Gallbladder neuroendocrine carcinoma: A report of two cases and literature review.

Gallbladder neuroendocrine carcinoma (GB-NEC) is a rare, aggressive neuroendocrine carcinoma that arises from the gallbladder. Patients with GB-NEC usually have a poor prognosis. The present study described two cases diagnosed with GB-NEC and reviewed the literature to improve knowledge of GB-NEC. The present study reported on two cases of GB-NEC in male patients aged 65 and 66 years, respectively. Both patients underwent surgical resection. Postoperative pathology confirmed that one case had mixed adeno-neuroendocrine carcinoma and the other had large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. In addition, both patients had uneventful recoveries following surgery and received cisplatin-etoposide combination chemotherapy. The present study summarized the two cases and reviewed the literature to improve understanding of GB-NEC. The results revealed that radiological findings of GB-NEC are non-specific. The present study demonstrated that surgical resection was still the most effective therapy and that postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy could markedly improve the prognosis of patients with GB-NEC.

Corrigendum: MRI-guided focal or integrated boost high dose rate brachytherapy for recurrent prostate cancer.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.971344.].

MRI-guided focal or integrated boost high dose rate brachytherapy for recurrent prostate cancer.

Background and purpose: Locally recurrent prostate cancer after radiotherapy merits an effective salvage strategy that mitigates the risk of adverse events. We report outcomes of a cohort enrolled across two institutions investigating MRI-guided tumor-targeted salvage high dose rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT). Materials and methods: Analysis of a prospective cohort of 88 patients treated across two institutions with MRI-guided salvage HDR-BT to visible local recurrence after radiotherapy (RT). Tumor target dose ranged from 22-26 Gy, using either an integrated boost (ibBT) or focal technique (fBT), delivered in two implants over a median of 7 days. Outcome metrics included cancer control and toxicity (CTCAE). Quality of life (QoL-EPIC) was analyzed in a subset. Results: At a median follow-up of 35 months (6 -134), 3 and 5-year failure-free survival (FFS) outcomes were 67% and 49%, respectively. At 5 years, fBT was associated with a 17% cumulative incidence of local failure (LF) outside the GTV (vs. 7.8% ibBT, p=0.14), while LF within the GTV occurred in 13% (vs. 16% ibBT, p=0.81). Predictors of LF outside fBT volumes included pre-salvage PSA>7 ng/mL (p=0.03) and interval since RT less than 5 years (p=0.04). No attributable grade 3 events occurred, and ibBT was associated with a higher rate of grade 2 toxicity (p<0.001), and trend towards a larger reduction in QoL sexual domain score (p=0.07), compared to fBT. Conclusion: A tumor-targeted HDR-BT salvage approach achieved favorable cancer control outcomes. While a fBT was associated with less toxicity, it may be best suited to a subgroup with lower PSA at later recurrence. Tumor targeted dose escalation may be warranted.

Clinical value of prophylactic transcatheter arterial chemoembolization treatment in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility of surgical resection combined with prophylactic transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in reducing the recurrence and improving the survival rate of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: In this retrospective study, 76 patients with HCC treated in our hospital from February 2016 to December 2018 were enrolled. Among them, 31 patients who received radical surgery alone were enrolled as the control group, and 45 patients who received prophylactic TACE within 6 months after radical surgery were enrolled as the study group. All cases were followed up for 36 months. The recurrence rate, survival rate, and median survival time of patients at 1, 2, and 3 years after surgery were compared between the two groups. Patients in the study group were divided into subgroup A (interventional therapy within 1 month), subgroup B (interventional therapy within 1-2 months), subgroup C (interventional therapy within 2-3 months), and subgroup D (interventional therapy within 3-6 months). The recurrence rate within 1 year was compared among the four subgroups. Finally, the clinical indicators affecting the recurrence of HCC were analyzed. RESULTS: The recurrence rate at 1, 2 and 3 years after surgery in the study group was lower than that in the control group (all P<0.05). The survival rate at 1, 2 and 3 years after surgery in the study group was higher than that in the control group (all P<0.05). The median survival time of patients in the study group was slightly higher than that in the control group, with no significant difference (P>0.05). The 1-year recurrence rate of patients in subgroups A and B was significantly lower than that in subgroups C and D (P<0.05). The incomplete envelope, tumor diameter ≥5 cm, and combined cirrhosis were the main causes of recurrence of HCC (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Prophylactic TACE significantly reduced the postoperative recurrence rate and improved the survival rate of patients with HCC. The optimal treatment efficacy was associated with interventional therapy within 1-2 months after surgery, while incomplete envelope, tumor diameter ≥5 cm, and combined cirrhosis were the high-risk factors for HCC recurrence.

