CircRNA/miRNA/mRNA axis participates in the progression of partial bladder outlet obstruction.

BACKGROUND: More and more evidence showed that circRNA/miRNA/mRNA axis played a vital role in the pathogenesis of some diseases. However, the role of circRNA/miRNA/mRNA axis in partial bladder outlet obstruction (pBOO) remains unknown. Our study aimed to explore the complex regulatory mechanism of circRNA/miRNA/mRNA axis in pBOO. METHODS: The pBOO rat model was established, and the bladder tissues were collected for mRNA sequencing. The differentially expressed mRNAs were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing, and the GO and KEGG analysis of the differentially expressed mRNAs were performed. Competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) analysis identified the potential regulation function of circRNA/miRNA/mRNA axis in pBOO. qRT-PCR detected the expression of circRNA/miRNA/mRNA. miRanda software was performed to predict the relationship between circRNA and miRNA, miRNA and mRNA. RESULTS: Compared with the sham group, a total of 571 mRNAs were differentially expressed in the pBOO group, of which 286 were up-regulated and 285 were down-regulated. GO analysis showed that the mRNAs were mainly involved in cellular process, single-organism process, and cell, etc. KEGG analysis showed that the enriched signaling pathways were metabolic pathways, cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), and HTLV-I infection, etc. Based on the previous transcriptome data and differentially expressed circRNAs, we drew the ceRNA network regulation diagram. qRT-PCR results confirmed that chr3:113195876|113197193/rno-miR-30c-1-3p/Gata4, chr1:126188351|126195625/rno-miR-153-5p/Diaph3, and chr9:81258380|81275269/rno-miR-135b-5p/Pigr axis may have ceRNA function. miRanda confirmed there have the binding sites of circRNA/miRNA/mRNA axis. CONCLUSIONS: CircRNA/miRNA/mRNA axis was involved in the progression of pBOO. Our research on the circRNA/miRNA/mRNA axis revealed new pathogenesis and treatment strategies for pBOO.

Alteration in glycolytic/cholesterogenic gene expression is associated with bladder cancer prognosis and immune cell infiltration.

BACKGROUND: Oncogenic metabolic reprogramming contributes to tumor growth and immune evasion. The intertumoral metabolic heterogeneity and interaction of distinct metabolic pathways may determine patient outcomes. In this study, we aim to determine the clinical and immunological significance of metabolic subtypes according to the expression levels of genes related to glycolysis and cholesterol-synthesis in bladder cancer (BCa). METHODS: Based on the median expression levels of glycolytic and cholesterogenic genes, patients were stratified into 4 subtypes (mixed, cholesterogenic, glycolytic, and quiescent) in an integrated cohort including TCGA, GSE13507, and IMvigor210. Clinical, genomic, transcriptomic, and tumor microenvironment characteristics were compared between the 4 subtypes. RESULTS: The 4 metabolic subtypes exhibited distinct clinical, molecular, and genomic patterns. Compared to quiescent subtype, mixed subtype was more likely to be basal tumors and was significantly associated with poorer prognosis even after controlling for age, gender, histological grade, clinical stage, and molecular phenotypes. Additionally, mixed tumors harbored a higher frequency of RB1 and LRP1B copy number deletion compared to quiescent tumors (25.7% vs. 12.7 and 27.9% vs. 10.2%, respectively, both adjusted P value< 0.05). Furthermore, aberrant PIK3CA expression level was significantly correlated with those of glycolytic and cholesterogenic genes. The quiescent subtype was associated with lower stemness indices and lower signature scores for gene sets involved in genomic instability, including DNA replication, DNA damage repair, mismatch repair, and homologous recombination genes. Moreover, quiescent tumors exhibited lower expression levels of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinases 1-3 (PDK1-3) than the other subtypes. In addition, distinct immune cell infiltration patterns were observed across the 4 metabolic subtypes, with greater infiltration of M0/M2 macrophages observed in glycolytic and mixed subtypes. However, no significant difference in immunotherapy response was observed across the 4 metabolic subtypes. CONCLUSION: This study proposed a new metabolic subtyping method for BCa based on genes involved in glycolysis and cholesterol synthesis pathways. Our findings may provide novel insight for the development of personalized subtype-specific treatment strategies targeting metabolic vulnerabilities.

