Retrospective observation of the efficacy and safety of prostatic artery embolization combined with transurethral resection of the prostate and simple transurethral resection of the prostate in the treatment of large (> 100 mL) benign prostatic hyperplasia.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively compare the efficacy and safety of prostatic artery embolization (PAE) combined with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and simple TURP in treating large (> 100 mL) benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 13 and 17 patients with large BPH who underwent TURP and PAE + TURP, respectively, from January 2016 to January 2020. The changes in various indices before and after surgery were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: In the PAE + TURP group, the operation time (OT), intraoperative blood loss (BL), postoperative bladder flushing time (PBFT), and postoperative catheter retention time (PCRT) were lower, and the speed of the excised lesion (SEL) was higher than that in the TURP group (P < 0.05). Following-up for 12 months, the prostatic volume (PV), maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), postvoid residual volume (PVR), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life (QoL) score, total prostate-specific antigen (T-PSA), and free prostate-specific antigen (F-PSA) in each group improved as compared to before the surgery (P < 0.05), and the above improved indicators, IPSS ratio, and obstructive symptoms in the PAE + TURP group were higher than those in the TURP group (P < 0.05). The incidence of postoperative complications in the PAE + TURP group was lower than that in the TURP group. We obtained the pathological picture of a prostate biopsy after PAE for the first time. CONCLUSION: Compared to TURP alone, PAE + TURP should be promoted, because of its greater efficacy and safety in treating large BPH and fewer post-surgical complications.

Research progress on the regulatory role of microRNAs in spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a severe CNS injury that results in abnormalities in, or loss of, motor, sensory and autonomic nervous function. miRNAs belong to a new class of noncoding RNA that regulates the production of proteins and biological function of cells by silencing translation or interfering with the expression of target mRNAs. Following SCI, miRNAs related to oxidative stress, inflammation, autophagy, apoptosis and many other secondary injuries are differentially expressed, and these miRNAs play an important role in the progression of secondary injuries after SCI. The purpose of this review is to elucidate the differential expression and functional roles of miRNAs after SCI, thus providing references for further research on miRNAs in SCI.

Different Types of Double-Level Degenerative Lumber Spondylolisthesis: What Is Different in the Sagittal Plane?

BACKGROUND: Degenerative lumber spondylolisthesis (DLS) is a common orthopedic condition, described as a condition that compared with the lower vertebra, the superior vertebra slides forward or backward in the sagittal plane without accompanying isthmic spondylolisthesis. Information pertaining to different types of double-level DLS is scarce. This study aims to analyze parameters of patients with different types of double-level DLS to provide a reference for guiding surgical treatment and restoring sagittal balance of patients with DLS. METHODS: From January 2014 to January 2020, records of patients with double-level DLS were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with double-level DLS were divided into 3 types: anterior, posterior, and combined; the anterior and combined types were studied. The sagittal spinopelvic parameters included C7 tilt, maximal thoracic kyphosis, maximal lumbar lordosis (LLmax), pelvic incidence (PI), pelvic tilt (PT), and sacral slope (SS). After descriptive analysis, demographic and radiographic data were compared. RESULTS: Forty and 18 patients were included in the anterior and combined type groups, respectively. Both groups had different levels of chronic low back pain, but the incidence of radiating leg pain and neurogenic claudication was significantly higher in the anterior type. Oswestry Disability Index and visual analog scale low back scores were also higher in the anterior type. In the anterior type, C7 tilt (7.14 ± 2.15 vs. 5.41 ± 2.28, P = 0.007), LLmax (50.02 ± 14.76 vs. 36.96 ± 14.56, P = 0.003), PI (68.28 ± 9.16 vs. 55.53 ± 14.19, P < 0.001), PT (28.68 ± 7.31 vs. 19.38 ± 4.70, P < 0.001), and PT/PI (42.45 ± 11.22 vs. 36.04 ± 9.87, P = 0.041) were significantly higher. In the anterior type, PI correlated positively with LLmax (r = 0.59) and SS (r = 0.71). LLmax and SS (r = 0.65) had a positive correlation. PT/PI and SS (r = -0.77) had a negative correlation. In the combined type, PI correlated positively with LLmax (r = 0.61) and SS (r = 0.88), and PT/PI correlated negatively with SS (r = -0.81). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with double-level DLS, the sagittal spinopelvic parameters differed between the anterior and combined types. Overall, spinal surgeons should focus on correcting sagittal deformities, relieving postoperative clinical symptoms, and improving quality of life during fusion surgery.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma ligands induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human renal carcinoma cell lines.

