Soft material with intense photoluminescence obtained by dissolving Eu2O3 and organic ligand into a task-specific ionic liquid.

A task-specific ionic liquid containing a carboxylate group with the ability to dissolve metal oxide and organic ligands has been used as the solvent to prepare lanthanide complexes without the addition of extra solvent; thus a soft material with intense photoluminescence has been obtained by directly dissolving Eu(2)O(3), 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTA) and 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen) into the task-specific ionic liquid.

[Roles of endothelin and its receptors in prostate cancer].

Endothelin (ET) is a peptide released by vascular endothelial cells. Except for the potent vasoconstrictor function it plays an important physiological role in tissue differentiation and development, cell proliferation and hormone production. Investigation of the role of ET axis in a variety of tumors such as prostatic, cervical, breast carcinoma has provided evidences of its importance in cancer, recently. Data suggest that multiple functions of the ET axis have associations with mitogenesis, apoptosis inhibition, angiogenesis, and activation of proto-oncogene. The ET axis relates to invasiveness, osteoblast function, and metastatic cancer pain in advanced prostate cancer.

Free graft two-stage urethroplasty for hypospadias repair.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of free graft transplantation two-stage urethroplasty for hypospadias repair. METHODS: Fifty-eight cases with different types of hypospadias including 10 subcoronal, 36 penile shaft, 9 scrotal, and 3 perineal were treated with free full-thickness skin graft or (and) buccal mucosal graft transplantation two-stage urethroplasty. Of 58 cases, 45 were new cases, 13 had history of previous failed surgeries. Operative procedure included two stages: the first stage is to correct penile curvature (chordee), prepare transplanting bed, harvest and prepare full-thickness skin graft, buccal mucosal graft, and perform graft transplantation. The second stage is to complete urethroplasty and glanuloplasty. RESULTS: After the first stage operation, 56 of 58 cases (96.6%) were successful with grafts healing well, another 2 foreskin grafts got gangrened. After the second stage operation on 56 cases, 5 cases failed with newly formed urethras opened due to infection, 8 cases had fistulas, 43 (76.8%) cases healed well. CONCLUSIONS: Free graft transplantation two-stage urethroplasty for hypospadias repair is a kind of effective treatment with broad indication, comparatively high success rate, less complications and good cosmatic results, indicative of various types of hypospadias repair.

Effects of pollen extract EA-10, P5 on chronic prostatitis or infertility with chronic prostatitis.

AIM: To determine the drug action mechanism of pollen extract EA-10, P5 on the treatment of chronic prostatitis (CP) or infertility with CP. METHODS: Malondiadehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and nitrogen monoxide (NO) were measured by biochemical assay, and zinc content was assayed by atomical spectrophotography in the pre-treatment and post-treatment of CP or infertility with CP. RESULTS: Compared with control group, leukocytes in expressed protatic secretion (LEPS), MDA, and NO were increased, and zinc content and SOD were decreased significantly in the pre-treatment of CP. After the treatment, LEPS was improved, and MDA and NO were reduced, while zinc content were increased apparently and the alteration of SOD was not evident (P>0.05). In the pre-treatment of infertility with CP, LEPS, MDA, NO, sperm viability, and seminal leukocytes were obviously higher and seminal plasma SOD, zinc content, and sperm motility were obviously lower than those in control group. After the treatment, LEPS, sperm motility, and sperm viability were improved, MDA, NO, and seminal leukocytes were decreased, SOD and zinc content were increased markedly. CONCLUSION: There was inter-correlation between oxygen free radicals (OFR) and occurrence, development, and recovery of CP; Change of OFR may be involved in the drug action mechanism of EA-10, P5 in the treatment of CP or infertility with CP.

The role of superoxide anion in the regulation of epidermal growth factor or the expression and proliferation of its receptor in prostate cancer cell line PC3.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of superoxide anion(O2-) in the regulation of epidermal growth factor (EGF) or epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression and proliferation in the prostate cancer cell line PC3. Cell proliferation was tested by a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay in the presence of O2-, EGF or their combination. Immunohistochemistry was carried out to assay the expression of EGF or EGFR. EGF or EGFR mRNA expression in the cells treated with O2- was examined by in situ hybridisation. The proliferation was significantly inhibited by O2- in a concentration-dependent manner ranging from 9 to 36 micromol/l nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) combined with 2-8 micromol/l N-methylphenazonium methyl sulfate (PMS). The enhancement of proliferation induced by 5 ng/ml EGF was significantly overcome by O2-. Although O2- was not able to alter EGFR mRNA expression, O2- at the concentration of 18 micromol/l NADH and 4 micromol/l PMS reduced EGFR protein expression. O2- at the concentration of 18 micromol/l NADH and 4 micromol/l PMS can downregulate EGF and EGF mRNA expression.