A role for estrogen receptor beta in the regulation of growth of the ventral prostate

In normal rats and mice, immunostaining with specific antibodies revealed that nuclei of most prostatic epithelial cells harbor estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta). In rat ventral prostate, 530- and 549-aa isoforms of the receptor were identified. These sediment in the 4S region of low-salt sucrose gradients, indicating that prostatic ERbeta does not contain the same protein chaperones that are associated with ERalpha. Estradiol (E(2)) binding and ERbeta immunoreactivity coincide on the gradient, with no indication of ERalpha. In prostates from mice in which the ERbeta gene has been inactivated (BERKO), androgen receptor (AR) levels are elevated, and the tissue contains multiple hyperplastic foci. Most epithelial cells express the proliferation antigen Ki-67. In contrast, prostatic epithelium from wild-type littermates is single layered with no hyperplasia, and very few cells express Ki-67. Rat ventral prostate contains an estrogenic component, which comigrates on HPLC with the testosterone metabolite 5alpha-androstane-3beta,17beta-diol (3betaAdiol). This compound, which competes with E(2) for binding to ERbeta and elicits an estrogenic response in the aorta but not in the pituitary, decreases the AR content in prostates of wild-type mice but does not affect the elevated levels seen in ERbeta knockout (BERKO) mice. Thus ERbeta, probably as a complex with 3betaAdiol, is involved in regulating the AR content of the rodent prostate and in restraining epithelial growth. These findings suggest that ligands specific for ERbeta may be useful in the prevention and/or clinical management of prostatic hyperplasia and neoplasia.

Localization of oestrogen receptors alpha and beta in human testis

Cellular localization of oestrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and beta (ERbeta) proteins were studied in human testis samples using immunohistochemistry, and the expression of the corresponding mRNA was examined with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Seven men, aged 28-48 years, who underwent diagnostic testicular biopsy because of azoospermia or to give spermatozoa for intracytoplasmic injection for infertility treatment, donated tissue for the study. One of them had anejaculation but normally functioning testes, and one was diagnosed as having Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCOS). In addition, expression of ERbeta protein was examined in one testis sample obtained from a man undergoing a sex change operation. Strong ERbeta immunoreactivity was detected in the nuclei of spermatogonia, spermatocytes and early developing spermatids. Elongating spermatids, mature spermatozoa, Sertoli and Leydig cells were all negative for ERbeta. The presence of ERbeta protein was confirmed in Western analysis. With RT-PCR, both wild-type ERbeta and ERbetacx, the isoform which represses wild-type ER function, were easily detected. In most cases, ERbetacx mRNA was more abundantly expressed than wild-type ERbeta. The patient with SCOS expressed neither ERbeta isoform. Neither ERalpha protein nor ERalpha mRNA was detected in any of the samples. We conclude that in the human testis, ERbeta is likely to be the ER that mediates the effects of oestrogen.

Differential expression of estrogen receptors alpha and beta in adult rat accessory sex glands and lower urinary tract

Estrogens induce pronounced structural and functional changes in male accessory sex glands and the lower urinary tract in both sexes, but the exact mechanisms of estrogen action are not fully understood. This study was undertaken to localise the tissue cell types that express estrogen receptor in adult rats, and to determine the receptor subtype (ERalpha and ERbeta) in order to identify sites that may respond directly to estrogens. In the male accessory sex glands (seminal vesicles, prostatic lobes and ampullary glands), ERbeta mRNA and protein were strongly expressed in the epithelium but not in the stroma, while ERalpha mRNA was present only in the fibromuscular tissue surrounding the prostatic collecting ducts in the posterior periurethral region and in ampullary gland stroma. In the epithelium of the urinary bladder and urethra of both sexes, high level of ERbeta mRNA and protein, but no ERalpha mRNA, was detected. The connective tissue in urinary bladder of both males and females, as well as that in prostatic urethra in males expressed ERalpha mRNA. The neural cells in the autonomic ganglia of the prostatic plexus were strongly positive for ERbeta mRNA, but were completely devoid of ERalpha. We conclude that ERbeta is the predominant ER subtype in the epithelium of adult male rat accessory sex glands and the lower urinary tract of both males and females, as well as in the prostatic neural plexus regulating the function of the lower urinary tract in males, while ERalpha is present only in the stromal compartment of distinct sites. These results indicate that in these tissues in intact adults there are multiple targets for direct estrogen action. Furthermore, the differential or complementary expression of the two ER subtypes suggests that they may have specific functions, and may explain the complex structural and functional changes induced by estrogens.

