This study aimed to establish animal models with different degrees of ejaculatory duct obstruction. Forty‐eight male rats aged 14–15 weeks were randomly divided into three groups (n = 16): control, complete ejaculatory duct obstruction (tied around the lower seminal vesicle gland and ductus deferens with a 2–0 silk ligature), and partial ejaculatory duct obstruction (padded with a wire guide). Mortality, complications, seminal vesicle morphology and histopathology were compared in the three groups at 4 and 8 weeks postoperatively. In the complete ejaculatory duct obstruction group, seminal vesicle weight decreased gradually with increased obstruction time compared with those of the control group (p < 0.05); moreover, stone‐like material was occasionally observed. In the partial ejaculatory duct obstruction group, there was an increase followed by a decrease in seminal vesicle weight in the postoperative period compared with that of the control group (p < 0.05). Histopathological lesions of seminal vesicles were observed in the complete and partial ejaculatory duct obstruction groups (8 weeks postoperatively). We successfully established animal models of complete and partial ejaculatory duct obstruction, which provide an easy‐to‐use tool for studying seminal vesicle changes after ejaculatory duct obstruction.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of ejaculatory duct obstruction (EDO) on contractile efficacy, smooth muscle ultrastructure, and α1A and M3 receptors of rat seminal vesicles (SVs). A total of 48 male rats, aged 14-15 weeks, were randomly divided into three groups, namely, the control, complete EDO, and partial EDO. SV tissues were collected at 4 and 8 weeks postoperatively for further experiments. Results revealed a marked reduction in SV contractile efficacy over time following obstruction in the complete EDO group. The contractile force and frequency decreased and increased in the partial EDO group at week 4, respectively, whereas contractile efficacy significantly reduced at week 8. Moreover, obstruction resulted in significant downregulation in expression of α1A and M3 proteins and mRNAs in rats from the complete EDO group over time. Rats in the partial EDO group initially exhibited an increase followed by a decrease. Analysis of the ultrastructure of SV smooth muscles confirmed the above changes. In conclusion, complete EDO can lead to a progressive decrease in contractile efficiency of SVs. On the other hand, partial EDO can first compensate for the contraction of SVs and gradually decompensate afterwards.
Background: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most frequent type of kidney cancer. This study aimed to establish a nomogram to predict ccRCC prognosis.Methods: By integrating DNA methylation (DNAm) data and gene expression profiles of ccRCC obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), DNAm-driven genes were identified by differential and correlation analyses. Next, risk genes were selected by multiple algorithms (univariate Cox and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses) and various databases (TCGA, Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC), and The Human Protein Atlas (HPA)). A risk score model was established by multivariate Cox analyses. ConsensusPathDB and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) were used to identify the biological functions of the selected genes. After comprehensively evaluating the clinical data, we established and assessed a dynamic nomogram available on a webserver.Results: In total, 220 differentially expressed DNAm-driven genes were identified, and five-gene signature (EPB41L4B, HHLA2, IFI16, CMTM3, and XAF1) was related to overall survival (OS). Next, we integrated the DNAm-driven genes into the prognostic risk score model and found that age, histologic grade, pathological stage, and risk level were correlated with OS in ccRCC patients. Based on these variables, a dynamic nomogram was established to predict the ccRCC prognosis. Finally, Functional enrichment analysis showed that the functions of these genes were relevant to immune reactions.Conclusions: We identified a 5 DNAm-driven gene signature whose altered status was highly correlated with ccRCC patient OS. We constructed a dynamic nomogram to provide individualized survival predictions for ccRCC patients.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.