Clinical Efficacy of LSC and TVT-O for Stress Urinary Incontinence Complicated with Pelvic Organ Prolapse and Factors Influencing Postoperative Urinary Function Recovery.

Pelvic organ prolapse is caused by various causes, which leads to the weakness of the tissue supporting the pelvic floor and then causes the downward displacement of female reproductive organs and adjacent organs. Clinical studies have shown that pop is often associated with stress urinary incontinence. This research project aimed to clarify the clinical effect of laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy (LSC) and tension-free vaginal tape obturator (TVT-O) for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) complicated with pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and the influencing factors of postoperative urinary function (UF) recovery. The clinical data of 125 patients with SUI complicated with POP treated in Wenzhou Central Hospital and Beidahuang Industry Group General Hospital between March 2018 and December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were assigned to the following two arms based on different treatment methods: the combination group (n = 65, treated with LSC plus TVT-O) and the control group (n = 60, treated with LSC). The alterations of perioperative clinical and urodynamic indexes were analyzed. The objective and subjective response rates were observed and compared. The degree of POP before and after surgery was evaluated. According to the urinary function recovery time, the patients were divided into the fast and non-fast recovery groups, and then, the factors influencing postoperative UF recovery were analyzed between groups. The combination group showed statistically longer operation time (OT) and postoperative indwelling catheter and higher intraoperative blood loss (IBL) than the control group (all P < 0.05), but the anal exhaust time and postoperative length of stay (LOS) differed insignificantly between the two arms. The combination group outperformed the control group in the objective response rate, as well as the scores of illness, quality of life (QOL), and sexual life (all P < 0.05). Menopause, maximum flow rate (MFR), and preoperative residual urine volume were identified as the influencing factors for normal urination. For patients with SUI complicated with POP, the efficacy of laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy was limited, while combining with TVT-O would obtain more significant short-term and long-term efficacy, which can significantly improve patients' urination and long-term quality of life, with higher safety and clinical promotion value.

Clinical Efficacy and Quality of Life Assessment of Partial Cystectomy and Plasmakinetic Transurethral Resection of Tumor in Bladder Cancer Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Bladder cancer is a common malignant tumor of the urinary system, with an incidence ranking the first in the urinary system. Without timely and effective treatment, the tumor may spread to other parts of the body. Traditional partial cystectomy (PC) and plasmakinetic transurethral resection of bladder tumor (PKRBT) are common surgical methods for superficial bladder cancer (SBC). This study aims to clarify the clinical efficacy of bladder carcinoma (BC) patients treated by either PC or PKRBT and their effects on the quality of life (QOL) of patients. METHODS: A total of 142 patients with SBC treated in Wenzhou Central Hospital and Bei da huang Industry Group General Hospital from March 2018 to June 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. According to the surgical method, patients undergoing PKRBT were included in the research group (n = 74) while those treated by PC were included in the control group (n = 69). Surgical indicators (intraoperative blood loss, IBL; operating time, OT; bladder irrigation time; catheter retention time; length of hospital stay, LOS), postoperative complication rate, and one-year recurrence rate were compared between the two groups. Besides, the levels of inflammatory factors [tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10], psychological and emotional scores (Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, SAS; Self-Rating Depression Scale, SDS), and living conditions (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI) before and after treatment were compared. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, patients in the research group had 1) less IBL, less time of OT, bladder irrigation and indwelling catheter time, as well as shorter postoperative LOS; 2) lower contents of inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8, and higher IL-10; 3) lower SAS and SDS scores and higher PSQI; and 4) fewer postoperative complications and lower one-year recurrence rate. CONCLUSION: Compared with PC, PKRBT contributes to higher efficacy and better postoperative QOL in patients SBC.

Overexpression of miR-106a enhances oxaliplatin sensitivity of colorectal cancer through regulation of FOXQ1.

