Large-Scale Atomic Strain Defects on Palladium Surfaces for Enhanced Oxygen Reduction and Zinc-Air Batteries.

Designing nano-electrocatalysts rich in surface defects is critical to improve their catalytic performance. However, prevailing synthesis techniques rely heavily on complex procedures that compromise defect extensiveness and uniformity, casting a high demand for methods capable of synthesizing large-scale crystalline defects. An innovative design strategy is herein proposed that induces ample strain/dislocation defects during the growth of palladium (Pd), which is well-known as a good oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalyst. The controlled defect engineering on Pd core is achieved by the tensile stress exerted from an intentionally applied Fe3O4 skin layer during synthesis, which changes the surface free energy of Pd to stabilize the defect presence. With such large-scale crystalline defects, this Pd catalyst exhibits significantly higher ORR activity than commercial Pt/C, enabling its promising future in zinc-air battery catalysis. Additionally, the protective Fe3O4 skin covering the catalyst also enhances its catalytic stability. Theoretical calculations show that the superior catalytic property of such defect-engineered Pd is associated with the correspondingly modified adsorption energy of *O intermediates onto its surface, which further improves the reaction rate and thus boosts ORR kinetics. Findings here are expected to provide a paradigm for designing efficient and stable metal catalysts with plentiful large-scale strain defects.

Inclusion Strategy for Constructing S/N Orbital Hybridization-Regulated sp3/sp2 Carbon toward Boost Electrocatalysis.

Metal-free carbon-based electrocatalysts have gained significant attention in the field of zinc-air batteries (ZABs) due to their affordability, good conductivity and chemical stability. However, unmodified carbon materials typically fall short in adsorbing and activating the substrates and intermediates involved in oxygen reduction reactions (ORR). Here, a metal-free carbon-based electrocatalyst with S atom p orbital hybrid modified N-sp3/sp2 carbon structure (C/NS) were prepared by cyclodextrins inclusion. The catalyst demonstrates impressive ORR activity (E1/2=0.885 V vs. RHE) and robust ZABs performance with a power density of 171.3 mW cm-2 and a specific capacity of 781.2 mAh g-1. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation reveals that S atom effectively regulates the charge distribution and p-band center of active site carbon atom in the N-sp3/sp2 carbon structure. This modification prompts the adsorption and dissociation of O2 and intermediates, resulting in higher reactive activity. This work provides a valuable and practical strategy for preparing cost-effective metal-free carbon-based electrocatalysts for ORR with high performance.

Circular RNA LMBR1 inhibits bladder cancer progression by enhancing expression of the protein ALDH1A3.

Background: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been identified as playing an integral role in the development of bladder cancer (BC). However, the mechanism by which circRNAs operate in the chemical carcinogenesis of BC remains unclear. Methods: To explore this mechanism, we used RNA high-throughput sequencing to identify differentially expressed circRNA in bladder epithelial cells and chemically induced malignant transformed BC cells. Subsequently, in vitro experiments were conducted to investigate the biological function and molecular mechanism of circLMBR1 in BC. Finally, animal experiments were conducted to examine the clinical relevance of circLMBR1 in vivo. Results: Our profiling of circular RNA expression during cellular malignant transformation induced by chemical carcinogens identified a subset of circRNAs associated with cell transformation. We verified that the expression of circLMBR1 in bladder epithelial malignant transformed cells was decreased compared with control cells, as well as in BC tissues and bladder cell lines. Furthermore, circLMBR1 was seen to inhibit the proliferation, invasion, and migration of BC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, circLMBR1 was found to exert its antitumor effect by binding to the protein ALDH1A3. Conclusions: Our findings have revealed that circLMBR1 inhibits the progression of BC cells by binding to ALDH1A3 and upregulating its expression. As such, circLMBR1 serves as a promising predictor of BC and may provide a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of BC.

Cyclodextrin-supported Co(OH)2 Clusters as Electrocatalysts for Efficient and Selective H2 O2 Synthesis.

Co-based material catalysts have shown attractive application prospects in the 2 e- oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, for the industrial synthesis of H2 O2 , there is still lack of Co-based catalysts with high production yield rate. Here, novel cyclodextrin-supported Co(OH)2 cluster catalysts were prepared via a mild and facile method. The catalyst exhibited remarkable H2 O2 selectivity (94.2 % ~ 98.2 %), good stability (99 % activity retention after 35 h), and ultra-high H2 O2 production yield rate (5.58 mol gcatalyst -1 h-1 in the H-type electrolytic cell), demonstrating its promising industrial application potential. Density functional theory (DFT) reveals that the cyclodextrin-mediated Co(OH)2 electronic structure optimizes the adsorption of OOH* intermediates and significantly enhances the activation energy barrier for dissociation, leading to the high reactivity and selectivity for the 2 e- ORR. This work offers a valuable and practical strategy to design Co-based electrocatalysts for H2 O2 production.

