M6A methylation of FKFB3 reduced pyroptosis of gastric cancer by NLRP3.

Gastric cancer is a kind of malignant tumor that seriously endangers human life and health. Its incidence rate and mortality rate are among the highest in the global malignant tumors. Therefore, this study explored the role of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) in the progression of gastric cancer and its underlying mechanism. Patients with gastric cancer were collected, and human GC cell lines (stomach gastric carcinoma 7901, stomach gastric carcinoma 823 , human gastric carcinoma cell line 803 and adenocarcinoma gastric stomach) were used in this study. We utilized glucose consumption, cell migration, and ELISA assay kits to investigate the function of GC. To understand its mechanism, we employed quantitative PCR (qPCR), western blot, and m6A methylated RNA immunoprecipitation assay. FKFB3 protein expression levels in patients with gastric cancer were increased. The induction of PFKFB3 mRNA expression levels in patients with gastric cancer or gastric cancer cell lines. Gastric cancer patients with high PFKFB3 expression had a lower survival rate. PFKFB3 high expression possessed the probability of pathological stage, lymph node metastasis or distant metastasis in patients with gastric cancer. PFKFB3 upregulation promoted cancer progression and Warburg effect progression of gastric cancer. PFKFB3 upregulation reduced pyroptosis and suppressed nucleotidebinding domain, leucinerich repeat containing protein 3-induced pyroptosis of gastric cancer. M6A-forming enzyme methyltransferase-like 3 increased PFKFB3 stability. Taken together, the M6A-forming enzyme methyltransferase-like 3 increased PFKFB3 stability and reduced pyroptosis in the model of gastric cancer through the Warburg effect. The PFKFB3 gene represents a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of gastric cancer.

Malignant gastrointestinal neuroectodermal tumor: a case report and literature review.

Introduction and importance: A malignant gastrointestinal neuroectodermal tumor (GNET) is an extremely rare primary malignant mesenchymal tumor of the gastrointestinal tract characterized by EWSR1 gene rearrangement. An optimal systemic treatment strategy for advanced/recurrent GNET has not yet been identified. Case presentation: A 24-year-old male patient was hospitalized with abdominal pain and underwent two operations for a tumor in his small intestine. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) showed strong expression of S-100 protein and SOX 10. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis and next-generation sequencing analysis indicated that there were EWSR gene rearrangements and the presence of EWSR-ATP1 gene fusions, respectively. The diagnosis of GNET in the small intestine was confirmed by pathology. The young patient received the fifth-line of apatinib mesylate and the sixth-line of apatinib combined with temozolomide. The two apatinib-containing regimens showed stable disease and progression-free survival of 4.7 months and 3.1 months with single-agent apatinib or apatinib combined with temozolomide, respectively. Clinical discussion: To our best knowledge, this is the first report of malignant GNET treated with apatinib and temozolomide. Apatinib-containing regimens might has antineoplastic activity against GNET. The authors reviewed the relevant reports of previous GNET treatment, summarized the clinicopathological characteristics of GNET, and found that there are no reports of apatinib for backline treatment of GNET. Conclusion: Containing apatinib may provide an additional treatment option for patients with chemotherapy-resistant GNET tumors.

Effects of the CYP3A inhibitors, voriconazole, itraconazole, and fluconazole on the pharmacokinetics of osimertinib in rats.

Background: Osimertinib, as third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI), is the first-line treatment approved to treat advanced T790M mutation-positive tumors. Triazole antifungals are therapeutic drugs for cancer patients to reduce the risk of opportunistic fungal infections. Our objective was to investigate whether three triazole antifungals (voriconazole, itraconazole, and fluconazole) could change the pharmacokinetics of osimertinib in rats. Methods: The adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 6): control (0.3% CMC-Na), and voriconazole (20 mg/kg), itraconazole (20 mg/kg), or fluconazole (20 mg/kg) combined with osimertinib (10 mg/kg) group. Tail vein blood samples were collected into heparin tubes at various time points within 0-48 h after osimertinib administration. Osimrtinib's plasma concentration was detected using HPLC-MS/MS system equipped with a Waters XBridge C18 column, with the mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and 0.2% formic acid water at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. Results: Co-administration with voriconazole or fluconazole increased the Cmax of osimertinib by 58.04% and 53.45%, respectively; the AUC0-t increased by 62.56% and 100.98%, respectively. However, when co-administered with itraconazole, the Cmax and AUC0-t of osimertinib only increased by 13.91% and 34.80%, respectively. Conclusions: Our results revealed that the pharmacokinetics of osimertinib were significantly changed by voriconazole and fluconazole in rats, whereas it was slightly affected by itraconazole. This work will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the pharmacokinetic properties of osimertinib when co-administered with triazole antifungals.

