The combination of EGCG with warfarin reduces deep vein thrombosis in rabbits through modulating HIF-1α and VEGF via the PI3K/AKT and ERK1/2 signaling pathways.

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) poses a major challenge to public health worldwide. Endothelial cell injury evokes inflammatory and oxidative responses that contribute to thrombus formation. Tea polyphenol (TP) in the form of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has anti-inflammatory and oxidative effect that may ameliorate DVT. However, the precise mechanism remains incompletely understood. The current study was designed to investigate the anti-DVT mechanism of EGCG in combination with warfarin (an oral anticoagulant). Rabbits were randomly divided into five groups. A DVT model of rats was established through ligation of the inferior vena cava (IVC) and left common iliac vein, and the animals were orally administered with EGCG, warfarin, or vehicle for seven days. In vitro studies included pretreatment of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with different concentrations of EGCG for 2 h before exposure to hydrogen peroxide. Thrombus weight and length were examined. Histopathological changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Blood samples were collected for detecting coagulation function, including thrombin and prothrombin times, activated partial thromboplastin time, and fibrinogen levels. Protein expression in thrombosed IVCs and HUVECs was evaluated by Western blot, immunohistochemical analysis, and/or immunofluorescence staining. RT-qPCR was used to determine the levels of AGTR-1 and VEGF mRNA in IVCs and HUVECs. The viability of HUVECs was examined by CCK-8 assay. Flow cytometry was performed to detect cell apoptosis and ROS generation was assessed by 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate reagent. In vitro and invivo studies showed that EGCG combined with warfarin significantly reduced thrombus weight and length, and apoptosis in HUVECs. Our findings indicated that the combination of EGCG and warfarin protects HUVECs from oxidative stress and prevents apoptosis. However, HIF-1α silencing weakened these effects, which indicated that HIF-1α may participate in DVT. Furthermore, HIF-1α silencing significantly up-regulated cell apoptosis and ROS generation, and enhanced VEGF expression and the activation of the PI3K/AKT and ERK1/2 signaling pathways. In conclusion, our results indicate that EGCG combined with warfarin modifies HIF-1α and VEGF to prevent DVT in rabbits through anti-inflammation via the PI3K/AKT and ERK1/2 signaling pathways.

[Extragonadal germ cell tumor: A case report and review of the literature].

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the clinical diagnosis and treatment of extragonadal germ cell tumor. METHODS: We analyzed the clinical data on a case of extragonadal germ cell tumor diagnosed and treated in the General Hospital of Eastern Theater Command and reviewed the relevant literature. RESULTS: The patient was initially diagnosed with retroperitoneal tumor and treated by resection of the tumor together with the left kidney due to the large volume of the tumor, which was complicated by pancreatic injury. Postoperative pathology showed it to be extragonadal germ cell malignancy. Postoperative examination revealed space-occupying lesion in the left testis, with serum alpha fetoprotein (AFP), human chorionicgonadotropin (hCG) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) negative, followed by stage-two resection of the left testis, which was pathologically shown with testicular seminoma. The patient received 7 courses of cisplatin, etoposide bleomycin (PEB) regimen and was followed up for 8 years, which found no recurrence or metastasis, and the patient fathered no child during the postoperative follow-up. CONCLUSION: For patients with a history of cryptorchidism and tumors located in the central axis, special attention should be paid to physical examination of the testes, testicular ultrasonography, and determination of AFP and other indicators to identify gonadal tumor metastasis. And if so, radiotherapy and chemotherapy can be considered first to reduce surgical complications and achieve accurate management.