The application of indocyanine green in guiding prostate cancer treatment.

Objective: Indocyanine green (ICG) with near-infrared fluorescence absorption is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for clinical applications in angiography, blood flow evaluation, and liver function assessment. It has strong optical absorption in the near-infrared region, where light can penetrate deepest into biological tissue. We sought to review its value in guiding prostate cancer treatment. Methods: All related literature at PubMed from January 2000 to December 2020 were reviewed. Results: Multiple preclinical studies have demonstrated the usefulness of ICG in identifying prostate cancer by using different engineering techniques. Clinical studies have demonstrated the usefulness of ICG in guiding sentinel node dissection during radical prostatectomy, and possible better preservation of neurovascular bundle by identifying landmark prostatic arteries. New techniques such as adding fluorescein in additional to ICG were tested in a limited number of patients with encouraging result. In addition, the use of the ICG was shown to be safe. Even though there are encouraging results, it does not carry sufficient sensitivity and specificity in replacing extended pelvic lymph node dissection during radical prostatectomy. Conclusion: Multiple preclinical and clinical studies have shown the usefulness of ICG in identifying and guiding treatment for prostate cancer. Larger randomized prospective studies are warranted to further test its usefulness and find new modified approaches.

Distinct immune and inflammatory response patterns contribute to the identification of poor prognosis and advanced clinical characters in bladder cancer patients.

Due to the molecular heterogeneity, most bladder cancer (BLCA) patients show no pathological responses to immunotherapy and chemotherapy yet suffer from their toxicity. This study identified and validated three distinct and stable molecular clusters of BLCA in cross-platform databases based on personalized immune and inflammatory characteristics. H&E-stained histopathology images confirmed the distinct infiltration of immune and inflammatory cells among clusters. Cluster-A was characterized by a favorable prognosis and low immune and inflammatory infiltration but showed the highest abundance of prognosis-related favorable immune cell and inflammatory activity. Cluster-B featured the worst prognosis and high immune infiltration, but numerous unfavorable immune cells exist. Cluster-C had a favorable prognosis and the highest immune and inflammatory infiltration. Based on machine learning, a highly precise predictive model (immune and inflammatory responses signature, IIRS), including FN1, IL10, MYC, CD247, and TLR2, was developed and validated to identify the high IIRS-score group that had a poor prognosis and advanced clinical characteristics. Compared to other published models, IIRS showed the highest AUC in 5 years of overall survival (OS) and a favorable predictive value in predicting 1- and 3- year OS. Moreover, IIRS showed an excellent performance in predicting immunotherapy and chemotherapy's response. According to immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR, IIRS genes were differentially expressed between tumor tissues with corresponding normal or adjacent tissues. Finally, immunohistochemical and H&E-stained analyses were performed on the bladder tissues of 13 BLCA patients to further demonstrate that the IIRS score is a valid substitute for IIR patterns and can contribute to identifying patients with poor clinical and histopathology characteristics. In conclusion, we established a novel IIRS depicting an IIR pattern that could independently predict OS and acts as a highly precise predictive biomarker for advanced clinical characters and the responses to immunotherapy and chemotherapy.

Mapping the tumor microenvironment in bladder cancer and exploring the prognostic genes by single-cell RNA sequencing.

Despite substantial advances in the treatment using immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), the clinical expected therapeutic effect on bladder cancer has not been achieved, in which the tumor microenvironment (TME) occupies a notable position. In this research, 10X single-cell RNA-sequencing technology was conducted to analyze seven primary bladder tumor tissues (three non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and four muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC)) and seven corresponding normal tissues adjacent to cancer; eight various cell types were identified in the bladder cancer (BC) TME, and a complete TME atlas in bladder cancer was made. Moreover, bladder cancer epithelial cells were further subdivided into 14 subgroups, indicating a high intra-tumoral heterogeneity. Additionally, the differences between NMIBC and MIBC were compared based on differential gene expression heatmap, copy number variation (CNV) distribution heatmap, Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), protein-protein interaction (PPI) network mutual analysis, and the Kaplan-Meier survival prognosis analysis were used to identify six key genes associated with the prognosis of bladder cancer: VEGFA, ANXA1, HSP90B1, PSMA7, PRDX6, and PPP1CB. The dynamic change of the expression distribution of six genes on the pseudo-time axis was further verified by cell pseudo-time analysis.