Prolonged Inhibitory Effects of Repeated Tibial Nerve Stimulation on the Micturition Reflex in Decorticated Rats.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine whether a short-term repeated stimulation of tibial nerve afferents induces a prolonged modulation effect on the micturition reflex in a decorticated rat model. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifteen female Sprague-Dawley rats (250-350 g) were fully decorticated and paralyzed in the study. Tibial nerve stimulation (TNS) was delivered by inserting two pairs of needle electrodes close to the nerves at the level of the medial malleolus. Constant flow cystometries (0.07 mL/min) at approximately ten-minute intervals were performed, and the micturition threshold volume (MTV) was recorded and used as a dependent variable. After four to five stable recordings, the tibial nerves of both sides were stimulated continuously for five minutes at 10 Hz and at an intensity of three times the threshold for α-motor axons. Six same stimulations were applied repeatedly, with an interval of five minutes between each stimulation. Mean MTV was calculated on the basis of several cystometries in each half-hour period before, during, and after the six repeated TNS. RESULTS: During the experiment, all the animals survived in good condition with relatively stable micturition reflexes, and a significant increase in MTV was detected after TNS. The strongest effect (mean = 178%) was observed during the first 30 minutes after six repeated stimulations. This obvious threshold increase remained for at least five hours. CONCLUSIONS: A prolonged poststimulation modulatory effect on the micturition reflex was induced by short-term repeated TNS in decorticated rats. This study provides a theoretical explanation for the clinical benefit of TNS in patients with overactive bladder and suggests decorticated rats as a promising model for further investigation of the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the bladder inhibitory response induced by TNS.

YTHDF1 promotes the proliferation, migration, and invasion of prostate cancer cells by regulating TRIM44.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common malignancies in men. YTHDF1 may play an important role in promoting PCa progression, but there is no reports to date on YTHDF1 function in PCa. OBJECTIVE: This study explored whether YTHDF1 could regulate TRIM44 in PCa cells. METHODS: By querying the TCGA database, we evaluated YTHDF1 expression in PCa, the OS and DFS of YTHDF1, and the correlation between YTHDF1 and TRIM44 in PCa. We constructed vectors to interfere with YTHDF1 expression and overexpress TRIM44 to examine the role of YTHDF1 and TRIM44 in PCa cells. Differentially expressed mRNAs were identified by mRNA sequencing. The levels of YTHDF1, TRIM44, LGR4, SGTA, DDX20, and FZD8 were measured by qRT-PCR and WB was used to determine YTHDF1 and TRIM44 expression. A CCK-8 assay was used to assess cell proliferation. A Transwell chamber assay was used measure cell migration and invasion ability. RESULTS: YTHDF1 was highly expressed in both Pca tissues and cells. PCa patient prognosis with high YTHDF1 expression was relatively poor. Cell function experiments showed that inhibiting YTHDF1 expression decreased cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that YTHDF1 may promote PCa cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by modulating TRIM44 expression. Cell function experiments further verified that YTHDF1 promoted PCa cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by regulating TRIM44. CONCLUSIONS: YTHDF1 enhances PCa cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by regulating TRIM44.

N6-Methylandenosine-Related lncRNAs Predict Prognosis and Immunotherapy Response in Bladder Cancer.

