Overall, the results of clinical trials to date indicate that TIP

Overall, the results of clinical trials to date indicate that TIP selleckchem FTY720 is a safe and effective treatment for chronic Pa lung infection in CF patients aged ��6 years. Additional applications for pulmosphere technology PulmoSphere technology was originally developed to treat ventilator associated pneumonia in intubated patients undergoing partial liquid ventilation.(40) The porous particles were designed to effectively stabilize drug suspensions in the fluorinated media used in liquid ventilation. The technology was later applied to the stabilization of suspensions in hydrofluoroalkane propellants,(41) and eventually to dry powder delivery.(18,20,42,43) PulmoSphere technology is a true ��platform,�� having demonstrated utility across multiple classes of therapeutics and delivery systems.

To date, PulmoSphere formulations have been evaluated in 18 clinical trials. There are currently six drugs under active Investigational New Drug applications in Phase II clinical development or later. These include three anti-infectives: tobramycin(9,20,35,36) and ciprofloxacin(44) to treat chronic Pa infections in CF patients, and amphotericin B to treat invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients.(45) Other patient populations with Pa airway infections that may benefit from antimicrobial DPI formulations include non-CF bronchiectasis, chronic bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). PulmoSphere formulations (both DPI and metered-dose inhaler) of long-acting muscarinic antagonists, long-acting beta-agonists, and inhaled corticosteroids are in development for treating bronchoconstriction and inflammation in patients with asthma/COPD.

Dry powder PulmoSphere formulations are expected to improve lung targeting, and dose consistency for asthma/COPD therapeutics.(18,19) This may ultimately enable improvements in treatment compliance, as poor inhaler technique is a major driver for inconsistent dosing.(18,20) Beyond the products currently in development, PulmoSphere formulations have shown promise in the delivery of biologicals including peptides, proteins, antibodies,(46) and mucosal vaccines.(47) Additionally, dispersion of porous PulmoSphere particles in hydrofluoroalkane propellants increases delivered dose and improves dose content uniformity versus conventional suspension formulations, which may improve lung delivery efficiency for suspension-based pMDI formulations.

(42,43) Brefeldin_A Discussion Aerosol antibiotics for the treatment of Pa form an integral part of the treatment regimen in CF patients with chronic airways infection, although they are currently associated with a high time burden and other inconveniences. Dry powder inhalation with a portable DPI is an attractive alternative to nebulization; and using PulmoSphere technology delivers the high payload of drug to the lungs needed for effective treatment.

, 1984) Full-thickness pieces of the descending colon were excis

, 1984). Full-thickness pieces of the descending colon were excised, shock-frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at ?70��C until assay. After weighing, the http://www.selleckchem.com/products/azd9291.html frozen tissues were placed, at a ratio of 1 mg: 0.02 mL, in MPO lysis buffer. The composition of this buffer was 200 mmol?L?1 NaCl, 5 mmol?L?1 EDTA, 10 mmol?L?1 Tris, 10% glycine, 0.1 mmol?L?1 phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride, 1 ��g?mL?1 leupeptide and 28 ��g?mL?1 aprotinin, pH 7.4. The samples were homogenised on ice with an Ultraturrax (IKA, Staufen, Germany) and then subjected to two centrifugations at 6000 ��g and 4��C for 15 min. The MPO (donor: H2O2 oxidoreductase, EC 1.11.1.7) content of the supernatants was measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit specific for the rat and mouse protein (Hycult Biotechnology, Uden, the Netherlands).

The sensitivity of this assay is 1 ng?mL?1 at an intra- and interassay variation of around 10%. Experimental protocols After the completion of surgery, the variables under study were monitored for up to 120 min when the cardiovascular parameters had become stable. Thereafter, baseline values were recorded and averaged during a period of 15 min. In study 1, baseline recordings were taken during the period of 25�C10 min before i.v. injection of vehicle (1 mL?kg?1), alosetron (0.03, 0.1 or 0.3 mg?kg?1), cilansetron (0.1 or 0.3 mg?kg?1), tegaserod (0.3 or 1 mg?kg?1) or L-NAME (0.02 mmol?kg?1). Post-injection recordings were made during the periods of 5�C20 min and 35�C50 min. Study 2 was performed to evaluate the effects of select drug doses in fasted and non-fasted rats over a prolonged period of time.

