The Effects of alpha1A Adrenoceptor Antagonists on the Urethral Perfusion Pressure of Female Rat / 대한비뇨기과학회지

Purpose: This study was performed to identify the effects of the alpha1A adrenoceptor antagonist on the urethral perfusion pressure (UPP), and also to assess its therapeutic potentials for female bladder outlet obstruction (BOO). Materials and Methods: A cannula was placed in the femoral artery for drug administration and systemic blood pressure monitoring in each female rat. The UPP and vesical pressure (Pves) were monitored using a triple-lumen catheter. Tamsulosin (group I), doxazosin (group II) and phentolamin (group III) were injected into female rats via the femoral cannula. Tamsulosin was also injected to male rats (group IV) for comparison with Group I. Results: After administration of tamsulosin in group I, the frequency was significantly decreased and the duration of minimal urethral relaxation with high frequency oscillations (Dhfo) was significantly prolonged. None of the parameters were significantly different compared with groups II and III, with the exception of the mean arterial blood pressure (MAP). The changes of MAP after tamsulosin were significantly lower than those after doxazosin and phentolamin. In the male rats (group IV), prior to the administration of tamsulosin, the UPP and Pves curves were similar to those of the female rats, but the maximal Pves was significantly higher than in group I. After the administration of tamsulosin to group IV, the prolongation of the frequency and Dhfo were significant. Conclusions: In the female rat urethra, the alpha1A adrenergic receptor may be a functional subtype. The alpha1A adrenoceptor antagonist was found to prolong the Dhfo and decrease the frequency of involuntary bladder contraction. It might be possible that the alpha1A adrenoceptor antagonist improves not only the obstructive symptoms, but the bladder irritative symptoms also, by prolonging the Dhfo and frequency of an involuntary bladder contraction.

Validity and Reliability of Korean Version of the Female Sexual Distress Scale (FSDS) / 대한남성과학회지

PURPOSE: The Female Sexual Distress Scale(FSDS) was developed to measure sexually-related personal distress in women. We performed this study to assess the reliability and validity of FSDS-Korean version in Korean women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The original 20-item FSDS was translated into Korean. One-hundred four healthy, married women were recruited and given the survey. A second survey was done two weeks later for test-retest reliability. Validity, internal consistency reliability, and test-retest reliability were evaluated. RESULTS: The test-retest coefficient of stability over a 2-week period was 0.99(p<0.01). The 20 items of the FSDS have good internal consistency, with an alpha of 0.96. The FSDS discriminated between women with and without sexually related distress(t=-7.34, p<0.01). The optimal cut-off score was 20(sensitivity 71.4%, specificity 92.2%). CONCLUSIONS: The Korean version of FSDS might be a useful tool to screen for sexually distressed women in Korea.

Effect of Paclitaxel on PC-3 Cell Line Xenografted into Athymic Nude Mice / 대한비뇨기과학회지

PURPOSE: Hormone-refractory prostate cancer(HRPC) is the terminal step in the natural history of prostate cancer, for which no chemotherapeutic agents have been shown to impact on the clinical outcomes. However, taxane-based therapies have recently appeared to have a significant efficacy on HRPC. The therapeutic effect of paclitaxel was evaluated against metastatic human prostate cancer PC-3 xenografted into athymic nude mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 24 male nude mice subcutaneously transplanted with the PC3 cell line were divided in 2 groups. An experimental group was given paclitaxel intraperitoneally at a dose of 12.5mg/kg per injection per day for 4 consecutive days, from the 6th and 20th day following tumor injection. All mice were observed for 31 days, and sacrificed by CO2 gas asphyxiation at the end of the experiment. The mean tumor volume and body weight of both groups were compared using student's t-tests. A tumor volume of more than 200mm3 was regarded as dead. The survival rate was indirectly analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: The mean tumor volume of the paclitaxel treatment group was significantly reduced from the 20th day after tumor injection until the end of the experiment compared with the control group. The mean body weight of both groups was different significantly from the 17th day after tumor injection until the end of the experiment, but after removal of the tumor mass, at the 31st day after tumor injection, no significant difference was observed between the two groups. The survival rate of the paclitaxel treatment group was significantly higher than that of the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Our data has shown that paclitaxel is effective in suppressing the growth rate of a HRPC cell line in vivo and improved the survival rate. It is believe that further clinical assessment of the optimal dose and schedule of this drug are warranted.

Ectopic Ureter Associated with Ipsilateral Renal Dysgenesis / 대한비뇨기과학회지

An ectopic ureter inserts at a point other than the normal trigonal position of the bladder and its association with ectopic renal dysgenesis is extraordinarily rare. We report two cases of ectopic ureter associated with ipsilateral ectopic renal dysgenesis. One was a 44-year-old man whose right ureteral opening was identified at the right seminal vesicle and who was treated successfully by nephroureterectomy and ipsilateral seminal vesiculectomy. The kidney drained by the ectopic ureter was dysplastic. The other was a 32-year-old woman whose right ureter drained into the right anterior vaginal wall and who was also treated successfully by nephroureterectomy. On pathologic examination, there was no renal tissue in the postoperative specimen. From the marked dilatation of the right ureter, this condition was interpreted as an acquired form of renal agenesis, in which renal tissue developed but atrophied during development or during childhood because of an associated ureteral obstruction rather than true renal agenesis which is defined as the complete congenital absence of renal tissue.