Influence of cyclophilin D protein expression level on endothelial cell oxidative damage resistance.

We examined the influence of cyclophilin-D (CypD) protein expression level on endothelial cell oxidative damage resistance. A model of CypD protein expression or high expression in endothelial cells was established through gene silencing or cloning. The comparable groups were normal endothelial cells cultured in phosphate-buffered solution in liquid handling cells containing 500 mM H2O2 for 90 or 120 min, and then the medium was replaced with common nutrient solution and cultured again for 24 h. The apoptosis rate and nitric oxide (NO) levels of each group were tested. The cell apoptosis rate of the CyPD low expression group (32.51 ± 6.6 %) was significantly lower than that of the control group (52.57 ± 5.84%, P = 0.001), and total NO production was 24.06 ± 3 and 13.03 ± 3.55 µM. The apoptosis rate of the CyPD high expression group (24.24 + 3.08%) was significantly higher than that of the control group (7.7 + 0.68%, P < 0.001); total NO production was 3.55 ± 1.53 and 8.46 ± 0.77 µM, which was significantly different (P = 0.008). CypD protein could increase oxidative stress and cause endothelial cell injury and apoptosis.

First Report of Corynespora Leaf Spot of Eucalyptus in China.

Eucalyptus is widely planted in the tropics and subtropics, and it has become an important cash crop in Southern China because of its fast-growing nature. In the Guangxi Province of southern China, Eucalyptus is produced on approximately 2 million ha, and two dominant asexual clones, Guanglin No. 9 (E. grandis × E. urophylla) and DH3229 (E. urophylla × E. grandis), are grown. Diseases are an increasing threat to Eucalyptus production in Guangxi since vast areas are monocultured with this plant. In June 2013, a leaf spot disease was observed in eight out of 14 regions in the province on a total of approximately 0.08 million ha of Eucalyptus. Initially, the lesions appeared as water-soaked dots on leaves, which then became circular or irregular shaped with central gray-brown necrotic lesions and dark red-brown margins. The size of leaf spots ranged between 1 and 3 mm in diameter. The main vein or small veins adjacent to the spots were dark. The lesions expanded rapidly during rainy days, producing reproductive structures. In severe cases, the spots coalesced and formed large irregular necrotic areas followed by defoliation. The causal fungus was isolated from diseased leaves. Briefly, the affected leaves were washed with running tap water, sterilized with 75% ethanol (30 s) and 0.1% mercuric dichloride (3 min), and then rinsed three times with sterilized water. Small segments (0.5 to 0.6 cm2) were cut from the leading edge of the lesions and plated on PDA. The plates were incubated at 25°C for 7 to 10 days. When mycelial growth and spores were observed, a single-spore culture was placed on PDA and grown in the dark at 25°C for 10 days. A pathogenicity test was done by spraying a conidial suspension (5 × 105 conidia ml-1) of isolated fungus onto 30 3-month-old leaves of Guanglin No. 9 seedlings. The plants were covered with plain plastic sheets for 7 days to keep the humidity high. Lesions similar to those observed in the forests were observed on the inoculated leaves 7 to 10 days after incubation. The same fungus was re-isolated. Leaves of control plants (sprayed with sterilized water) were disease free. Conidiophores of the fungus were straight to slightly curved, erect, unbranched, septate, and pale to light brown. Conidia were formed in chains or singly with 4 to 15 pseudosepta, which were oblong oval to cylindrical, subhyaline to pale olivaceous brown, straight to curved, 14.5 to 92.3 µm long, and 3.5 to 7.1 µm wide. The fungus was morphologically identified as Corynespora cassiicola (1). DNA of the isolate was extracted, and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region (which included ITS 1, 5.8S rDNA gene of rDNA, and ITS 2) was amplified with primers ITS5 and ITS4. 529 base pair (bp) of PCR product was obtained and sequenced. The sequence was compared by BLAST search to the GenBank database and showed 99% similarity to C. cassiicola (Accession No. JX087447). Our sequence was deposited into GenBank (KF669890). The biological characters of the fungus were tested. Its minimum and maximum growth temperatures on PDA were 7 and 37°C with an optimum range of 25 to 30°C. At 25°C in 100% humidity, 90% of conidia germinated after 20 h. The optimum pH for germination was 5 to 8, and the lethal temperature of conidia was 55°C. C. cassiicola has been reported causing leaf blight on Eucalyptus in India and Brazil (2,3) and causing leaf spot on Akebia trifoliate in Guangxi (4). This is the first report of this disease on Eucalyptus in China. References: (1) M. B. Ellis and P. Holliday. CMI Descriptions of Pathogenic Fungi and Bacteria, No. 303. Commonwealth Mycological Institute, Kew, Surrey, UK, 1971. (2) B. P. Reis, et al. New Dis. Rep. 29:7, 2014. (3) K. I. Wilson and L. R. Devi. Ind. Phytopathol. 19:393, 1966. (4) Y. F. Ye et al. Plant Dis. 97:1659, 2013.