After the baseline values during the period of 25�C10 min pre injection were recorded, vehicle (1 mL?kg?1), alosetron (0.03 mg?kg?1), tegaserod (1 mg?kg?1) or L-NAME (0.02 mmol?kg?1) was injected i.v.; post-injection recordings were taken for a period of 140 min. In study 3, the drugs were administered i.d. via a soft infant feeding tube (outer diameter 1.5 mm; R��sch, Montevideo, Uruguay), which, during surgery, had been passed down through the oesophagus, stomach and pylorus so that its tip was positioned in the duodenum. After baseline recordings of the parameters under study had been made during the period of 15�C0 min pre injection, vehicle (1 mL?kg?1), alosetron (0.3 mg?kg?1), tegaserod (30 mg?kg?1) or clonidine (0.03 mg?kg?1) was administered i.

d. Post-injection recordings were taken for 90 min. Study 4 was carried out to investigate whether the splanchnic circulation at baseline and after injection of L-NAME is modified by short-term peroral pretreatment with alosetron or tegaserod for 7 days. Each day, the animals were given vehicle (10 mL?kg?1), alosetron (0.3 Batimastat mg?kg?1) or tegaserod (1 mg?kg?1) at 7.30�C8.00 am, 1.00�C1.30 pm and 6.00�C6.30 pm. The solutions were administered intragastrically (IG) through a soft infant feeding tube (outer diameter: 2.

0, then heated in a microwave, placed in a steamer for 30 minutes

0, then heated in a microwave, placed in a steamer for 30 minutes, and steadily cooled third down on the bench top for 20 minutes. Sections were incubated with a blocking buffer including 5% donkey serum plus 1% bovine serum albumin in PBS�C0.3% Triton X-100 for 1 hour, followed by treatment with mouse Ig blocking reagent (Vector Laboratories) for 1 hour at room temperature. Sections then were incubated with a mouse monoclonal anti�C��-SMA (1:1000; Sigma-Aldrich) at room temperature for 1 hour. After washing three times with TBST for 5 minutes each, sections were incubated with Alexa Fluor 555 donkey anti-mouse IgG (1:500; Invitrogen, Grand Island, NY) for 30 minutes at room temperature. After these processes, TUNEL staining was performed using a commercial kit (In Situ Cell Death Detection Kit; Roche Diagnostics, Indianapolis, IN) for 1 hour at room temperature.

After washing three times with TBST for 5 minutes each, sections were mounted with DAPI-containing media (Invitrogen). Images were taken with a fluorescent microscope (Eclipse E800; Nikon) and recorded using Openlab3 software version 5.5.2 (PerkinElmer, Waltham, MA). Isolation of HSCs Primary HSCs were isolated from WT and Nogo-B KO mice by in situ perfusion of livers with pronase-collagenase, followed by density gradient centrifugation using Nycodenz (Histodenz; Sigma-Aldrich) density gradients as described.36,37 HSCs were cultured in Dulbecco��s modified Eagle��s medium with high glucose (DMEM; Life Technologies, Grand Island, NY) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), 100 U/mL penicillin, 100 ��g/mL streptomycin, and 1% l-glutamine in humidified air containing 5% CO2 at 37��C.

HSCs were cultured for more than 14 days to fully transform to MF-HSCs.38 Treatment of MF-HSCs with STS, FAS Ligand, and Tunicamycin MF-HSCs were seeded in 6-well tissue culture plates at a density of 2.0 �� 105 cells per well and incubated in humidified air containing 5% CO2 at 37��C overnight. Media was changed to serum-free conditions in DMEM for 24 hours, and MF-HSCs were treated with 1 ��mol/L staurosporine (STS; EMD Millipore, Billerica, MA) for 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 hours to induce apoptosis. To determine whether apoptosis was Fas-receptor�Cdependent, MF-HSCs were treated with 50 ng/mL Fas ligand (Calbiochem) in the presence of 20 ng/mL cycloheximide (Calbiochem) for 10 hours.

To induce ER stress, MF-HSCs were treated with tunicamycin at concentrations of 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, and 10 ��mol/L for 24 hours. Hepatocyte Isolation Hepatocytes were isolated from WT and Nogo-B KO mice by collagenase perfusion as previously described39 with slight modifications. Briefly, Drug_discovery cells were cultured on collagen-coated cell culture dishes or glass coverslips in Hepatocyte Maintenance Medium (Clonetics/Lonza, Basel, Switzerland) supplemented with Hepatocyte Maintenance Medium SingleQuots (Clonetics/Lonza) and Matrigel (BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA).

