The role of tumor-associated macrophages in the radioresistance of esophageal cancer cells via regulation of the VEGF-mediated angiogenic pathway.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are known to promote tumor growth, invasion, metastasis, and protumor angiogenesis, but the role of TAMs in evading radiotherapy in esophagus cancer remains unclear. In this study, we first induced TAMs from human monocytes (THP-1) and identified using immunofluorescence and Western blotting assays. We then co-cultured them with human esophageal cancer cell lines. CCK-8, colony formation, Transwell, scratch test, and TUNEL assays showed that TAMs could promote proliferation, survival rate, invasion, migration, and radioresistance and could inhibit apoptosis of the esophageal squamous carcinoma cell lines KYSE-150 and TE-1 before and after radiotherapy both in vivo and in vitro. Using LV-VEGFA-RNAi lentiviral vectors, we also found that TAMs could increase the expression of VEGFA and that inhibition of VEGFA could inhibit the biological function caused by TAMs. Finally, a Western blotting assay was used to evaluate the expression of various factors underlying the mechanism of TAMs. VEGFA, MAPK, P-MAPK, BCL-2, and Snail proteins were found to be overexpressed in co-cultured groups, whereas after VEGFA inhibition, MAPK, P-MAPK, BCL-2, and Snail proteins were found to be significantly downregulated in the radiotherapy group. These study results offer important information regarding the mechanism of radioresistance in esophageal cancer.

Sesamin ameliorates nonalcoholic hepatic steatosis by inhibiting CD36-mediated hepatocyte lipid accumulation in vitro and in vivo.

Hepatic steatosis is a critical factor in the development of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Sesamin (Ses), a functional lignan isolated from Sesamum indicum, possesses hypolipidemic, liver-protective, anti-hypertensive, and anti-tumor properties. Ses has been found to improve hepatic steatosis, but the exact mechanisms through which Ses achieves this are not well understood. In this study, we observed the anti-hepatic steatosis effects of Ses in palmitate/oleate (PA/OA)-incubated primary mouse hepatocytes, AML12 hepatocytes, and HepG2 cells, as well as in high-fat, high-cholesterol diet-induced NASH mice. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36), a free fatty acid (FA) transport protein, was involved in the Ses-mediated inhibition of hepatic fat accumulation. Moreover, the overexpression of CD36 significantly increased hepatic steatosis in both Ses-treated PA/OA-incubated HepG2 cells and NASH mice. Furthermore, Ses treatment suppressed insulin-induced de novo lipogenesis in HepG2 cells, which was reversed by CD36 overexpression. Mechanistically, we found that Ses ameliorated NASH by inhibiting CD36-mediated FA uptake and upregulation of lipogenic genes, including FA synthase, stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1, and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1. The findings of our study provide novel insights into the potential therapeutic applications of Ses in the treatment of NASH.

Deep-Learning-Based Analysis Reveals a Social Behavior Deficit in Mice Exposed Prenatally to Nicotine.

Cigarette smoking during pregnancy is known to be associated with the incidence of attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD). Recent developments in deep learning algorithms enable us to assess the behavioral phenotypes of animal models without cognitive bias during manual analysis. In this study, we established prenatal nicotine exposure (PNE) mice and evaluated their behavioral phenotypes using DeepLabCut and SimBA. We optimized the training parameters of DeepLabCut for pose estimation and succeeded in labeling a single-mouse or two-mouse model with high fidelity during free-moving behavior. We applied the trained network to analyze the behavior of the mice and found that PNE mice exhibited impulsivity and a lessened working memory, which are characteristics of ADHD. PNE mice also showed elevated anxiety and deficits in social interaction, reminiscent of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We further examined PNE mice by evaluating adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus, which is a pathological hallmark of ASD, and demonstrated that newborn neurons were decreased, specifically in the ventral part of the hippocampus, which is reported to be related to emotional and social behaviors. These results support the hypothesis that PNE is a risk factor for comorbidity with ADHD and ASD in mice.

Mesopic pupil indices as potential risk factors for glare disability after intraocular implantable collamer lens implantation: prospective study.

