Antioxidant supplementation decreases the cell death rate in the prostatic stromal tissue of long-term castrated rats

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of castration on cell death rate of the adult rat prostates and to evaluate the benefic action of alpha tocopherol supplementation to avoid apoptosis post-orchiectomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty male Wistar rats weighing 250-300g were divided into three groups: group I - they were subjected to bilateral orchiectomy and sacrificed eight weeks after the procedure; group II - subjected to bilateral orchiectomy and alpha-tocopherol supplementation for four weeks preceding the procedure; and group III - subjected to bilateral orchiectomy and alpha-tocopherol supplementation for four weeks preceding the procedure and for eight weeks afterwards. At the end of the experiment, the prostatectomy was performed in all rats. The presence of oxidative stress was determined by assaying the blood level of 8-isoprostane and the occurrence of apoptosis was evaluated by identification of active caspase-3 through immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS: The statistic analysis of active caspase-3 showed that in the long-term castrated group the detection was higher than in groups were the alpha-tocopherol was supplemented (p=0.007). Analysis of 8-isoprostane levels showed higher concentrations of reactive oxygen species in group I compared to other groups (p<0.05). Groups II and III presented active caspase-3 lower than in group I (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our exploratory analyses demonstrate a method to study the aging process and its influence on oxidative stress of prostatic tissue and cells death rate. Based on our results we can suggest that alpha tocopherol supplementation can decrease the apoptotic process as well as the oxidative stress levels induced by androgen deprivation of the prostate gland.Federal University of São PauloUNIFESPSciEL

Elderly men's quality of life and lower urinary tract symptoms: an intricate relationship

PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) on the quality of life (QoL) in a group of elderly men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Observational clinical study contained 200 men recruited between March-September 2008 in the community and Urology and Geriatrics ambulatories. The data collected included health and sociodemographic conditions; the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS); an anxiety/depression inventory; the World Health Organization Quality of Life -Bref and -Old questionnaires (WHOQoL). Participants were classified according to IPSS: Group I (moderate/severe symptoms) and Group II (absence/mild symptoms) and 100 men were included in each group. RESULTS: The groups were statistically similar in sociodemographic, morbidity, and anxiety/depression scores. Both QoL scales showed significant lower median scores in group I in all parameters, except the global subjective self-evaluation of QoL. The domains social and environmental relations presented the most significative differences (p < 0.0005) in both questionnaires, and final mean WHOQoL-OLD score was lower in group I (p < 0.0005). CONCLUSIONS: For elderly men, moderate to severe LUTS do significantly impact almost all parameters of QoL proposed by the WHO, especially social and environmental relations.Federal University of São PauloUNIFESPSciEL

Validation of the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire - Short Form (ICIQ-SF) for Portuguese

OBJECTIVE: To translate into and validate for Portuguese the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire - Short Form (ICIQ-SF), a condition-specific quality-of-life questionnaire for patients with urinary incontinence. METHODS: Two Brazilians independently translated the original ICIQ-SF into Portuguese. These two translations were harmonized, and then checked by independent back-translation by two native English speakers. The harmonized translation was pre-tested in a pilot study on 20 patients. The final version of the ICIQ-SF in Portuguese was applied to 123 consecutive patients aged 16 or over (29 males and 94 females) with a complaint of urinary incontinence, who had sought the Department of Urogynecology and Uroneurology of the School of Medical Sciences of Unicamp. The Portuguese version of the King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ) was also applied to the same group. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire, such as reliability and construct validity were assessed. RESULTS: The median age was 53 years (range: 16 to 86). The mean retest interval for the ICIQ-SF was 14.37 days (range: 6 to 41). No changes from the original format of the ICIQ-SF were observed at the end of the process of translation and cultural adaptation. The internal consistency was high (0.88), as measured by the Cronbach alpha coefficient. The test-retest value was considered moderate to strong, as measured by the weighted Kappa index (range: 0.72 to 0.75) and Pearson correlation coefficient (0.89). The correlation between the ICIQ-SF and KHQ was considered to be moderate to good for most items (range: 0.44 to 0.77). The evaluation of the construct and concurrent validity was also satisfactory and statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire (ICIQ-SF) was successfully translated into Portuguese and validated for application to Brazilian female and male patients complaining of urinary incontinence, with satisfactory reliability and construct validity.OBJETIVO: Traduzir e validar para a língua portuguesa o questionário de qualidade de vida condição-específico denominado International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire - Short Form (ICIQ-SF) em pacientes com incontinência urinária. MÉTODOS: Duas traduções independentes do ICIQ-SF foram feitas por brasileiros, fluentes na língua inglesa. Após harmonização das mesmas, a tradução resultante foi retrotraduzida independentemente por dois nativos de países de língua inglesa. As diferenças foram harmonizadas e pré-testadas em um estudo piloto. A versão final do ICIQ-SF para o português, bem como a versão em português do King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ) foram aplicadas simultaneamente em 123 pacientes consecutivos com queixa de incontinência urinária (29 homens e 94 mulheres) que procuraram o laboratório de uroginecologia e o serviço de urodinâmica de um hospital universitário, localizado em Campinas. Foram testadas as propriedades psicométricas do questionário, como confiabilidade e validade de constructo. RESULTADOS: A idade mediana foi de 53 anos (intervalo de 16 a 86 anos). O período médio de reteste para o ICIQ-SF foi de 14,37 dias (intervalo de seis a 41 dias). Nenhuma alteração do formato original do ICIQ-SF foi observada no final do processo de tradução e adaptação cultural. A consistência interna foi alta, como demonstrado pelo coeficiente alfa de Cronbach (0,88). O resultado do teste-reteste foi considerado de moderado a forte, como indicado pelo índice Kappa ponderado, cujos valores variaram de 0,72 a 0,75, e o coeficiente de correlação de Pearson que foi de 0,89. A correlação entre o ICIQ-SF e o KHQ foi considerada de moderada a boa para a maioria dos itens, variando de 0,44 a 0,77. A avaliação das validades de constructo e concorrente foi também satisfatória e estatisticamente significante. CONCLUSÕES: A versão para o português do ICIQ-SF foi traduzida e validada com sucesso para aplicação em pacientes brasileiros de ambos os sexos, com queixa de incontinência urinária, apresentando satisfatória confiabilidade e validade de constructo.43844