This scarcity of evidence in general may reflect a lack of studie

This scarcity of evidence in general may reflect a lack of studies where this has been explicitly Pazopanib CAS investigated. Box 2. Examples of Parasites That Are Adapted to One Sex of the Host The idea that parasite populations can adapt to only one of the sexes of their host or diverge to adapt to both host sexes is novel, and sex differences in infection success and/or symptoms have not been interpreted (or analyzed) from this perspective. While, to our knowledge, no example of a host sex�Cspecific dimorphism has been described as such, some known parasite adaptations may correspond to single-sex specializations or plastic sex-specific disease expression (as described in the main text). Here, we refer to some examples that illustrate different aspects of parasite adaptation to host sex.

There are many parasites that exploit either exclusively or predominantly only one sex of their hosts. Some of these have evolved mechanisms for discriminating between the sexes, thus ensuring they only infect suitable individuals. Others have evolved mechanisms for manipulating the infected host so as to recover particular sex-specific traits necessary for parasite proliferation and/or transmission. Discriminating the Sex of the Host Myxozoa belonging to the genera Kudoa are myxosporean parasites of fish that comprise around 70 species [81], of which all but one infect multiple hosts tissues. The only exception is the species Kudoa ovivora, which specifically infects the host’s ovaries [49]. Curiously, to our knowledge, this parasite is the only species of the genus that infects exclusively sequential hermaphrodites where fish develop first as female and then become male (e.

g., labrids and scarids). Such fish populations are known to have female-biased sex ratios [21], which could explain that this parasite adapted specifically to the characteristics of female hosts. The relevance of host sex ratio for parasite single-sex specialization is further discussed in the main text. The ectoparasitic mite Spinturnix andegavinus (Figure 3B) is mainly transmitted among ��maternity clusters�� of its host, the bat Myotis daubentoni (Figure 3A). Experimental studies have shown that these mites are capable of growing only on female hosts [82], which necessarily means that they are specifically adapted to this host type.

The same studies also revealed that the parasite actively chooses to attach to females [82], and that selection for being Cilengitide on the correct host was sufficiently strong to favor mechanisms (possibly via sense organs) for the parasite to discriminate between host sexes. Many endo- and ectoparasites are known to be able to actively choose between host species [83]�C[88], and even between host individuals of the same species [89]. It might be possible that host sex discrimination is more widespread than is commonly believed.

Adjudication of the final diagnosis One month after study partici

Adjudication of the final diagnosis One month after study participation, the selleck chemical final diagnosis (SBP) and the aetiology of ascites were independently adjudicated in a blinded fashion by two board-certified gastroenterologists not involved in the patients�� care. Their final assessment was based upon available medical records, including PMN count and the results of all diagnostic investigations, as well as the patient��s response to treatment. Current recommendations were followed[6,7]. The two physicians designated the aetiology of ascites by choosing one or more of the following diagnoses from a standardized list: liver cirrhosis (alcoholic, chronic hepatitis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, hemochromatosis, primary biliary cirrhosis, others to be specified), hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocellular carcinoma, liver metastasis, peritoneal carcinomatosis, right heart failure, nephrotic syndrome, and others to be specified.

If more than one cause of ascites was identified, the leading disorder responsible for the current episode was established and recorded. Any disagreements in the final diagnosis of a given study participant were resolved by consensus with a third clinician who was considered an expert in the field and recruited to independently review and adjudicate the cases. Paracentesis Paracentesis was performed under aseptic conditions with the patient in the supine position and the puncture site in the left or right lower quadrant. Prior to needle insertion, ultrasound was performed to visualise the intra-abdominal structures.

No study participant suffered complications related to the abdominal puncture procedure. All samples for diagnostic testing were immediately collected at the bedside and processed by laboratory personnel without further delay. Specifically, aliquots of approximately 1mL ascites were centrifuged for 15 min at 500 �� g. The supernatant phase was transferred to a fresh tube and stored at -20 ��C until analysis by ELISA or POC, which occurred within 72 h. Blood samples were also obtained at this time. The ascites samples were used to measure total cell count, PMN count, calprotectin, albumin, total protein, glucose, and lactate dehydrogenase. In addition, two 10 mL aliquots of ascites were subjected to bacterial culture (bottle method) respectively. The serum-ascites albumin gradient (SAAG) was calculated as the difference of albumin in serum and albumin in ascites.

