It is not the best option to perform transurethral enucleation of the prostate immediately after biopsy in patients with histological inflammation.

Objective: This study seeks to investigate the impact of histopathological evidence of histological prostatic inflammation (PI) on the surgical outcomes of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) undergoing transurethral bipolar enucleation of the prostate (BiLEP) after biopsy. Methods: We conducted a prospective study in which data were collected from 112 patients with BPH who underwent BiLEP immediately after prostate biopsy at the Department of Urology in our hospital between October 2020 and October 2023. This cohort included 52 patients with histopathological prostatic inflammation (BPH + PI group) and 60 patients with simple BPH (BPH group). Baseline characteristics, surgical details, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life (QoL), post-void residual volume (PVR), maximum flow rate (Qmax), International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5), postoperative pathology results, and surgical complications were compared between the two groups. Results: The study findings indicate that in patients with BPH who underwent BiLEP, various parameters in the BPH + PI group including operation time, intraoperative flushing volume, hemoglobin drop value, postoperative white blood cells, postoperative C-reactive protein, and average pain score at 3 days postoperatively were significantly higher compared to those in the BPH group (p < 0.01). In addition, the IPSS and IIEF-5 scores of the BPH + PI group were significantly worse before surgery and at 2 weeks postoperatively compared to the BPH group (p < 0.01); however, no significant differences were observed between the two groups at 1 and 3 months postoperatively (p > 0.05). At 2 weeks postoperatively, the BPH + PI group exhibited significantly worse outcomes in terms of QoL, PVR, and Qmax compared to the BPH group (p < 0.01). However, there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups at 1 and 3 months postoperatively (p > 0.05). The incidence rates of postoperative complications, such as fever, prostatic capsule perforation, urinary tract irritation, bladder spasm, acute epididymitis, urinary tract infection, and urethral stricture, were higher in the BPH + PI group compared to the BPH group (p < 0.05). Nevertheless, there was no significant difference in the overall complication rates between the two groups (p > 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences observed between the two groups in postoperative irrigation volume, extubation time, hospitalization time, proportion of secondary operations, proportion of bladder injury, and proportion of urinary incontinence (p > 0.05). However, the proportion of reported prostate cancer after surgery in the BPH + PI group was significantly higher than that in the BPH group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Histopathological prostatic inflammation does not have a significant impact on the long-term efficacy of BiLEP surgery immediately after biopsy. However, it does prolong surgery time, increase surgery-related complications, and influence short-term surgical outcomes and patient treatment experience. Therefore, it may be advisable to administer a course of anti-inflammatory treatment before performing BiLEP in such patients. Nevertheless, further high-quality studies are necessary to validate this approach.

The impact of whole-process visualization collaborative nursing discussions education on perioperative symptoms and emotional well-being in radical prostatectomy patients.

OBJECTIVE: Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignant neoplasms in elderly males, with radical prostatectomy being the established therapeutic approach for localized disease. Patients undergoing this surgical procedure frequently experience increased negative emotions and symptomatology during the perioperative period, likely due to concerns about the illness and its treatment. The present study aims to investigate the effects of a novel educational approach involving a whole-process visualization and collaborative nursing discussions on perioperative symptoms and emotional well-being in radical prostatectomy patients. METHODS: Data were prospectively collected from 310 patients admitted to the hospital between June 2021 and December 2023, all of whom were scheduled to undergo radical prostatectomy. These patients were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (receiving new model education) or the control group (receiving conventional education), with 155 patients in each group. The study compared basic demographic information, anxiety and depression scores, fear of disease progression scores, quality-of-life scores, main symptom scores, and changes in perioperative vital signs between the two groups. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of age, comorbidities, insurance type, education level, income, and tumor history (P > 0.05). Similarly, there were no significant differences in anxiety and depression scores, proportion of patients with anxiety and depression, vital signs, and fear of disease progression scores between the two groups at Time 1 stage (P > 0.05). During stages Time 2 and Time 3, the intervention group exhibited lower anxiety and depression scores, a lower proportion of anxious and depressed patients, as well as significantly reduced blood pressure and heart rate fluctuations compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Following radical prostatectomy, the main symptoms of patients, such as pain, nausea, and fatigue, were assessed using the MADIS Symptom Assessment Scale on days 1-3 post-surgery. The intervention group exhibited significantly lower scores for three symptoms compared to the control group (P < 0.05); at Time 4 stage, the patients in the intervention group also demonstrated significantly improved quality-of-life scores compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Additionally, blood pressure and heart rate of patients returned to baseline levels at Time 4 stage, with no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). Nevertheless, the anxiety and depression scores in the intervention group at the Time 4 stage remained significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Additionally, the fear of disease progression scores in both groups were lower than those at the Time 1 stage, with a more pronounced improvement observed in the intervention group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Patients diagnosed with malignant tumors often experience fear and anxiety regarding the progression of their disease and upcoming surgery, as well as uncertainty surrounding their treatment and prognosis. This heightened emotional distress can contribute to a greater symptom burden during the perioperative period. Utilizing a whole-process visualization and collaborative nursing discussion approach, as compared to traditional communication methods, has been shown to alleviate patients' fears, reduce anxiety and depression, and ultimately lessen the symptom burden experienced during the perioperative phase. Ultimately, this approach can enhance the overall quality of life for patients facing malignant tumors.

