Prediction of Peak Overpressure of Charge Enveloped by Polymer Matrix Composite: Theoretical Modeling and Experimental Verification.

This study aimed at elucidating some characteristics of the shock wave overpressure generated by a non-traditional layered charge comprising an inner high-energy explosive and an outer polymer matrix composite. Two models for predicting the peak overpressure (Δpm) of the charge were established, namely, a model based on the initial parameters of the blast wave, and a model considering the weakening of the explosion energy through the introduction of polymer matrix cladding. The overpressure of a typical layered charge was experimentally measured for model validation. It was found that the difference between the Δpm predicted by the two models and the experimental data is less than 15.12% and 14.17%, respectively. The model that was established based on the conservation of energy law, is in best agreement with the experimental data under different cladding/charge mass ratios (αm). The model that was based on the initial parameters of the blast wave obtained a low predicted value when αm was 0.4-0.8, which is attributed to the non-uniformity of the gas-solid mixture during the explosive dispersion stage.

The near-infrared dye IR-61 restores erectile function in a streptozotocin-induced diabetes model via mitochondrial protection.

This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of IR-61, a novel mitochondrial heptamethine cyanine dye with antioxidant effects, on diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction (DMED). Eight-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were intraperitoneally injected with streptozotocin (STZ) to induce type 1 diabetes. Eight weeks after STZ injection, all rats were divided into three groups: the control group, DM group, and DM + IR-61 group. In the DM + IR-61 group, the rats were administered IR-61 (1.6 mg kg-1) twice a week by intravenous injection. At week 13, erectile function was evaluated by determining the ratio of the maximal intracavernous pressure to mean arterial pressure, and the penises were then harvested for fluorescent imaging, transmission electron microscopy, histological examinations, and Western blot analysis. Whole-body imaging suggested that IR-61 was highly accumulated in the penis after intravenous injection. IR-61 treatment significantly improved the maximal ICP of diabetic rats. Additionally, IR-61 ameliorated diabetes-induced inflammation, apoptosis, and phenotypic transition of corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells (CCSMCs) in penile tissue. IR-61 also attenuated mitochondrial damage, reduced reactive oxygen species production in the corpus cavernosum and upregulated sirtuin1 (SIRT1), sirtuin3 (SIRT3), nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2), and heme oxygenase expression in penile tissue. In conclusion, IR-61 represents a potential therapeutic option for DMED by protecting the mitochondria of CCSMCs, which may be mediated by activation of the SIRT1, SIRT3, and Nrf2 pathways.

Chemo-resistant Gastric Cancer Associated Gene Expression Signature: Bioinformatics Analysis Based on Gene Expression Omnibus.

BACKGROUND/AIM: This study aimed to identify biomarkers for predicting the prognosis of advanced gastric cancer patients who received docetaxel, cisplatin, and S-1 (DCS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Gene expression profiles were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database (GSE31811). Gene-Ontology-enrichment and KEGG-pathway analysis were used for evaluating the biological functions of differentially-expressed genes. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were employed to assess the prognostic values of hub genes. RESULTS: A total of 1,486 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, including 13 up-regulated and 1,473 down-regulated genes. KEGG pathways such as metabolic pathways, cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and pathways in cancer were significantly represented. In the PPI network, the top ten hub genes ranked by degree were GNG7, PLCB1, CALML5, FGFR4, GRB2, JAK3, ADCY7, ADCY9, GNAS and KDR. Five DEGs, including ANTXR1, EFNA5, GAMT, E2F2 and NRCAM, were associated with relapse-free survival and overall survival. CONCLUSION: ANTXR1, EFNA5, GAMT, E2F2 and NRCAM are potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for DCS treatment in GC.

Rosmarinic acid reduces the resistance of gastric carcinoma cells to 5-fluorouracil by downregulating FOXO4-targeting miR-6785-5p.

