In vivo tracking on longer retention of transplanted myocardin gene-modified adipose-derived stem cells to improve erectile dysfunction in diabetic rats.

BACKGROUND: Stem cell therapy has revealed a promising future for treating erectile dysfunction (ED), but the fate and curative mechanism of intracavernosal transplanted stem cells are under further exploration. This study aimed to demonstrate the effects of myocardin gene modification on improving erectile function and prolonging the retention of implanted adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) using in vivo small animal imaging. METHODS: ASCs were isolated, cultured, and identified by flow cytometry and osteogenic and adipogenic induction. The effects of gene modification on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and contraction were determined by CCK-8, EdU, flow cytometry, and collagen gel lattice contraction assays as well as confocal microscopy. A total of 20 normal and 60 diabetes mellitus ED to (DMED) Sprague-Dawley rats were recruited to the 7 day and 21 day groups. Each group contained subgroups of 10 rats each: the negative control (NC), DMED + ASCs plus Ad-Luc-Myocardin, DMED + ASCs plus Ad-Luc, and DMED + phosphate buffer solution (PBS) groups. Erectile function was evaluated with the intracavernosal pressure/mean arterial pressure (△ICP/MAP) ratio. In vivo small animal imaging and an EdU cell tracking strategy were introduced to detect the transplanted ASCs, and IHC and WB were performed to assess smooth muscle cell protein levels. RESULTS: The ASCs expressed high CD29 and CD90 and scant CD45, while the multi-induction potential was verified by oil red O and alizarin red staining. Gene transfection of myocardin had no significant influence on ASC apoptosis but inhibited cell proliferation and promoted cell contraction. Myocardin combined with ASCs enhanced the therapeutic potential of ASCs for improving the △ICP/MAP ratio as well as α-SMA and calponin expression. In vivo imaging confirmed that ASCs resided within the cavernous body in 21 days, while only a few red EdU dots were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Myocardin induced ASC differentiation towards smooth muscle-like cells and enhanced the therapeutic potential of ASCs for ameliorating ED in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Notably, in vivo small animal tracking was an effective strategy for monitoring the implanted stem cells, and this strategy might have advantages over traditional EdU assays.

Papaverine selectively inhibits human prostate cancer cell (PC-3) growth by inducing mitochondrial mediated apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and downregulation of NF-κB/PI3K/Akt signalling pathway.

PURPOSE: The main objective of the current research work was to investigate the antitumor effects of papaverine in PC-3 human prostate cancer cells along with testing its toxicity in the normal human fibroblast (NHF) cells. METHODS: The cytotoxic effects of papaverine were examined by the MTT cell viability assay. Flow cytometry using annexin V-FITC/PI was used to study the effects on apoptosis, including its quantification. Effects on cell cycle progression were analyzed by flow cytometry while as effects on apoptosis-related proteins, NF-kB and PI3K/Akt pathways were estimated by Western blot assay. RESULTS: The results indicated that papaverine could induce significant, highly selective and dose-dependent cytotoxic effects in PC-3 cells without causing too much toxicity in normal cells. Papaverine also led to induction of early and late apoptosis along with inducing sub-G1 cell cycle arrest in a dose-dependent manner. Papaverine induced a dose-dependent reduction in the expression levels of Blc-2 proteins and a dose-dependent increase in the expression levels of Bax protein. The expression levels of NF-kB were decreased markedly in comparison to the untreated control. Papaverine treatment also led to a dose-dependent downregulation of PI3K and phospho-Akt expression. CONCLUSION: Papaverine showed selective antitumor properties against PC-3 human prostate cancer cells by inducing early and late apoptosis, sub-G1 cell cycle arrest, modulation of apoptosis-related proteins like Bcl-2, Bax, Bid, XIAP and cytochrome C along with downregulation of NFkB, PI3K/Akt signalling pathway.

Corrigendum to "Combination of low-energy shock-wave therapy and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation to improve the erectile function of diabetic rats" by Hai-Tao Shan et al.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.4103/1008-682X.184271.].

Combination of low-energy shock-wave therapy and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation to improve the erectile function of diabetic rats.

Stem cell transplantation and low-energy shock-wave therapy (LESWT) have emerged as potential and effective treatment protocols for diabetic erectile dysfunction. During the tracking of transplanted stem cells in diabetic erectile dysfunction models, the number of visible stem cells was rather low and decreased quickly. LESWT could recruit endogenous stem cells to the cavernous body and improve the microenvironment in diabetic cavernous tissue. Thus, we deduced that LESWT might benefit transplanted stem cell survival and improve the effects of stem cell transplantation. In this research, 42 streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were randomized into four groups: the diabetic group (n = 6), the LESWT group (n = 6), the bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) transplantation group (n = 15), and the combination of LESWT and BMSC transplantation group (n = 15). One and three days after BMSC transplantation, three rats were randomly chosen to observe the survival numbers of BMSCs in the cavernous body. Four weeks after BMSC transplantation, the following parameters were assessed: the surviving number of transplanted BMSCs in the cavernous tissue, erectile function, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and penile immunohistochemical assessment. Our research found that LESWT favored the survival of transplanted BMSCs in the cavernous body, which might be related to increased stromal cell-derived factor-1 expression and the enhancement of angiogenesis in the diabetic cavernous tissue. The combination of LESWT and BMSC transplantation could improve the erectile function of diabetic erectile function rats more effectively than LESWT or BMSC transplantation performed alone.

