Gastrodin inhibits prostate cancer proliferation by targeting canonical Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

Prostate cancer is an epithelial malignant tumor occurring in the prostate and is the most common malignant tumor in the male genitourinary system. In recent years, the incidence of prostate cancer in China has shown a trend of sudden increase. The search for new and effective drugs to treat prostate cancer is therefore extremely important.The canonical Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway has been shown to be involved in the regulation of tumor proliferation, migration and differentiation. Activation of the canonical Wnt/ß-Catenin signaling pathway in the prostate has oncogenic effects. Drugs targeting the canonical Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway have great potential in the treatment of prostate cancer. In this study, we found that Gastrodin could significantly inhibit the proliferation of prostate cancer cell line PC3 and DU145. Oral administration Gastrodin could significantly inhibit the tumor growth of PC3 cells subcutaneously injected. Gastrodin has an inhibitory effect on canonical Wnt/ß-Catenin signaling pathway in Prostate cancer, and this inhibitory effect can be abolished by Wnt/ß-Catenin agonist LiCl. These findings raise the possibility that Gastrodin can be used in the treatment of Prostate cancer by targeting canonical Wnt/ß-Catenin signaling pathway.

MicroRNA-24 inhibits serotonin reuptake transporter expression and aggravates irritable bowel syndrome.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common chronic functional gastrointestinal disorder. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been widely demonstrated to take part in various physiological and pathological processes. In the present study, the role of miR-24 in the pathogenesis of IBS and the potential mechanism in this process were evaluated. Human intestinal mucosa epithelial cells of colon from IBS patients and healthy subjects were collected. An IBS mouse model was established with the induction of trinitro-benzene-sulfonic acid (TNBS). The expression levels of miR-24 and serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT) were analyzed using Real-time PCR and western blot in both human specimen and mice. miR-24 was upregulated in IBS patients and mice intestinal mucosa epithelial cells. Luciferase reporter assay showed that SERT was a potential target gene of miR-24. The treatment of miR-24 inhibitor increased pain threshold and nociceptive threshold levels and reduced MPO activity in proximal colon of IBS mice, and up-regulated the mRNA and protein expression levels of SERT in intestinal mucosa epithelial cells. miR-24 played a role in the pathogenesis of IBS probably through regulating SERT expression.

[Distribution characteristics of basic syndromes of chronic functional constipation and its related factors analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the distribution characteristics of basic syndromes and its related factors in patients with chronic functional constipation (CFC). METHODS: The complete data of 538 patients with CFC were collected and initial database was established with Epidata 3. 0. TCM syndrome typing was performed. The distribution characteristics of basic syndromes were analyzed using SPSS 17. 0 Software. The univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were performed with SPSS 17. 0 Software to determine basic syndrome related factors such as age, engaged professionals, sleep quality, depression, mental stress, interpersonal relations, work fatigue, stimulating beverage, exercise conditions, Western medicine type of constipation, and so on. RESULTS: The TCM syndrome frequency of CFC patients was sequenced from high to low as qi deficiency syndrome (380 cases, 70.6%), qi stagnation syndrome (337 cases, 62.6%), blood deficiency syndrome (234 cases, 43.5%), yin deficiency syndrome (220 cases, 40.9%), yang deficiency syndrome (197 cases, 36.6%), and others(58 cases, 10. 8%) . Most patients were complicated with complex syndromes, and the most common complex syndromes were qi deficiency complicated qi stagnation syndrome (275 cases, 51.1%) and qi deficiency complicated blood deficiency syndrome (222 cases, 41.3%). Aging, work fatigue, and exercise conditions were main related factors for qi deficiency syndrome (P <0. 01, P <0. 05). Poor emotional (depression and anxiety tendencies), mental stress, interpersonal relations, defecation barriers constipation were main related factors for qi stagnation syndrome (P <0.01). Sleep quality and poor emotional (depression and anxiety tendencies) were main related factors for blood deficiency syndrome (P <0. 01, P < 0.05). Stimulating beverages were main related factor for yin deficiency syndrome (P <0.05). Engaged in mental work and slow transit constipation were main related factors for yang deficiency syndrome (P < 0. 01, P <0. 05). CONCLUSIONS: CFC is featured as complex syndromes. The most common complex syndromes were qi deficiency complicated qi stagnation syndrome and qi deficiency complicated blood deficiency syndrome. Basic syndrome related factors such as age, engaged professionals, sleep quality, poor emotional (depression and anxiety tendencies), mental stress, interpersonal relations, work fatigue, stimulating beverage, exercise conditions, Western medicine type of constipation were associated with the distribution of CFC syndromes.

