尿中Nerve Growth Factorは、過活動膀胱症状を呈する患児の治療効果の予測因子になる

Objective: To assess urinary nerve growth factor (NGF) in children with overactive bladder (OAB) and to investigate the relationship between urinary NGF/creatinine (Cr) levels and OAB. Patients and methods: Thirty-five children (27 boys and 8 girls) with OAB and 11 children (6 boys and 5 girls) without OAB or any other urinary symptoms, who served as controls, were included in this study. Urinary NGF levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The total urinary NGF levels were adjusted with the concentration of urinary creatinine (NGF/Cr level). Refractory OAB was defined as little improvement in OAB symptoms despite at least 3 months of urotherapy and anticholinergic agent treatment. Urinary NGF/Cr was compared between the children with OAB and the controls. The relationship between urinary NGF/Cr and treatment outcomes was also evaluated. Results: Urinary NGF/Cr was significantly higher in the children with OAB when compared with those in the control group (0.65 ± 0.82 vs 0.11 ± 0.09, P = .0007). Improvement of OAB symptoms was observed in 26 out of 35 children (74%). The remaining 9 children showed refractory OAB symptoms (the refractory group). Urinary NGF/Cr was significantly higher in the refractory group than in the improved group (1.28 ± 1.34 vs 0.44 ± 0.39, P = .027). Conclusion: Urinary NGF/Cr was significantly higher in the children with OAB than in the controls, and was significantly higher in the refractory group than in the improved group. Urinary NGF/Cr could not only be a potential biomarker for children with OAB, but also a predictor of therapeutic efficacy in children with OAB.博士（医学）・乙第1454号・令和2年3月16日Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

飲水指導は夜間頻尿患者の頻尿症状を有効に改善する

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate how guidance on water-intake impacts the degree of nocturia. METHODS: A total of 67 male patients were enrolled in the present study. Patients were asked to adjust their water and food intakes so that their 24-h urine production/bodyweight would be equal or lower than 30 mL/kg. One month after the treatment, the therapeutic gain from and adverse effects of fluid restriction were examined by comparing the pretreatment and post-treatment value of various parameters. RESULTS: Overall, 65 eligible patients were evaluated. In 44 patients (67%), the frequency of nocturia was improved to one or more times. The change in frequency of nocturia showed a positive correlation with the change in nocturnal urine volume. The change in nocturnal urine volume showed a positive correlation with the changes in 24-h urine production/bodyweight, 24-h drinking volume and daytime drinking volume. The changes in 24-h urine production/bodyweight and daytime drinking volume were independent factors influencing therapeutic effect. None of the participants reported any adverse event. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with a 24-h urine production/bodyweight equal or higher than 30 mL/kg, guidance on water intake might be considered effective and safe as a lifestyle therapy. Water restriction should be carried out not only in the evening, but also during daytime.博士（医学）・乙第1348号・平成26年12月3日© 2014 The Japanese Urological Associatio

SERCA2aの持続的過剰発現は、生理的条件下では膀胱機能に影響を及ぼすが、膀胱出口部閉塞亜急性期の病的条件下では膀胱機能に影響しない

A functional impairment of the bladder and heart in a decompensated state caused by a pressure overload is accompanied by a decrease in the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA2). The beneficial effects of SERCA2 overexpression in preserving cardiac functions have been previously reported. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of overexpressed SERCA2 on bladder functions under physiological and pathological conditions using partial bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) in SERCA2a transgenic Wistar rats (TG). Bladder cystometry and western blot analysis were performed using the wild-type Wistar rats (WT), TG, and BOO models (WTBOO and TGBOO). Persistent overexpression of SERCA2 induces reduced bladder compliance without hypertrophy in TG. BOO induces reduced bladder compliance and hypertrophy in WT and TG in the sub-acute phase, but persistent overexpression of SERCA2a in TG does not aggravate the bladder compliance and hypertrophy. In conclusion, SERCA2a overexpression affects bladder functions under physiological conditions, but not in BOO-induced sub-acute pathological conditions.博士（医学）・甲第623号・平成26年5月28

機能的腎体積測定による術後分腎機能評価の検討

PURPOSE:The change in functional renal volume (FRV) has an absolute influence on renal function after nephrectomy (Nx) or nephron-sparing surgery (NSS). In this study, we prospectively examined whether the postoperative renal function following Nx and NSS could be accurately predicted and assessed the reproducibility of our newly developed 3-D image reconstruction system (Kashihara) to measure the FRV. METHODS:We enrolled 98 patients who underwent Nx and 41 patients who underwent NSS from April 2006 to September 2009 to predict postoperative FRV and renal function. FRV was measured before and after (1 month and 1 year) renal surgery. The postoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was predicted from the preoperative eGFR calculated from the serum creatinine (sCr) level and the ratio of the postoperative/preoperative FRV. To assess the reproducibility and accuracy of our newly developed 3-dimensional (3-D) image reconstruction system, FRV was measured by five examiners using images obtained by CT (five cases) and MRI (five cases). RESULTS:Significant correlation was found both for FRV and for renal function between the predictive values and the actually measured values at 1 month and 1 year after surgery, not only in the Nx group, but also in the NSS group. The accuracy and reproducibility could be confirmed both with CT and MRI studies. CONCLUSIONS:The postoperative FRV and renal function could be predicted preoperatively using a 3-D image reconstructive system, preoperative routine diagnostic imaging, and preoperative sCr level.博士（医学）・乙第1369号・平成27年11月27日© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00345-014-1470-