Comparative study of pancreatic vessels and mesopancreas of rhesus monkeys and humans.

Introduction: With the introduction of the concept of mesopancreas defining the perineural structures that includes neurovascular bundle and lymph nodes extending from the posterior surface of the pancreatic head to behind the mesenteric vessels,Total Mesopancreas Excision (TMpE) based on this theory has facilitated the development of pancreatic cancer surgery in clinical practice in recent years. However, the existence of so called mesopancreas in the human body is still in debate and the comparative study of mesopancreas of rhesus monkey and human have not been well investigated. Purpose: The aim of our study is to compare the pancreatic vessels and fascia of human and rhesus monkeys in anatomical and embryological perspectives and to support the utilization of rhesus monkey as animal model. Methods: In this study, 20 rhesus monkey cadavers were dissected and their mesopancreas location, relationships and arterial distribution were analyzed. We compared the location and developmental patterns of mesopancreas in macaques and humans. Results: The results showed that the distribution of pancreatic arteries in rhesus monkeys was the same as that in humans, which is consistent with phylogenetic similarities. However, the morphological features of the mesopancreas and greater omentum is anatomically different from that of humans, including (1) the greater omentum is not connected to the transverse colon in monkeys. (2) The presence of the dorsal mesopancreas of the rhesus monkey suggests that it be an intraperitoneal organ. Comparative anatomical studies of mesopancreas and arteries in macaques and humans showed characteristic patterns of mesopancreas and similarities in pancreatic artery development in nonhuman primates, consistent with phylogenetic differentiation.

KCND2: A prognostic biomarker and regulator of immune function in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease, which makes it challenging to develop effective targeted therapies. Although the potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily D (KCND) channels, particularly KCND2 (also known as Kv4.2), have found evidence of involvement in the occurrence and development of various cancers, there are still some limitations in our understanding of KCND2's roles in gastric cancer. METHODS: We analyzed the correlation between KCND2 expression and clinical features as well as immune infiltration using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Functional assays of KCND2 were conducted using Cell counting Kit-8 (CCK8), clone formation assay and cell cycle analysis. Additionally, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) techniques were used to investigate tumor proliferation and immune cell infiltration at different levels of KCND2 expression in vivo. RESULTS: KCND2 was markedly elevated in gastric cancer and its expression appeared to link to different grades, T stages, and N stages. In addition, KCND2 was an independent predictor of prognosis, and its elevated levels in TCGA database revealed a more unfavorable prognosis for patients with gastric cancer. KCND2 strengthened the viability at the cellular level by boosting the proliferation of gastric cancer cells and reducing their death rate. Additionally, it also highlights that KCND2 the abilities of proliferating of gastric cancer cells by stimulating NF-κB both in cell and animal levels. In addition, the findings provided proof that in animal levels, KCND2 might regulate the immune system by associating with promoting M2 macrophages, which are known to play critical roles in cancer progression. Mechanistically, KCND2 was found to lead to the infiltration of M2 macrophages through activation of NF-κB, ultimately promoting the advancement of gastric cancer. CONCLUSION: Overall, these findings suggest that KCND2 is likely to be available as an underlying therapeutic target for gastric cancer.

Tislelizumab immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of a patient with primary anterior mediastinal undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma with high PD-L1 expression: A case report and literature review.

Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) is a rare and aggressive soft tissue tumor with a high degree of malignancy and rapid progression, usually occurring in the extremities, retroperitoneum, and abdomen, whereas it rarely arises in the mediastinum, and is treated mainly by surgical resection. The prognosis of patients with advanced sarcoma is poor, and doxorubicin monotherapy is the standard first-line chemotherapy for most advanced soft tissue sarcomas (STS), but the prognosis is generally unsatisfactory. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been established as therapies for many solid cancers in recent years; however, evidence on the efficacy of ICIs in undifferentiated sarcoma is scarce, mostly consisting of small studies, and no ICIs are currently approved for use in sarcomas. We report a case of a middle-aged man with primary mediastinal UPS with high PD-L1 expression (TPS was approximately 80%) and TLS positive. The patient was treated with sequential tislelizumab monotherapy maintenance after 6 cycles of tislelizumab combined with epirubicin, efficacy evaluation was partial remission (PR), progression-free survival (PFS) was 8.5 months, and grade 1 fatigue was identified as an adverse event.

Development and validation of a novel LC-MS/MS method for simultaneous quantitative determination of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in human plasma.

The objective of this study was to develop and validate a simple, rapid, and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the simultaneous determination of three tyrosine kinase inhibitors (ceritinib, osimertinib, and crizotinib) in human plasma using a single-step protein precipitation extraction. Chromatographic separation was achieved using a Waters X Bridge C18 (2.1 mm × 100 mm, 3.5 µm) and gradient elution with 0.2 % formic acid in water and acetonitrile. The total run time was 4.0 min, and the injection volume was 5 µL. The analytes were detected in the multiple reaction monitoring mode using electrospray ionization with positive ion mode. The m/z transitions of ceritinib, osimertinib, crizotinib and nilotinib were 558.0 â†’ 433.2, 500.0 â†’ 72.1, 450.0 â†’ 259.3, and 530.0 â†’ 289.1, respectively. The method was linear in the range of 2-500 ng/mL with lower limit of quantification of 2 ng/mL. Based on the guidelines on bioanalytical methods by the FDA, the validation studies demonstrated that the three analytes were both precise and accurate at four concentration levels, and the coefficient of variation was < 10.59 % and accuracy was > 88.26 %. We present a simple, rapid, and sensitive method for the simultaneous quantification of ceritinib, osimertinib, and crizotinib in human plasma by LC-MS/MS, which could be used in routine therapeutic drug monitoring.

The involvement of Parkin-dependent mitophagy in the anti-cancer activity of Ginsenoside.

Colon cancer, the third most frequent occurred cancer, has high mortality and extremely poor prognosis. Ginsenoside, the active components of traditional Chinese herbal medicine Panax ginseng, exerts antitumor effect in various cancers, including colon cancer. However, the detailed molecular mechanism of Ginsenoside in the tumor suppression have not been fully elucidated. Here, we chose the representative ginsenoside Rg3 and reported for the first time that Rg3 induces mitophagy in human colon cancer cells, which is responsible for its anticancer effect. Rg3 treatment leads to mitochondria damage and the formation of mitophagosome; when autophagy is inhibited, the clearance of damaged mitochondria can be reversed. Next, our results showed that Rg3 treatment activates the PINK1-Parkin signaling pathway and recruits Parkin and ubiquitin proteins to mitochondria to induce mitophagy. GO analysis of Parkin targets showed that Parkin interacts with a large number of mitochondrial proteins and regulates the molecular function of mitochondria. The cellular energy metabolism enzyme GAPDH is validated as a novel substrate of Parkin, which is ubiquitinated by Parkin. Moreover, GAPDH participates in the Rg3-induced mitophagy and regulates the translocation of Parkin to mitochondria. Functionally, Rg3 exerts the inhibitory effect through regulating the nonglycolytic activity of GAPDH, which could be associated with the cellular oxidative stress. Thus, our results revealed GAPDH ubiquitination by Parkin as a crucial mechanism for mitophagy induction that contributes to the tumor-suppressive function of ginsenoside, which could be a novel treatment strategy for colon cancer.

Ferroptosis plays an essential role in the antimalarial mechanism of low-dose dihydroartemisinin.

