Effects of bariatric surgery on pelvic floor disorders in obese women: a meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Obesity is an established risk factor for pelvic floor disorders (PFD) but the effects of bariatric surgery on PFD are uncertain. This meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of bariatric surgery on PFD in obese women. METHODS: A systematic search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, CNKI and CBM databases up to October 2016 was performed, and studies reporting pre-operative and post-operative outcomes in obese women undergoing bariatric surgery were included. The Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI-20), the Pelvic Floor Incontinence Questionnaire (PFIQ-7), the Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire, Female Sexual Function Index and the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence short form score were used for evaluating pelvic floor dysfunction after bariatric surgery. RESULTS: Eleven cohort studies were finally included. Pooled results revealed that bariatric surgery was associated with a significant improvement in PFD for obese women on the whole [PFDI-20: SMD = 0.89, 95% CI (0.44, 1.34), P < 0.001; PFIQ-7: SMD = 1.23, 95% CI (0.17, 2.29), P = 0.023]. In the subscale analysis, there was significant improvement in urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. However, no significant improvement was found in fecal incontinence and sexual function. CONCLUSIONS: Bariatric surgery is associated with significant improvement in urinary incontinence, and has a benefit on pelvic organ prolapse for obese women. However, there is no significant improvement in fecal incontinence and sexual function. Further multi-center, large-scale and longer-term randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these results.

Niche nanoparticle-based FRET assay for bleomycin detection via DNA scission.

We describe a highly sensitive nanoparticle-based fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) probe developed without using molecular fluorophores as donors and acceptors. The success of this work relies on the strategy that DNA scission was designed to occur to the probe when target presented, which enabled the fluorescence signal "turn-on" of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and thus quantitative analysis. In particular, amino-modified SiO2 NPs were initially coated by GQDs to form highly emitting SiO2/GQDs, followed by conjunction with DNA functionalized gold nanoparticles (Au NPs-DNA) to form SiO2/GQDs-DNA-Au NPs composite. Owing to the FRET interactions between the GQDs and Au NPs, the fluorescence of GQDs was effectively quenched by Au NPs. When bleomycin (BLM), a model analyte, was mixed with the probe, the fluorescence signal of GQDs would be restored due to the removal of Au NPs from the SiO2/GQDs surface by DNA scission treatment with BLM in the presence of Fe (II). The current FRET probe shows a good linear relationship between the fluorescence intensity and the concentration of BLM in the range from 0.5nM to 1µM with a detection limit of 0.2nM. The probe also shows satisfactory results for the analysis of clinical serum samples. This method provides versatility to the application of GQDs in FRET biosensing and could be potentially extended to other similar systems by replacing the linker between the GQDs and Au NPs.

Graphene oxide quantum dots@silver core-shell nanocrystals as turn-on fluorescent nanoprobe for ultrasensitive detection of prostate specific antigen.

We report a fluorescent turn-on nanoprobe for ultrasensitive detection of prostate specific antigen (PSA) based on graphene oxide quantum dots@silver (GQDs@Ag) core-shell nanocrystals. The success of this work relies on the assembly of quantities of GQDs in one GQDs@Ag probe, which makes the ratio of probe to target significantly increased and thus enables the fluorescent signal enhancement. When the silver shell was removed via oxidative etching using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), the incorporated GQDs could be readily released and the whole process caused little change to their fluorescence performance. We tested the probe for the ultrasensitive detection of PSA based on the sandwich protocol of immunosensors. In particular, magnetic beads (MBs) were employed to immobilize anti-PSA antibody (Ab1) and acted as a separable capture probe, while GQDs@Ag was used as detection probe by linking antibody (Ab2). The developed immunosensor showed a good linear relationship between the fluorescence intensity and the concentration of PSA in the range from 1 pg/mL to 20 ng/mL with a detection limit of 0.3 pg/mL. The immunosensor used for the analysis of clinical serum samples exhibited satisfactory results, which demonstrated its potential for practical diagnostic applications. This method provides a possible solution to the application of GQDs in immunosensing and could be potentially extended to other similar systems.

