Chemotherapy is associated with male infertility. Cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloro-platinum (II) (CDDP) as a chemotherapy medication used to treat a number of cancers has been reported to most likely induce testicular toxicity. Administration of antioxidants, such as pentoxifylline (PTX) may reduce some Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) of CDDP. Therefore, this study investigated the potentially protective effects of PTX on CDDP-induced testicular toxicity in adult male rats. For this purpose, 42 male rats were randomly divided into 7 groups. The rats were orally pretreated with PTX at the 3 doses of 75, 150, and 300 mg/kg once a day for 14 successive days. On the 14th day of the study, they were intraperitoneally (IP) administered with a single dose of CDDP (7 mg/kg). Finally, the sperm/testis parameters, serum levels of reproductive hormones, including testosterone, Luteinizing Hormone (LH), and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) as the pivotal endocrine factors controlling testicular functions, and histopathological changes of testis tissue were examined. Pretreatment with the two doses of 75 and 150 mg/kg PTX indicated significant increases in the sperm count and motility induced by CDDP administration. The right and significantly left testis weights were decreased following the treatment with 300 mg/kg of PTX plus CDDP. However, 75 mg/kg of PTX plus CDDP showed the best near-to-normal histopathological features. The results demonstrated that PTX alone enhanced some parameters, such as the sperm count, while reducing other parameters, including sperm fast motility and germ layer thickness. Furthermore, despite testosterone or LH levels, the mean serum FSH level was significantly augmented by the doses of 75 and 150 mg/kg. It was concluded that PTX administration cannot reduce CDDP-induced testicular toxicity even at high doses (e.g., 300 mg/kg), while it seemed to partially intensify CDDP toxicity effects at a dose of 75 mg/kg. Thus, further research is required in this regard.

One-stage tract dilation for PCNL is a safe and effective method in almost every adult patient.

Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy can be a challenging procedure in patients with abdominal great-vessel anomalies. We report our experience with three cases of laparoscopic donor nephrectomy with a rare incidentally found left-sided inferior vena cava.

Background Nasturtium officinale is a traditional herb that is used for diuresis. Objectives The aim of this study is to determine the effects of hydrophilic extract of Nasturtium officinale on ethylene glycol-induced renal stone in male Wistar rats. Materials and Methods In this study 32 male Wistar rats were randomly divided in six groups and studied during 30 days. Two groups of negative and healthy control received 1% ethylene glycol in water respectively. Low and high dose preventive groups, in addition to 1% ethylene glycol, daily gavaged with 750 mg/kg and 1.5 g/kg of extract respectively. All rats were hold in metabolic cages individually in days 0, 15 and 30 and 24-hour urine samples were collected and checked for urinary parameters of stone formation. In 30th day, rats were anesthetized with ether, and after taking serum sample from them, were sacrificed and their kidneys were sent for pathological evaluation and for presence and volume of calcium oxalate crystals. Results Percentage of calcium oxalate crystals in negative control groups (75%), preventive groups with low dose (28.6%) and high dose (57.1%) in comparison to healthy control group (12.5%) increased (P < 0.05). In 30th day urinary oxalate concentration in preventive and negative control groups were more than healthy control group (P < 0.05). Conclusions This research showed that the Nasturtium officinale extract has no significant effects in urinary and chemical parameters efficient in calcium oxalate stone crystals in rat but its extract in low dose has some preventive effect on renal stone formation.

Chronic cholecystitis or symptomatic gallbladder is a prolonged mechanical or functional disorder of abnormal gallbladder emptying. Most of the patients have recurrent pain attacks (acute biliary colic), but when pain lasts more than 24 hours, it requires urgent surgical intervention (acute cholecystitis). The length of a fully distended gallbladder is about 7 to 10 cm. We report a case of a huge and severely inflamed gallbladder, as we have just found only a few previous case reports of the huge gallbladder in the literature. This case report and review may help to find a mechanism for the development of a giant gallbladder. The patient was a 36-year-old woman, who had been known to have a symptomatic gallstone for at least three years. The patient underwent laparotomy, and a giant 22 cm roundish severely inflamed and overdistended gallbladder with wall thickening and tight adhesion to adjacent organs was found under the right liver lobe. Femininity and diabetes seem to be risk factors for developing a huge gallbladder, and several hypotheses are encountered: (1) a long-lasting obstructed cystic duct or biliary tree, and accumulation of mucosal secretion from the gallbladder epithelium, (2) an obstructed hepatic/cystic duct junction with a stone acting like a check valve and bile trapping mechanism, and (3) gallbladder dysfunction and cholecystoparesis affecting through reduced cholecystokinin and celiac parasympathetic nerve disturbance in diabetes and diabetic autonomic neuropathy. Open cholecystectomy is the technique of choice in surgical excision of a huge gallbladder; however, laparoscopy could be performed by expert hands.