Differential cell count and cytopathology All laboratory analyses were performed in the Central Laboratories BL (Sch?nenbuch, Switzerland) by senior laboratory personnel blinded to patient history and calprotectin levels. Total and differential leukocyte cell counts were determined Batimastat by the manual method using a Neubauer chamber and gentian-violet staining (Leukotic?; bioanalytic GmbH, Freiburg, Germany). The Central Laboratories BL is accredited according to ISO/IEC 17 025 and ISO 15 189 standards.

In the precontemplation stage, patients feel that ART is not

In the precontemplation stage, patients feel that ART is not http://www.selleckchem.com/products/Belinostat.html appropriate for them at this certain point. In the contemplation stage, they weigh the benefits and risks of ART. In the preparation stage, patients have decided to start ART, in the action and maintenance stage they start taking ART and are committed to adhere to it, and in the relapse stage, patients start to reassess motivation and barriers to treatment. Thus, whether patients attribute their symptoms to HIV or ART may affect their readiness to adhere to ART. For example, individuals suffering from severe neuropathic pain and attributing this pain to HIV have a strong incentive to take ART, whereas attributing the same pain to ART may lead to the contrary.

According to the Necessity Concerns Framework [7], attribution of symptoms to HIV may enhance perceived necessity to take and adhere to ART, whereas attributions of symptoms to ART raises concerns about taking ART and is a predictor of intentional non-adherence. The purpose of the present study was to examine causal symptom attributions among women and men with HIV, either to HIV or to ART, and to analyze a potential impact on their treatment decisions. Although the distinction between patients’ attributions of symptoms to HIV or ART may be a determinant of treatment motivation and success, symptom-checklists commonly combine HIV-related and ART-related symptoms in one category [8]. To our knowledge, there are few studies in predominantly male populations examining causal attributions of symptoms. The study of Johnson et al.

[9] (88% men) demonstrated that patients taking ART made a distinction between HIV-related and ART-related symptoms. However, this study did not examine if this distinction had any impact on treatment decisions. Several qualitative studies describe that most people with HIV suffering from fatigue attribute this symptom at least in part to the virus [10-12]. Again, those studies included mostly men, and one study [10] included only people over age 50. Furthermore, there may be differences between men and women in the causal attribution of symptoms that affect treatment decisions. A study on sex/gender differences found that women reported having more neuropathic symptoms, and consequently reducing and discontinuing DDI – a substance with the potential of inducing neuropathic symptoms – more frequently than men [13].

Several studies indicated sex-related differences in side effects of ART, encompassing symptoms such as lipodystrophy, neuropathy, and skin rashes, as well as laboratory abnormalities of liver enzymes, lipid profiles, insulin resistance, and lactic AV-951 acidosis [14-17]. Surprisingly, none of those studies examined gender differences in the patients’ causal attributions of those symptoms. Understanding causal attributions of symptoms of people with HIV and their gender differences may have important implications for HIV-treatment and management of side effects of ART.

The topology also agreed with that of the equally parsimonious 10

The topology also agreed with that of the equally parsimonious 100 trees (length: www.selleckchem.com/products/BAY-73-4506.html 269; CI: 0.903; RI: 0.990; RC: 0.894) obtained by the maximum parsimony method. In these trees, three groups, corresponding to groups A, B, and C in Figure 2, diverged simultaneously at the basal node. Subgroups at the lower level were recognized only in the populations that originated in the Sakishima region. All these groupings were supported strongly by the bootstrap analyses (99-100%).Figure 3Neighbor-joining tree based on the Jukes-Cantor distances calculated using the 856bp long data set of the nuclear rDNA ITS2 sequence. Different sequences obtained from the same individuals were distinguished by lower-case letters, a and b, included …4.