First Report of a Tospovirus in Mulberry.

Mulberry (Morus alba L.) is an economically important crop grown widely throughout Asia. Various virus-like symptoms including mosaics, vein banding, and chlorotic ringspots have been observed and reported on mulberry trees in China and Japan for decades. However, the etiology of mulberry viral diseases is generally understudied, although two mulberry-infecting viruses, Mulberry latent virus (genus Carlavirus) (2) and Mulberry ringspot virus (genus Nepovirus) (3), have been partially characterized. In a recent (2010 to 2011) field survey in Guangxi Province, China, supported by the local government, the incidence of virus-like diseases of mulberry ranged between 40 and 80%. To identify the viruses infecting mulberry, deep sequencing of small RNAs (4) was conducted using an Illumina Genome Analyzer. Small RNAs were isolated from five samples of mulberry leaves showing various virus-like symptoms and sequenced. Among the contigs assembled, a 445-bp contig (GenBank Accession No. JX268597) was found to share 76.6% nucleotide identity and 83.0% amino acid identity to Groundnut bud necrosis virus (genus Tospovirus, family Bunyaviridae; Accession Nos. U42555 and AAC55521). To obtain a longer cDNA fragment of this virus, a reverse transcription (RT)-PCR was done with primers MV-N-F (5'-AAGCCATCAATGTGCCTCCGGA-3') and MV-N-R (5'-AACACCATGTCTACCGTCCGTC-3') that align to the S-RNA sequence encompassing the nucleocapsid (N) gene and a portion of the intergenic region (IGR) of the Tospovirus. PCR products of about 1,000 bp were successfully amplified from the total RNA of the three mulberry samples (sl-1, xcsy-1, and xcsy-4) showing vein banding symptoms, but not from asymptomatic mulberry (jk-1). These PCR products were cloned and sequenced. The lengths of the amplicons were 1,027 bp (isolate sl-1, JX173786), 987 bp (isolate xcsy-1, JX173787), and 979 bp (isolate xcsy-4, JX173788) and the partial IGRs of the sl-1, xcsy-1, and xcsy-4 isolates were 187 bp, 147 bp, and 139 bp, respectively. The coding regions for the N protein were 831 bp and the deduced proteins of 277 amino acid residues were 100% identical for all three isolates. Since the N protein of this virus shared up to only 74.4% identity to other tospoviruses (74.4% to Capsicum chlorosis virus, ABB83818; and 71.5% to Watermelon bud necrosis virus, ABY79095), it may represent a new member of the Tospovirus genus, temporarily named Mulberry vein banding virus (MuVBV), according to the species demarcation criteria for the Bunyaviridae (1). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a Tospovirus infecting M. alba. In an RT-PCR screening of 48 randomly selected mulberry samples suspected to be virus-infected, 32 were MuVBV-positive. Giving the high incidence and the high yield loss associated with Tospovirus and the presence of thrips, suspected vectors for the virus, MuVBV may represent a substantial threat to the silkworm industry in China. References: (1) M. Q. K. Andrew et al. Virus Taxonomy: 9th Report of the ICTV. Elsevier Academic Press, San Diego, 2012. (2) T. Tsuchizaki. Annu. Phytopath. Soc. Japan 42:304, 1976. (3) T. Tsuchizaki et al. Annu. Phytopath. Soc. Japan 37:266, 1971. (4) Q. Wu et al. PNAS. 107:1606, 2010.

