Clinical analysis of 12 cases of ovarian neuroendocrine carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Neuroendocrine neoplasms of the female genital tract are rare. AIM: To enhance our clinical understanding of neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) of the ovary. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted on 12 patients diagnosed with NEC of the ovary, analyzing clinicopathological characteristics, treatment modalities, and survival status. RESULTS: The median age at diagnosis was 34.5 years (range: 20 to 62 years). Among the 12 cases, 9 were small cell carcinoma of the ovary and 3 were large cell NEC. Five cases were stage I tumors, one case was stage IV, and six cases were stage III. Eleven patients underwent surgery as part of their treatment. All patients received adjuvant chemotherapy. Among the 12 patients, one patient received radiotherapy, and one patient with a BRCA2 mutation was administered PARP inhibitor maintenance after chemotherapy. The median progression-free survival was 13 months, and the median overall survival was 19.5 months. Four cases remained disease-free, while eight cases experienced tumor recurrence, including three cases that resulted in death due to disease recurrence. CONCLUSION: NEC of the ovary is a rare condition that is more common in women of childbearing age and is associated with aggressive behavior and poor clinical outcomes. Surgical resection remains the mainstay of treatment, with some patients benefiting from adjuvant chemoradiation therapy.

Pien Tze Huang Inhibits Proliferation of Colorectal Cancer Cells through Suppressing PNO1 Expression and Activating p53/p21 Signaling Pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the regulatory effect of Pien Tze Huang (PZH) on targeting partner of NOB1 (PNO1) and it's down-stream mediators in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. METHODS: Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to determine mRNA levels of PNO1, TP53, and CDKN1A. Western blotting was performed to determine protein levels of PNO1, p53, and p21. HCT-8 cells were transduced with a lentivirus over-expressing PNO1. Colony formation assay was used to detect cell survival in PNO1 overexpression of HCT-8 cells after PZH treatment. Cell-cycle distribution, cell viability and cell apoptosis were performed to identify the effect of PNO1 overexpression on cell proliferation and apoptosis of HCT-8 cells after PZH treatment. Xenograft BALB/c nude mice bearing HCT116 cells transduced with sh-PNO1 or sh-Ctrl lentivirus were evaluated. Western blot assay was performed to detect PNO1, p53, p21 and PCNA expression in tumor sections. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labling (TUNEL) assay was used to determine the apoptotic cells in tissues. RESULTS: PZH treatment decreased cell viability, down-regulated PNO1 expression, and up-regulated p53 and p21 expressions in HCT-8 cells (P<0.05). PNO1 overexpression attenuated the effects of PZH treatment, including the expression of p53 and p21, cell growth, cell viability, cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis in vitro (P<0.05). PNO1 knockdown eliminated the effects of PZH treatment on tumor growth, inhibiting cell proliferation inhibition and apoptosis induction in vivo (P<0.05). Similarly, PNO1 knockdown attenuated the effects of PZH treatment on the down-regulation of PNO1 and up-regulation of p53 and p21 in vivo (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The mechanism by which PZH induces its CRC anti-proliferative effect is at least in part by regulating the expression of PNO1 and its downstream targets p53 and p21.

Successful treatment with oseltamivir phosphate in children with ITP who failed first-line therapy: a case series report.

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a common bleeding disorder in children. First-line medicines (glucocorticoids and immunoglobulin) may not be effective for some children, endangering their lives, posing challenges for healthcare facilities, and leading to an unfavorable prognosis. As a sialidase inhibitor, oseltamivir phosphate can reduce the destruction of platelets in liver macrophages by inhibiting the sialylation of platelets, and finally achieve the purpose of increasing platelet count. In this paper, three cases of children with ITP who failed first-line therapy and were cured by oral administration of oseltamivir phosphate granules were reported. The mechanism of action of oseltamivir phosphate granules was clarified.

[Distribution and Biotoxicity of Endogenous Pollutants in Pennisetum sp. Biochar from Different Polluted Areas].

