[ZEB2 Regulates the Migration and Invasion of PANC-1 Pancreatic Cancer Cells: An Experimental Study].

Objective: To investigate the effects and mechanisms of zinc finger E-box binding homeobox transcription factor-2 ( ZEB2) on the proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion abilities and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of PANC-1 cells, a human pancreatic cancer cell line. Methods: Data on the expression of ZEB2 in pancreatic cancer tissues and paracancerous tissues from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were analyzed. PANC-1 pancreatic cancer cells were divided into si-NC group, si- ZEB2 group, pcDNA3.1 group, and pcDNA3.1- ZEB2 group. qRT-PCR and Western blot were conducted to confirm the effectiveness of ZEB2 knockdown or overexpression. CCK-8, colony formation, wound healing, and Transwell assays were conducted to examine the effects of ZEB2 on the proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion of PANC-1 cells. qRT-PCR and immunofluorescence assays were performed to examine the expression of E-cadherin and vimentin, the EMT markers, in the cells. Prediction of proteins interacting with ZEB2 was made through the STRING database. Results: TCGA database analysis showed that the expression level of ZEB2 in pancreatic cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in adjacent tissues ( P<0.05). Compared with those of cells in the control group, the proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion of cells in the si- ZEB2 group were decreased ( P<0.05). Compared with those of cells in the pcDNA3.1 group, the proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion of cells in the pcDNA3.1- ZEB2 group were increased (all P<0.05). According to the results of qRT-PCR and immunofluorescence assays, compared with those of the si-NC group, the expression of E-cadherin mRNA, an epithelial marker, in the si- ZEB2 group increased, while the expression of vimentin mRNA, an mesenchymal marker, and the protein decreased. Compared with those of the pcDNA3.1 group, the expression of E-cadherin mRNA in the PANC-1 cells of the pcDNA3.1- ZEB2 group decreased, while the expression of vimentin mRNA and the protein increased (all P<0.05). Analysis with the STRING database predicted that 10 proteins had close interaction with ZEB2. Conclusion: Overexpression of ZEB2 promotes the migration, invasion, and the EMT process of PANC-1 pancreatic cancer cells.

The value of ultrasound guided laser ablation in papillary thyroid recurrence carcinoma: A retrospective, single center study from China.

Objective: The efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided percutaneous laser ablation (PLA) for treating recurrent papillary thyroid cancer nodules (RPTCNs). Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in 43 patients with single recurrent thyroid cancer which was diagnosed by fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). The extent of ablation was assessed by contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) 24h after PLA. At baseline (before ablation), 6, and 12 months, and every 6 months thereafter, the following were recorded: nodule maximum diameter, volume reduction rate (VRR), complications, and side effects. Result: All 43 patients were successfully treated with PLA without serious complications. All patients underwent CEUS 24 hours after PLA treatment, and all achieved complete ablation. The success rate of single ablation was 100%. The average follow-up time was 23.47 ± 6.50 months, 12 ~ 36 months. At the last follow-up, 32 (74.4%) ablation lesions disappeared completely and 11 (25.6%) ablation lesions showed scar-like changes. No lymph node metastasis was found during follow-up. The maximum diameter and volume of nodules decreased from 5.1 ± 1.4 mm, 86.22 ± 20.46 mm3 before operation to 0.73 ± 1.1 mm, 1.02 ± 1.92 mm3 at the end of observation (P < 0.01). The average volume reduction rates (VRR) at 6, 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 months after ablation were 11.92%, 60.64%, 82.26%, 90.96%, 93.7% and 97.79% respectively. No regrowth of treated nodule and distant metastases were detected. One patient (2.3%) had local recurrence and was treated with PLA again. Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided PLA appears to be effective and safe for treating unifocal RPTCNs in selected patients who are ineligible for surgery, which is suitable for clinical application and promotion.

microRNA-10a-5p overexpression suppresses malignancy of colon cancer by regulating human liver cancer fibroblasts.

The crosstalk between tumor and stroma plays a critical role in cancer metastasis. However, the function of miR-10a-5p on liver fibroblasts in the metastatic microenvironment of colon cancer (CC) and the effect of activated fibroblasts on CC cells are still unclear. In our study, miR-10a-5p overexpression inhibited the proliferation, migration, and IL-6/IL-8 level of LX-2 cells and human liver cancer fibroblasts (HLCFs). Moreover, miR-10a-5p had lower expression in HLCFs than in human liver normal fibroblasts (HLNFs). The conditioned medium (CM) from LX-2 cells with miR-10a-5p overexpression or HLNFs could inhibit the invasion, migration, and stemness of CC SW480 cells, whereas HLCFs CM could promote these malignant phenotypes of SW480 cells. The present study illustrates the effect of miR-10a-5p on the liver fibroblasts and the altered liver fibroblasts in the microenvironment on CC cells induced by miR-10a-5p, which may aid the understanding of the mechanisms underlying CC liver metastasis.

