[Transurethral non-contact laser treatment of prostatic hypertrophy]

66 cases of prostatic hypertrophy have been treated by transurethral non-contact Nd:YAG laser irradiation since April 1993. Sixty patients regained unobstructed urination within 1 week and 6 within 2 weeks after operation. The symptoms of the treated group were improved with the necrotic tissues gradually peeling off in 3 to 6 weeks. The short-term follow-up indicated that the prostatic gland distinctly reduced and residual urine decreased or vanished after treatment. Three patients had one of the following complications: urinary tract infection, epididymitis or urinous infiltration. These complications were treated appropriately. This therapy is ideal for the treatment of prostatic hypertrophy.

Sulfur dioxide and sodium metabisulfite induce bronchoconstriction in the isolated perfused and ventilated guinea pig lung via stimulation of capsaicin-sensitive sensory nerves

In this study the relationship between sulfur dioxide-induced sensory nerve activation and acute bronchoconstriction was assessed. We also studied the effects of sodium metabisulfite, an agent that is suggested to increase airway resistance via activation of sensory nerves. Sulfur dioxide (250 ppm) induced a characteristic biphasic bronchoconstriction. Concomitantly sulfur dioxide induced the release of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) from capsaicin-sensitive sensory nerves into the pulmonary circulation. In lungs of guinea pigs pretreated with a neurotoxic dose of capsaicin, the first phase of bronchoconstriction was reduced and the overflow of CGRP was not detectable. Tetrodotoxin abolished the initial phase of the bronchoconstriction induced by sulfur dioxide, indicating that a local neural reflex depending on sodium channels was operant. Inhibition of the vanilloid receptor with capsazepine slightly, although not significantly, reduced the contractile responses to sulfur dioxide. Sodium metabisulfite, when infused via the pulmonary circulation (3 mM), induced bronchoconstriction which was abolished by capsaicin pretreatment, but not significantly reduced by capsazepine. The results indicate that in the isolated guinea pig lung inhaled sulfur dioxide induces initial bronchoconstriction in part via sensory nerve activation, while other mechanisms are involved in the late effect. Sensory nerve activation appears to be the only mechanism for bronchoconstriction induced by infused sodium metabisulfite. A role for sensory nerve-mediated bronchoconstriction by sulfur dioxide or sodium metabisulfite via activation of the vanilloid receptor could not be conclusively demonstrated by this study using capsazepine.

Determination of the disulfide bridges in factor Va light chain

The 74-kDa light chain of bovine factor Va is composed of three domains: the NH2-terminal A3 domain and the COOH-terminal C1 and C2 domains. In total, the light chain has eight cysteines: two in the A3 domain and three in each C domain. To determine the locations of the disulfide bridges, peptides were obtained from factor Va and iodo[1-14C]acetamide-labeled factor Va light chains by digestion with trypsin, activated protein C, lysylendopeptidase, and V8 protease. After HPLC purification, amino acid sequence and composition analyses showed that each domain of bovine Va light chain possesses a disulfide bond. The sites are Cys1684-Cys1710 (A3), Cys1866-Cys2020 (C1), and Cys2025-Cys2180 (C2). One free cysteine is located in each C domain, i.e., Cys1953 and Cys2100. The locations of the disulfide bonds in human Va and VIIIa light chains are anticipated to be similar to those of bovine Va light chain, because the cysteines involved are conserved.

Characterization of a Brassica napus myrosinase pseudogene: myrosinases are members of the BGA family of beta-glycosidases

Myrosinase isoenzymes are known to be encoded by two different families of genes denoted MA and MB. Nucleotide sequence analysis of a Brassica napus genomic clone containing a gene for myrosinase revealed it to be a pseudogene of the MA family. The gene spans more than 5 kb and contains at least 12 exons. The exon sequence of the gene is highly similar to myrosinase cDNA sequences. However, the gene displays three potential or actual pseudogene characters. Southern blot analysis using probes from the 3' portions of the genomic and B. napus MA and MB cDNA clones showed that MA type myrosinases are encoded by approximately 4 genes, while MB type myrosinases are encoded by more than 10 genes in B. napus. Northern blots with mRNA from seeds and young leaves probed with the MA- and MB-specific probes showed that the MA and MB myrosinase gene families are differentially expressed. Myrosinases are highly similar to proteins of a beta-glycosidase enzyme family comprising both beta-glycosidases and phospho-beta-glycosidases of as diverged species as archaebacteria, bacteria, mammals and plants. By homology to these beta-glycosidases, putative active site residues in myrosinase are discussed on the basis of the similarity between beta-glycosidases and cellulases.

[The DNA content of bladder carcinoma in relation to pathologic grading, staging and prognosis: a flow cytometric study]

DNA ploidy analysis of 90 paraffin embedded specimens in bladder carcinoma were carried out by flow cytometry (FCM). Emphasis was paid on grade II tumors which usually have variable clinical course. DNA ploid level determined by FCM correlates highly with pathologic grade, stage, and prognosis of bladder carcinoma. Among grade II tumors, the patients with diploid and peridiploid carcinoma had a favourable prognosis whereas the patients with aneuploidy of high average DNA index had a bad prognosis, in particular, those with triploid and peritriploid tumors had poorer prognosis. DNA ploid level by which the prognosis of patients with bladder carcinoma is evaluated, appears to be more accurate than pathologic grade and clinical stage, particularly stage T0-T or grade II tumors. It therefore can serve as a tumor marker in bladder carcinomas.