Use of a latex biomembrane for bladder augmentation in a rabbit model: biocompatibility, clinical and histological outcomes

PURPOSE: To investigate histological features and biocompatibility of a latex biomembrane for bladder augmentation using a rabbit model. MATERIAL AND METHODS: After a partial cystectomy, a patch of a non-vulcanized latex biomembrane (2x4 cm) was sewn to the bladder with 5/0 monofilament polydioxanone sulfate in a watertight manner. Groups of 5 animals were sacrificed at 15, 45 and 90 days after surgery and the bladder was removed. The 5-µm preparations obtained from grafted area and normal bladder were stained with hematoxylin-eosin. Immunohistochemical staining was performed with a primary antibody against alpha-actin to assess muscle regeneration. RESULTS: No death, urinary leakage or graft extrusion occurred in any group. All bladders showed a spherical shape. Macroscopically, after 90 days, the latex biomembrane was not identifiable and the patch was indistinguishable from normal bladder. A bladder stone was found in one animal (6.6 percent). On the 90th day, histology revealed continuity of transitional epithelium of host bladder tissue on the patch area. At this time, the muscle layers were well organized in a similar fashion to native bladder muscle layers. The inflammatory process was higher on grafted areas when compared to controls: 15 days - p < 0.0001, 45 days - p < 0.001, and 90 days - p < 0.01. The anti alpha-actin immunoexpression peaked at 45 days, when the graft was observed covered by muscle cells. CONCLUSION: The latex biomembrane is biocompatible and can be used in models for bladder augmentation in rabbits. It promotes epithelium and muscle regeneration without urinary leakage.

Results of novel strategies for treatment of Wilms' tumor

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate treatment outcomes in Wilms' tumor (WT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 53 children with median age of 2 years with WT, stages I-19, II-14, III-12, IV-6 and V-2. Treatment consisted of surgical excision plus adjuvant (40 children) or neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy (unresectable tumor, n = 8, or caval tumor extension, n = 5). Chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed protocols of Brazilian Wilms' Tumor Study Group excepting 16 cases with stage I disease that received a short duration postoperative treatment with vincristine (VCR - 11 doses) and dactinomycin (AMD - 4 doses). Relapsed WT was treated with multiagent regimens including cisplatin/carboplatin, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide and etoposide. One patient with resistant relapsed WT was treated by high-dose conditioning chemotherapy with stem cell rescue. RESULTS: Overall and disease-free survival rates at 5 years were respectively 88.2 ± 5.0 percent and 76.7 ± 6.6 percent. Short duration therapy for stage I tumor showed a disease-free survival rate of 100 percent in a median time of 101 months (range 14 to 248 months). Overall and disease-free survival of 10 patients with recurrent WT at 5 years was 42.8 percent. The child treated with high-dose chemotherapy plus stem cell transplant is alive without evidence of disease 84 months from relapse. CONCLUSION: The postoperative chemotherapy in stage I disease can be reduced without compromising the cure rate. The treatment of unfavorable stage III and IV disease or relapsed tumor remains a challenge.

Calcium channel blocker and renal mitochondrial function in warm renal ischemia

OBJECTIVE: Ions, particularly calcium ions, play an important role in ischemia-reperfusion cell injury. In this study, we investigated the action of verapamil on the mitochondrial function of kidneys submitted to ischemia without blood reperfusion in order to study isolated early and late ischemic effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 44 rats were submitted to bilateral warm renal ischemia for 30 minutes. The kidneys were then immediately reperfused with saline or Euro-Collins (EC) solution, with and without previous administration of 0.35 mg/kg of verapamil. Mitochondrial function was assessed at the end of renal perfusion and after 24 hours of cold preservation. RESULTS: In kidneys perfused with saline, verapamil allowed a significant early preservation of state III mitochondrial respiration, a result that was no longer evident after 24 hours. In kidneys perfused with EC solution, verapamil did not change state III for either early or late evaluations. Comparison of the groups showed that the results obtained for kidneys perfused with EC were always superior to those obtained for the saline group, except for the initial analysis of kidneys treated with saline and verapamil, which showed results similar to those obtained with EC perfusion alone. CONCLUSION: Administration of verapamil before warm ischemia provides partial and short-lasting functional protection of the mitochondrial function in kidneys perfused with sodium rich saline. With Euro-Collins solution, verapamil did not show any additional beneficial effect. This fact permits us to conclude that protective action is effective only under conditions that facilitate increased sodium uptake and/or potassium loss.

