Overexpression of DOCK6 in oral squamous cell cancer promotes cellular migration and invasion and is associated with poor prognosis.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to identify the role of DOCK6 in oral squamous cell cancer (OSCC) in this study. DESIGN: DOCK6 expression in OSCC was analyzed using TCGA and GEO datasets and was verified by quantitative real-time PCR, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the relationships between DOCK6 expression and the clinicopathological characteristics of OSCC patients. Wound healing and Transwell assays were performed to assess OSCC cell migration and invasion, respectively. STRING and GO analyses and gene set enrichment analysis were used to identify DOCK6-interacting proteins, their functions and their potential pathways. RESULTS: DOCK6 was significantly upregulated at both the mRNA and protein levels in OSCC tissues (all P < 0.05). DOCK6 levels were positively correlated with age (P < 0.05), lymph node metastasis status (P < 0.001), clinical stage (P < 0.001), differentiation (P < 0.05), and poor clinical outcome (P < 0.05) in OSCC patients. Furthermore, univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that high DOCK6 expression (P < 0.01) and clinical stage III-IV (P < 0.05) might serve as independent prognostic factors for OSCC patients. Functionally, DOCK6 silencing significantly suppressed OSCC cell migration and invasion (all P < 0.05). Ten proteins that interact with DOCK6, more than ten functions related to cancer, and more than six pathways related to DOCK6 in OSCC were identified via bioinformatic methods. CONCLUSION: DOCK6 is upregulated in OSCC, is associated with a poor prognosis in OSCC patients and increases OSCC cells migration and invasion. These findings suggest that DOCK6 may be a potential therapeutic target with prognostic implication in patients with OSCC.

Qualitative, quantitative, and pharmacokinetic study on the absorbed components of Ardisia japonica (Thunb.) Blume in rat plasma based on molecular networking combined with quadrupole time-of-flight LC/MS and triple quadrupole LC/MS.

Isolation and screening of different compounds from plant extracts are always the key for natural drug research, and the absorbed prototype components have been considered as potential active ingredients. UHPLC combined with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (Q-TOF-LC/MS) has been widely used in the research of natural drugs; however, we still need a more effective tool to compare and treat from a raw data. In this study, we provided a fast analytical method to measure the absorbed prototype components and their metabolites both qualitatively and quantitatively based on molecular networking (MN). For example, in Ardisia japonica (Thunb.) Blume, a total of eight absorbed prototype components in rat plasma were identified. Furthermore, pharmacokinetic study was also successfully performed on the eight absorbed prototype components in rat plasma. Our findings have provided important information on the investigation of A. japonica in vivo. More importantly, the MS network analysis pattern serves as an integral solution for qualitative and quantitative determination of phytochemical compounds in natural drugs.

Simultaneous determination of eight bioactive components of Cirsium setosum flavonoids in rat plasma using triple quadrupole LC/MS and its application to a pharmacokinetic study.

Cirsium setosum (Willd.) MB. has been reported to exert significant anti-hemorrhagic, anti-inflammation, antimicrobial, sedative and detoxicating efficacy. It has been widely used to treat gastrointestinal bleeding, uterine bleeding, infectious hepatitis and cardiovascular disease in China. Recent studies have shown that flavonoids are the main active components in C. setosum. Nevertheless, to the best of our knowledge, there is no report concerning the simultaneous determinations and pharmacokinetics of constituents in C. setosum flavonoids in rat plasma. In this study, a rapid, sensitive and selective triple quadrupole liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method was developed to determine eight analytes from the flavonoids of C. setosum in rat plasma. In addition, the pharmacokinetic study of the eight analytes in rats after oral administration of C. setosum flavonoids was successfully completed through this method. According to the pharmacokinetic parameters of the eight analytes, rutin, naringin, quercetin, acacetin, wogonin were the long-acting components of the C. setosum flavonoids, with long elimination time and high bioavailability. Of note, the method developed in this study fills a blank in pharmacokinetic studies of C. setosum flavonoids. Our findings provide valuable views on the understanding of the absorption mechanism of C. setosum flavonoids and their clinical efficacy.

Discontinuous Versus In-Continuity Neck Dissection in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Tongue and Floor of the Mouth: Comparing the Rates of Locoregional Recurrence.

PURPOSE: To date, consensus has not been reached on which treatment modality, that is, in-continuity neck dissection or discontinuous neck dissection, is more appropriate for managing patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the tongue and floor of the mouth. This study aimed to perform a meta-analysis to compare discontinuous neck dissection with in-continuity neck dissection as a treatment modality for SCC of the tongue and floor of the mouth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The PubMed, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang databases were searched for articles that compared discontinuous neck dissection with in-continuity neck dissection in SCC of the tongue and floor of the mouth until March 1, 2017. The predictor variable was whether discontinuous neck dissection or in-continuity neck dissection was performed in each group. The primary outcome variable was the incidence of locoregional recurrence. Two authors individually extracted the data and assessed the study quality. The meta-analysis was performed using Stata (version 13.0; StataCorp, College Station, TX). RESULTS: We included 8 studies with 796 patients in our meta-analysis. The results showed that in-continuity neck dissection had a statistically significantly lower incidence of locoregional recurrence than discontinuous neck dissection (random-effects model: relative risk, 0.459; 95% confidence interval, 0.240 to 0.877; P = .019). Because significant heterogeneity among studies (I2 = 74.5%, P < .001) was found in the heterogeneity evaluation, a separate analysis was performed. However, the results still showed that in-continuity neck dissection had a statistically significantly lower rate of locoregional recurrence than discontinuous neck dissection in patients with T2 and T3 SCC of the tongue and floor of the mouth (fixed-effects model: relative risk, 0.281; 95% confidence interval, 0.183 to 0.433; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with discontinuous neck dissection, in-continuity neck dissection can significantly reduce the rate of locoregional recurrence in patients with SCC of the tongue and floor of the mouth.