OBJECTIVE: Chemoresistance has been a major problem in cancer chemotherapy. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of Rosmarinic acid (RA) on chemoresistance to 5-Fu and its molecular mechanism in gastric carcinoma. METHODS: CCK8 cell proliferation and apoptosis assay were used to evaluate the effect of RA on chemoresistance to 5-Fu in GC cells. RNA microarray was used to identify miRNA involved. Expression level of miRNA in GC cells was determined by RT-PCR. Down- or up-regulating of miRNA in the GC cells was performed by transfection of RNA interference or expression vectors in the GC cells. Double luciferase reporter assay was used to verify miRNA target genes. Expression of P-glycoprotein and Bax was analyzed with Western blot. RESULTS: RA treated SGC7901/5-Fu cells showed significant increased chemosensitivity to 5-Fu. The IC50 of 5-Fu was significantly reduced in RA treated SGC7901/5-Fu cells (70.43 ± 1.06 µg/mL) compared to untreated SGC7901/5-Fu cells (208.6 ± 1.09 µg/mL) (P < 0.05). Apoptosis rate was significantly increased in RA+5-Fu treated SGC7901/5-Fu cells compared to 5-FU treatment alone (P < 0.01). Two miRNAs, namely miR-642a-3p and miR-6785-5p, were identified to be involved in the chemo-sensitizing effect of RA in the SGC7901/5-Fu cells. RA treated SGC7901/5-Fu cells showed reduced expression levels of miR-642a-3p and miR-6785-5p compared to untreated SGC7901/5-Fu cells (P < 0.05). Down- or up-regulation of miR-6785-5p increased or reduced chemosensitivity of gastric carcinoma cells to 5-Fu, respectively. RA treated SGC7901/5-Fu and the SGC7901/5-Fu-Si cells showed significantly increased FOXO4 expression (P < 0.01). Double luciferase reporter assay confirmed miR-6785-5p directly targets FOXO4 to regulate its expression. RA significantly reduced P-gp expression and increased Bax expression in SGC7901/5-Fu and the SGC7901/5-Fu-Si cells (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: RA enhances chemosensitivity of resistant gastric carcinoma SGC7901 cells to 5-Fu by downregulating miR-6785-5p and miR-642a-3p and increasing FOXO4 expression. These study suggest the potential for RA as a multidrug resistance-reversing agent in GC.

Long non-coding RNA TUG1 promotes the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells through regulating Wnt/ß-catenin pathway.

The long non-coding RNA taurine up-regulated gene 1 (TUG1) has been shown to be dysregulated in various types of malignant cancer; however, its underlying mechanism of action has not been fully elucidated. The present study aimed to investigate the biological role and clinical significance of TUG1 in the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). A reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay was used to evaluate TUG1 expression in tissues from patients with CRC. The effect of TUG1 on cell viability of CRC cells using MTT assay. The influence of TUG1 on tumorigenesis was monitored using an in vivo xenograft model. The status of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway was evaluated using immunofluorescence, western blotting and luciferase reporter assays. The results demonstrated that the expression of TUG1 was positively associated with the pathological grade and clinical stage of CRC patients. Knockdown of TUG1 inhibited the proliferation of CRC cells and attenuated the activity of Wnt/ß-catenin pathway in CRC cells. In addition, TUG1 knockdown inhibited the tumorigenicity in the in vivo CRC xenograft model, as well as the nuclear localization of ß-catenin and downstream gene transcription. Taken together, the data of the present study highlighted the pivotal role of the TUG1-Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway in CRC, which could be targeted to improve the therapeutic efficacy of CRC.

Correction to: Temperature and Pressure Dependences of the Elastic Properties of Tantalum Single Crystals Under <100> Tensile Loading: A Molecular Dynamics Study.

In the original publication of this article [1] the third author was typesetted by mistake.

Temperature and Pressure Dependences of the Elastic Properties of Tantalum Single Crystals Under <100> Tensile Loading: A Molecular Dynamics Study.