Does recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph node metastasis really affect the prognosis in node-positive patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the middle thoracic esophagus?

BACKGROUND: Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) lymph node metastasis used to be shown a predictor for poor prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of RLN node metastasis and the number of metastatic lymph nodes in node-positive patients with squamous cell carcinoma of middle thoracic esophagus. METHODS: A cohort of 235 patients who underwent curative surgery for squamous cell carcinoma of middle thoracic esophagus was investigated. The prognostic impact was evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Lymph node metastasis was found in 133 patients. Among them, 81 had metastatic RLN nodes, and 52 had at least one positive node but no RLN nodal involvement. The most significant difference in survival was detected between patients with metastatic lymph nodes below and above a cutoff value of six (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that the number of metastatic lymph nodes was a significant factor associated with overall survival (P < 0.001), but RLN lymph node metastasis was not (P = 0.865). CONCLUSIONS: RLN Lymph node metastasis is not, but the number of metastatic nodes is a prognostic predictor in node-positive patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the middle thoracic esophagus.

The 2002 AJCC TNM classification is a better predictor of primary small cell esophageal carcinoma outcome than the VALSG staging system.

Small cell carcinoma of the esophagus (SCCE) is a rare and aggressive malignant tumor with a poor prognosis. The optimal disease staging system and treatment approaches have not yet been defined. This study aimed to evaluate the prediction of different staging systems for prognosis and treatment options of SCCE. We retrospectively accessed the clinicopathologic characteristics, treatment strategy, and prognosis of 76 patients diagnosed with primary SCCE between 2001 and 2011. The 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates were 58%, 31%, 19%, and 13%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that the 2002 American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) classification (P = 0.002), Veterans Administration Lung Study Group (VALSG) stage (P = 0.001), predisposing factors (P < 0.001), T category (P = 0.023), and M category (P < 0.001) were prognostic factors for overall survival. Multivariate analysis showed that the 2002 AJCC TNM stage (P < 0.001) was the only independent prognostic factor for survival. The value of the area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of the 2002 AJCC TNM staging system was larger than that of VALSG staging system with regard to predicting overall survival (0.774 vs. 0.620). None of the single treatment regimens showed any benefit for survival by Cox regression analysis. Thus, the 2002 AJCC TMN staging system improved the prediction of SCCE prognosis; however, the optimal treatment regimen for SCCE remains unclear.

Prognostic significance of solitary lymph node metastasis in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of middle thoracic esophagus.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to compare clinical outcomes between patients with solitary lymph node metastasis and node-negative (N0) patients in squamous cell carcinoma of the middle thoracic esophagus. METHODS: A series of 135 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the middle thoracic esophagus were retrospectively investigated. There were 33 patients with solitary lymph node metastasis and 102 N0 patients. Skip metastasis in 33 patients with solitary lymph node metastasis was defined according to three criteria: Japanese Society for Esophageal Disease (JSED), American Joint Commission on Cancer (AJCC), and the anatomical compartment. RESULTS: In 33 patients with solitary lymph node metastasis, skip metastasis was shown in 13, 23, and 8 patients according JSED, AJCC and anatomical compartment respectively. The 5-year survival rates for N0 patients and patients with solitary lymph node metastasis were 58% and 32% respectively (P =0.008). Multivariate analysis revealed that skip metastasis was not an independent prognostic factor. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with middle thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, solitary lymph node metastasis has a negative impact on survival compared with N0 disease; skip metastasis, however, is comparable to N0 diseases in predicting prognosis.