Dong Wan Sohn

Transplantation of Muscle-Derived Stem Cells into the Corpus Cavernosum Restores Erectile Function in a Rat Model of Cavernous Nerve Injury

Purpose Muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) harvested from skeletal muscles have the advantage of providing easier access and do not pose the immunogenic risks of embryonic stem cells. We investigated the effect of intracavernosal transplantation of MDSCs on erectile function in rats with bilateral cavernous nerve injury. Materials and Methods Adult male white rats underwent experimentation in 3 groups: group I, sham operation; group II, bilateral cavernous nerve injury; group III, bilateral cavernous nerve injury with MDSC injection. MDSCs were harvested from the femoral muscle of rats and were then injected into the cavernosum. Survival of MDSCs and measurement of erectile function was studied after 4 weeks. We checked the intracavernosal pressure (ICP) and obtained penile tissue. The expression of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) was analyzed. Results Four weeks after transplantation, PKH-26-labeled MDSCs were identified in the cavernosal tissues of group III. Peak ICP and the drop rate of group II were 52±8.7 mmHg and 34±6.5 mmHg/min, respectively, whereas peak ICP and the drop rate of group III were 97±15.6 mmHg and 17±4.9 mmHg/min, respectively, showing that erectile function improved after MDSC transplantation (p<0.05). The expression of cGMP was significantly lower in group II (21.9±5.8 fmol/well) than in group I and group III (70.2±10.3 and 58.9±10.5 fmol/well, respectively). Conclusions In a cavernous nerve injury rat model, intracavernosal transplantation of MDSCs showed acceptable survival of MDSCs as well as improvement of erectile function.

The Prevalence and Characteristic Differences in Prostatic Calcification between Health Promotion Center and Urology Department Outpatients

Purpose We evaluated the differences in calculi characteristics and their prevalence according to the presence of lower urinary tract symptoms between adult patients examined at the Urology Department and those examined at the Health Promotion Center (HPC). Materials and Methods The prevalence of prostatic calcification, characteristics of calculi (number, size, and location), and differences in lower urinary tract symptoms were compared and analyzed for 479 subjects who underwent transrectal ultrasonography at the HPC and the Urology Outpatients Department at our hospital from October 2009 to October 2010. Results Of 479 subjects, 268 patients were examined at the HPC, and 211 were examined at the Urology Outpatients Department. Between the two groups, age, prostate-specific antigen levels, prostate volume transrectal ultrasonography, International Prostate Symptom Score (total, voiding, and storage), quality of life, and the prostatic calcification rate were significantly higher in the patients who visited the Urology Outpatients Department. The prevalence of prostatic calcification was 41.5% (199/479), with 36.1% (97/268) from the HPC and 48.3% (102/211) from the Urology Outpatients Department. When the characteristics of prostatic calcification were compared, there were no significant differences in the appearance, size, or location of the calculi between the two groups. Conclusions The prevalence of prostatic calcification was high in patients complaining of lower urinary tract symptoms; however, there were no significant differences in the characteristics of the calculi. This finding leads us to believe that prostatic calcification can aggravate lower urinary tract symptoms but does not result in differences according to the number, size, or appearance of the calculi.

The Anti-inflammatory and Antifibrosis Effects of Anthocyanin Extracted From Black Soybean on a Peyronie Disease Rat Model

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the potential of anthocyanin as a supplement for the treatment of Peyronie disease (PD) by examining the anti-inflammatory and antifibrosis activities of anthocyanin in a PD animal model. MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed the preliminary experiment to confirm the plaque formation of tunica albuginea (TA). Six animals received fibrin (TISSEEL VH Sealer; Baxter, Glendale, CA; 30 μL each of human fibrin and thrombin solutions) injections into the TA. After 2 weeks, PD-like plaque formation was confirmed by Masson trichrome staining in preliminary experimental animal group. A PD rat model was made by intratunical injection of fibrin. Experimental animals were divided into 3 groups as follows: control group (n = 8), PD group (n = 8), and anthocyanin-treated group (n = 8) that received anthocyanin at 50 mg/kg twice a day for 4 weeks using orogastric tubes. After 4 weeks, penile tissue was collected to perform Masson trichrome and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 staining. RESULTS We confirmed PD-like plaque formation by Masson trichrome stain 2 weeks after fibrin injection. The ratio of smooth muscle cells in the corpus cavernosum in the PD group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P <.05). The PD group showed strong TGF-β1 immunoreactivity with increased expression in the collagenous connective tissues and fibroblasts around the TA. CONCLUSION We confirmed PD-like plaque formation after 2 weeks of fibrin injections into the TA. This is the first study to suggest that anthocyanin extracted from black soybean may have anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects for penile plaque formation in rat PD models.