Both lncRNAs and the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification are key regulators of tumorigenesis and innate immunity. However, little is known about the m6A modification of lncRNAs and their clinical and immune relevance in bladder cancer. In this study, we identified m6A-related lncRNAs using Pearson correlation analysis in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the IMvigor210 datasets. Next, univariate Cox regression was performed using the TCGA dataset to filter prognostic m6A-related lncRNAs, which were further subjected to the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression to establish a 12 m6A-related lncRNA prognostic score (m6A-LRS). The m6A-LRS was validated in the IMvigor210 dataset. In addition, high m6A-LRS tumors, characterized by decreased tumor mutation load and neoantigen load, showed poorer response to immunotherapy than those with low m6A-LRS in the IMvigor210 dataset. Further, we constructed an m6A-LRS-based nomogram that demonstrated a strong ability to predict overall survival in patients with bladder cancer. Moreover, enrichment analysis revealed that tumor-associated biological processes, oncogenic signaling, and tumor hallmarks were commonly associated with a high m6A-LRS. Gene set variation analysis also indicated that high m6A-LRS was associated with activation of canonical oncogenic signatures, such as the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, cell cycle regulators, and DNA replication, as well as activation of immunosuppressive signatures, such as the T-cell exhaustion and pan-fibroblast-TGF-ß response signatures. Furthermore, we observed distinct tumor microenvironment cell infiltration characteristics between high- and low-risk tumors. High m6A-LRS tumors showed reduced infiltration of CD8+ T-cells and enhanced infiltration of macrophages and fibroblasts. Additionally, we established a competing endogenous RNA network based on the12 m6A-related lncRNAs. Finally, three lncRNAs (SNHG16, SBF2-AS1, and BDNF-AS) were selected for further validation. The qualitative PCR assay on 10 pairs of bladder cancer and adjacent normal control samples validated the differential expression, and methylated RNA immunoprecipitation (MeRIP) analysis demonstrated a robust m6A enrichment in T24 bladder cancer cells compared with normal uroepithelial cells (SVHUC-1). In conclusion, this study introduced an m6A-related lncRNA signature that identified a subgroup of patients with poor prognoses and suboptimal immune responses, thus providing novel approaches for treatment response prediction and patient stratification in bladder cancer.

The characteristic and relationship of Escherichia coli isolated from urine and stones in patients with calcium oxalate stones.

Previous clinical studies have shown that Escherichia coli (E. coli) predominated in urine and stone culture from calcium oxalate (CaOx) stone disease. The characteristic and relationship between E. coli isolated from urine cultures (EUC) and stone cultures (ESC) are compared. 83 E. coli (33 EUC and 50 ESC, respectively) from 66 CaOx stone patients were recruited in the study. E. coli in urine and stones from those patients were assessed by antimicrobial susceptibility test, genotyping and phylogenetic grouping. Furthermore, whole genome sequencing and comparative genomic analysis in paired ESC and EUC isolated strains from eight patients were carried out. The E. coli strains from ESC and EUC were not only multidrug resistant (MDR), but also had the similar pattern of resistant genes. The dominant phylogenetic group was B2, which was found in 54.0% of the ESC samples and 69.7% of the EUC samples, respectively. The virulence genes of E. coli, which isolated from stones and urine in the same patients, were highly homologous and largely consistent. Meanwhile, these E. coli strains were located in the same clade originated from a common ancestor. ESC and EUC isolated from patients with CaOx stones had a high prevalence of phylogenetic groups B2. Bacterial strains isolated from urine and stones in the same patient had consistent antimicrobial susceptibility profiles, genotyping, phylogenetic groups, virulence and resistance genes, also with high sequence co-linearity and close relationships.