Differential expression of estrogen receptors alpha and beta in adult rat accessory sex glands and lower urinary tract

Estrogens induce pronounced structural and functional changes in male accessory sex glands and the lower urinary tract in both sexes, but the exact mechanisms of estrogen action are not fully understood. This study was undertaken to localise the tissue cell types that express estrogen receptor in adult rats, and to determine the receptor subtype (ER alpha and ER beta) in order to identify sites that may respond directly to estrogens. In the male accessory sex glands (seminal vesicles, prostatic lobes and ampullary glands), ER beta mRNA and protein were strongly expressed in the epithelium but not in the stroma, while ER alpha mRNA was present only in the fibromuscular tissue surrounding the prostatic collecting ducts in the posterior periurethral region and in ampullary gland stroma. In the epithelium of the urinary bladder and urethra of both sexes, high level of ER beta mRNA and protein, but no ER alpha mRNA, was detected. The connective tissue in urinary bladder of both males and females, as well as that in prostatic urethra in males expressed ER alpha mRNA. The neural cells in the autonomic ganglia of the prostatic plexus were strongly positive for ER beta mRNA, but were completely devoid of ER alpha. We conclude that ER beta is the predominant ER subtype in the epithelium of adult male rat accessory sex glands and the lower urinary tract of both males and females, as well as in the prostatic neural plexus regulating the function of the lower urinary tract in males, while ER alpha is present only in the stromal compartment of distinct sites. These results indicate that in these tissues in intact adults there are multiple targets for direct estrogen action. Furthermore, the differential or complementary expression of the two ER subtypes suggests that they may have specific functions, and may explain the complex structural and functional changes induced by estrogens.

Association of Aeromonas spp. with travellers' diarrhoea in Finland

The association of Aeromonas spp. with travellers' diarrhoea was studied among 978 Finnish tourists travelling to Morocco in winter (n = 398) and autumn (n = 580) in 1989. Fifty-five isolates from diarrhoeal patients with (n = 16) or without (n = 39) a recent travelling history in a developing country were also included. In Morocco, Aeromonas spp. were isolated from 8.7% of patients with diarrhoea and from 1.4% of non-diarrhoeal tourists (p < 0.001). Aeromonas spp. were found as the sole pathogen in 5.5% of patients (p < 0.001). Diarrhoea with multiple pathogens, including Aeromonas spp., was found in 3.1% of patients. Species identification by phenotypic and genotypic methods indicated that A. veronii biotype sobria (hybridisation group HG 8/10) and A. caviae (HG 4) were the most common Aeromonas spp. associated with travellers' diarrhoea. A. hydrophila (HG 1) and A. caviae (HG 4) were common in patients acquiring diarrhoea in Finland. Ribotyping of strains within a species showed that all strains had different ribotypes although the tourists were infected during the same trip. This study suggested that only certain Aeromonas spp. were commonly found in travellers' diarrhoea. However, the causative role of those species is unclear.

L'éclampsie du post-partum: épidémiologie et pronostic

INTRODUCTION

The post-partum eclampsia occurs usually in the first 48 hours, its incidence is between 13 and 37% of all eclampsia. The goal of this prospective study was to analyse the epidemiologic data and the prognosis of this complication in the post-partum stage.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We enrolled between January 1st 2000 to December 31st 2003 all eclampsia admitted to the intensive care unit of the maternity of the university hospital centre Ibn Rochd of Casablanca, Morocco. We noted for each patient epidemiologic, clinical, biological and radiologic data. We releaved outcomoe also. Two groups are individualized: 1) group 1 (N=247): when eclampsia diagnosed in the prepartum stage; 2) group 2 (N=58): when crisis diagnosed in the post-partum stage. We compared the groups (student test), p<0.05 was significative.

RESULTS

The incidence of eclampsia in the post-partum in this study was 19% (58 over 305). Eighty-two percent had the crisis in the first 24 hours; we noted a crisis in the sixth, seventh and lately in the sixtieth day. The major proportion of patients are nulliparous (64%), young (mean age: 24 years), without prenatal care, and has high blood pressure (48%), low GCS (mean: 12) and massive proteinuria>3 g/24 hours (37%). The post-partum eclampsia has best out come than these occurring in prepartum, with significantly (p<0.05) less high blood pressure, hellp syndrome and less placental abruption.