Circ-sirt1 inhibits growth and invasion of gastric cancer by sponging miR-132-3p/miR-212-3p and upregulating sirt1 expression.

circRNAs have been considered as a rising factor in cancers. However, the roles and mechanisms of circ-sirt1 in gastric cancer (GC) remain largely unknown. In this study, we found that the expressions of sirt1 and circ-sirt1 are decreased in tissues or serums of GC patients by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). The expressions of miR-132-3p/miR-212-3p showed an opposite tendency in these samples. The co-transfection of miR-132-3p/miR-212-3p mimics counteracted the enhancement of sirt1 expression induced by circ-sirt1. The results of cell colony-formation assay and transwell assays demonstrated that the proliferation, migration, and invasion activities of BGC-823 cells were inhibited by circ-sirt1 overexpression or miR-132-3p/miR-212-3p knockdown, respectively. The xenograft tumor model result indicated that the circ-sirt1 overexpression suppressed the tumor growth of BGC-823 cells. The regulation of miR-132-3p/miR-212-3p between circ-sirt1 and sirt1 was verified in the mice tumor tissues. Thus, circ-sirt1 inhibited tumor growth and invasion probably by sponging miR-132-3p/miR-212-3p and upregulating sirt1 expression in GC. These findings may provide a theoretical basis for the classification of GC and a novel therapeutic target for GC patients.

[Modeling of Abdominal Wall-Cecum Injury Adhesion and the Anti-adhesion Mechanism of mXG].

OBJECTIVE: To construct the adhesion model of abdominal wall-cecum injury and explore the prevention and treatment effect of modified xyloglucan (mXG) thermosensitive hydrogel on abdominal wall-cecal injury adhesion. METHODS: SD rats were used to construct the abdominal wall-cecal injury adhesion model. Model mice were randomly divided into blank control group (Control), commercial chitosan membrane Control group (Film) and mXG thermosensitive hydrogel group (Hydrogel), each group contained 16 rats.In the Hydrogel group, 1 mL 4% (m/V) mXG solution was smeared on the wound surface of abdominal wall and the cecum, then closed the abdomen after gel was formed (3 min).In the Film group, 2 cm×3 cm chitosan anti-adhesion Film was applied onto the wound surface of the abdominal wall before abdominal closure.In the Control group, 1 mL normal saline was applied onto the wound surface of abdominal wall and the cecum before abdominal closure.On 7 and 14 d after the operation, rats'abdominal cavity was opened by surgery to examine and score the adhesion grade between the abdominal wall and the cecum, with double-blind design.Meanwhile, the adhesion tissue or wound tissue was taken and stained by HE, Masson and Van Gieson to histological evaluate the anti-adhesion effect.The expression of transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) was determined by immunohistochemical staining as well. Another group of 12 SD rat models were subjected to mXG thermosensitive hydrogel intervention.At the 1 and 6 weeks postoperation, rats main organs such as heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidney were taken for histological examination with HE staining for the purpose of evaluation the toxicity of mXG in vivo. RESULTS: Adhesion grade evaluation results showed that Film group rats occurred mild adhesion, Control group rats occurred severe adhesion, while in Hydrogel group hardly rats occured adhesion, and the differences were statistically significant(P < 0.05). Histological results showed that the Hydrogel group rats recovered well at 7 d after surgery.In healing wound tissue, no mutated tissue was observed, but a certain degree of inflammatory cell infiltration was still existed. At 14 d after surgery, the inflammation cells in the wound were significantly reduced, and the healing tissue containing only a small amount of collagen fibers under the neonatal mesothelial layer.But the other two groups showed different degrees of adhesion at the 7 and 14 d post surgery.Immunohistochemical staining showed that the expression of TGF-ß1 and CTGF in the Hydrogel group were both weaker than those in the other groups, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). In vivo toxicity tests did not show significant changes in the structure of the organs of mXG gel intervention rats at different time points. CONCLUSION: mXG thermosensitive hydrogel plays a good role in physical isolation during the key period of adhesion formation and effectively prevent the occurrence of cecum-abdominal adhesion.