The activation of artemisinin and its derivatives (ARTs) to generate ROS and other free radicals is mainly heme- or ferrous iron-dependent. ARTs induce ferroptosis in tumor cells, although the involvement of ferroptosis in malaria remains unclear. We found that three typical inducers of ferroptosis (erastin, RSL3 and sorafenib) could effectively mimic DHA inhibition on the growth of blood-stage parasites, which exhibited synergistic or nearly additive interactions in vitro with DHA, while the combination of DHA with ferroptosis inhibitors (deferoxamine, liproxstatin-1) had an obvious antagonistic effect. DHA, similar to ferroptosis inducers, can simultaneously induce the accumulation of ferroptosis-associated cellular labile iron and lipid peroxide. However, deferoxamine and liproxstatin-1 reduced the increase in ferrous iron and lipid peroxide caused by DHA. These results suggested that ferroptosis might be an effective way to induce cell death in parasites and could be a primary mechanism by which DHA kills parasites, with almost 50% contribution at low concentrations. These results provide a new strategy for antimalarial drug screening and clinical medication guidance.

Increased ABCC2 expression predicts cisplatin resistance in non-small cell lung cancer.

Long-term use of platinum-based drugs can cause non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to develop extremely strong drug resistance. Increasing the drug dosage does not have better treatment effects and could lead to serious complications. High levels of drug resistance are considered to be characteristic of human tumours and are usually mediated by genes related to multidrug resistance. Multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (ABCC2), an ATP-binding cassette multidrug resistance transporter, was found to be overexpressed in various human cancers. In this study, we found that ABCC2 was also upregulated in cisplatin (DDP)-resistant A549 cells (A549/DDP). Functional studies demonstrated that ABCC2 knockdown reversed DDP resistance and promoted G1 phase arrest in A549/DDP cells, and PARP and caspase-3 were activated in A549/DDP cells following ABCC2 knockdown. In vivo, ABCC2 knockdown enhanced the cytotoxicity of DDP to subcutaneous A549 tumours. Together, these results suggest that ABCC2 may be a potential therapeutic strategy for overcoming DDP resistance in NSCLC patients. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY: In this study, we investigated the role of ABCC2 in cisplatin resistance of NSCLC cells. Our data show that ABCC2 expression was associated with resistance to cisplatin and that knockdown ABCC2 could reverse cisplatin resistance in NSCLC cells. Taken together, our study suggests that reducing the expression of ABCC2 could become an important strategy for enhancing the sensitivity of NSCLC cells to cisplatin.

A Meta-Analysis of the Relationship between Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Polymorphisms and Psoriasis.

BACKGROUND: Some previous studies already explored associations between tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) polymorphisms and psoriasis, with conflicting findings. Here, we aimed to better analyze the relationship between TNF-α polymorphisms and psoriasis in a larger pooled population by performing a meta-analysis. METHODS: We searched Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science and CNKI for related articles. We calculated OR and 95% CI to estimate whether there are genetic associations between TNF-α polymorphisms and psoriasis. RESULTS: Twenty-nine studies were included for this meta-analysis. TNF-α-238 G/A (dominant comparison: OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.34-0.59; recessive comparison: OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.03-2.57; overdominant comparison: OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.71-2.85; allele comparison: OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.36-0.62) and -857 C/T (dominant comparison: OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.41-0.80; overdominant comparison: OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.12-2.23; allele comparison: OR 0.62, 95% CI 0. 0.47-0.82) polymorphisms were found to be significantly associated with psoriasis in the general population. Subgroup analyses indicated that the -238 G/A polymorphism was significantly associated with psoriasis in Caucasians and East Asians, the -308 G/A polymorphism was significantly associated with psoriasis in East Asians, and the -857 C/T polymorphism was significantly associated with psoriasis in Caucasians. CONCLUSIONS: TNF-α -238 G/A, -308 G/A and -857 C/T polymorphisms could be used to identity individuals with elevated susceptibility to psoriasis in certain populations.

PRDX2 Promotes the Proliferation and Metastasis of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer In Vitro and In Vivo.