AIM: To study the effect of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) ligands on cell proliferation and apoptosis in human renal carcinoma cell lines. METHODS: The expression of PPARgamma was investigated by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blot and immunohistochemistry. The effect of thiazolidinedione (TZD) PPARgamma ligands on growth of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells was measured by MTT assay and flow cytometric analysis. Cell death ELISA, Hoechst 33342 fluorescent staining and DNA ladder assay were used to observe the effects of PPAR gamma ligands on apoptosis. Regulatory proteins of cell cycle and apoptosis were detected by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: PPARgamma was expressed at much higher levels in renal tumors than in the normal kidney (2.16+/-0.85 vs 0.90+/-0.73; P<0.01). TZD PPARgamma ligands inhibited RCC cell growth in a dose-dependent manner with IC50 values of 7.08 micromol/L and 11.32 micromol/L for pioglitazone, and 5.71 micromol/L and 8.38 micromol/L for troglitazone in 786-O and A498 cells, respectively. Cell cycle analysis showed a G0/G1 arrest in human RCC cells following 24-h exposure to TZD. Analysis of cell cycle regulatory proteins revealed that TZD decreased the protein levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen, pRb, cyclin D1, and Cdk4 but increased the levels of p21 and p27 in a time-dependent manner. Furthermore, high doses of TZD induced massive apoptosis in renal cancer cells, with increased Bax expression and decreased Bcl-2 expression. CONCLUSION: TZD PPAR gamma ligands showed potent inhibitory effect on proliferation, and could induce apoptosis in RCC cells. These results suggest that ligands for PPAR gamma have potential antitumor effects on renal carcinoma cells.

[Peroxisome proliferator-actived receptor-gamma ligand troglitazone induces apoptosis in renal cell carcinoma].

UNLABELLED: OBJECTIVE To investigate the expression of peroxisome proliferator-actived receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma)and the inducement of apoptosis by PPAR-gamma ligand in renal cell carcinoma(RCC)-derived cell lines. METHODS: RT-PCR and Western blot analysis were performed to determined the expression of PPAR-gamma mRNA and protein in two RCC derived cell lines(786-O and A498) and two normal kidney(NK)-derived cell lines(HK-2 and HMCC). Two RCC cell lines were treated with 50 micromol/L troglitazoned for and evaluated for the effects of antidiabetic thiazolidinediones (TZDs) on the cells apoptosis by fluorescence microscopy and DNA ladder assay. The mutative expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax before and after TZDs treatment were also performed by western blot analysis. RESULTS: The expression of PPAR-gamma was observed to be stronger in 786-O and A498 cells than in HK-2 and HMCC cells by RT- PCR and Western blot analysis. Treated with 50 micromol/L troglitazone (for 48 h) it induced typical apoatosis in 786-O and A498 cells. After treatment, a decrease in Bcl-2 expression in RCC cells was observed by Western blot analysis,and the expression of Bax,however,was up-regulated. CONCLUSION: The results reveal that troglitazone has the tumor-suppressive effect on RCC cells. High-affinity PPAR-gamma ligands (TZDs) may be the candidates for a novel approach to the treatment of this refractory neoplasm.

[Induction of apoptosis in prostate cancer cell line PC-3 by BBSKE, a novel organoselenium compound, and its effect in vivo].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of BBSKE (1,2-[bis (1,2-benzisoselenazolone-3 (2H)-ketone)]ethane), a novel organoselenium compound, on the proliferation and apoptosis of the prostate cancer cell line PC-3, and to study its effect on the growth of prostate cancer in vivo. METHODS: Prostate cancer cells of the cell line PC-3 was cultivated in media with different concentrations of BBSKE and cisplatin. The inhibition of proliferation was measured by colorimetric MTT assay. The morphologic changes were observed by fluorescence microscopy, DNA fragmentation was visualized by agarose gel electrophoresis, and the DNA degradation was determined by flow cytometry. Western blot analysis was used to identify the expression of bcl-2 and bax. The activity of caspase-3 was determined by a micro-ELISA reader. Mouse prostate cancer cells of the TRAMP-C2 line were cultured and then injected subcutaneously into 2 male C57BL/6 mice to establish the animal model. Then the 2 mice were killed to collect the cancer cells. Twenty-four mice were injected intraperitoneally with single cell suspension of TRAMP-C2 cell and then divided into 3 groups of 8 mice undergoing intraperitoneal injection for 7 days: BBSKE group (BBSKE was administered at the dosage of 25mg/kg/day), cisplatin group (cisplatin 2mg/kg/d was injected), and control group (pure solvent was injected). Three weeks after the mice were killed and the tumors were taken out to calculate the inhibition rate. RESULTS: BBSKE inhibited the growth of the PC-3 cells dosage-dependently with a value of IC(50) of 17.90 micro mol/L after a 48 h exposure, higher than that in the case of cisplatin (15.00 micro mol/L). After exposure of PC-3 cells to BBSKE at the dosage of 20 micro mol/L for 48 hours the apoptosis rate was 26.32%, significantly higher than that of the control group (1.75%, P < 0.01). The expression of bcl-2 was decreased and the expression of bax remained almost unchanged along with the increase of BBSKE concentration. The activity of caspase 3 in the subgroup of BBSKE of the concentration of 5 micro mol/L remained almost unchanged, and was increased to 3.65 +/- 0.57 and 4.39 +/- 1.01 respectively in the BBSKE 10 micro mol/L and 20 micro mol/L subgroups, both significantly higher than that of the control group (both P < 0.05). In the in vivo experiment, the growth of tumor was significantly inhibited by BBSKE with an inhibition rate of 40% and the inhibition rate of the cisplatin group was 48%. CONCLUSION: The novel organoselenium BBSKE inhibits the proliferation of PC-3 cell and promote its apoptosis, probably through downregulating the expression of bcl-2 and the activity of caspase-3. BBSKE also inhibits the growth of prostate cancer in vivo.