DiscussionIn this study, we found that Japanese Curtos fireflies were divided among three genetically separated local populations, corresponding to C. costipennis in the Amami region, C. okinawanus in the Okinawa region, and C. costipennis in the Sakishima region (Figures (Figures22 and and3).3). Although the nucleotide sequences of C. okinawanus formed a monophyletic group (group B), those of C. costipennis were separated between two distinct groups, A and C, and the monophyly of this species was not recognized in analyses using both mtDNA and nuclear DNA sequences (Figures (Figures22 and and3).3). In addition, the mtDNA haplotypes of C. okinawanus (group B) were positioned between those of C. costipennis (groups A and C) (Figure 2). These results indicate that the currently recognized C. costipennis species is paraphyletic. Otherwise, C.

okinawanus must be a subspecies or a geographic strain included within the single species C. costipennis.Although the two species closely resemble each other in both morphology and behavior [7], they are apparently distinct in terms of elytral coloration (C. costipennis: dark yellow except for elytral apex, C. okinawanus: entirely brownish black), and this characteristic is recognized as diagnostically important [6]. However, the present study revealed that such a characteristic did not reflect evolutionary relationships correctly. On the other hand, several researchers recognized variations in body size, the shape of the male genital organ, and the number of punctures on the elytra among local populations of C. costipennis [5, 6]. Reevaluation of these characteristics is needed to confirm the taxonomic status of the two species.Among the three major groups detected in this study, a closer relationship was recognized between C. costipennis and C. okinawanus distributed in neighboring regions (the Amami and Okinawa regions in the Central Ryukyu Islands) Brefeldin_A than between the populations of C.

These stones are composed of calcium palmitate and pigment [7] Th

These stones are composed of calcium palmitate and pigment [7].The clinical signs associated with cholelithiasis in the large animals are anorexia, weight loss, low milk yield, chronic intermittent diarrhea, recurrent attacks of sever abdominal pain, alimentary tract stasis, pain on percussion over selleck chem Vismodegib the liver, pyrexia, jaundice, recumbency, depression, and coma. [8�C10]. Hyperammonemic hepatic encephalopathy and photosensitization are other less common features of cholelithiasis. A subclinical presentation, caused by partial obstruction of the biliary tree, may be recognized only on postmortem examination [5]. Choleliths may be associated with chronic cholecystitis [3]. The lack of observational models for noninduced cholelithiasis in animals had contributed to the absence of epidemiologic studies, which have been done in human beings [6].

In view of the paucity of information on cholelithiasis in sheep, this paper reports the prevalence and composition of choleliths in a main breed of Iranian sheep. Bacteriologic analysis and histopathological findings were reviewed.2. Materials and MethodsThe study was carried out on 430 Lori-Bakhtiari sheep (279 males and 151 females) at Juneghan abattoir in Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari province of Iran from November 2009 to June 2010. Before slaughter, an antemortem examination was done on all sheep during which their age and gender were evaluated. A division of young (��2 years, n = 297) and adult (>2 years, n = 133) sheep were done after inspection of their teeth. After slaughtering the sheep, the gallbladder was removed and the surface and some sections of the liver were examined macroscopically.

A short incision was made in the gallbladder by use of a scissors. In sterile conditions, a sample of bile was collected by a swab for bacterial culture. Then, the gallbladder was opened and its contents passed through a filter (fourfold gauze) to collect the gallstones. A sample of bile was also collected from the sheep with gallstones for chemical analysis. Number, diameter, weight, color, consistency, and chemical composition of gallstones were determined. Gallstones were analyzed for the determination of cholesterol (CHOD-PAP), bilirubin (DCA), calcium (arsenazo), and phosphorous (phosphometric Carfilzomib UV) concentrations. Measurements were performed by commercial kits (Pars Azmoon, Tehran, Iran) using an automated biochemical analyzer (Biotecnica, Roma, Italy) in accordance with the instructions by the manufacturers. Oxalate was determined (enzymatic method) with a commercial kit (Darman Kav, Tehran, Iran) using a spectrophotometer (Clima, Madrid, Spain). Bile samples were analyzed by the same methods using Hitachi 704 autoanalyzer (Tokyo, Japan).

laevis blastula the 96h LC50 value was 3 6mg/L [26] Thus, the 96

laevis blastula the 96h LC50 value was 3.6mg/L [26]. Thus, the 96h LC50 of 56.44mg/L for ZnSO3, obtained in the present study, showed that X. laevis sensitivity was lower than one order of magnitude compared with FETAX and fish assays. nevertheless The ivermectin LC50 for X. laevis tadpoles was in the same range of fish and at least 100-fold less than are Daphnia. In fact, the 96h LC50 for ivermectin on rainbow trout is 3.3��g/L and the 48h LC50 value for D. magna is 25ng/L [27]. Due to ivermectin mechanism of action, Daphnia has been determined to be the most sensitive laboratory indicator organism [27]. Table 396h lethal concentration in the 50% of the cases (LC50, mg/L) for early-life-stage amphibians and fish exposed to copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se) and manganese (Mn). (Source: [18]).

