MicroRNA-126 inhibits tumor cell invasion and metastasis by downregulating ROCK1 in renal cell carcinoma.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in cancer development and progression. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) frequently undergoes metastasis and has a high mortality rate. The current study measured miRNA­126 (miR­126) expression levels in 128 pairs of clear cell RCC and adjacent normal kidney tissue samples by reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and analyzed the association between miR­126 and various clinicopathological parameters. In addition, cell proliferation, wound healing and cell invasion assays were conducted using RCC cells overexpressing miR­126. Potential miR­126 target genes and the signaling pathways that may be regulated by miR­126 were then examined. miR­126 expression was significantly reduced in patients with metastatic RCC compared with patients without metastasis. Consistently, overexpression of miR­126 in RCC cells significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro compared with negative control miRNA. A luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that miR­126 targets Rho associated coiled­coil containing protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) by directly binding the 3'­untranslated region. Furthermore, western blotting identified miR­126 as an important regulator of the AKT and extracellular signal­regulated 1/2 signaling pathways. The results of the present study indicate that miR­126 inhibits RCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion by downregulating ROCK1. These findings suggest that miR­126 may be valuable as a potential target for therapeutic intervention in RCC.

The association between metabolic syndrome and the risk of urothelial carcinoma of the bladder: a case-control study in China.

BACKGROUND: Evidence of the association of metabolic syndrome (MetS) with cancer risk is accumulating. However, uncertainties still exist as to the link of MetS with bladder cancer. This study aimed to assess the relationship between MetS and the risk of urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UC) in a Chinese population. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed clinicopathological data of 972 newly diagnosed UC patients and 1098 cancer-free controls matched to the cases by age and gender. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using unconditional logistic regression in both unadjusted and adjusted models. RESULTS: MetS was not significantly associated with the overall UC risk (p=0.08). However, a significant association of MetS with UC was observed in female patients (p=0.006). Diabetes mellitus (crude OR 1.339, 95% CI 1.079-1.662, p=0.008; adjusted OR 1.767, 95% CI 1.308-2.386, p<0.001) and hypertriglyceridemia (crude OR 1.245, 95% CI 1.018-1.522, p=0.033; adjusted OR 1.254, 95% CI 1.020-1.542, p=0.032) were significantly associated with UC risk. As the number of MetS components increased, the UC risk was elevated. Having three or more (versus zero) components of MetS was significantly related to risk of overall UC (OR 1.315; 95% CI 1.006-1.719; p=0.045) and non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (OR 1.354; 95% CI 1.019-1.798; p=0.037). CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicated a marginal association between MetS and UC risk, and a significant association with UC risk in female patients. The results need to be evaluated in large-scale prospective cohorts.

The association between metabolic syndrome and advanced prostate cancer in Chinese patients receiving radical prostatectomy.

The global incidence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is dramatically increasing. Considerable interest has been devoted to the relationship between MetS and prostate cancer (PCa) risk. However, few studies have examined the association between MetS and PCa progression. This retrospective study consisted of 1016 patients with PCa who received radical prostatectomy. The association between MetS and pathological features was evaluated using logistic regression analysis. Compared with patients without MetS, those with MetS indicated an increased risk of prostatectomy Gleason score (GS) ≥8 (odds ratio [OR] =1.670, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.096-2.545, P= 0.017), and a 1.5-fold increased risk of pT3-4 disease (OR = 1.583, 95% CI 1.106-2.266, P= 0.012). The presence of MetS was an independent predictor of lymph node involvement (OR = 1.751, 95% CI 1.038-2.955, P= 0.036). Furthermore, as the number of MetS components accumulated, the risk of a GS ≥ 8 increased. The present study indicates a significant association between MetS and advanced PCa. The results need to be evaluated in large-scale prospective cohorts.

Mechanism of Reduction of Diphenylacetylene by Metallic Lithium.

A zero-order reaction converts cis-dilithiostilbene (1), formed upon reduction of diphenylacetylene by lithium, into the trans isomer 2. The cis-monolithiated adduct acts as a catalyst.