Weight gain during pregnancy and placenta morphology: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the association between maternal weight gain and placenta morphology in the complete placenta previa pregnancies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a prospective clinical cohort study. Pregnancy weight gain was defined as the difference between delivery and at first trimester. Morphological parameters, including placenta length, breadth, thickness, length-breadth, surface area, weight, and fetoplacental weight ratio, were direct measured delivery. RESULTS: Eighty-five women were included in this study. Maternal weight gain was 11.12 ± 3.95 kg. Placenta length, breadth, thickness, length-breadth, surface area, weight and fetoplacental weight ratio were 19.42 ± 1.97 cm, 18.29 ± 1.80 cm, 2.18 ± 0.38 cm, 1.13 ± 0.80 cm, 281.60 ± 57.23 cm2, 569.05 ± 118.77 g, and 4.88 ± 0.88, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between maternal weight gain and placenta length (r = 0.261, p = 0.016), placenta breadth (r = 0.239, p = 0.028), and placenta surface area (r = 0.254, p = 0.019). In the linear regression model, maternal weight gain was significantly associated with placenta length [ß (95% CI): 0.130 (0.025-0.236)], breadth [ß (95% CI): 0.109 (0.012-0.205)], and surface area [ß (95%CI): 3.677 (0.615-6.739)]. The results were still stable after adjusting for pre-pregnancy weight. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal weight gain in pregnancy was associated with placental length, placental breadth, and placental surface area in a complete placenta previa pregnancies. Considering the single center data, further studies are needed to recognize the significance of the association analyzed in our study.

[A novel and simplified closure method for defect closure after endoscopic full-thickness resection of gastric submucosal tumors: short-term outcomes of "Shao-Mai" closure method].

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and short-term efficacy of a novel and simplified closure method developed by our team for the defect closure after endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR) for gastric submucosal tumors (SMT) in the gastric wall. Methods: A prospective single-arm clinical study was used. Inclusion criteria: (1) the lesion was located in the fundus or the greater curvature of the stomach, and was confirmed to originate from the muscularis propria layer; (2) the diameter of the tumor was ≤3.5 cm, and the tumor had no extensive adhesion to the peritoneal tissues and organs in extraperitoneal cavity; (3) the tumor had no malignant features under ultrasound endoscopy; (4) the patient agreed to participate in the study; (5) patients with severe complications were excluded. Based on the above criteria, 20 patients with gastric SMT at the Endoscopy Center of Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University from January 2015 to March 2018 were enrolled in this study, including 5 males and 15 females with mean age of 61.1 (38 to 70) years. Grasping forceps-assisted endo-loop snare ligation device which is called "Shao-Mai" method was used to close the defect site. All the patients underwent EFTR and "Shao-Mai" method to perform defect closure. After successful tumor resection by EFTR, an endo-loop was anchored onto the edge of the gastric defect with grasping forceps assistance and closed tightly. The observation indicators included tumor size, en bloc resection, operation time, postoperative complications and hospital stay. The follow-up indicators included tumor residual, local recurrence, and metachronous lesions. Results: All the 20 lesions were located in the muscularis propria with a size of 0.5-3.5 (mean 1.4) cm. Three of them were located in the greater curvature of the mid-upper gastric body, 17 were located in the fundus. The endoscopic "Shao-Mai" closure was successfully performed after EFTR in all the 20 cases. Endoscope was used uniquely through the entire process, without laparoscopic assistance. The operative time was 20-100 (mean 43.8) minutes, while the "Shao-Mai" closure procedure took a range of 3-30 (mean 10.1) minutes. The en bloc resection rate was 100%. The pathological diagnosis included 17 gastrointestinal stromal tumors and 3 leiomyomas. No major complications occurred during or after surgery. All the patients were discharged 1-11 (mean 3.1) days after operation. The wounds of all the cases were healed completely six months after operation and only scar was observed without ulcer. No residual lesion, tumor recurrence or metastasis, leakage or fistula of digestive tract were found during the follow-up period of 15-54 (median 41) months. Conclusion: The endoscopic "Shao-Mai" closure method is a simplified novel way, which is feasible, effective, and safe for closing the gastric defect after EFTR.

Dexmedetomidine, an alpha2-adrenergic agonist, inhibits neuronal delayed-rectifier potassium current and sodium current.