Atomistic simulations are capable of providing insights into physical mechanisms responsible for mechanical properties of the transition metal of Tantalum (Ta). By using molecular dynamics (MD) method, temperature and pressure dependences of the elastic properties of Ta single crystals are investigated through <100> tensile loading. First of all, a comparative study between two types of embedded-atom method (EAM) potentials is made in term of the elastic properties of Ta single crystals. The results show that Ravelo-EAM (Physical Review B, 2013, 88: 134101) potential behaves well at different hydrostatic pressures. Then, the MD simulation results based on the Ravelo-EAM potential show that Ta will experience a body-centered-cubic (BCC) to face-centered-cubic (FCC) phase transition before fracture under <100> tensile loading at 1 K temperature, and model size and strain rate have no obvious effects on tensile behaviors of Ta. Next, from the simulation results at the system temperature from 1 to 1500 K, it can be derived that the elastic modulus of E100 linearly decrease with the increasing temperature, while the yielding stress decrease with conforming a quadratic polynomial formula. Finally, the pressure dependence of the elastic properties is performed from 0 to 140 GPa and the observations show that the elastic modulus increases with the increasing pressure overall.

Autophagy: novel applications of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for primary cancer.

In eukaryotic cells, autophagy is a process associated with programmed cell death. During this process, cytoplasmic proteins and organelles are engulfed by double-membrane autophagosomes, which then fuse with lysosomes to form autolysosomes. These autolysosomes then degrade their contents to recycle the cellular components. Autophagy has been implicated in a wide variety of physiological and pathological processes that are closely related to tumorigenesis. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have indicated that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as celecoxib, meloxicam, sulindac, aspirin, sildenafil, rofecoxib, and sodium salicylate, have diverse effects in cancer that are mediated by the autophagy pathway. These nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can modulate tumor autophagy through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR, MAPK/ERK1/2, P53/DRAM, AMPK/mTOR, Bip/GRP78, CHOP/ GADD153, and HGF/MET signaling pathways and inhibit lysosome function, leading to p53-dependent G1 cell-cycle arrest. In this review, we summarize the research progress in autophagy induced by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and the molecular mechanisms of autophagy in cancer cells to provide a reference for the potential benefits of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in cancer chemotherapy.

Evaluation of short-term effectiveness of eight targeted agents combined with chemotherapy for treating esophageal-gastric junction adenocarcinoma: A network meta-analysis.

This study aimed to evaluate the short-term effectiveness of eight targeted agents (ramucirumab, bevacizumab, rilotumumab, panitumumab, cetuximab, trebananib, trastuzumab, matuzumab) plus chemotherapy in esophageal-gastric junction adenocarcinoma (EGJA) by a network meta-analysis (NMA). PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were systematically retrieved for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) concerning targeted agents plus chemotherapy in the treatment of EGJA. This NMA combined both direct and indirect evidence to evaluate odds ratio (OR) and to draw the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA). In total 11 RCTs with 3649 EGJA patients (1907 patients treated with targeted agents plus chemotherapy were regarded as the case group, and 1742 patients with placebo plus chemotherapy were assigned into the control group) were enrolled in this study. Targeted agents in terms of stable disease (SD), partial response (PR), disease control rate (DCR), and overall response ratio (ORR) with the SUCRA values of 0.838, 0.807, 0.934, and 0.793, respectively. Cetuximab and trastuzumab, with the SUCRA values of 0.884 and 0.758, came on top as the best outcomes for treating EGJA in terms of progressive disease (PD) and complete response (CR). Cluster analysis results indicated that ramucirumab plus chemotherapy might be the optimal treatment for EGJA. Our findings indicated that ramucirumab plus chemotherapy might be the optimal treatment for EGJA amongst the nine treatment regimens, which provided clinical guidance for clinicians in the treatment of EGJA.

Reversal of Multidrug Resistance by the Chinese Medicine Yiqi Jianpi Huaji Decoction and the Mechanism of Action in Human Gastric Cancer SGC7901/VCR Cells.

