Patients with stress urinary incontinence mainly suffer from malfunction of the urethra closure mechanism. We established the decellularization of porcine urethras to produce acellular urethra bioscaffolds for future tissue engineering applications, using bioscaffolds or bioscaffold-derived soluble products. Cellular removal was evaluated by H&E, DAPI and DNA quantification. The presence of specific ECM proteins was assessed through immunofluorescence staining and colorimetric assay kits. Human skeletal muscle myoblasts, muscle progenitor cells and adipose-derived stromal vascular fractions were used to evaluate the recellularization of the acellular urethra bioscaffolds. The mechanochemical decellularization system removed ~93% of tissue’s DNA, generally preserving ECM’s components and microarchitecture. Recellularization was achieved, though methodological advances are required regarding cell seeding strategies and functional assessment. Through microdissection and partial digestion, different urethra ECM-derived coating substrates were formulated (i.e. containing smooth or skeletal muscle ECM) and used to culture MPCs in vitro. The skeletal muscle ECM substrates enhanced fiber formation leading to the expression of the main skeletal muscle-related proteins and genes, as confirmed by immunofluorescence and RT-qPCR. The described methodology produced a urethra bioscaffold that retained vital ECM proteins and was liable to cell repopulation, a crucial first step towards the generation of urethra bioscaffold-based Tissue Engineering products.

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INTRODUÇÃO: Os tumores de células germinativas são tumores raros, constituindo 1% a 2% do total das neoplasias malignas e cerca de 5% do total dos tumores malignos urológicos. Originam-se no testículo em mais de 90% dos casos.MÉTODOS: Os autores reveem os casos de tumores de células germinativas, incluindo o diagnóstico, tratamento e follow-up, ocorridos no Hospital CUF Infante Santo num período de mais de 15 anos, compreendido entre agosto de 1999 e novembro de 2014.RESULTADOS: A série compreende 33 doentes, todos submetidos inicialmente a orquidectomia radical, diagnóstica e terapêutica, estando o maior número de doentes, 21 (63,6%) em estádio I. Destes, 14 (66% dos estádios I), vieram a fazer tratamento pós-orquidectomia. Todos os doentes em estádios mais avançados efetuaram tratamento pós-cirúrgico. Verificaram-se apenas quatro recidivas (12,1%), ocorridas em mediana 20 meses pós-diagnóstico e todas salvas por posterior tratamento.CONCLUSÃO: A toxicidade parece-nos aceitável, não tendo ocorrido nenhuma morte relacionada com qualquer modalidade de tratamento. Com uma mediana de follow-up de 59 meses à data da conclusão da revisão, a sobrevivência livre de doença foi de 100%.

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We report an outbreak of irritant contact dermatitis from diallylglycol carbonate monomer among factory employees making optical plastic lenses. Symptoms lessened after simple preventive methods were introduced. Further upgrading of production methods lessened symptoms still further and also restored the company's economic viability.