Role of epidermal growth factor receptor in lung cancer and targeted therapies.

Lung cancer is the foremost cause of cancer-related deaths world-wide. Both, the major forms of lung cancer, Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and Small cell lung cancers (SCLC), have responded effectively to chemo-, radiation and adjuvant-therapies. Tumor removal through surgery also appeared as a good therapeutic strategy. However, these therapies demonstrated unfavourable side-effects, and hence novel drugs targeting lung cancer emerged essential. Activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinases is a key reason for lung cancer progression. Two important strategies that have attenuated lung cancers were through treatments with EGFR-tyrosine kinase-inhibitors, erlotinib and gefitinib, or EGFR-neutralizing antibodies, cetuximab and bevacizumab. A major advantage with erlotinib and gefitinib was their role in second and third-line treatments following chemotherapies. Phase II/III clinical trials showed that combinatorial treatment of tyrosine kinase (TK)-inhibitors with chemotherapeutics, such as docetaxel and pemetrexed, caused significant improvements in progression-free survival and overall survival.Phase I and II clinical studies also revealed that combination of tyrosine kinase-inhibitors with the EGFR-targeted antibodies was an effective approach for treating lung cancer. However, patients having T790M-mutations within EGFR gene were resistant to erlotinib and gefitinib. Alternatively, another second-generation EGFR-tyrosine kinase-inhibitor, afatinib, that could circumvent the problem of drug resistance has been developed as lung cancer therapy. The current review focuses on the role of EGFR in lung cancer progression and apprises about the EGFR-targeted therapies. The review also informs on the adverse side-effects of these therapies and enlightens the need for safer therapeutic regimens to eradicate this dreaded disease.

[Resonance raman spectra of linear polymer molecule].

The present paper summarizes the characteristics of resonance Raman spectra of the linear polymer molecule, and its relations with the molecular structure, including: electronic spectra(ultraviolet-visible absorption spectrum), Raman spectra characteristics and its relations with external field; Modulation relation between the electron energy gap and CC atom vibration; Several experimental results were obtained: The UV-visible absorption spectra are red-shifted with decreasing temperature, increasing solvent density and reducing solution concentration, and because the linear polymer molecule has high structured order, decreasing pi electron energy gap; extended pi electronic delocalization, large effective conjugation length, large intensity of the Raman activity, Ramrnan spectrum are red-shifted, with large scattering cross section. "Am plitude modes" are the ideal theory models to study the linear polymer molecule.

Influence of propofol, isoflurane and enflurance on levels of serum interleukin-8 and interleukin-10 in cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the influence of propofol, isoflurane and enflurance on interleukin-8 (IL-8) and IL-10 levels in cancer patients. METHODS: Ninety cancer patients with selective operation from March 2011 to May 2014 were randomly divided into group A (34 cases), group B (28 cases) and group C (28 cases). Intramuscular injections of scopine hydrochloride and phenobarbital sodium were routinely conducted to 3 groups. After general anesthesia was induced, tracheal intubations were given. During the maintenance of anesthesia, 0.5~1.0 mg/ kg propofol was intravenously injected to group A discontinuously, while continuous suctions of isoflurane and enflurance were subsequently performed to group B and C correspondingly. Clinical outcomes, postoperative complications as well as serum IL-8 and IL-10 levels before operation (T0), at the time of skin incision (T1), 3 h after the beginning of the operation (T2) and 24 h (T3) and 72 h (T4) after the operation were observed among 3 groups. RESULTS: Operations in all groups were successfully completed. The rates of surgery associated complications were 8.82% (3/34), 7.14% (2/28) and 7.14% (2/28) in group A, B and C, respectively, and there were no significant differences (P>0.05). Serum IL-8 and IL-10 levels increased gradually from the beginning of the operation and reached the peak at T3, and were evidently higher at each time point than at T0 (P<0.01). At T1, serum IL-8 and IL-10 levels had no significant differences among 3 groups (P<0.05), but the differences were significant at T2, T3 and T4 (P<0.05). Moreover, correlation analysis suggested that serum IL-8 level was in positive relation with IL-10 level (r=0.952, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Propofol, which is better in inhibiting serum IL-8 secretion and improving IL-10 secretion than isoflurane and enflurance, can be regarded as a preferable anesthetic agent in inhibiting traumatic inflammatory responses.