N-ブチル-N-（4-ヒドロキシブチル）ニトロソアミン誘発膀胱癌マウスモデルを用いた膀胱内化学療法による局所及び全身の免疫応答

Intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) treatment is the most common therapy to prevent progression and recurrence of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Although the immunoreaction elicited by BCG treatment is well documented, those induced by intravesical treatment with chemotherapeutic agents are much less known. We investigated the immunological profiles caused by mitomycin C, gemcitabine, adriamycin and docetaxel in the N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine (BBN)-induced orthotopic bladder cancer mouse model. Ninety mice bearing orthotopic bladder cancer induced by BBN were randomly divided into six groups and treated with chemotherapeutic agents once a week for four weeks. After last treatment, bladder and serum samples were analyzed for cell surface and immunological markers (CD4, CD8, CD56, CD204, Foxp3, and PD-L1) using immunohistochemistry staining. Serum and urine cytokine levels were evaluated by ELISA. All chemotherapeutic agents presented anti-tumor properties similar to those of BCG. These included changes in immune cells that resulted in fewer M2 macrophages and regulatory T cells around tumors. This result was compatible with those in human samples. Intravesical chemotherapy also induced systemic changes in cytokines, especially urinary interleukin (IL)-17A and granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), as well as in the distribution of blood neutrophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes. Our findings suggest that intravesical treatment with mitomycin C and adriamycin suppresses protumoral immunity while enhancing anti-tumor immunity, possibly through the action of specific cytokines. A better understanding of the immunoreaction induced by chemotherapeutic agents can lead to improved outcomes and fewer side effects in intravesical chemotherapy against NMIBC.博士（医学）・甲第695号・平成31年3月15日Copyright: © 2017 Hori et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited

前立腺癌マウスモデルにおけるジクロフェナク局所投与によるCOX-2発現の阻害はTRAILの増幅を介して放射線感受性を増強させる

BACKGROUND: COX-2 inhibitors have an antitumor potential and have been verified by many researchers. Treatment of cancer cells with external stressors such as irradiation can stimulate the over-expression of COX-2 and possibly confer radiation resistance. In this study, we tested if topical diclofenac, which inhibits both COX-1 and COX-2, administration rendered prostate tumor cells sensitize to the effects of radiation. METHODS: LNCaP-COX-2 and LNCaP-Neo cells were treated with 0 to 1000 μM diclofenac. Next, a clonogenic assay was performed in which cells were subjected to irradiation (0 to 4 Gy) with or without diclofenac. COX-2 expression and other relevant molecules were measured by real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry after irradiation and diclofenac treatment. In addition, we assessed the tumor volumes of xenograft LNCaP-COX-2 cells treated with topical diclofenac with or without radiation therapy (RT). RESULTS: LNCaP-COX-2 and LNCaP-Neo cell lines experienced cytotoxic effects of diclofenac in a dose related manner. Clonogenic assays demonstrated that LNCaP-COX-2 cells were significantly more resistant to RT than LNCaP-Neo cells. Furthermore, the addition of diclofenac sensitized LNCaP-COX-2 not but LNCaP-Neo cells to the cytocidal effects of radiation. In LNCaP-COX-2 cells, diclofenac enhanced radiation-induced apoptosis compared with RT alone. This phenomenon might be attributed to enhancement of RT-induced TRAIL expression as demonstrated by real-time PCR analysis. Lastly, tumor volumes of LNCaP-COX-2 cells xenograft treated with diclofenac or RT alone was >4-fold higher than in mice treated with combined diclofenac and radiation (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These in vitro and in vivo findings suggest that conventional COX inhibitor, diclofenac enhances the effect of RT on prostate cancer cells that express COX-2. Thus, diclofenac may have potential as radiosensitizer for treatment of prostate cancer.博士（医学）・甲第606号・平成25年11月27日© 2013 Inoue et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

Salvage brachytherapy for seminal vesicle recurrence after initial brachytherapy for prostate cancer: a case report