[Long-term effect of finasteride on high-risk patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia after implantation of thermo-expandable spiral prostatic stent].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the long-term effect of finasteride (FS) on high-risk BPH patients after treated by implantation of thermo-expandable spiral prostatic stent (TESPS). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data on 63 cases of BPH treated by implantation of TESPS in our Department of Urology from January 2017 to January 2019. All the patients received oral FS after operation except two cases of stent removal because of infection, 37 for more than 12 months (the long-term FS group) and the other 24 for less than 12 months (the control group). We followed up the patients at 3, 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 months postoperatively, recorded the incidence of hematuria and infection, IPSS, maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) and residual urine volume (PVR), and compared them between the two groups of patients. RESULTS: At 48 months after operation, the incidence rates of postoperative hematuria and infection were significantly lower in the long-term FS group than in the control (P < 0.05), but evidently increasing with the prolonging of medication time. The total effectiveness rate was as high as 95.1% at 3 months, but only 63.6% at 48 months, significantly higher, however, in the long-term FS than in the control group (69.2% vs 55.6%, P < 0.05), and the IPSS, Qmax and PVR were also remarkably higher in the former than in the latter group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The long-term effect of TESPS implantation is definite in the treatment of BPH-induced dysuria, and it can be used as a first-choice method for the patients at high risk and unsuitable for surgery. Finasteride has an evident advantage in preventing hematuria and infection after prostatic stent implantation, and long-term medication of finasteride improves long-term outcomes.

[Spiral thermo-expandable prostatic stent implantation for benign prostatic hyperplasia: Clinical analysis of 26 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the surgical techniques and clinical effect of Memokath transurethral spiral thermo-expandable prostatic stent (STEPS) implantation in the treatment of BPH. METHODS: From January 2017 to January 2018, 26 BPH patients underwent Memokath transurethral STEPS implantation, 9 under the flexible cystoscope and the other 17 under the rigid cystoscope. The patients were aged 62－91 years old, with a prostate volume of 32－78 ml, postvoid residual urine volume (PVR) of (67.3 ± 11.2) ml, maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) of (6.3 ± 1.8) ml/s, and IPSS score of 26.7 ± 5.7. Eight of the patients had preoperative urinary retention, of whom, 6 received catheterization and 2 had undergone cystostomy for bladder fistula before STEPS implantation. RESULTS: The operations lasted 15－30 minutes and were successfully completed in 24 cases while stent-shedding occurred in the other 2. Twenty-two of the patients achieved spontaneous urination immediately after surgery and 2 experienced bladder clot embolism. At 3 month after surgery, 24 of the patients showed significant improvement in PVR (ï¼»21.4 ± 7.7ï¼½ ml), Qmax (ï¼»18.3 ± 4.7ï¼½ ml/s) and IPSS (8.3 ± 2.1), and 13 exhibited no statistically significant difference from the baseline in the IIEF-5 score (14.1 ± 1.1 vs 14.3 ± 1.0, P > 0.05). At 12 months, all the patients were found with markedly improved urination but no adverse events except recurrent urinary tract infection in 2 cases. CONCLUSIONS: Memokath STEPS implantation, with its advantages of simple operation, high safety, definite effectiveness, non-influence on sexual function, is a new effective surgical option for the treatment of BPH.

