[Prostatic artery embolization for high-risk patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia: A clinical effect observation].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of prostatic artery embolization (PAE) in the treatment of high-risk patients with BPH. METHODS: Nine high-risk patients with BPH underwent PAE in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from January 2016 to June 2018. We followed up the patients and obtained their IPSS, quality of life score (QOL), postvoid residual urine volume (PVR), maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), prostate volume (PV), hours of undisturbed sleep (HUS), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale score (SAS) and incidence of postoperative complications before and at 6, 12 and 24 months or longer after surgery, followed by comparative analysis of the parameters. RESULTS: Compared with baseline, IPSS, QOL, PVR, Qmax, PV, HUS and SAS were all significantly improved in the patients at 6, 12 and ≥24 months after PAE (P < 0.05). Only 1 case complained of mild numbness in the buttocks, which was gradually relieved after acupuncture therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Prostatic artery embolization is definitely effective for the treatment of high-risk patients with BPH with the bladder volume ≥200 ml, with few postoperative complications, and can be used as an effective therapeutic supplementary for improving the urination symptoms of the patients.

Arabidopsis shaker pollen inward K+ channel SPIK functions in SnRK1 complex-regulated pollen hydration on the stigma.

Pollen hydration is a critical step that determines pollen germination on the stigma. KINßγ is a plant-specific subunit of the SNF1-related protein kinase 1 complex (SnRK1 complex). In pollen of the Arabidopsis kinßγ mutant, the levels of reactive oxygen species were decreased which lead to compromised hydration of the mutant pollen on the stigma. In this study, we analyzed gene expression in kinßγ mutant pollen by RNA-seq and found the expression of inward shaker K+ channel SPIK was down-regulated in the kinßγ pollen. Furthermore, we showed that the pollen hydration of the Arabidopsis spik mutant was defective on the wild-type stigma, although the mutant pollen demonstrated normal hydration in vitro. Additionally, the defective hydration of spik mutant pollen could not be rescued by the wild-type pollen on the stigma, indicating that the spik mutation deprived the capability of pollen absorption on the stigma. Our results suggest that the Arabidopsis SnRK1 complex regulates SPIK expression, which functions in determining pollen hydration on the stigma.

The Arabidopsis KINßγ Subunit of the SnRK1 Complex Regulates Pollen Hydration on the Stigma by Mediating the Level of Reactive Oxygen Species in Pollen.

Pollen-stigma interactions are essential for pollen germination. The highly regulated process of pollen germination includes pollen adhesion, hydration, and germination on the stigma. However, the internal signaling of pollen that regulates pollen-stigma interactions is poorly understood. KINßγ is a plant-specific subunit of the SNF1-related protein kinase 1 complex which plays important roles in the regulation of plant development. Here, we showed that KINßγ was a cytoplasm- and nucleus-localized protein in the vegetative cells of pollen grains in Arabidopsis. The pollen of the Arabidopsis kinßγ mutant could not germinate on stigma, although it germinated normally in vitro. Further analysis revealed the hydration of kinßγ mutant pollen on the stigma was compromised. However, adding water to the stigma promoted the germination of the mutant pollen in vivo, suggesting that the compromised hydration of the mutant pollen led to its defective germination. In kinßγ mutant pollen, the structure of the mitochondria and peroxisomes was destroyed, and their numbers were significantly reduced compared with those in the wild type. Furthermore, we found that the kinßγ mutant exhibited reduced levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in pollen. The addition of H2O2 in vitro partially compensated for the reduced water absorption of the mutant pollen, and reducing ROS levels in pollen by overexpressing Arabidopsis CATALASE 3 resulted in compromised hydration of pollen on the stigma. These results indicate that Arabidopsis KINßγ is critical for the regulation of ROS levels by mediating the biogenesis of mitochondria and peroxisomes in pollen, which is required for pollen-stigma interactions during pollination.