Extreme drought along the tropic of cancer (Yunnan section) and its impact on vegetation.

The frequent occurrence of extreme weather events is one of the future prospects of climate change, and how ecosystems respond to extreme drought is crucial for response to climate change. Taking the extreme drought event in the Tropic of Cancer (Yunnan section) during 2009-2010 as a case study, used the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index to analyse the impact of extreme drought on enhanced vegetation index (EVI), leaf area index (LAI) and gross primary productivity (GPP), and to analyzed the post extreme drought vegetation recovery status. The results indicate the following: (1) Due to the cumulative effects of drought and vegetation phenology, vegetation growth in the months of March to May in 2010 was more severely affected. (2) Compared to EVI and LAI, GPP is more sensitive to drought and can accurately indicate areas where drought has impacted vegetation. (3) Following an extreme drought event, 70% of the vegetation can recover within 3 months, while 2.87-6.57% of the vegetation will remain unrecovered after 6 months. (4) Cropland and grassland show the strongest response, with longer recovery times, while woodland and shrubland exhibit weaker responses and shorter recovery times. This study provides a reference for the effects of extreme drought on vegetation.

Anti-proliferative effect of Cannabidiol in Prostate cancer cell PC3 is mediated by apoptotic cell death, NFκB activation, increased oxidative stress, and lower reduced glutathione status.

Prostate cancer is the second most frequent cancer diagnosed in men in the world today. Almost all prostate cancers are adenocarcinomas and develop from gland cells. We used the PC3 prostate cancer cell line, which is well studied and derived from a bone metastasis of a grade IV prostatic adenocarcinoma. Cannabidiol (CBD), a major non-psychoactive constituent of cannabis, is a cannabinoid with anti-tumor properties but its effects on prostate cancer cells are not studied in detail. Here, we found cannabidiol decreased prostate cancer cell (PC3) viability up to 37.25% and induced apoptotic cell death in a time and dose-dependent manner. We found that CBD activated the caspases 3/7 pathways and increased DNA fragmentation. Furthermore, we observed an increase of pro-apoptotic genes Bax, an increased level of reactive oxygen species, lower reduced glutathione level, and altered mitochondrial potential in response to CBD treatment leading to lower cellular ATP. Overall, our results suggest that CBD may be effective against prostate cancer cells.

