No abstract

The present study demonstrates that spermatogonia are able to survive and proliferate after cryopreservation and long-term transplantation. Complete regeneration of normal spermatogenesis was not observed since, beyond the pachytene stage, no adequate characterization of germ cells was obtained. Further studies are thus required to investigate the differentiation potential of cryopreserved germ cells.

No abstract

Through our orthotopic xenografting model, we have demonstrated the survival and proliferative activity of spermatogonia and Sertoli cells in cryopreserved immature human cryptorchid tissue. Testicular tissue banking may thus prove to be a promising technique for the preservation of fertility in prepubertal boys undergoing oncological treatments. As the stem cell niche is maintained, the cryopreserved tissue can potentially be used for future autotransplantation. In addition, whole tissue freezing does not exclude alternative clinical uses, including isolated cell transplantation after dissociation, selection and enrichment. However, as this work was done on cryptorchid tissue, studies on normal immature testicular tissue, involving longer grafting periods, are needed to demonstrate a differentiation capacity before clinical implementation. Ethical and safety issues should also be addressed.

The present study was supported by a grant from the Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique de Belgique (grant Télévie N° 7. 4.572.09.F). The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

We studied the influence of vessels crossing the ureteropelvic junction and of the grade of hydronephrosis in 86 patients who underwent endoureteropyelotomy. With a follow-up ranging from 1 to 12 years, the presence of crossing vessels had a significant negative influence on the outcome and recurrence rate of the procedure. The success rate was 82% when no vessels were present but only 33% when crossing vessels were documented. In 13 of 15 failures (87%), a crossing vessel was found at open pyeloplasty. The degree of hydronephrosis was a less potent detrimental factor, with an 81% success rate in low-grade and 54% in high-grade hydronephrosis. The best results (90% success) were obtained in patients with no crossing vessels and low-grade hydronephrosis and the worst (30% success) in those with high-grade hydronephrosis in the presence of crossing vessels. Selection of patients according to those prognostic factors is recommended. Conventional intravenous urographic imaging techniques proved insufficient, and only angiography provided diagnostic accuracy; less-invasive methods are desirable.

In this prospective randomized study 60 Gy. external radiation therapy administered between 3 and 4 months after radical prostatectomy for pathologically locally advanced prostate cancer had no significant influence on urinary continence.

To determine normal reference latencies pudendal cortical somatosensory evoked potentials were evaluated in 20 healthy volunteers. The dorsal nerve of the penis or clitoris was stimulated electrically and the cortical response was recorded from the CZ-2 point (2 cm. behind the central vertex). Reproducible responses were obtained and reference values were established.