Identification of small secreted peptides (SSPs) in maize and expression analysis of partial SSP genes in reproductive tissues.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Maize 1,491 small secreted peptides were identified, which were classified according to the character of peptide sequences. Partial SSP gene expressions in reproductive tissues were determined by qRT-PCR. Small secreted peptides (SSPs) are important cell-cell communication messengers in plants. Most information on plant SSPs come from Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa, while little is known about the SSPs of other grass species such as maize (Zea mays). In this study, we identified 1,491 SSP genes from maize genomic sequences. These putative SSP genes were distributed throughout the ten maize chromosomes. Among them, 611 SSPs were classified into 198 superfamilies according to their conserved domains, and 725 SSPs with four or more cysteines at their C-termini shared similar cysteine arrangements with their counterparts in other plant species. Moreover, the SSPs requiring post-translational modification, as well as defensin-like (DEFL) proteins, were identified. Further, the expression levels of 110 SSP genes were analyzed in reproductive tissues, including male flower, pollen, silk, and ovary. Most of the genes encoding basal-layer antifungal peptide-like, small coat proteins-like, thioredoxin-like proteins, γ-thionins-like, and DEFL proteins showed high expression levels in the ovary and male flower compared with their levels in silk and mature pollen. The rapid alkalinization factor-like genes were highly expressed only in the mature ovary and mature pollen, and pollen Ole e 1-like genes showed low expression in silk. The results of this study provide basic information for further analysis of SSP functions in the reproductive process of maize.

High-throughput sequencing of small RNAs from pollen and silk and characterization of miRNAs as candidate factors involved in pollen-silk interactions in maize.

In angiosperms, successful pollen-pistil interactions are the prerequisite and guarantee of subsequent fertilization and seed production. Recent profile analyses have helped elucidate molecular mechanisms underlying these processes at both transcriptomic and proteomic levels, but the involvement of miRNAs in pollen-pistil interactions is still speculative. In this study, we sequenced four small RNA libraries derived from mature pollen, in vitro germinated pollen, mature silks, and pollinated silks of maize (Zea mays L.). We identified 161 known miRNAs belonging to 27 families and 82 novel miRNAs. Of these, 40 conserved and 16 novel miRNAs showed different expression levels between mature and germinated pollen, and 30 conserved and eight novel miRNAs were differentially expressed between mature and pollinated silks. As candidates for factors associated with pollen-silk (pistil) interactions, expression patterns of the two sets of differentially expressed miRNAs were confirmed by stem-loop real-time RT-PCR. Transcript levels of 22 predicted target genes were also validated using real-time RT-PCR; most of these exhibited expression patterns contrasting with those of their corresponding miRNAs. In addition, GO analysis of target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs revealed that functional categories related to auxin signal transduction and gene expression regulation were overrepresented. These results suggest that miRNA-mediated auxin signal transduction and transcriptional regulation have roles in pollen-silk interactions. The results of our study provide novel information for understanding miRNA regulatory roles in pollen-pistil interactions.

Transcript profile analyses of maize silks reveal effective activation of genes involved in microtubule-based movement, ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation, and transport in the pollination process.

Pollination is the first crucial step of sexual reproduction in flowering plants, and it requires communication and coordination between the pollen and the stigma. Maize (Zea mays) is a model monocot with extraordinarily long silks, and a fully sequenced genome, but little is known about the mechanism of its pollen-stigma interactions. In this study, the dynamic gene expression of silks at four different stages before and after pollination was analyzed. The expression profiles of immature silks (IMS), mature silks (MS), and silks at 20 minutes and 3 hours after pollination (20MAP and 3HAP, respectively) were compared. In total, we identified 6,337 differentially expressed genes in silks (SDEG) at the four stages. Among them, the expression of 172 genes were induced upon pollination, most of which participated in RNA binding, processing and transcription, signal transduction, and lipid metabolism processes. Genes in the SDEG dataset could be divided into 12 time-course clusters according to their expression patterns. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis revealed that many genes involved in microtubule-based movement, ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation, and transport were predominantly expressed at specific stages, indicating that they might play important roles in the pollination process of maize. These results add to current knowledge about the pollination process of grasses and provide a foundation for future studies on key genes involved in the pollen-silk interaction in maize.

Identification of genes specifically or preferentially expressed in maize silk reveals similarity and diversity in transcript abundance of different dry stigmas.

