PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

H Fuse

Publications and source records attributed to H Fuse.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Etoposide, epirubicin and carboplatin in hormone-refractory prostate cancer.

Twelve patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer were treated with combination chemotherapy of etoposide, epirubicin and carboplatin (EEC). At relapse, all patients had metastases to the bone and/or soft tissues. The median number of courses was 3 (range 1-10). Epirubicin was not administered in 6 patients because of heart disease. Three patients (25%) had a partial response and 8 (67%) showed no change. The overall response rate was 92%. Pain relief was observed in 4 patients (44%). Four patients were still alive after a mean observation period of 18 months (range 4-36 months), while 8 died with a mean survival period of 11 months (range 7-15 months). Nausea, appetite loss, and alopecia were observed in some patients. All except one patient experienced bone marrow suppression, 5 of whom were treated with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor. EEC chemotherapy in hormone-refractory prostate cancer is considered to be more effective than other kinds of chemotherapy, whereas it frequently induces bone marrow suppression.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

Laparoscopic varicocele ligation.

Varicocele, an abnormal dilatation of the pampiniform plexus, frequently contributes to male factor infertility. We performed laparoscopic varicocelectomy in 20 patients with varicoceles and abnormal seminal findings. The spermatic artery was identified and preserved in 13 patients and was clipped along with the veins in 7 patients including 1 patient with bilateral varicocele. The time required for the artery-ligating surgery ranged from 90 to 120 minutes with an average of 113.2 minutes, while the time needed for the artery-preserving technique ranged from 90 to 250 minutes with an average of 158.0 minutes. Some analgesics were administered to 11 patients, while the other 9 patients needed no analgesics. All patients were able to walk within 24 hours of the operation. The mean hospitalization period after the operation was 5.9 days. Sperm concentrations significantly improved postoperatively (p < 0.05). No difference in postoperative improvement of seminal findings was observed between artery-ligating and artery-preserving groups. A slight scrotal emphysema developed during the operation in 1 patient. Abdominal pain was experienced in 1 patient, but subsided within a few days. No serious complications were observed. The laparoscopic technique may replace routine open high ligation as the surgical treatment of choice, especially in patients with bilateral varicocele.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Gonadotropin therapy in males with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism: factors affecting induction of spermatogenesis after gonadotropin replacement.

Sixteen patients with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism received gonadotropin replacement therapy. Two patients treated with HCG alone showed induction of spermatogenesis 2 and 12 months after the start of treatment. Three subjects receiving combination therapy showed sperm appearance 6-28 months after treatment. The patients showing sperm appearance, whose testicular volume was > or = 4 ml, showed a higher sperm count and impregnated their partners, although no relationship was found between pretreatment testicular volume and sperm appearance. The response to HCG test correlated with sperm appearance after gonadotropin therapy. Sperm appearance was not observed in any subject except for one who showed no response to luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) test and none of the patients without response of FSH to LH-RH demonstrated any induction of spermatogenesis. In conclusion, the responses to LH-RH test and possibly to HCG test could predict the induction of spermatogenesis after gonadotropin replacement therapy, and a large testicular volume is associated with post-treatment fertility.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Measurement of residual urine volume using a portable ultrasound instrument.

A portable ultrasound unit (BladderScan BVI 2000) has been developed which offers a non-invasive procedure to determine urine volume. This study was undertaken to evaluate the accuracy of measurements by this method. A high correlation was demonstrated between the catheterized volume and ultrasound estimation (r = 0.98, p < 0.0001). In patients with residual urine of > 50 ml, the unit could correctly identify 93%. This instrument is useful in estimating the residual urine volume, and its application is recommended as an alternative to catheterization for the determination of residual urine.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Infected renal cystic mass associated with bacterial meningitis: a case report.

