Abstract Drinking water plays a key role in regulating the daily salt intake, thus potentially affecting (either in positive or in negative direction) the incidence of diet-related pathologies, including nephrolithiasis. Being regarded as wholesome, bottled water is increasingly preferred to tap water. However, its physico-chemical characterization, as reported on the label, is usually limited to pH and conductivity measurements, along with ion content. Other parameters, which also are likely to influence the processes in which water is involved in the body, are usually neglected. In this work, the surface tension and density of tap water and two bottled mineral waters produced in Italy are investigated. These parameters are critically determined by the ion content. Density is connected to the total ion amount, while surface tension is differentially affected by the presence of specific ions: sulfate increases its value, while bicarbonate keeps it almost constant. These results furnish a reliable scientific basis for future investigation on the connection between the physico-chemical properties of drinking water and its effect on health. Particularly, since interfacial phenomena play a key role in kidney stone formation, our results suggest that dietary enrichment of selected ions due to water intake could affect nephrolithiasis.

INTRODUCTION: The corpora cavernosa are cylindrical vessels containing fluid under pressure. Thus, if cavernous wall resistance decreases, the radius increases and internal pressure decreases (LaPlace's law). We reasoned that if we decrease the corpus cavernosum radius, by excising a strip from each tunica albuginea, intracavernous pressure would increase during erection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We treated with this procedure, four patients (mean age 41.5) with long-standing erectile dysfunction due to veno-occlusive dysfunction, non-responders to phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors and intracavernous PGE1 injection. RESULTS: Two months post-surgery, intracavernous PGE1 (40 mcg) induced a satisfactory erection in two patients and a 45% and 58% tumescence in the other two. PGE1 responders also responded to 100 mg sildenafil. After 100 mg sildenafil and 20 mg tadalafil, the two non-responders had erections that enabled penetration but were short lasting. CONCLUSION: The procedure described could be more effective than cavernous revascularization operations. The results seem to confirm the mathematical assumptions.