Factors That Affect Nosocomial Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection in Intensive Care Units: 2-Year Experience at a Single Center

Purpose This study took a retrospective approach to investigate patients with catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) over 2 years at a single hospitals intensive care unit (ICU) to identify meaningful risk factors and causative organisms. Materials and Methods A retrograde analysis was performed on patients with indwelling catheters between January 2009 and December 2010 in Yeouido St. Mary Hospital medical and surgical ICU. CAUTI was defined as isolated bacterial growth of 100,000 colony-forming units or more either 48 hours after transfer to the ICU if a urinary catheter was placed before the transfer or 48 hours after insertion if the catheter was inserted in the ICU. Only the patients whose culture results were negative before ICU admission were included. Results There were a total of 1,315 patients with indwelling urinary catheters in our hospitals medical and surgical ICU between January 2009 and December 2010. Of these patients, 241 had positive urine culture results, and 61 had CAUTI. Using multivariate logistic regression analysis, those with diabetes were 4.55 (p<0.001) times as likely to have occurrences of CAUTI than were those without and also had a 1.10-fold (p<0.01) longer duration of an indwelling catheter. Upon urine culture, among the 61 patients with CAUTI, Escherichia coli was the most common bacterium grown; it was identified in 24 patients (38.7%). Conclusions The factors and causative organisms contributing to the development of CAUTI in the management of ICU patients must be considered to prevent the occurrence of UTIs in this setting.

BIOCOMPATIBILITY OF A PDMS-COATED MICRO-DEVICE： BLADDER VOLUME MONITORING SENSOR

We evaluated the biocompatibility of a dimethylpolysiloxane-coated micro-device which had been designed for monitoring real-time bladder volume in previous studies. The extract assay with dimethylpolysiloxane which had been used for coating the micro-device to measure the bladder volume was performed as an in vitro cytotoxicity test. For in vivo biocompatibility testing, the inflammatory responses around the implantation site of the micro-device in subcutaneous tissue of rat were assessed by light microscope with H&E stain and fluorescence microscope with ED1 stain and von Willebrand factor stain. The averages of cell viability in dimethylpolysiloxane group were 84.6% and 82.3% at 24 h and 72 h incubation, respectively. The qualitative evaluations with light and fluorescence microscope revealed that the inflammatory changes peaked during 2 weeks but almost disappeared at 4 weeks after implantation of devices. The quantitative evaluations for granulation layer formation and neovascularization showed that the thickness of the layer in dimethylpolysiloxane group peaked during 2 weeks but it came to be stabilized at 4 weeks as thin as at 2 weeks in control group, and the frequency of neovascularization was higher in dimethylpolysiloxane group than in control group but it was not increased with time. The dimethylpolysiloxane-coated micro-device is thought be a reliable bio-medical device.

Real-time bladder volume monitoring by the application of a new implantable bladder volume sensor for a small animal model

Although real‐time monitoring of bladder volume together with intravesical pressure can provide more information for understanding the functional changes of the urinary bladder, it still entails difficulties in the accurate prediction of real‐time bladder volume in urodynamic studies with small animal models. We studied a new implantable bladder volume monitoring device with eight rats. During cystometry, microelectrodes prepared by the microelectromechanical systems process were placed symmetrically on both lateral walls of the bladder, and the expanded bladder volume was calculated. Immunohistological study was done after 1 week and after 4 weeks to evaluate the biocompatibility of the microelectrode. From the point that infused saline volume into the bladder was higher than 0.6 mL, estimated bladder volume was statistically correlated with the volume of saline injected (p < 0.01). Additionally, the microelectromechanical system microelectrodes used in this study showed reliable biocompatibility. Therefore, the device can be used to evaluate changes in bladder volume in studies with small animals, and it may help to provide more information about functional changes in the bladder in laboratory studies. Furthermore, owing to its biocompatibility, the device could be chronically implanted in conscious ambulating animals, thus allowing a novel longitudinal study to be performed for a specific purpose.

The anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects of anthocyanin extracted from black soybean on chronic bacterial prostatitis rat model.