CONCLUSION

Eclampsia is still frequent in our service; it seems less bad when occurring in the post-partum stage. We must give more attention for severe preeclamptic patient in this period.

Abnormal insulin response to glucose following treatment for Wilms' tumor in childhood

To determine whether beta-cell function could be impaired by the treatment for Wilms' tumour (WT) in childhood. We investigated the insulin secretion of 44 survivors of WT (22 males) with a median off-treatment follow up of 8.3 years (range 1-19.8). All patients had an intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) (0.5 gm/kg, max 25 g) to determine the first-phase insulin response (FPIR) (sum of the 1- and 3-min insulin concentrations). Median age at the time of the study was 12.7 years (range 4.2-22.7). Eight subjects (7 males) had a FPIR value below the 3rd percentile, and 7 (3 males) above the 97th centile. Among the 22 patients who received radiotherapy. 7 (6 males) showed a FPIR < 3rd percentile versus only 1 (a male) of the 22 patients who received no radiation (31.8% vs 4.5%; P < 0.05). Analysis of variance showed that the time elapsed since therapy had a significant role on the development of low FPIR only in males. The 7 patients with an insulin release > 97th percentile did not show any significant difference compared to subjects with lower insulin values for weight, age at diagnosis, sex, time elapsed since treatment, radiotherapy and chemotherapy protocol.

CONCLUSION

An impaired insulin response is evident in some patients treated for WT in childhood, mainly in male patients who received abdominal radiotherapy and were examined a longer time after therapy. We hypothesize that this decreased insulin release is related to damage due to radiotherapy and therefore a careful follow up is recommended in adulthood in these patients.

Obstetric patients in a surgical intensive care unit: prognostic factors and outcome

The objective of this study was to assess the incidence, prognostic factors and the outcome of obstetric patients admitted in a surgical intensive care unit (SICU) during the ante-partum or postpartum period (within 6 weeks of delivery). Between 1995 and 2002, the patients transferred from the department of obstetrics were retrospectively included into the study. Demographics included: obstetric data, medical and surgical histories, diagnosis, simplified acute physiology score (SAPS II), acute physiology and chronic health evaluation system APACHE II score; and the occurrence of organ failure, therapeutic interventions, length of stay in the SICU and outcome were recorded. During the study period, 364 obstetric patients were admitted to the SICU. Obstetric admissions to the SICU represented 0.6% of all deliveries and the SICU utilisation rate was 14.96%. The main indications for admission were eclampsia (70.6%) and postpartum haemorrhage (16.2%). The overall mortality rate was 16.7% (n = 61). In a logistic regression model, risk factors for death included organ system failure (odds ratio (OR) = 3.95 confidence interval (CI) [1.84 - 8.48], bilirubin >12 mg/l (OR = 1.017 CI [1.00 - 1.03]), and prolonged prothrombin time (OR = 0.97 CI [0.95 - 0.99]). Median length of stay was longer in non- survivors (6.5 +/- 7.3 vs 5.5 +/- 4.6 days). Maternal condition on admission and associated complications are the major determinant of maternal outcome.

School-related behavior in children with cancer

Ninety-one children with cancer (thirty-seven with leukemia and fifty-four with solid tumors)--school aged (elementary and middle school), residing in Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy), and receiving treatment at the Department of Pediatrics (III), University of Bologna, from August 1973 to April 1987--took part in a study of school behavior as perceived by the teacher. The research was carried out through a 29-item forced-choice questionnaire based on the questionnaire proposed by Deasy-Spinetta for a similar study in the U.S.A. Results revealed that children with cancer have a school behavior scoring at levels significantly lower than controls. There are more difficulties for children attending middle than elementary school, for children on therapy than off therapy, and for children with leukemia than with solid tumors. In conclusion, the main obstacle to school performance seems to be lower attendance, which is mainly due to treatment and clinic visits and probably in part to an overprotection and an excessive concern on the part of physicians and parents.

