Quality changes of whitespotted conger (Conger myriaster) based physicochemical changes and label-free proteomics analysis during frozen storage.

Whitespotted conger (Conger myriaster) muscle proteins were susceptible to oxidative denaturation during frozen storage. The objective of this study was to investigate the alterations in quality through physicochemical analysis and proteomics after whitespotted conger stored at temperatures of -18 °C and -60 °C. The microstructural observation revealed the noticeable variations such as increased interstitial space and fractured muscle fibre with extension of frozen storage time, and the muscle fibre of whitespotted conger stored at -60 °C were more intact than those stored at -18 °C. The raised TVB-N value indicated that the freshness of whitespotted conger decreased during 120-day frozen storage period. Analysis of myofibrillar protein content and SDS-PAGE demonstrated that compared to -18 °C, lower storage temperature (-60 °C) could better maintain the structure of whitespotted conger muscle by inhibiting protein degradation and oxidation. To reveal the mechanism of protein degradation, label-free quantitative proteomic analysis was performed through LC-MS/MS. The structural proteins including domain-associated proteins and actin-related proteins were up-regulated during frozen storage, but the phosphoglycerate kinase, phosphoglycerate mutase, and fructose-bisphosphate aldolase were down-regulated. Storage at -18 °C accelerated the up- or down-regulation of those differentially abundant proteins. According to KEGG analysis, up- or down-regulated pathways such as glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, carbon metabolism, biosynthesis of amino acids, and calcium signalling pathway mainly accounted for the protein degradation and quality reduction of whitespotted conger at low temperature. These results provided a theoretical basis for improving the quality stability of whitespotted conger during frozen storage.

Contribution of genetic polymorphism in ABCB1 to individual variations of imatinib plasma levels in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumor.

Background: Imatinib mesylate (IM) is a first-line treatment option for the majority of patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). Although the clinical benefit is high, interindividual response is variable. This study thus aimed to assess how genetic polymorphisms can affect the blood levels of IM and treatment outcomes in patients with GIST. Methods: A total of 31 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in selected cytochrome P450 (P450), ATP-binding cassette transporter (ABC), solute carrier family (SLC), interleukin-4 receptor (IL4R), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) genes were genotyped using an SNP mass array platform. A total of 192 consecutive patients with GIST who received 400 mg of IM daily were enrolled into the study, with 1,485 blood samples being analyzed. According to genotypes, IM trough concentrations were tested and compared. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were also assessed. Results: With a mean follow-up of 75.99 months, trough concentrations of imatinib were examined at average time points of 7.73 for each patient. Polymorphism in ABCB1 rs1045642 was found to be associated with steady-state IM trough plasma levels (P=0.008). Patients with the C genotype (CT + CC) of rs1045642 exhibited higher IM trough concentrations (1,271.09±306.69 ng/mL) compared to those with the TT genotype (1,106.60±206.05 ng/mL). No statistically significant differences in IM plasma concentration were observed for the other SNPs tested. None of the tested SNPs displayed a significant association with patients' survival in this study. Conclusions: This is the largest cohort study evaluating the associations of SNP and imatinib blood trough levels. The ABCB1 rs1045642 genetic polymorphism may exert an effect on the pharmacokinetics of imatinib. The presence of the C allele in ABCB1 rs1045642 is predictive of a higher plasma concentration of IM.

Changes in imatinib plasma trough level during long-term treatment in patients with intermediate- or high-risk gastrointestinal stromal tumors: Relationship between covariates and imatinib plasma trough level.

Background: Imatinib is the first-line adjuvant treatment for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). Considering that some studies have suggested that imatinib (IM) plasma trough levels (Cmin) change with time, the aim of this study is to assess the changes in IM Cmin in patients with GIST in a long-term study and to elucidate the relationships between clinicopathological features and IM Cmin. Methods: In 204 patients with intermediate- or high-risk GIST who were taking IM, IM Cmin was analyzed. Patient data were grouped according to the duration of medication (A: 1-3 months, B: 4-6 months, C: 7-9 months, D: 10-12 months, E: ≤12 months, F: 12<-≤36 months, G: >36 months). The correlation between IM Cmin at different time stages and clinicopathological characteristics was assessed. Results: Statistically significant differences were observed between Groups A, C, and D (P = 0.049 and 0.01, respectively). In Group E, IM Cmin correlated with sex (P = 0.049) and age (P = 0.029) and negatively correlated with body weight, height, and body surface area (P = 0.007, 0.002, and 0.001, respectively). In Groups F and G, IM Cmin was significantly higher in non-gastric operation patients than in patients with gastrectomy (P = 0.002, 0.036) and was significantly higher in patients with the primary sites of others than in the stomach (P < 0.001, = 0.012). In addition, IM Cmin was much higher in patients with mutation sites other than KIT exon 11 in Group F (P = 0.011). Conclusion: This is the first study of IM Cmin during the long-term treatment of patients with intermediate- or high-risk GIST. IM Cmin was the highest for the first 3 months and then declined, and long-term administration of IM showed a relatively stable plasma trough level. The IM Cmin correlated with different clinical characteristics at different durations of medication. This meant that future "trough level-clinicopathological characteristics" analyses should be time-point-specific. We also need to formulate time-specific medication monitoring plans in clinical practice to study disease progression caused by the occurrence of drug resistance.

