Multifunctional nanocomposites MGO/FU-MI inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells and enhance the effect of chemoradiotherapy in vivo and in vitro.

PURPOSE: The limitation of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer and the rise of the application of nanomaterials in the field of biomedicine have promoted the application of various nanomaterials in the combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer. To improve the efficiency of cancer treatment, the multifunctional nanocomposites MGO/FU-MI (MGO/FU-MI NCs) were used for combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy to verify its effectiveness in treating tumors. METHODS: The proliferation activity of MGO/FU-MI NCs on MC-38 and B16 cells was detected by CCK-8, and the level of apoptosis and reactive oxygen species were detected by flow cytometry. To verify its efficacy in the combination of chemoradiotherapy, different treatment regimens were developed for several groups of tumor-bearing mice. RESULTS: The MGO/FU-MI NCs can induce apoptosis, stimulate ROS production, and inhibit cell proliferation. In vivo experiments, when MGO/FU-MI NCs are used alone for chemotherapy, have a certain therapeutic effect on mouse tumors. When MGO/FU-MI NCs are combined with radiation, the tumor volume can be significantly reduced and the survival time of mice is significantly prolonged. CONCLUSION: The MGO/FU-MI NCs are very effective in the treatment of tumors when combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and have the potential to be a combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Mediastinal small cell carcinoma: a unique clinical entity?

PURPOSE: Mediastinal small cell carcinoma (MSCC) is a rare tumor with limited published literature. In view of diagnostic confusion pertaining to this tumor, we investigated its origin, clinical features, management and survival. METHODS: Clinical data of MSCC patients were retrospectively reviewed. Eligible patients showed pathologically proven small cell carcinoma (SCC) with the primary lesions confined to the mediastinum. Survival information was collected through follow-up studies. RESULTS: Among 25 MSCC patients identified, 22 were classified to have limited disease (LD), while 3 were with extensive disease (ED). The 5 patients (20%) underwent surgery and 20 patients (80%) underwent non-surgical treatment. The 4 patients with LD MSCC received chemotherapy alone, while 13 of them received chemoradiotherapy. Overall median survival time (MST) of all patients was 22 months, and the 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 67.4, 16.8, and 8.4%, respectively. The MST of LD and ED patients separately was 23 and 8 months, respectively, with significant difference (P = 0.005). But, the MST of patients who received surgical and non-surgical treatment was 25 and 21 months, respectively, with no significant difference (P = 0.757). The MST of LD patients receiving chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy was 12 and 29 months, respectively, but somehow did not show significant difference (P = 0.482). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggested that MSCC may be a separate clinical entity like extrapulmonary small cell carcinomas (EPSCCs). Despite, multimodal treatment is currently the main treatment option, but for patients with LD MSCC, chemoradiotherapy is recommended to be preferred treatment modality.

Aberrant expression of UCA1 in gastric cancer and its clinical significance.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to regulate tumor biology and might be used for cancer diagnosis, prognosis and potential therapeutic targets. Although up-regulation of lncRNA UCA1 (urothelial carcinoma-associated 1) in several cancers has been found, its role in gastric cancer remains elusive. The aim of this study was to detect the expression of lncRNA UCA1 in gastric cancer and its clinical association. The expression of UCA1 was detected in 112 pairs of tumorous and adjacent normal tissues from patients with gastric cancer, as well as in four gastric cancer cell lines and a human normal gastric epithelium cell line using RT-qPCR. Results showed that UCA1 expression was remarkably increased in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines compared with that in the normal control. Clinicopathologic analysis revealed that high UCA1 expression correlated with worse differentiation, tumor size, invasion depth and TNM stage in gastric cancer. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that increased UCA1 expression contributed to poor overall survival (p = 0.017) and disease-free survival (p = 0.024) of patients. A multivariate survival analysis also indicated that UCA1 could be an independent prognostic marker. The levels of UCA1 in gastric juice from gastric patients were significantly higher than those from normal subjects (p = 0.016). Moreover, validation analysis showed that UCA1 levels were robust in differentiating gastric cancer patients from control subjects [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.721; 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 0.655-0.788, p < 0.01]. These results suggested that UCA1 might serve as a promising biomarker for early detection and prognosis prediction of gastric cancer.

Monocyte/macrophage ß2-AR as a target of antisympathetic excitation-induced atherosclerotic progression.

The aim of this study was to determine whether monocyte/macrophage ß2-AR could act as the therapeutic target of antisympathetic excitation-induced atherosclerotic progression. Cultivated human THP-1 cells were divided into different groups and incubated with isoprenaline, metoprolol, propranolol or ß2-AR blocker for 24 h, together with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL). Afterwards, each group was analyzed for C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2) expression, monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) release into medium and cell migration ability. In the isoprenaline group, CCR2 protein level was increased, as well as the secretion of MCP-1, and cell motility was enhanced, in a concentration-dependent manner. Propranolol and ICI 118,551 significantly reversed the stimulatory effect of isoprenaline on THP-1 cells induced by ox-LDL, but only high concentrations of metoprolol interfered significantly with the action of isoprenaline (P < 0.05). Isoprenaline or a ß-AR blocker could mediate through ß2-AR, affecting MCP-1 secretion, CCR2 protein expression and cell migration capacity of THP-1 cells. Therefore, monocyte-macrophage ß2-AR may act as a target of antisympathetic excitation-induced atherosclerotic progression.

Treatment of seawater immersion-complicated open-knee joint fracture.

The current study aimed to select suitable remedies for seawater immersion-complicated open-knee joint fracture by exploring the effects of different treatment methods. Forty adult rabbits weighing 2.20 ± 0.25 kg were divided equally into internal fracture fixation group (A), seawater-immersed group with primary internal fixation (B), seawater-immersed group with secondary internal fixation (C), and seawater-immersed group with external fixation (D), using the random-digit table method. Open-femoral internal condylar fracture models were established. Group A was left untreated for 2 h, whereas the other three groups were subjected to seawater immersion for 2 h. Afterwards, groups A and B underwent debridement and steel plate and screw internal fixation. Group C underwent debridement and external fixation, which was followed by secondary steel plate and screw internal fixation after the wound healed. Group D underwent transarticular arthrodesis. Wound infection, joint functional rehabilitation, and radiological and histopathological changes in fracture healing in each group were assessed. The results showed that delayed internal fixation effectively reduces the infection rate of seawater immersion-complicated open fracture and benefits joint function rehabilitation.

Cigarette smoking and serum sex hormones in men.

The relation between cigarette smoking and serum sex hormone concentrations was examined in two samples of the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT) population. One sample consisted of 121 men at the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania MRFIT center who were followed longitudinally for four years. The other sample was drawn from the entire MRFIT cohort and consisted of 163 MRFIT participants who subsequently developed coronary heart disease and 163 matched controls. The results indicated a positive correlation between cigarette smoking and serum total androstenedione concentration. The association was independent of age, relative weight, alcohol drinking, blood pressure, and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Serum total and free testosterone concentrations were positively correlated with cigarette smoking among the longitudinal sample and the controls, but not for the baseline sera from the coronary heart disease cases. This positive correlation was also independent of age, relative weight, alcohol drinking, blood pressure, and HDL cholesterol. There was no association between either serum estradiol or estrone concentrations and cigarette smoking in this population. These observations may have important implications for epidemiologic studies of diseases with significant smoking relations.