Estimated costs of treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia in Brazil

INTRODUCTION: The treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) presents 2 options: medical or surgical, and there are doubts about what is the best treatment since 80 percent of patients who undergo surgery become asymptomatic and 10 to 40 percent of those under medical regimen undergo surgery within a 5 years period. It is difficult to assess the actual costs of treating BPH in Brazil due to several factors, among them regional particularities and the scarcity of current statistical data. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Recently, in the Ribeirão Preto area, São Paulo, Brazil, the IPSS (International Prostatic Symptoms Score) and quality of life were verified in 934 volunteers. It was determined the percentage of individuals with ages ranging from 40 to 79 years with moderate symptoms (score 8-19) and with severe symptoms (score 20-35), values for which are indicated medical and surgical treatment, respectively, according to the Brazilian Society of Urology consensus on BPH. Data on Brazilian population in that age range were obtained from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics referent to the year of 2000. It was determined the number of patients, according to the criteria above, subjected to either one of the treatments mentioned. Surgical costs of prostate transurethral resection were researched according to Unified Health System - SUS tables (US$ 173) and of Brazilian Medical Society - AMB with a mean cost in 3 hospitals of US$ 933. Drug costs were calculated by the annual mean price (US$ 355) of 4 alpha-blockers (tamsulosin, alfuzosin, doxazosin and terazosin). RESULTS: The estimated population for medical treatment was 5,397,321 individuals, with a cost corresponding to US$ 1,916,489,055.00. The estimated population for surgical treatment was 2,040,299 men, what would represent a cost of US$ 353,291,204.00 based on the SUS table and of US$ 1,904,279,066.00 based on AMB with hospital expenses included. CONCLUSION: All theses facts induce us to predict that the treatment of BPH in a not-so-far future can become a public health problem for Brazilian society, since the current estimate would be, approximately, costs around 2.26 - 3.83 billion dollars, added by the yearly increase in the risk population (24.99 percent) for the group under medical treatment and over the non-operated amount of the surgical group.

Modulation of urethral alpha-sympathetic by parasympathetic before and following bethanechol chloride injection

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Chagas' disease causes specific parasympathetic denervation and in its digestive clinic form promotes also functional alterations in bladder. Thus, the aim was to investigate the existence of balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic systems in lower urinary tract, as occurs in other organs. We verified the urethral closing pressure before and following parasympathetic stimulus. PATIENTS AND METHODS: For that, the urethral closure pressure was studied before and after the injection of 5 mg of bethanechol chloride subcutaneously in 28 voluntary female patients, divided into 4 groups. The constitution of theses groups was: A) normal control = 6 patients; B) Chagas' disease with positive serology only = 5 patients; C) Chagas' disease with cardiac disease = 6 patients, and D) Chagas' disease with digestive disease and vesical hyporeflexia = 11 patients. Urethral profilometry was performed through perfusion urethral catheter with a 6.5 ml/minute flow and a traction rate of 5 mm/minute. RESULTS: Means and standard deviations for urethral closure pressure before bethanechol chloride were respectively: group A = 67.3 ± 7.1; group B = 69.2 ± 7.4; group C = 95.8 ± 5.1; group D = 82.1 ± 8.4. After bethanechol chloride they were: group A = 66.0 ± 6.6; group B = 77.0 ± 7.6; group C = 98.3 ± 8.8; group D = 45.9 ± 6.2. The Kruskal Wallis statistical test did not show statistically significance difference between groups A, B, C. However, it was statistically significant between groups C and D with p = 0.003. Wilcoxon test showed p = 0.001, only for values in group D before and following bethanechol chloride. CONCLUSIONS: Chagas' disease in its intestinal form seems to alter urethral function as well. Parasympathetic stimulation decreased urethral pressure, indicating potential modulation by the parasympathetic system over the sympathetic system