Effect of drying processes on the occurrence of lipid oxidation-derived 4-hydroxy-2-hexenal and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal in Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus niphonius).

In this study, dry-cured Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus niphonius, DCSM) was prepared via three different methods (hot-air drying, cold-air drying, and sun drying). The content of 4-hydroxy-2-hexenal (HHE) and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) derived from lipid oxidation in whole processes was investigated by HPLC-MS/MS. The changes in fatty acid composition were detected by GC-MS, and the degree of lipid oxidation was evaluated by the levels of acid values (AV), peroxide values (POV), and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS). The results showed that the drying process significantly accelerated lipid oxidation in DCSM. The contents of HHE and HNE were significantly increased after processing. The content of HHE was higher by 18.44-, 13.45-, and 16.32-folds compared with that of HNE after three different processes, respectively. The HHE and HNE contents fluctuated upward during the hot-air and cold-air drying process. However, the contents of HHE and HNE increased time-dependent during the sun drying process, with the highest values of 86.33 ± 10.54 and 5.29 ± 0.54 mg/kg fish among the three different processes. Besides, there was a significant positive correlation between HHE contents and n-3 fatty acids content in hot-air drying and sun drying processes (Pearson's r = .991/.996), and HNE occurrence was closely related to n-6 fatty acid content in sun drying process (Pearson's r = .989). Regression analysis indicated that the content of HHE and TOTOXTBA values in DCSM showed good linear relationships (R 2 value = .907), which suggested that the content of HHE could be used to estimate the oxidative deterioration of dry-cured fish products.

Transanal total mesorectal excision port-assisted perineal hernia repair: A case report.

Perineal hernia after abdominoperineal resection (APR) is a troublesome problem, and severe cases require surgical treatment. However, perineal hernia repair is challenging, especially when combined with intestinal adhesions. The difficulty of the operation lies in performing adhesiolysis and mesh placement under poor visibility. While there are traditional, laparoscopic and even robotic methods of performing this procedure, no easy and minimally-invasive approach has been reported. Here, we report the case of a patient with perineal hernia, who underwent transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) port-assisted laparoscopic perineal hernia repair. The operation was successful, the postoperative recovery was uneventful, the patient's symptoms improved significantly, and no recurrence was found during the 4-month follow-up. The availability and safety of TaTME port-assisted perineal hernia repair provide a promising approach for hernia repair. Compared with traditional perineal or laparoscopic abdominal approaches, this procedure is less invasive and results in a better field of vision.

Comparison of delta-shaped anastomosis and Billroth I reconstruction after laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: This study intends to compare the short-term effects and long-term survival of gastric cancer patients who underwent delta-shaped anastomosis (DA) and Billroth I reconstructions after laparoscopic distal gastrectomy. METHODS: We retrospectively collected data from 257 patients with gastric cancer who underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy between January 2013 and December 2017. Patients were classified into 2 groups according to the reconstruction method used: the DA group (n=91) and the Billroth I group (n=166). The clinical data, short-term efficacy, and long-term results were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: The operation time (P<0.001) and the post-operative length of hospital stay (P<0.001) were shorter in the DA group than in the Billroth I group. The time to the first oral intake of a soft diet after surgery was earlier in the DA group than in the Billroth I group (P=0.014). Kaplan-Meier (log-rank test) analysis showed no significant difference in the 5-year survival rates between the 2 groups for patients at the same pathological stage. Multivariate analysis showed that abnormal carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) (P=0.006), chemotherapy (P<0.001), T stage (P<0.001), and N stage (P<0.001) were independent prognostic factors for survival. CONCLUSIONS: DA and Billroth I are feasible and safe reconstruction methods of the digestive tract after gastric cancer. DA is the recommended reconstruction method for laparoscopic distal gastrectomy.

