Epidermoid cyst arising from the epididymis in a prepubertal boy.

Benign epididymal neoplasms are rare in children. While epidermoid cysts commonly occur in the testis, scrotum, and foreskin, they are only rarely found in the paratesticular region. We present the first reported case of an epidermoid cyst arising from the epididymis in a 3-year-old boy.

Serial evaluation of gonads of complete androgen insensitivity syndrome from birth to puberty: Is gonadectomy necessary?

The timing of gonadectomy in patients with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS) remains controversial due to concerns about the potential risk of malignancy. We report a rare case of CAIS diagnosed shortly after birth, prompted by a discrepancy between the karyotype identified through amniocentesis and the phenotype at birth. Early diagnosis allowed for longitudinal evaluation of the gonads from birth through puberty.

Early-onset Colorectal Cancer in a Patient with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome: A Case Series and Literature Review.

Screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) in individuals with Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) typically recommends initiating colonoscopy at 25 years old. We herein report a case of LFS with dual CRC and liver metastasis diagnosed before the recommended screening age. A 17-year-old boy with a history of sarcoma underwent colonoscopy, revealing 2 advanced CRCs: neuroendocrine carcinoma in the descending colon and adenocarcinoma in the rectum, each displaying distinct histological features.

CGRPβ suppresses the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis via the immunoproteasome.

Various factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC), with immune system failure being the most important one. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a neuropeptide with two isoforms, CGRPα and CGRPβ, has been reported to regulate the immune system. In this study, we investigated the role of CGRP isoforms in UC pathogenesis.

Developmental and functional roles of androgen and interactive signals for external genitalia and erectile tissues.

Background: Recent progress in molecular and signal analyses revealed essential functions of cellular signals including androgen and related growth factors such as Wnt regulators for external genitalia (ExG) development and its pathogenesis. Accumulated data showed their fundamental functions also for erectile tissue (corporal body) development and its abnormalities. The current review focuses on such signals from developmental and functional viewpoints.

[SUCCESSFUL PRESERVATION OF TORSED TESTICLE USING TUNICA ALBUGINEA INCISION: REPORT OF TWO CASES].

Testicular torsion is a condition of ischemia due to blood flow disturbance, ischemia-reperfusion injury after the detorsion, and compartment syndrome with increased intratesticular pressure. If no improvement in testicular color and appearance is noted after the detorsion, the tunica albuginea incision can be performed to preserve the testis. Case 1: A 13-year-old male came to our hospital with left scrotal pain, and emergency surgery was performed six hours after the onset with the diagnosis of left testicular torsion.

The Importance of Follow-Up and Evaluation of Intraoperative Findings to Determine Surgical Indications for Retractile Testis.

Objectives: Ascending testis or acquired undescended testis develops in approximately 30% of cases of retractile testis, and orchiopexy is recommended for these cases. This study aimed at assessing the intraoperative anatomical findings of ascending testis and acquired undescended testis in search of better management for retractile testis.

Methods: We retrospectively collected data of patients with confirmed diagnosis of retractile testis between February 2012 and November 2021.

ALKBH4 is a novel enzyme that promotes translation through modified uridine regulation.

Epitranscriptomics studies the mechanisms of acquired RNA modifications. The epitranscriptome is dynamically regulated by specific enzymatic reactions, and the proper execution of these enzymatic RNA modifications regulates a variety of physiological RNA functions. However, the lack of experimental tools, such as antibodies for RNA modification, limits the development of epitranscriptomic research.

Wound healing responses of urinary extravasation after urethral injury.

The post-surgical fluid leakage from the tubular tissues is a critical symptom after gastrointestinal or urinary tract surgeries. Elucidating the mechanism for such abnormalities is vital in surgical and medical science. The exposure of the fluid such as peritonitis due to urinary or gastrointestinal perforation has been reported to induce severe inflammation to the surrounding tissue.

A visualization system for erectile vascular dynamics.

Erection is an essential process which requires the male penis for copulation. This copulatory process depends on the vascular dynamic regulation of the penis. The corpus cavernosum (CC) in the upper (dorsal) part of the penis plays a major role in regulating blood flow inside the penis.

Efficacy and Safety of FOLFOX in Advanced Gastric Cancer Initially Presenting With Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation.