Tumores da córtex da supra-renal: o uso do p53 na diferenciaçäo entre carcinomas e adenomas / Adrenocortical tumors: use of p53 in differentiation between carcinomas and adenomas

A marcação imunohistoquímica da proteina p53 foi estudada em tumores da adrenal conservados em formol ou em blocos de parafina, pelo método da avidina-biotina-peroxidase com recuperação antigênica. Foram estudados 24 carcinomas e 26 adenomas com o objetivo de verificar se o marcador mostrava capacidade de distinção entre eles. Em 62,5 por cento dos carcinomas a marcação foi positiva enquanto que nos adenomas foi de 15,4 por cento, diferença essa estatisticamente significante (p=0,0003). A sensibilidade, especificidade e valor preditivo positivo desse marcador para o diagnóstico do câncer foram, respectivamente: 83,3 por cento, 71,8 por cento e 62,5 por cento. Não houve relação entre o índice de marcação e outros parâmetros clínicos, como peso do tumor, estádio local, recidiva e metástases. Os autores concluem que o marcador é útil no diagnóstico diferencial de massas da adrenal, mas não tem relação com a agressividade biológica da neoplasia maligna.

Antígeno nuclear de proliferaçäo celular em tumores de adrenal / Nuclear antigen of cell proliferating in adrenal tumors

Fez-se um estudo imunohistoquímico do antígeno nuclear de proliferação celular (PCNA) em 26 adenomas e 24 carcinomas de adrenal através da técnica da avidina-biotina-peroxidase. O índice de marcação (IP) do PCNA, definido com o número de células marcadas/1000 contadas, foi em média de 77,4 +/- 66,1 (mediana - 63,5) para os adenomas enquanto que para os carcinomas foi 215,8 +/- 56,0 (mediana - 217,5) (p<0,0001). Estabelecendo-se o IP de 100 o marcador (para a discriminação de carcinomas dos adenomas) o marcador exibiu sensibilidade, especificidade e valor preditivo positivo seguintes, respectivamente: 100 por cento, 69 por cento e 75 por cento.

Papel do MIB-1 no prognóstico dos carcinomas da córtex de supra-renal / Role of MIB-1 on prognosis of adrenocortical carcinomas

Estudou-se a marcação imunohistoquímica para o MIB-1 (Ki-67) em 24 carcinomas da córtex adrenal. A idade dos pacientes variou de 1 a 53 anos, com mediana de 7,5. Excetuando 1 paciente com doença avançada, todos foram submetidos à adrenalectomia. O tempo de seguimento variou de 1 a 13 anos. No momento do diagnóstico 7/24 pacientes já apresentavam metástases e no decorrer do seguimento 3 pacientes adicionais as desenvolveram. A média do peso tumoral dos sobreviventes livres da doença foi de 400 +/- 687 g enquanto que nos falecidos ou com neoplasia após a cirurgia foi de 508 +/- 335 g, diferença essa sem significado estatístico. Tumores maiores que 200 g mostraram pior prognóstico do que aqueles com peso menor (p = 0,01). Os valores médios do índice mitótico (IM) para tumores em estádio I, II, III e IV foram respectivamente: 17,4 +/- 10,0, 12,4 +/- 11,2, 18,3 +/- 14,0 e 28,3+/- 21,0. A comparação das médias revelou p>0,2. Os valores médios do índice de proliferação(IP) determinado pelo MIB-1 nos estádios I, II, III e IV foram respectivamente: 201,4 +/- 131,0, 179,6 98,7, 129,1 +/- 170,2 e 124,0 +/- 99,4. A comparação estatística dessas médias mostrou p>0,3. Valores do IP maiores que 20 estão associados a pior prognóstico. O IP não mostrou relação com o prognóstico.

