Primary follicular thyroid carcinoma metastasis to the kidney and widespread dissemination: A case report.

Distant metastases are more common in follicular thyroid carcinoma (FC) than in papillary thyroid carcinoma. However, FC metastasis to the kidney with eggshell calcification, as observed in the present case, is rare. The current report presents a case of a 67-year-old woman exhibiting a solitary tumor in the mid pole of the left kidney. Radical nephrectomy was performed, as the tumor was diagnosed as a primary renal carcinoma using contrast-enhanced computed tomography. Once the tumor was confirmed to be FC, total thyroidectomy was performed. Following administration of an oral therapeutic dose of 100 mCi 131I, functional imaging demonstrated the presence of multifocal metastases in the chest and abdomen. Euthyrox® was prescribed orally to aid normal thyroid function. Follow-up 6 months later using radionuclide imaging demonstrated the disappearance of the multifocal metastases in the chest and abdomen. The distant metastasis of FC may represent the initial symptom of the primary lesion, which was neglected. Ultrasound is an effective method to examine nodules located on the thyroid.

Imaging of human pancreatic cancer xenografts by single-photon emission computed tomography with 99mTc-Hynic-PEG-AE105.

The elevated expression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) is associated with the poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients. Thus, uPAR is a promising candidate as a molecular target for the non-invasive imaging of pancreatic cancer. The present study aimed to develop a technetium-99m (99mTc)-labeled uPAR-binding peptide for non-invasive single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) assessment of uPAR expression in pancreatic cancer xenograft models. A linear high-affinity uPAR peptide antagonist, Hynic-PEG-AE105, was labeled with 99mTc. Human uPAR-positive pancreatic cancer BxPC-3 cells were inoculated into nude mice. SPECT was performed in the pancreatic cancer xenograft mice models. The results showed that the rate of the 99mTc labeling of Hynic-PEG-AE105 was 97.72±1.73%. The tumor uptake of 99mTc-Hynic-PEG-AE105 was higher than the control inactive peptide 99mTc-Hynic-PEG-AE105mut at 4 h (3.37±0.11 vs. 1.36±0.18; P<0.001) and 6 h (3.64±0.25 vs. 1.28±0.20; P<0.001) (n=10). Moreover, a significant correlation was observed between the tumor uptake of 99mTc-Hynic-PEG-AE105 and uPAR expression (r=0.791, P=0.006). In conclusion, in the present study, a peptide-based SPECT tracer, 99mTc-Hynic-PEG-AE105, with a high purity and specific radioactivity was synthesized. 99mTc-Hynic-PEG-AE105 is a promising agent for the non-invasive determination of uPAR expression in pancreatic cancer.

Chemotherapy for urothelial carcinoma in renal transplantation patients: Initial results from a single center.

The aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of gemcitabine plus cisplatin/carboplatin (GC/GCa) chemotherapy in renal transplantation (RT) patients with urothelial carcinoma (UC). We reviewed the records of 12 RT patients with metastatic or locally advanced UC who received chemotherapy at our institution since January, 2013. All the patients received intravenous gemcitabine (800 mg/m2) on days 1, 8 and 15, plus cisplatin (70 mg/m2) or carboplatin (area under the curve = 5) on day 2, every 28 days. A total of 10 patients completed all the cycles, while 1 patient discontinued treatment due to disease progression and 1 patient discontinued due to non-medical reasons. In total, 12 patients received a median of four cycles of chemotherapy. The overall response rate was 50% (4/8 cases) in patients with measurable lesions. At the time of the study, 5 patients had succumbed to the disease (overall survival, 9.2 months), while 7 patients remained alive (follow-up time, 13.3 months). The most common toxicities were myelosuppression and gastrointestinal effects. Therefore, the GC/GCa regimen was found to be effective and tolerable in RT patients with UC. However, further studies involving more patients and control groups are required to confirm our results.