BACKGROUND: To report the efficacy and safety of salvage brachytherapy for seminal vesicle recurrence after initial brachytherapy in a patient with prostate cancer. As far as we know, this is a first report of salvage brachytherapy for seminal vesicle recurrence in Japan. CASE PRESENTATION: A 70-year-old Japanese man with low-risk prostate cancer received low-dose-rate brachytherapy. Forty-two months after the seed implantation, he showed biochemical recurrence based on the nadir + 2 ng/mL definition. The prostate specific antigen (PSA) level was 5.11 ng/mL at 58 months after seed implantation. A saturation biopsy of the prostate showed no recurrence. Systemic screening also showed no distant metastases. However, T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated a low intensity area at the base of the right seminal vesicle, which was strongly suggestive of recurrence. Sixty months after the initial therapy, a seminal vesicle biopsy confirmed recurrence with a Gleason score of 4 + 3 before salvage brachytherapy was performed. The prescribed dose was 145 Gy, the same as the dose of the initial therapy. One month later, the PSA level had rapidly declined to 0.898 ng/mL without androgen deprivation therapy. Ten months after the salvage brachytherapy, the PSA level reached 0.078 ng/mL. No adverse events were seen during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: We experienced a patient who was successfully treated with salvage brachytherapy for seminal vesicle recurrence. Salvage brachytherapy is one of the promising therapeutic options for recurrence after initial brachytherapy

高齢者における睡眠の質と夜間頻尿関連 : 在宅脳波データを用いた地域密着研究

PURPOSE: We objectively investigated the relationship between sleep quality/efficiency and factors associated with micturition using at-home electroencephalogram assessment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants were recruited from among those enrolled in the Fujiwara-kyo Study, a community based longitudinal evaluation that began in Nara Prefecture, Japan, in 2007. Included participants were men at least 65 years old who woke up in the middle of the night/early morning at least 3 times per week with the urge to void. We evaluated lower urinary tract symptoms using the I-PSS and subjective sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Uroflowmetry and 3-day frequency volume charting measurements were also obtained. Electroencephalogram recordings were obtained during sleep to evaluate objective sleep quality. RESULTS: Final analysis included data from 47 participants. I-PSS-quality of life score and slow wave sleep time were independent predictors of good subjective sleep quality as determined by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores. Nocturnal urinary volume was an independent predictor of greater sleep efficiency. Maximum flow rate was an independent predictor of longer slow wave sleep time. CONCLUSIONS: In elderly men with nocturia, sleep quality is associated with lower urinary tract function. Higher subjective sleep quality is associated with longer slow wave sleep time and less severe lower urinary tract symptoms. Higher objective sleep quality is further associated with a higher urinary flow rate and lower nocturnal urinary volume.博士（医学）・甲第669号・平成29年3月15日Copyright © 2017 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

日本人男性における携帯式尿流量計(P-Flowdiary®)を用いた排尿量/尿流量に関する年齢階層別ノモグラムの作成

Background: To develop a nomogram of urinary volume and flow based on the data of Japanese men without lower urinary tract symptoms and multiple flows per participant whose characteristics were clear. Methods: Overall, 101 Japanese male volunteers without lower urinary tract symptoms aged between 20 and 59 years were enrolled. A portable uroflowmeter (P-Flowdiary®) was used to record urinary information (flow rate and volume) for 2 successive days. The model (quadratic, linear, or logarithmic regression) most fit for the relationship between maximum flow rate and voided volume was determined. The maximum flow rate at > 150 mL was compared among the 20-29-, 30-39-, 40-49-, and 50-59-year age groups. Nomograms appropriate for the age groups were created. Results: The mean age, International Prostate Symptom Score, and Overactive Bladder Symptom Score were 38.5 years, 0.42, and 0.24, respectively. The quadratic regression model was the most fit because its mean coefficient determination was 0.93 ± 0.06. The mean maximum flow rate was significantly lower in the 50-59-year age group (21.8 ± 5.05 mL/s, P < 0.01) than in the younger groups (24.14 ± 4.94, 24.05 ± 6.99, and 24.64 ± 5.72 mL/s). The 2 nomograms are Y = 28.99 {1 - exp(- 0.01 × X)} and Y = 25.67 {1 - exp(- 0.01 × X)} for the 20-49- and 50-59-year age groups, respectively. Conclusions: The nomogram can predict maximum flow rate based on voided volume in Japanese men aged 20-59 years without lower urinary tract symptoms.博士（医学）・甲第858号・令和4年12月22日© 2022. The Author(s). Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data

Life sciences

Aims: To examine the circadian expression changes in bladder clock genes in Dahl salt-sensitive rats following high salt intake. Main methods: Eighteen rats were divided into three groups: the high-salt diet group (HS group), the normal-salt diet group (NS group), and the salt-load interruption group (from a 4 % salt diet to a normal diet; salt-load interruption group [SI group]). Each rat was placed in an individual metabolic cage for 24 h twice weekly. Water intake, urine production, voiding frequency, and voided volume per micturition were recorded. Furthermore, 108 control rats were prepared. Bladders were harvested every 4 h at six time points. Furthermore, the mRNA expression of clock genes and mechanosensors was analyzed. Key findings: In the HS group, the bladder clock genes showed lower mRNA levels than in the NS group. The amplitude of circadian expression changes in bladder clock genes in the HS group was lower than that in the NS group. However, after changing from a 4 % salt diet to a normal diet, the waveforms of the clock gene expression in the SI group were closer to those of the NS group. The 24-h water intake and urinary volume of the SI group decreased to levels comparable to those of the NS group. Significance: Reduced salt intake partially restored the circadian rhythms of bladder clock genes.博士（医学）・甲第857号・令和4年12月22日Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved