Urology is an ancient academic discipline, and its rapid development is due to the combination between medicine and engineering. The development of urology in China is an example of the combination of industry-academia-research based on the progress of science and technology. This paper mainly summarizes the recent advances of interdisciplinary combination between medicine and engineering in urology.
Regulatory T cells (Treg) are critical for regulation of tolerance, control immune responses to self-antigens thereby preventing autoimmunity, and limiting responses to foreign antigens thereby minimizing T cell-mediated immunopathology. Recent data indicate that suppression of organ-specific autoimmunity is dependent on the antigen specificity of Treg. An emerging model of Treg action is that organ-specific Treg acquire suppressive activity through activation by dendritic cells expressing specific antigens. Thus, the efficacy of Treg-based therapy should be increased by using antigen-specific Treg rather than polyclonal Treg. It is necessary to identify relevant antigens and to expand antigen-specific Treg from polyclonal populations. Here, we discuss recent techniques for expansion of antigen-specific Treg, function and antigen specificity of Treg and the therapeutic potential of Treg in controlling autoimmune disease and inducing transplant tolerance.
Objective To investigate the effects and mechanism of doxorubicin preconditioning in providing ischemic tolerance for rats abdomen island flaps. Methods Twenty-four healthy adult Sprague Dawley rats, 12 males and 12 females, were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=8): control group (group A), ischemic preconditioning group (group B), and doxorubicin preconditioning group (group C). After the abdomen island flap (6 cm × 3 cm in size) based on the superficial inferior epigastric neurovascular bundle was prepared, group A had no further treatment; group B was given a 10-minute ischemia followed by a 10-minute reperfusion for 4 times; and group C was given pretreatment with doxorubicin (1 mg/kg) by injection of the inferior epigastric vein. After 24 hours, the inferior epigastric vessels were blocked by vascular clamp for 4 hours, followed by reperfusion 2 hours to prepare ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury model. The rat survival was observed after operation; at 0, 8, 12, 24, and 30 hours after I/R injury, the malonyldiadehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were measured. At 7 days after I/R injury, the survival rate of flap were calculated and the flaps were harvested for histological observation. Results During experiment, 5 rats died (1 rat in groups A and B respectively, 3 rats in group C) and were added. The survival rates of the flap in group A (10.10% ± 0.43%) was lower than those in group B (91.63% ± 1.76%) and in group C (92.75% ± 1.48%) at 7 days after I/R injury, showing significant differences (P lt; 0.05), and there was no significant difference between groups B and C (t=0.29, P=0.77). Significant difference was found in MDA level and SOD level between group A and groups B, C after 8 hours (P lt; 0.05), and there was no significant difference between groups B and C (P gt; 0.05). Histological observation showed that inflammatory cells infiltration was more obvious and hyperplasia of fibers was weaker in group A than in groups B and C. Conclusion Doxorubicin preconditioning can provide ischemic tolerance for rats abdomen island flaps and protect flaps from the I/R injury. The possible mechanism may be related to that doxorubicin can induce endogenous protections.
Objective To find the difference between the collagenase activity and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) expression level in normal urethral tissue and in urethral scar tissue, and to study the effect of collagenase activity and TIMP-1 expression level on the degradation of urethral scar. Methods The urethral tissues were derived from 10 human surgical specimens of urethral stricture scar and 10 human normal urethral specimens from patients with brain death. The collagenase activity was detected by ELISA assay, and the TIMP-1 mRNA level by RT-PCR. Results The collagenase activity of urethral scar tissue was (15.32±2.29) U and lower than that of normal urethral tissue (24.67±6.78) U, there was significant difference between them (P lt; 0.01). The TIMP-1 expression level of urethral scar tissue was higher than that of normal urethral tissue, there was significant difference between them (P lt; 0.05). Conclusion The high level of TIMP-1 expression and the low collagenase activity in urethral scar tissue may inhibit the degradation of urethral scar, and may be one of important causes of the scar tissue hyperplasia.
Objective To compare and assess the efficacy of ventral/dorsal onlay graft urethroplasty in the treatment of urethral stricture. Methods We searched pertinent English literature via MEDLINE (1966 to 2007), EMBASE (1977 to 2007) and The Cochrane Library (Issue 4, 2007) for the use of ventral/dorsal graft urethroplasty in the reconstruction of urethral defect associated with urethral stricture. Data were extracted by two reviewers independently and analyzed by SPSS 13.0 software. Results A total of 50 studies involving 1 264 patients were included. Ventral onlay graft urethroplasty was used in 751 patients with a success rate of 82.6%, while dorsal onlay graft urethroplasty was used in 513 patients with a success rate of 86.9% (ventral vs. dorsal, χ2=4.432, P=0.035). Oral mucosa graft had the highest success rate (88.1%) of all grafts, and the success rate of free skin graft onlay urethroplasty was associated with the location of graft placement (ventral vs. dorsal, P=0.016). Concerning the location of stricture, urethroplasty for bulbar urethral stricture achieved the best results, with a success rate of 87.7%, which was also associated with the location of graft placement (ventral vs. dorsal, P=0.025). Conclusion Dorsal onlay graft urethroplasty is better than ventral onlay. It is better to place the free skin graft in the dorsal part of urethra. Bulbar urethral stricture is more suitable for graft onlay urethroplasty than penile urethral stricture.
Objective To assess the effectiveness of increasing water intake for the prevention of urinary calculi and its recurrence. Methods We defined the searching area, which included Medline, Embase, Cochrane CCTR and CBMA, and found the relevant materials by computer search and document search. At least two reviewers assessed trials quality and extracted data independently. Results A total of 4 studies met the inclusion criteria (I RCT, I CCT and 2 prospective cohort studies). Meta-analysis’ results showed that the aggregate OR and 95%CI of the effect of increasing water intake for the prevention of urinary calculi were 0.64 and 0.53-0.77; the aggregate OR and 95%CI of the effect of increasing water intake for the prevention of recurrence were 0.56 and 0.37-0.84; increasing water intake can prolong the recurrence interval (P=0.016). Each result had statistical significance. Conclusion Increasing water intake can prevent urinary calculi and its recurrence. Increasing water intake can prolong the recurrence interval.
目的 将下眼袋和鱼尾纹同时解决，改善颞部和面中部皮肤老化，不增加额外瘢痕，改变采用传统面部除皱术时所产生的头皮瘢痕、脱发、创伤较大、恢复时间长的缺点。 方法 对2010年3月－2012年12月收治的23例患者利用眼袋切口将眼轮匝肌瓣固定于眶外侧缘的骨膜上，然后再通过颞部除皱切口皮下潜行分离，导针埋线悬吊固定于颞侧颅骨骨膜上，将松垂的皮肤及筋膜上移、提紧。 结果 对23例随访6个月～2年，瘢痕不明显，无脱发等并发症均取得医患双方满意的效果。 结论 此方法简单易行，可在门诊患者局麻下进行；创伤轻，恢复较快。颞部切口减张缝合，瘢痕轻微，可预防脱发。