Yiqi Jianpi Huaji Decoction (YJHD), a traditional Chinese medicinal formula composed of twelve ingredients, has recently been reported to have a good clinical curative effect. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of YJHD on SGC7901/VCR gastric cancer cells and to elucidate the possible mechanism of action. First, the effects of a low dose of YJHD in combination with chemotherapeutic agents on SGC7901/VCR cells were assessed using the CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry, and the effects of YJHD on genes and proteins involved in drug resistance (MDR1, MRP, TUBB3, STMN1, and TS) were evaluated. Furthermore, transfection of SGC7901/VCR cells with siRNAs targeting these genes inhibited their expression, and the efficacy of vincristine against the cells was dramatically improved in vitro when these genes were silenced. These results demonstrate that low-dose YJHD inhibited cell proliferation, induced apoptosis, reversed MDR, and increased sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents in vitro by downregulating P-gp, MRP, TUBB3, and STMN1 expression. MDR can be reversed by siRNAs targeting genes involved in MDR, and this strategy for cancer treatment should be evaluated in future studies.

Efficacy and safety of parecoxib/phloroglucinol combination therapy versus parecoxib monotherapy for acute renal colic: a randomized, double-blind clinical trial.

To investigate whether the addition of phloroglucinol to parecoxib could improve the efficacy in patients with acute renal colic. Patients of acute renal colic were randomly allocated to receive intravenous Parecoxib 40 mg plus placebo or Parecoxib 40 mg plus phloroglucinol 80 mg, respectively. Pain intensity was recorded using a visual analog scale (VAS) before drug administration and 5, 15, 30, 60, and 120 min after treatment start. The primary outcome was the mean pain intensity difference (PID) at each checkpoint and the effectiveness of drugs (≥ 50 % decrease in VAS score at the end checkpoint). The need for rescue analgesics and the incidence of adverse effects were considered as secondary outcome of the study. Among 236 patients enrolled in the study, 119 patients received intravenous parecoxib plus placebo and 114 patients received intravenous parecoxib plus phloroglucinol, the remaining 3 patients given up treatment. Baseline demographics were similar between two groups. There are significant differences in the PID at 15 and 30 min between two groups (P15 min = 0.011, P30 min = 0.013). Rescue analgesics were required by 17 patients (14.3 %) receiving parecoxib, 7 patients (6.1 %) receiving parecoxib plus phloroglucinol (P = 0.041). There were no differences in PID at other checkpoints between two groups, as well as in the incidence of adverse events and the drug effectiveness. Parecoxib in combination with phloroglucinol for acute renal colic has a faster action, also reduces the demand of rescue analgesics.

Dutasteride on benign prostatic hyperplasia: a meta-analysis on randomized clinical trials in 6460 patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effectiveness of dutasteride in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia by meta-analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Several databases were searched from inception to June 2013 for prospective clinical studies comparing dutasteride vs placebo. The continuous outcomes of therapeutic efficacy included International Prostate Symptom Score/American Urological Association Symptom Index, maximum flow rate, total prostate volume, and acute urinary retention (AUR). The dichotomous outcomes included surgery risk and the rate of sexual dysfunction. The relative risk for dichotomous outcome and the weighted mean difference for continuous outcomes were estimated using fixed effects model. RESULTS: Four studies met the inclusion criteria and were included, in which a total of 6460 patients received dutasteride and 6475 received placebo treatment. The average symptom score was improved by 1.98 with 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.77-2.19 (P <.00001); the average maximum flow rate was increased by 1.16 mL/s with 95% CI 0.63-1.70 (P <.0001); the total prostate volume was reduced by 13.86 mL (95% CI 12.76-14.96; P <.00001); the odds ratio for AUR was 0.35 (95% CI 0.27-0.47; P <.00001). The major side effect for dutasteride was the increased rate of sexual dysfunction compared with placebo, with odds ratio of 0.41 (95% CI 0.31-0.54; P <.00001). CONCLUSION: Dutasteride is highly effective in mitigating benign prostatic hyperplasia symptoms and reducing the size of enlarged prostate and the risks of AUR and surgical intervention. However, dutasteride therapy is related to an increased rate of sexual dysfunction.