PURPOSE: Previous studies have reported that the levels of PRDX2 were correlated with tumorigenicity, recurrence, and prognosis of patients with different cancers. We investigated the association between PRDX2 levels and the prognosis of lung cancer patients. We also measured PRDX2 expression of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells and examined its roles in the proliferation and migration in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: We used the Kaplan-Meier plotter to analyze the survival of different levels of PRDX2 in lung cancer patients. The expression of PRDX2 in normal bronchial epithelial cell line and NSCLC cell lines was measured by qRT-PCR and western blot assays. Biological functions of NSCLC cells were detected by CCK8 and Transwell assays. We constructed tumor growth model using subcutaneously injection of nude mice and metastasis model by tail vein injection in vivo. The protein levels of proliferation related markers were measured by immunohistochemistry assay. Immunofluorescence method was used to detected EMT-related proteins. RESULTS: The high levels of PRDX2 were associated with bad prognosis in lung cancer patients, especially in patients with adenocarcinoma. The expression of PRDX2 in NSCLC cell lines was higher than normal bronchial epithelial cells. Knockdown of PRDX2 inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion in A549 cells, while overexpression of PRDX2 promoted the malignancy in NCI-H1299 cells in vitro. Silencing PRDX2 restrained tumor growth and repressed lung metastasis by EMT in vivo. CONCLUSION: Our data indicates that PRDX2 functions as a protumor regulator and is involved in tumorigenesis and tumor progression of lung cancer.

Circ_0123996 promotes cell proliferation and fibrosisin mouse mesangial cells through sponging miR-149-5p and inducing Bach1 expression.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a serious microvascular complication of diabetes across the world. Recently, many circular RNAs (circRNAs) can exert a crucial role in DN progression. Our investigation was designed to study whether circ_0123996 was associated with DN and aimed to find out the underlying mechanisms. We observed that circ_0123996 expression was significantly increased in Type 2 diabetes (T2D) with DN in comparison to those patients without DN. Consistently, circ_0123996 was also obviously elevated in DN mice models and high glucose (HG)-incubated MMCs. Then, it was proved transfection of circ_0123996 siRNA in mice mesangial cells (MMCs) restrained MMCs proliferation greatly. In addition, it was demonstrated that decrease of circ_0123996 alleviated fibrosis-related protein expression including FN and Col-4 in MMCs. Next, it was confirmed by our study that circ_0123996 can serve as a sponge for miR-149-5p. miR-149-5p has been identified in several diseases including diabetes. At present, we observed that miR-149-5p was decreased in DN. Overexpression of miR-149-5p greatly repressed the effect of circ_0123996 on MMCs. BTB and CNC homology 1 (Bach1) is reported in various disease including some vascular diseases.Here, Bach1 was confirmed as a target of miR-149-5p. Circ_0123996 upregulated Bach1 expression and restrained MMCs proliferation and fibrosis through sponging miR-149-5p. Thus, it was revealed that circ_0123996 was involved in DN via sponging miR-149-5p and modulating Bach1 expression.

Pyrimethamine exerts significant antitumor effects on human ovarian cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo.

Pyrimethamine has been used principally to treat infections from protozoan parasites. Although previous studies have shown that pyrimethamine exhibited anticancer activity by inducing cellular apoptosis, there are none that show that pyrimethamine possesses anticancer activity with respect to ovarian cancer. We examined the roles of pyrimethamine on apoptosis and proliferation, DNA damage, and cell cycle distribution of human ovarian cancer cell lines in vitro. To investigate the antitumor efficacy of pyrimethamine in vivo, we established two intraperitoneal ovarian carcinoma models in nude mice. Pyrimethamine significantly induced apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells via growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest, and nuclear DNA damage in vitro and manifested antitumor activity by inhibiting tumor growth, thereby prolonging the survival time of tumor-bearing mice. We also demonstrated that pyrimethamine increased the expression of caspase-9 and decreased the expression of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein. In conclusion, the antitumor effects of pyrimethamine were associated with enhanced apoptosis of tumor cells and inhibition of the growth of intratumoral microvessels. Our results indicate that pyrimethamine may provide an effective approach toward inhibiting the growth of ovarian cancer with minimal adverse effects.

The Polyphenolic Compound Curcumin Conjugation with an Alkyne Moiety in the Process of Autophagy.

