Effects of low-frequency intravaginal electrical stimulation on female urinary incontinence, quality of life, and urinary symptoms: A pilot study.

This study investigated the effects of a low-frequency home-based incontinence therapy device on quality of life (QoL) and urinary symptoms in women with urinary incontinence. From May 2017 to February 2018, 34 patients, aged ≥ 20 years, with involuntary urine leakage >2 times/week, were recruited to this study. Patients with severe pelvic organ prolapse, pregnancy, virgin status, and psychological problems were excluded. The incontinence home-care device treatments were administered in 12-minute sessions, twice daily for 8 weeks. Simultaneously, hyperthermic conditions of 35°C to 40°C and microvibrations were administered. All patients completed urinary incontinence questionnaires (King's Health Questionnaire [KHQ], Bristol Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms [BFLUTS] questionnaire, and the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score [OABSS]) before treatment, as well as 4 and 8 weeks into treatment. Changes in the questionnaire responses over time were compared. Two participants dropped out of the study and there was one screening failure, leaving 31 patients for analysis. After 4 weeks treatment, there were significant improvements in symptoms, such as role limitation, physical limitation, social limitation, personal relationship, emotion, sleep/energy, and severity measures. After 8 weeks treatment, almost all parameters on the KHQ revealed symptomatic improvement. On the BFLUTS, voiding times during activity, nocturia, urgency, urge incontinence, incontinence frequency, stress incontinence, volume leakage, strain to start, intermittency, reduced stream, acute retention, incomplete emptying, and stopping flow showed significant improvements. On the OABSS, almost all storage symptoms improved. Low-frequency electrical stimulation devices were effective at improving urinary incontinence, which became evident as the duration of treatment increased. Improvement of urgency and frequency was more evident after treatment.

Cirsium japonicum extract induces apoptosis and anti-proliferation in the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7.

Cirsium japonicum is a wild perennial herb that has been used as an anti-hemorrhagic, anti-hypertensive and uretic agent in traditional Chinese medicine. Recently, it was reported that C. japonicum inhibits the growth of implanted cancer cells. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-cancer properties of C. japonicum are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the effect of a methanol extract of C. japonicum on cell growth in the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7. C. japonicum extract inhibited the cell proliferation of MCF-7 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner, as evaluated by the MTT assay. Furthermore, C. japonicum extract induced an anti-proliferative effect by causing G1 phase cell cycle arrest and also induced apoptosis by affecting mitochondrial apoptotic events, as determined by nuclear derangement, flow cytometry and Western blot analysis. Taken together, our findings indicate that C. japonicum extract induces the inhibition of MCF-7 cell growth at both the proliferation and apoptosis levels.

Synergistic effect between lycopene and ciprofloxacin on a chronic bacterial prostatitis rat model.

Traditionally, long-term antibiotic therapy has been the gold standard treatment for chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP). However, the treatment outcome is not ideal and long-term administration of antibiotics can result in adverse effects and bacterial resistance. For these reasons, both patients and physicians are dissatisfied with the management of this disease and there is interest in phytotherapy and other alternative therapies. Lycopene, an extract of tomatoes, has been reported to have an anti-inflammatory effect via an antioxidative function. To evaluate the therapeutic effect of lycopene on CBP, we developed a CBP rat model treated with ciprofloxacin or lycopene, or both. After 2 weeks of treatment, results of microbiological cultures of the prostate and urine as well as histological findings of the prostate were analysed. The ciprofloxacin group and the lycopene/ciprofloxacin group showed a statistically significant decrease in bacterial growth and improvement in prostatic inflammation compared with the control group. The lycopene/ciprofloxacin group also showed a statistically significant decrease in bacterial growth and improvement in prostatic inflammation compared with the ciprofloxacin group. These results suggest that lycopene may have an additional (synergistic) effect with ciprofloxacin in the treatment of CBP.