Background/aim: Advanced gastric cancer (AGC) rarely presents with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) at the time of diagnosis. Chemotherapy should be selected in consideration of hematological toxicities because these patients are at high risk of hemorrhagic complications. The leucovorin, fluorouracil, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) regimen is an effective and less toxic regimen for patients with AGC and poor performance status.

Establishment of mouse line showing inducible priapism-like phenotypes.

Purpose: Penile research is expected to reveal new targets for treatment and prevention of the complex mechanisms of its disorder including erectile dysfunction (ED). Thus, analyses of the molecular processes of penile ED and continuous erection as priapism are essential issues of reproductive medicine.

Methods: By performing mouse N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea mutagenesis and exome sequencing, we established a novel mouse line displaying protruded genitalia phenotype (PGP; priapism-like phenotype) and identified a novel gene mutation for PGP.

Possible testosterone redundancy for 5α-dihydrotestosterone in the masculinization of mouse external genitalia.

The development of embryonic external genitalia (eExG) into characteristic male structures, such as urethra and penile erectile tissues, depends on 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Although the corpus cavernosum (CC) is well known as essential for erectile function in adults, its developmental process and its dependency on DHT have been unknown. To reveal the dimorphic formation of the murine CC from the embryonic stage, we first analyzed the production of the protein vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (FLK1) via its expression (hereinafter referred as "expression of FLK1") and the expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (ACTA2) and collagen type 1 (COL1A1) in developing external genitalia.

Androgen/Wnt/β-catenin signal axis augments cell proliferation of the mouse erectile tissue, corpus cavernosum.

The murine penile erectile tissues including corpus cavernosum (CC) are composed of blood vessels, smooth muscle, and connective tissue, showing marked sexual differences. It has been known that the androgens are required for sexually dimorphic organogenesis. It is however unknown about the features of androgen signaling during mouse CC development.

Early Cochlear Implantation Allows Deaf Children to Control Voice Pitch and Loudness independently.

Objective: Congenitally deaf children with a cochlear implant (CI) improve their speech production intelligibility, but their prosody, including stress and intonation produced by voice pitch and loudness changes, often differs from normal hearing people, which affects their fluent oral communication. This study is aimed to clarify abnormal characteristics of voice pitch and loudness control in CI recipients using a newly developed visually guided pitch change task.

Methods: We included 13 normal hearing volunteers (NH group) and 17 congenitally deaf CI users who showed good speech intelligibility.

Measurement of various intensities of physical activities and categorization of "Locomotive" and "Household" activities provide a subject-specific detailed assessment.

This study aimed to compare the physical activity (PA) measured by a wearable sensor device (WSD) and the step count measurement, and to investigate the association between PAs and lifestyle. Data of 301 participants were collected from March 2019 to March 2021. Step counts, sedentary behavior, performance time of light/moderate/vigorous PA, METs × hour of "Locomotive" and "Household" categorized activities, and energy expenditure (EE) were measured by the WSD, respectively.

Myosteatosis as a novel predictor of urinary incontinence after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of sarcopenia and myosteatosis on urinary incontinence after prostatectomy.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients who underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy without nerve sparing between December 2012 and March 2019. Psoas muscle index and average total psoas density, which were measured on preoperative computed tomography images at level L3, were used to evaluate sarcopenia and myosteatosis, respectively.

Radiation inducible MafB gene is required for thymic regeneration.

The thymus facilitates mature T cell production by providing a suitable stromal microenvironment. This microenvironment is impaired by radiation and aging which lead to immune system disturbances known as thymic involution. Young adult thymus shows thymic recovery after such involution.

Pharmacological Inhibition of miR-130 Family Suppresses Bladder Tumor Growth by Targeting Various Oncogenic Pathways via PTPN1.

Previously, we have revealed that the miR-130 family (miR-130b, miR-301a, and miR-301b) functions as an oncomiR in bladder cancer. The pharmacological inhibition of the miR-130 family molecules by the seed-targeting strategy with an 8-mer tiny locked nucleic acid (LNA) inhibits the growth, migration, and invasion of bladder cancer cells by repressing stress fiber formation. Here, we searched for a functionally advanced target sequence with LNA for the miR-130 family with low cytotoxicity and found LNA #9 (A(L)^i^i^A(L)^T(L)^T(L)^G(L)^5(L)^A(L)^5(L)^T(L)^G) as a candidate LNA.