METTL1-m7 G-EGFR/EFEMP1 axis promotes the bladder cancer development.

BACKGROUND: The posttranscriptional modifications of transfer RNA (tRNA) are critical for all aspects of the tRNA function and have been implicated in the tumourigenesis and progression of many human cancers. By contrast, the biological functions of methyltransferase-like 1 (METTL1)-regulated m7 G tRNA modification in bladder cancer (BC) remain obscure. RESULTS: In this research, we show that METTL1 was highly expressed in BC, and its level was correlated with poor patient prognosis. Silencing METTL1 suppresses the proliferation, migration and invasion of BC cells in vitro and in vivo. Multi-omics analysis reveals that METTL1-mediated m7 G tRNA modification altered expression of certain target genes, including EGFR/EFEMP1. Mechanistically, METTL1 regulates the translation of EGFR/EFEMP1 via modifying certain tRNAs. Furthermore, forced expression of EGFR/EFEMP1 partially rescues the effect of METTL1 deletion on BC cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate the oncogenic role of METTL1 and the pathological significance of the METTL1-m7 G-EGFR/EFEMP1 axis in the BC development, thus providing potential therapeutic targets for the BC treatment.

Cytisine Exerts an Anti-Epileptic Effect via α7nAChRs in a Rat Model of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.

Background and Purpose: Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a common chronic neurological disease that is often invulnerable to anti-epileptic drugs. Increasing data have demonstrated that acetylcholine (ACh) and cholinergic neurotransmission are involved in the pathophysiology of epilepsy. Cytisine, a full agonist of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7nAChRs) and a partial agonist of α4ß2nAChRs, has been widely applied for smoking cessation and has shown neuroprotection in neurological diseases. However, whether cytisine plays a role in treating TLE has not yet been determined. Experimental Approach: In this study, cytisine was injected intraperitoneally into pilocarpine-induced epileptic rats for three weeks. Alpha-bungarotoxin (α-bgt), a specific α7nAChR antagonist, was used to evaluate the mechanism of action of cytisine. Rats were assayed for the occurrence of seizures and cognitive function by video surveillance and Morris water maze. Hippocampal injuries and synaptic structure were assessed by Nissl staining and Golgi staining. Furthermore, levels of glutamate, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), ACh, and α7nAChRs were measured. Results: Cytisine significantly reduced seizures and hippocampal damage while improving cognition and inhibiting synaptic remodeling in TLE rats. Additionally, cytisine decreased glutamate levels without altering GABA levels, and increased ACh levels and α7nAChR expression in the hippocampi of TLE rats. α-bgt antagonized the above-mentioned effects of cytisine treatment. Conclusion and Implications: Taken together, these findings indicate that cytisine exerted an anti-epileptic and neuroprotective effect in TLE rats via activation of α7nAChRs, which was associated with a decrease in glutamate levels, inhibition of synaptic remodeling, and improvement of cholinergic transmission in the hippocampus. Hence, our findings not only suggest that cytisine represents a promising anti-epileptic drug, but provides evidence of α7nAChRs as a novel therapeutic target for TLE.

Programmable N6-methyladenosine modification of CDCP1 mRNA by RCas9-methyltransferase like 3 conjugates promotes bladder cancer development.

Accumulating evidence has revealed significant roles for N6-methyladenosine (m 6 A) modification in the development of various cancers. We previously demonstrated an oncogenic role of m 6 A-modified CUB domain containing protein 1 (CDCP1) in bladder cancer (BC) progression. However, the biological functions and underlying molecular mechanisms of engineered programmable m 6 A modification of CDCP1 mRNA in BC remain obscure. Here, we established a targeted m 6 A RNA methylation system by fusing the catalytic domain of methyltransferase like 3 (METTL3CD) to RCas9 as the RNA-targeting module. The constructed RCas9- METTL3 retained methylation activity and mediated efficient site-specific m 6 A installation in the presence of a cognate single guide RNA and short protospacer adjacent motif-containing ssDNA molecule . Subsequently, targeting m 6 A installation onto the 3' untranslated region of CDCP1 promoted CDCP1 mRNA translation and facilitated BC development in vitro and in vivo. Our findings demonstrate that the RCas9-METTL3 system mediates efficient sitespecific m 6 A installation on CDCP1 mRNA and promotes BC development. Thus, the RCas9-METTL3 system provides a new tool for studying m 6 A function and a potential strategy for BC epitranscriptome-modulating therapies.

