Protective effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes against the reproductive toxicity of cyclophosphamide is associated with the p38MAPK/ERK and AKT signaling pathways / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Spermatogenic dysfunction caused by cyclophosphamide (CP) chemotherapy has seriously influenced the life quality of patients. Unfortunately, treatments for CP-induced testicular spermatogenic dysfunction are limited, and the molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. For the first time, here, we explored the effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (BMSC-exos) on CP-induced testicular spermatogenic dysfunction in vitro and in vivo. BMSC-exos could be taken up by spermatogonia (GC1-spg cells). CP-injured GC1-spg cells and BMSC-exos were cocultured at various doses, and then, cell proliferation was measured using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. In addition, photophosphorylation of extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK), and protein kinase B (AKT) proteins was evaluated by western blotting as well as apoptosis in GC1-spg cells measured using flow cytometry. Treatment with BMSC-exos enhanced cell proliferation and reduced apoptosis of CP-injured GCI-spg cells. Phosphorylated levels of ERK, AKT, and p38MAPK proteins were reduced in CP-injured spermatogonia when co-treated with BMSC-exos, indicating that BMSC-exos acted against the reproductive toxicity of CP via the p38MAPK/ERK and AKT signaling pathways. In experiments in vivo, CP-treated rats received BMSC-exos by injection into the tail vein, and testis morphology was compared between treated and control groups. Histology showed that transfusion of BMSC-exos inhibited the pathological changes in CP-injured testes. Thus, BMSC-exos could counteract the reproductive toxicity of CP via the p38MAPK/ERK and AKT signaling pathways. The findings provide a potential treatment for CP-induced male spermatogenic dysfunction using BMSC-exos.

A novel robust nomogram based on peripheral monocyte counts for predicting lymph node metastasis of prostate cancer / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Accurate methods for identifying pelvic lymph node metastasis (LNM) of prostate cancer (PCa) prior to surgery are still lacking. We aimed to investigate the predictive value of peripheral monocyte count (PMC) for LNM of PCa in this study. Two hundred and ninety-eight patients from three centers were divided into a training set (n = 125) and a validation set (n = 173). In the training set, the independent predictors of LNM were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, and the optimal cutoff value was calculated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The sensitivity and specificity of the optimal cutoff were authenticated in the validation cohort. Finally, a nomogram based on the PMC was constructed for predicting LNM. Multivariate analyses of the training cohort demonstrated that clinical T stage, preoperative Gleason score, and PMC were independent risk factors for LNM. The subsequent ROC analysis showed that the optimal cutoff value of PMC for diagnosing LNM was 0.405 × 109 l

Application value of real-time contrast-enhanced ultrasound in transrectal prostate biopsy / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>Objective</b>To explore the application value of real-time contrast-enhanced ultrasound (RTCEU) in improving the detection rate of transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This prospective study included 91 male patients with abnormally high PSA (4－20 μg/L) or abnormalities in DRE or MRI, who underwent 12+X prostate biopsy following conventional transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) and RTCEU examination. We compared the numbers of suspected prostatic nodules before and after RTCEU as well as the detection rates of prostate cancer between conventional TRUS-guided 12PBx and 12PBx plus lesion-targeted biopsy procedures.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Totally, 57 of the 86 suspected lesions on TRUS (66.3%), and 108 of the 118 abnormal nodules on RTCEU (91.5%) were confirmed to be prostate cancer. RTCEU achieved a significantly higher detection rate than TRUS (P<0.01). A total of 39 cases of prostate cancer (42.8%) were detected by RTCEU, while only 28 (30.7%) by TRUS, with statistically significant difference in the detection rate between the two procedures (P=0.033).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Real-time contrast-enhanced ultrasound can significantly improve the detection rate of prostate cancer and provide a valuable guide to targeted prostate biopsy.</p>

B-ultrasound guided aspiration and sclerotherapy with 2% iodophor for renal cysts / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the efficacy of B-ultrasound-guided aspiration and sclerotherapy with 2% iodophor for treatment of renal cysts.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-eight cases of sympotomatic renal cysts were treated with B-ultrasound-guided aspiration followed by sclerotherapy with 2% iodopher, which was maintained for 20 min. After extraction of iodopher, another injection of 2% iodopher (5-10 ml) into the cysts was given. The patients were followed up for 6 months to 18 months.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Full recovery was achieved in 25 cases and improvement in 2 cases. Recurrence was found in 1 case after the treatment.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>B-ultrasound-guided aspiration and sclerotherapy with 2% iodophor is safe, minimally invasive, and highly effective for treatment of symptomatic renal cysts.</p>