PURPOSE: To explore the influence of preoperative factors, including varying pupil sizes and refractive attributes, on postoperative glare disability in patients undergoing implantable collamer lens (ICL) implantation. SETTING: Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. METHODS: The preoperative ocular characteristics and 6-month postoperative glare status in eligible patients who underwent EVO-Visian ICL V4c (VICMO) implantation were analyzed. The glare disability criteria encompassed a glare symptom score >6 and glare sensitivity exceeding 1:2.7. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between the preoperative ocular parameters and post-ICL glare. RESULTS: The study included 95 patients (mean age, 26.04 ± 6.29 years), comprising 30 men (58 eyes) and 65 women (129 eyes). Multivariate analysis revealed a significant correlation between postoperative glare disability and increased spherical power in preoperative mesopic pupils (ß = -0.124, P = .039), as well as elevated cylinder power in preoperative mesopic (ß = -0.412, P = .009) and photopic pupils (ß = -0.430, P = .007). Moreover, a larger preoperative mesopic pupil diameter (ß = 0.561, P = .005) demonstrated a significant correlation with glare disability. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative mesopic pupil dimensions and associated refractive parameters, such as sphere and cylinder, were correlated with glare disability, including the cylinder aspect in photopic pupils, which can assist clinicians in optimizing preoperative selection for ICL implantation, aiding in the anticipation of potential glare disability risks.

Clinicopathologic Features and Pathogens of Granulomatous Lobular Mastitis.

Background: Granulomatous lobular mastitis (GLM) is a rare, benign, and complex breast disease that can be easily misdiagnosed as breast cancer. The etiology of GLM is unclear, and optimal treatment has not been established. Methods: Medical records for 333 patients with GLM in recent 5 years at Longhua Hospital, Shanghai, China, were analyzed. Potential pathogens in 33 fresh tissue specimens were also analyzed using 16S rDNA sequencing technology, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry, and bacterial cultures. Results: The median age of patients was 32 years (range 22-47 years). Among 333 patients, 38.7% displayed elevated prolactin, while 23.7% displayed high interleukin-2. In the granulomatous lesion, CD3-positive T lymphocytes were significantly more than CD20-positive B lymphocytes around the vacuoles or microabscesses. Gram-positive organisms were observed in 82 cases, including in 22 cases from fresh tissue specimens. Thirty-three cases yielded associated pathogens and all displayed multiple pathogenic infections, as identified using 16S rDNA sequencing technology. Pathogenic infections were further identified as belonging to 16 main genera and 8 main pathogenic species. Conclusions: GLM displays distinct histological and clinical features similar to those that have been previously reported in the literature. Using 16S rDNA sequencing technology, all of our cases demonstrated multiple pathogenic infections, which provided more useful information for clinical treatment.

Copper Single-Atom Jellyfish-like Nanomotors for Enhanced Tumor Penetration and Nanocatalytic Therapy.

Single-atom catalysts with extraordinary catalytic activity have been receiving great attention in tumor therapy. However, most single-atom catalysts lack self-propulsion properties, restricting them from actively approaching cancer cells or penetrating the interior of tumors. Herein, we design N-doped jellyfish-like mesoporous carbon nanomotors coordinated with single-atom copper (Cu-JMCNs). It is a combination of single-atom nanocatalytic medicine and nanomotor self-propulsion for cancer therapy. The Cu single atom can catalyze H2O2 into toxic hydroxyl radical (•OH) for chemodynamic therapy (CDT). Near-infrared light triggers Cu-JMCNs to achieve self-thermophoretic motion because of the jellyfish-like asymmetric structure and photothermal property of carbon, which significantly improves the cellular uptake and the penetration of three-dimensional tumors. In vivo experiments indicate that the combination of single-atom Cu for CDT and near-infrared light propulsion can achieve over 85% tumor inhibition rate. This work sheds light on the development of advanced nanomotors with single-atom catalysts for biomedical applications.

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease and the risk of cardiovascular disease.

