Evaluation of Transforming Growth Factor Beta-1 in the vein wall of males with varicocele.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate potential differences in the presence of Transforming Growth Factor-Beta 1 (TGF-ß1) between the vein walls of patients with varicocele and those of healthy individuals. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study comprised a total of 40 participants, divided into two groups. The control group (Group 1) consisted of 20 patients who underwent coronary bypass surgery, while the varicocele group (Group 2) included 20 patients scheduled for varicocelectomy. The cytoplasmic and nuclear staining patterns of TGF-ß1 immunohistochemistry were assessed in tissue samples under light microscopy, identifying any differences in TGF-ß1 presence between varicocele patient vein walls and normal (saphenous) veins. RESULTS: The varicocele group demonstrated lower nuclear and cytoplasmic TGF-ß1 staining rates compared to the control group. After controlling for the independent factor of age, significantly lower nuclear and cytoplasmic staining was still observed in the varicocele group. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first of its kind to compare TGF-ß1 staining in the vein walls of varicocele patients and healthy individuals. Previous studies focusing on varicose veins reported elevated TGF-ß1 expression. Contrarily, our study observed lower TGF-ß1 expression in varicocele patient veins, marking a unique contribution to the field.

Preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) may be predictive of pathologic stage in patients with bladder cancer larger than 3 cm.

OBJECTIVE: Bladder cancer (BCa) is the most common malignancy of the urinary tract. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the ability of preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) to predict pathologic stage of at the time of first transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TUR-BT) in patients with BCa larger than 3 cm. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Records of consecutive patients undergoing TUR-BT for BCa with a diameter >3 cm were reviewed. A total of 222 patients were eligible for analysis, and were divided into two groups: 162 patients in non-muscle-invasive BCa (NMIBC) group and 60 patients in muscle-invasive BCa (MIBC) group. Differences in preoperative blood parameters and NLR were evaluated between groups with an unequal variance t-test. RESULTS: In the NMIBC group, 59 patients had low-grade and 103 high-grade papillary urothelial carcinomas. 60 patients had T2 stage carcinoma. The mean age of the patients was 71.8 and 75.7 years, and mean NLR was 3.44 ± 2.03 and 4.6 ± 2.8 in NMIBC and MIBC groups, respectively. In terms of NLR, there was a statistically significant difference between the NMIBC and MIBC groups (p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that NLR might act as a significant predictive biomarker on the staging of BCa. Also, NLR could be used as a cost-effective, simple, common usable biomarker in urology clinic practice.

Potential role of p38-mitogene-activated protein kinase and nuclear factor-kappa B expression in testicular dysfunction associated with varicocele: an experimental study.

The aim of this study was to investigate p38-mitogene-activated protein kinase (p38-MAPK), nuclear factor-kappa B (p65-NF-kB) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in an experimental model of varicocele in the rat testis. Male Wistar albino rats (n = 18) were divided into three equal groups: control group, sham operated group and left varicocele-induced group. Malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels were biochemically assessed, and the p38-MAPK and NF-kB activity, and iNOS expression were immunohistochemically studied in the right and left testicles of rats from each group. The GSH levels were significantly decreased, whereas the level of MDA and NO was significantly increased in the testicular tissues of rats in varicocele group compared with those of the control and sham groups. There was a marked staining for iNOS, p38-MAPK and p65-NF-kB expression in rats of varicocele group compared with the sham group. There was no positive staining in rats of control group. There were significant differences in biochemical, histological and immunohistochemical studies, but no significant differences were noted between other groups. p38-MAPK and p65-NF-kB activation, and iNOS expression have a significant role in varicocele-induced testicular dysfunction.

Transurethral resection of the prostate with monopolar resectoscope: single-surgeon experience and long-term results of after 3589 procedures.

OBJECTIVE: To present our clinical outcomes and to assess the impact of technological improvements that have occurred recently in transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) on its morbidity. METHODS: The data from the 3589 patients who underwent conventional monopolar TURP for BPH from March 2000 to December 2008 were evaluated retrospectively. Data were analyzed to obtain perioperative and postoperative complications, operative time, weight of prostate chips resected, time to catheter removal, and hospitalization time. Patients were followed at 3 months and then yearly. The follow-up included the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life score (QoL), maximum urinary flow rate (Q(max.)), and prostate-specific antigen. The significant improvements in mean the IPSS, QoL score, and Q(max.) were observed in postoperative visits. RESULTS: Intraoperative perforation of prostatic capsule or bladder neck was observed in 27 (0.75%) patients. In the early postoperative period, clot retention with secondary bleeding was observed in 81 (2.3%) patients. Recatheterization was required in 195 (5.4%) patients. Mild to moderate dysuria was observed in 819 (23%) patients. Urinary tract infection occurred in 234 (6.5%) cases. Severe dysuria, urgency, and urge incontinence was observed in 93 (2.6%) patients in the first week after surgery. During the follow-up period, urethral stricture and bladder neck contracture occurred in 117 (3.2%) and 39 (1.08%) patients, respectively. There was no the iatrogenic incontinence. Re-operation as a result of rest prostatic adenoma was required in 158 (4.4%) patients. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that a technical improvement in TURP provides a lower complication rate. Conventional monopolar TURP can now be performed with excellent long-term efficacy combined with reduced complications.

Curcumin prevents oxidative renal damage induced by acetaminophen in rats.

Acetaminophen (APAP) can cause life-threatening renal damages and there is no specific treatment for APAP-induced renal damage. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of curcumin (CMN) on APAP-induced nephrotoxicity. Nephrotoxicity was induced in male Wistar Albino rats by the administration of a single dose of 1000 mg/kg APAP intraperitoneally (i.p.). Some of these rats also received i.p. CMN (200mg/kg) at 30 min after the administration of APAP. Twenty-four hours after the administration of APAP, all the rats were sacrificed with a high dose of ketamine. Urea and creatinine levels were measured in the blood, and the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH), and antioxidant enzyme activity were determined in the renal tissue. Histopathological changes were studied. APAP administration caused elevated levels of renal MDA, and marked depletion of GSH levels and antioxidant enzyme activity, and deteriorated the renal functions as assessed by the increased plasma urea and creatinine levels as compared to control rats. CMN markedly reduced the elevated MDA levels, significantly increased the antioxidant enzyme activity and normalized the altered renal morphology in rats treated with APAP. CMN might be a potential candidate agent against APAP-induced nephrotoxicity, but further studies are required to identify this issue before clinical application becomes possible.