Prognostic Value of a Long Non-coding RNA Signature in Localized Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can be used as prognostic biomarkers in many types of cancer. OBJECTIVE: We sought to establish an lncRNA signature to improve postoperative risk stratification for patients with localized clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Based on the RNA-seq data of 444 stage I-III ccRCC tumours from The Cancer Genome Atlas project, we built a four-lncRNA-based classifier using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operation (LASSO) Cox regression model in 222 randomly selected samples (training set) and validated the classifier in the remaining 222 samples (internal validation set). We confirmed this classifier in an external validation set of 88 patients with stage I-III ccRCC from a Japan cohort and using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in another three independent sets that included 1869 patients from China with stage I-III ccRCC. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Univariable and multivariable Cox regression, Harrell's concordance index (c-index), and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the association of the classifier with overall survival, disease-specific survival, and disease-free survival. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: Using the LASSO Cox regression model, we built a classifier named RCClnc4 based on four lncRNAs: ENSG00000255774, ENSG00000248323, ENSG00000260911, and ENSG00000231666. In the RNA-seq and RT-PCR data sets, the RCClnc4 signature significantly stratified patients into high-risk versus low-risk groups in terms of clinical outcome across and within subpopulations and remained as an independent prognostic factor in multivariate analyses (hazard ratio range, 1.34 [95% confidence interval {CI}: 1.03-1.75; p=0.028] to 1.89 [95% CI, 1.55-2.31; p<0.001]) after adjusting for clinical and pathologic factors. The RCClnc4 signature achieved a higher accuracy (mean c-index, 0.72) than clinical staging systems such as TNM (mean c-index, 0.62) and the stage, size, grade, and necrosis (SSIGN) score (mean c-index, 0.64), currently reported prognostic signatures and biomarkers for the estimation of survival. When integrated with clinical characteristics, the composite clinical and lncRNA signature showed improved prognostic accuracy in all data sets (TNM + RCClnc4 mean c-index, 0.75; SSIGN + RCClnc4 score mean c-index, 0.75). The RCClnc4 classifier was able to identify a clinically significant number of both high-risk stage I and low-risk stage II-III patients. CONCLUSIONS: The RCClnc4 classifier is a promising and potential prognostic tool in predicting the survival of patients with stage I-III ccRCC. Combining the lncRNA classifier with clinical and pathological parameters allows for accurate risk assessment in guiding clinical management. PATIENT SUMMARY: The RCClnc4 classifier could facilitate patient management and treatment decisions.

[RNA simultaneous and amplification testing versus the culture method for detecting Ureaplasma urealyticum infection].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of real-time RNA simultaneous amplification and testing (SAT) in the detection of Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) in the semen of infertile males and its clinical significance. METHODS: We collected semen samples from 542 infertility patients and 120 normal fertile men as controls in the Andrology Clinic of Nanjing General Hospital from March to September 2015. We detected UU infection in the samples using the culture method and SAT technology, respectively. RESULTS: All the UU positive cases (except 4 false positive cases) detected by the culture method were also shown to be positive in SAT. The UU detection rate of SAT was significantly higher than that of the culture method both in the infertility patients (54.1 vs 19.7%, P<0.05) and in the normal controls (42.5 vs 12.5%, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: SAT is a rapid and accurate method for detecting UU infection in semen samples, with a higher sensitivity and accuracy than the culture method, and it can also be used to evaluate the therapeutic effects. However, the culture method has its own advantages, such as low requirement of technical equipment, easy operation, and possibility of drug sensitivity test at the same time. Therefore, SAT and the culture method can be used alternatively according to the clinical need.

miR-129 predicts prognosis and inhibits cell growth in human prostate carcinoma.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small, well-conserved, non-coding RNAs that are increasingly identified as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in a number of cancers. Deregulated miR­129 is closely associated with tumorigenesis and cancer progression. However, the potential role of miR­129 in prostate cancer remains largely elusive. The present study investigated the role of miR­129 as a prognostic biomarker for tumor progression and clinical prognosis in prostate cancer patients. The examined prostate cancer tissues exhibited a significant reduction in miR­129 expression compared with the normal tissues (P=0.013). The expression levels of miR­129 were negatively correlated with histological grade (P<0.001), high preoperative prostate­specific antigen serum levels (P<0.001), pathological stage (P<0.001), high Gleason score (P<0.001), lymph node metastasis (P=0.002), angiolymphatic invasion (P=0.018), and biochemical recurrence (BCR; P=0.001). Use of the Kaplan­Meier analysis demonstrated that low miR­129 expression was closely associated with poorer BCR­free survival. Multivariate survival analysis indicated that miR­129 expression may be an independent prognostic marker for BCR­free survival in prostate cancer patients (P<0.001). Overexpression of miR­129 markedly attenuated prostate cancer cell growth by rescuing cell cycle­regulated protein expression. The present study suggests that miR­129 is downregulated in the cancerous tissues of prostate cancer patients, which was associated with poor BCR­free survival. Thus, it may be considered as a novel independent prognostic biomarker for prostate cancer. In addition, downregulation of miR­129 may serve a critical role in the proliferation of prostate cancer cells.

