Overexpression of Extracellular Superoxide Dismutase 3 Inhibits Cancer Cell Growth and Migration in Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS:  Incidence of colorectal cancer is rapidly increasing worldwide. Extracellular superoxide dismutase (EcSOD; SOD3) is an antioxidant enzyme. However, SOD3 roles in colorectal cancer progression remain uncertain. MATERIALS AND METHODS:  Superoxide dismutase 3 expression was evaluated, and we analyzed clinical relevance of SOD3 expression in colorectal cancer. Subsequently, SOD3 roles in colorectal cancer progression were detected by gain of function experiments. Changes in subcutaneous tumor and liver nodule size after SOD3 overexpression were examined in nude mice. The expression of proliferation marker Ki67 was assessed by immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS:  Supperoxide dismutase 3 was downregulated in colorectal cancer (P <.01). Downregulation of SOD3 was correlated with unfavorable outcomes (P < .05). Superoxide dismutase 3 upregulation limited the proliferative (P <.05), migrative (P <.01) and invasive actions of colorectal cancer cells (P <.01) by suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Moreover, SOD3 overexpression reduced Ki67 expression (P <.01) and blocked tumor growth (P <01) and liver metastasis (P <.001) in mouse tumor model. CONCLUSION:  Superoxide dismutase 3 upregulation attenuates tumor growth and liver metastasis in colorectal cancer, suggesting that SOD3 has potential diagnostic and prognostic values regarding colorectal cancer treatment.

KCNE4 expression is correlated with the pathological characteristics of colorectal cancer patients and associated with the radioresistance of cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy, and radioresistance limits the effectiveness of radiotherapy for rectal cancer. This study is performed to investigate the role and regulatory mechanism of Potassium Voltage-Gated Channel Subfamily E Regulatory Subunit 4 (KCNE4) in the radioresistance of CRC cells. METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining results of KCNE4 in normal tissues and CRC tissues were obtained from the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database. The UALCAN database was used for analyzing KCNE4 mRNA expression in normal tissue samples and CRC tissue samples and its relationship with tumor stage. The relationship of KCNE4 expression with prognosis was analyzed utilizing the data of GEPIA database. LinkedOmics database was searched to analyze the co-expressed gene sets of KCNE4 in CRC, and to analyze the signaling pathways related with KCNE4 in CRC. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were carried out on the co-expressed genes of KCNE4 with DAVID database. Ionizing radiation (IR)-resistant cell lines (HCT116/IR and HT29/IR) were established; cell viability was assessed via cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and EdU assays, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay was performed for detecting cell apoptosis. Western blotting was carried out to detect the expressions of p-p85 and p-AKT. RESULTS: KCNE4 was highly expressed in CRC tissues and linked to advanced tumor stage, lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis of CRC patients. KCNE4 overexpression promoted HCT116/IR cell proliferation and inhibited the apoptosis, while KCNE4 knockdown suppressed HT29/IR cell proliferation and facilitated the apoptosis. Furthermore, high KCNE4 expression was associated with the activation of the PI3K/AKT signal pathway. CONCLUSION: KCNE4 is associated with the clinicopathological characteristics of CRC patients, and its high expression level contributes to the radioresistance of cancer cells via activating the PI3K/AKT signal pathway.

Laparoscopic-assisted endorectal pull-through for Hirschsprung's disease. A retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: To summarize the efficacy of the laparoscopic-assisted transanal-endorectal pull-through procedure for Hirschsprung's disease (HD). METHODS: Between May 2006 and May 2013, 22 children with HD undergoing laparoscopic-assisted endorectal pull-through procedures were retrospectively analyzed. The operative time, pathology, intraoperative blood loss, recovery time for gastrointestinal function, postoperative hospital stay, complications, and defecation functions of the patients were analyzed. RESULTS: The procedure was successfully completed in all 22 patients without conversion to open surgery. The operative time was 105-190 minutes (mean, 160.4 minutes), and the intraoperative blood loss was 20-50 ml. The mean time for the recovery of gastrointestinal function was 22 hours, and the mean postoperative hospital stay was 8 days. All patients had 1-3 defecations per day at 6 months postoperatively without constipation, soiling, or stoma stenosis. CONCLUSION: The laparoscopic-assisted transanal-endorectal pull-through procedure is a safe and feasible technique for patients with HD.

Clinical application of entire gastrointestinal barium meal combined with multi-temporal abdominal films in patients with intestinal neuronal dysplasia type B.

OBJECTIVE: To report and evaluate the application of entire gastrointestinal barium meal combined with multi-temporal abdominal films in the diagnosis of patients with intestinal neuronal dysplasia type B (IND type B). METHODS: Thirty-six patients with symptoms of long-standing constipation were enrolled in this study. The study took place at the Department of General Surgery, Xiangyang Central Hospital, Hubei Province, China from July 2007 to October 2012. All of them had already been subjected to the tests of barium enema and anorectal manometry and were suspected to be IND type B, but were not confirmed by mucous membrane acetylcholinesterase determination. All underwent the entire gastrointestinal barium meal combined with multi-temporal abdominal films. The data was collected and then analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: After entire gastrointestinal barium meal combined with multi-temporal abdominal films, 30 out of 36 cases in this group were diagnosed with intestinal neuronal diseases, and then were treated with appropriate surgical treatment. The postoperative pathological diagnosis was IND type B. The other 6 patients in this group still could not be diagnosed explicitly after the test; thus, we treated them with conservative treatment. CONCLUSION: Entire gastrointestinal barium meal combined with multi-temporal abdominal films has the advantage of being able to test the gastrointestinal transfer capabilities and to find physiological and pathological changes simultaneously. It could provide important proof for the diagnosis of patients with intestinal neuronal dysplasia type B.