Parathyroid hormone-related protein as a potential prostate cancer biomarker: Promoting prostate cancer progression through upregulation of c-Met expression.

Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) plays a significant role in various tumor types, including prostate cancer. However, its specific role and underlying mechanisms in prostate cancer remain unclear. This study investigates the role of PTHrP and its interaction with the c-Met in prostate cancer. PTHrP was overexpressed and knocked down in prostate cancer cell lines to determine its effect on cell functions. Xenograft tumor models were employed to assess the impact of PTHrP overexpression on tumor growth. To delve into the interaction between PTHrP and c-Met, rescue experiments were conducted. Clinical data and tissue samples from prostate cancer patients were gathered and analyzed for PTHrP and c-Met expression. PTHrP overexpression in prostate cancer cells upregulates c-Met expression and augments cell functions. In contrast, PTHrP-knockdown diminishes c-Met expression and inhibits cell functions. In vivo experiments further demonstrated that PTHrP overexpression promoted tumor growth in xenograft models.Moreover, modulating c-Met expression in rescue experiments led to concurrent alterations in prostate cancer cell functions. Immunohistochemical analysis of clinical samples displayed a significant positive correlation between PTHrP and c-Met expression. Additionally, PTHrP expression correlated with clinical parameters like prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, tumor stage, lymph node involvement, distant metastasis, and Gleason score. PTHrP plays a crucial role in prostate cancer progression by upregulating c-Met expression. These insights point to PTHrP as a promising potential biomarker for prostate cancer.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of completely retroperitoneoscopic nephroureterectomy versus traditional retroperitoneoscopic nephroureterectomy in upper tract urothelial carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of completely retroperitoneoscopic nephroureterectomy (CRNU) for the treatment of upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). METHODS: A systematic review of PubMed and Web of Science databases was conducted to identify trials comparing the outcomes of CRNU and other surgical procedures. A total of 6 case-control studies were selected for analysis. The efficacy and safety of CRNU were evaluated using mean difference or hazard ratio (HR) with 95% CIs, employing continuous or dichotomous method with a random or fixed-effect model. Meta-analysis was performed using STATA 11.0 software. RESULTS: The meta-analysis indicated that CRNU in subjects with UTUC was significantly associated with a shorter operation time (standardized mean difference, -1.36; 95% CI, -1.61 to -1.11, P < .001) and lower blood loss (standardized mean difference, -0.54; 95% CI, -0.77 to -0.31, P < .001) when compared to traditionally retroperitoneoscopic nephroureterectomy (TRNU). No significant difference was observed in the occurrence of grade I & II complications (HR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.49-2.2, P = .915) and total complications (HR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.38-1.27, P = .238) between CRNU and TRNU. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that CRNU is an advanced surgical technique that is safe and effective for the treatment of UTUC. We recommend that CRNU be further employed for patients with UTUC. Further randomized, multicenter trials are needed to validate these results, given the limitations of this study.

Influence of curcumin on HOTAIR-mediated migration of human renal cell carcinoma cells.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the influence of curcumin on HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR)- mediated migration of cultured renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five RCC cell lines (769-P, 769-P-vector, 769-P-HOTAIR, 786-0, and Kert-3 ) were maintained in vitro. The expression of HOTAIR mRNA was determined by quantitative real-time PCR and cell migration was measured by transwell migration assay. The effects of different concentrations of curcumin (0 to 80 µmol/L) on cell proliferation was determined by the CCK-8 assay and influence of non-toxic levels (0 to 10 µM) on the migration of RCC cells was also determined. RESULTS: Comparison of the 5 cell lines indicated a correlation between HOTAIR mRNA expression and cell migration. In particular, the migration of 769-P-HOTAIR cells was significantly higher than that of 769-P-vector cells. Curcumin at 2.5-10 µM had no evident toxicity against RCC cells, but inhibited cell migration in a concentration-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: HOTAIR expression is correlated with the migration of RCC cells, and HOTAIR may be involved in the curcumin-induced inhibition of RCC metastasis.

PKM2 regulates hepatocellular carcinoma cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition and migration upon EGFR activation.

Pyruvate kinase isozyme type M2(PKM2) was first found in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC), and its expression has been thought to correlate with prognosis. A large number of studies have demonstrated that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a crucial event in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and associated metastasis, resulting in enhanced malignancy of HCC. However, the roles of PKM2 in HCC EMT and metastasis remain largely unknown. The present study aimed to determine the effects of PKM2 in EGF-induced HCC EMT and elucidate the molecular mechanisms in vitro. Our results showed that EGF promoted EMT in HCC cell lines as evidenced by altered morphology, expression of EMT-associated markers, and enhanced invasion capacity. Furthermore, the present study also revealed that nuclear translocation of PKM2, which is regulated by ERK pathway, regulated ß-catenin-TCF/LEF-1 transcriptional activity and associated EMT in HCC cell lines. These discoveries provide evidence of novel roles of PKM2 in the progression of HCC and potential therapeutic target for advanced cases.

The transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of the seminal vesicle disease.

To develop a transurethral endoscopy technique of the transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy to examine and treat seminal vesicle disease. A total of 61 patients with seminal vesicle disease were diagnosed and treated with the transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy through the distal seminal tracts and vesicles. 58 cases were successfully treated using transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy via the seminal vesicles. The operation took 25 ~ 85 min, with an average of (35.6) mins. In this group, seven cases were diagnosed as ejaculatory orifice cyst, 14 cases had blood clots in the seminal vesicles, and nine patients had stones in the seminal vesicles. All patients were treated properly. Follow-up occurred at 3 months, with two cases showing post-operative discomfort in perineal region. One patient had recurrence with seminal vesiculitis, which improved with treatment. Four infertile patients had a significant increase in sperm count and ejaculation volume and two of these patients were able to naturally inseminate within seven to 18 months post-surgery. This approach enables a new endoscopic technique with the transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy to diagnose and treat seminal vesicle disease through the normal anatomic pathway which can be easily performed with few post-operative complications.