Developing and validating utility parameters to establish patient-reported outcome-based perioperative symptom management in patients undergoing prostatectomy: a multicentre, prospective, observational cohort study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Symptom monitoring and alerting based on patient-reported outcomes have proven valuable in a postoperative setting. However, the parameters of the implemented patient-centred symptom management system for patients with prostate cancer (PC) remain unclear. This study aims to develop a perioperative symptom scale (PSS) to monitor symptoms, determine the appropriate timing for symptom assessment and establish intervention criteria for physicians. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will prospectively recruit 387 patients undergoing PC surgery in 3 hospitals. The Chinese version of the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI) will be used for longitudinal symptom data collection, presurgery and 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21, 28, 42 and 90 days post surgery. A PSS will be generated when symptoms change significantly over time. A linear mixed model will be used to determine appropriate follow-up time points. The functional status determined by MDASI interference can then be used to establish alarm thresholds. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study was approved by the Lishui Municipal Central Hospital Ethics Committee on 13 April 2022 (No. LSMCHEC-2022-54) and the Ethics Committee of Huzhou Central Hospital on 5 July 2023 (No. HZCHEC-202306017-01), the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou Normal College on 20 June 2023 (No. HZYYEC-2023KYLL055). The latest protocol used in this study was V.2.0, dated on 25 February 2023. Before publication in a peer-reviewed journal, our findings will be presented and discussed at relevant medical conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR2200059110.

RAD54L promotes progression of hepatocellular carcinoma via the homologous recombination repair pathway.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor with high incidence worldwide. The underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. The DNA metabolic process of homologous recombination repair (HRR) has been linked to a high probability of tumorigenesis and drug resistance. This study aimed to determine the role of HRR in HCC and identify critical HRR-related genes that affect tumorigenesis and prognosis. A total of 613 tumor and 252 para-carcinoma tissue samples were collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) to obtain differentially expressed genes (DEGs). HRR-related genes were assessed using gene enrichment and pathway analyses. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method in the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis portal. The levels of RAD54L in the HRR pathway were detected by RT-qPCR and western blotting in para-carcinoma and HCC tissues and in L02 normal human liver cells and Huh7 HCC cells. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed on the clinical specimens to determine the connection between gene expression and clinical features. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the HRR pathway was enriched in HCC tissues. Upregulation of HRR pathway DEGs in HCC tissues was positively correlated with tumor pathological staging and negatively associated with patient overall survival. RAD54B, RAD54L, and EME1 genes in the HRR pathway were screened as markers for predicting HCC prognosis. RT-qPCR identified RAD54L as the most significantly expressed of the three genes. Western blotting and IHC quantitative analyses further demonstrated that RAD54L protein levels were higher in HCC tissues. IHC analysis of 39 pairs of HCC and para-carcinoma tissue samples also revealed an association between RAD54L and Edmondson-Steiner grade and the proliferation-related gene Ki67. The collective findings positively correlate RAD54L in the HRR signaling pathway with HCC staging and implicate RAD54L as a marker to predict HCC progression.

Personalized downstaging treatment with ADT, chemotherapy and add-on zimberelimab for very-high-risk clinically localized prostate cancer: A case report.

RATIONALE: Very-high-risk prostate cancer (PCa) is associated with poor prognosis. Radical prostatectomy (RP) is an option for selected high-risk PCa cases, especially in younger, healthier patients. However, a high Gleason score and high T stage can increase the risk of RP. Neoadjuvant therapy has been reported in high- or very-high-risk PCa, but its clinical use remains controversial. DIAGNOSES AND PATIENT CONCERNS: A 53-year-old male patient diagnosed with PCa was referred to our hospital. The patient's Gleason score was 4 + 5, and the clinical stage was T4N0M0, with an abnormally enlarged prostate adhering to the rectum and leading to decreased mobility of the rectum, suggesting a very-high-risk PCa inappropriate for RP. However, instead of external beam radiation therapy, which is the standard treatment for inoperable PCa, the patient insisted on RP. INTERVENTIONS: Androgen deprivation therapy plus docetaxel was chosen as the first downstaging treatment; however, the tumor was too slightly downsized to undergo RP. Therefore, zimberelimab was added after confirmation of a genomic feature of high microsatellite instability and high tumor mutational burden status. OUTCOMES: After 4 doses of zimberelimab, the prostate shrank significantly. The patient successfully completed RP after another dose of zimberelimab, and achieved a pathological complete response (pCR). LESSONS: Our case represents a successful attempt at personalized treatment and provides preliminary evidence for the clinical use of downstaging therapy of androgen deprivation therapy, chemotherapy, and add-on zimberelimab for very-high-risk clinically localized PCa.

Circulating tumor cell quantification during abiraterone plus prednisone therapy may estimate survival in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients.