A single-blind randomized control trial of trigonal versus nontrigonal Botulinum toxin-A injections for patients with urinary incontinence and poor bladder compliance secondary to spinal cord injury.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of trigonal Botulinum toxin-A (BTX-A) injections on patients with urinary incontinence (UI) and poor bladder compliance (BC) secondary to spinal cord injury (SCI).Design: A single-blind randomized control trial.Setting: Department of urology in three hospitals.Participants: SCI patients with UI and poor BC were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the control group.Interventions: The experimental group received an injection of 240 U BTX-A into the detrusor plus 60 U BTX-A into the trigone, while the control group received 300 U BTX-A into the detrusor sparing the trigone.Outcome Measures: Video urodynamic outcomes, including vesicoureteric reflux (VUR), detrusor leak point pressure (DLPP), and detrusor leak point volume (DLPV), were measured at baseline and week 12. UI episodes, voiding volume, and Incontinence Quality of Life (I-QoL) were assessed at baseline, week 2, 4, 8 and 12.Results: No patient reported new-onset VUR. Compared with baseline data, a significant improvement was achieved in both groups, whereas compared with DLPP and DLPV, a significant difference was noted between the two groups 12 weeks after injection. In the experimental group, the improvement of mean weekly UI episodes, voiding volume, and I-QoL were significantly better than those in the control group at 4, 8, and 12 weeks, respectively (all P < 0.05). Systemic complications of BTX-A injection were not reported.Conclusion: Trigonal BTX-A injection is more effective and safer than nontrigonal BTX-A injection for SCI patients with UI secondary to neurogenic-poor BC and does not result in VUR.

Multi-Omics Characterization of Circular RNA-Encoded Novel Proteins Associated With Bladder Outlet Obstruction.

Bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) is a common urologic disease associated with poorly understood molecular mechanisms. This study aimed to investigate the possible involvements of circRNAs (circular RNAs) and circRNA-encoded proteins in BOO development. The rat BOO model was established by the partial bladder outlet obstruction surgery. Differential expression of circRNA and protein profiles were characterized by deep RNA sequencing and iTRAQ quantitative proteomics respectively. Novel proteins encoded by circRNAs were predicted through ORF (open reading frame) selection using the GETORF software and verified by the mass spectrometry in proteomics, combined with the validation of their expressional alterations by quantitative RT-PCR. Totally 3,051 circRNAs were differentially expressed in bladder tissues of rat BOO model with widespread genomic distributions, including 1,414 up-regulated, and 1,637 down-regulated circRNAs. Our following quantitative proteomics revealed significant changes of 85 proteins in rat BOO model, which were enriched in multiple biological processes and signaling pathways such as the PPAR and Wnt pathways. Among them, 21 differentially expressed proteins were predicted to be encoded by circRNAs and showed consistent circRNA and protein levels in rat BOO model. The expression levels of five protein-encoding circRNAs were further validated by quantitative RT-PCR and mass spectrometry. The circRNA and protein profiles were substantially altered in rat BOO model, with great expressional changes of circRNA-encoded novel proteins.

Hyperglycemia induces NF-κB activation and MCP-1 expression via downregulating GLP-1R expression in rat mesangial cells: inhibition by metformin.

Hyperglycemia impairs glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) signaling in multiple cell types and thereby potentially attenuates the therapeutic effects of GLP-1R agonists. We hypothesized that the downregulation of GLP-1R by hyperglycemia might reduce the renal-protective effects of GLP-1R agonists in diabetic nephropathy (DN). In this study, we examined the effects of high glucose on the expression of GLP-1R and its signaling pathways in the HBZY-1 rat mesangial cell line. We found that high glucose reduced GLP-1R messenger RNA (mRNA) levels in HBZY-1 cells and in the renal cortex in db/db mice comparing with control groups. In consistence, GLP-1R agonist exendin-4 induced CREB phosphorylation was attenuated by high glucose but not low glucose treatment, which is paralleled with abrogated anti-inflammatory functions in HBZY-1 cells linked with nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation. In consistence, GLP-1R inhibition aggravated the high glucose-induced activation of NF-κB and MCP-1 protein levels in cultured HBZY-1 cells while overexpression of GLP-1R opposite effects. We further proved that metformin restored high glucose-inhibited GLP-1R mRNA expression and decreased high glucose evoked inflammation in HBZY-1 cells. On the basis of these findings, we conclude that high glucose lowers GLP-1R expression and leads to inflammatory responses in mesangial cells, which can be reversed by metformin. These data support the rationale of combinative therapy of metformin with GLP-1R agonists in DN.

