Variants in the HEPSIN gene are associated with susceptibility to prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: HEPSIN (HPN) gene is one of the most consistently overexpressed genes in patients with prostate cancer; furthermore, there is some evidence supporting an association between HPN gene variants and the risk of developing prostate cancer. In this study, sequence variants in the HPN gene were investigated to determine whether they were associated with prostate cancer risk in a Korean study cohort. METHODS: We evaluated the association of 17 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the HPN gene with prostate cancer risk and clinical characteristics (Gleason score and tumor stage) in Korean men (240 case subjects and 223 control subjects) using unconditional logistic regression. RESULTS: The statistical analysis suggested that three SNPs (rs45512696, rs2305745, rs2305747) were significantly associated with the risk of prostate cancer (odds ratio (OR)=2.22, P=0.04; OR=0.73, P=0.03; OR=0.76, P=0.05, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that, in Korean men, some polymorphisms in the HPN gene might be associated with the risk of developing prostate cancer.

Preference for oral sildenafil or intracavernosal injection in patients with erectile dysfunction already using intracavernosal injection for > 1 year.

UNLABELLED: Authors from Seoul describe their experience with patients already on triple therapy by intracavernosal injection who changed to oral sildenafil. Rather surprisingly, they found that patients had had a greater preference than expected for triple therapy, feeling that they had a better quality of erection on intracavernosal injection. The subject of the effect of renal transplantation on sperm quality and sex hormone levels is discussed by authors from Teheran. They found that sperm morphology and density remained unchanged, but there were significant improvements in sperm mobility. There was also an improvement in hormone levels and sexual function. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and preference for oral sildenafil or intracavernosal injection (ICI) therapy in patients with erectile dysfunction (ED) already using ICI. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In all, 69 patients with ED (mean age 55.1 years, sd 12.3) on ICI therapy with triple solution (papaverine/phentolamine/prostaglandin-E1) for > 1 year were recruited for the study. Their erection quality, adverse reactions and selection rate of oral sildenafil or ICI as treatment, after using sildenafil for 3 months, and the reasons for their preferences, were compared between the regimens, RESULTS: Overall, 52 men (75%) responded to sildenafil; of these men, the erection quality with ICI was better than that with sildenafil in 46 (89%) and 16 (31%) preferred ICI as their treatment. Eighteen patients (35%) used each treatment alternately and 18 (35%) used sildenafil exclusively. The main reason given by patients for choosing ICI was a better quality of erection (74%). CONCLUSION: More patients with ED and using ICI preferred it as their main treatment than was expected, even though they had a good response to oral sildenafil. A better quality of erection with ICI was the reason why experienced patients chose this method, differing from the choice of patients starting treatment for ED.

Catalytic nucleophilic acyl substitution of anhydrides by amphoteric vanadyl triflate.

[reaction--see text] Among four vanadyl species examined, vanadyl triflate was the most efficient catalyst to facilitate nucleophilic acyl substitution of anhydrides with a myriad array of alcohols, amines, and thiols in high yields and high chemoselectivity. By using mixed-anhydride technique, one can achieve oleate and peptide syntheses. In marked contrast to common metal triflates, the amphoteric character of the V=O unit in vanadyl species was proven to be responsible for the catalytic profile in this process.

Major depressive disorder in Taiwan defined by the Chinese diagnostic Interview Schedule.

The lifetime prevalence rate of major depressive disorder (MDD), as defined by the Chinese Diagnostic Interview Schedule, is 1.14% in Taiwan. This is significantly lower than the lifetime prevalence rates reported in Western studies and similar to other studies in the Chinese population using similar methods for assessing cases of MDD. Epidemiological data from 136 MDD cases were analyzed to provide possible explanations for this difference in lifetime prevalence rates. The low rate of broken families in Chinese culture, low comorbidity rate, and older age of onset of MDD may suggest a reality of low lifetime prevalence rates of MDD in Taiwan.

Effect of GABA on the electrical potentials across the mouse small intestine.

The effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on transmural potential difference (PD) and radioactive chloride fluxes (J) across the mouse small intestine were studied. It was found that GABA decreased the PD and increased the J in both mucosal-to-serosal and serosal-to-mucosal directions (JMS and JSM) only at a concentration of or higher than 50 mM. The PD was increased by the presence of 10 mM glucose or glycine in bathing solutions. The PD was also decreased by increasing the osmolarity of the bathing solutions with increasing concentration of GABA, mannitol, sucrose, or glucose. Our results suggested that the hyperosmotic effect causes the decrease of PD and the increase of J across the mouse small intestine by GABA.