Curcumin is a hydrophobic polyphenol derived from turmeric: the rhizome of the herb Curcumalonga. Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved process, in which cellular proteins and organelles are engulfed in autophagosome and then fuses with lysosome for degradation. Our previous study showed that Curcumin activates lysosome and induce autophagy through inhibition of AKT (protein kinase K, PKB)-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. But whether Curucmin affects the fusion of autophagosome-lysosome is still not clear. Here, we used Curcumin-probe conjugation with an alkyne moiety to label mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and found that Curcumin targets autophagy-related proteins, enhances autophagic flux and activates lysosome in cells. Moreover, Curcumin treatment promotes the fusion of autophasosome-lysosome in MEFs. Second, the enhanced fusion of autophagosome-lysosome is attributed to mTOR suppression. Third, blockage of the autophagosome-lysosome fusion leads to cell growth inhibition by Curcumin. Taken together, data from our study indicates the importance of the fusion of autophagosome-lysosome in Curcumin-induced autophagy, which may facilitate the development of Curcumin as a potential therapeutic agent for oxidative stress-related diseases.

High expression of KIF3A is a potential new parameter for the diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer.

Kinesin Family Member 3A (KIF3A) was recognized as a key factor of ciliogenesis and transport system of primary cilia in normal cells. However, its possible function on cancer cells has yet to be identified. In the present study, microarray tissue chips, including 230 breast cancer samples, were applied to determine the KIF3A expression pattern by immunological histological chemistry. Statistical analysis on the KIF3A expression level and the currently used clinicopathological characteristics of breast cancer patients was carried out. Follow-up data of these patients over 10 years were also used to evaluate the relationship between KIF3A and the survival rate. The expression levels of KIF3A were significantly higher in 140 breast cancer tissues than those of 90 para-carcinoma samples, which served as controls (P<0.001). In addition, in a further 70 paired samples, the same higher expression level was observed in cancer tissues compared with their self-paired controls (P<0.001). Furthermore, the high expression of KIF3A in breast cancer tissue correlated with the status of estrogen receptor, androgen receptor, epidermal growth factor receptor and Ki-67 of breast cancer patients, and were also related to their pathology grade and lymph node metastasis. The survival analysis showed a better survival rate in the patients with a higher expression level of KIF3A. Collectively, the triadic associations of KIF3A, the currently used clinicopathological parameters and survival rate suggest that KIF3A is involved in the tumorigenesis and progression of breast cancer. Thus, KIF3A could be considered a promising novel prognostic index in breast cancer.

Perineal midline vertical incision verses inverted-U incision in the urethroplasty: which is better?

OBJECTIVE: To compare postoperative outcomes between the perineal inverted-U and the vertical midline incision approaches of the urethroplasty and clarify them via gross anatomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 461 male patients, from Jan. 2006 to Jun. 2014, who underwent the urethroplasty via perineal midline vertical or inverted-U incision approach were recruited retrospectively. By match pairing for etiology and stricture length, 410 patients from two groups (205 for each group) were selected. Anatomy experiments were also performed. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: the Chi-square, Student's t and binary logistic regression analyses were performed to compare the operative and postoperative data on the two groups. RESULTS: With regard to patients with bulbar urethral stricture, the rate of surgical site infection (SSI) in perineal inverted-U group was 18.6% while 1.9% in the midline vertical group (p < 0.001). As for patients with posterior urethral stricture, the rate of SSI in the perineal inverted-U group was 16.4% while 3.1% in the midline vertical group (p = 0.001). Mean hospital stay between both groups were 15.8 ± 9.0 vs. 12.7 ± 3.8 days (p < 0.001). Anatomy experiments showed the number of damaged vessels and nerves involved in the inverted-U incision were approximately 1.6 to 2.0 folds more than the vertical midline, but the visual operation fields are similar between two approaches. CONCLUSIONS: The perineal midline vertical incision is a safer approach with fewer SSI and shorter hospital stay than the perineal inverted-U incision for bulbar and posterior urethroplasty.

Long non-coding RNA CASC2 inhibits tumorigenesis via the miR-181a/PLXNC1 axis in melanoma.