Due to the wide sources of biomass raw materials and the lack of limits for the endogenous pollutants in biochar and their dosage, some biochar with high endogenous pollutants may be used for environmental remediation, which results in potential environmental risks. In this study, three biochars were prepared from the straws of Pennisetum sp. grown in clean, moderately polluted and highly polluted soils, respectively. The total endogenous copper (Cu) and cadmium (Cd), acid-soluble fraction, and persistent free radical (PFRs) distribution in biochars were investigated, and their biotoxicities were evaluated based on wheat root elongation inhibition rate and antioxidant enzyme activity. The results indicated that total Cu in Jiuniu biochar from the highly polluted soil and total Cd in Shuiquan biochar from the moderately-polluted soil were 3.73 and 4.43 times higher than that in Hongrang biochar from the clean soil, respectively. Moreover, acid-soluble Cu in Jiuniu biochar was 3.32 and 2.84 times higher than that in Shuiquan and Hongrang biochar, respectively, and acid-soluble Cd in Shuiquan and Jiuniu biochar was 7.95 and 5.11 times higher than that in Hongrang biochar, respectively. All three biochars had PFRs with adjacent oxygen atoms centered on carbon and followed the order of Hongrang>Jiuniu>Shuiquan. Three biochar leaching solutions significantly inhibited wheat root elongation but enhanced the enzyme activities of SOD, POD, and CAT for the wheat seedlings compared with that in the control. In particular, the highest inhibition rate (27.7%) was found in Jiuniu biochar. This study indicated that the interaction of endogenous heavy metals and PFRs in biochar exhibited significant biotoxicity to wheat seedlings. In the future, more attention should be paid to the potential environmental toxicity of endogenous pollutants from biochar to avoid new environmental pollution problems.

Effectiveness of shengxuexiaoban capsules combined with glucocorticoid therapy for immune thrombocytopenia: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of the Shengxuexiaoban Capsules combined with glucocorticoid therapy for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). METHODS: We collected randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using shengxuexiaoban capsules in combination with glucocorticoid to treat ITP by searching major Chinese and English electronic databases. The outcome indicators were the effective rate, recurrence rate, the number of platelets in the blood, recovery time of platelets, and adverse reactions. We used STATA 16.0 and RevMan 5.3 for meta-analysis and GRADE pro. for evidence quality evaluation. RESULTS: A total of 27 RCTs were included in the meta-analysis, and the results showed a significant difference (all p<0.05) in the effective rate, recurrence rate, the number of platelets, and the recovery time of platelets (≥ 100×109) between ITP patients in the control group (who received glucocorticoid therapy alone) and test group (who received glucocorticoid therapy combined with the Shengxuexiaoban Capsules). And that Shengxuexiaoban capsules combined with glucocorticoid therapy were safe. The funnel plot and Egger's test results indicated no obvious publication bias. The GRADE evidence rating showed an intermediate quality of evidence rating for recurrence rate and overall effectiveness. CONCLUSION: Glucocorticoid therapy combined with the Shengxuexiaoban Capsules showed more effectiveness in the treatment of ITP. It can improve the effective rate, reduce the recurrence rate, increase the number of platelets and shorten the recovery time of platelets, and has a good safety profile.

Effect of pearling on composition, microstructure, water migration and cooking quality of highland barley (Hordeum vulgare var. Coeleste Linnaeus).

Highland barley (HB) has become popular due to its nutritional benefits, and pearling as a necessary process that could broaden its applications. The influence of pearling on the composition, microstructure, water migration and cooking characteristics of HB was investigated. With different degrees of pearling (DOPs), the levels of nutritious components except for starch and ß-glucan, decreased, and the ß-glucan content gradually increased and reached a plateau when the DOP was over 15%. Pearling can significantly shorten the cooking time by removing different tissues, and removal of the pericarp layer had significant influence by reducing the cooking time by 17 min (i.e., HB with DOP 5%). From the result of Peleg model fitting and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, the saturated water absorption of HB did not differ for a DOP 5% and above, and cooking mainly increased the amount of moderately bound water and added small amount of bound water.

Effect of freezing treatment of soybean on soymilk nutritional components, protein digestibility, and functional components.