PURPOSE: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) predict survival in response to different interventions in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients. This study aimed to explore the dynamic change in CTCs during abiraterone plus prednisone therapy and its optimal threshold for prognostication in mCRPC patients. METHODS: CTCs in blood samples from mCRPC patients (N = 98) at baseline and in the 2nd month after abiraterone plus prednisone treatment initiation (M2) were enumerated by using the CellSearch System. RESULTS: CTCs were detected in 64.8% of mCRPC patients at baseline with a median value (interquartile range) of 2.0 (0.0-4.0). Elevated CTC count was related to visceral metastasis (P = 0.003), high alkaline phosphatase (P = 0.043), and high lactate dehydrogenase (P = 0.007). Baseline CTC ≥ 1 (vs. < 1) was only associated with shortened radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) (P = 0.043); additionally, baseline CTC ≥ 5 (vs. < 5) was linked with unfavorable rPFS (P = 0.037) and overall survival (OS) (P = 0.021). Following the therapy, CTCs were reduced at M2 (P < 0.001). Notably, CTC ≥ 1 (vs. < 1) (P = 0.002) and CTC ≥ 5 (vs. < 5) (P < 0.001) at M2 were related to shortened rPFS according to the Kaplan‒Meier curves, and they could independently estimate deteriorative rPFS in the multivariate Cox regression (P = 0.043 and P = 0.027, respectively). Similarly, CTC ≥ 1 (vs. < 1) (P = 0.022) and CTC ≥ 5 (vs. < 5) (P = 0.002) at M2 were related to shortened OS, whereas only CTC ≥ 5 (vs. < 5) could independently predict unfavorable OS (P = 0.017). CONCLUSION: CTC count ≥ 5 at M2 exhibits excellent prognostic value for abiraterone plus prednisone therapy in mCRPC patients.

Mesenchymal stem cells improve liver fibrosis and protect hepatocytes by promoting microRNA-148a-5p-mediated inhibition of Notch signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered to be a potential therapeutic tool for liver fibrosis. Inhibiting the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and protecting hepatocytes are important mechanisms for the anti-fibrotic effect of MSCs. However, how MSCs inhibit liver fibrosis by regulating the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) has not been fully clarified. METHODS: Transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1)-activated HSCs LX-2 were single cultured or co-cultured with human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUC-MSCs). High-throughput sequencing was used to evaluate the differentially expressed microRNAs (DEMs) between the two groups. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), Western blot, and transfection experiments were used to investigate and screen the most significantly up-regulated DEM. Bioinformatics analysis was used to predict the target mRNAs and the potential functions of the DEM. The possible mechanism of HUC-MSCs against liver fibrosis was analyzed by co-culture experiment of HUC-MSCs with LX-2 cells, and HUC-MSCs treatment of Bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced liver fibrosis in mice. Finally, the mechanism of the DEM regulating liver fibrosis was confirmed in human liver fibrosis specimens. RESULTS: MicroRNA-148a-5p (miR-148a-5p) was the most significantly up-regulated DEM in activated LX-2 cells co-cultured with HUC-MSCs compared with LX-2 cells single cultured. Up-regulation of the expression of miR-148a-5p in activated LX-2 cells could significantly inhibit the expression of hepatic fibrosis markers α-SMA and Col1α1. Notch2 was one target gene of miR-148a-5p. Co-cultured with HUC-MSCs could inhibit the activation of LX-2 cells by inhibiting the expression of the Notch2 and the Notch signaling pathway. In addition, HUC-MSCs treatment could up-regulate the expression of miR-148a-5p in liver tissue and hepatocytes, promote the proliferation and avoid the apoptosis of hepatocytes, and reduce the degree of fibrosis by inhibiting expression of the Notch2 and the Notch signaling pathway in BDL-induced liver fibrosis mice. Moreover, miR-148a-5p was down-regulated and Notch2 was up-regulated in fibrotic human liver tissues compared with the normal livers. CONCLUSIONS: HUC-MSCs treatment could inhibit HSCs activation, protect hepatocytes, and alleviate BDL-induced liver fibrosis in mice by up-regulating the expression of miR-148-5p and inhibiting the Notch signaling pathway. The down-regulation of miR-148-5p and up-regulation of Notch2 could be used as biomarkers to monitor the progression of liver fibrosis.

