Influence of ABC stroke score on late recurrence of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation following radiofrequency catheter ablation.

BACKGROUND: In this study we investigated the impact of ABC stroke score on the recurrence of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) following radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA). METHODS: A total of 132 patients with PAF who underwent RFCA from October 2018 to September 2019 were included in this study. During the first phase of this study the patients were categorized into two groups based on late recurrence of atrial fibrillation after RFCA. In the second phase, the patients were further divided into two groups based on whether their ABC stroke score was ≥ 6.5. RESULT: The univariate analysis indicated that the risk factors for late recurrence of PAF included early recurrence, ABC stroke score, CHA2DS2-VASc score, and NT-proBNP (P < 0.05). Cox multivariate regression analysis revealed that ABC stroke score (P = 0.006) and early recurrence (P = 0.000) were independent predictors of late recurrence, and ABC stroke score ≥ 6.5 was a risk for predicting recurrence of PAF after RFCA with a sensitivity of 66.7% and specificity of 65.7%. After the completion of the 1:1 matching, the univariate Cox analysis indicated that an elevated score of ABC stroke (≥ 6.5) was an independent predictor of late recurrence of PAF (HR = 2.687, 95% CI: 1.036-6.971, P = 0.042). However, using an ABC stroke score cut off at 6.4 predicted the recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmia with 85% sensitivity and 58.5% specificity. CONCLUSION: An ABC stroke score ≥ 6.4 is a predictor for late recurrence of PAF after RFCA.

Does Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia also cause bone destruction? A rare case report.

Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM) is a rare type of malignant B-cell lymphoma. The main feature of WM is elevated serum monoclonal immunoglobulin M, similar to multiple myeloma (MM). Unlike in MM, the rarity of destructive bone lesions in WM has been repeatedly emphasized. We report a unique case of WM with a vertebral compression fracture as the first symptom. This case highlights that the presence or absence of bone destruction may not clearly distinguish between WM and MM. The possibility of WM should be considered in patients with vertebral fracture and destruction as the first presentation. Performing vertebral bone marrow aspiration biopsy during percutaneous vertebroplasty is a convenient and effective method to assist in the diagnosis of WM.

A case of giant Ewing's sarcoma (EES)/primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) of the cervicothoracic junction in children with incomplete paralysis of both lower limbs: Case report and literature review.

Background: Extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma/primary neuroectodermal tumor (EES/PNET) is a rare, malignant, small round blue cell tumor, which usually involves the larynx, kidneys, and esophagus. The most common metastatic sites are lung and bone. The incidence of epidural EES/PNET was 0.9%, and a detailed search of the PubMed literature found only 7 case reports of epidural ESS/PNET at the cervicothoracic junction in children. Case description: We report a case of epidural ESS/PNET at the cervicothoracic junction in a child with chest and back pain as the first symptom, which worsened after half a year and developed incomplete paralysis of both lower extremities and urinary incontinence. She underwent emergency surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and died of lung metastases 8 months after surgery. Conclusion: Primary epidural tumors are mostly benign, such as spinal meningiomas and neuromas. Contrary to what has been previously thought, we report a case of malignant epidural EES/PNET at the cervicothoracic junction without bone destruction; The rarity of epidural EES/PNET at the cervicothoracic junction in children has led to a lack of data, particularly on prognostic factors and recurrence patterns. Due to the difficulty of early diagnosis and high mortality, spine surgeons must explore and increase their awareness of this disease.

The membrane-associated E3 ubiquitin ligase MARCH3 downregulates the IL-6 receptor and suppresses colitis-associated carcinogenesis.

