Global Pattern and Trends in Penile Cancer Incidence: Population-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: Penile cancer is a relatively rare genital malignancy whose incidence and mortality are rising in many countries. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the recent incidence and mortality patterns and incidence trends of penile cancer. METHODS: The age-standardized incidence and mortality rates (ASIR and ASMR, respectively) of penile cancer in 2020 were estimated from the Global Cancer Registries (GLOBOCAN) database. Incidence trends of penile cancer from 1973 to 2012 were assessed in 44 populations from 43 countries using the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents plus (CI5plus) and the Nordic Cancer Registries (NORDCAN) databases. Average annual percentage change was calculated to quantify trends in ASIR using joinpoint regression. RESULTS: Globally, the estimated ASIR and ASMR of penile cancer were 0.80 (per 100,000) and 0.29 (per 100,000) in 2020, equating to 36,068 new cases and 13,211 deaths in 2020, respectively. There was no significant correlation between the ASIR (P=.05) or ASMR (P=.90) and Human Development Index. In addition, 15 countries saw increasing ASIR for penile cancer, 13 of which were from Europe (United Kingdom, Lithuania, Norway, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Cyprus, Netherlands, Italy, Croatia, Slovakia, Russia, and the Czech), and 2 from Asia (China and Israel). CONCLUSIONS: Although the developing countries still bear the higher incidence and mortality of penile cancer, the incidence is on the rise in most European countries. To mitigate the disease burden resulting from penile cancer, measures to lower the risk for penile cancers, including improving penile hygiene and male human papillomavirus vaccination, may be warranted.

Dysregulation and functional roles of miR-183-96-182 cluster in cancer cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis.

Previous studies have reported aberrant expression of the miR-183-96-182 cluster in a variety of tumors, which indicates its' diagnostic or prognostic value. However, a key characteristic of the miR-183-96-182 cluster is its varied expression levels, and pleomorphic functional roles in different tumors or under different conditions. In most tumor types, the cluster is highly expressed and promotes tumorigenesis, cancer progression and metastasis; yet tumor suppressive effects have also been reported in some tumors. In the present study, we discuss the upstream regulators and the downstream target genes of miR-183-96-182 cluster, and highlight the dysregulation and functional roles of this cluster in various tumor cells. Newer insights summarized in this review will help readers understand the different facets of the miR-183-96-182 cluster in cancer development and progression.

Microsurgical vasoepididymostomy for patients with infectious obstructive azoospermia: cause, outcome, and associated factors.

Azoospermia is of great importance to male infertility. Obstructive azoospermia (OA) due to infection is the most prevalent form of OA in China and has been less studied. We aim to observe the treatment outcome of microsurgical vasoepididymostomy (VE) and also to identify the factors relative to the result after reconstructive surgery. Two hundred and eight men presenting with OA due to infection during the study period from July 2010 to July 2013 were prospectively evaluated. Clinical examination, semen analysis, serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and scrotal ultrasound were done before surgical exploration. Among the 198 men who were selected for surgical procedures, 159 candidates underwent microsurgical VE with sperm detected in the epididymal fluid. As for the other 39 cases, reconstruction was not feasible. The average age was 28.5 ± 3.9 years (range 22-38), with average follow-up being 16.5 ± 5.9 months (range 4-28). According to the 150 cases being followed after VE procedures, the total patency rate was 72% (108/150). During follow-up, 38.7% (58/150) natural pregnancies occurred, with overall live birth rate being 32.7% (49/150). Our data suggested that microsurgical VE is an effective therapy for postinfectious epididymal OA. Individualized counseling with prognosis based on etiology should be offered to patients to select optical therapy.

In situ hydrothermal growth of ytterbium-based metal-organic framework on stainless steel wire for solid-phase microextraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from environmental samples.