Prevalence of urolithiasis among the Uyghur children of China: a population-based cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence and associated factors of urolithiasis amongst Uyghur children. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted of Uyghur children (aged ≤14 years) in the Kashgar Region of China, from July to December 2016. Children were selected by a two-stage random clustered sampling method, evaluated by urinary tract ultrasonography, low-dose computed tomography (CT) examination, blood and urine analysis, and a questionnaire. The prevalence by CT, the prevalence by self-report in the questionnaires, and the lifetime prevalence were evaluated. Binary logistic regression was used to estimate the associated factors. RESULTS: A total of 5605 children were selected and invited to participate in the study. In all, 4813 Uyghur children (2471 boys and 2342 girls), with an mean (SD; range) age of 75.79 (43.81; 2-177) months, were included in the final analysis, with a response rate of 85.9%. The prevalence of paediatric urolithiasis was 1.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5-2.2) by CT, 2.3% (95% CI 1.9-2.7) by self-report, and 3.6% (95% CI 3.0-4.1) for the overall life-time. The age-sex adjusted prevalence was 2.0% (95% CI 1.6-2.4) by CT. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that body mass index, urinary tract infection, a family history of urolithiasis, and excessive sweating could increase the risk of stone formation, whilst breast feeding and drinking water at midnight could decrease the risk. CONCLUSIONS: Urolithiasis is a major public health problem amongst Uyghur children, and strategies aimed at the prevention of urolithiasis are needed.

Comparison of metabolic changes for stone risks in 24-hour urine between non- and postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: To explore the differences of 24-hour urine compositions associated with urolithiasis between non- and postmenopausal females. METHODS: The 24-hour urine samples of female participants were collected from May 2013 to July 2014 along with national cross-sectional study of urolithiasis among adults aged ≥18 years in China. The exclusion criteria for the participants were: serum creatinine > 133µmol/L, with urinary tract infection, gout, hyperthyroidism, malignancy, had a history of cancer, kidney stones, enterectomy, had taken thiazide diuretics, allopurinol, vitamin supplement, potassium citrate or calcium supplements during the past two weeks. The compositions associated with urinary stone in 24-hour urine were measured and compared between non-and postmenopausal women. RESULTS: A total of 603 24-hour urine samples of female participants were analyzed. 354 women with a mean age of 52.5± 14.03 (range 19-84) years met the criteria, including 160 non-menopausal women and 194 postmenopausal women. Compared to the non-menopausal women, postmenopausal women had a lower secretion of citrate (p = 0.043), magnesium (p = 0.001) and creatinine (p = 0.001) in 24h urine. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the menopause status was associated with the changes in magnesium (p = 0.003) and creatinine (p = 0.002) secretion, whereas not with the changes in citrate (p = 0.402) secretion. CONCLUSIONS: Postmenopausal women have a significant lower secretion of magnesium in their 24-hour urine than non-menopausal ones. We suppose that might be associated with increased risk of urinary stone formation among postmenopausal women.

Early and rapid prediction of postoperative infections following percutaneous nephrolithotomy in patients with complex kidney stones.

OBJECTIVES: To obtain more accurate and rapid predictors of postoperative infections following percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in patients with complex kidney stones, and provide evidence for early prevention and treatment of postoperative infections. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 802 patients with complex kidney stones who underwent PCNL, from September 2016 to September 2017, were recruited. Urine tests, urine cultures (UCs) and stone cultures (SCs) were performed, and the perioperative data were prospectively recorded. RESULTS: In all, 19 (2.4%) patients developed postoperative urosepsis. A multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that an operating time of ≥100 min, urine test results with both positive urine white blood cells (WBC+) and positive urine nitrite (WBC+NIT+), positive UCs (UC+), and positive SCs (SC+) were independent risk factors of urosepsis. The incidence of postoperative urosepsis was higher in patients with WBC+NIT+ (10%) or patients with both UC+ and SC+ (UC+SC+; 8.3%) than in patients with negative urine test results or negative cultures (P < 0.01). Preoperative WBC+NIT+ was predictive of UC+SC+, with an accuracy of >90%. The main pathogens found in kidney stones were Escherichia coli (44%), Proteus mirabilis (14%) and Staphylococcus (7.4%); whilst the main pathogens found in urine were E. coli (54%), Enterococcus (9.4%) and P. mirabilis (7.6%). The incidence of E. coli was more frequent in the group with urosepsis than in the group without urosepsis (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: WBC+NIT+ in preoperative urine tests could be considered as an early and rapid predictor of UC+SC+ and postoperative urosepsis. Urosepsis following PCNL was strongly associated with E. coli infections in patients with complex kidney stones.