Long non-coding RNA SOX21-AS1 modulates lung cancer progress upon microRNA miR-24-3p/PIM2 axis.

Lung cancer is a lethal cancer that threatens human health. Several studies have demonstrated the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in lung cancer. SOX21-AS1 is a newly discovered oncogenic lncRNA, but its molecular mechanism in lung cancer is not known. Here, the levels of SOX21-AS1, miR-24-3p, and PIM2 were examined in lung cancer and normal tissues. The relationships between miR-24-3p and SOX21-AS1 or PIM2 were predicted using bioinformatics tools and confirmed using a luciferase reporter assays. Colony formation, MTT, flow cytometry, and transwell assays were conducted to analyze cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion abilities, respectively. Western blotting was used to measure PIM2 expression levels in cancer tissues and cells. SOX21-AS1 expression levels were high in lung cancer tissues and cells. In contrast, the amount of miR-24-3p bound to SOX21-AS1 was relatively low in cancerous tissues and cells. The knockdown of SOX21-AS1 decreased cell proliferation, activated apoptosis, and promoted cell migration and invasion. These effects were abolished by miR-24-3p inhibition. The oncogenic function of SOX21-AS1 mediated through targeting miR-24-3p was also demonstrated in animal models. PIM2 was targeted by miR-24-3p and showed increased levels in tumor tissues and cells. Furthermore, miR-24-3p overexpression inhibited the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of lung cancer cells. In lung cancer cells, SOX21-AS1 negatively modulated the miR-24-3p/PIM2 axis to facilitate their proliferation, migration, and invasion. These findings offer a novel idea for future research on treating lung cancer at the molecular level.

Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Ameliorate Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation and Liver Fibrosis by Upregulating MicroRNA-455-3p through Suppression of p21-Activated Kinase-2.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were shown to have potential therapeutic effects for treatment of liver fibrosis, and dysregulated expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) played a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis by regulating their downstream target genes. However, the mechanism by which MSCs affect the progression of liver fibrosis by regulating miRNA expression remains unclear. Here, we investigated whether human umbilical cord MSCs (HUC-MSCs) attenuated hepatic fibrosis by regulating miR-455-3p and its target gene. Significantly upregulated miRNA (miR-455-3p) was screened out by GEO datasets analysis and coculture HUC-MSCs with hepatic stellate cell (HSC) LX-2 cells. p21-activated kinase-2 (PAK2) was forecasted to be the target gene of miR-455-3p by bioinformatics analyses and confirmed by luciferase reporter assay. HUC-MSCs were transplanted into mice with carbon tetrachloride- (CCl4-) induced liver fibrosis, the result showed that HUC-MSC transplantation significantly ameliorated the severity of CCl4-induced liver fibrosis, attenuated collagen deposition, improved liver function by reducing the expression of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in serum, upregulated miR-455-3p, and suppressed PAK2 expression of liver tissue in mice. Taken together, our study suggests that HUC-MSCs inhibit the activation of HSCs and mouse CCl4-induced liver fibrosis by upregulation of miR-455-3p through targeting PAK2.

Biosorption properties of hexavalent chromium on to biomass of tobacco-leaf residues.

Equilibrium isotherms of Cr(VI) uptake by tobacco-leaf residues, under controlled solution pH and temperature, were obtained with batch uptake experiments. Batch uptake kinetics under different initial Cr(VI) concentrations was also obtained. The results showed that Cr(VI) uptake capacities of the tobacco-leaf residues were up to 113.2 mg g(-1) (dry wt). The uptake capacity was found to be dependent on solution pH and the maximum values were obtained at a pH of around 1.0. On the other hand, the effect of temperature the uptake capacity was found to be small. All equilibrium isotherms were well correlated with the standard Langmuir equation. Kinetics profiles showed that the uptake process was fast, and equilibrium was reached within 30 minutes of mixing contact. The role of polyphenols in Cr(VI) biosorption was studied and the results indicated that complex formation with Cr(VI) may be an important mechanism for Cr(VI) removal. The study indicated that abundantly available tobacco-leaf residues can be used as efficient biosorbent materials for Cr(VI) removal from wastewater.