In this paper, we report the use of a porous ytterbium-based metal-organic framework (Yb-MOF) coating material with good thermal stability for the headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from environmental samples. The Yb-MOF thin films, grown in situ on stainless steel wire in solution, exhibited high selectivity and sensitivity toward PAHs. Under the optimal conditions, the novel fibers achieved large enrichment factors (130-2288), low limits of detection (0.07-1.67ngL(-1)), and wide range of linearity (10-1000ngL(-1)) for 16 PAHs in the tested samples. The novel fiber was successfully used in the analysis of PAHs in real environmental samples. These results demonstrated that Yb-MOF is a promising coating material for the SPME of PAHs at trace levels from environmental samples.

Accelerated solvent extraction combined with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction before gas chromatography with mass spectrometry for the sensitive determination of phenols in soil samples.

A method combining accelerated solvent extraction with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction was developed for the first time as a sample pretreatment for the rapid analysis of phenols (including phenol, m-cresol, 2,4-dichlorophenol, and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol) in soil samples. In the accelerated solvent extraction procedure, water was used as an extraction solvent, and phenols were extracted from soil samples into water. The dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction technique was then performed on the obtained aqueous solution. Important accelerated solvent extraction and dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction parameters were investigated and optimized. Under optimized conditions, the new method provided wide linearity (6.1-3080 ng/g), low limits of detection (0.06-1.83 ng/g), and excellent reproducibility (<10%) for phenols. Four real soil samples were analyzed by the proposed method to assess its applicability. Experimental results showed that the soil samples were free of our target compounds, and average recoveries were in the range of 87.9-110%. These findings indicate that accelerated solvent extraction with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction as a sample pretreatment procedure coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry is an excellent method for the rapid analysis of trace levels of phenols in environmental soil samples.

Regulatory role of nucleophosmin during the differentiation of human liver cancer cells.

Nucleophosmin (NPM, also known as B23), mainly localized in the nucleolus, has been reported to be overexpressed in many types of human cancer, including colon, ovarian, prostate and gastric cancer. NPM was identified while screening the differential nuclear matrix proteins during HMBA-induced differentiation of human liver cancer cells. We investigated the aberrant expression and subcellular localization of NPM in clinical liver cancer tissues and a cell line with the aim of providing more evidence for revealing the roles of NPM on regulating liver cancer cell proliferation and differentiation. In addition, we studied the potential interaction between NPM and several important proteins. Our results revealed that NPM protein was overexpressed in cancer cells, which was in accordance with the overexpressed mRNA in cancer tissues compared to the corresponding non-cancer tissues. We also found a decrease of NPM in protein and mRNA levels upon treatment with the differentiation reagent HMBA. We focused on the aberrant localization of NPM. Immunochemistry and immunofluorescence revealed aberrant cytoplasmic and nucleoplasm localization of NPM in liver cancer tissues and its colocalization with c-Myc, c-Fos, P53 and Rb in the SMMC-7721 cell line. The interactions between NPM and the above proteins were confirmed by GST pull-down assay and co-immunoprecipitation assay. These findings indicate that NPM plays a regulatory role in liver cancer, which deserves in-depth investigation.

Sensitive determination of polychlorinated biphenyls in environmental water samples by headspace solid-phase microextraction with bamboo charcoal@iron oxide black fibers prior to gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.

We have investigated the feasibility of bamboo charcoal@iron oxide black for the headspace solid-phase microextraction of polychlorinated biphenyls in environmental water samples. Bamboo charcoal@iron oxide black was prepared and used as a solid-phase microextraction coating material, and gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry was used for detection. Several important factors affecting the extraction efficiency were systematically investigated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the experimental data exhibited wide linear range over the range 0.2-1000 ng/L and low limits of detection in the range of 4.7-22.2 pg/L. The novel coating was successfully used for the enrichment and determination of polychlorinated biphenyls in real environmental water samples. All these results indicated that bamboo charcoal@iron oxide black-based headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry was an excellent alternative for the sensitive analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls at ultratrace levels in the environment.

