Risks and side effects in the medical management of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia affects up to 80% of men in their lifetime. It causes bladder outflow obstruction, leading to lower urinary tract symptoms, which can have a large impact on quality of life. Lifestyle modifications and pharmacotherapy are often offered as first-line treatments for patients. These include alpha blockers, 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, anticholinergics, B3-agonists, and desmopressin. While often well tolerated, these pharmacotherapies do have significant side effects, which both clinicians and patients should understand and discuss in order to make an informed treatment decision among alternatives. The purpose of this review is to provide a current overview of the risks and side effects of commonly used medications in benign prostatic hyperplasia management.

A Peptidisc-Based Survey of the Plasma Membrane Proteome of a Mammalian Cell.

Membrane proteins play critical roles at the cell surface and their misfunction is a hallmark of many human diseases. A precise evaluation of the plasma membrane proteome is therefore essential for cell biology and for discovering novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. However, the low abundance of this proteome relative to soluble proteins makes it difficult to characterize, even with the most advanced proteomics technologies. Here, we apply the peptidisc membrane mimetic to purify the cell membrane proteome. Using the HeLa cell line as a reference, we capture 500 different integral membrane proteins, with half annotated to the plasma membrane. Notably, the peptidisc library is enriched with several ABC, SLC, GPCR, CD, and cell adhesion molecules that generally exist at low to very low copy numbers in the cell. We extend the method to compare two pancreatic cell lines, Panc-1 and hPSC. Here we observe a striking difference in the relative abundance of the cell surface cancer markers L1CAM, ANPEP, ITGB4, and CD70. We also identify two novel SLC transporters, SLC30A1 and SLC12A7, that are highly present in the Panc-1 cell only. The peptidisc library thus emerges as an effective way to survey and compare the membrane proteome of mammalian cells. Furthermore, since the method stabilizes membrane proteins in a water-soluble state, members of the library, here SLC12A7, can be specifically isolated.

Innovations in Endourologic Stone Surgery: Contemporary Practice Patterns from a Global Survey.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the current availability of technology for urolithiasis treatment and ureteroscopy (URS). Perioperative practice patterns, availability of ureteroscopic technologies, pre- and poststenting practices, and methods to alleviate stent-related symptoms (SRS) were assessed via a survey of members of the Endourological Society. Methods: We distributed a 43-question survey online via the Qualtrics platform to members of the Endourological Society. The survey consisted of questions pertaining to the following topics: general (6), equipment (17), preoperative URS (9), intraoperative URS (2), and postoperative URS (9). Results: A total of 191 urologists responded to the survey and 126 completed all questions of the survey (66%). Fifty-one percent (65/127) of urologists were fellowship trained and dedicated an average of 58% of their practice to stone management. In terms of procedures, most urologists performed URS most commonly (68%), followed by percutaneous nephrolithotomy (23%) and extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (11%). Ninety percent (120/133) of respondent urologists purchased a new ureteroscope within the last 5 years (16% single-use scopes, 53% reusable, and 31% purchased both). Fifty-three percent (70/132) of the respondents stated that they would be interested in a ureteroscope that can sense intrarenal pressure, with an additional 28% (37/132) stating they would be interested depending on the cost. Seventy-four percent (98/133) of responders purchased a new laser within the last 5 years, and 59% (57/97) changed their lasering technique due to the new laser. Urologists are performing primary ureteroscopy for obstructing stones in 70% of cases, and prefer prestenting patients for subsequent URS in 30% (on average after 21 days). Seventy-one percent (90/126) of responders insert a ureteral stent after uncomplicated URS, which is removed, on average, after 8 days in uncomplicated cases and 21 days after complicated URS. Most urologists give analgesics, alpha-blockers, and anticholinergics for SRS and <10% prescribe opioids. Conclusion: Our survey revealed urologists' eagerness for the early adoption of novel technologies and adherence to conservative practice patterns focused on patient safety.