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This study aimed to examine the effects of osteopontin (OPN) on hepatocyte growth and liver regeneration (LR). A recombinant lentivirus expressing OPN and OPN-siRNAs were used to treat BRL-3A cells, while the adenovirus expressing OPN or OPN-targeted shRNA were applied for rat primary hepatocytes. Moreover, rrOPN and OPN-Ab were added to treat BRL-3A. Next, rrOPN was administrated into rat regenerating livers. Then in vitro and in vivo assays were performed to evaluate the biological function of OPN in hepatocyte growth and LR. OPN overexpression facilitated proliferation and viability of BRL-3A cells and primary hepatocytes, while OPN silencing reversed these effects. Similarly, rrOPN stimulated cell cycle progression and viability, but OPN-Ab led to cell cycle arrest and decreased viability. OPN overexpression induced the expression of p-STAT3, p-AKT and CCND1, and OPN siRNA led to reduction of p-AKT and CCND1. Furthermore, rrOPN promoted the expression of p-STAT3 and p-AKT, while OPN-Ab and PI3K/Akt inhibitor LY294002 both inhibited the expressions of p-AKT and Bcl2. Moreover, LR rate, serum IL-6 and TNF-α, Ki-67+ proportion and the phosphorylation of STAT3, AKT and p65 were augmented by rrOPN treatment. OPN promotes hepatocyte proliferation both in vitro and in vivo through STAT3 and AKT signaling pathways.

Angiolipoma has been reported in many cases, which often occurring subcutaneously in the trunk and limbs. However, angiolipoma rarely occurs in the scrotum. In order to better understand its biological characteristics, clinical features and prognosis, in this case, a 41-year-old male with painful angiolipoma in the scrotum was reported.

CD81, a member of the tetraspanin family, has been revealed to be upregulated and associated with prognosis in several types of cancer; however, this relationship has not been explored in prostate cancer. The present study aimed to investigate the prognostic significance and functional role of CD81 in prostate cancer. The expression of CD81 in prostate cancer tissues and cell lines was evaluated using qRT-PCR analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression analysis were conducted to explore the prognostic significance of CD81. Cell experiments were used to explore the effects of CD81 on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in prostate cell lines in vitro. The expression of CD81 was increased in both prostate cancer tissues and cell lines. Upregulation of CD81 was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis and TNM stage. Moreover, patients with high CD81 levels had poorer overall survival than those with lower levels. Additionally, tumor cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were inhibited by knockdown of CD81. The present results indicated that CD81 plays an oncogenic role in prostate cancer. Overexpression of CD81 may serve as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target and is involved in the progression of prostate cancer.

Bladder foreign bodies have been reported with a great variety, including daily objects and even living things. Except for these, thermometer in bladder were reported with several cases. Due to the limitations of surgical equipment, the removal of bladder thermometer was initially performed with manipulation combined with forceps for female patients, and now it has been taken out with the assistance of various endoscopes. In this report, a 25 years old male inserted a thermometer in his bladder, and a transurethral cystoscopic removal procedure was conducted with a stone extractor.

Ureteral stents are commonly used in urological practices but are frequently associated with patient discomfort, encrustation and stent-related infection. And a second procedure is needed to remove the stent. New biomaterials and designs have been attempted to solve these problems. The development of biodegradable ureteral stent shows promising prospects in future clinical applications. This article reviews the biomaterials and preparation methods commonly used in the present study of biodegradable ureteral stents. To date, none of the technological developments has lead to the 'ideal' biodegradable ureteral stent, but much progress has been made in the stent design by improving the physical characteristics and biocompatibility of the biomaterials. The controllability of degradation, the biggest problem faced currently, still needs to be further improved. In the future, the nanotechnology and chemical modification of biomaterials may be able to further optimize the properties of degradation.