Soymilk is a popular beverage in many countries owing to its nutrition and health effects. To increase household consumption of soymilk, instant soybeans were developed by freezing and subsequent drying pretreatment, which overcome the time-consuming need of soaking during soymilk preparation for home making. However, compared with the traditional soymilk making, the nutritional quality and functional properties of this soymilk made from the soybean by direct grinding in water without soaking are not clear yet. Soymilk made from untreated soybeans, soaked soybeans, and soaking, freezing, and air-drying soybeans (FADTS) were compared on their properties including nutritional components, in vitro protein digestibility, and functional components. It was found that FADTS was the best at extracting lipid and Ca, good at extracting of protein, carbohydrate, oligosaccharides, Fe, phytic acids, and tannins, and in producing soymilks with highest in vitro protein digestibility. The soluble protein and protein digestibility of FADTS (4 day) increased significantly from 44.4% and 78.5% of control to 56.2% and 85.0%, respectively. Soymilk from 4 days FADTS contained similar protein content and higher Fe content (4.40 mg/kg) compared to soaked sample (3.82 mg/kg). The results revealed that FADTS performed better at producing soymilk than untreated and soaked soybeans.

[Pollution Characteristics of Organophosphate Esters in Frozen Soil on the Eastern Edge of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau].

In this study, soil samples were collected from the eastern edge of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau in December 2019. The level and distribution characteristics of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in seasonal frozen soil were analyzed, and their sources were discussed. The results showed that the target analytes including tri-n-butyl phosphate (TnBP), tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (TEHP), tributoxyethyl phosphate (TBEP), triphenyl phosphate (TPhP), tri(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), trichloropropyl phosphate (TCPP), and tris-(2,3-dichloropropyl) phosphate (TDCPP) were detected with 100% frequency. Levels of Σ7OPEs in topsoil (0-10 cm) and sub topsoil (10-20 cm) were 146.7-348.7 ng·g-1 (mean:231.1 ng·g-1) and 206.5-333.2 ng·g-1 (mean:260.2 ng·g-1), respectively. The Σ7OPEs content level is comparable to that of urban soil,which is worthy of attention. TBEP and TDCPP were the most abundant compounds in the plateau soil. Point source emissions have significant influence on the spatial distribution of OPEs, and regional deposition of OPEs contributes to all sampling sites. The migration ability of different OPE compounds in soil was different. Stronger migration ability was observed for aromatic OPEs (TPhP) than chlorinated OPEs. Principal component analysis showed that the main sources of OPEs in plateau soil were atmospheric wet and dry deposition, manufactured consumer materials, and the release of OPEs from automobile interior decoration.

Quality improvement effects of electrolyzed water on rice noodles prepared with semidry-milled rice flours.

To investigate the effects of electrolyzed water treatment on the qualities of rice noodles prepared with semidry- milled rice flour, pasting properties and thermal properties of rice flour, and the cooking and textural properties of rice noodles were determined. Higher peak viscosity and lower melting enthalpy were observed in electrolyzed water (EW) treated rice flour. The hardness, gumminess and chewiness of rice noodle in slightly acidic electrolyzed water treated rice noodles with available chlorine concentration (ACC) 20.32 mg/L were increased significantly (p < 0.05). The cooking loss decreased significantly in strong acidic electrolyzed water treated noodles with ACC 10.09 mg/L treatment (p < 0.05). The results indicated that EW could promote the gelatinization of rice flour, and improve the textural qualities of rice noodles. Therefore EW was appropriate to be used in rice noodle production.

[Research progress on chemical constituents of Citrullus colocynthis and their pharmacological effects].

Citrullus colocynthis is widely distributed in the desert regions of the world. C. colocynthis has shown to improve constipation, liver diseases, jaundice, typhoid fever, diabetes and asthma in traditional use. As a kind of exterritorialy medicinal material, C. colocynthis has been used in China and introduced successfully. The main active ingredients of C. colocynthis are cucurbitacin, flavonoids, alkaloids and phenolic acids, which have been proven to have antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-pathogenic microorganisms and anti-cancer activities in modern pharmacological research. This paper reviews the traditional application, chemical composition and pharmacological effects of C. colocynthis, and provides reference for the in-depth study for the efficacy and mechanism of different components of C. colocynthis.