The IL-6-STAT3 axis is critically involved in inflammation-associated carcinogenesis (IAC). How this axis is regulated to modulate IAC remains unknown. Here, we show that the plasma membrane-associated E3 ubiquitin ligase MARCH3 negatively regulates STAT3 activation triggered by IL-6, as well as another IL-6 subfamily member, Oncostatin M (OSM). MARCH3 is associated with the IL-6 receptor α-chain (IL-6Rα) and its coreceptor gp130. Biochemical experiments indicated that MARCH3 mediates the polyubiquitination of IL-6Rα at K401 and gp130 at K849 following IL-6 stimulation, leading to their translocation to and degradation in lysosomes. MARCH3 deficiency increases IL-6- and OSM-triggered activation of STAT3 and induction of downstream effector genes in various cell types. MARCH3 deficiency enhances dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced STAT3 activation, increases the expression of inflammatory cytokines, and exacerbates colitis, as well as azoxymethane (AOM)/DSS-induced colitis-associated cancer in mice. In addition, MARCH3 is downregulated in human colorectal cancer tissues and associated with poor survival across different cancer types. Our findings suggest that MARCH3 is a pivotal negative regulator of IL-6-induced STAT3 activation, inflammation, and inflammation-associated carcinogenesis.

Tunable fabrication of biomimetic polypropylene nanopillars with robust superhydrophobicity and antireflectivity.

The fine nanopillars on the natural cicada wing, which exhibits outstanding superhydrophobicity and anti-reflectivity, are carefully observed and analyzed. Here, a promising strategy by combining anodic aluminum oxide template and hot embossing is proposed for rapidly and efficiently mimicking the orderly and densely arranged nanopillars on the cicada wing surface to polypropylene (PP) surfaces. By adjusting the compression pressure, the nanostructures on the PP replica surface gradually evolve from nanoprotrusion-like features to nanopillar-like features so that a gradient wetting behavior from hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity and further to superhydrophobicity appears on the PP replica surfaces. Specifically, the biomimetic PP replica surface exhibits a contact angle of 159 ± 3° and a rolling angle of 8 ± 3° at a compression pressure of 15 MPa. Moreover, the biomimetic PP replica surface can stabilize its superhydrophobic state under a 1.96 kPa external pressure during the dynamic droplet impact. Besides robust dynamic superhydrophobicity, the biomimetic PP replica surface also demonstrated excellent anti-reflectivity because of the gradually changed effective refractive index. Therefore, the biomimetic PP replica inherits both the superhydrophobicity and anti-reflectivity of the natural cicada wing, which makes the products can effectively reduce the external damage when applied to agricultural films, dustproof films, and packaging materials.

Study on the action mechanism of Wuling Powder on treating osteoporosis based on network pharmacology.

Osteoporosis is a health problem to cause global concern. A lot of methods have been used to prevent and treat osteoporosis, but there is still a lack of effective treatment for osteoporosis owing to limited understanding of its mechanism. Therefore, the aim of this present study is to explore the underlying mechanism of Wuling Powder, a traditional Chinese medicine on treating osteoporosis. In this study, we firstly screened and identified the common targets between Wuling Powder and osteoporosis through the related databases, and then explored the relationships among these targets, Wuling Powder and osteoporosis by using Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and network analyses. Subsequently, the molecular docking was performed by using systemsDock to evaluate the potential binding relationships between the active components of Wuling Powder and their related targets. The results showed that in total of 14 common targets including CREBBP, ADAM17, GOT1, GAPDH, USP8, ERBB2, EEF1A1, MTOR, RAC1, ETS1, DDX58, GCK, EGF and S100A8 were screened. EGF, ERBB2, MTOR and HIF-1 were the potential therapeutic targets for osteoporosis, and they were also the related targets for predicting active components in Wuling Powder. Taken together, we concluded that Wuling Powder might be used to treat osteoporosis through above these targets.

Liquid biopsy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: circulating tumor cells, circulating tumor DNA, and exosomes.

Introduction: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Due to a lack of reliable markers, HNSCC patients are usually diagnosed at a late stage, which will lead to a worse outcome. Therefore, it is critical to improve the clinical management of cancer patients. Nowadays, the development of liquid biopsy enables a minimally invasive manner to extract molecular information from HNSCCs. Thus, this review aims to outline the clinical value of liquid biopsy in early detection, real-time monitoring, and prognostic evaluation of HNSCC. Areas covered: This comprehensive review focused on the characteristics as well as clinical applications of three liquid biopsy markers (CTCs, ctDNA, and exosomes) in HNSCC. What is more, it is promising to incorporate machine learning and 3D organoid models in the liquid biopsy of HNSCC. Expert opinion: Liquid biopsy provides a noninvasive technique to reflect the inter and intra-lesional heterogeneity through the detection of tumor cells or materials released from the primary and secondary tumors. Recently, some evolving technologies have the potential to combine with liquid biopsy to improve clinical management of HNSCC patients.