BACKGROUND: In plants, pollination is a critical step in reproduction. During pollination, constant communication between male pollen and the female stigma is required for pollen adhesion, germination, and tube growth. The detailed mechanisms of stigma-mediated reproductive processes, however, remain largely unknown. Maize (Zea mays L.), one of the world's most important crops, has been extensively used as a model species to study molecular mechanisms of pollen and stigma interaction. A comprehensive analysis of maize silk transcriptome may provide valuable information for investigating stigma functionality. A comparative analysis of expression profiles between maize silk and dry stigmas of other species might reveal conserved and diverse mechanisms that underlie stigma-mediated reproductive processes in various plant species. RESULTS: Transcript abundance profiles of mature silk, mature pollen, mature ovary, and seedling were investigated using RNA-seq. By comparing the transcriptomes of these tissues, we identified 1,427 genes specifically or preferentially expressed in maize silk. Bioinformatic analyses of these genes revealed many genes with known functions in plant reproduction as well as novel candidate genes that encode amino acid transporters, peptide and oligopeptide transporters, and cysteine-rich receptor-like kinases. In addition, comparison of gene sets specifically or preferentially expressed in stigmas of maize, rice (Oryza sativa L.), and Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana [L.] Heynh.) identified a number of homologous genes involved either in pollen adhesion, hydration, and germination or in initial growth and penetration of pollen tubes into the stigma surface. The comparison also indicated that maize shares a more similar profile and larger number of conserved genes with rice than with Arabidopsis, and that amino acid and lipid transport-related genes are distinctively overrepresented in maize. CONCLUSIONS: Many of the novel genes uncovered in this study are potentially involved in stigma-mediated reproductive processes, including genes encoding amino acid transporters, peptide and oligopeptide transporters, and cysteine-rich receptor-like kinases. The data also suggest that dry stigmas share similar mechanisms at early stages of pollen-stigma interaction. Compared with Arabidopsis, maize and rice appear to have more conserved functional mechanisms. Genes involved in amino acid and lipid transport may be responsible for mechanisms in the reproductive process that are unique to maize silk.

Metabolism and roles of phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate in pollen development and pollen tube growth in Arabidopsis.

Phosphoinositides play important roles in eukaryotic cells, although they constitute a minor fraction of total cellular lipids. Specific kinases and phosphatases function on the regulation of phosphoinositide levels. Phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PtdIns3P), a molecule of phosphoinositides regulates multiple aspects of plant growth and development. In this mini-review, we introduce and discuss the kinases and phosphatases involved in PtdIns3P metabolism and their roles in pollen development and pollen tube growth in Arabidopsis.

Different regulatory processes control pollen hydration and germination in Arabidopsis.

To elucidate the functional differences in how Arabidopsis stigmas regulate pollen hydration and germination, we analyzed receptivity of stigmas, epidermal surfaces (leaves, stems of inflorescence bolts, and floral organs), and an abiotic surface (cover glass) for pollen hydration and germination. Using 65% relative humidity (RH), we found that mature pollen grains were able to hydrate and germinate on stigmas at flower developmental stages 9-13, but not on the distal end of pistils at stage 8, epidermal surfaces, or glass. Furthermore, under 100% RH, pollen grains could hydrate on all tested surfaces, but pollen germination was observed only on the young floral organs (stages 9-12) and the stigmas at stages 9-13. The distal ends of pistils at stage 8, the epidermal surfaces, and the cover glass did not support pollen germination even under 100% RH. Our results indicate that pistil factors regulating pollen hydration and germination are synthesized at stage 9 when stigmatic papillar cells begin to develop. Although pistil factors involved in pollen hydration may only be present on the stigma, the factors involved in pollen germination may localize on both the stigma and surfaces of unopened floral organs.

Arabidopsis AtVPS15 is essential for pollen development and germination through modulating phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate formation.