Bear Bile Powder Inhibits Growth of Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Suppressing STAT3 Signaling Pathway in Mice.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the inhibitory effect of bear bile powder (BBP) on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) growth in vivo and investigate the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: A HCC xenograft mouse model was developed by producing with huh7 cells. After 5 days following xenograft implantation, ten HCC xenograft mice were given intra-gastric administration with 10 mg/(kg•d) dose of BBP or saline for 3 weeks. Tumor growth in HCC xenograft mice was evaluated by measuring the tumor weight and volume. Cell apoptosis, proliferation or tumor angiogenesis were examined via immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) or cluster of differentiation 31 (CD31), respectively. Phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) were determined by Western blot. The mRNA and protein expressions of Bcl-2, Bax, Cyclin D1 and Cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) in HCC tumor tissues were respectively determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot. The protein expression of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) in tumor tissues was examined by IHC staining. RESULTS: BBP treatment led to a significant decrease on tumor volume and tumor weight in HCC mice (P<0.05) and had no effect on the change of body weight. In addition, BBP profoundly promoted cell apoptosis, inhibited cell proliferation and intratumoral microvessel density in HCC tumor tissues (P<0.05). Moreover, BBP treatment remarkably suppressed the STAT3 phosphorylation and modulated the expression of critical target genes including Bcl-2, Bax, Cyclin D1, CDK4 and VEGF-A in HCC mice. CONCLUSION: BBP exerts its anti-cancer activities via suppressing STAT3 signaling pathway and affecting multiple intracellular targets.

Effect of Oat and Tartary Buckwheat - Based Food on Cholesterol - Lowering and Gut Microbiota in Hypercholesterolemic Hamsters.

The nutritional components in oat and tartary buckwheat had been assessed to have cholesterollowering effects. However, The effect of oat and tartary buckwheat based-food (OF) on cholesterol-lowering and gut microbiota in hypercholesterole hamsters was still limited studied because they are usually consumed in whole gran as well as after being processed. In this study, normal diets, high fat diet (HFD) with/without OF were fed to hamsters for 30 days respectively and growth parameters, metabolic parameters, and gut microbiota were investigated, respectively. It was found that OF significantly decreased plasma total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol), lowered liver TC, cholesterol ester (CE), and triglycerides (TG) concentrations, and increased fecal weight and bile acids (BA) concentrations, compared with HFD (p < 0.05). Moreover, the concentrations of acetate, propionate, butyrate and total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were significantly increased in hamsters fed with OF, compared with HFD (p < 0.05). OF changed the overall structure of gut microbiota. The relative abundances of Erysipelotrichaceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Lachnospiraceae were decreased and the relative abundance of Eubacteriaceae was increased, compared with HFD. These results suggested that OF could reduce the concentrations of plasma lipid by inhibiting cholesterol absorption in liver and promoting excretions of fecal lipid and BA. And it also increased SCFAs and modulated the gut microbiota effectively to exert the hypocholesterolemic effects.

Patrinia scabiosaefolia Inhibits Growth of 5-FU-Resistant Colorectal Carcinoma Cells via Induction of Apoptosis and Suppression of AKT Pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of ethanol extract of Patrinia scabiosaefolia (EEPS) on chemo-resistance of colorectal cancer cells (CRC) and explore the possible molecular mechanisms. METHODS: 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-resistant human colorectal carcinoma cell line (HCT-8/5-FU) and its parental cells HCT-8 were treated with EEPS (0, 0.25, 0.50, 1 or 2 mg/mL), or 5-FU (0, 100, 200, 400, 800 or 1600 µmol/L). The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was performed to evaluate the cell viability. Cell density was observed by phase-contrast microscope, cell counting and colony formation assay were used to determine the cell proliferation of HCT-8/5-FU cells treated with 0, 0.5, 1 or 2 mg/mL EEPS. Cell apoptosis was determined by Hoechst staining. Western-blot was performed to detect the phosphorylation of AKT as well as the protein expression level of B-cell CLL/lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax). RESULTS: Compared with HCT-8 cells, MTT assay results indicated that HCT-8/5-FU cells were resistant to 5-FU treatment (P<0.05), and sensitive to EEPS treatment (P>0.05). Moreover, compared with untreated HCT-8/5-FU cells, 1 and 2 mg/mL of EEPS treatment significantly reduced cell density, cell number, inhibited cell survival (P<0.05), and induced apoptosis in HCT-8/5-FU cells. Furthermore, 1 and 2 mg/mL of EEPS significantly decreased the phosphorylation level of p-AKT and Bcl-2 protein expression, and increased the expression of Bax protein (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: EEPS is a promising therapeutic agent that may overcome chemo-resistance in cancer cells, likely through suppression of the AKT pathway and promotion of cancer cell apoptosis.