Investigation of nature of starting materials on the construction of hydroxyapatite 1D/3D morphologies.

With the increasing requirement of bone repair materials, hydroxyapatite (HA) has been paid widely attention to investigation because of its good bioactivity and osteoconductivity. The structure of HA is a vital factor to expand its application in the field of hard tissue therapy. Thus, many strategies have been utilized in fabricating one-dimensional (1D) and three-dimensional (3D) nanostructured HA. In this paper, we successful synthesize HA with 1D nanofibers and 3D nanostructured microspheres using stearic acid as a template and different phosphates as phosphorus sources under the same synthetic system. The morphology of HA changes from nanofibers with high flexibility to nanostructured microspheres with good sphericity under the synergistic effect of stearic acid and various phosphates. The HA nanofibers and microspheres are promising for applications in biomedical fields. Base on characterization results, the formation mechanisms of HA nanofibers and HA microspheres self-assembled by nanorods are proposed. Furthermore, the HA morphology transition from nanofibers to nanostructured microspheres may be attributed to the formation of polyphosphate-induced water-in-oil microemulsion system in the synthesis process. The finding may provide a new direction to control HA morphology from 1D nanofibers to 3D microspheres based on previous strategies.

Directed Decarbonylation of Unstrained Aryl Ketones via Nickel-Catalyzed C-C Bond Cleavage.

The nickel-catalyzed decarbonylation of unstrained diaryl ketones has been developed. The reaction is catalyzed by a combination of Ni(cod)2 and an electron-rich N-heterocyclic carbene ligand. High functional group tolerance and excellent yields (up to 98%) are observed. This strategy provides an alternative and versatile approach to construct biaryls using an inexpensive nickel catalyst.

Preparation of well-distributed titania nanopillar arrays on Ti6Al4V surface by induction heating for enhancing osteogenic differentiation of stem cells.

Great effort has recently been devoted to the preparation of nanoscale surfaces on titanium-based implants to achieve clinically fast osteoinduction and osseointegration, which relies on the unique characteristics of the nanostructure. In this work, we used induction heating treatment (IHT) as a rapid oxidation method to fabricate a porous nanoscale oxide layer on the Ti6Al4V surface for better medical application. Well-distributed vertical nanopillars were yielded by IHT for 20-35 s on the alloy surface. The composition of the oxides contained rutile/anatase TiO2 and a small amount of Al2O3 between the TiO2 grain boundaries (GBs). This technology resulted in a reduction and subsequent increase of surface roughness of 26-32 nm when upregulating the heating time, followed by the successive enhancement of the thickness, wettability and adhesion strength of the oxidation layer to the matrix. The surface hardness also distinctly rose to 554 HV in the IHT-35 s group compared with the 350 HV of bare Ti6Al4V. The massive small-angle GBs in the bare alloy promoted the formation of nanosized oxide crystallites. The grain refinement and deformation texture reduction further improved the mechanical properties of the matrix after IHT. Moreover, in vitro experiments on a mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) culture derived from human bone marrow for 1-7 days indicated that the nanoscale layers did not cause cytotoxicity, and facilitated cell differentiation in osteoblasts by enhancing the gene and osteogenesis-related protein expressions after 1-3 weeks of culturing. The increase of the IHT time slightly advanced the BMSC proliferation and differentiation, especially during long-term culture. Our findings provide strong evidence that IHT oxidation technology is a novel nanosurface modification technology, which is potentially promising for further clinical development.

Curcumin Alleviates the Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders of Mice In Vivo.