BACKGROUND: With the gradual adoption of new metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) definitions in clinical practice, the relationship between MAFLD and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk remains unclear. Similarly, clinical differences between MAFLD and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and the relationship between MAFLD and CVD risk are unclear. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study using the 1988-1994 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES III) database, including 11,673 individuals. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to test relationships between MAFLD and the 10-year CVD risk. RESULTS: MAFLD was more significant than NAFLD in medium/high 10-year CVD risk (according to Framingham risk score) (1064 (29.92%) vs. 1022 (26.37%), P < 0.005). MAFLD patients were stratified according to NAFLD fibrosis scores (NFS's). In univariate regression analysis, when compared with non-MAFLD patients, unadjusted-OR values for MAFLD with different liver fibrosis stages, which were tiered by NFS (NFS < -1.455,-1.455 ≤ NFS < 0.676, and NFS ≥ 0.676) in the medium 10-year CVD risk (according to Framingham scores) were 1.175 (95% CI 1.030-1.341), 3.961 (3.449-4.549), and 5.477 (4.100-7.315), and the unadjusted or values of different MAFLD groups in the high 10-year CVD risk were 1.407 (95% CI 1.080-1.833), 5.725 (4.500-7.284), and 5.330 (3.132-9.068). Then, after adjusting for age, sex, race, alcohol consumption, and smoking, or adjusting for age, race, alcohol consumption, smoking, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and other confounding factors, the incidence of medium and high 10-year CVD risk was statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We showed that patients with MAFLD had a higher 10-year CVD risk when compared with patients with NAFLD. Increased MAFLD hepatic fibrosis scores were associated with a 10-year CVD risk.

Optimal treatment strategy and prognostic analysis for patients with non-metastatic pT4 colon adenocarcinoma.

Objective: This study endeavored to explore the optimal treatment strategy and conduct a prognostic analysis for patients diagnosed with pT4M0 (pathologic stage T4) colon adenocarcinoma (COAD). Methods and materials: A total of 8,843 patients diagnosed with pT4M0 COAD between January 2010 and December 2015 were included in this study from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. These patients were randomly divided into a training set and an internal validation set using a 7:3 ratio. Variables that demonstrated statistical significance (P<0.05) in univariate COX regression analysis or held clinical significance were incorporated into the multivariate COX regression model. Subsequently, this model was utilized to formulate a nomogram. The predictive accuracy and discriminability of the nomogram were assessed using the C-index, area under the curve (AUC), and calibration curves. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was conducted to confirm the clinical validity of the model. Results: In the entire SEER cohort, the 3-year overall survival (OS) rate (74.22% vs. 63.20%, P<0.001) and the 3-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) rate (76.25% vs. 66.98%, P<0.001) in the surgery combined with postoperative adjuvant therapy (S+ADT) group surpassed those in the surgery (S) group. Multivariate COX regression analysis of the training set unveiled correlations between age, race, N stage, serum CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen), differentiation, number of resected lymph nodes, and treatment modalities with OS and CSS. Nomograms for OS and CSS were meticulously crafted based on these variables, achieving C-indexes of 0.692 and 0.690 in the training set, respectively. The robust predictive ability of the nomogram was further affirmed through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and calibration curves in both the training and validation sets. Conclusion: In individuals diagnosed with pT4M0 COAD, the integration of surgery with adjuvant chemoradiotherapy demonstrated a substantial extension of long-term survival. The nomogram, which incorporated key factors such as age, race, differentiation, N stage, serum CEA level, tumor size, and the number of resected lymph nodes, stood as a dependable tool for predicting OS and CSS rates. This predictive model held promise in aiding clinicians by identifying high-risk patients and facilitating the development of personalized treatment plans.