BACKGROUND: Dexmedetomidine (DEX), a selective agonist of alpha2-adrenergic receptors, is recognized to facilitate analgesia and anaesthesia in humans. Despite the potential for wide use, its effects on ion currents and membrane potential in neurones remain largely unclear. METHODS: We investigated the effects of DEX on ion channels in NG108-15 neuronal cells differentiated with dibutyryl cyclic AMP and in cultured cerebellar neurones. RESULTS: DEX suppressed the amplitude of delayed rectifier K+ current [I(K(DR))] in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC50 value of 4.6 microM in NG108-15 cells. No change in the steady-state inactivation of I(K(DR)) was evident in the presence of DEX. A minimal binding scheme was also used to evaluate DEX-induced block of I(K(DR)). Inhibition of I(K(DR)) by DEX was still observed in cells preincubated with yohimbine (10 microM) or efaroxan (10 microM). DEX depressed the peak amplitude of Na+ current (I(Na)), whereas it had minimal effect on L-type Ca2+ current. Under current-clamp configuration, DEX increased the duration of action potentials (APs). I(K(DR)) and I(Na) in response to AP waveforms were more sensitive to block by DEX than those elicited during rectangular pulses. In isolated cerebellar granule cells, DEX also effectively suppressed I(K(DR)). CONCLUSIONS: The effects of DEX are not limited to its interactions with alpha2-adrenergic receptors. Inhibitory effects on I(K(DR)) and I(Na) constitute one of the underlying mechanisms through which DEX and its structurally related compounds might affect neuronal activity in vivo.

Transport of 2-aminoisobutyric acid in cultured endothelial cells.

Conflicting reports exist concerning the presence of a Na(+)-coupled amino acid transport system in cultured endothelial cells. We have employed a non-metabolizable analog, 2-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB), to investigate the activity of Na(+)-dependent amino acid transport in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). We found a pronounced saturable, Na(+)-dependent component of AIB uptake in 'fresh' (non-starved) HUVEC. The Na(+)-dependent component accounted for 78% of total AIB uptake with a high sensitivity to external Na+. The accumulation of AIB was inhibited by ouabain preincubation, consistent with the energetics of Na(+)-coupled transport. Amiloride, an epithelial Na+ channel blocker, also inhibited AIB transport at high concentration. The results strongly support the presence of a Na(+)-coupled transport system of amino acid in HUVEC.

Mutational analysis of yeast TFIIB. A functional relationship between Ssu72 and Sub1/Tsp1 defined by allele-specific interactions with TFIIB.

TFIIB is an essential component of the RNA polymerase II core transcriptional machinery. Previous studies have defined TFIIB domains required for interaction with other transcription factors and for basal transcription in vitro. In the study reported here we investigated the TFIIB structural requirements for transcription initiation in vivo. A library of sua7 mutations encoding altered forms of yeast TFIIB was generated by error-prone polymerase chain reaction and screened for conditional growth defects. Twenty-two single amino acid replacements in TFIIB were defined and characterized. These replacements are distributed throughout the protein and occur primarily at phylogenetically conserved positions. Most replacements have little or no effect on the steady-state protein levels, implying that each affects TFIIB function rather than synthesis or stability. In contrast to the initial sua7 mutants, all replacements, with one exception, have no effect on start site selection, indicating that specific TFIIB structural defects affect transcriptional accuracy. This collection of sua7 alleles, including the initial sua7 alleles, was used to investigate the allele specificity of interactions between ssu72 and sub1, both of which were initially identified as either suppressors (SUB1 2mu) or enhancers (sub1Delta, ssu72-1) of sua7 mutations. We show that the interactions of ssu72-1 and sub1Delta with sua7 are allele specific; that the allele specificities of ssu72 and sub1 overlap; and that each of the sua7 alleles that interacts with ssu72 and sub1 affects the accuracy of transcription start site selection. These results demonstrate functional interactions among TFIIB, Ssu72, and Sub1 and suggest that these interactions play a role in the mechanism of start site selection by RNA polymerase II.

Isolation and characterization of a full-length rabbit apolipoprotein E cDNA.

In order to study the primary structure of rabbit apolipoprotein (apo) E and the regulation of levels of liver apo E mRNA by dietary cholesterol, we have cloned and sequenced a full length rabbit apo E cDNA. DNA sequence analyses suggests that rabbit apo E is synthesized with an additional 18 amino acids as the prepeptide. The mature rabbit apo E contains 293 amino acids with a calculated molecular weight of 33,528. It has a 76% amino acid sequence homology with human apo E. Northern blot analyses showed that rabbit apo E mRNA is about 1200 nucleotides in length. Using mRNA dot blot analyses, we found that dietary cholesterol has no effect on the level of apo E mRNA in rabbit liver. We conclude that the elevated levels of plasma apo E in rabbits fed a cholesterol-rich diet is not a result of an increase of levels of apo E mRNA in the liver.

Radionuclide hysterosalpingography with technetium-99m-pertechnetate: application and radiation dose to the ovaries.