[Perineal urethrostomy plus secondary urethroplasty for ultralong urethral stricture: clinical outcomes and influence on the patient's quality of life].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the outcomes of perineal urethrostomy plus secondary urethroplasty for ultralong urethral stricture and assess its influence on the patient's quality of life. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 54 cases of ultralong urethral stricture treated by perineal urethrostomy from 2000 to 2010. The mean age of the patients was 40 years, and the average length of stricture was 6.5 cm. We evaluated the patients'quality of life by questionnaire investigation and the clinical outcomes based on IPSS, Qmax, the necessity of urethral dilation and satisfaction of the patients. RESULTS: The mean Qmax of the 54 patients was (14.0 +/- 4.7) ml/min. Of the 34 cases that underwent secondary urethroplasty, 22 (64.7%) achieved a mean Qmax of (12.0 +/- 3.5) ml/min, 8 (23.5%) needed regular urethral dilatation and 4 (11.8%) received internal urethrotomy because of restenosis. IPSS scores were 5.4 +/- 2.1 and 8.5 +/- 5.8 after perineal urethrostomy and secondary urethroplasty, respectively. Fifty of the total number of patients (92.6%) were satisfied with the results of perineal urethrostomy, and 22 of the 34 (64.7%) with the results of secondary urethroplasty. CONCLUSION: Perineal urethrostomy plus secondary urethroplasty is safe and effective for ultralong urethral stricture, and affects very little the patient's quality of life.

Zoledronic acid inhibits proliferation and impairs migration and invasion through downregulating VEGF and MMPs expression in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells.

To demonstrate the effect of zoledronic acid in proliferation, invasion, and migration of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell HNE-1 and explore the potential role of VEGF, MMP-2, and MMP-9 proteins in vitro. Human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell HNE-1 was exposed to various concentrations (0-40 µmol/l) of zoledronic acid. Zoledronic acid inhibited proliferation of HNE-1 cells though not in a dose-dependent manner. Zoledronic acid had exerted a dose-dependent effect on the migration and invasion of HNE-1 cells. Both expressions of mRNA and protein of MMP2, MMP9, and VEGF were reduced, respectively, detected by RT-PCR and Western blot assays. These data suggested that zoledronic acid not only inhibited growth but also invasion and migration of HNE-1 cells in vitro. The anti-cancer action of zoledronic acid was partially associated with the suppression of VEGF expression and secretion and downregulating the expression of MMP2 and MMP9.

Resection of a giant renal angiomyolipoma in a solitary kidney with preoperative arterial embolization.

Renal angiomyolipoma is a type of benign tumor that occurs sporadically in addition to being associated with tuberous sclerosis. Preoperative embolization of large tumors is important to avoid excessive blood loss during surgery. We reported a patient with a 5505-g giant renal angiomyolipoma in a solitary kidney. The patient was treated with preoperative embolization and radical nephrectomy without complications. This type of treatment for an enormous angiomyolipoma can reduce the risk of uncontrolled hemorrhage caused by rupture of the tumor during the operation and should be considered for the treatment of similar tumors.

[Study on the neurophysiologic of detrusor overactivity due to partial bladder outflow obstruction].

OBJECTIVE: To study the neurophysiologic of detrusor overactivity (DO) due to partial bladder outflow obstruction (PBOO). METHODS: Twenty four female Wistar rats with DO caused by PBOO were studied simultaneously with ten sham-operated rats. An electrophysiological multi-channel simultaneous recording system was used to record pelvic afferent fiber potentials as well as the pudendal nerve motor branch potentials, external urethral sphincter electromyogram (EUS EMG) and abdominal muscle EMG during filling cystometry. To test the effect of the unstable contraction in DO rats after the decentralization of the central nervous system, DO rats were studied the changes of the unstable contraction after transection of the spinal cord (T(8) level), pelvic nerve, the sympathetic trunk, and the pudendal nerve. RESULTS: The incidence of DO was 62.5% in filling cystometry. During filling cystometry, there are two type of DO contraction according to the changes of pelvic afferent fiber signals, the relevant nerves and muscles responses: the small pressure of the unstable contraction (S-DO) and the big pressure of the unstable contraction (B-DO). For the B-DO, there were significant changes in the recordings of pelvic afferent fiber, the motor branch of the pudendal nerve, EUS EMG, and abdominal muscle EMG. While all these differences have not been recorded during S-DO. Both the filling-voiding cycle and the unstable contraction of B-DO were eliminated and the base line of bladder pressure increased after T(8) spinal cord transection. While the S-DO was not affected by such transection. When bladder relevant nerves were transected by the sequence of the pelvic nerve, the sympathetic trunk, and the pudendal nerve, the filling-voiding cycle was eliminated. The base line of bladder pressure increased significantly. No B-DO was recorded, but the S-DO still existed. CONCLUSION: There are some bladder-genic factors take part in the DO contractions induced by PBOO.