Investigating the predictive value of vascular endothelial growth factor in the evaluation of treatment efficacy and prognosis for patients with non-surgical esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

In this study, we aim to investigate the predictive value of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in evaluating treatment efficacy and long-term prognosis for patients with non-surgical esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The patients diagnosed with ESCC by histopathology who didn't receive surgical treatment were retrospectively analyzed. Through follow-up and prognostic analysis, we explored the value of serum VEGF changes before, during, and after radiotherapy for predicting treatment efficacy, and identified important indicators to construct the predictive model. Eighty-four patients were enrolled in this study, and the objective response rate (ORR) after treatment was 75.0%. The serum VEGF before, during and after radiotherapy were 108.2 ± 38.4, 98.6 ± 20.3 and 96.9 ± 20.0pg/ml, respectively. Staging and serum VEGF during radiotherapy were the independent factors affecting the treatment efficacy of non-surgical ESCC patients (OR=0.182 and 0.959, P<0.05). The median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 24.4 and 15.8 months. The 3-year, 5-year, 10-year OS rates and PFS rates were 35.7%, 26.2%, 14.4%, and 26.2%, 22.6%, 12.3%, respectively. By performing COX regression analysis, we found that the TNM stage, changes of VEGF after radiotherapy (∆VEGF2), and endoscopic histopathological response were the independent prognostic factors for OS and PFS (P<0.05). The R2 of the constructed prediction model was 0.328 and 0.362, and the C-index was 0.697 and 0.708, respectively. The follow-up time-dependent AUC showed that the predicted AUC was stable and greater than 0.7 as the follow-up time increased. For patients with non-surgical ESCC, those with low VEGF levels during radiotherapy had better treatment efficacy, and those with significant VEGF reduction after radiotherapy had a better prognosis. In summary, our results demonstrate that it is feasible to construct a model to evaluate and predict the efficacy and prognosis of patients with non-surgical ESCC based on serum VEGF measurement.

Genetic Analysis and Combined Therapy of Surgery and Chemotherapy for the Progression-Free Survival of a Patient with Ovarian Carcinosarcoma: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Carcinosarcoma, also known as malignant Mullerian mixed tumour, is a rare and aggressive ovarian malignant tumour. The prognosis of ovarian carcinosarcoma is very poor, accounting for the vast majority of ovarian cancer deaths. Due to the rarity of ovarian carcinosarcoma, no unified treatment plan exists at present. Here, we report the case of a 69-year-old patient with stage IC ovarian carcinosarcoma. She underwent right salpingo-oophorectomy and R0 resection, inclouding extrafascial hysterectomy, left salpingo-oophorectomy, omentectomy, appendectomy, right pelvic lymph node dissection and multipoint biopsy. Full-exome sequencing was performed with normal ovarian tissue, cancer tissue, sarcoma tissue and carcinosarcoma tissue, and the results showed that the sarcoma and carcinosarcoma tissue shared more mutated genes. A TP53 mutation occurred in the cancer tissue and carcinosarcoma tissue. By analysing the lychee tree, we found that the sarcoma tissue and carcinosarcoma tissue shared more subclones and determined that they were more closely related; the cancer tissue carried fewer subclones and was the main clone. The sarcoma may have evolved from the cancer tissues. Six rounds of postoperative chemotherapy (carboplatin + paclitaxel + ifosfamide (IFO) (paclitaxel 200 mg, D1 + carboplatin 600 mg, D1 + IFO 2G, D1-D3)) were administered. The patient has been followed up for six years and is currently in good health. In conclusion, the disease was diagnosed in the early stage, and the use of a R0 resection + a three-drug combination chemotherapy may have contributed to the patient's long-term disease-free survival. The results of the gene study suggested that the sarcoma component may be differentiated from the cancer component. We thus speculated that the origin of this case may have been the fallopian tube.

IQSEC2 Deficiency Results in Abnormal Social Behaviors Relevant to Autism by Affecting Functions of Neural Circuits in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex.

