytology: a new technique for urine cytology.

A new technique, centrifugal cytology, appears to have a high recovery rate of malignant cells from voided urine specimens resulting in a high probability of early disease detection and should be considered a good supplement to cytoscopic evaluation of high-risk populations.

Patient-reported sexual symptomatology in predicting functional and insufficient erectile capacity.

We evaluated the clinical utility of patient-reported erectile functioning information in discriminating Rigiscan-determined functional (greater than or equal to 70% penile tip and base rigidity and greater than or equal to 10 minutes' duration) from insufficient (less than 40% penile tip and base rigidity and less than or equal to 6 minutes' duration) erectile capacity, in a population of chronically ill men presenting with erectile dysfunction. Forty-three male veterans completed an extensive medical and psychologic evaluation, including a detailed assessment of sexual functioning, and then underwent two consecutive nights of supervised in-hospital Rigiscan sleep evaluations. Results of discriminant function analysis indicated that patient reports of morning erections and ejaculatory ability accurately predicted group membership for functional (96.7%) and insufficient (100%) categories. Careful attention to patient self-report is suggested for the urologist's initial appraisal of erectile dysfunction in populations of older, chronically ill men.

Periurethral teflon injection for urinary incontinence.

One hundred and twenty-five patients with urinary incontinence, from a variety of causes, received 225 periurethral injections of Polytef paste. A good to excellent result was obtained in better than 70 per cent of the cases. Complications were minimal. The procedure appears to be safe and rapid and hospitalization is short.

A rationale for the loss of growth control during experimental bladder carcinogenesis.

A rationale is presented which provides an explanation for the loss of growth control which is associated with the early phase of experimentally-induced bladder cancer. Two early events which occur in the urothelium following exposure to carcinogen, the focal loss of alkaline phosphatase activity and the initiation of cell proliferation, are both proposed to be the result of a defect in the interaction between glucocorticoid hormone and urothelium. The possible causes for this defect are discussed in terms of a defect in, or an interference with, the glucocorticoid-receptor mechanism.