Absorçäo de líquido de irrigaçäo na ressecçäo transuretral da próstata em cäes / Irrigating fluid absorption during transurethral resection of the prostate in dogs

Trinta e dois cäes submetidos a entubaçäo do ducto torácico e cateterismo bilateral dos ureteres, foram divididos em 3 grupos: A- 4 cäes inoculados com RISA 131 I ou EDTA 51 Cr por via intravenosa ou peri-prostática; B- controle de 8 cäes submetidos a irrigaçäo vesical e prostática com 8 litros de glicina a 1,2 por cento contendo os marcadores radioativos; C- 8 cäes manejados como em B mas sujeitos à RTU da próstata. Os cäes foram acompanhados por 5 horas. A absorçäo de líquido de irrigaçäo foi calculada pelos métodos volumétrico e radioisotópico. Em 5 horas, 97 por cento da RISA 131 I inoculada via intravenosa permanecia neste espaço enquanto apenas 4,6 por cento da injetada no espaço peri-prostático penetrou no compartimento vascular. Para o EDTA 51 Cr, 63,6 por cento da massa inoculada no espaço peri-prostático foi recuperada na urina após 5 horas. O método volumétrico mostrou absorçäo média de 22,7 ml no grupo B e 276 ml no C, e o radioisotópico de 6,3 ml e 165,4 ml, respectivamente. O modelo experimental tem similaridades com o ser humano

Alotransplante cardíaco em ratos: complicaçöes cirúrgicas e sobrevida do enxerto / Heart transplantation in rats: surgical complications and allograft survival

O objetivo desta apresentaçäo é o de relatar as complicaçöes cirúrgicas ocorridas no intra-operatório e, a sobrevida do coraçäo transplantado. Os autores realizaram o alotransplante cardíaco heterotópico, utilizando, como doadores, ratos Wistar e, como receptores, ratos Holtzman. A técnica utilizada foi a descrita por Ono e Lindsey, empregando-se fio de seda 7.0 para as anastomoses vasculares. Foram operados 56 animais: em 41, obteve-se sucesso na cirurgia (73 por cento); em 15, o resultado foi insatisfatório (26 por cento). Dentre as complicaçöes responsáveis pelo insucesso foram observadas: hemorragia arterial (6/15), trombose venosa (2/15), trombose coronariana (2/15) e perda do órgäo caracterizada pela ausência de batimentos cardíacos (5/15). O tempo de isquemia total foi de 57,6 minutos e o tempo médio gasto para realizaçäo das suturas vasculares foi de 44,6 minutos. O diagnóstico da rejeiçäo foi feito pela ausência de batimentos cardíacos a palpaçäo do abdome. A sobrevida média do enxerto foi de 10,4 dias. Näo foi empregada nenhuma medida imunossupressora. Os exames histopatológicos realizados nos coraçöes rejeitados mostraram alteraçöes conseqüentes à agressäo imunológica (infiltrado mononuclear, necrose de fibras do miocárdio, edema e aumento de tamanho). Apesar da ocorrência de complicaçöes intra-operatórias, este é um modelo simples que pode contribuir para o estudo da imunologia.

Infecçäo aguda do trato urogenital / Acute infection of the genitourinary system

Os autores fazem uma abordagem prática sobre o diagnóstico e o tratamento de pacientes com infeccao aguda do trato urogenital. Säo apresentadas as situaçöes mais comuns relacionadas à infecçäo do trato urinário baixo e do rim, assim como algumas das infecçöes sexualmente transmissíveis. Procurou-se, em cada situaçäo, comentar sobre os agentes etiológicos mais freqüentes, bem como orientar a solicitaçäo de exames subsidiários pertinentes para a confirmaçäo do diagnóstico, para a identificaçäo de complicaçäo ou de fatores predisponentes. Recomendou-se, ainda, a terapia específica mais usada para cada caso, näo só para combater os agentes infecciosos mais também os fatores predisponentes e as complicaçöes