Effect of intraoperative glucose fluctuation and postoperative IL-6, TNF-α, CRP levels on the short-term prognosis of patients with intracranial supratentorial neoplasms.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of intraoperative glucose fluctuation and postoperative interlukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), C-reactive protein (CRP) levels on the short-term prognosis of patients with intracranial supratentorial neoplasms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-six patients undergoing intracranial excision were selected in The Second Hospital of Jilin University. According to the condition of glucose fluctuation, the patients were divided into group A (glucose fluctuation <2.2 mmol/L, n=57) and group B (glucose fluctuation ≥2.2 mmol/L, n=29). Glucose was assessed by drawing 2 mL blood from internal jugular vein in two groups in the following time points, namely fasting blood glucose 1 d before operation (T0), 5 min after anesthesia induction (T1), intraoperative peak glucose (T2), intraoperative lowest glucose (T3), 5 min after closing the skull (T4), immediately after returning to intensive care unit (ICU) (T5) and 2 h after returning to ICU (T6). 1 d before operation and 1, 3 and 6 d after operation, serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels were detected with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and CRP level with immunoturbidimetry. Additionally, postoperative adverse reactions were monitored. RESULTS: There was no statistical significance between two groups regarding the operation time, anesthesia time, amount of intraoperative bleeding and blood transfusion (P>0.05). The glucose levels in both groups at T1~T6 went up conspicuously compared with that at T0 (P<0.01), and those in group B at T2, T4, T5 and T6 were significantly higher than in group A (P<0.01). Serum IL-6, TNF-α and CRP levels in both groups 1, 3 and 6 d after operation increased markedly compared with 1 d before operation (P<0.01), but the increased range in group A was notably lower than in group B (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Postoperative incidences of hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia and myocardial ischemia in group A were significantly lower than in group B (P<0.05), and respiratory support time obviously shorter than in group B (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The glucose fluctuation of patients undergoing intracranial excision is related to postoperative IL-6, TNF-α and CRP levels and those with small range of glucose fluctuation have better prognosis.

[Meta analysis on the association between parental 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism and the neural tube defects of their offspring].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene polymorphism of the parents and the susceptibility to their offspring having neural tube defects. To forecast and evaluate the onset risk of neural tube defects (NTDs) on the basis of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism on parents of the patients. METHODS: Electronic search strategy was carried out among the five databases from home and abroad to collect qualified research papers, according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Case-control studies on association between MTHFR polymorphism and susceptibility to NTDs were collected and divided into two groups as mothers and fathers. The combined OR values and their 95%CI were calculated with Review Manager 5.0. RESULTS: 33 eligible studies were included. Statistics of the combined data showed a significant difference between the mothers with NTDs offspring carrying TT/CC, CT/CC of MTHFR gene C677T and controls. The pooled OR (95%CI) were 1.68 (1.32-2.14) and 1.20 (1.07-1.35) respectively. These was a significant difference between the fathers of the offspring with NTDs that carrying of TT/CC, CT/CC of MTHFR gene C677T and controls. The pooled ORs (95%CI) were 1.38 (1.08-1.76) and 1.32 (1.13-1.55) respectively. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that the paternal and maternal MTHFR gene C677T polymorphism were risk factors to NTDs.

[The effect of pressure on binary solution phase transition and fermi resonance--comparing pressure effect for binary solution and pure liquid].

The Raman spectra of binary solution (CCl4 and C6 H6) and pure liquid were measured up to pressures of 11 GPa. The results show that pressure effect on binary solution is different from that on pure liquid: When mixing two liquids, owing to the changes in the density of the solution, intermolecular distance decreases and interaction energy increases, the frequency shift (blue shift) of spectral bands increases, and the frequency shift of binary liquid is faster than pure liquid frequency shift. Phase transitions (spectral bands splitting) change earlier and natural frequency difference delta0 increases with increasing pressure, while the Fermi resonance bands nu1 + nu6 and nu8 of benzene and nu1 + nu4 and nu3 of CCl4 disappear as the pressure decreases gradually, the spectral bands with different compressibility have different speed, whereas CCl4 has smaller density, longer bond, smaller force constant and larger compressibility and is easy to compress, C6H6 has larger density, smaller bond, larger force constant, smaller compressibility and is hard to compress. The frequency shift of CCl4 is faster than benzene. In this paper we provide good reference on Raman bands assignment and certification under high pressure, and also provide methods and ideas for study of the different environment of high pressure effect, intermolecular interaction and solvent effect.