[Correlation between activation of L5-S2 spinal cord astrocytes and effect of substance P in chronic prostatitis pain].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the expressions of the substance P (SP) mRNA and neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R) in the posterior horn of the L5 - S2 spinal cord in the rat model of chronic prostatitis pain, and to investigate the changes in the activation of astrocytes and influence of SP on this activation in rat spinal cord astrocytes cultured in vitro. METHODS: The rat model of chronic prostatitis pain was established by injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) and assessed by the tail flick threshold test, the control rats injected with sodium chloride and all observed at 0, 14 and 28 days. Changes in the expressions of SP mRNA, NK-1R, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the posterior horn of the L5 - S2 spinal cord were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot. Rat spinal cord astrocytes were cultured in vitro and divided into a control group, cultured with ITS cell culture fluid, and two experiment groups, with Group 1 stimulated with SP at the concentration of 10(-9) - 10(-6) mol/L for 12 hours followed by determination of the expressions of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, NO and NOS by ELISA and nitrate reductase and colorimetric methods, and Group 2 at 10(-7) mol/L for 0, 24, 48 and 72 hours followed by detection of the GFAP expression by Western blot. RESULTS: The expressions of SP mRNA, NK-1 R, GFAP, TNF-alpha and iNOS in the posterior horn of the L5 - S2 spinal cord were obviously higher in the rat prostatitis pain models than in the controls, successively higher at 28 than at 14 and 0 d (P < 0.01), and so was the expression of GFAP at 28 than at 14 d in the experiment groups (P < 0.05). SP induced a gradual increase at 10(-7) mol/L in the expression of GFAP in the spinal cord astrocytes at 0 -72 h, significantly different from that of the control group (P < 0.01), and it promoted the excretion of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta and the activity of NO and NOS at 10(-9) - 10(-6) mol/L at 12 h in a concentration-dependent manner, with marked differences between the experiment and control groups (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). But a decreased excretion of IL-1 beta was observed in the 10(-6) mol/L group, though with no significant difference from the control (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Chronic prostatitis pain could upregulate the expressions of the excitatory transmitter SP and receptor in the L5 - S2 spinal cord, and result in the activation of astrocytes and increased excretion of proinflammatory cytokines, which may be associated with the persistence and generalization of prostatitis pain.

[Morphological study on the role of ICC-like cells in detrusor neuro-modulation of rat urinary bladder].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of ICC-like cells in bladder neuromodulation in rat urinary bladder. METHODS: 14 SD rats and 1 guinea pig were sacrificed in this study. The ultra structural relationships among interstitial cells, nerves and detrusor smooth muscle cells (DSMCs) of urinary bladder were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). c-kit immunofluorescence was used to identify ICC-like cells in SD rat urinary bladder and the structural relationship between ICC-like cells and nerve terminals was studied by immunofluorescence (double-label). RESULTS: Gap junction between ICC-like cells and DSMCs was confirmed by TEM. ICC-like cells were very close apposition with nerve terminals under TEM. ICC-like cells were identified to exist in sub-urothelium layer, along the longitude of smooth muscle bundles and among detrusor smooth muscle in SD rat urinary bladder by c-kit immunofluorescence. Double-labeled tissue with c-kit and PGP9.5 antibodies also showed that ICC-like cells were very close apposition with nerve terminals in SD rat bladder. CONCLUSIONS: Morphological study indicated that ICC-like cells in rat urinary bladder may play an important role in detrusor neuromodulation. Further study on function will be helpful for elucidating the mechanism of bladder neuromodulation clearly.