Nanogold-functionalized g-C3N4 nanohybrids for sensitive impedimetric immunoassay of prostate-specific antigen using enzymatic biocatalytic precipitation.

This work reports on a new impedimetric immunosensing strategy for sensitive detection of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in biological fluids. The assay was carried out on monoclonal anti-PSA capture antibody-modified glassy carbon electrode with a sandwich-type detection format. Gold nanoparticles-decorated g-C3N4 nanosheets (AuNP/g-C3N4), synthesized by the wet-chemistry method, were utilized for the labeling of polyclonal anti-PSA detection antibody and horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Upon target PSA introduction, the sandwiched immunocomplex could be formed between capture antibody and detection antibody. Followed by the AuNP/g-C3N4, the labeled HRP could catalyze 4-choloro-1-naphthol into benzo-4-chlorohexadienone. The as-generated insoluble product was coated on the electrode surface, thus increasing the Faradaic impedance of Fe(CN)6(4-/3)(-) indicator between the solution and the base electrode. Under the optimal conditions, the impedance increased with the increasing target PSA in the sample, and exhibited a wide linear range from 10pgmL(-1) and 30ngmL(-1) with a detection limit of 5.2pgmL(-1). A repeatability and intermediate precision of <14% was accomplished. The specificity and method accuracy in comparison with commercial PSA ELISA kit for analysis of human serum specimens were relatively satisfactory.

Long non-coding RNA ATB promotes growth and epithelial-mesenchymal transition and predicts poor prognosis in human prostate carcinoma.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified to be critical mediators in various tumors associated with cancer progression. Long non-coding RNA activated by TGF-ß (lncRNA-ATB) is a stimulator of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and serves as a novel prognostic biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the biological role and clinical significance of lncRNA-ATB in human prostate cancer have yet to be fully elucidated. The present study was designed to explore the expression of lncRNA-ATB in human prostate cancer patients and the role of lncRNA-ATB in prostate cancer cells. We showed that lncRNA-ATB expression was significantly upregulated in tumor tissues in patients with prostate cancer in comparison with adjacent non-tumor tissues. Further analysis indicted that high lncRNA-ATB expression may be an independent prognostic factor for biochemical recurrence (BCR)-free survival in prostate cancer patients. Overexpression of lncRNA-ATB promoted, and knockdown of lncRNA-ATB inhibited the growth of prostate cancer cells via regulations of cell cycle regulatory protein expression levels. In addition, lncRNA-ATB stimulated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) associated with ZEB1 and ZNF217 expression levels via ERK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. These results indicated that lncRNA-ATB may be considered as a new predictor in the clinical prognosis of patients with prostate cancer. Overexpression of lncRNA-ATB exerts mitogenic and EMT effects of prostate cancer via activation of ERK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways.

Ultrasound-guided open nephron sparing surgery without renal artery occlusion for central renal tumors.

From January 2008 to January 2013, 11 patients with central renal tumors underwent ultrasound-guided open nephron sparing surgery (ONSS) without renal artery occlusion. We removed the lesions, and the cut edges of the tumors were negative. Thus, we deduced that ultrasound-guided ONSS is suitable for the cases with obscure tumor boundary or multiple lesions. It could achieve the purpose of thoroughly removing lesions, as well as to expand the application range of nephron sparing surgery.

[Robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy versus laparoscopic radical prostatectomy for the management of prostate cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To compare robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALRP) with laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) in the treatment of prostate cancer and investigate the clinical application value of RLRP. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 70 cases of prostate cancer treated by RALRP and another 32 cases treated by LRP. We compared the operation time, intraoperative blood loss and transfusion, catheter-indwelling time, postoperative hospital stay, incisal margin positive rate, biochemical recurrence, and normal postoperative urinary continence and penile erectile function between the two groups of patients. RESULTS: All the operations were successfully accomplished. RALRP exhibited a significant superiority over LRP in intraoperative blood loss and transfusion, catheter-indwelling time, and postoperative hospital stay, urinary continence and erectile function (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, with its advantages of few postoperative complications and well-preserved urinary continence and penile erectile function, is an effective, safe and minimally invasive surgical option for prostate cancer.