We report a case of an infected renal cystic mass associated with bacterial meningitis in a 70-year-old woman who had had poorly-controlled diabetes mellitus for approximately 30 years. She suffered from bacterial meningitis due to Klebsiella pneumoniae, which was successfully treated with antimicrobial chemotherapy for 1 month. Approximately 2 weeks later she developed left flank pain and a high fever. A CT scan and an ultrasonogram revealed a left renal cystic mass, which was considered to be an infected renal cyst. Turbid and thick fluid was obtained by percutaneous aspiration which contained numerous white blood cells. Culture of this fluid yielded K. pneumoniae. The bacterial meningitis was considered to be a secondary infection of the septicemia which resulted from the infected renal cystic mass.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

Effect of carboplatin on rat spermatogenesis.

To examine the effect of carboplatin on testicular function, carboplatin was administered to mature male Sprague-Dawley rats. Four weeks after carboplatin treatment, the serum level of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) significantly increased in animals treated with 30 mg kg-1 carboplatin (p < 0.02). After 8 weeks of administration, the sperm count and motility in the cauda epididymis decreased in the rats treated with 30 mg kg-1 carboplatin (p < 0.005 and p < 0.05, respectively). The percentage of a-type tubules and the diameter of seminiferous tubules were also significantly reduced in the group treated with 30 mg kg-1 carboplatin (p < 0.02 and p < 0.01, respectively). The serum levels of luteinizing hormone and testosterone were not changed, although the serum level of FSH increased in the animals treated with 20 and 30 mg kg-1 carboplatin (each, p < 0.005). All parameters returned to normal values 12 weeks after the treatment. In conclusion, carboplatin impairs spermatogenesis by possibly damaging the spermatogonia and Sertoli cells but does not affect the Leydig cell function.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Effect of growth hormone-releasing factor on the response to insulin of cows during early and late lactation.

The euglycemic clamp technique was used to determine the effect of bovine growth hormone-releasing factor on glucose kinetics and on the response to insulin of 4 dairy cows during early lactation (mean, 35 d postpartum) and of 6 dairy cows during late lactation (mean, 194 d postpartum). Beginning 3 d prior to experiments, cows were injected twice daily with either saline or 2.5 micrograms/kg of growth hormone-releasing factor. On the day of the experiment, saline or the releasing factor (0.0119 microgram/kg per min) was infused into each cow for 5 h. After a basal period, insulin was infused at 1 and then at 6 mU/kg per min; plasma glucose concentrations were maintained at basal concentrations by the infusion of normal glucose. Growth hormone-releasing factor reduced the glucose infusion rate that was required to maintain euglycemia during the insulin infusions during late lactation but had no effect during early lactation. During the insulin infusions of the late lactation experiment only, the rates of glucose appearance, disappearance, and metabolic clearance were lower when plasma growth hormone was elevated. The results demonstrated that elevated concentrations of growth hormone decreased the responsiveness of peripheral tissues to high concentrations of insulin during late lactation but apparently had little effect during early lactation.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

[The effects of cyclosporin azathioprine and mizoribine on male reproduction in rats].

BACKGROUND: The effects of cyclosporin (Cs), azathioprine (AZP) and mizoribine (MZR) on male reproduction in rats were examined. METHODS: Each drug was orally administered every day for 14 days at the following doses; Cs, 10, 20, 40, or 80 mg/kg body weight; AZP, 5, 10, or 20 mg; and MZR, 2.5, 5, 10, or 20 mg. RESULTS: In the sperm count in the cauda epididymis, two weeks after the discontinuation of administration, a significant decrease was observed only in the 80 mg/kg dose group among the Cs-treated groups and in the 5 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg dose groups among the AZP-treated groups. At the end of the administration, a significant dose-dependent decrease was observed in the MZR-treated groups. The degree of the decrease was smaller after Cs administration compared with the other 2 drugs. Sperm motility was significantly decreased in each Cs-treated group immediately after the oral administration of Cs and improved gradually, but was not changed in AZP- and MZR-treated groups. Significant dose-dependent damage of the seminiferous tubules was noted 6 weeks after administration of Cs, AZP and MZR. The serum levels of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone remained the same throughout the experiment. The serum level of testosterone was significantly low immediately after the oral administration of AZP, but was not changed by that of Cs and MZR. CONCLUSION: Cs, AZP and MZR injured the spermatogenesis in rat. However, changes in the sperm count in the cauda epididymis suggested that the degree of impairment by Cs is relatively small, but only Cs injured epididymal function as well.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Modified one-layer microsurgical vasovasostomy in vasectomized patients.