Curcumin is a natural polyphenol extracted from the turmeric rhizome, which has a wide range of biological activities, but until now the effects of curcumin on the gastrointestinal peristalsis have not been fully understood. In vivo study, we observed the effects of curcumin on gastric emptying and intestinal propulsion rates of mice in normal state and in delayed state by atropine (ATR) or nitric oxide precursor L-arginine (L-Arg). An in vitro study explored the direct effects of curcumin on the intestinal contractility, but were studied through measuring spontaneous contraction of isolated jejunum of mice. Our results showed that intragastric administration of curcumin (200 mg/kg/day) for 10-20 days significantly improved gastric emptying and intestinal propulsion rates of mice delayed by ATR. Moreover, intragastric administration of curcumin (200 mg/kg/day) for 15 days also significantly improved mice gastric emptying and intestinal propulsion rates delayed by L-Arg. There was no significant effect on normal gastrointestinal propulsion of mice after intragastric administration of curcumin (200 mg/kg/day) for 1-20 days. When normal isolated jejunum of mice were incubated with curcumin in vitro, the amplitude of the spontaneous contractile waves of jejunum was reduced in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, curcumin reduced the amplitude of the contractile waves of jejunum in both contracted and relaxed state induced by acetylcholine or ATR individually. Taken together, our results suggest that curcumin has quite different effects on gastrointestinal peristalsis in vivo and in vitro. Moderate dose of curcumin by intragastric administration for more than 10 days can alleviate the functional gastrointestinal disorders of mice, but cannot affect normal gastrointestinal propulsion.

Modified glasgow prognostic score predicting high conversion ratio in opioid switching from oral oxycodone to transdermal fentanyl in patients with cancer pain.

The aim of this study was to identify predictive factors for higher conversion ratio in opioid switching from oral oxycodone to transdermal fentanyl (TDF) in patients with cancer pain. The participants of this study were 156 hospitalized cancer patients who underwent opioid switching from oral oxycodone to TDF at the Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University between January 1st, 2010 and March 31st, 2014. Patient characteristics, modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS), daily oxycodone dose, and reasons for opioid switching were retrospectively collected. The effect of variables on the conversion ratio was analyzed by multiple regression analysis to identify the predictive factors for higher conversion ratio in opioid switching from oral oxycodone to TDF. The results showed that the mGPS (odds ratio [OR], 2.358; 95% CI 1.379-4.031; P = 0.002), the reason for opioid switching (OR, 0.497; 95% CI, 0.298-0.828; P = 0.007) and equivalent oral morphine dose (OR, 1.700; 95% CI, 1.008-2.867; P = 0.046) were found to be significant predictors requiring higher conversion ratio in opioid switching. This study indicates that higher mGPS, poor pain control before switching and higher equivalent oral morphine dose are significant predictors of a need for higher conversion ratio in opioid switching from oral oxycodone to TDF. These results could contribute to the establishment of evidence-based medicine in cancer pain relief.

Simvastatin downregulates expression of TGF-ßRII and inhibits proliferation of A549 cells via ERK.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Transforming growth factor-ß receptor II (TGF-ßRII) plays an important role in the regulation of proliferation and progression in cancer. Statins have been documented to exhibit anticancer and cancer chemopreventive properties. However, the effects and mechanisms of simvastatin on the development of lung cancer are still unclear. In the present study, quiescent A549 cells were treated in vitro with fetal bovine serum (FBS) in the presence or absence of simvastatin. MTT, Western blot, and real-time qPCR were used to detect cell viability, activation of ERK, and expression of TGF-ßRII at the protein and RNA level. Our results demonstrated that simvastatin inhibited activation of ERK, downregulated expression of TGF-ßRII, and suppressed A549 cell proliferation. Furthermore, the effects of simvastatin can be reversed by farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP). Therefore, these results suggest that simvastatin may inhibit A549 cell proliferation and downregulate TGF-ßRII expression by inhibiting activation of ERK. Our findings may advance the current understanding of the effects of simvastatin on cancer progression and contribute to the study of cancer treatment.

Curcumin inhibits expression of inhibitor of DNA binding 1 in PC3 cells and xenografts.