Downregulation of miR-129 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells is a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The present study was designed to explore the clinical values of microRNA-129 (miR-129) expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells for prostate cancer patients and the role of miR-129 in the proliferation of prostate cancer. METHODS: The peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated form blood simple from 98 patients confirmed with prostate cancer and 56 matched healthy volunteers. Reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was employed to determine the expression level of miR-129 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Cox proportional hazards regression models and Kaplan-Meier analysis were used to evaluate the association of miR-129 expression with clinical and pathological characteristics of prostate cancer patients. The effect of miR-129 on the proliferation of prostate cancer cells in vitro was also determined. RESULTS: Reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) results showed that the expression of miR-129 was dramatically down-regulated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells for prostate cancer patients in comparison with healthy controls (P<0.05). The decrease in miR-129 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was significantly associated with aggressive clinical pathological features such as histological grade (P=0.010), high preoperative PSA level (P=0.002), pathological stage (P=0.011), high Gleason score (P=0.005), lymph node metastasis (P=0.002), angiolymphatic invasion (P=0.004), biochemical recurrence (P=0.001). The prostate cancer patients with a low miR-129 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells had an obviously shorter BCR-free survival compared with high miR-129 expression (P<0.001). The Cox multivariate analysis established that the miR-129 expression may be an independent prognostic factor for biochemical recurrence (BCR)-free survival prostate cancer patients (P=0.000). The results of in vitro CCK-8 assays, as well as proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and phosphorylated histone-3 (P-H3) (markers of proliferation) indicated that miR-129 overexpression markedly retarded the proliferation of PC-3 and DU-145 cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide the first evidence that the miR-129 is significantly downregulated in prostate cancer patients and multivariate analysis confirmed that miR-129 is a novel independent prognostic factor for prostate cancer. Overexpression of miR-129 exerts tumor suppressive functions and abrogates prostate cancer growth.

[Inhibitory effect of ONO-AE3-208 on the formation of bone metastasis of prostate cancer in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of ONO-AE3-208, an EP4 antagonist, on the formation of bone metastasis from prostate cancer in mice. METHODS: Thirty-four 6-week old nude mice were divided into an experimental and a control group of equal number to be treated by intraperitoneal injection of ONO-AE3-208 and double distilled water, respectively. Then PC3/LUC cells were constructed by stably transfecting luciferin to prostate cancer PC3 cells and inoculated into the left ventricle of the mice to establish an animal model of systemic bone metastasis. The time of metastasis formation, photon tumor burdens, and changes of the survival curves after modeling were compared between the two groups of mice. RESULTS: At 30 days after modeling, bioluminescence imaging analysis showed that the photon tumor burdens were significantly increased in a time-dependent manner in the control group in comparison with those in the experimental group (P < 0.01). The rate of metastasis formation was significantly higher in the former than in the latter (93.3% vs 33.3%, P < 0.001). The median time of metastasis formation was 29 d (95% CI 26.547 - 35.262) in the experimental animals as compared with 21 d (95% CI 17.213 -24.787) in the controls (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: EP4 antagonist ONO-AE3-208 can inhibit the formation of bone metastasis from prostate cancer in mice.

NRP-1 expression in bladder cancer and its implications for tumor progression.

Neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) overexpression has been reported in a variety of human cancers. However, the role of NRP-1 in bladder cancer (BC) remains unclear. The aim of present study was to analyze NRP-1 protein expression in BC tissues and to assess its prognostic significance for BC. NRP-1 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein expression were determined by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry in specimens of primary cancer and their adjacent noncancerous tissues in BC patients. Additionally, NRP-1 protein expression in 139 archived paraffin-embedded BC samples was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and correlated with clinicopathological characteristics and survival. Student's t test, Spearman's rank correlation, Kaplan-Meier plots, and Cox's proportional hazards regression model were used to analyze the data. By qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry, the levels of NRP-1 mRNA and protein were significantly higher in BC, compared to that in adjacent noncancerous tissues (P<0.001). High expression of NRP-1 was significantly associated with histologic grade (P=0.016) and tumor stage (P=0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that high expression of NRP-1 was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival. Our study suggests that overexpression of NRP-1 may play an important role in the progression of BC, and NRP-1 expression may serve as a biomarker for poor prognosis for BC.

Expression of CHD1L in bladder cancer and its influence on prognosis and survival.

Chromodomain helicase/ATPase DNA-binding protein 1-like (CHD1L) is overexpressed and highly associated with poor prognosis in many malignancies. However, the role of CHD1L in bladder cancer (BC) has not been thoroughly elucidated. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship of CHD1L expression with clinicopathological parameters and prognosis in BC. Immunohistochemistry was carried out to investigate the protein expression of CHD1L in 153 BC tissues and 87 adjacent noncancerous tissues. Our data found that CHD1L protein expression was significantly higher in BC tissues than in adjacent noncancerous tissues (P < 0.001). CHD1L overexpression was significantly correlated with histologic grade (P = 0.005) and tumor stage (P = 0.009). The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that survival time of patients with high CHD1L expression was significantly shorter than that with low CHD1L expression. Multivariate analysis further demonstrated that CHD1L was an independent prognostic factor for patients with BC. In conclusion, CHD1L is likely to be a valuable marker for carcinogenesis and progression of BC. It might be used as an important diagnostic and prognostic marker for BC patients.

[Calculus formation in the prostatic cavity after transurethral resection of the prostate: causes, treatment and prevention].

OBJECTIVE: To study the causes, clinical manifestations, treatment and prevention of calculus that develops in the prostatic cavity after transurethral resection of the prostate. METHODS: We reported 11 cases of calculus that developed in the prostatic cavity after transurethral resection or transurethral plasmakinetic resection of prostate. The patients complained of repeated symptoms of frequent micturition, urgent micturition and urodynia after operation, accompanied with urinary tract infection and some with urinary obstruction, which failed to respond to anti-infective therapies. Cystoscopy revealed calculi in the prostatic cavity, with eschar, sphacelus, uneven wound surface and small diverticula in some cases. After diagnosis, 1 case was treated by holmium laser lithotripsy and a second transurethral resection of the prostate, while the other 10 had the calculi removed under the cystoscope, followed by 1 -2 weeks of anti-infective therapy. RESULTS: After treatment, all the 11 cases showed normal results of routine urinalysis, and no more symptoms of frequent micturition, urgent micturition and urodynia. Three- to six-month follow-up found no bladder irritation symptoms and urinary tract infection. CONCLUSION: Repeated symptoms of frequent micturition, urgent micturition, urodynia and urinary tract infection after transurethral resection of the prostate should be considered as the indicators of calculus in the prostatic cavity, which can be confirmed by cystoscopy. It can be treated by lithotripsy or removal of the calculus under the cystoscope, or even a second transurethral resection of the prostate. For its prevention, excessive electric coagulation and uneven wound surface should be avoided and anti-infection treatment is needed.

[Downregulation of PAR expression induces the apoptosis of human prostate cancer PC3 cells and increases the Bcl-2/Bax ratio].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of the downregulated expression of the prostate androgen regulated (PAR) gene on the cell cycle and apoptosis of PC3 cells as well as on the expression level of Bcl-2/Bax. METHODS: After transfecting PC3 cells with small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting PAR, we detected the inhibitory effect of PAR depletion on the proliferation of the PC3 cells by MTT assay, determined their apoptosis by flow cytometry, and measured the expression levels of Bcl-2 and Bax by Western blot. RESULTS: The expression of PAR was suppressed by siRNA, the G2-M phase PC3 cells were increased to (29.95 +/- 3.25)%, and the apoptosis of the cells was enhanced to (20.61 +/- 2.73)%, with statistically significant difference from the control group (P < 0.01). Western blot showed a decreased expression of Bcl-2, an increased expression of Bax, and an elevated ratio of Bax to Bcl-2. CONCLUSION: Downregulation of the PAR expression increases the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and Bax expression, and thus induces the G2-M phase arrest and apoptosis of PC3 cells.

