TRIM52 positively mediates NF-κB to promote the growth of human benign prostatic hyperplasia cells through affecting TRAF2 ubiquitination.

AIMS: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a progressive disease, which severely affects men's health. Here, we sought to analyze the functions and mechanism of action of the tripartite motif protein 52 (TRIM52), a novel prostate basal cell biomarker in BPH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immunohistochemistry assay was performed in sectioned human BPH tissues, BPH-1 cells, and prostate RWPE-1 cells, to detect the expressions of TRIM52 and NF-κB. Western blotting and qRT-PCR analyses were conducted to measure the relative protein and mRNA expression levels, respectively. Further, lentiviral transfection was performed in BPH-1 and RWPE-1 cells to study the overexpression and siRNA knockdown of TRIM52. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was applied to evaluate the relationship between NF-κB and TRIM52. Furthermore, CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry were employed to analyze cell proliferation and apoptosis. KEY FINDINGS: TRIM52 and NF-κB levels were elevated in BPH tissues, and TRIM52 expression positively correlated with NF-κB expression. TRIM52 silencing suppressed the growth of BPH-1 cells and decreased the promoter activity of NF-κB. Moreover, the NF-κB inhibitor, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), suppressed TRIM52-induced proliferation of RWPE-1 cells and inhibited NF-κB promoter activity in oeTRIM52 transfected RWPE-1 cells. Silencing TRIM52 also inhibited TRAF2 ubiquitination in BPH-1 cells. Further, NF-κB promoter activity in siNC transfected cells was enhanced by the recombinant protein TNF-α and inhibited by siTRIM52. SIGNIFICANCE: TRIM52 accelerated the growth of BPH-1 cells by upregulating NF-κB, and TRIM52 could promote TRAF2 ubiquitination. These findings might contribute to the understanding of the biological functions and action mechanisms of TRIM52 in BPH.

Traditional Chinese Herb Combined with Surgery versus Surgery for Varicocele Infertility: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review to assess the effectiveness and safety of traditional Chinese herb combined with surgery for male varicocele infertility compared to surgery. Methods. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) data of traditional Chinese herbs combined with surgery for male varicocele fertility versus surgery were collected by searching the Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, and Chinese databases. The risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane Handbook. Study outcomes were presented as risk ratios (RRs) for dichotomous data. Results. Seventeen of 72 potentially relevant trials met the inclusion criteria. The methodological qualities of the RCTs were low. Compared with the surgery group, the traditional Chinese herb combined with surgery group had superiority in pregnancy rate at 3-month (RR = 1.76, and P = 0.008), 6-month (RR = 1.58, and P = 0.0005), and 2-year (RR = 1.58, and P = 0.0005) follow-ups. No RCT was found to describe the side effects. Conclusion. On considering the low methodological quality of RCTs, there was no enough evidence on traditional Chinese herb with surgery for male varicocele infertility, and more high-quality RCTs of large sample sizes are required.

Breast cancer detection by mapping hemoglobin concentration and oxygen saturation.

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic imaging technology provides a new modality for measuring changes in total hemoglobin concentration (HbT) and blood oxygen saturation (SO2) in human tissue. The technology can be used to detect breast cancer because cancers may cause greater vascularization and greater oxygen consumption than in normal tissue. Based on the NIR technology, ViOptix, Inc., has developed an optical device that provides two-dimensional mapping of HbT and SO2 in human tissue. As an adjunctive tool to mammography, the device was preliminarily tested in a clinical trial with 50 mammogram-positive patients at the Massachusetts General Hospital. The results of the clinical trial demonstrate that the device can reach as much as 92% diagnostic sensitivity and 67% specificity in detecting ductal carcinoma. These results may indicate that the NIR technology can potentially be used as an adjunct to mammography for breast cancer detection to reduce the number of biopsies performed.