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The hydronephrotic kidney, resulting from a ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO), presents commonly as a clinical condition, with the presence of usually no more than 1-2 liters in the collecting system, but a very small number of cases of giant hydronephroses (GHs) has been reported in adults. A GH is defined as the adult renal pelvis containing >1 liter of urine, or at least 1.5% of the body weight. In the majority of cases, the range of the hydronephrotic kidney remains restricted to the renal area. However, the patient described in the present case report had a range for the hydronephrotic kidney which occupied almost the entire abdominal cavity (~24 l), and cases such as these are rarely presented; therefore the aim of the present case study was to document a clear case of GH resulting from UPJO, also accompanied by a review of the current literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Growing evidence suggests that arsenic trioxide (As2O3) induces apoptosis and inhibits tumor cell growth in prostate cancer (PCa), although details of the mechanism are still inconclusive. We investigated the antitumor effect of As2O3 in human PCa cell lines LNCaP and PC3 and the underlying mechanisms by focusing on the Wnt signaling pathway. Methods: The effect of As2O3 on the viability and apoptosis of PCa cells was investigated by cholecystokinin-8 and flow cytometry. The expression of the related proteins in the Wnt signaling pathway and the downstream target genes of the Wnt signaling pathway was examined by Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR assay. The methylation status of the SFRP1 gene promoter was assessed by bisulfite sequencing. Results: As2O3 inhibited the viability of PCa cells and induced apoptosis of PCa cells in a dosedependent manner. The protein level of phospho-glycogen synthase kinase-3β was upregulated, whereas the protein level of β-catenin and the mRNA levels of c-MYC, MMP-7, and COX-2 were downregulated in a dose-dependent manner in PCa cells treated with As2O3. In addition, As2O3 upregulated the protein and mRNA levels of secreted frizzled related protein-1, and increased the demethylation of the SFRP1 gene promoter. Conclusion: Our results suggest that As2O3 may inhibit cell viability and induce apoptosis through reactivating the Wnt inhibitor secreted frizzled related protein-1 in both androgendependent and -independent human PCa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]