Inhibitor of DNA binding 1 (Id1) plays an important role in genesis and metastatic progression of prostate cancer. We previously reported that down regulation of Id1 by small interfering RNA could inhibit the proliferation of PC3 cells and growth of its xenografted tumors. Curcumin, the active ingredient of turmeric, has shown anti-cancer properties via modulation of a number of different molecular regulators. Here we investigated whether Id1 might be involved in the anti-cancer effects of curcumin in vivo and in vitro. We firstly confirmed that curcumin inhibited cell viability in a dose-dependent fashion, and induced apoptosis in PC3 cells, associated with significant decrease in the mRNA and protein expression of Id1. Similar effects of curcumin were observed in tumors of the PC3 xenografted mouse model with introperitoneal injection of curcumin once a day for one month. Tumor growth in mice was obviously suppressed by curcumin during the period of 24 to 30 days. Both mRNA and protein levels of Id1 were significantly down-regulated in xenografted tumors. Our findings point to a novel molecular pathway for curcumin anti-cancer effects. Curcumin may be used as an Id1 inhibitor to modulate Id1 expression.

A non-intrusive oil temperature measurement method of hydraulic system.

This paper proposed a simple non-intrusive oil temperature measurement method to overcome the shortcomings of the traditional intrusive one. The heat transmission model between outer and inner tube wall, the temperature distribution model of oil near the inner tube wall, and the temperature distribution model of oil in tube were established, respectively, based on the energy conservation principle. With the constructed models, we can measure the temperature of oil in tube by surveying the temperature of outer tube wall and the temperature of air around the tube. An oil temperature measurement apparatus was designed to demonstrate the new method. We measured the temperature of No. 46 antiwear hydraulic oil under 5 MPa, 15 MPa, and 25 MPa, respectively. Comparative results with traditional intrusive oil temperature measurement method show that the measurement error of the presented method is less than 1 °C, and thus implies its superiority.

Oxidation states, geometries, and electronic structures of plutonium tetroxide PuO4 isomers: is octavalent Pu viable?

In neutral chemical compounds, the highest known oxidation state of all elements in the Periodic Table is +VIII. While PuO4 is viewed as an exotic Pu(+VIII) complex, we have shown here that no stable electronic homologue of octavalent RuO4 and OsO4 exists for PuO4, even though Pu has the same number of eight valence electrons as Ru and Os. Using quantum chemical approaches at the levels of quasi-relativistic DFT, MP2, CCSD(T), and CASPT2, we find the ground state of PuO4 as a quintet (5)C2v-(PuO2)(+)(O2)(-) complex with the leading valence configuration of an (f(3))plutonyl(V) unit, loosely coupled to a superoxido (π*(3))O2(-) ligand. This stable isomer is likely detectable as a transient species, while the previously suggested planar (1)D4h-Pu(VIII)O4 isomer is only metastable. Through electronic structure analyses, the bonding and the oxidation states are explained and rationalized. We have predicted the characteristics of the electronic and vibrational spectra to assist future experimental identification of (PuO2)(+)(O2)(-) by IR, UV-vis, and ionization spectroscopy.

Changes of Treg-associated molecules on CD4+CD25 +Treg cells in myasthenia gravis and effects of immunosuppressants.

OBJECTIVE: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a CD4(+) T cell-dependent autoimmune disease, and close attention has been paid to the role of CD4(+)CD25(+)Treg cells (Tregs). Previous results regarding Tregs in MG patients have been conflicting. The discrepancy was partly ascribed to selecting different Treg-associated molecules in defining Tregs. Therefore, we considered it necessary to find a reliable index for assessing the immunologic state in MG patients and explore the effect of IS on them. METHODS: We adopted flow cytometric techniques to measure the numbers and frequencies of Tregs in peripheral blood taken from 57 patients and 91 age-matched healthy donors, and we also analyzed FOXP3 mean fluorescence intensity on Tregs. RESULTS: The number and frequency of Tregs in peripheral blood of MG patients significantly decreased, together with down-regulation of FOXP3 expression. There was dynamic change of Treg cell level and the inverse relationship with clinical symptom, suggesting that the immunologic disorder in MG patients was related to peripheral Tregs population. Meanwhile, CD4(+)CD25(+)FOXP3(+)Helios(+)T cells might be activated Tregs, rather than nTregs. Moreover, the number and frequency of CD4(+)CD25(+)FOXP3(+)Helios(+)T cells significantly decreased in MG patients, indicating that the reduction of the activated Tregs population might be a critical contributor to the pathogenesis of MG. CONCLUSIONS: The significant reduction of the peripheral Tregs population in MG patients might be responsible for the immunologic disorders in MG patients. IS such as GC took its effect possible by increasing the population size, and the underlying mechanism should be further investigated.