Engineering Atomic Sites via Adjacent Dual-Metal Sub-Nanoclusters for Efficient Oxygen Reduction Reaction and Zn-Air Battery.

N-coordinated transition-metal materials are crucial alternatives to design cost-effective, efficient, and highly durable catalysts for electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction. Herein, the synthesis of uniformly distributed Cu-Zn clusters on porous N-doped carbon, which are accompanied by Cu/Zn-Nx single sites, is demonstrated. X-ray absorption fine structure tests reveal the co-existence of M-N (M = Cu or Zn) and M-M bonds in the catalyst. The catalyst shows excellent oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance in an alkaline medium with a positive half-wave potential of 0.884 V, a superior kinetic current density of 36.42 mA cm-2 at 0.85 V, and a Tafel slope of 45 mV dec-1 , all of which are among the best-reported results. Furthermore, when employed as an air cathode in Zn-Air battery, it reveals a high open-cycle potential of 1.444 V and a peak power density of 164.3 mW cm-2 . Comprehensive experiments and theoretical calculations approved that the high activity of the catalyst can be attributed to the collaboration of the Cu/Zn-N4 sites with CuZn moieties on N-doped carbons.

Trifunctional Single-Atomic Ru Sites Enable Efficient Overall Water Splitting and Oxygen Reduction in Acidic Media.

Development of cost-effective, active trifunctional catalysts for acidic oxygen reduction (ORR) as well as hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions (HER and OER, respectively) is highly desirable, albeit challenging. Herein, single-atomic Ru sites anchored onto Ti3 C2 Tx MXene nanosheets are first reported to serve as trifunctional electrocatalysts for simultaneously catalyzing acidic HER, OER, and ORR. A half-wave potential of 0.80 V for ORR and small overpotentials of 290 and 70 mV for OER and HER, respectively, at 10 mA cm-2 are achieved. Hence, a low cell voltage of 1.56 V is required for the acidic overall water splitting. The maximum power density of an H2 -O2 fuel cell using the as-prepared catalyst can reach as high as 941 mW cm-2 . Theoretical calculations reveal that isolated Ru-O2 sites can effectively optimize the adsorption of reactants/intermediates and lower the energy barriers for the potential-determining steps, thereby accelerating the HER, ORR, and OER kinetics.

N6-methyladenosine modification of ITGA6 mRNA promotes the development and progression of bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence has revealed the critical roles of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification of mRNA in various cancers. However, the biological function and regulation of m6A in bladder cancer (BC) are not yet fully understood. METHODS: We performed cell phenotype analysis and established in vivo mouse xenograft models to assess the effects of m6A-modified ITGA6 on BC growth and progression. Methylated RNA immunoprecipitation (MeRIP), RNA immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter and mutagenesis assays were used to define the mechanism of m6A-modified ITGA6. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed to assess the correlation between METTL3 and ITGA6 expression in bladder cancer patients. FINDINGS: We show that the m6A writer METTL3 and eraser ALKBH5 altered cell adhesion by regulating ITGA6 expression in bladder cancer cells. Moreover, upregulation of ITGA6 is correlated with the increase in METTL3 expression in human BC tissues, and higher expression of ITGA6 in patients indicates a lower survival rate. Mechanistically, m6A is highly enriched within the ITGA6 transcripts, and increased m6A methylations of the ITGA6 mRNA 3'UTR promotes the translation of ITGA6 mRNA via binding of the m6A readers YTHDF1 and YTHDF3. Inhibition of ITGA6 results in decreased growth and progression of bladder cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, overexpression of ITGA6 in METTL3-depleted cells partially restores the BC adhesion, migration and invasion phenotypes. INTERPRETATION: Our results demonstrate an oncogenic role of m6A-modified ITGA6 and show its regulatory mechanisms in BC development and progression, thus identifying a potential therapeutic target for BC. FUND: This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (81772699, 81472999).

Tanshinone IIA protects lens epithelial cells from H2 O 2 -induced injury by upregulation of lncRNA ANRIL.