Melanoma is the most malignant and aggressive form of skin carcinoma originating in the pigment-producing melanocytes. In this study, to further investigate the molecular mechanisms of the development and progression of melanoma, we explored the impacts of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) CASC2 on melanoma cell functions. Microarray analysis was carried out to identify the expression of lncRNA CASC2 in melanoma cells. MiR-181a was predicted as a sponging target of CASC2 by miRcode, while the 3'-UTR of Plexin C1 (PLXNC1) was a potential target of miR-181a according to the TargetScan database. The correlation among CASC2, miR-181a, and PLXNC1 was verified by dual luciferase reporter assay and qRT-PCR. After manipulation of CASC2, miR-181a and PLXNC1 expression with transfection in A375 and M14 cells, cell viability, apoptosis, and invasive ability were evaluated using CCK-8, flow cytometry and Transwell assays, respectively. A low expression of CASC2 was detected in melanoma tissues and cells. Dual luciferase reporting assay confirmed that miR-181a targeted the 3'-UTR of PLXNC1. Furthermore, CASC2 could efficiently sponge miR-181a, thereby facilitating the expression of PLXNC1. Up-regulation of CASC2 suppressed the cell proliferation and invasion, but induced the apoptosis of melanoma cells. Our results demonstrated that lncRNA CASC2 can promote PLXNC1 expression by sponging miR-181a, thereby inhibiting the proliferation and invasion of melanoma cells, indicating that lncRNA CASC2 functions via the miR-181a/PLXNC1 axis in melanoma.

Modification of the method to establish a hepatic VX2 carcinoma model in rabbits.

The hepatic VX2 carcinoma model in rabbits is widely used for the preclinical study of hepatocellular carcinoma. In the present study, a modification was made to the conventional method to establish the animal model, as the conventional method gives rise to frequent tumor seeding due to the drop-out of tumor fragments. In order to evaluate each distinct method of establishing the model, the rabbits were divided into two groups: Group A (the conventional method; n=20) and group B (the modified method; n=20). All surgical details were recorded for reference. At 14 days post-surgery, contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) and autopsy were conducted. Microscopic morphology of tumor cells was observed using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and cluster of differentiation (CD)31 were detected via immunochemistry and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. In total, 19 rabbits in each group succeeded in model establishment. Throughout the surgery, group A experienced a longer surgery time compared with group B (group A vs. group B, 22.57±1.34 vs. 20.17±1.50 min; P<0.001), an increased tumor fragment drop-out frequency (group A vs. group B, 1.84±0.96 vs. 1.16±0.38; P=0.008) and an increased peritoneal nodule incidence (group A vs. group B, 35 vs. 5%, P=0.042). As for CECT, H&E and TEM, hepatic VX2 allografts in the two groups demonstrated similar imaging presentations and tumor cell morphology. In addition, VEGF and CD31 levels did not differ between the two groups. In conclusion, the modified method for the establishment of hepatic VX2 carcinoma model in rabbits may decrease tumor fragment drop-out frequency during surgery and incidence of tumor seeding without affecting the properties of VX2 carcinoma.

miR-93 and PTEN: Key regulators of doxorubicin-resistance and EMT in breast cancer.

It is not well established whether miR-93 is involved in drug resistance and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in breast cancer, and its underlying mechanism remains uncertain. In the present study, the expression differences of miR-93 between paired breast cancer tissues confirmed it is involved in the progression of breast cancer. Such a difference was also observed in doxorubicin-resistant and -sensitive cells. Overexpressed miR-93 in sensitive cells revealed increases in cellular proliferation and the expression levels of drug-resistant-related genes, and a decrease in sensitivity to doxorubicin. This demonstrated the relationship between miR-93 and breast cancer drug resistance. Simultaneously, EMT was confirmed in miR-93 overexpressing sensitive cells. This indicated the triadic relationship among miR-93, EMT and drug resistance in breast cancer. We applied the Dual-luciferase Reporter assay to expose the direct interaction between miR-93 and PTEN, which suggested that miR-93 contributes to inducing EMT and drug resistance of breast cancer cells by targeting PTEN.