Chemotherapy resistance poses a major challenge for the clinical treatment of colorectal cancer, therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine its underlying mechanisms. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis were used to determine the microRNA (miRNA)/mRNA and protein expression levels, respectively. A dual luciferase assay was conducted for verification of the interaction between miR-106a and 3'untranslated region (UTR) of Forkhead box Q1 (FOXQ1). Cell viability was assessed using an MTT assay. In the present study, it was demonstrated that miR-106a is involved in regulating oxaliplatin sensitivity of colorectal cancer. Transfection of miR-106a mimics slightly inhibited colorectal cancer cell growth and sensitized colorectal cancer cells to oxaliplatin exposure. In addition, miR-106a overexpression induced a decrease of FOXQ1 at mRNA and protein levels in colorectal cancer cells. The enhanced expression of miR-106a also increased the expression of Wnt target genes, including vascular endothelial growth factor-A and matrix metallopeptidase 2, which were reported to be regulated by FOXQ1. It was predicted and validated that miR-106a could repress FOXQ1 expression via direct binding to 3'UTR. Elevation of miR-106a and a decrease of FOXQ1 expression levels were detected in tumor tissues from patients with oxaliplatin-sensitive colorectal cancer, compared with patients with oxaliplatin-resistant colorectal cancer. Furthermore, there was a significant association between miR-106a and FOXQ1 mRNA levels. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that miR-106a increased oxaliplatin sensitivity of colorectal cancer cells through direct repression of FOXQ1 expression.

Biochanin A protect against lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury in mice by regulating TLR4/NF-κB and PPAR-γ pathway.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a serious respiratory syndrome featured with uncontrolled inflammatory response. Biochanin A has been showed to possess and anti-inflammatory effect. This study intended to explore the suppression of biochanin A on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI in mice. Seven hours later LPS-induced ALI model established, the indexes including, pathological changes, MPO activity, wet/dry ratio, proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6, production, as well as and TLR4/NF-κB and PPAR-γ signaling pathway expression were compared bwtween different groups. In addition, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected and the levels of total protein, inflammatory cells and TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 were detected. The results revealed that LPS lead to significantly lung pathological injury, and damage of lung vascular permeability showing by higher lung wet/dry ratio and total protein levels in the BALF when compared to the control group mice. However, these changes significantly reversed by biochanin A. Moreover, the levels of inflammatory cells in BALF, proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6, in both lung and BALF were also dose-dependently reduced by biochanin A during ALI process. To investigate the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of biochanin A, we found that biochanin A significantly inhibited the activation of TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway induced by LPS. Furthermore, the expression of PPAR-γ also markedly increased in the mice after treated with biochanin A. In conclusion, biochanin A alleviated LPS-induced ALI by inhibiting the inflammatory response, which was mediated via down-regulating the activation of TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway and enhancing the expression of PPAR-γ.

KIF3B Promotes the Proliferation of Pancreatic Cancer.

Background: Kinesin Family Member 3B (KIF3B) is one of the most ubiquitously expressed KIFs, which is related to numerous physiological responses. KIF3B has also been implicated in carcinogenesis such as in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. However, the expression of KIF3B has not been studied in pancreatic cancer along with its clinical significance. Methods: Immunohistochemical assays were performed to detect the expression levels of KIF3B in the tumor tissues and adjacent non-tumor tissues. Patients were sequentially divided into different expression levels of KIF3B group based on the staining intensity of FKIF3B in tumor tissues. The link between KIF3B expression and clinical characteristics were investigated, and the role of KIF3B on pancreatic cancer cell proliferation was detected by colony formation and 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide, respectively. And the proliferation related proteins such as Ki67 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were detected by Western blot. The possible effects of KIF3B on tumor growth were assessed in vivo. Results: KIF3B was highly expressed in human pancreatic cancer tissues. We also found KIF3B was significantly associated to the pTNM stage (*p = 0.018), lymph node metastasis (*p = 0.040) and vascular invasion (*p = 0.034). We reported that increased expression of KIF3B was significantly correlated with poor clinical outcome in our clinical cohort of pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, functional assays revealed that knockdown KIF3B in vitro and in vivo might inhibit cancer cells proliferation by affecting Ki67 and PCNA. Conclusions: Our data suggested that KIF3B was associated with pancreatic cancer malignant progression especially proliferation. Hence, KIF3B might serve as a potential therapy target of pancreatic cancer in clinical treatment.

LncRNA LINC00641 predicts prognosis and inhibits bladder cancer progression through miR-197-3p/KLF10/PTEN/PI3K/AKT cascade.

As a new group of important effector molecules involved in multiple cancers, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have attracted much attention recently. Especially, evidences have indicated lncRNAs might be promising biomarkers and targets for cancer therapy. LINC00641 is a novel lncRNA, whose function remains totally unclear. The aim of our study was to determine the functions of LINC00641 in bladder cancer. We found that LINC00641 expression was significantly down-regulated in bladder cancer tissues. Down-regulation of LINC00641 in patients with bladder cancer predicts poor prognosis. Gain-of-function assays indicated that LINC00641 up-regulation markedly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of bladder cancer cells. Xenograft assay also confirmed that LINC00641 overexpression suppressed bladder cancer growth in vivo. Mechanistically, LINC00641 was demonstrated to interact with miR-197-3p, whose target was KLF10. By up-regulating KLF10 level, LINC00641 suppressed the PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway, leading to prevention of bladder cancer progression. Taken together, our study illustrated a novel signaling cascade of LINC00641/miR-197-3p/KLF10/PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway regulating bladder cancer development.

miR-106a Reduces 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) Sensitivity of Colorectal Cancer by Targeting Dual-Specificity Phosphatases 2 (DUSP2).