Preconcentration and determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in environmental water samples by solid-phase microextraction with Fe3O4-coated bamboo charcoal fibers prior to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

In this paper, bamboo charcoals were modified using Fe3O4 nanosheets for the first time. The composites, as a novel solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber coating, were used for the extraction of seven polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in environmental water samples. The extraction factors (stirring rate, extraction time, and ionic strength) and desorption factors (desorption time and desorption temperature) of the fibers were systematically investigated and optimized. Under optimum conditions, the linear range was 1-1000 ng L(-1). Based on the ratio of chromatographic signal to base line noise (SN(-1)=3), the limits of detection (LODs) can reach 0.25-0.62 ng L(-1). The novel method was successful in the analysis of PBDEs in real environmental water samples. The results indicate that bamboo charcoal/Fe3O4 as an SPME coating material coupled with gas chromatography-negative chemical ionization-mass spectrometry is an excellent method for the routine analysis of PBDEs at trace levels in environmental water samples.

Ex vivo relaxation effect of Cuscuta chinensis extract on rabbit corpus cavernosum.

The effect of Cuscuta chinensis extract on the rabbit penile corpus cavernosum (PCC) was evaluated in the present study. Penises obtained from healthy male New Zealand white rabbits (2.5-3.0 kg) were precontracted with phenylephrine (Phe, 10 µmol l(-1)) and then treated with various concentrations of Cuscuta chinensis extract (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 mg ml(-1)). The change in penile tension was recorded, and cyclic nucleotides in the PCC were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA). The interaction between Cuscuta chinensis and sildenafil was also evaluated. The result indicated that the PCC relaxation induced by Cuscuta chinensis extract was concentration-dependent. Pre-treatment with an nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor (Nω nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester, L-NAME), a guanylyl cyclase inhibitor (1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one, ODQ), or a protein kinase A inhibitor (KT 5720) did not completely inhibit the relaxation. Incubation of penile cavernous tissue with the Cuscuta chinensis extract significantly increased cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in the PCC. Moreover, the Cuscuta chinensis extract significantly enhanced sildenafil-induced PCC relaxation. In conclusion, the Cuscuta chinensis extract exerts a relaxing effect on penile cavernous tissue in part by activating the NO-cGMP pathway, and it may improve erectile dysfunction (ED), which does not completely respond to sildenafil citrate.

Metal-organic framework MIL-53(Al) as a solid-phase microextraction adsorbent for the determination of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water samples by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

In this paper, the potential applications of metal-organic framework (MOF) materials as fiber coatings for the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water samples were explored. Fibers coated with MIL-53(Al, Cr, Fe) materials were fabricated by an adhesive method for SPME. The quantitation was performed by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) using the multiple reaction monitoring mode. Among the three MIL-53(M) coatings, MIL-53(Al) showed the highest extraction efficiency towards PAHs under the current fabrication procedure. Under optimized conditions, the MIL-53(Al)-coated fiber showed good precision (relative standard deviation <12.5%), low detection limits (0.10 ng L(-1) to 0.73 ng L(-1), S/N = 3), and good linearity (R(2) > 0.98) for aqueous solutions containing 16 PAH . The fiber also offered high thermal and chemical stability. The method developed based on MIL-53(Al) SPME-GC-MS/MS was successfully applied in the analysis of real water samples. Based on the simulation results, the PAHs were adsorbed on MIL-53(Al) primarily through the hydrophobic and π-π interactions between PAHs and the organic linker of the material. The results presented in this paper indicate that water-stable MOF materials have great potential for the SPME of aromatic compounds in water samples.

Using Zn/Al layered double hydroxide as a novel solid-phase extraction adsorbent to extract polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at trace levels in water samples prior to the determination of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

