Morphologic observation of the regenerated nerve in reconstructed penis with sensory nerve implantation in rabbit / 中华整形外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the mechanism of sensory nerve regeneration of the reconstructed penis with sensory nerve implantation and to explore a new surgical technique to improve the postoperative sensory function in phallic reconstruction.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Adult male New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into experimental group (n = 20, with sensory nerve implantation) and control group (n = 20, without sensory nerve implantation), which were both performed phalloplasty with a superficial epigastric faciovascular pedicle flap. Postoperatively, the nerve regeneration process of the reconstructed penis was observed histologically.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In experimental group, the amount of CGRP positive nerve fibers increased markedly with the time prolonged, whereas merely a few CGRP positive fibers scattered in deep dermis 6 months later in the other group. The cutaneous sensory nerve regeneration of the reconstructed penis in experimental group shows the procedure that the myelinated axon began to exist within 3 months, thereafter the myelinated axon and unmyelinated axon were both observed under the electron microscope.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>These findings show that the rabbit model of phalloplasty with sensory nerve implantation can acquire well sensory reinnervation, and bring a light to clinical application for restoration of sensory function in reconstructed penis.</p>

A long-term study of regeneration of mechanical sensory fibers after free nerve transplantation to the rabbit reconstructed penis / 中华整形外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the regeneration of mechanical sensory fibers after free nerve transplantation.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Neuroelectrophysiological technique (single nerve fiber recording) was used to test the regeneration rate of mechanical sensory fibers, the proportion of rapidly and slowly adapting receptors, the stimulating thresholds of regenerated mechanoreceptors and conduction velocity of regenerated fibers. The regeneration pattern of the mechanoreceptors after free nerve transplantation to the rabbit reconstructed penis was also analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>9 months after operation, the number of regenerated mechanical sensory fiber was almost normal. The regenerated rapidly adapting receptors had a higher proportion with higher mature degree than the regenerated slowly adapting receptors. 9 months after nerve transplantation the stimulating thresholds of regenerated mechanoreceptors and conduction velocity of regenerated fibers remained below normal.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>After free nerve transplantation to the rabbit reconstructed penis, the function of both rapidly and slowly adapting sensory nerve fiber partially recovered, but in different extent.</p>

Location of somatic sensory neurons of the skin and dorsal nerve of the penis in rabbits / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To trace the segmental distribution of somatic sensory neurons of the skin and dorsal nerve in the rabbitś penis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The experiment was performed on 8 adult male rabbits with the nerve tracing method of retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP), which was injected into the dermis around the penis and the dorsal nerve of the penis. The rabbits were sacrificed five days later to harvest the spinal cord segments and the dorsal root ganglia of lumbosacral segments for histological study.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The HRP tracing showed that a number of labeled HRP positive neurons appeared in spinal ganglia (S2 - S4) in all the rabbits, and distributed segmentally. The counts of the positive neurons different segments were: S2 (215.0 +/- 10.2) , S3 (242.2 +/- 8.3) and S4 (109.7 +/- 8.4) respectively, with statistically significant difference between the two groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The rabbit's sensory nerve fibers in both the skin and the dorsal nerve of the penis are rooted in the S2-S4 segments of spinal ganglia, which distribute regularly.</p>

Electrophysiology research on the spinal nerve source of rabbit penis cutaneous sensation / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explicate the spinal nerve source of the rabbit penis cutaneous sensation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twelve adult male rabbits were randomly divided into two groups of equal number. While mechanical stimuli were given to the penis by different von Frey hairs, single fiber activities were recorded in vivo in the left (Group A) and right (Group B) S1-S4 spinal nerves, respectively. The mechanical threshold, adaptability and conduction velocity of the fibers were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>When the ipsilateral penis was mechanically stimulated, discharges were detected in S2 and S3 spinal nerve fibers, but not in S1 and S4. The discharge fibers were 39.67 +/- 3.14 (S2) and 21.00 +/- 2.19 (S3) in the left spinal nerve and 40.00 +/- 3.16 (S2) and 19.67 +/- 2.58 (S3) in the right. There was no obvious difference between the numbers of the left spinal nerves and the right ones (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The rabbit penis cutaneous sensation originates from S2 and S3 spinal nerves.</p>

Effects of various HIV protease inhibitors on function of rat insulinoma cells / 浙江大学学报·医学版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of various HIV protease inhibitors on the function of pancreatic beta-cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Rat insulinoma INS-1 cells were incubated with different concentrations of ritonavir or amprenavir for 48 h and stimulated with 20 mmol/L D-glucose for 30 min. The rate of insulin release was measured in the supernatant by ELISA, normalized to cellular DNA contents. Cells were counted with trypan blue and MTT test were determined to evaluate the effect of protease inhibitors on cell viability.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Ritonavir treatment significantly decreased baseline insulin release and glucose-stimulated insulin release in a dose-dependent manner (r=-0.861, -0.839, both P<0.01). For 10 micromol/L of ritonavir, the decrease rate of baseline insulin secretion and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion was 46% and 47%, respectively. Amprenavir had no effect on the rate of insulin release.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Various HIV protease inhibitors present different effect on the insulin release of pancreatic beta-cells.</p>