The available data about acute effects in FETAX assay are generally more protective than the values found out in the current study for X. laevis 47 stage larvae, but previous data derived from fish assays could not be always enough protective. For example, X. laevis larvae exposed to NaSeO3 showed a higher sensitivity than rainbow trout [19] (Table 2). In addition, the presence of no-lethal effects caused by IVE, Zn, and Cu suggested that these substances have been able to cause an organism response. For example, larvae affected by Cu were underdeveloped and colourless, while IVE impaired their locomotion and orientation. Similar effects could be problematic in natural environments by increasing the susceptibility of larvae to predation, as reported by Yuan [28] for the whitish caused by triphenyltin exposure, or reducing foraging success resulting in decreased grown and development.

Changes in cognitive and psychomotor function, such as the hyperactivity induced by IVE, are commonly related to toxic neuropathy [29], while renal dysfunction, or more generally, an alter metabolism, could have caused the edema in the animals exposed to Zn (Figure 1). Based on the studies, FETAX assay appears to be useful in ecotoxicological hazard assessment, but fish assays might be not always protective enough for amphibian. Moreover, data from several studies indicate that late-stage amphibian larvae may be more sensitive to some chemical than traditional aquatic bioindicators [30], as occurred in the present study for metals, and for those species of amphibians that spend their entire life cycle in water (e.

g., Pipidae, Cryptobranchidae), larval exposure would be more accurate than FETAX assay [18]. It is necessary to highlight the need to study and prevent amphibian species. Brefeldin_A The presence of sublethal effects caused by different compounds should be investigated considering other endpoints that may affect several physiological mechanisms in a sublethal pattern, such as immunotoxicity, or a wider range of animal larvae stages.DisclosureThe authors do not have any financial relation with the commercial identities mentioned in the paper.

In general, laparoscopic extravesical

In general, laparoscopic extravesical Ganetespib cancer stapling of the distal ureter and bladder cuff is an attractive approach because the urinary tract is not opened, and tumor spillage is minimized. Additionally, this technique is rapid, especially in the hands of experienced laparoscopists. The disadvantages include the potential for positive surgical margins, the failure to remove the ipsilateral orifice, and a small but nonnegligible risk of compromising the contralateral orifice. Matin and Gill [12] evaluated the patterns of recurrence and survival for the various forms of bladder cuff control in a retrospective study. They demonstrated that positive margins were more frequently associated with a laparoscopic stapling approach than with either the transvesical or open techniques.

Most importantly, the laparoscopic stapling approach was also associated with poorer recurrence-free survival. Tsivian et al. [13] have described a purely laparoscopic nephroureterectomy technique that utilizes two additional trocars in the ipsilateral lower abdomen after a standard transperitoneal nephrectomy. Caudal ureteral dissection continues until the detrusor muscle fibers at the ureterovesical junction are identified. The ureter is then retracted upward, tenting up the bladder wall. The bladder cuff is excised using a 10mm LigaSure Atlas device, which seals the bladder defect. This method does avoid some of the disadvantages associated with the extravesical stapling technique. However, at least theoretically, this method does not address the issue of possible incomplete distal ureteral resection.

Another group of techniques based on the transvesical approach was also introduced in an effort to mimic the reliable open transvesical excision technique. Gill et al. [14] have described a novel laparoscopic technique that involves the use of two 2mm transvesical suprapubic trocars and a ureteral stent in the ipsilateral ureter. The ureter is tented upward; a loop ligature is placed around the stent, creating a closed system, and a Collin’s knife is then used to excise the ureteral orifice. A technique resembling this technique has been reported by Ahlawat and Gautam [15], in which only one transvesical suprapubic 5mm port is used. A transurethral resectoscope is used to make a full-thickness incision in the bladder cuff around the ureteric orifice from 1 o’clock to 11 o’clock.

A grasper inserted through the transvesical suprapubic port is then used to retract the ureter to complete the incision in the bladder cuff overlying the anterior aspect of the ureteric orifice. The ureter is subsequently sealed with a clip applied through the port. Recently, a very similar technique was described for a series of six patients by Zou et al. [16]. Instead of a 5mm port, Drug_discovery they utilized a 10mm port placed transvesically after pneumovesicum had been established [16].