Androgen receptor in hepatocarcinogenesis: Recent developments and perspectives.

Previous studies have indicated that males are at a higher risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) compared with females. Identifying the factors that cause this gender-specific difference in the incidence of HCC has long been considered important for revealing the molecular mechanisms involved in hepatocarcinogenesis. Given the unprecedented tools that are now available for molecular research, genetic studies have established that the androgen receptor (AR) may be partly responsible for gender disparity in HCC. AR has a dual role, promoting HCC initiation and development, as well as suppressing HCC metastasis. The present review provides an overview of the involvement of AR signaling in HCC. The review highlighted important studies, examples of the direct AR transcriptional target genes involved in HCC and novel theories concerning the conventional concept, suggesting that targeting the AR, rather than the androgen, may provide an improved therapeutic approach for the treatment of HCC.

Advantages of a dual-color fluorescence-tracing glioma orthotopic implantation model: Detecting tumor location, angiogenesis, cellular fusion and the tumor microenvironment.

Various organs of the body have distinct microenvironments with diverse biological characteristics that can influence the growth of tumors within them. However, the mechanisms underlying the interactions between tumor and host cells are currently not well understood. In the present study, a dual-color fluorescence-tracing glioma orthotopic implantation model was developed, in which C6 rat glioma cells labeled with the red fluorescent dye CM-Dil, and SU3 human glioma cells stably expressing red fluorescence protein, were inoculated into the right caudate nucleus of transgenic female C57BL/6 nude mice expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein. The dual-color tracing with whole-body in vivo fluorescence imaging of xenografts was performed using a live imaging system. Frozen sections of the transplanted tumor were prepared for histological analyses, in order to detect the presence of invading tumor cells, blood vessels and cellular fusion. Dual-color images were able to distinguish between red tumor cells and green host cells. The results of the present study suggested that a dual-color fluorescence-tracing glioma orthotopic implantation model may be convenient for detecting tumor location, angiogenesis, cellular fusion, and the tumor microenvironment.

Study of the analgesic activities, chronic toxicity and addictive potential of Jia-Yuan-Qing pill in rats.

Jia-Yuan-Qing pill (JYQP) composed of Porcellio laevis Latreille, Corydalis Rhizoma and Radix Cynanchi Paniculati at a ratio of 9:7:7 has been found to be an effective analgesic agent. The present study aimed to evaluate the safety, addictive potential and anti-cancer pain activity of JYQP in a rat model. During the 6-month chronic toxicity test, no significant changes in general behavior, defecation, postural abnormalities, dietary or water intake or blood biochemical parameters were observed in male and female rats. Although a high dose of JYQP (5 g/kg) caused swelling of the liver, spleen and kidney in male and female rats, no pathological changes were observed in all organs examined via hematoxylin and eosin staining. The analgesic effect of JYQP on bone cancer pain was successfully confirmed in a rat model of Walker 256 cell-induced bone cancer. In contrast to morphine, in a physical dependence test, JYQP produced no withdrawal symptoms following chronic administration. The data from this study provide experimental evidence supporting the clinical use of JYQP as an effective, safe and non-addictive agent for the treatment of bone cancer pain.

[Prevention of galactose-induced cataractogenesis in rats by salvianolic acid A].

Salvianolic acid A has been demonstrated to have efficient antioxidative and free radical scavenging effects. In the present experiments, the preventive effects of salvianolic acid A on galactose-induced cataract in rats were investigated. Dropping 0.05% salvianolic acid A in the eyes (two times a day) was found to delay the development of cataract. The contents of MDA and H2O2 in the cataract lens were decreased in salvianolic acid A treated rats. The protein and non-protein thiols in the cataract lens of the salvianolic acid A treated rats were higher than those of control rats. In in vitro experiments salvianolic acid A was shown to inhibit aldose reductase activity. These results indicate that salvianolic acid A can prevent galactose-induced cataract by antioxidation and inhibition of aldose reductase.