Treatment of Kidney Stones Using Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) and Double-J Stent in Infants

A Novel Approach to Calcium Destruction in Coronary and Peripheral Blood Vessels: Intravascular Lithotripsy

Lithotripsy has been used for decades in the treatment of kidney stones and gallstones, in which ultrasound shock waves generated outside of the body are used to physically break up hardened masses. In the past decade, intravascular lithotripsy (IVL), a technology developed by Shockwave Medical Inc. (Santa Clara, CA), has emerged as a novel therapy for the treatment of vascular calcification. In the coronary blood vessels, IVL modifies arterial calcium and enables percutaneous coronary interventions to be performed in a safe and consistent manner, and in the peripheral blood vessels, IVL can be used as a standalone therapy in the treatment of calcified plaque in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). Due to the success of the Disrupt CAD and Disrupt PAD clinical trials, IVL is now FDA-approved in the United States for use in both patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and PAD. The widespread adoption of IVL for PAD is likely to mirror the swift uptake seen in CAD. Although questions remain regarding IVL's high cost and performance compared directly to other technologies such as atherectomy, its ease of use, speed, and safety makes its future extremely promising for the treatment of complex, heavily calcified lesions in both peripheral and coronary vessels. Despite this, more studies are certainly needed to determine in what clinical scenarios IVL should be considered as opposed to atherectomy and if there are types of calcified lesions where IVL is best utilized (ie, concentric vs eccentric).

Advances in Assistive Electronic Device Solutions for Urology

Recent technology advances have led urology to become one of the leading specialities to utilise novel electronic systems to manage urological ailments. Contemporary bladder management strategies such as urinary catheters can provide a solution but leave the user mentally and physically debilitated. The unique properties of modern electronic devices, i.e., flexibility, stretchability, and biocompatibility, have allowed a plethora of new technologies to emerge. Many novel electronic device solutions in urology have been developed for treating impaired bladder disorders. These disorders include overactive bladder (OAB), underactive bladder (UAB) and other-urinary-affecting disorders (OUAD). This paper reviews common causes and conservative treatment strategies for OAB, UAB and OUAD, discussing the challenges and drawbacks of such treatments. Subsequently, this paper gives insight into clinically approved and research-based electronic advances in urology. Advances in this area cover bladder-stimulation and -monitoring devices, robot-assistive surgery, and bladder and sphincter prosthesis. This study aims to introduce the latest advances in electronic solutions for urology, comparing their advantages and disadvantages, and concluding with open problems for future urological device solutions.

Anti-inflammatory effects of royal jelly on ethylene glycol induced renal inflammation in rats

Objective:

In this study, anti-inflammatory effects of Royal Jelly were investigated by inducing renal inflammation in rats with the use of ethylene glycol. For this purpose, the calcium oxalate urolithiasis model was obtained by feeding rats with ethylene glycol in drinking water.

Materials and Methods:

The rats were divided in five study groups. The 1^st group was determined as the control group. The rats in the 2^nd group received ethylene glycol (1%) in drinking water. The rats in the 3^rd group were daily fed with Royal Jelly by using oral gavage. The 4^th group was determined as the preventive group and the rats were fed with ethylene glycol (1%) in drinking water while receiving Royal Jelly via oral gavage. The 5^th group was determined as the therapeutic group and received ethylene glycol in drinking water during the first 2 weeks of the study and Royal Jelly via oral gavage during the last 2 weeks of the study.

Results:

At the end of the study, proinflammatory/anti-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-18 levels in blood and renal tissue samples from the rats used in the application were measured.

Conclusion:

The results have shown that ethylene glycol does induce inflammation and renal damage. This can cause the formation of reactive oxygen species. Royal Jelly is also considered to have anti-inflammatory effects due to its possible antiradical and antioxidative effects. It can have positive effects on both the prevention of urolithiasis and possible inflammation during the existing urolithiasis and support the medical treatment.