IQSEC2 is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (Arf6), of which protein is exclusively localized to the postsynaptic density of the excitatory synapse. Human genome studies have revealed that the IQSEC2 gene is associated with X-linked neurodevelopmental disorders, such as intellectual disability (ID), epilepsy, and autism. In this study, we examined the behavior and synapse function in IQSEC2 knockout (KO) mice that we generated using CRIPSR/Cas9-mediated genome editing to solve the relevance between IQSEC2 deficiency and the pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disorders. IQSEC2 KO mice exhibited autistic behaviors, such as overgrooming and social deficits. We identified that up-regulation of c-Fos expression in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) induced by social stimulation was significantly attenuated in IQSEC2 KO mice. Whole cell electrophysiological recording identified that synaptic transmissions mediated by α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR), N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), and γ-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABAR) were significantly decreased in pyramidal neurons in layer 5 of the mPFC in IQSEC2 KO mice. Reexpression of IQSEC2 isoform 1 in the mPFC of IQSEC2 KO mice using adeno-associated virus (AAV) rescued both synaptic and social deficits, suggesting that impaired synaptic function in the mPFC is responsible for social deficits in IQSEC2 KO mice.

CA125: An Increasingly Promising Biomarker of Heart Failure.

CA125 is a well-known tumor marker for diagnosis, monitoring, and risk stratification in ovarian cancer. It is not specific for malignant tumors and may be elevated in benign disease. In the past two decades, increasing evidence has emerged suggesting that the plasma level of CA125 can serve as a novel surrogate of heart failure (HF). CA125 in patients with HF is synthesized by serous epithelial cells in response to both mechanical and inflammatory stimuli. In patients with HF, regardless of etiology, CA125 levels correlate with the severity of clinical, hemodynamic, and echocardiographic parameters and with other biomarkers. Elevated CA125 can identify patients at high risk of rehospitalization and mortality, whether short- or long-term. Serial measurements and combination with different pathophysiology biomarkers can provide a more accurate prognosis value. It also can guide treatment as a robust biomarker of fluid overload and inflammation, particularly for diuretic dose optimization. These properties make it a very promising candidate for risk stratification and treatment guidance of HF.

Effect of COVID-19 outbreak on the treatment time of patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of COVID-19 outbreak on the treatment time of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in Hangzhou, China. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data of STEMI patients admitted to the Hangzhou Chest Pain Center (CPC) during a COVID-19 epidemic period in 2020 (24 cases) and the same period in 2019 (29 cases). General characteristics of the patients were recorded, analyzed, and compared. Moreover, we compared the groups for the time from symptom onset to the first medical contact (SO-to-FMC), time from first medical contact to balloon expansion (FMC-to-B), time from hospital door entry to first balloon expansion (D-to-B), and catheter room activation time. The groups were also compared for postoperative cardiac color Doppler ultrasonographic left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF),the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE),Kaplan-Meier survival curves during the 28 days after the operation. RESULTS: The times of SO-to-FMC, D-to-B, and catheter room activation in the 2020 group were significantly longer than those in the 2019 group (P < 0.05). The cumulative mortality after the surgery in the 2020 group was significantly higher than the 2019 group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The pre-hospital and in-hospital treatment times of STEMI patients during the COVID-19 epidemic were longer than those before the epidemic. Cumulative mortality was showed in Kaplan-Meier survival curves after the surgery in the 2020 group was significantly different higher than the 2019 group during the 28 days.The diagnosis and treatment process of STEMI patients during an epidemic should be optimized to improve their prognosis.

Prophylactic AEDs Treatment for Patients With Supratentorial Meningioma Does Not Reduce the Rate of Perioperative Seizures: A Retrospective Single-Center Cohort Study.

