Purpose: To apply a transurethral endoscopic technique for examining and managing suspicious distal seminal tracts disorders with a ureteroscope. Patients and Methods: Sixteen patients with distal seminal tracts disorders underwent transurethral endoscopy through the distal seminal tracts using a semirigid ureteroscope. Of the 16 patients, 6 had suspected hemospermia, 4 spermatocele, and 6 male infertility. Results: The ejaculatory duct, seminal vesicle, and ampulla of the vas deferens were observed under direct vision with the ureteroscope. The vas deferens was investigated by cannulation with a guidewire or an epidural anesthesia catheter. Four patients received a diagnosis of spermatocele, four seminal vesiculitis, and three vas deferens obstruction. All patients received appropriate treatment. The remaining five patients had no anatomic disorders. All patients received careful postoperative observation and treatment, and were monitored for at least 3 months. Three patients had postoperative discomfort in the perineal region. There were no further complications. Conclusions: This new technique with the ureteroscope enables diagnosis and management of distal seminal tracts disorders through the normal anatomic tract. This endoscopic technique can be performed easily with minimal complications.

We explored the role of bladder mechanoreceptors in post-void residual urine in rats with bladder outlet obstruction. Partial bladder outlet obstruction was induced by a urethral ligature in 11 adult female Sprague-Dawley® rats. Nine sham operated rats served as controls. The outcome was evaluated in acute experiments using α-chloralose anesthesia 6 weeks later. Bladders were catheterized for infusion, pressure recording and intravesical electrical stimulation. Bladder efferent activity was recorded from a thin pelvic nerve branch close to the bladder. Micturition contractions were triggered at different bladder volumes by a brief train of electrical stimulation of bladder afferents while monitoring post-stimulus efferent activity and reflex bladder contractions. The degree of obstruction was assessed by bladder wet weight at the end of the experiment. Bladder weight, micturition threshold volume, anatomical bladder capacity and peak contraction force were significantly increased in obstructed rats. In sham operated controls a triggered micturition reflex was sustained by afferent feedback from the bladder until the bladder was empty. In contrast, reflex discharges failed with substantial volume remaining in the bladder in obstructed rats. The minimal micturition reflex volume correlated positively with bladder weight, micturition threshold volume and maximal bladder capacity (r ≥0.74). In rats with partial bladder outlet obstruction the micturition reflex failed before the bladder was empty due to a decreased afferent drive from bladder mechanoreceptors. Similar changes may contribute to post-void residual urine in humans with bladder outlet obstruction.

Background: The protective effect of Erythropoietin (EPO) analogue rHuEPO on acute renal injury induced by exhaustive exercise had been reported. The purpose of this study is to probe into the protective effect of EPO on chronic renal injury induced by repeated exhaustive exercise for four weeks. Methods: Eighty adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were used in this experiment. The animals were randomly allocated to one of four groups: control (C), exhaustive exercise test (ET), ET plus EPO pre-treatement (ET+EPO) and ET+EPO plus LY294002 pretreatment (ET+EPO+LY). Results: Compared with the rats in control group, there was considerable damage in kidney cells in rats of ET group as revealed by histological and ultrastructural examinations. However, treatment with EPO during the training, the exhaustive running distance was significant increased (P < 0.01), and the pathological changes of kidney cell were much less compared with those of rats without EPO intervention. When LY294002, a specific inhibitor of phospholipids phthalocyanine inositol 3-kinase, was added to the EPO treated rats, the injury changes of renal cell were becoming more pronounced. Conclusions: The protective effect of EPO on chronic renal injury induced by repeated exhaustive exercise was demonstrated in the present study. We proposed that the effect could be due to inhibiting the cell apoptosis and blocking the formation of interstitial fibrosis via activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway, thus plays role in the endogenous protection of the kidney injury.