The Effect of Garlic Powder on Human Urinary Cytokine Excretion

WOS: 000332683000019PubMed ID: 24595942Purpose: To evaluate the effects of orally administered dehydrated garlic powder on cytokine excretion in the urinary tract. Materials and Methods: A total of 60 healthy volunteers, randomized into 3 groups, were given a single oral dose of 1 g or 3 g of dehydrated garlic powder or placebo. Urine samples were obtained 6.0 and 24.0 h after garlic intake and assayed for interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-12 (IL-12), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), diallyl disulfide (DADS) and diallyl sulfide (DAS). Results: Significant increases in IL-12 levels over baseline were noted in urine samples obtained after oral intake of 1 g and 3 g of garlic powder (P .017). DADS and DAS were not detected in the urine samples at any time after garlic powder intake. Conclusion: Oral intake of doses of garlic traditionally used for daily supplementation increases urinary levels of IL-12, which is a potent stimulator of T helper cell 1 (Th-1) immune responses. This observation encourages further studies investigating the immunostimulatory role of garlic in the urinary tract

Comparison of Ho:Yag laser and pneumatic lithotripsy combined with transurethral prostatectomy in high burden bladder stones with benign prostatic hyperplasia

To compare the efficacy and reliability of Ho:YAG laser lithotripsy (HLL) and pneumatic lithotripsy (PL) in the treatment of bladder stones in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and stones ≥ 20 mm who were transurethrally treated in the same surgical session. We studied the data of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and ≥20 mm bladder stones who were treated with transurethral resection of the prostate and cystolithotripsy in the same session, obtained between January 2010 and February 2014 from three urology clinics. All patients underwent bipolar plasmakinetic (PK) transurethral resection of the prostate. For treatment of the bladder stone, either HLL or PL was applied. A total of 62 patients were divided into two groups: PK-PL (Group 1, n = 29) and PK-HLL (Group 2, n = 33). The data of both groups were analyzed for stone dimensions, stone fragmentation time, total operating time, hospitalization duration, prostate dimensions, success rates, and complications. Group 1 included 29 patients with a mean age of 70 ± 7.6 (range, 57–85) years, whereas Group 2 included 33 patients with a mean age of 67.5 ± 10.5 (range, 45–84) years. In Group 1, five patients had mucosa injury, one patient had residual stone, and one patient had bladder perforation. In Group 2, three patients had mucosa injury, three patients had postoperative fever, and one patient had residual stone. Total operation time and stone fragmentation time were significantly lower in Group 2 (p 0.05). PK-HLL using a single shaft without the need for repeated access has the advantages of shorter fragmentation and operation time

The role of RENAL, PADUA and C-index scoring systems in predicting the results of partial nephrectomy without ischemia

Summary: Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and renoprotective effect of off-clamp partial nephrectomy (PN) by renal scoring systems. Methods: After approval of the local ethics committee, the radiological and clinical data of patients with renal masses who underwent PN between January 2012 and January 2017 were evaluated in two university hospitals. Total 132 patients who underwent open surgery and off-clamp technique were included. All patients underwent contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) preoperatively. Preoperative demographic data, estimated glomerular filtration rate (e-GFR) and hematocrit changes, operation time, tumor volume and hospitalization time from patients were evaluated separately and statistically for each of the three scoring systems. Results: Our study consisted of 132 patients with a mean age of 53.9 ± 13.9 with 69 male and 63 female. Statistically significant difference between the risk groups in RENAL and PADUA scoring were found according to tumor T stage and tumor volüme (p  0.005). Conclusions: In our study, all three scoring sytem successfully predicted the surgical complexity ve surgical outcomes and our results indicate that off-clamp PN has similar success and complications rates when compared to the literature. The off-clamp PN must be kept in mind to maintain postoperative renal functions eligible patients. Keywords: Partial nephrectomy, Off-clamp, RENAL, PADUA, C-inde

Comparison of Ho:Yag laser and pneumatic lithotripsy combined with transurethral prostatectomy in high burden bladder stones with benign prostatic hyperplasia

Objectives: To compare the efficacy and reliability of Ho:YAG laser lithotripsy (FILL) and pneumatic lithotripsy (PL) in the treatment of bladder stones in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and stones >= 20 mm who were transurethrally treated in the same surgical session. Methods: We studied the data of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and >= 20 mm bladder stones who were treated with transurethral resection of the prostate and cystolithotripsy in the same session, obtained between January 2010 and February 2014 from three urology clinics. All patients underwent bipolar plasmakinetic (PK) transurethral resection of the prostate. For treatment of the bladder stone, either HLL or PL was applied. A total of 62 patients were divided into two groups: PK-PL (Group 1, n = 29) and PK-HLL (Group 2, n = 33). The data of both groups were analyzed for stone dimensions, stone fragmentation time, total operating time, hospitalization duration, prostate dimensions, success rates, and complications. Results: Group 1 included 29 patients with a mean age of 70 +/- 7.6 (range, 57-85) years, whereas Group 2 included 33 patients with a mean age of 67.5 +/- 10.5 (range, 45-84) years. In Group 1, five patients had mucosa injury, one patient had residual stone, and one patient had bladder perforation. In Group 2, three patients had mucosa injury, three patients had postoperative fever, and one patient had residual stone. Total operation time and stone fragmentation time were significantly lower in Group 2(p 0.05). Conclusion: PK-HLL using a single shaft without the need for repeated access has the advantages of shorter fragmentation and operatidn time. Copyright (C) 2015, Asian Surgical Association. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC. All rights reserved