Alirocumab in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia:a rapid health technology assessment / 药物流行病学杂志

Objective To evaluate the efficacy,safety and cost-effectiveness of alirocumab for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia in a rapid health technology assessment(rHTA).Methods PubMed,Embase,Cochrane Library,CNKI,WanFang Data and health technology assessment(HTA)relative websites were electronically searched to collect HTA reports,systematic reviews/Meta-analyses and pharmacoeconomic literatures on the alirocumab for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia from inception to August 14th,2022.Two reviewers independently screened the literature,extracted the data results and accessed the quality of included studies.Descriptive analysis and summary were then performed.Results A total of 38 documents were included,including 28 systematic reviews/Meta analyses,7 pharmacoeconomic studies and 3 HTA reports.This study showed that,compared with placebo or other lipid lowering therapy,alirocumab lowered the levels of LDL-C,Lp(a),TC,TG,Apo B,non-HDL-C,increased the levels of HDL-C and Apo A1,reduced the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE),all-cause mortality,cerebrovascular events,and unstable angina,but did not reduce cardiovascular death,myocardial infarction or coronary revascularization.Safety studies showed that,compared with placebo or other lipid lowering therapy,alirocumab did not increase the risk of other adverse reactions but associated with higher injection site reactions.Pharmacoeconomic studies showed that alirocumab was cost-effective in patients with three branch coronary artery disease and acute coronary syndrome with LDL-C≥2.59 mmol·L-1.Conclusion Alirocumab is effective and safe for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia,and cost-effective for the patients of coronary arteriosclerotic heart disease with multi-vessel disease or with high base-line level of LDL-C.

GLI-1 is involved in EGF-regulated enhancement of the invasiveness of prostate cancer ARCaP(E) cells in vitro / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the role of the hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway transcription factor glioma-associated oncogene hoinolog 1 (GLI-1) in EGF-regulated enhancement of the invasiveness of the prostate cancer ARCaP(E) cell line in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expressions of EGFR and GLI-1 in prostate cancer ARCaP(E) cells were analyzed by immunofluorescence staining. ARCaP(E) cells were treated with EGF at 100 ng/ml, followed by detection of the changes in cell morphology and invasiveness, as well as in the expressions of p-ERK, ERK and GLI-1. Migration transwell assay was used to determine the effects of 100 ng/ml EGF and GLI-1 antagonist GANT61 on the invasiveness of the ARCaP(E) cells.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Both EGFR and GLI-1 were expressed in the ARCaP(E) cells. EGF induced morphological transition of epithelial-like ARCaP(E) cells to mesenchymal-like cells, increased their in vitro invasiveness, and significantly upregulated the expressions of p-ERK and GLI-1 in the ARCaP(E) cells (P<0.05). GANT61 significantly inhibited the in vitro invasiveness of the ARCaP(E) cells and reduced the enhancing effect of EGF on their invasiveness (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results from ARCaP(E) cells shed light on the cross-talk of the HH pathway with the EGF/ERK signaling pathway. GLI-1 might be responsible for EGF-regulated enhancement of the invasiveness of ARCaP(E) cells in vitro.</p>

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition and human fetal prostate development / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the role and significance of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and its transcriptional regulator Twist1 in the development of the human fetal prostate.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-five human fetal prostate specimens at various developmental stages (16-39 weeks) were included in this study. EMT markers, such as E-Cadherin, N-Cadherin and Vimentin, and EMT transcriptional regulator Twist1 were determined by immunohistochemistry, and their relationship with the development of the human fetal prostate was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>E-Cadherin was expressed in the fetal prostate epithelium only, while Vimentin, N-Cadherin and Twist1 in both the epithelium and the stroma. The expression of E-Cadherin gradually increased, but those of Vimentin, N-Cadherin and Twist1 gradually decreased with the gestation stages. No significant changes were observed in the staining patterns of Vimentin, N-Cadherin and Twist1 in the stroma during the whole developmental process.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EMT is involved in the development of the human fetal prostate, which may promote epithelial cell motility to form prostatic bud tubules in early gestation stages and boost the differentiation of prostate epithelia in later stages.</p>