Objective The aim of this study was to develop a novel immersed multilayer biodegradable ureteral stent with reformed biodegradation and evaluate it in vitro. Methods Poly(glycolic-co-lactic acid) (PGLA), microsphere zein and BaSO4 were employed to produce a multilayer biodegradable stent using immersion technology. Tests of the biodegradable stents and conventional control stents were conducted in human urine in vitro to evaluate the biodegradable properties. The biocompatibility was assessed by the morphology and proliferation of urine-derived cells cultured with extracted media from the biodegradable stent and a latex material positive control. Results An immersed multilayer biodegradable stent was successfully produced. It began to degrade in week 2 and was fully degraded by week 4. The mass loss ratio in the first 2 weeks was low (approximately 10.0% at 1 week, 20.0% at 2 weeks) and increased after 3 weeks (approximately 70%) to the end of testing. During the first 2 weeks, the radial compression load performances of the biodegradable stents were better than those of the control stents with statistically significant differences ( p = 0.00, p = 0.01) and the tensile strengths were lower in the biodegradable stents than those in the control stents throughout the experiment. SEM showed that the stents degraded layer by layer from the outer to the inner wall. The influences on the cells of extracted medium from the biodegradable stents were morphologically slight and lower than 10% in relative growth rates. Conclusions This preliminary study demonstrates that the immersed multilayer biodegradable ureteral stent has good radial compression and biocompatible performance and can be degraded in vitro within 4 weeks in a moderate manner.

Solitary Fibrous Tumors (SFT) is a relatively rare occupying lesion, which often originated from the pleura and has been reported in a series of reports. However, there are few reports on retroperitoneal SFT. To better understand its biological behavior, clinical diagnosis and follow-up strategy, this case studied the manifestations, diagnosis and treatment of retroperitoneal SFT in a 57-year-old woman, and reviewed the relevant literature. Keywords: Retroperitoneal, Solitary fibrous tumor, Immunohistochemistry

Vascular endothelial growth inhibitor (VEGI), also known as tumor necrosis factor superfamily member 15 or TNF ligand-related molecule 1, is identified as one kind of antiangiogenic cytokine that belongs to the tumor necrosis factor superfamily. VEGI includes three isoforms: VEGI-174, VEGI-192, and VEGI-251. VEGI can activate multiple signaling pathways including nuclear factor-kappaB, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. Moreover, it suppresses endothelial cell proliferation, angiopoiesis, and tumor growth. Genetic engineering techniques have been used to produce recombinant human vascular endothelial growth inhibitor, and great progress has been made in its application for curing cancer. VEGI could serve as a potential target in the development of angiogenesis-based cancer therapy, and this paper briefly summarizes the progress of the research on VEGI.

To establish a simple and rapid method to remove serosa and mucosa from detrusor for the culture of bladder smooth muscle cells (SMCs).Fourteen New Zealand rabbits were randomly allocated to two groups. In the first group, pure bladder detrusor was directly obtained from bladder wall using novel method characterized by subserous injection of normal saline. In the second group, full thickness bladder wall sample was cut down, and then, mucosa and serosa were trimmed off detrusor ex vivo. Twelve detrusor samples from two groups were manually minced and enzymatically digested, respectively, to form dissociated cells whose livability was detected by trypan blue exclusion. Proliferative ability of primary culture cells was detected by CCK-8 kit, and purity of second-passage SMCs was detected by flow cytometric analyses. Another two detrusor samples from two groups were used for histological examination.Subserous injection of normal saline combined with blunt dissection can remove mucosa and serosa from detrusor layer easily and quickly. Statistical analysis revealed the first group possessed higher cell livability, shorter primary culture cell doubling time, and higher purity of SMCs than the second group (P0.05). Histological examination confirmed no serosa and mucosa existed on the surface of detrusor obtained by novel method, while serosa or mucosa residual can be found on the surface of detrusor obtained by traditional method.Pure detrusor can be acquired from bladder wall conveniently using novel method. This novel method brought about significantly higher purity and cell livability as compared to traditional method.