Meningiomas, the most common brain tumor, inevitably require surgical treatment. However, the efficacy of prophylactic antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), in reducing the frequency of new-onset seizures during the perioperative period remains controversial. To further clarify if prophylactic antiepileptic drug treatment for patients with meningioma had value, we reviewed the medical records of 186 supratentorial meningioma patients who were operated at our hospital between 2016 and 2018. SPSS 24.0 software was used for statistical analysis. The results of univariate analysis showed that factors including age, sex, the course of the disease (years), maximum cross-sectional area of the tumor, location of the tumor, multiple or single tumors, adjacent to the cortex, peritumoral brain edema, World Health Organization classification, and peritumoral adhesion were not associated with perioperative seizures (P >0.05). Furthermore, the results of multivariate analysis revealed hydrocephalus (OR 4.87 P = 0.05) and non-skull base location (OR 1.88 P = 0.04) were significant risk factors for perioperative in-hospital seizures. Prophylactic valproic acid treatment did not contribute to the alleviation of perioperative seizures (OR 1.76 P = 0.04). However, Multivariate logistic regression analyses excluding the patients with seizures before operation confirmed prophylactic valproic acid treatment did not reduce the frequency of seizures during the perioperative period (OR 1.84 P = 0.04). Taken together, the data suggest that prophylactic valproic acid treatment for patients with supratentorial meningioma does not reduce the rate of perioperative seizures.

The Safety and Efficacy of Apatinib Treatment in Addition to Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy in Patients with Nonoperative Locally Advanced Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND Esophageal cancer is a common gastrointestinal malignancy in China. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of adding Apatinib to concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this single-center retrospective study, we compared short-term efficacy, long-term efficacy, and adverse events between patients who received Apatinib and concurrent chemoradiotherapy (Apatinib group), and those who received only concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT group). RESULTS Sixty-five patients with stage II and III esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were enrolled (31 in the Apatinib group, 34 in the CCRT group). After treatment, the therapy response rate (the sum of the complete and partial remission rates) was significantly higher in the Apatinib group than in the CCRT group (P=0.045); the complete remission rate was particularly higher in the Apatinib group. Median progression-free survival in the Apatinib group (12 months) was higher than that of the CCRT group (7 months), and the 1- and 2-year progression-free survival rates were significantly higher in the Apatinib group than in the CCRT group (47.0% vs. 30.3% and 20.2% vs. 12.1%, respectively; P=0.040). The main adverse effects of Apatinib treatment were elevated blood pressure, proteinuria, hand-foot syndrome, fatigue, and oral mucositis, all of which were level 1-2. Cox multivariate regression analysis indicated T stage and short-term efficacy were independent prognostic factors for overall and progression-free survival. CONCLUSIONS For patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, combining Apatinib with concurrent chemoradiotherapy can improve patient survival and significantly prolong progression-free survival, with tolerable adverse reactions.

Cancer Cell Membrane Camouflaged Semi-Yolk@Spiky-Shell Nanomotor for Enhanced Cell Adhesion and Synergistic Therapy.

Cell adhesion of nanosystems is significant for efficient cellular uptake and drug delivery in cancer therapy. Herein, a near-infrared (NIR) light-driven biomimetic nanomotor is reported to achieve the improved cell adhesion and cellular uptake for synergistic photothermal and chemotherapy of breast cancer. The nanomotor is composed of carbon@silica (C@SiO2 ) with semi-yolk@spiky-shell structure, loaded with the anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) and camouflaged with MCF-7 breast cancer cell membrane (i.e., mC@SiO2 @DOX). Such biomimetic mC@SiO2 @DOX nanomotors display efficient self-thermophoretic propulsion due to a thermal gradient generated by asymmetrically spatial distribution. Moreover, the MCF-7 cancer cell membrane coating can remarkably reduce the bioadhesion of nanomotors in biological medium and exhibit highly specific self-recognition of the source cell line. The combination of effective propulsion and homologous targeting dramatically improves cell adhesion and the resultant cellular uptake efficiency in vitro from 26.2% to 67.5%. Therefore, the biomimetic mC@SiO2 @DOX displays excellent synergistic photothermal and chemotherapy with over 91% MCF-7 cell growth inhibition rate. Such smart design of the fuel-free, NIR light-powered biomimetic nanomotor may pave the way for the application of self-propelled nanomotors in biomedicine.

Gastric Glomus Tumor: A Clinicopathologic and Immunohistochemical Study of 21 Cases.