Tanshinone IIA is a lipophilic diterpene extracted from the Salvia miltiorrhiza bunge, possessing antiapoptotic and antioxidant activities. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of Tanshinone IIA on age-related nuclear cataract. Human lens epithelial cell line SRA01/04 was subjected to H 2 O 2 to mimic a cell model of cataract. Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, flow cytometer, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection were performed to evaluate the effect of Tanshinone IIA pretreatment on SRA01/04 cells injured by H 2 O 2 . Besides, the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to assess the expression of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) antisense noncoding RNA in the INK4 locus (ANRIL). Western blot analysis was performed to detect the expression of core proteins involved in cell survival and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway. H 2 O 2 significantly decreased SRA01/04 cells viability, whereas increased apoptosis and ROS generation. This phenomenon was coupled with the upregulated p53, p21, Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and the downregulated cyclinD1, CDK4, and Bcl-2. Tanshinone IIA pretreatment protected SRA01/04 cells against H 2 O 2 -induced injury. In the meantime, the expression of lncRNA ANRIL was upregulated by Tanshinone IIA. And, the protective effects of Tanshinone IIA on H 2 O 2 -stimulated SRA01/04 cells were abolished when lncRNA ANRIL was silenced. Moreover, the elevated expression of lncRNA ANRIL induced by Tanshinone IIA was abolished by BAY 11-7082 (an inhibitor of NF-κB). To conclude, Tanshinone IIA protects SRA01/04 cells from apoptosis triggered by H 2 O 2 . Tanshinone IIA confers its protective effects possibly via modulation of NF-κB signaling and thereby elevating the expression of lncRNA ANRIL.

Dynamic m6A mRNA methylation reveals the role of METTL3-m6A-CDCP1 signaling axis in chemical carcinogenesis.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant internal modification in mammalian mRNAs. Despite its functional importance in various physiological events, the role of m6A in chemical carcinogenesis remains largely unknown. Here we profiled the dynamic m6A mRNA modification during cellular transformation induced by chemical carcinogens and identified a subset of cell transformation-related, concordantly modulated m6A sites. Notably, the increased m6A in 3'-UTR mRNA of oncogene CDCP1 was found in malignant transformed cells. Mechanistically, the m6A methyltransferase METTL3 and demethylases ALKBH5 mediate the m6A modification in 3'-UTR of CDCP1 mRNA. METTL3 and m6A reader YTHDF1 preferentially recognize m6A residues on CPCP1 3'-UTR and promote CDCP1 translation. We further showed that METTL3 and CDCP1 are upregulated in the bladder cancer patient samples and the expression of METTL3 and CDCP1 is correlated with the progression status of the bladder cancers. Inhibition of the METTL3-m6A-CDCP1 axis resulted in decreased growth and progression of chemical-transformed cells and bladder cancer cells. Most importantly, METTL3-m6A-CDCP1 axis has synergistic effect with chemical carcinogens in promoting malignant transformation of uroepithelial cells and bladder cancer tumorigenesis in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, our results identify dynamic m6A modification in chemical-induced malignant transformation and provide insight into critical roles of the METTL3-m6A-CDCP1 axis in chemical carcinogenesis.

RETRACTED: Knockdown of lncRNA-H19 inhibits cell viability, migration and invasion while promotes apoptosis via microRNA-143/RUNX2 axis in retinoblastoma.

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief. Given the comments of Dr Elisabeth Bik regarding this article "In almost all papers, Western blot panels within the same figure, and across figures and papers, appear to share the same background, while the bands are regularly spaced, all have similar rounded edges without the usual smudges and specks, and with some bands showing a recognizable "jumping sardine" shape", the journal requested the authors to provide the raw data. However, the authors were not able to fulfil this request and therefore the Editor-in-Chief decided to retract the article.

A novel regulatory circuit of miR­152 and DNMT1 in human bladder cancer.

Downregulation of microRNA­152 (miR­152) has been observed in various types of human malignancies, including Bladder cancer (BC). However, the role of miR­152 in the development and progression of BC is still unclear. In our previous study, we identified a functional crosstalk between miR­152 and DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) involved in Nis­induced malignant transformation. In the present study, we found that the expression of miR­152 was specifically downregulated in BC cells and tissues via the DNA hypermethylation of the miR­152 promoter. The overexpression of miR­152 in BC cells resulted in a reduction of DNMT1, whereas the inhibition of the expression of miR­152 induced an elevated level of DNMT1. Further studies revealed that miR­152 directly downregulated the expression of DNMT1 by targeting the 3'­UTR of its transcript in BC cells. In addition, ectopic expression of miR­152 in BC cells significantly inhibited cell proliferation, whereas the inhibition of miR­152 expression led to increased cell proliferation. These findings indicated a novel regulatory circuit of miR­152/DNMT1 in BC, and more importantly, the combination of miR­152 and DNMT1 may function as promising therapeutic modalities and early biomarkers for BC.