Although radionuclide hysterosalpingography (RNHSG) has been suggested as an efficient procedure for assessing function of fallopian tubes, the radiation dose to the ovaries was addressed as an important issue to be taken into consideration. We describe a modified method of RNHSG, calculating the radiation dose to the ovaries. A small dose of approximately 18.5 MBq (0.5 mCi) of [99mTc]pertechnetate was administered directly into the uterine cavity without overpressure. The accuracy of the method was 84.5% as compared with the contrast hysterosalpingography. The estimated average dose to the ovaries was 0.057 mGy/MBq (0.21 rad/mCi) or 1.08 mGy (108 mrad) per study. RNHSG is an accurate method for functional study of fallopian tube patency with low radiation dose.

Polymorphisms of apolipoprotein B gene in relation to coronary heart disease in Chinese Han nationality.

Two polymorphic sites of apolipoprotein B (apoB) gene, XbaI and EcoRI, were examined in 80 patients with documented coronary heart disease (CHD) and 60 healthy individuals selected from a population of Chinese Han nationality. Allele frequencies at these sites were compared between the patients and controls and their impact on lipid metabolism was also investigated. The frequency of X+ allele (presence of XbaI cutting site) in CHD patients was 0.10, which was significantly higher than 0.01 in controls (P < 0.001). The same trend was detected for frequency of E-allele (lack of EcoRI cutting site) when it was compared between CHD patients and controls (0.11 vs 0.05), the difference was not statistically significant (P < 0.1, > 0.05). There was no relationship between XbaI RFLP and EcoRI RFLP. In the CHD patients, X+ allele was associated with the lower levels of HDL-C and apoAI when compared with X- allele, while no associations were found of X+ allele with other lipid parameters. On the contrary, the EcoRI polymorphism had no significant influence on plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels. Therefore, it was suggested that genetic variation at XbaI site of apoB gene might contribute to the determination of plasma HDL-C level and development of CHD in people among Chinese Han nationality.

Home-based patient-controlled epidural analgesia with bupivacaine for patients with intractable herpetic neuralgia.

This clinical report is based on retrospective observation of the outcome and effects of patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) with bupivacaine infusion administered at home to five patients with intractable herpetic neuralgia. All patients had severe pain (9 or 10 visual analogue scale [VAS]points) confined to the affected dermatomes, which was refractory to medication. The interval between zoster onset and PCEA application ranged from 27 to 60 days (mean, 37.2 d). The average daily amount of bupivacaine used was 36.5 to 91.2 mg (mean +/- standard deviation, 62.4 +/- 19.7 mg). The duration of PCEA therapy ranged from 10 to 28 days (18.4 +/- 7.6 d). One patient developed drug tolerance. All treatments resulted in effective and satisfactory pain relief (VAS, 0-3), with increase in physical activities to normal levels and easing of sleep and appetite impairment. No deleterious effects were found during PCEA therapy. After discontinuation of PCEA, two patients did not complain of pain but still had slight paresthesia, one of them required low-dose antidepressant for 17 days; three patients continued to have occasional sharp pain (VAS, 2-3) and required low-dose antidepressant and analgesic as-needed for one to six months. These results suggest that PCEA with bupivacaine infusion provides effective pain relief in patients with intractable herpetic neuralgia and is a feasible and effective home treatment modality with limited side effects.

[Plasma prostaglandins E, E2 and F2a in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC)].

The levels of prostaglandins E, E2 and F2a (PGE, PGE2, PGF2a) in plasma of NPC patients, patients with other tumors and normal individuals were monitored by radioimmunoassay. The results showed that PGE and PGE2 levels in the plasma of NPC and other cancer patients were significantly higher but the PGF2a/PGE2 ratio was obviously lower than that of the normal (P less than 0.05). But there were not much changes in the PGF2a levels (P greater than 0.05). However, no difference was found between the PG8 levels of the NPC and the other cancer patients (P greater than 0.05). Neither were there any significant changes in the PGE2 and PGF2a plasma levels and ratio of PGF2a/PGE2 in 26 NPC patients staged according to TNM classification. It is indicated that there is a relation between PGE, PGE2 and nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

[Metabolism of serum lipoprotein in hypothyroidism].