This paper demonstrates, for the first time, the great potential of using Zn/Al layered double hydroxide intercalated sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (Zn/Al-SDBS-LDH) as a solid-phase extraction (SPE) material in the extraction of persistent organic pollutants prior to the determination of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in environmental water samples. Zn/Al-SDBS-LDH, a relatively inexpensive and simply prepared material, was synthesized and used as a SPE adsorbent to quantitatively determine the concentration of five polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in environmental water samples. Factors affecting extraction efficiency, such as, eluent type, eluent volume, flow rate of sample, sample volume, and amount of adsorbent, were investigated and optimized in detail. Experimental results indicate that there is an excellent linear relationship between peak area and the concentration of PAHs over the range of 5-500 ng L(-1), and the precisions (relative standard deviation (RSD)) were 2.5-6.3% under the optimum conditions. Based on the ratio of chromatographic signal-to-base line noise (S/N = 3), the limits of detection could reach 1.2-3.2 ng L(-1). This novel method was successfully applied to the analysis of PAHs in environmental water samples. As such, we show here that the use of Zn/Al-SDBS-LDH as SPE adsorbent materials, coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, is an excellent improvement in the routine analysis of PAHs at trace levels in the environment.

Localization and altered expression of nucleophosmin in the nuclear matrix during the differentiation of human hepatocarcinoma SMMC-7721 cells induced by HMBA.

Nucleophosmin (NPM1) is frequently upregulated and mutated in various tumor cells. To investigate the mechanism of induced differentiation of tumor cells, the nuclear matrix of human hepatocarcinoma SMMC-7721 cells induced by hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA) was selectively extracted and subjected to proteomic methodologies. We confirmed that NPM1 existed in nuclear matrix proteins and downregulated after HMBA treatment. By using immunogold electromicroscopy, we found that NPM1 was localized on nuclear matrix-intermediate filaments. Our study also revealed the colocalization between NPM1 and products of oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes including c-Fos, c-Myc, p53, and Rb by using laser scanning confocal microscopy in SMMC-7721 cells.

[Comparative analysis of three different surgical approaches to varicocelectomy].

OBJECTIVE: To compare three different surgical approaches to varicocelectomy. METHODS: Eighty-eight cases of varicocelectomy performed in our hospital between January 2006 and January 2008 were divided into an retroperitoneal high ligation group (n = 44), a laparoscopy group (n = 12) and a microsurgery group (n = 32), and retrospectively analyzed for postoperative semen quality, recurrence, early complications, hospital stay, and medical cost. RESULTS: The rates of semen quality improvement were 56.52% (13/23), 66.67% (4/6) and 78.26% (18/23) , the rates of recurrence were 25% (8/32), 22.22% (2/9) and 7.41% (2/27), and the medical costs were RMB yen (1984 +/- 126), (8576 +/- 547) and (2159 +/- 298), respectively, in the retroperitoneal high ligation, laparoscopy and microsurgery groups (P < 0.05). None experienced serious early complications. CONCLUSION: Microsurgery is obviously superior to retroperitoneal high ligation and laparoscopic approaches in improving semen quality and preventing postoperative recurrence, and, with its advantages of minor invasiveness and quick recovery, is preferred by most patients. Laparoscopy, however, ranks highest in medical cost.

Positional and expressive alteration of prohibitin during the induced differentiation of human hepatocarcinoma SMMC-7721 cells.

AIM: To explore the existence and distribution of prohibitin (PHB) in nuclear matrix and its co-localization with products of some related genes during the differentiation of human hepatocarcinoma SMMC-7721 cells. METHODS: The nuclear matrix of the SMMC-7721 cells cultured with or without 5 multiply 10(-3) mmol/L hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA) was selectively extracted. Western blot was used to analyze the expression of PHB in nuclear matrix; immunofluorescence microscope observation was used to analyze the distribution of PHB in cell. LCSM was used to observe the co-localization of PHB with products of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. RESULTS: Western blot analysis showed that PHB existed in the composition of nuclear matrix proteins and was down-regulated by HMBA treatment. Immunofluorescence observation revealed that PHB existed in the nuclear matrix, and its distribution regions and expression levels were altered after HMBA treatment. Laser scanning confocal microscopy revealed the co-localization between PHB and the products of oncogenes or tumor repression genes including c-fos, c-myc, p53 and Rb and its alteration of distributive area in the cells treated by HMBA. CONCLUSION: These data confirm that PHB is a nuclear matrix protein, which is located in the nuclear matrix, and the distribution and expression of PHB and its relation with associated genes may play significant roles during the differentiation of SMMC-7721 cells.