culture assembly was also examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTSThe proliferation and differentiation of cancer cells were clearly changed on co-culture with adipocytes compared with the control cultures. The mean (range) bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) indices estimated (according to uptake) to evaluate the growth of the cultured cells were 36.3 (8.55)% in the co-culture and 26.95 (10.50) in the control ( P < 0.02). PC3 cells in co-culture formed larger clusters than in the control, at 16.0 (11.0) vs 14.0 (10.0), respectively ( P < 0.01). Cancer cells also showed pleomorphism, varying from cuboidal to spindle-shaped. The expressions of vascular endothelial and platelet-derived growth factor were greater in co-culture than in the control. CONCLUSIONThese findings suggest that adipocytes modulate the growth, morphology and cytokine expression of prostate cancer cells. This specific mesenchymal stromal cell type is important in the biological behaviour of prostate cancer cells.

The novel gene H731 (approved name: PDCD4 (programmed cell death 4)) has been isolated as an antigen gene of the monoclonal antibody Pr-28 which recognized a nuclear antigen in proliferating cells. The gene is homologous to the mouse gene (MA-3/Pdcd4/A7-1) which was associated with apoptosis and was shown to suppress tumor promoter-induced neoplastic transformation. A polyclonal antibody against H731-protein derived from an extract of Escherichia coli transformed with an H731 expression plasmid was prepared, and the H731-protein expression in human normal and tumor cells using the antibody was studied. The staining patterns of asynchronous cultures of human normal fibroblasts (MRC-5) were heterogeneous but the antigen was accumulated in the nuclei at the G0 phase. On the contrary, the antigen was overproduced and localized in the cytoplasm during the cell cycle in tumor cell lines. Immunohistological studies revealed that the H731-protein was highly expressed in bladder carcinoma and breast carcinoma tissues compared with the normal tissues so far tested. These results indicated that expression of the H731-protein was up-regulated or induced in the proliferative cells. Immunohistological studies also revealed that the protein was abundantly expressed in the small duct epithelial cells of the normal mammary gland.

The purpose of this study was to reconstruct a urinary bladder mucosa in three-dimensional collagen gel culture conditions that included fibroblasts. Transitional epithelial cells and fibroblasts, isolated respectively from the epithelial and lamina propria layers of porcine urinary bladder, were cultured in monolayer. These fibroblasts were embedded and cultured within a collagen gel matrix to reconstruct a lamina propria. The isolated transitional epithelial cells were then seeded in vitro on this reconstructed lamina propria on which the transitional epithelial cells formed a stratified urothelium composed of basal, intermediate and superficial layers. Urothelial differentiation was observed only on the fibroblast-containing collagen matrix. Differentiation did not occur on a cell-free collagen matrix through use of fibroblast conditioned medium. Thus, urothelial differentiation depended upon a fibroblast-extracellular matrix interaction. The differentiated transitional epithelial cell layer thus produced closely resembled a urothelium in vivo. This culture model may provide a useful system in which to study various diseases of the urinary bladder.

Objective: The effectiveness of urinary diversion for patients with renal insufficiency due to extrinsic ureteral obstruction was assessed. Methods: Between 1990 and 2003, 30 males and 45 females, ranging 36-90 years of age (average, 62.7) who had secondary ureteral obstruction due to either a retroperitoneal or pelvic invasion of malignant disease, underwent nephrostomy or ureteral stenting using a double-J stent without side holes. Results: Ureteral stenting was attempted as an initial procedure in 51 of the 75 cases. The remaining 24 cases had a nephrostomy at the first step. Of 51, 37 cases were successfully stented , while internal stenting was unsuccessful in the remaining 14 cases. These 14 cases were treated with nephrostomy at the second step following the unsuccessful internal stenting. Eight cases of the 37 successfully stented cases were eventually changed to a nephrostomy because of catheter trouble. As a result, 29 cases could be managed by internal ureteral stenting up until the end of their life. The follow-up period for the 75 cases who underwent urinary diversion ranged from 5 days to 19 months, averaging 5.7 months. The average period from diversion to death was 5.6 months in the internally stented group and 5.9 months in the nephrostomy group. Conclusion:The high patency rate of the internal ureteral stent in our cases might be due to our use of a stent without shaft vent holes.

Objective To investigate the role of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the assessment of patients with prostate cancer. Patients, subjects and methods Serum from 78 men was assayed for VEGF using a commercially available enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay kit. Forty‐eight patients had a histopathological diagnosis of prostate cancer (16 local disease, 32 metastatic), nine had benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and 21 were healthy controls. Results The mean serum VEGF level was significantly higher in patients with hormone‐escaped prostate cancer than in all other groups (P  0.02). There were no significant differences in serum VEGF levels among the other groups. In 18 patients with serial measurements there was no significant difference in serum VEGF level during either response to or escape from hormonal therapy. Conclusions The significantly higher serum VEGF level in patients with hormone‐escaped prostate cancer suggests a role in the pathogenesis of advanced disease. However, the lack of significant differences among the other groups and the failure to indicate either response to or escape from hormonal therapy suggests that serum VEGF in this setting is of limited use.