[Change in E-cadherin, alpha-, beta- and gamma-catenin expression after hyperthermia of a human colon carcinoma cell line in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate changes in E-cadherin, alpha-, beta-, and gamma-catenin expression after hyperthermia of a human colon cancer cell line in vitro. METHODS: E-cadherin and alpha-, beta-, and gamma-catenin expression on a human colon carcinoma cell line HT29 at 7 successive times after hyperthermia at 43 degrees C for 60 min were investigated in vitro by RT-PCR and immunochemistry. RESULTS: In vitro studies revealed that E-cadherin expression had increased significantly on HT29 cells at 24 hours after hyperthermia at 43 degrees C for 60 min. In a time-course analysis, the expression of E-cadherin had major increase at 24 to 72 hours after hyperthermia compared with an unheated control cell. gamma-catenin expression had increased significantly at 8 to 72 hours. After hyperthermia at 43 degrees C for 60 min, beta-catenin expression had decreased gradually at 4 hours to 72 hours. alpha-catenin expression kept unchanged after hyperthermia. CONCLUSION: Hyperthermia at 43C for 60 min upregulated E-cadherin and gamma-catenin expressions but downregulated beta-catenin expression on colon carcinoma cells in vitro. alpha-catenin expression was not regulated by hyperthermia.

[Analysis of prognostic factors of rectal cancer in the elderly].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: The relation between patient age and outcomes from colorectal cancer surgery is complex. It is generally believed that age should not be a determinant in consideration of prognosis for colorectal cancer patient. But there were few studies on the prognostic factors of rectal cancer in the elderly. We therefore performed a retrospective analysis of clinicopathologic characteristics of rectal cancer in 343 old patients with rectal cancer by univariate and multivariate analysis. METHODS: A total of 343 patients (older than 60 years) with rectal cancer were treated surgically during a period of 10 years. R0, R1, and R2 operations were carried out in 261 patients (76.09%), 29 patients (8.45%), and 53 patients (15.45%), respectively. Low anterior resection was performed in 116 patients; 169 patients underwent Miles operation; 58 patients underwent the other operations. RESULTS: The operation mortality was 0.87%; 149 patients died of occurrence or metastases of the tumor within 108 months postoperatively. Liver, lung, and bone metastases were occurred in 17, 18, and 1 patients, respectively. The mean survival time for all patients was 72.12+/-2.60 months and the overall 3-, 5-, and 10-year survival rates were 69.62%, 55.73%, and 34.23%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that the predictors of survival were type of operations, radical resection, histological type, diameter of the tumors, depth of tumor invasion, lymphatic invasion, distance metastases, liver and lung metastases. Multivariate analysis showed that only radical resection, lymphatic invasion, liver and lung metastases were independent factors. CONCLUSION: The follow prognostic factors can influence the survival of rectal cancer in the elderly: type of operations, nature of operation, histological type, diameter of the tumors, depth of tumor invasion, lymphatic invasion, distance metastases, liver and lung metastases. The independent factors were nature of operation, lymphatic invasion, liver and lung metastases.

[Multivariate Cox analysis on prognostic factors after surgery for rectal carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze a large cohort of patients with rectal cancer within a cancer center to determine the prognostic factors by univariate and multivariate analyses. METHODS: A total of 952 patients with rectal cancer were treated surgically during a period of 10 years. R0, R1 and R2 operations were carried out in 741 patients (77.8%), 75 patients (7.9%) and 136 patients (14.3%), respectively. There were more Miles operation (53.5%) than lower abdominal resection (LAR, 33.7%). RESULTS: The operation mortality was 0.3%, 418 patients were dead within 108 months postoperatively due to recurrence or metastases to liver, lung and bone in 53, 39 and 12 patients. The overall mean survival time for all patients was 73.52 +/- 1.70 months and the overall 3-, 5-and 10-year survival rates were 67.6%, 55.4% and 38.2%. The overall 3-, 5- and 10-year survival rates for patients treated by radical operation were 81.4%, 70.3%, 48.8%, respectively. Kaplan-Meier estimate showed that patient gender, age, radicality of resection, histological type, liver and pulmonary metastasis and TNM stage were the predictors of survival. Multivariate analysis showed statistically significant correlation with radicality of operation, histological type, depth of tumor invasion, lymphatic invasion, TNM stage, liver and pulmonary metastasis. CONCLUSION: For survival, statistically significant differences among prognostic factors in relation to radicality of resection, lymphatic invasion, TNM stage, depth of tumor invasion, histological type, liver and pulmonary metastasis are found.