Effects of Curcumin on Epidermal Growth Factor in Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) is a common refractory eye disease that causes blindness and occurs after retinal detachment or retinal reattachment. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has been shown to play an important role in the migration and proliferation of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells, which promote PVR. Curcumin inhibits RPE cell proliferation, but it is not known whether it participates in the formation of PVR. Curcumin regulates the biological functions of EGF, which plays important roles in the development of PVR. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of curcumin on the regulation of EGF in PVR. METHODS: Rabbit RPE cells were cultured, and EGF expression was detected by immunocytochemistry. MTT assay was conducted to determine cell proliferation induced by different concentrations of EGF. Immunocytochemical staining was used to detect EGF expression after treatment with curcumin at varying concentrations. Real-time PCR (RT-PCR) and western blot analysis were used to detect the concentrations of EGF mRNA and protein after treatment with curcumin. After RPE cells and curcumin were injected into experimental rabbit eyes, the cornea, aqueous humor, lens, and vitreous opacity were observed and recorded simultaneously by indirect ophthalmoscopy, fundus color photography, and B-ultrasonography. The vitreous body was extracted, and the EGF content in the vitreous humor was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: At each time point (24, 48, and 72 h), cell proliferation gradually increased with increasing EGF concentrations (0, 3, 6, and 9 ng/mL) in a dose-dependent manner. Cell proliferation between EGF concentrations of 9 and 12 ng/mL were no different, which suggested that 9 ng/mL EGF was the best concentration to use to stimulate RPE cell proliferation in vitro. Under all EGF concentrations (0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 ng/mL), RPE cell proliferation increased with time (from 24 to 72 h), suggesting a time-effect relationship. Curcumin downregulated EGF expression in RPE cells, which also indicated time-effect and dose-effect relationships. The best curcumin concentration for the inhibition of EGF expression was 15 µg/mL. RT-PCR and western blot analyses indicated that the EGF mRNA and expression of the protein in RPE cells treated with curcumin significantly decreased with time. Ocular examinations revealed that the vitreous opacity was lower and the proliferative membrane was thinner in the curcumin group compared with the control group. The PVR grade and the incidence of retinal detachment were significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group. ELISA results showed that the EGF content in vitreous humor was higher in the control group than in the curcumin group. The curcumin and control groups were significantly different at each time point. CONCLUSION: Curcumin inhibited RPE cell proliferation by downregulating EGF and thus effectively inhibited the initiation and development of PVR.

Associations of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T and A1298C polymorphisms with genetic susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis: a meta-analysis.

The aim of our study was to conduct a meta-analysis to assess whether combined evidence shows associations between C677T and A1298C polymorphisms of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and genetic susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A total of 11 articles involving 20 comparisons were included, containing 12 comparisons for the MTHFR C677T polymorphism and 8 comparisons for the MTHFR A1298C polymorphism. Significant evidence was detected for the association of RA susceptibility with the MTHFR C677T polymorphism T allele under allelic contrast and dominant model in Asians (T versus C, OR = 1.300, 95 % CI = 1.104-1.531, p = 0.002; TT + CT versus CC, OR = 1.495, 95 % CI = 1.187-1.882, p = 0.001). Significant association between RA susceptibility and the MTHFR A1298C polymorphism A allele under recessive model was found in the overall meta-analysis (AA versus AC + CC, OR = 1.281, 95 % CI = 1.048-1.565, p = 0.016). Our meta-analysis results demonstrate that the MTHFR C677T polymorphism is involved in the genetic susceptibility of RA in Asians, and the MTHFR A1298C polymorphism is associated with genetic susceptibility to RA in the overall population. Given the paucity of studies, especially in non-Asian populations, further studies with larger sample sizes are required to elucidate the role of MTHFR polymorphisms in the genetic basis of RA in different ethnic populations.

Gender-Specific Association of ATP2B1 Variants with Susceptibility to Essential Hypertension in the Han Chinese Population.