The EUFOREA pocket guide for chronic rhinosinusitis

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is known to affect around 5 % of the total population, with major impact on the quality of life of those severely affected (1). Despite a substantial burden on individuals, society and health economies, CRS often remains underdiagnosed, under-estimated and under-treated (2). International guidelines like the European Position Paper on Rhinosinusitis and Nasal Polyps (EPOS) (3) and the International Consensus statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Rhinosinusitis 2021 (ICAR) (4) offer physicians insight into the recommended treatment options for CRS, with an overview of effective strategies and guidance of diagnosis and care throughout the disease journey of CRS.

Rupture du foie en péripartum: à propos de huit cas

OBJECTIVES

Subcapsular liver hematoma (SLH) is a serious complication of the preeclampsia and HELLP syndrom. We report eight cases, and we'll precise circumstances of occurrence of this complication, its management and its prognosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between January 2000 and December 2005, we enrolled eight patients with SLH cases in the intensive care unit of maternity's Ibn Rochd university hospital in Casablanca, Morocco.

RESULTS

The patients are 22 to 41-years-old; six are multiparous, without prenatal care. All are preeclamptic. We diagnosed the SLH in prepartum stage in one case, in operating room in five cases and in post partum stage in two cases. We established blood pressure and homeostasis disturbances, the surgeon made packing for six patients with hepatic artery ligature in two cases. In two other patients, we did only medical care. We noted five deaths, four after hematoma rupture.

CONCLUSION

These results were compared with literature, we need to look for this complication in all-severe preeclampsia with HELLP syndrome, and treat all haemostatic disorders.

Experiences of torture and ill-treatment and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among Palestinian political prisoners

The relationship between the nature and severity of experiences of torture and ill-treatment and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms was studied in 550 male nonhelp-seeking Palestinian political ex-prisoners from the Gaza Strip. Results showed that the more a prisoner had been exposed to physical, chemical and electric torture, psychological ill-treatment, and sensory deprivation or bombardment, the more he subsequently suffered from intrusive reexperiencing, withdrawal and numbness, and hyperarousal. Existential problems were not related to torture experiences. Furthermore, duration of imprisonment, health problems during the imprisonment, harassment during arrest and after release, family, marriage and economic difficulties all predicted intrusive reexperiences of trauma. Also, ex-prisoners who continued to be harassed by military authorities and had economic problems suffered more from withdrawal, numbness, and hyperarousal than others.

Content-Based Recommender Support System for Counselors in a Suicide Prevention Chat Helpline: Design and Evaluation Study

BACKGROUND

The working environment of a suicide prevention helpline requires high emotional and cognitive awareness from chat counselors. A shared opinion among counselors is that as a chat conversation becomes more difficult, it takes more effort and a longer amount of time to compose a response, which, in turn, can lead to writer's block.

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluates and then designs supportive technology to determine if a support system that provides inspiration can help counselors resolve writer's block when they encounter difficult situations in chats with help-seekers.

METHODS

A content-based recommender system with sentence embedding was used to search a chat corpus for similar chat situations. The system showed a counselor the most similar parts of former chat conversations so that the counselor would be able to use approaches previously taken by their colleagues as inspiration. In a within-subject experiment, counselors' chat replies when confronted with a difficult situation were analyzed to determine if experts could see a noticeable difference in chat replies that were obtained in 3 conditions: (1) with the help of the support system, (2) with written advice from a senior counselor, or (3) when receiving no help. In addition, the system's utility and usability were measured, and the validity of the algorithm was examined.

RESULTS

A total of 24 counselors used a prototype of the support system; the results showed that, by reading chat replies, experts were able to significantly predict if counselors had received help from the support system or from a senior counselor (P=.004). Counselors scored the information they received from a senior counselor (M=1.46, SD 1.91) as significantly more helpful than the information received from the support system or when no help was given at all (M=-0.21, SD 2.26). Finally, compared with randomly selected former chat conversations, counselors rated the ones identified by the content-based recommendation system as significantly more similar to their current chats (β=.30, P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Support given to counselors influenced how they responded in difficult conversations. However, the higher utility scores given for the advice from senior counselors seem to indicate that specific actionable instructions are preferred. We expect that these findings will be beneficial for developing a system that can use similar chat situations to generate advice in a descriptive style, hence helping counselors through writer's block.