[Single nucleotide polymorphisms of CYP1A2 and their correlation with prostate cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the correlation of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the CYP1A2 gene with the stages and grades of prostate cancer (PCa). METHODS: We conducted gene sequencing of the rs2069514-3859 (A > G) and rs2069525-1707 (C >T) alleles in the CYP1A2 gene in 253 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and 206 patients with PCa treated by castration therapy, and statistically analyzed their correlations with the genotypes, stages and grades of prostate cancer. RESULTS: The incidences of the 2 CYP1A2 SNPs showed no significant difference between the BPH and the castrated PCa patients (P > 0.05), and their genotypes were not correlated with the stages of PCa (P > 0.05). The Gleason scores were mostly <7 in the PCa patients with genotypes containing C in the rs2069525-1707 (C > T) allele (P = 0.030, OR = 4.658, 95% CI: 1.222 - 17.754). CONCLUSION: SNPs of the CYP1A2 gene may have some correlations with the pathologic stages of PCa, but their mechanisms and clinical significance need to be further confirmed.

[Inhibitory effect of 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine combined with docetaxel on prostate cancer PC3 cells in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of methylation inhibitor 5-Aza-2'-Deoxycytidine (5-aza-2dc) and docetaxel (DT), alone or in combination, on the proliferation, migration, apoptosis and cell cycles of the human prostate cancer cell line PC3, and to investigate the possible mechanisms of these two drugs acting on prostate cancer in vitro. METHODS: Four groups were designed in this experiment: control, 5-aza-2dc, DT, and 5-aza-2dc + DT. The inhibitory effect of 5-aza-2dc and/or DT on the proliferation, migration and invasiveness of PC3 cells was detected by MTT, wound healing assay and cell migration assay, respectively. The apoptosis of the PC3 cells and its relationship with cell cycles were determined by Annexin V-FITC/PI assay and flow cytometry. RESULTS: 5-aza-2dc and/or DT significantly increased the inhibition rate of the PC3 cells, decreased their migration distance and reduced the number of the cells that invaded the lower chamber, most significantly in the 5-aza-2dc + DT group (P < 0.05). The cell apoptosis rates of the control, 5-aza-2dc, DT and 5-aza-2dc + DT groups were (10.65 +/- 0.39)%, (16.60 +/- 0.67)%, (17.95 +/- 1.08)% and (22.98 +/- 1.18)%, respectively, with the most significant increase in the combination group (P < 0.05). Combined medication of 5-aza-2dc and DT remarkably reduced the number of cells in the G0/G1 phase, and increased that in the G2/M phase (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: 5-aza-2dc and DT, either alone or in combination, can significantly inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasiveness of PC3 cells in vitro, as well as induce their apoptosis and arrest their cell cycles in the G2/M phase, with even more significant effect when used in combination than applied alone.

[Penile and scrotal skin flaps: first choice for urethroplasty in the treatment of hypospadias].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility of the treatment of hypospadias with penile and scrotal skin flaps. METHODS: Twenty-three hypospadias patients aged 3.5-19 (mean 6. 8) years underwent urethroplasty with penile and scrotal skin flaps. All were followed up for 6 years and analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Of the total number of patients, 21 (91.3%) succeeded in one operation and the other 2 developed complications, including urethral fistula and urethral structure. CONCLUSION: Penile and scrotal skin, advantageous for its adequacy, rich blood supply and contribution to high success rate of surgery, is believed to be the first choice for urethroplasty in the treatment of hypospadias.