The sclerosing sertoli cell tumor of the testis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Testicular Sertoli cell tumor (SCT) is very rare sex cord-gonadal stromal tumor, and sclerosing SCT (SSCT) is even rarer. So far, no more than 50 cases of SSCT have been reported. 80% of SSCTs are less than 2 cm in diameter, large volume mass is pretty unusual. SSCT is usually benign with very low malignant potential. However, it is easily misdiagnosed as a malignant tumor resulting in the removal of the entire testicle. CASE PRESENTATION: A 55-year-old Chinese male patient presented with a six months' history of right testis progressively enlargement and negative tumor markers. The physical examination was nothing special except for swelling in the right testicle. Imaging identified a large mass in right testicle with rich blood. A right radical orchiectomy was performed on suspicion of malignancy. However, the tumor was postoperatively diagnosed as SSCT, which pathologically consisted of a tubular pattern with regular nuclei and embedded in a densely collagenous stroma, as well as diffusely positive for vimentin, ß-catenin and synaptophysin. After 7 months of follow up, no evidence of local recurrence and metastasis has been observed. CONCLUSION: This rare case is helpful to expand the knowledge of the testicular tumor and alert us fully understand the rare variant of SCTs in order to choose the optimal management when they encounter SSCT.

Enhanced US/CT/MR imaging of integrin αvß3 for liver fibrosis staging in rat.

Liver fibrosis is a global health challenge with high morbidity and mortality rates, and diagnostic sensitivity of liver fibrosis tests can be increased using multimodal molecular agents. We designed cyclic arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (cRGD)-modified nanoparticles (NPs) using ultrasound (US)/computed tomography (CT)/magnetic resonance (MR) triple-modality imaging to evaluate liver fibrosis stages. In vitro and in vivo studies were conducted using primary hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and a rat model of liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Our results showed cRGD-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-Fe3O4-perfluorocarbon bromide (cRGD-PLGA-Fe3O4-PFOB) NPs were preferentially internalised by activated HSCs (aHSCs). The main cell types expressing integrin αvß3 during liver fibrogenesis were the aHSCs. The protein levels of αv and ß3 expressed on aHSCs increased with the progression of liver fibrosis. After intravenous injection of cRGD-PLGA-Fe3O4-PFOB NPs, the echo intensity (EI) values, CT values, and T2 values of liver parenchyma correlated well with liver fibrosis severity. cRGD-PLGA-Fe3O4-PFOB NPs as multifunction contrast agents showed great potential to reflect the degree of HSC activation and distinguish among different liver fibrotic stages. The ligand-directed and integrin αvß3-mediated accumulation provides active and passive targeting capabilities, permitting the targeted multimodal imaging of cRGD-PLGA-Fe3O4-PFOB NPs, which delivers accurate non-invasive diagnosis and real-time monitoring of liver fibrosis development.

Bufalin-loaded vitamin E succinate-grafted-chitosan oligosaccharide/RGD conjugated TPGS mixed micelles demonstrated improved antitumor activity against drug-resistant colon cancer.

BACKGROUND: Multidrug resistance (MDR) is the major reason for the failure of chemotherapy in colon cancer. Bufalin (BU) is one of the most effective antitumor active constituents in Chansu. Our previous study found that BU can effectively reverse P-glycoprotein (P-gp)-mediated MDR in colon cancer. However, the clinical application of BU is limited due to its low solubility in water and high toxicity. In the present study, a multifunctional delivery system based on vitamin-E- succinate grafted chitosan oligosaccharide (VES-CSO) and cyclic (arginine-glycine-aspartic acid peptide) (RGD)-modified d-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS) was prepared by emulsion solvent evaporation method for targeted delivery of BU to improve the efficacy of drug-resistant colon cancer therapy. METHODS: The cytotoxicity of BU-loaded micelles against drug-resistant colon cancer LoVo/ADR and HCT116/LOHP cells was measured by CCK-8 assay. The cellular uptake, Rho123 accumulation, and cell apoptosis were determined by flow cytometry. The expression of apoptosis-related protein and P-gp was measured by Western blot assay. The antitumor activity of BU-loaded micelles was evaluated in LoVo/ADR-bearing nude mice. RESULTS: BU-loaded VES-CSO/TPGS-RGD mixed micelles (BU@VeC/T-RGD MM) were 140.3 nm in diameter with zeta potential of 8.66 mV. The BU@VeC/T-RGD MM exhibited good stability, sustained-release pattern, higher intracellular uptake, and greater cytotoxicity in LoVo/ADR cells. Furthermore, the mechanisms of the BU@VeC/T-RGD MM to overcome MDR might be due to enhanced apoptosis rate and P-gp efflux inhibition. Subsequently, in vivo studies confirmed an enhanced therapeutic efficiency and reduced side effects associated with BU@VeC/T-RGD MM compared with free BU, owing to the enhanced permeation and retention effect, improved pharmacokinetic behavior, and tumor targeting, which lead to MDR-inhibiting effect in LoVo/ADR-bearing nude mice. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated that VeC/T-RGD MM could be developed as a potential delivery system for BU to improve its antitumor activity against drug-resistant colon cancer.