Detecting changes in help seeker conversations on a suicide prevention helpline during the COVID- 19 pandemic: in-depth analysis using encoder representations from transformers

Background

Preventatives measures to combat the spread of COVID− 19 have introduced social isolation, loneliness and financial stress. This study aims to identify whether the COVID-19 pandemic is related to changes in suicide-related problems for help seekers on a suicide prevention helpline.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted using chat data from a suicide prevention helpline in the Netherlands. The natural language processing method BERTopic was used to detect common topics in messages from December 1, 2019 until June 1, 2020 (N = 8589). Relative topic occurrence was compared before and during the lock down starting on March 23, 2020. The observed changes in topic usage were likewise analyzed for male and female, younger and older help seekers and help seekers living alone.

Results

The topic of the COVID-19 pandemic saw an 808% increase in relative occurrence after the lockdown. Furthermore, the results show that help seeker increased mention of thanking the counsellor (+ 15%), and male and young help seekers were grateful for the conversation (+ 45% and + 32% respectively). Coping methods such as watching TV (− 21%) or listening to music (− 15%) saw a decreased mention. Plans for suicide (− 9%) and plans for suicide at a specific location (− 15%) also saw a decreased mention. However, plans for suicide were mentioned more frequently by help seekers over 30 years old (+ 11%) or who live alone and (+ 52%). Furthermore, male help seekers talked about contact with emergency care (+ 43%) and panic and anxiety (+ 24%) more often. Negative emotions (+ 22%) and lack of self-confidence (+ 15%) were mentioned more often by help seekers under 30, and help seekers over 30 saw an increased mention of substance abuse (+ 9%).

Conclusion

While mentions of distraction, social interaction and plans for suicide decreased, expressions of gratefulness for the helpline increased, highlighting the importance of contact to help seekers during the lockdown. Help seekers under 30, male or who live alone, showed changes that negatively related to suicidality and should be monitored closely.

Maximum growth temperature ranges of Aeromonas Spp. isolated from clinical or environmental sources

Only a limited number of phenotypic tests are available for the differentiation of all 13 known hybridization groups (HG) of Aeromonas spp. These organisms have a wide spectrum of warm-blooded and cold-blooded hosts. In the present study, the maximum growth temperatures (tmax) of the most common HGs of Aeromonas spp. originating from human fecal samples, food, water, and healthy and diseased fish were determined with a plate-type continuous temperature-gradient incubator. We observed that determination of the tmax can be applied for differentiation of HG 1 from HG 2 and 3 (phenospecies A. hydrophila); HG 6 from HG 4, 5A, and 5B (phenospecies A. caviae); HG 7 from HG 8/10 (phenospecies A. sobria); and HG 11 from HG 8/10 (phenospecies A. veronii). HG 1, 4, 8/10, and 13 strains occurring also in human clinical samples had a high tmax, about 40°C or higher. Hybridization group 2, 3, 5A, and 5B strains, which in most cases originated from water or food, had tmax values in the range of about 36-39°C, while HG 6, 7, and 11 had tmax values in the range of about 33-37°C. Fish pathogenic strains of A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida and subsp. achromogenes had the lowest tmax values from about 30 to 35°C.

Temporal profile of serum-induced S-phase entry and retinoblastoma protein phosphorylation in human skin fibroblasts

Cultured skin fibroblasts from type 1 diabetic patients with nephropathy have a hyperplastic growth phenotype in comparison with diabetics without nephropathy and controls. We studied the G1 phase cyclins in skin fibroblasts from control subjects to define the temporal profile of serum-induced pRB phosphorylation, cyclin D1 protein expression, and cyclin D1/CDK4(6) kinase activity as well as S-phase entry by FACS analysis. Our preliminary studies indicate that cultured skin fibroblasts from type 1 diabetic patients with nephropathy have an enhanced pRB phosphorylation, cyclin D1 protein expression, and cyclin D1/CDK4(6) kinase activity. This finding may become useful to identify patients at risk for the development of nephropathy.

Real-time assistance in suicide prevention helplines using a deep learning-based recommender system: A randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness and usability of an AI-assisted tool in providing real-time assistance to counselors during suicide prevention helpline conversations.

METHODS

In this RCT, the intervention group used an AI-assisted tool, which generated suggestions based on sentence embeddings (i.e. BERT) from previous successful counseling sessions. Cosine similarity was used to present the top 5 chat situation to the counsellors. The control group did not have access to the tool (care as usual). Both groups completed a questionnaire assessing their self-efficacy at the end of each shift. Counselors' usage of the tool was evaluated by measuring frequency, duration and content of interactions.