Bilateral vasovasostomies were performed in 7 previously vasectomized patients. The method employed was a modification of a one-layer anastomotic technique. There was no correlation between the presence of absence of sperm in the vas fluid, presence or absence of sperm granuloma, and site of vasectomy. No correlation was revealed between the presence or absence of sperm in the vas fluid and the duration of obstructive period. After vasovasostomy, sperm was observed in the ejaculate in 86% of the patients. Only one patient's partner became pregnant. However, the partner of one patient with short postoperative period and good seminal finding after vasovasostomy was expected to become pregnant. This modified method of one-layer microsurgical vasovasostomy can be performed more easily and quickly, but requires further clinical experience and evaluation of usefulness.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Clinical study on prognosis of metastatic prostate cancer based on extent of disease on pretreatment bone scintigraphy.

The pretreatment bone scintigrams of 58 patients with prostate cancer with bone metastasis were reviewed and the prognostic value of the initial extent of bone involvement was compared with that of other pretreatment characteristics. The extent of bone metastasis revealed by the scan was related to survival. The serum level of alkaline phosphatase at pretreatment and pathological grade also had some predictive value. Although the pathological grade of primary tumours was related to prognosis, the survival of patients with the same histological grade differed according to the initial extent of disease; patients with extensive disease along with raised serum alkaline phosphatase (twice or more as high as the cut-off value) had poorer prognosis than did those with lower alkaline phosphatase or smaller extent of disease. The extent of bone involvement in combination with serum alkaline phosphatase level therefore apparently has higher prognostic value than does disease extent alone.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1995

Comparative clinical features of stage A1 and stage A2 prostate cancers. Is the concept of stage A changing from the current status?

We surveyed the comparative clinical features of patients with stage A1 and stage A2 prostate cancer. Preoperatively, prostate specific antigen (PSA) level was elevated in 50.0% of stage A2 patients as compared to 18.2% of stage A1 patients. Compared to low positivity of prostatic acid phosphatase in 12.5% of stage A2 and in 0% of stage A1, PSA was more sensitive to the presence of incidental carcinoma. During the observation period (mean 35.7 months) no stage A patient died of cancer. No evidence of the disease showed significantly higher rate, and death without cancer was significantly lower in stage A1.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1994

Bone marrow scintigraphy in the diagnosis of bone metastasis in prostate cancer.

We investigated bone marrow scintigraphy in 20 patients with prostate cancer to determine the usefulness of this procedure in the diagnosis of bone metastasis. Thirteen of 17 patients whose bone scans revealed hot spots showed accumulation defects in bone marrow scintigrams. Follow-up study and X-ray, computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging findings confirmed the presence of bone metastases in these patients. On the other hand, 4 patients with abnormal bone scans had normal bone marrow scintigrams, and were subsequently demonstrated to have degenerative changes of the spine. Bone marrow scanning therefore appears to be useful in distinguishing metastatic lesions from degenerative changes in cases with suspected bone lesions.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Sclerotherapy of hydroceles with polidocanol.

Fifteen patients with hydroceles of the testis or spermatic cord were treated by aspiration and injection of the sclerosant solution polidocanol. The cure rate of hydroceles after one sclerotherapy session was 73%, and the overall cure rate using the procedure was 87%. No patient experienced pain during or after the procedure, which was conducted without anaesthesia. No complications were observed. It is concluded that sclerotherapy of hydroceles with polidocanol may be a useful alternative to open operation, due to its ease of administration, low frequency of complications, and high rate of effectiveness, and that this agent is preferable to certain other drugs in that it causes no pain during or after the injection.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Crystal adherence to urinary catheter materials in rats.