[Serum levels of homocysteine and folate in neonates with asphyxia].

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether serum homocysteine and folate levels are correlated with the occurrence of neonatal asphyxia and to study the effects of gender and gestational age on serum homocysteine and folate levels. METHODS: Thirty-five neonates with mild asphyxia (19 males and 16 females) and 40 normal neonates (control group,18 males and 22 females) were enrolled in this study. The asphyxia and the control groups consisted of 10 and 11 cases of preterm infants respectively. Serum homocysteine levels were measured using ELASA. Serum folate levels were measured using radioimmunity assay. RESULTS: Serum homocysteine level (14.66+/-2.61 micromol/L vs 7.55+/-0.50 mumol/L; P<0.05) was significantly higher and serum folate level (2.47+/-0.24 ng/mL vs 3.28+/-0.28 ng/mL; P<0.05) was significantly lower in the asphyxia group than that in the control group. There were no significant differences in serum levels of homocysteine and folate between males and females either in the asphyxia group or the control group. The asphyxiated neonates born at premature showed increased serum homocysteine level compared with the full-term neonates with asphyxia (21.25+/-5.01 micromol/L vs 12.34+/-2. 01 micromol/L; P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The increased serum homocysteine level and decreased serum folate level are correlated with the occurrence of neonatal asphyxia. Serum homocysteine and folate levels are not associated with the gender. A more significantly increased serum homocysteine level may be found in asphyxiated neonates born at premature.

Molecular spring washers: Raman scattering studies on Tpp J-aggregates under high pressure.

High-pressure Raman scattering studies at ambient temperature are performed on Tpp J-aggregates up to 13 GPa. It can be concluded that all the vibrational frequencies upshift linearly with increasing pressure which indicate that no obvious phase transition occurs during compression. In particular, the fact that the relative intensity of phenyl psi3 C-C in-plane stretching vibration shows monotonic enhancement with pressure future indicates that the dihedral angle between the porphyrin ring and phenyl groups decreases with increasing pressure. And all the transformation is reversible during decompression. The combined analysis of scanning election microscopy (SEM) image and the high-pressure behavior of Tpp J-aggregates makes it an ideal candidate for future potential applications as pressure-driven molecular spring washers.

[Optic neurotomy for central retinal vein occlusion].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the surgical effect and complication of optic neurotomy for ischemic central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). METHODS: Eight patients elected to undergo optic neurotomy, The age range was 32 - 67 years, Five of the 8 were women and three were men. The duration of the CRVO were 3 - 8 months. Systemic hypertension was present in 3 patients and severe cystoid macular edema was present in 3 patient. No diabetes mellitus was noted in all 8 patients. A standard three-port vitrectomy was performed on 8 patients with severe ischemic CRVO, A microvitreoretinal (MVR) blade was used to relax the scleral ring and adjacent sclera of the optic disk, The depth of the incision into the optic nerve placed the MVR blade just beyond the widest portion of the diamond-shaped tip. The depth of the incision was 2.2 mm approximately. RESULTS: Optic neurotomy was performed in all 8 patients successfully, The small hemorrhage was noted during the surgical procedure in 2 patients limited to the incision site. The follow-up was 3 - 5 months range, All patients had improvement in the retina and macular edema and the appearance of the fundus as documented by photography, fluorescein angiography. And optic coherence tomography (OCT). Postoperative visual acuities were improved in 62.5% of patients and the visual acuities no changes were in 2 patients. Postoperative neovascular glaucoma was in 1 patient and vitreous hemorrhage in 2 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Optic neurotomy may improve the intraretinal hemorrhage, macular edema and the visual acuity prognosis in patients with ischemic CRVO.