Total triterpenoids from Ganoderma Lucidum suppresses prostate cancer cell growth by inducing growth arrest and apoptosis.

In this study, one immortalized human normal prostatic epithelial cell line (BPH) and four human prostate cancer cell lines (LNCaP, 22Rv1, PC-3, and DU-145) were treated with Ganoderma Lucidum triterpenoids (GLT) at different doses and for different time periods. Cell viability, apoptosis, and cell cycle were analyzed using flow cytometry and chemical assays. Gene expression and binding to DNA were assessed using real-time PCR and Western blotting. It was found that GLT dose-dependently inhibited prostate cancer cell growth through induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at G1 phase. GLT-induced apoptosis was due to activation of Caspases-9 and -3 and turning on the downstream apoptotic events. GLT-induced cell cycle arrest (mainly G1 arrest) was due to up-regulation of p21 expression at the early time and down-regulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) and E2F1 expression at the late time. These findings demonstrate that GLT suppresses prostate cancer cell growth by inducing growth arrest and apoptosis, which might suggest that GLT or Ganoderma Lucidum could be used as a potential therapeutic drug for prostate cancer.

[Platelet-derived growth factor-BB induces phenotypic transformation of corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells in SD rats].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of the platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) on the phenotypic transformation of corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells (CCSMC) in SD rats. METHODS: CCSMCs were primarily cultured in the modified tissue sticking medium and subjected to immunofluorescence assay. The cells were divided into a blank control and four PDGF-BB groups, the latter exposed to 5, 10, 20, and 40 ng/ml of PDGF-BB, respectively, for 24 hours, and the cells in the 20 ng/ml PDGF-BB group treated for 24, 48, and 72 hours. The the relative expressions of α-SMA, SMMHC, calponin, and OPN mRNA were determined by real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). RESULTS: The α-SMA positive rate of the CCSMCs was over 95%. Compared with the blank control group, the expression levels of α-SMA, SMMHC, and calponin mRNA were significantly decreased (P < 0.05) while that of OPN mRNA remarkably increased (P < 0.05) in the PDGF-BB groups. The 20 ng/ml PDGF-BB group also showed significantly downregulated expressions of α-SMA, SMMHC, and calponin mRNA (P < 0.05) and upregulated expression of OPN mRNA (P < 0.05) at 24, 48, and 72 hours. CONCLUSION: PDGF-BB can induce the transformation of the phenotype of CCSMCs in SD rats from the contractile to the synthetic type.

[Transperitoneal versus extraperitoneal laparoscopic radical prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer: a meta analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects and safety of transperitoneal laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (TLRP) and extraperitoneal laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (ELRP) in the treatment of localized prostate cancer. METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Library, Medline, Chinese Journal Full-text Database, Wanfang and CBM for clinical controlled trials addressing TLRP and ELRP in the treatment of localized prostate cancer. Two independent reviewers extracted comparable data from eligible studies and performed meta-analysis with the Statal 2.0 software on the relevant indexes of operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative catheterization, postoperative intestinal function recovery, and postoperative hospital stay. RESULTS: Nine clinical controlled trials with 942 cases were included in this analysis, 492 treated by TLRP and the other 450 by ELRP. Meta-analysis showed no statistically significant differences between the TLRP and ELRP groups in operation time (SMD = 0.60, 95% CI: -0.06,1.26), intraoperative blood loss (SMD = 0.01, 95% CI: -0.35, 0.36) , postoperative catheterization time (SMD = 0.10, 95% CI: -0.21, 0.40) and postoperative hospital stay (SMD = 0.45, 95% CI: -0.01, 0.91), except in the time of postoperative intestinal function recovery, which was significantly shorter in the ELRP than in the TLRP group (SMD = 1.18, 95% CI: 0.26, 2.10). CONCLUSION: For the treatment of localized prostate cancer, ELRP is similar to TLRP with respect to operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative catheterization and postoperative hospital stay, but superior to the latter in postoperative intestinal function recovery.

[Retroperitoneal laparoscopic surgery combined with ureteroscopic lithotomy for treatment of renal and ureteral calculi].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of retroperitoneal laparoscopic surgery combined with ureteroscopic lithotomy through the pelvis for treatment of renal and ureteral calculi. METHODS: In February 2010, 2 patients with renal and ureteral calculi underwent retroperitoneal laparoscopic surgery combined with ureteroscopic lithotomy through the pelvis. RESULTS: The operation time in these two cases was 70 and 80 min, and the volume of intraoperative blood loss was about 20 ml. The exposure was excellent, and the patient recovered rapidly without complications or residual calculi. CONCLUSION: Retroperitoneal laparoscopic surgery combined with ureteroscopic lithotomy through the pelvis is feasible for treatment of renal and ureteral calculi.

[Advances in researches on the relationship between prostatic diseases and erectile dysfunction].

Prostatic diseases and erectile dysfunction (ED) are common diseases in urology and andrology. Basic and clinical studies have proved that there is a close relationship between the two. This article reviews the mechanism, diagnosis and treatment of ED caused by several prostatic diseases, such as acute prostatitis, chronic prostatitis, benign prostate hyperplasia and prostate cancer.