Mechanism of Didangtang in Treatment of Bladder Cancer Based on Network Pharmacology / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the targets and possible mechanism of Didangtang in the treatment of bladder cancer. Method:Based on multiple traditional Chinese medicine and disease databases, the network pharmacology was used to screen potential targets, analyze the biological functions of potential targets, and construct a network of "Chinese medicine-target-path-disease". Bioinformatics analysis was applied in population and gene databases, in order to explore the differential expressions of core targets in tissues, distribution in the population and the correlation with prognosis. The in vitro experiment was used to verify the biological function of Didangtang. The underlying mechanism of Didangtang on the candidate target was detected. Result:A total of 21 core target genes and 16 highly enriched pathways were screened out. A functional network of Didangtang was constructed systematically. At the same time, six targets, namely cadherin 1 (CDH1), CAMP responsive element binding protein 1 (CREB1), colony stimulating factor 2 (CSF2), AP-1 transcription factor (JUN), matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2), and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase (PTGS2), were differentially expressed in bladder cancer tissues (P<0.05). Furthermore, JUN and MMP2 were also differentially distributed in population (P<0.05). At the same time, the expression level of JUN was correlated with the prognosis of patients with bladder cancer (P<0.05). The in vitro experiment revealed that Didangtang inhibited the proliferation of bladder cancer cells and decreased the expression of candidate target JUN (P<0.01). Conclusion:Didangtang has the characteristics of multiple targets and multiple pathways in treatment of bladder cancer. It is initially confirmed that Didangtang can affect the expression of target JUN and inhibit the proliferation of bladder cancer, which lays a good foundation for further studies on mechanism.

Clinical efficacy of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine for castration-resistant prostate cancer / 中华男科学杂志

Objective@#To investigate the clinical effects of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine in the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).@*METHODS@#A total of 54 CRPC patients were randomly divided into a control and a trial group, all treated by endocrine therapy (oral Bicalutamide at 50 mg per d plus subcutaneous injection of Goserelin at 3.6 mg once every 4 wk) and chemotherapy (intravenous injection of Docetaxel at 75 mg/m2 once every 3 wk plus oral Prednisone at 5 mg bid), while the latter group by Fuyang Huayu Prescription (a Traditional Chinese Medicine ［TCM］ prescription for tonifying yang and dispersing blood stasis) in addition, for a course of 24 weeks. Comparisons were made between the two groups of patients in the level of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA), Karnofsky physical condition scores, function assessment of cancer therapy-prostate (FACT-P) scores, and TCM symptoms scores before and after 12 or 24 weeks of treatment.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the baseline, the serum PSA level was significantly decreased after 12 weeks of treatment both in the control (［25.9 ± 39.3］ vs ［20.0 ± 21.1］ μg/L, P 0.05). At 24 weeks, however, the PSA levels in the control and trial groups were slightly increased to (23.1 ± 28.4) and (19.6 ± 23.5) μg/L, respectively, with no statistically significant differences in between (P >0.05). Karnofsky, FACT-P and TCM symptoms scores were all markedly improved in the trial group after 12 weeks of treatment (P 0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#TCM Fuyang Huayu Prescription combined with endocrine therapy and chemotherapy is effective for CRPC.

Chinese medicinal compound CFF-1 induces the apoptosis and cycle-arrest of prostate cancer cells via the PI3K/AKT/FOXO1 signaling pathway / 中华男科学杂志

Objective@#To explore the apoptosis-inducing effect of the Chinese medicinal compound CFF-1 on prostate cancer cells and its related molecular mechanisms.@*METHODS@#Normal prostate WPMY-1 cells and prostate cancer LNCaP, CWR22Rv1, PC3 and DU145 cells were treated in dehydrated alcohol with CFF-1 at 0, 2, 5, or 10 mg/ml for 24 hours. Then the viability of the prostate cells was detected by morphological observation, MTT and CCK-8 assay, nuclear condensation and disruption measured by DAPI staining, the cell cycle and apoptosis calculated by flow cytometry, the activity of the PI3K/AKT/FOXO1 signaling pathway and the expressions of its downstream apoptosis- and cycle-related proteins determined by Western blot.@*RESULTS@#CFF-1 significantly arrested the cell cycle in the G1 phase, decreased the cell viability and increased the nuclear condensation and disruption in a dose-dependent manner, and elevated the apoptosis rate of prostate cancer cells. At the molecular level, CFF-1 dose-dependently reduced the activity of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and phosphorylation of the FOXO1 protein, increased the transcription activity of FOXO1, and eventually regulated the expressions of cell apoptosis- and cycle-related genes.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The Chinese medicinal compound CFF-1 can significantly inhibit the growth, arrest the cycle, and induce the apoptosis of prostate cancer cells by decreasing the activity of the PI3K/AKT/FOXO1 signaling pathway, which suggests its potential clinical application value in the treatment of prostate cancer.

TUBVP and HOLEP: desirable surgical options for large benign prostatic hyperplasia ( >80 ml) / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the safety and efficacy of the two surgical alternatives, transurethral bipolar vaporization resection of the prostate (TUBVP) and holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HOLEP), in the treatment of large benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Retrospective analyses were made of 56 cases of large BPH ( >80 ml), 34 treated by TUBVP with the Bipolar Vaporization System (ACMI Medical Ltd, U.K.) at 160 W in cutting and 80 W in coagulation mode, and 22 by HOLEP with the Holmium Laser System (LUMNIS Ltd, US) at 100W. The safety and efficacy of the two approaches were assessed based on the operative and follow-up data.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Blood loss was significantly less in the HOLEP than in the TUBVP group ( P < 0.01), but the time of postoperative bladder irrigation and catheter indwelling was obviously shorter in the latter. IPSS, Qmax and Residual unine were markedly improved at 1 and 3 months after the surgery, with no statistically significant differences between the two groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Both TUBVP and HOLEP are safe and effective surgical options for the treatment of large BPH. Particularly the former, easier to be popularly applied, is promising to be a new "gold standard" in the surgical treatment of BPH.</p>