Crystal adherence to the surfaces of indwelling urinary catheter materials was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and immunofluorescence method. Small sterile disks were inserted into the rat bladder transvesically. Crystals were frequently associated with fibrillar material, some of which was believed to be fibrin. Increases in fibrillar materials were paralleled by increases in crystal adherence. On the other hand, a decrease in the amount of fibrin adhering to the surfaces of heparinized material, resulting in a decrease in the quantity of encrusting deposits on these materials, was found as compared with other catheter materials, including latex, silicone and nonheparinized material. These findings suggest that early adherence of fibrin to the surfaces of indwelling urinary catheter materials plays an important role in the development of crystal adherence and encrustation on catheter materials. It is also suggested that heparin inhibits the adherence of fibrin, resulting in decreased encrustation on the surfaces of the heparinized material.

Adhesiveness↗
PubMed1994

Epidermal growth factor concentrations in seminal plasma from patients with hypogonadism--changes after hormone replacement.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) content in seminal plasma of 17 patients with androgen deficiency (12 Klinefelter's syndrome and 5 hypogonadotropic hypogonadism) was determined before and after hormone replacement. No significant increase of plasma testosterone level was demonstrated after testosterone administration in Klinefelter's syndrome, although the level in 4 of 5 patients with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism reached the normal range. In 16 patients, except 1 with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism with no increase of blood testosterone level, prostate volume increased after hormone therapy, and volumes after treatment were significantly larger than those before treatment. On the other hand, EGF concentration in seminal plasma remained at the pretreatment level in most patients. It is therefore concluded that although the prostate volume increases to almost normal after treatment, prostate function does not improve in most patients, indicating that in patients with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism fertility potential may remain low, even if they obtain normal seminal parameters after treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[Studies of transrectal prostatic ultrasonography on patients with male infertility].

The diagnostic significance of transrectal prostatic ultrasonography for chronic prostatitis and varicocele was evaluated in 380 male infertility patients. Of 20 patients with pyospermia, thought to be mainly caused by chronic prostatitis, 10.0 percent showed heterogeneous echo pattern of the prostate, while 25.0 percent showed capsular irregularity. Since 285 patients with non-infected semen showed similar sonographic findings, it is concluded that prostatic ultrasonography has little value in the diagnosis of chronic prostatitis in infertile patients. Enlarged periprostatic echo-free zone, thought to coincide with the dilatation of the Santrini's plexus, was found in 42.9 and 42.7 percent of patients with chronic prostatitis and varicocele, respectively, in contrast to 34.0 percent of patients without either diseases. Twelve percent of patients with varicocele showed highly enlarged echo-free zone, which was significantly more frequent compared to 5.0 percent in normal patients. Moreover, follow up of 4 patients with varicocele pre- and post-operatively found 2 of them to show a great improvement in the enlargement of the zone. These results suggest that varicocele may cause the dilation of the Santrini's plexus through a venous anastomosis in some patients and transrectal ultrasonography may be a useful tool in detecting small varicoceles in such patients.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed1994

[Experience of a double Malecot polyurethane intraurethral catheter in patients with dysuria].

We reviewed our experience of using double Malecot polyurethane intraurethral catheters (IUC). Ten patients with dysuria were treated between April 1991 and April 1993. Seven patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) were judged as in a high risk group for operation. The three other patients had neurogenic bladder (two had underactive bladder and 1 had overactive bladder). Under local anesthesia, 150 ml of 0.1% Povidone iodine solution was infused into the bladder through a Nelaton catheter. Under guidance by ultrasonography, an IUC was placed into the bladder neck and posterior urethra using the specially designed introduction set. An long-term follow up of the BPH patients, two IUCs were removed for operation and one was exchanged for an indwelling catheter because of deterioration in general condition. In the neurogenic bladder patients, all IUC were removed because of the increase of residual urine, formation of a pseudourethra, or dislocation into the bladder. Side effects were observed in 6 patients such as, urethral bleeding and stone formation in the stent. Erosion and bleeding tendency in the urethral mucosa were shown in the prolonged duration cases. We conclude that a urethral stent is an effective devise for a high risk patient with benign prostatic hypertrophy but we must keep each patient under strict observation for complications during IUC placement.

Aged↗