The changes of serum lipids concentrations in 15 patients with primary hypothyroidism were studied. 9 euthyroid persons in the similar age group with patients were selected as a control group. The serum levels of total and LDL cholesterol, TG, ApoAI, ApoB and ApoCII in patients before treatment were all higher than those of the control group. They decreased to normal level after treatment. The mean values of total cholesterol decreased from 6.7 mmol/L to 4.1 mmol/L, TG decreased from 2.5 mmol/L to 1.0 mmol/L, LDI-ch from 3.9 mmol/L to 2.4 mmol/L, ApoAI from 1.9 g/L, to 1.3g/L, ApoB from 1.2 g/L to 0.7 g/L and ApoCII decreased from 6.9 mg/dl to 3.9 mg/dl. There were no differences of HDI-ch level between patients before treatment and normal controls, HDI-ch level of patients only slightly decreased after treatment. Soon after the thyroid hormone treatment, all parameters of serum lipids, not including HDI-ch, were improved, as TT, level became normal, although the levels of TT4 was still not reached to normal level.

[Apolipoprotein B signal peptide insertion/deletion polymorphism in Chinese patients with coronary heart disease].

Insertion/deletion (Ins/Del) polymorphism of the apo B gene encoding signal peptide and its relation to coronary heart disease (CHD) and lipid trait were studied in 103 patients with CHD and 100 healthy individuals from Chinese Han nationality. The frequency of rare Del allele was 0.259, which was significantly lower than 0.34 in Caucasians (France), but higher than 0.16 in South Asian descents in UK. When the frequency distribution of the Ins/Del alleles was compared between CHD group and control group, the frequency of rare Del allele in the patient group was not apparently different from that in the control group (0.282 vs. 0.235, P > 0.05). As for the impact of the Ins/Del genotype on levels of lipid and apolipoprotein, the patients with at least one Del allele had significantly lower HDL-C level compared with those with only Ins allele in the CHD group (P < 0.01). Levels of other lipid parameters in each group were not obviously associated with the Ins/Del genotype. It is suggested that the Ins/Del polymorphism of the apo B signal peptide might be involved in lipid metabolism by an unidentified mechanism in some ethnic population. PCR is a useful method for distinguishing Ins/Del polymorphism of the apo B signal peptide.

[Distribution of apoE phenotypes and frequencies of apoE alleles in Mongolian population].

Distribution of apoE3/3, E3/4 and E2/3 were 88.2%, 9.7% and 2.2%, respectively, in a Mongolian population. No apoE2/2, E2/4 or E4/4 phenotypes were found in this study. The population of apo E3/3 and frequency of epsilon 3 in this Mongolian population were significantly higher than those of Western populations and the Han nationality of China. The above results indicated that apoE phenotypes are closely related to lipid levels. The cholesterol levels of individuals with apoE3/3 phenotype were much lower than those of individuals with apoE2/3 (P less than 0.01) and higher than those of individuals with apoE3/4 (P less than 0.05). The levels of apoA-1 of individuals with apoE3/3 were much lower than those of individuals with apoE2/3 (P less than 0.01), but no difference was found between apoE3/3 and apoE3/4 phenotypes (P greater than 0.05).

Bipolar plasmakinetic transurethral resection of the prostate vs. transurethral enucleation and resection of the prostate: pre- and postoperative comparisons of parameters used in assessing benign prostatic enlargement.

INTRODUCTION: Transurethral enucleation and resection of the prostate (TUERP) may offer a better treatment for benign prostatic enlargement. We compared the perioperative parameters and outcome following bipolar plasmakinetic transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and TUERP. METHODS: Data from two independent institutions were reviewed retrospectively. 50 and 45 consecutive patients were enrolled in the TURP and TUERP groups, respectively. Pre- and postoperative parameters, including prostatic specific antigen (PSA), prostate volume (PV), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life (QOL) score, uroflowmetry and prostate volume (PV), were compared. RESULTS: Age at surgery, preoperative PSA (5.8 +/- 4.0 versus 7.6 +/- 5.9 ng/ml) and PV (55.8 +/- 31.6 versus 53.2 +/- 26.8 g) showed no significant difference (p-value greater than 0.05). However, postoperative PSA (2.8 +/- 3.0 versus 0.8 +/- 0.4 ng/ml; p-value less than 0.05) and PV (15.2 +/- 7.7 versus 10.5 +/- 5.4 g; p-value less than 0.01) differed significantly between the TURP and TUERP groups, respectively. There were no significant differences in IPSS, QOL and Qmax between the two groups during follow-up (p-value is 0.62, 0.68 and 0.13, respectively). However, for the TUERP group, the postoperative post-void residual urine volume (PVR) was significantly better (13.8 +/- 19.5 versus 25.2 +/- 18.7 ml; p-value less than 0.01). CONCLUSION: The TUERP technique achieved more complete resection than TURP, with a smaller post procedure PV and lower PSA and PVR after surgery. This may predict better long-term results for patients who had TUERP.