Acupuncture for Quality of Life in Gastric Cancer Patients Undergoing Adjuvant Chemotherapy.

CONTEXT: Patients with gastric cancer experience health-related quality of life (HRQOL) decline during adjuvant chemotherapy following gastrectomy. OBJECTIVES: This pilot study aimed to evaluate the preliminary effect and feasibility of electro-acupuncture (EA) for HRQOL and symptom burden in these patients. METHODS: In this open-label, multicenter, parallel controlled trial, gastric cancer patients who planned to receive adjuvant chemotherapy were randomly assigned to receive high-dose EA (seven times each chemotherapy cycle for three cycles), low-dose EA (three times each chemotherapy cycle), or usual care only. The acupoints prescription consisted of bilateral ST36, PC6, SP4, and DU20, EX-HN3, and selected Back-shu points. Patients completed the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Gastric (FACT-Ga) weekly, and the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS). The primary outcome was the difference among the groups on the gastric cancer subscale (GaCS) of the FACT-Ga. RESULTS: Of the 66 randomized patients, 58 were analyzed according to intention-to-treat principle, and 45 were in the per-protocol set (PPS). The average scores in PPS of GaCS were 52.12±9.71, 51.85±12.36, and 45.37±8.61 in high-dose EA, low-dose EA, and control groups, respectively. EA was significantly associated with improved average GaCS scores when compared with control group (51.98±10.91 vs. 45.37±8.61, P = 0.039). EA treatment also produced ESAS relief at the end of intervention (14.36 ± 12.28 vs. 23.91 ± 15.52, P = 0.027). Participants in EA groups had fewer grade ≥3 leukopenia (0% vs. 15.79%, P = 0.031) and neutropenia (2.56% vs. 26.31%, P = 0.012). CONCLUSION: EA showed promising effects in improving HRQOL, controlling symptom burden, and reducing toxicity during adjuvant chemotherapy in gastric cancer patients. Future adequately powered trials are feasible and needed to confirm the specific effect of EA.

Skp1 in lung cancer: clinical significance and therapeutic efficacy of its small molecule inhibitors.

Skp1 is an essential adaptor protein of the Skp1-Cul1-F-box protein complex and is able to stabilize the conformation of some ubiquitin E3 ligases. However, the role Skp1 plays during tumorigenesis remains unclear and Skp1-targeting agent is lacking. Here we showed that Skp1 was overexpressed in 36/64 (56.3%) of non-small cell lung cancers, and elevated Skp1 was associated with poor prognosis. By structure-based high-throughput virtual screening, we found some Skp1-targeting molecules including a natural compound 6-O-angeloylplenolin (6-OAP). 6-OAP bound Skp1 at sites critical to Skp1-Skp2 interaction, leading to dissociation and proteolysis of oncogenic E3 ligases NIPA, Skp2, and ß-TRCP, and accumulation of their substrates Cyclin B1, P27 and E-Cadherin. 6-OAP induced prometaphase arrest and exerted potent anti-lung cancer activity in two murine models and showed low adverse effect. These results indicate that Skp1 is critical to lung cancer pathogenesis, and Skp1 inhibitor inactivates crucial oncogenic E3 ligases and exhibits significant therapeutic potentials.

Inhibitory effect of modified citrus pectin on liver metastases in a mouse colon cancer model.

AIM: To discuss the expression of glactin-3 in liver metastasis of colon cancer and its inhibition by modified citrus pectin (MCP) in mice. METHODS: Seventy-five Balb/c mice were randomly divided into negative control group (n = 15), positive control group (n = 15), low MCP concentration group (n = 15), middle MCP concentration group (n = 15) and high MCP concentration group (n = 15). CT26 colon cancer cells were injected into the subcapsule of mouse spleen in positive control group, low, middle and high MCP concentrations groups, except in negative control, to set up a colon cancer liver metastasis model. The concentration of MCP in drinking water was 0.0%, 0.0%, 1.0%, 2.5% and 5.0% (wt/vol), respectively. Liver metastasis of colon cancer was observed after 3 wk. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the concentration of galectin-3 in serum. Expression of galectin-3 in liver metastasis was detected by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Except for the negative group, the percentage of liver metastasis in the other 4 groups was 100%, 80%, 73.3% and 60%, respectively. The number of liver metastases in high MCP concentration group was significantly less than that in positive control group (P = 0.008). Except for the negative group, the median volume of implanted spleen tumor in the other 4 groups was 1.51 cm(3), 0.93 cm(3), 0.77 cm(3) and 0.70 cm(3), respectively. The volume of implanted tumor in middle and high MCP concentration groups was significantly smaller than that in positive control group (P = 0.019; P = 0.003). The concentration of serum galectin-3 in positive control and MCP treatment groups was significantly higher than that in the negative control group. However, there was no significant difference between them. Except for the negative control group, the expression of galectin-3 in liver metastases of the other 4 groups showed no significant difference. CONCLUSION: Expression of galetin-3 increases significantly in liver metastasis of colon cancer, which can be effectively inhibited by MCP.

[Expression of galectin-3 in liver metastasis of colon cancer and the inhibitory effect of modified citrus pectin].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the expression of galectin-3 in the liver metastasis of colon cancer in mice and the inhibitory effect of modified citrus pectin (MCP) on galectin-3 expression. METHODS: Seventy-five Balb/c mice were randomized into 5 groups, namely the negative control, positive control, low-concentration MCP, moderate-concentration MCP and high-concentration MCP groups. CT26 colon cancer cells were injected into the subcapsule of the mouse spleen to establish liver metastasis models of colon cancer, but the mice in the negative control group received no tumor cell injection. MCP was added into the drinking water of the mice at the concentrations of 0, 1.0%, 2.5% and 5.0% (m/V). The liver metastasis was observed 3 weeks after tumor cell inoculation. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to determine the serum galectin-3 level. A tissue microarray of the liver metastasis was prepared for immunohistochemical detection of galectin-3 expression in the liver metastasis. RESULTS: In the positive control, low-, moderate- and high-concentration MCP groups, the rates of liver metastasis were 100%, 80%, 73.3% and 60%, respectively. The number of liver metastases in high-concentration MCP group was significantly smaller than that in the positive control group (P<0.05). In the 4 groups with tumor cell inoculation, the median volume of the primary lesions in the spleen was 1.51, 0.93, 0.77 and 0.70 cm(3), respectively, which were significantly smaller in the moderate- and high-concentration MCP groups than in the positive control group (P<0.05). The serum galectin-3 level in the positive control group and MCP-treated groups were significantly higher than that in the negative control group (P<0.01), but similar between the positive control group and the MCP-treated groups (P>0.05). In the positive control and the MCP-treated groups, the expression of galectin-3 in the liver metastases showed no significant differences (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The expression of galetin-3 is significantly increased in the liver metastasis of colon cancer, and MCP can effectively inhibit the liver metastasis.

[Efficacy of complex Hongyibuxue oral solution and ferrous sulfate for iron deficiency anemia].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the efficacy of complex Hongyibuxue oral solution in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia (IDA). METHODS: One hundred patients of IDA were randomly divided into test group or control group (50 cases each). Patients in the test group took complex Hongyibuxue oral solution and those in the control group took ferrous sulfate in a treatment course of 4 weeks. RESULTS: Hemoglobin, serum iron and serum ferritin in the test group rose faster than those in control group (P<0.05). The improvement of the anemic symptoms and tolerance of patients to complex Hongyibuxue oral solution in the test group were much better than ferrous sulfate. CONCLUSION: The therapeutic effect of and tolerance of patients to complex Hongyibuxue oral solution are better than ferrous sulfate in the treatment of IDA.