Zeylenone represses the progress of human prostate cancer by downregulating the Wnt/ß­catenin pathway.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common types of cancer in the urinary system in men. Zeylenone (Zey), a naturally occurring cyclohexene oxide, has an anticancer effect. In the present study, the role and potential mechanism of Zey in PCa were examined. The proliferative, invasive and migratory capacities of DU145 cells were analyzed using Cell Counting Kit­8, transwell and wound healing assays, respectively. The expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)­2 and MMP­9 were determined with an ELISA. Reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting assays were performed to evaluate the expression levels of extracellular matrix, epithelial­mesenchymal transition and Wnt/ß­catenin pathway­associated factors. In the present study, it was observed that Zey not only suppressed the viability of DU145 cells; however, it additionally attenuated the invasive and migratory capacities of cells in a concentration­dependent manner. Treatment of Zey decreased the expression levels of MMP­2, MMP­9 and fibronectin­1; whereas, it increased tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases­1 and collagen­1 expression levels. Additionally, the vimentin expression level was downregulated, however, the epithelial­cadherin expression level was upregulated in cells treated with Zey. Furthermore, Zey decreased the expression levels of wnt5a, ß­catenin and cyclin D1. In conclusion, the present results demonstrated that Zey decreased the viability and metastasis of human PCa cells (DU145), via the Wnt/ß­catenin signaling pathway. Therefore, Zey may be applied as a novel drug for treating PCa in the future.

Repeat periods of electrical stimulation prolong the modulation of the micturition reflex in the rat.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to determine if the duration of the micturition reflex modulation could be prolonged by repeated periods of afferent stimulation in the decorticated rat. METHODS: Eighteen female Sprague-Dawley rats were used for the study, 10 for intravesical electrical stimulation (IVES), and 8 for Ano-genital pudendal afferents stimulation. Repeated constant flow cystometries were performed with body-warm saline (0.06-0.1 mL/min) at about 10 min interval. The selected afferents were stimulated continuously for 5 min at maximal intensity. The same stimulation was repeated six times with a pause of 5 min between the stimulations. The mean threshold volume of cystometries performed during one hour before and each hour after the stimulation were compared. RESULTS: After six periods of IVES, the micturition threshold volume decreased to its lowest value (62% of control) during the first hour and remained at 80% 4 h later (n = 10, P < 0.01). Ano-genital afferent stimulation produced a corresponding increase in the micturition threshold volume. The long-lasting poststimulation effect was again observed for more than 5 h. During the first hour the mean threshold volume increased to 211% of controls and it remained at about this level for the entire observation period (n = 8, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Repeated short periods of stimulation prolonged the modulatory effect well beyond the stimulation period. The findings provide experimental evidence supporting the clinical application of IVES and ano-genital stimulation for treatment of neurogenic urinary bladder dysfunction.

Kidney Stone Composition in Third-World Areas: What Kashgar Tells Us?