Comparison of Oral Contrast-Enhanced Transabdominal Ultrasound Imaging With Transverse Contrast-Enhanced Computed Tomography in Preoperative Tumor Staging of Advanced Gastric Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the diagnostic performance of transabdominal oral contrast-enhanced ultrasound (US) imaging for preoperative tumor staging of advanced gastric carcinoma by comparing it with transverse contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT). METHODS: This retrospective study included 42 patients with advanced gastric cancer who underwent laparoscopy, radical surgery, or palliative surgery because of serious complications and had a body mass index of less than 25 kg/m2 . A cereal-based oral contrast agent was used for transabdominal oral contrast-enhanced US. Retrospective analyses were conducted using preoperative tumor staging data acquired by either transabdominal oral contrast-enhanced US or transverse contrast-enhanced CT. Both contrast-enhanced US and contrast-enhanced CT examinations were reviewed by 2 experienced radiologists independently for preoperative tumor staging according to the seventh edition of the TNM classification. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated by comparing the results of contrast-enhanced US and contrast-enhanced CT with pathologic findings. The overall accuracies of the imaging modalities were compared by the McNemar test. RESULTS: No significant difference was noted in the overall accuracy of transabdominal oral contrast-enhanced US (86% [36 of 42]) and transverse contrast-enhanced CT (83% [35 of 42] P > .999). For stage T2 to T4 gastric cancer, the accuracies of transabdominal oral contrast-enhanced US were 88%, 86%, and 98%, respectively, and those of transverse contrast-enhanced CT were 93%, 83%, and 90%. CONCLUSIONS: The overall accuracy of transabdominal oral contrast-enhanced US was comparable with that of transverse contrast-enhanced CT for preoperative tumor staging of advanced gastric cancer.

MARK2 inhibits the growth of HeLa cells through AMPK and reverses epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Microtubule affinity-regulating kinases (MARKs; MARK1, MARK2, MARK3 and MARK4) act directly downstream of LKB1, the multitasking tumor-suppressor kinase, and thereby mediate its biological effects. Current understanding of the function of MARKs is greatly restricted to regulation of cell polarity. However, whether or how MARKs contribute to cellular growth control remains largely unknown. In the present study, we utilized an inducible lentiviral expression system that allows rapid MARK expression in LKB1-deficient HeLa cells, and characterized additional functions of MARKs: overexpression of MARK2 in HeLa cells resulted in a decrease in cell growth, inhibition of colony formation and arrest in G1 cell cycle phase, with AMPK as the putative downstream effector upregulating the expression of p21 and p16. MARK2 was found to play a role in F-actin reorganization and to contribute to reversal of epithelial­mesenchymal transition (EMT) as exemplified in the case of HeLa cells that exhibited phenotypic changes, reduced cell migration and invasion. Our findings unveil the coordinated regulation of cell growth and EMT mediated by MARK2, and also provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying the anti-metastatic activity of MARK2.

[Long-term survival of total laparoscopic radical distal gastrectomy with delta-shaped anastomosis].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the long-term survival of total laparoscopic radical distal gastrectomy (TLDG) with delta-shaped anastomosis and laparoscopic assisted radical distal gastrectomy (LADG) with tubular anastomosis. METHODS: The study retrospectively analyzed the clinical and pathologic data of 160 distal gastric cancer patients who underwent laparoscopic radical distal gastrectomy with Billroth I anastomosis at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from December 2012 to March 2015. All the patients were definitively diagnosed as primary gastric carcinoma before operation, and no evidences of invasion to adjacent organs, distant metastasis or enlarged fused lymph nodes around important vessels were discovered by image tests. Eighty-six patients underwent TLDG with delta-shaped anastomosis (delta-shaped anastomosis group, DSG) and 74 patients underwent LADG with tubular anastomosis (tubular anastomosis group, TAG) in two surgery teams who had different experience of gastroduodenostomy. All the patients agreed the operation and signed informed consent. All patients followed until October 2015 when the final cumulative survival rate was counted. Survival was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: The baseline data were comparable and operations were successfully completed. Postoperative follow-up time of DSG was 7-32 months, follow-up rate was 91%(78/86), and 11 of whom died of the gastric cancer. The cumulative survival rate by the end of the follow-up was 82.8%. Postoperative follow-up time of TAG was 7-33 months, follow-up rate was 95%(70/74), 7 of whom died of the gastric cancer. The cumulative survival rate by the end of the follow-up was 81.7%. The intergroup difference of cumulative survival rate was not significant(χ(2)=1.210, P=0.271). No stage I patient died of gastric cancer in both groups. The cumulative survival rate by the end of the follow-up of stage II was 87.2% vs. 93.3%(DAG vs. TAG, χ(2)=0.426, P=0.514) ,and in stage III was 65.3% vs. 37.6%(DAG vs. TAG, χ(2)=0.718, P=0.397), and the differences were not significant. CONCLUSION: The TLDG with delta-shaped anastomosis and LADG with tubular anastomosis have similar long-term survival for distal gastric cancer treatment.