A peptide that binds specifically to the ß-amyloid of Alzheimer's disease: selection and assessment of anti-ß-amyloid neurotoxic effects.

The accumulation of the amyloid-ß peptide (Aß) into amyloid plaques, an essential event in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis, has caused researchers to seek compounds that physiologically bind Aß and modulate its aggregation and neurotoxicity. In order to develop new Aß-specific peptides for AD, a randomized 12-mer peptide library with Aß1₋10 as the target was used to identify peptides in the present study. After three rounds of selection, specific phages were screened, and their binding affinities to Aß1₋10 were found to be highly specific. Finally, a special peptide was synthesized according to the sequences of the selected phages. In addition, the effects of the special peptide on Aß aggregation and Aß-mediated neurotoxicity in vitro and in vivo were assessed. The results show that the special peptide not only inhibited the aggregation of Aß into plaques, but it also alleviated Aß-induced PC12 cell viability and apoptosis at appropriate concentrations as assessed by the cell counting kit-8 assay and propidium iodide staining. Moreover, the special peptide exhibited a protective effect against Aß-induced learning and memory deficits in rats, as determined by the Morris water maze task. In conclusion, we selected a peptide that specifically binds Aß1₋10 and can modulate Aß aggregation and Aß-induced neuronal damage. This opens up possibilities for the development of a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of AD.

Inhibitory effect of vascular endothelial growth factors-targeted small interfering RNA on proliferation of gastric cancer cells.

AIM: To examine the effects of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-targeted small interfering RNA (siRNA) on proliferation of gastric cancer cells in vitro. METHODS: Several siRNAs were transfected into human gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901 with Lipofectamine 2000. Cells not transfected with Lipofectamine 2000 or scrambled (SCR) siRNA served as controls. The inhibitory effect of siRNA on the expression of VEGF mRNA and protein was detected by RT-PCR and ELISA. MTT assay was used to examine the inhibition rate of cell growth. The change in cell cycling of siRNA-treated cells was detected by flow cytometry. RESULTS: siRNA targeting human VEGF effectively inhibited the proliferation of gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901 and the distribution of cell cycle. The percentage of G(0)/G(1) phase was significantly higher in siRNA(1)- and siRNA(2)-transfected cells than in control cells. The expression of VEGF mRNA was significantly inhibited in siRNA(1)- and siRNA(2)-transfected cells compared with that in control cells. VEGF protein notably decreased in siRNA-transfected cells, but had no effect on SCR siRNA. CONCLUSION: VEGF siRNA inhibits proliferation of gastric cancer cells in vitro.

[Effect of siRNA transfection targeting VEGF gene on proliferation and apoptosis of human breast cancer cells].

AIM: To explore the effect of RNA interference-mediated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene silencing on proliferation and apoptosis of human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. METHODS: Small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting VEGF gene was designed and DNA template was synthesized, then siRNA was obtained by in vitro transcription. After ds-siRNA was transfected into MCF-7 cells with Lipofectamine, the proliferation of MCF-7 cells was detected by MTT colorimetry, and the apoptosis was measured by Hoechst33258 staining. The change of cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM). The expression of VEGF on mRNA and protein level was analyzed by RT-PCR and immunohistochemical technology respectively. RESULTS: The siRNA targeting human VEGF gene effectively inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 cells, induced cell apoptosis, arrested the cell cycle in G(0)/G(1) phase, and decreased the expression of VEGF on both mRNA and protein level. But these effects did not appear in scrambled siRNA (siRNA(SCR)) control group. CONCLUSION: The siRNA targeting human VEGF gene could reduce VEGF expression, inhibit cellular proliferation and induce apoptosis in MCF-7 cells in vitro.