OBJECTIVE: To analyze urinary stone compositions in patients from Kashgar, China. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed the components of urinary stones in 732 consecutive patients with urolithiasis admitted to the First and Second People's Hospital of Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang, from July 2014 to November 2016. The patients were divided into two groups by ages: group A, 0 to 18 years and group B, >18 years old. The distributions of various stone compositions were analyzed and correlated with the gender and age. RESULTS: The mean age of group A was 3.90 ± 4.09 years and that of group B was 39.88 ± 16.40 years. The overall gender ratio (male:female) was 2.27:1. Ammonium acid urate (AAU) stone was the most frequent stone, male 35.83% and female 33.48%. Female patients were significantly more common than male patients in calcium apatite stone (p = 0.004). Of all 732 cases, patients younger than 18 years were more than patients older than 18 years (58.47% vs 41.53%). The majority of the patients (77.87%) had the stone located in the upper urinary tract. Two peak ages for both genders were noted in 1 to 3 years and 19 to 40 years group of the patients. In group of 1 to 3 years patients, male were more than female (37.60% vs 24.55%, p = 0.001), whereas in the group of 10 to 18 years patients, female were more than male (10.71% vs 4.13%). AAU was the predominant stone component in group <1 year (70. 5%, p < 0.01, as compared with other groups.). Uric acid stone was more prevalent in group >60 years (66.8%, p < 0.01) than in other groups. Patients in 1 to 3 years were in the peak age group of AAU stones in both the upper and lower urinary tract. CONCLUSION: Most of the patients with urolithiasis diagnosed and treated in Kashgar are <18 years old, especially younger than 3 years old. The most frequent stone component in this area was AAU. More than 50% patients <18 years old had AAU stone. The mechanisms that could trigger the high prevalence of AAU stone in patients <18 years old are worth further investigation.

Isolation and determination of four potential antimicrobial components from Pseudomonas aeruginosa extracts.

Background:Pseudomonas aeruginosa can cause disease and also can be isolated from the skin of healthy people. Additionally, it exhibits certain antimicrobial effects against other microorganisms.Methods: We collected 60 strains of P. aeruginosa and screened their antimicrobial effects against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) using the filter paper-disk method, the cross-streaking method and the co-culture method and then evaluated the antimicrobial activity of the chloroform-isolated S. aureus extracts against methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA, Gram-positive cocci), vancomycin intermediate-resistant S. aureus (VISA, Gram-positive cocci), Corynebacterium spp. (CS, Gram-positive bacilli), Acinetobacter baumannii (AB, Gram-negative bacilli), Moraxella catarrhalis (MC, Gram-negative diplococcus), Candida albicans (CA, fungi), Candida tropicalis (CT, fungi), Candida glabrata (CG, fungi) and Candida parapsilosis (CP, fungi). Results: The PA06 and PA46 strains have strong antimicrobial effects. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis revealed that the major components of PA06 and PA46 that exhibit antimicrobial activity are functionally similar to phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA) and pyocyanin. Preparative HPLC was performed to separate and isolate the 4 major potential antimicrobial components: PA06ER10, PA06ER16, PA06ER23 and PA06ER31. Further, the molecular masses of PA06ER10 (260.1), PA06ER16 (274.1), PA06ER23 (286.1) and PA06ER31 (318.2) were determined by electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry. Conclusion:P. aeruginosa can produce small molecules with potential antimicrobial activities against MRSA, VISA, CS, MC, CA, CT, CG and CP but not against AB.

Treatment with 17ß-Estradiol Reduced Body Weight and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in a High-Fat Diet-Induced Animal Model of Obesity.

Estrogen receptor α (ERα) and estrogen receptor ß (ERß) play important roles in cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention. Recently, these estrogen receptors were reconsidered as an important treatment target of obesity leading to CVD. In this study, 17ß-estradiol (17ß-E) replacement therapy applied to high-fat diet-induced obese C57B male mice and ovariectomized (OVX) rats were evaluated, and the protective effects against high-fat diet-induced obesity were assessed in C57B mouse hearts. The results showed that 17ß-E treatment activated both ERα and ERß, and ERß levels increased in a dose-dependent manner in high-fat diet C57B mouse cardiomyocytes following 17ß-E treatment. Notably, an almost 16% reduction in body weight was observed in the 17ß-E-treated (12 µg/kg/day for 60 days) high-fat diet-induced obese C57B male mice. These results suggested that 17ß-E supplements may reduce CVD risk due to obesity.