A prospective and randomised trial comparing fluoroscopic, total ultrasonographic, and combined guidance for renal access in mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the safety and efficacy of fluoroscopic guidance (FG), total ultrasonographic guidance (USG), and combined ultrasonographic and fluoroscopic guidance (CG) for percutaneous renal access in mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (mini-PCNL). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The present study was conducted between July 2014 and May 2015 as a prospective randomised trial at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University. In all, 450 consecutive patients with renal stones of >2 cm were randomised to undergo FG, USG, or CG mini-PCNL (150 patients for each group). The primary endpoints were the stone-free rate (SFR) and blood loss (haemoglobin decrease during the operation and transfusion rate). Secondary endpoints included access failure rate, operating time, and complications. S.T.O.N.E. score was used to document the complexity of the renal stones. The study was registered at http://clinicaltrials.gov/ (NCT02266381). RESULTS: The three groups had similar baseline characteristics. With S.T.O.N.E. scores of 5-6 or 9-13, the SFRs were comparable between the three groups. For S.T.O.N.E. scores of 7-8, FG and CG achieved significantly better SFRs than USG (one-session SFR 85.1% vs 88.5% vs 66.7%, P = 0.006; overall SFR at 3 months postoperatively 89.4% vs 90.2% vs 69.8%, P = 0.002). Multiple-tracts mini-PCNL was used more frequently in the FG and CG groups than in the USG group (20.7% vs 17.1% vs 9.5%, P = 0.028). The mean total radiation exposure time was significantly greater for FG than for CG (47.5 vs 17.9 s, P < 0.001). The USG had zero radiation exposure. There was no significant difference in the haemoglobin decrease, transfusion rate, access failure rate, operating time, nephrostomy drainage time, and hospital stay among the groups. The overall operative complication rates using the Clavien-Dindo grading system were similar between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Mini-PCNL under USG is as safe and effective as FG or CG in the treatment of simple kidney stones (S.T.O.N.E. scores 5-6) but with no radiation exposure. FG or CG is more effective for patients with S.T.O.N.E. scores of 7-8, where multiple percutaneous tracts may be necessary.

Long non-coding RNA DBCCR1-003 regulate the expression of DBCCR1 via DNMT1 in bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: Many long non coding RNAs have been identified as key modulators in cancer development. A lncRNA, DBCCR1-003, derived from the locus of tumor suppressor gene DBCCR1 (deleted in bladder cancer chromosome region 1), has unknown function. In the present study, we explored function and molecular mechanism of DBCCR1-003 in bladder cancer (BC) development. METHODS: We evaluated the expression levels of DBCCR1-003 in tissues and cells with western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Multiple approaches including chromatin immunoprecipitation assay and RNA immunoprecipitation were used to confirm the direct binding of DBCCR1-003 to DNMT1. The recombinant vector overexpressing DBCCR1-003 was constructed. Cell proliferation assay, colony formation assay and flow cytometric analysis were employed to measure the role of DBCCR1-003 in regulation of cell proliferation, cycle and apoptosis. RESULTS: Firstly we detected the expression of DBCCR1-003, DBCCR1, DNMT1 (DNA methyltransferase 1) and DNA methylation in the promoter of DBCCR1. We found low expression of DBCCR1-003, same as DBCCR1, while high expression of DNMT1 and hypermethylation of DBCCR1 gene promoter in BC tissues and T24 cells line. Further studies revealed that treatment of DNMT inhibitor, 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine(DAC), or overexpression of DBCCR1-003 led to increased DBCCR1 expression by reversion of promoter hypermethylation and DNMT1 binding to DBCCR1 promoter in T24 cells. Importantly, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) showed that DBCCR1-003 physically associates with DNMT1. The binding of them was increased with the inhibition of DBCCR1 promoter methylation, indicating that DBCCR1-003 may bind to DNMT1 and prevent DNMT1-mediated the methylation of DBCCR1. Furthermore, overexpression of DBCCR1-003 resulted in significant inhibition of T24 cells growth through the inducing G0/G1 arrest and apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these findings demonstrated that a novel tumor suppressor DBCCR1-003 regulates the expression of DBCCR1 via binding to DNMT1 and preventing DNMT1-mediated the methylation of DBCCR1 in BC. LncRNA DBCCR1-003 may serve as a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for BC in future cancer clinic.