Investigative urology 

About: Investigative urology is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Urinary bladder & Prostate. It has an ISSN identifier of 0021-0005. Over the lifetime, 1465 publications have been published receiving 24012 citations.

Establishment and characterization of a human prostatic carcinoma cell line (PC-3).

Abstract: The establishment, characterization, and tumorigenicity of a new epithelial cell line (PC-3) from a human prostatic adenocarcinoma metastatic to bone is reported The cultured cells show anchorage-independent growth in both monolayers and in soft agar suspension and produce subcutaneous tumors in nude mice Culture of the transplanted tumor yielded a human cell line with characteristics identical to those used initially to produce the tumor PC-3 has a greatly reduced dependence upon serum for growth when compared to normal prostatic epithelial cells and does not respond to androgens, glucocorticoids, or epidermal or fibroblast gowth factors Karyotypic analysis by quinacrine banding revealed the cells to be completely aneuploid with a modal chromosome number in the hypotriploid range At least 10 distinctive marker chromosomes were identified The overall karyotype as well as the marker chromosomes are distinct from those of the HeLa cell Electron microscopic studies revealed many features common to neoplastic cells of epithelial origin including numerous microvilli, junctional complexes, abnormal nuclei and nucleoli, abnormal mitochondria, annulate lamellae, and lipoidal bodies Overall, the functional and morphologic characteristics of PC-3 are those of a poorly-differentiated adenocarcinoma These cells should be useful in investigating the biochemical changes in advanced prostatic cancer cells and in assessing their response to chemotherapeutic agents

Urease. The primary cause of infection-induced urinary stones.

Abstract: Previous reports have suggested that urease-producing bacteria play a prominent role in the formation of infection-induced urinary stones We have carried out crystalization experiments in vitro which show that bacterial urease alkalinizes urine, thereby causing: (i) supersaturation with respect to struvite and calcium phosphate; and (ii) formation of struvite and apatite crystals Growth of Proteus in urea-free urine or in urine which contained a urease inhibitor did not cause alkalinization, supersaturation, or crystallization of struvite and apatite Growth of Klebsiella, Escherichia coli, or Pseudomonas was not associated with significant alkalinization, supersaturation, or crystallization Struvite and apatite crystals dissolved in Proteus-infected urine in which undersaturation was maintained by urease inhibition Similar results in all experiments were obtained using human urine and a synthetic urine which was devoid of matrix, pyrophosphate, or other undefined solutes Urease-induced supersaturation appears to be the primary cause of infection-induced urinary stones

Origin and evolution of benign prostatic enlargement.

Abstract: Important features of the origin and evolution of benign prostatic enlargement (BPH) remain unclarified, partly because of imprecision in previous morphologic observations. Precise, quantitative analysis was applied to BPH development in 63 autopsy prostates. BPH nodules originated selectively from a very small region, near a cylindrical urethral sphincter above the verumontanum, and usually on the outer aspect of that sphincter laterally. They arose in a newly described transition zone, in which the unique mingling of prostatic glands with sphincteric stroma may be implicated in BPH pathogenesis. Nodules originate through eccentric duct budding toward a focus, suggesting local stromal inductive effects. BPH evolved through three processes: early diffuse gland growth, small nodule proliferation, and later nodule enlargement. If these are independent processes, BPH etiology may be multifactorial.

The expectation of free and fixed particles in urinary stone disease.

Abstract: There is a paucity of literature concerning the origin of urinary stone disease. This report uses information currently available to examine the likelihood of urinary stone disease starting from free or fixed crystalluric particles. We conclude that stone disease in the renal tubules and renal pelvis cannot begin on unattached (free) particles. However, in conditions associated with stone formation, initiation of bladder stone disease on free particles seems quite likely.