BACKGROUND 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU)-based chemotherapy is a conventional therapeutic approach for the treatment of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). However, development of 5-FU resistance frequently occurs. We explored a potential method for regulating the sensitivity to 5-FU-based chemotherapy in CRC patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS Cell viability was determined by 3-(4, 5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Gene expression levels were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Protein expression levels were evaluated by Western blot. TargetScan was used for the prediction of binding sites for miRNA in mRNAs. The interaction between mRNA 3'UTR and miRNA was verified by dual luciferase reporter assay. Tissue samples were obtained from 33 CRC patients who received surgery at Xingtai People's Hospital. RESULTS miR-106a level was associated with 5-FU sensitivity in CRC cells. Overexpression of miR-106a reduced 5-FU sensitivity of HCT116 and SW620 cells, and antagonist of miR-106a sensitized HCT116 and SW620 towards 5-FU. miR-106a overexpression decreased dual-specificity phosphatases 2 (DUSP2) expression at mRNA and protein levels in HCT116 and SW620 cells. Through downregulation of DUSP2, miR-106a elevation increased COX-2 expression and stemness-maintenance genes (SOX2 and OCT4). Furthermore, we predicted that miR-106a directly binds to 3'UTR of DUSP2 mRNA, which was confirmed by dual luciferase assay. Silencing of DUSP2 reversed elevated 5-FU sensitivity induced by miR-106a antagonist in HCT116 cells. A negative correlation was discovered between miR-106a and DUSP2 in tumor samples of CRC patients. CONCLUSIONS miR-106a plays an important role in mediating response to 5-FU-based chemotherapy in CRC and could serve as a potential target for CRC patients.

[Electricity generation of surplus sludge microbial fuel cells enhanced by additional enzyme].

In this paper the feasibility of enhanced electricity generation of microbial fuel cell fed surplus sludge by additional enzymes (neutral protease and alpha-amylase) was discussed. The effect of dosage of additional enzyme on characteristics of electricity generation of the surplus sludge microbial fuel cell (SSMFC) and the reduction of surplus sludge were investigated. The results indicated that the maximum output power destiny of the group of experiment was higher than that of control under the same condition. Moreover, the maximum output power density, coulomb efficiency, efficiency of reducing TCOD, efficiency of reducing TSS and efficiency of reducing VSS reached up to 507 W x m(-2) (700 mW x m(-2)), 3.98% (5.11%), 88.31% (94.09%), 83.18% (98.02%) and 89.03% (98.80%) respectively for protease (alpha-amylase) at the dosage of 10 mg x g(-1). This study demonstrated that additional enzyme greatly enhanced the electricity generation of MFC with simultaneous accomplishments of sludge treatment, providing a novel approach for the practical application of microbial fuel cell.

[Genetic analysis of the br gene in halophilic archaea isolated from Xingjiang region].

Some novel members of extremely halophilic Archaea, strain AJ11, AJ12 and AJ13, were isolated from Aularz Lake located in Altun Mountain National Nature Reserve of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in China. Partial DNA fragments encoding a bacteriorhodopsin (BR) as well as for 16S rRNA of isolated strains were amplified by PCR and their DNA sequences were determined subsequently. On the basis of homology and phylogenetic analysis about 16S rDNA, it was considered that the isolated strains formed a microbiological population are the members of genus Natrinema. The results of genetic analysis, such as GC content, transition/transversion (Ti/Tv) rate ratios, synonymous substitution rates (Ks), indicated that the br fragments with high level of genetic divergence are faced with both purifying selection and bias mutation pressure. The study provides the base for using of species and BR proteins resources.

Brief report on the status of Kozlov's pika, Ochotona koslowi (Büchner), in the east Kunlun mountains of China.

Koslov's pika, Ochotona koslowi (Büchner), was surveyed in western China. This endangered species is poorly known. We determined that it is a burrowing pika, and lives in social family groups at high densities. It primarily occupies high-elevation cold grassland vegetation. It appears to have a high reproductive rate. More emphasis should be placed on research into this unique species in China.