Integrative Analysis of miRNA and mRNA Expression Profiles in Calcium Oxalate Nephrolithiasis Rat Model.

The microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles and their biological functions in calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis remain unclear. In this study, we investigate the miRNA and mRNA expression profiles of kidney tissues in calcium oxalate stone rats. 16 Sprague Dawley rats were divided into control group and stone-forming group. 24-hour urine samples and kidney tissues were collected for biochemical and histological determination after 4 weeks. MiRNA and mRNA microarray were applied to evaluate the miRNA and mRNA expression profiles. To validate the microarray results, the quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed. A total of 38 miRNAs and 2728 mRNAs were significantly and differentially expressed in kidney tissues of stone-forming group versus control group. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed that most of the target genes were enriched in terms of oxidation reduction, ion transport, inflammatory response, and response to wounding. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis of these targets highlights their critical role in cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, gap junction, and chemokine signaling pathway. Furthermore, the reliability of the microarray-based results was confirmed by using qRT-PCR determination. The miRNA and mRNA expressions in calcium oxalate stone rat kidneys might provide a basis for further research on urolithiasis mechanism.

Effects of botulinum toxin A injections in spinal cord injury patients with detrusor overactivity and detrusor sphincter dyssynergia.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and effect of botulinum toxin A injection in the detrusor and external urethral sphincter in male patients with detrusor overactivity (DO) and detrusor external sphincter dyssynergia (DESD) secondary to spinal cord injury. METHODS: A multicentre trial was conducted from June 2012 to August 2015. A total of 65 spinal cord injury patients with DO and DESD participated in the study. Of these, 59 received 200 U botulinum toxin Aintradetrusor and 100 U external urethral sphincter injections. The effective outcomes included maximum detrusor pressure at first DO and DESD, VDO-DESD, maximum urethral closure pressure, duration of first DO and DESD, Incontinence-Specific Quality-of-Life Instrument, voiding volume, urinary incontinence episodes and complete dryness. Adverse events were recorded. RESULTS: All patients experienced a significant mean reduction in PdetmaxDO -DESD (46.60%), maximum urethral closure pressure (29.61%), duration of first DO and DESD (42.93%) and a significant mean increase in VDO-DESD (38.11%) 12-weeks post-injection. Significant (p < 0.001) improvement in mean Incontinence-Specific Quality-of-Life Instrument, voiding volume, urinary incontinence episodes and complete dryness were found in all patients at 2 weeks and were sustained at 8 weeks and 16 weeks. CONCLUSION: Botulinum toxin A injection in the detrusor and external urethral sphincter is an effective treatment to protect the upper urinary tract and improve quality of life for patients with DO and DESD secondary to spinal cord injury.

Environmental tobacco smoke increases autophagic effects but decreases longevity associated with Sirt-1 protein expression in young C57BL mice hearts.

Recently, a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that nearly 90% of U.S. adult smokers began smoking at the age of 18. This demonstrates that the exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) of youngsters today is changing from passive smoking to active smoking (direct inhalation of tobacco). In the current study, an investigation of ETS exposure in young C57BL mice was conducted. After 6 weeks of ETS exposure, the Sirt-1 protein level was decreased and cardiac autophagy was increased in C57BL mice. Furthermore, the IGF2R cardiac hypertrophy signaling pathway was also triggered, although cardiac apoptosis and hypertrophy were not induced. Youngsters' desire to look more mature is one of the psychological factors that impacts smoking amongst young people. Our results suggest that though ETS exposure might cause cardiac autophagy amongst youngsters, the loss of the longevity Sirt-1 protein and the increase in IGF2R cardiac hypertrophy signaling could still promote heart diseases that are age-specific.