Protective effects of cranberries on infection-induced oxidative renal damage in a rabbit model of vesico-ureteric reflux.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the protective effects of cranberry fruit, which have known antioxidant effects, on infection-induced oxidative renal damage in a rabbit model of vesico-ureteric reflux (VUR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In all, 36 New Zealand male rabbits were divided into five groups, with a sham operation in four rabbits serving as the control (group 1). To create unilateral VUR the roof of the left intravesical ureter was incised, and VUR confirmed 2 weeks after surgery. In all, 32 rabbits with VUR were divided into four groups; 2, VUR alone (with sterile urine); 3, a group infected with Escherichia coli; 4, with intravesical E. coli instillation but fed cranberries; and 5, intravesical E. coli instillation plus an intraperitoneal injection with melatonin group. At 3 weeks after surgery the rabbits were killed, the kidneys obtained and examined histopathologically to evaluate inflammation, fibrosis and tubular changes. Oxidative renal damage was evaluated by measuring malondialdehyde in the renal tissue. RESULTS: Grossly, the refluxing kidney was larger than the contralateral normal kidney, and the refluxing ureter was dilated and tortuous. Microscopy of tissues from the kidneys in group 3 showed apparent periglomerular mononuclear cell infiltration, tubular dilatation and atrophy, and interstitial fibrosis. The kidneys from groups 2, 4 and 5 showed mild mononuclear cell infiltration with no interstitial fibrosis. The level of malondialdehyde in the kidneys of group 3 was significantly higher than that in group 2, 4 and 5 (P < 0.05); the level in groups 4 and 5 did not differ significantly from that in group 2. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that cranberries have an anti-inflammatory effect through their antioxidant function and might prevent infection-induced oxidative renal damage. Thus, clinically cranberries might be used as a beneficial adjuvant treatment to prevent damage due to pyelonephritis in children with VUR.

Synergistic effect between catechin and ciprofloxacin on chronic bacterial prostatitis rat model.

BACKGROUND: Chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP) is the most common urological disease in adult men. Antibiotic therapy is the gold standard of treatment. However, long-term therapy resulted in many side-effects and bacterial resistance. Because of these reasons, we need new treatment modality that could replace traditional antibiotic therapy. Catechin, an extract of green tea, has antimicrobial effect against various bacteria and synergy effect to antibiotics. We evaluate the synergistic effects of catechin on the treatment of CBP in an animal model. METHODS: An experimental CBP model was induced in 70 male Wistar rats by instillation of 0.2 mL bacterial suspension (E-coli Z17, O2:K1:H-) containing 1 x 10(8) CFU/mL into the prostatic urethra. Microbiologically and histologically proven CBP model was demonstrated in 58.6% (41 of 70) of the rats after 4 weeks of bacterial instillation. The 41 rats demonstrating CBP were randomly divided into four groups; the control, catechin, ciprofloxacin and catechin with ciprofloxacin groups. All drug treatments were conducted over a period of 2 weeks. After treatment, the results were analyzed with microbiological cultures and histological findings of the prostate and urine samples to compare each group. RESULTS: Microbiological cultures and histological findings of the prostate and urine samples demonstrated reduced bacterial growth and improved inflammatory responses in all three experimental groups compared with the control group. The catechin group showed coherent trends of decrease in bacterial growth and improvements in prostatic inflammation compared with the control group, but not to a statistically significant degree (P > 0.05). However, the ciprofloxacin and catechin with ciprofloxacin groups showed statistically significant decreases in bacterial growth and improvements in prostatic inflammation compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The catechin with ciprofloxacin group showed a statistically significant decrease in bacterial growth and improvements in prostatic inflammation compared with the ciprofloxacin group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that catechin may be an effective material in CBP treatment. Particularly, combination treatment of catechin and ciprofloxacin has synergistic effect. Therefore, we suggest that the combination of catechin and ciprofloxacin may be effective in treating CBP with a higher success rate.