[Expression of Eag1 K(+) channel in prostate cancer and its significance].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of the Eag1 K( +) channel in the prostate cancer (PCa) tissue, its correlation with the development and progression of PCa, and whether it could be a target for the diagnosis and treatment of PCa. METHODS: We used RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry to determine the mRNA and protein expressions of the Eag1 K(+) channel in the normal peritumoral tissue of androgen-dependent PCa (ADPCa) (group A) and androgen-independent PCa (AIPCa) (group B) as well as in the tumorous tissue of ADPCa (group C) and AIPCa (group D). RESULTS: The relative coefficients of the mRNA expression of the Eag1 K(+) channel were 0.265 +/- 0.413, 0.167 +/- 0.511, 2.673 +/- 2.988 and 2.815 +/- 2.901 in groups A, B, C and D, respectively, increased significantly in the latter two groups (P < 0.05). The positive rates of the protein expression of the Eag1 K (+) channel were significantly higher in groups C (88.9%) and D (86.7%) than in A (7.4%) and B (6.7%) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The Eag1 K(+) channel might be involved in the pathophysiological processes of PCa, and is expected to be a valuable target for the diagnosis and treatment of PCa.

Quantifying the coverage density of poly(ethylene glycol) chains on the surface of gold nanostructures.

The coverage density of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is a key parameter in determining the efficiency of PEGylation, a process pivotal to in vivo delivery and targeting of nanomaterials. Here we report four complementary methods for quantifying the coverage density of PEG chains on various types of Au nanostructures by using a model system based on HS-PEG-NH(2) with different molecular weights. Specifically, the methods involve reactions with fluorescamine and ninhydrin, as well as labeling with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and Cu(2+) ions. The first two methods use conventional amine assays to measure the number of unreacted HS-PEG-NH(2) molecules left behind in the solution after incubation with the Au nanostructures. The other two methods involve coupling between the terminal -NH(2) groups of adsorbed -S-PEG-NH(2) chains and FITC or a ligand for Cu(2+) ion, and thus pertain to the "active" -NH(2) groups on the surface of a Au nanostructure. We found that the coverage density decreased as the length of PEG chains increased. A stronger binding affinity of the initial capping ligand to the Au surface tended to reduce the PEGylation efficiency by slowing down the ligand exchange process. For the Au nanostructures and capping ligands we have tested, the PEGylation efficiency decreased in the order of citrate-capped nanoparticles > PVP-capped nanocages ≈ CTAC-capped nanoparticles ≫ CTAB-capped nanorods, where PVP, CTAC, and CTAB stand for poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), cetyltrimethylammonium chloride, and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, respectively.

Effects of artery-ligating and artery-preserving varicocelectomy on ipsilateral epididymis of varicocele-induced rats.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of artery-ligating varicocelectomy (ALV) and artery-preserving varicocelectomy (APV) on the ipsilateral epididymis of varicocele-induced rats. METHODS: A total of 50 adolescent male rats were randomly divided into the 4 groups: control group (n = 8), experimental varicocele (EV) without treatment (EV group, n = 14), EV with ALV (ALV group, n = 14), and EV with APV (APV group, n = 14). The EV was induced by partial ligation of the left renal vein. ALV was performed by total ligation of the left internal spermatic artery and vein. APV was performed by ligation of the left internal spermatic vein only. The microstructure, epithelial ultrastructure, sialic acid and carnitine concentration, and epithelial apoptotic index of the left epididymis were measured. RESULTS: Microstructural and ultrastructural abnormalities of the left epididymis were observed in the EV group and especially in the ALV group. Both the mean epididymal tubular diameter and the concentration of sialic acid, carnitine gradually decreased or increased from the control group to the EV group then to the ALV group (P < .05). However, the epithelial apoptotic index orderly increased for the control group, EV group, and ALV group (P < .05). Furthermore, no significant difference was found between the control and APV groups for these parameters (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Varicocele was demonstrated to cause lesions of the ipsilateral epididymis. APV was able to repair the lesions; however, ALV led to additional lesions.