Gastric glomus tumors (GGTs) are rare mesenchymal tumors. Most glomus tumors occur in the distal parts of the extremities. Here, we retrospectively analyzed the features of GGTs from two institutions. The histologic and clinical findings of all GGT cases from 2009 to 2018 were reviewed. The most common location was the antrum, the mean age of patients was 49.3 years, and the mean tumor size was 2.1 cm. Microscopically, small, round cell nodules surrounded the expansion of blood vessels in a nest pattern. Immunohistochemical assays for vimentin and smooth muscle actin (SMA) were positive, and assays for H-caldesmon and calponin were partially positive. GGT is rare and easily misdiagnosed before operation. However, immunohistochemistry is useful for the differential diagnosis. The majority of GGTs are benign, and local surgery achieving complete resection is the most effective treatment method.

Corrigendum: Prophylactic AEDs Treatment for Patients With Supratentorial Meningioma Does Not Reduce the Rate of Perioperative Seizures: A Retrospective Single-Center Cohort Study.

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Efficacy and Safety of Chinese Herbal Medicine on Ovarian Cancer After Reduction Surgery and Adjuvant Chemotherapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Ovarian cancer (OvC) is a malignant tumor which invades ovarian epithelium and interstitium. Reduction surgery combined with adjuvant chemotherapy is standard treatment for OvC patients, but the adverse effects due to chemotherapy still remains a major problem. While Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) therapy has a unique therapeutic effect to reduce side effects of chemotherapy by boosting immune system, the evidence of CHM in the treatment of OvC patients are limited. Objective: We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CHM in the treatment of OvC after reduction surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. Method: Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and PubMed up to Dec 31st 2018 were searched to identify relevant studies. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included, and there was no limitation on language of the publication. Data were extracted from all included studies and meta-analysis was performed with Review Manager 5.3. Study quality was assessed and pooled risk ratios (RR) or mean difference (MD) with 95% CIs were used to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CHM. Results: A total of 18 RCTs involving 975 participants were included. There was no placebo, no treatment and CHM alone. Compared with Western Medicine (WM) alone, Chinese herbal Medicine combined with WM (CHM-WM) significantly improved TCM syndromes and symptoms, KPS scores, CD4 counts, CA125 levels, and 3-years survival rate (P < 0.05). Incidences of gastrointestinal reactions, marrow depression, urinary system symptoms were significantly lower in CHM-WM group than in WM group (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in CD3 counts, CD8 counts, quality of life, liver function, and peripheral neuropathy between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The systematic review indicated that CHM combined with WM is effective and safe as a treatment for OvC patients after reduction surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. However, more high-quality and large-scale RCTs are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of CHM intervention.

Apatinib enhances the radiosensitivity of the esophageal cancer cell line KYSE-150 by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle redistribution.

To determine the radiosensitizing effect of apatinib on esophageal cancer cells, and to preliminarily investigate the underlying mechanism, KYSE-150 cells were treated with apatinib, x-ray or apatinib combined with x-ray, and compared with a blank control. It was observed that apatinib significantly inhibited vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion and the proliferation of KYSE-150 cells in a dose-dependent manner. As the concentration of apatinib increased, the radiobiological parameters inactivation dose (D0), quasi domain does (Dq) and survival fraction (SF2) of KYSE-150 cells decreased, while the sensitization enhancement ratio SERD0 increased. The rate of apoptosis in cells treated with apatinib and x-ray was markedly higher compared with those of the blank control, x-ray and apatinib alone groups (P<0.05). The proportion of cells in the G2/M phase was significantly increased in the apatinib, x-ray and combination groups compared with the blank control group (P<0.05). Compared with the control and x-ray groups, combination treatment did not significantly alter the expression level of polyADP-ribose polymerase (PARP), although it significantly increased the expression of cleaved-PARP (P<0.05). Moreover, the expression of cell serine/threonine-protein kinase-2 (CHK2) was downregulated (P<0.05), whilst expression of the phosphorylated form, pCHK2, was significantly increased (P<0.05) in the combination group when compared with the control and x-ray groups. In conclusion, the present study suggested that apatinib increases the radiosensitivity of KYSE-150 esophageal cancer cells by inhibiting VEGF secretion and cell proliferation, and promoting apoptosis and cell cycle redistribution.