Arabidopsis thaliana phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (AtVPS34) functions in the development and germination of pollen by catalyzing the biosynthesis of phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PI3P). In yeast, Vps15p is required for the membrane targeting and activity of Vps34. The expression of Arabidopsis thaliana VPS15 (AtVPS15), an ortholog of yeast Vps15, is mainly detected in pollen grains and pollen tubes. To determine its role in pollen development and pollen tube growth, we attempted to isolate the T-DNA insertion mutants of AtVPS15; however, homozygous lines of atvps15 were not obtained from the progeny of atvps15/+ heterozygotes. Genetic analysis revealed that the abnormal segregation is due to the failure of transmission of the atvps15 allele through pollen. Most pollen grains from the atvps15/+ genotype are viable, with normal exine structure and nuclei, but some mature pollen grains are characterized with unusual large vacuoles that are not observed in pollen grains from the wild AtVPS15 genotype. The germination ratio of pollen from the atvps15/+ genotype is about half when compared to that from the wild AtVPS15 genotype. When supplied with PI3P, in vitro pollen germination of the atvps15/+ genotype is greatly improved. Presumably, AtVPS15 functions in pollen development and germination by regulating PI3P biosynthesis in Arabidopsis.

[Intracellular calcium ion concentration in the prostate smooth muscle cells of chronic abacterial prostatitis rat models and normal controls].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the difference in intracellular calcium ion [Ca2+]i concentration in prostate smooth muscle cells (PSMCs) between SD rat models of chronic abacterial prostatitis (CAP) and normal controls, and to evaluate the role of [Ca2+]i concentration in CAP. METHODS: We established CAP models in SD rats using purified prostate protein and Freund's complete adjuvant, cultured in vitro and then purified the PSMCs of both the CAP models and normal controls. Continuous dynamic scanning was performed under the laser confocal scanning microscope after incubation of the cells with FLUO-3AM. RESULTS: The fluorescence intensities of [Ca2+]i in the PSMCs were 80.39 +/- 9.00 and 27.95 +/- 10.04 in the CAP models and normal controls, respectively, with statistically significant differences between the two groups (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The concentration of [Ca2+]i increased in the PSMCs of the CAP rat models, which might enhance the constriction of PSMCs and subsequently increase the sensibility to pain and cause lower abdominal pain.

Treatment of chronic prostatitis in Chinese men.

The aim of this study is to assess the status of treatment of chronic prostatitis (CP) in Chinese men. A population-based cross-sectional survey was performed, in which 15 000 men aged between 15 and 60 years were randomly selected to receive a questionnaire designed to assess National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptoms Index (NIH-CPSI) status, therapeutic efficacy and 28 other items. A total of 12 743 men (84.95%) completed the questionnaire, of whom 1 071 (8.4%) were identified as having prostatitis-like symptoms and 517 (4.5%) were diagnosed with CP according to NIH-CPSI criteria and prostatitis-like symptomatology. Of the CP patients, 372 (65%) underwent long-term routine treatment 12 times per year. Additionally, 217 (72.8%) patients received antibiotic therapy and 215 (79.3%) men showed therapeutic effects. The treatment cost USD 1 151 (8 059 yuan) per person per year on average. Most CP patients received routine treatment, in most cases with antibiotics. Treatment was costly and most CP patients were not satisfied with its effectiveness. Antibacterial treatment might have been effective primarily in patients with bacterial disease.

The wheat TaGI1, involved in photoperiodic flowering, encodes an Arabidopsis GI ortholog.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is an important crop and requires long day and short night to flower. To study the molecular mechanism of photoperiodic regulation of flowering in this species, we isolated a wheat TaGI1 gene, an ortholog of GIGANTEA (GI) in Arabidopsis. RNA blot hybridization revealed that TaGI1 is expressed in leaves in a rhythmic manner under long day and short day conditions and its rhythmic expression is regulated by photoperiods and circadian clocks. Further study demonstrated that the TaGI1 rhythmic expression in the leaves of seedlings is initiated by photoperiods, implying that TaGI1 does not show circadian regulation until after being entrained in a light/dark cycle. Interestingly, TaGI1 mRNA was detected in adaxial epidermal cells right above the vascular bundles of leaves, suggesting that the localization of TaGI1 transcripts in leaves may function to regulate flowering in response to photoperiods. Since overexpression of TaGI1 altered flowering time in wild type and complemented the gi mutant in Arabidopsis, it confirmed that TaGI1 is an ortholog of GI in Arabidopsis.