RESULTS

In total, 48 counselors participated in the experiment: 27 counselors in the experimental condition and 21 counselors in the control condition. Together they rated 188 shifts. No significant difference in self-efficacy was observed between the two groups (p=0.36). However, counselors that used the AI-assisted tool had marginally lower response time and used the tool more often during conversations that had a longer duration. A deeper analysis of usage showed that the tool was frequently used in inappropriate situations, e.g. after the counselor had already provided a response to the help-seeker, defeating the purpose of the information. When the tool was employed appropriately (64 conversations), it provided usable information in 53 conversations (83%). However, counselors used the tool less frequently at optimal moments, indicating their potential lack of proficiency with using AI-assisted tools during helpline conversations or initial trust issues with the system.

CONCLUSION

The study demonstrates benefits and pitfalls of integrating AI-assisted tools in suicide prevention for improving counselor support. Despite the lack of significant impact on self-efficacy, the support tool provided usable suggestions and the frequent use during long conversations suggests counsellors may wish to use the tool in complex or challenging interactions.

[Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome and eclampsia: a descriptive study of 13 cases in Morocco]

INTRODUCTION

The occurrence of posterior reversible encephalopathy in eclampsia is a rare but known event. We propose to describe the clinical and radiological features and the outcome.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted from January 2005 to April 2010 including all cases of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) occurring on eclampsia in patients hospitalized in the obstetrical intensive care unit, University Hospital of Casablanca.

RESULTS

Thirteen cases of PRES on eclampsia were collected, the average age was 29 years (18-42). Systolic pressure and diastolic blood pressure at admission were higher than 150 mmHg and 100 respectively in 10 cases. The signs found were: a regressive blindness in five patients and focal signs in four. The complications were thrombocytopenia in 10 patients, abnormal liver function in eight, Hellp syndrome in nine, and acute renal failure in two. The brain regions most commonly affected were the parietal and occipital areas (13 patients), followed by temporal regions, frontal, and basal ganglia (eight patients each). Five patients required assisted ventilation (AV) over 24 hours. Death complicated the outcome in four of our patients, but no deaths were directly attributable to PRES itself, and all four patients had Hellp syndrome and required AV greater than 48 hours. In the other patients, total regression of neurological signs was noted.

CONCLUSION

This study emphasizes the severity of the Posterior 'reversible' encephalopathy syndrome on eclampsia.

Nontraumatic urethral dyssynergia in neonatally estrogenized male rats

PURPOSE

Bladder outlet obstruction develops in estrogen treated males. Because of the lack of electromyography recordings, earlier studies have not clarified the failure mechanisms of voiding. We simultaneously recorded electromyography activity of the proximal rhabdosphincter in neonatally estrogenized rats with transvesical cystometry and urethral flow, followed by morphometric analysis of the urethral structure.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Rats treated neonatally with 10 microg. diethylstilbestrol daily on days 1 to 5 after birth were used in urodynamics and morphological studies at ages 5 to 6.5 months. Using anesthesia the bladder, anterior surface of the proximal rhabdosphincter and distal urethra were exposed to record simultaneously the high frequency oscillations of intraluminal bladder pressure, and the rates of intermittent flow from the distal urethra and electromyography activity of the proximal rhabdosphincter with a suction electrode.

RESULTS

Neonatally estrogenized rats had higher mean maximal bladder pressure plus or minus standard deviation (42.1 +/- 6.4 versus 37.7 +/- 4.9 mm. Hg, p = 0.01), decreased mean flow (2.3 +/- 0.1 versus 4.1 +/- 1.6 ml. per minute, p < 0.0001) and mean increment of proximal rhabdosphincter electromyography depolarization amplitude (3.0 +/- 0.78 versus 2.6 +/- 0.87 mV., p = 0.02) compared with controls, while mean transient repolarization was absent or highly decreased (-0.3 +/- 0.61 versus 0.3 +/- 0.9 mV., p = 0.04). Morphologically the proximal rhabdosphincter was atrophied with increased connective tissue.

CONCLUSIONS

Alterations in the structure and electromyography activity of the urethral musculature imply that neonatal exposure to diethylstilbestrol predisposes male rats to urethral atrophy and dyssynergia, evident as altered electromyography activity of the proximal rhabdosphincter.