Previous genome-wide association studies (GWASs) found that several ATP2B1 variants are associated with essential hypertension (EHT). But the "genome-wide significant" ATP2B1 SNPs (rs2681472, rs2681492, rs17249754, and rs1105378) are in strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) and are located in the same LD block in Chinese populations. We asked whether there are other SNPs within the ATP2B1 gene associated with susceptibility to EHT in the Han Chinese population. Therefore, we performed a case-control study to investigate the association of seven tagSNPs within the ATP2B1 gene and EHT in the Han Chinese population, and we then analyzed the interaction among different SNPs and nongenetic risk factors for EHT. A total of 902 essential hypertensive cases and 902 normotensive controls were involved in the study. All 7 tagSNPs within the ATP2B1 gene were retrieved from HapMap, and genotyping was performed using the Tm-shift genotyping method. Chi-squared test, logistic regression, and propensity score analysis showed that rs17249754 was associated with EHT, particularly in females. The MDR analysis demonstrated that the interaction of rs2070759, rs17249754, TC, TG, and BMI increased the susceptibility to hypertension. Crossover analysis and stratified analysis indicated that BMI has a major effect on the development of hypertension, while ATP2B1 variants have a minor effect.

Verification of the correlation between progression-free survival and overall survival considering magnitudes of survival post- progression in the treatment of four types of cancer.

BACKGROUND: With development and application of new and effective anti-cancer drugs, the median survival post-progression (SPP) is often prolonged, and the role of the median SPP on surrogacy performance should be considered. To evaluate the impact of the median SPP on the correlation between progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), we performed simulations for treatment of four types of cancer, advanced gastric cancer (AGC), metastatic colorectal cancer (MCC), glioblastoma (GBM), and advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (ANSCLC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effects of the median SPP on the statistical properties of OS and the correlation between PFS and OS were assessed. Further, comparisons were made between the surrogacy performance based on real data from meta-analyses and simulation results with similar scenarios. RESULTS: The probability of a significant gain in OS and HR for OS was decreased by an increase of the SPP/ OS ratio or by a decrease of observed treatment benefit for PFS. Similarly, for each of the four types of cancer, the correlation between PFS and OS was reduced as the median SPP increased from 2 to 12 months. Except for ANSCLC, for which the median SPP was equal to the true value, the simulated correlation between PFS and OS was consistent with the values derived from meta-analyses for the other three kinds of cancer. Further, for these three types of cancer, when the median SPP was controlled at a designated level (i.e., < 4 months for AGC, < 12 months for MCC, and <6 months for GBM), the correlation between PFS and OS was strong; and the power of OS reached 34.9% at the minimum. CONCLUSIONS: PFS is an acceptable surrogate endpoint for OS under the condition of controlling SPPs for AGC, MCC, and GBM at their limit levels; a similar conclusion cannot be made for ANSCLC.

A sensitive and high-throughput LC-MS/MS method for inhibition assay of seven major cytochrome P450s in human liver microsomes using an in vitro cocktail of probe substrates.

A sensitive and high-throughput LC-MS/MS method was established and validated for the simultaneous quantification of seven probe substrate-derived metabolites (cocktail assay) for assessing the in vitro inhibition of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes in pooled human liver microsomes. The metabolites acetaminophen (CYP1A2), hydroxy-bupropion (CYP2B6), n-desethyl-amodiaquine (CYP2C8), 4'-hydroxy-diclofenac (CYP2C9), 4'-hydroxy-mephenytoin (CYP2C19), dextrorphan (CYP2D6) and 1'-hydroxy-midazolam (CYP3A4/5), together with the internal standard verapamil, were eluted on an Agilent 1200 series liquid chromatograph in <7 min. All metabolites were detected by an Agilent 6410B tandem mass spectrometer. The concentration of each probe substrate was selected by substrate inhibition assay that reduced potential substrate interactions. CYP inhibition of seven well-known inhibitors was confirmed by comparing a single probe substrate assay with cocktail assay. The IC50 values of these inhibitors determined on this cocktail assay were highly correlated (R(2) > 0.99 for each individual probe substrate) with those on single assay. The method was selective and showed good accuracy (85.89-113.35%) and between-day (RSD <13.95%) and within-day (RSD <9.90%) precision. The sample incubation extracts were stable at 25 °C for 48 h and after three freeze-thaw cycles. This seven-CYP inhibition cocktail assay significantly increased the efficiency of accurately assessing compounds' potential inhibition of the seven major CYPs in drug development settings.