ObjectiveTo investigated the anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects of anthocyanins extracted from black soybean on the chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP) rat model.MethodsThe Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups, including control, ciprofloxacin, anthocyanins and anthocyanins with ciprofloxacin groups (n=8 in each group). Then, drip infusion of bacterial suspension (Escherichia coli Z17 O2:K1:H−) into Sprague-Dawley rats was conducted to induce CBP. In 4 weeks, results of prostate tissue, urine culture, and histological analysis on the prostate were analyzed for each group. Results: The use of ciprofloxacin, anthocyanins, and anthocyanins with ciprofloxacin showed statistically significant decreases in bacterial growth and improvements in the reduction of prostatic inflammation compared with the control group (P<0.05). The anthocyanins with ciprofloxacin group showed a statistically significant decrease in bacterial growth and improvement in prostatic inflammation compared with the ciprofloxacin group (P<0.05).ConclusionsThese results suggest that anthocyanins may have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects, as well as a synergistic effect with ciprofloxacin. Therefore, we suggest that the combination of anthocyanins and ciprofloxacin may be effective in treating CBP to obtain a higher rate of treatment success.

Treatment of paraffin-induced lipogranuloma of the penis by bipedicled scrotal flap with Y-V incision.

ObjectivesThe authors aimed to report 5 cases of patients with penile lipogranuloma–induced full necrosis of penile skin, wherein they obtained good results from simultaneous implementation of Y-V incision to prevent the shortening of penile length together with bipedicular scrotal flap. MethodsThe full excision of penile lipogranuloma and a bipedicled scrotal flap was performed. After finishing the scrotal flap, for extension in length, the authors performed the inverted V incision on the upper skin of followed by partial resection of suspensory ligament and sutured up to subcutaneous tissue in the inverted Y shape, extending the dorsal portion skin toward the penis. ResultsThere was no shortening in length of the penis or reduction in girth and the resulting penis had no difference to normal skin of penis, with almost no contraction of the scrotum, and all patients were satisfied with the visual postoperative shape of the penis. ConclusionsThe authors had performed a complete excision of paraffinoma in patients with penile paraffinoma with concurrent skin necrosis and obtained good outcomes of preventing the shortening of penile length by performing a bipedicled scrotal flap with Y-V incision using the scrotal skin.

The Anti-Inflammatory Effects of a New Herbal Formula (WSY-1075) in a Nonbacterial Prostatitis Rat Model

Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of a new herbal formula (WSY-1075) in a nonbacterial prostatitis rat model. Materials and Methods Prostatitis was induced in male Wistar rats (n=32) by treatment with 17 beta-estradiol and dihydrotestosterone for 4 weeks. After the induction of prostatitis, the rats were randomly divided into one of four treatment groups: control (n=8), ciprofloxacin (n=8), WSY-1075 (100 mg/kg) (n=8), and WSY-1075 (400 mg/kg) (n=8). After 4 weeks of treatment, the prostatic proinflammatory cytokine (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin [IL]-6, and IL-8) levels and histological findings were noted. Results The ciprofloxacin and WSY-1075 treatment groups showed significantly decreased proinflammatory cytokine levels compared with the control group. Histologically, treatment with ciprofloxacin and WSY-1075 significantly suppressed the severity of prostatitis lesions compared with those in the control group. No differences in the proinflammatory cytokine levels or histologic findings were observed with the dose dependent treatment of WSY-1075. Conclusions The new herbal formula, WSY-1075, showed effective anti-inflammatory activities in the prostate and may be useful for the clinical treatment of nonbacterial prostatitis. Our findings suggest that WSY-1075 has a beneficial effect on the prevention and treatment of nonbacterial prostatitis.

Microbiological and clinical characteristics in acute bacterial prostatitis according to lower urinary tract manipulation procedure

We conducted a retrospective analysis of acute bacterial prostatitis (ABP) secondary to manipulation to document clinical features, management and microbiology based on the route of prior manipulation, which can be divided into two subgroups: transrectal and transurethral procedure. The medical records of 158 cases compatible with a confirmed diagnosis of ABP secondary to manipulation from 7 urological centers between 2001 and 2012 were reviewed. When subcategorized according to route of prior manipulation of the lower urinary tract, there were distinct differences between transrectal and transurethral manipulation group with regard to clinical and microbiological features. Escherichia coli was the most common causative bacterium in both groups, but Pseudomonas spp. were much more dominant pathogens in the group by transurethral manipulation than transrectal manipulation group. The susceptibilities to second-, third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins, amikacin, carbapenem and aztreonam were shown to be very low in the transurethral manipulation group. Therefore, it will take account the difference in antibiotic selection in the patients with ABP secondary to manipulation according to the manipulation route.