Characterization in Effective Stimulation on the Magnitude, Gating, Frequency Dependence, and Hysteresis of INa Exerted by Picaridin (or Icaridin), a Known Insect Repellent.

Picaridin (icaridin), a member of the piperidine chemical family, is a broad-spectrum arthropod repellent. Its actions have been largely thought to be due to its interaction with odorant receptor proteins. However, to our knowledge, to what extent the presence of picaridin can modify the magnitude, gating, and/or the strength of voltage-dependent hysteresis (Hys(V)) of plasmalemmal ionic currents, such as, voltage-gated Na+ current [INa], has not been entirely explored. In GH3 pituitary tumor cells, we demonstrated that with exposure to picaridin the transient (INa(T)) and late (INa(L)) components of voltage-gated Na+ current (INa) were differentially stimulated with effective EC50's of 32.7 and 2.8 µM, respectively. Upon cell exposure to it, the steady-state current versus voltage relationship INa(T) was shifted to more hyperpolarized potentials. Moreover, its presence caused a rightward shift in the midpoint for the steady-state inactivate curve of the current. The cumulative inhibition of INa(T) induced during repetitive stimuli became retarded during its exposure. The recovery time course from the INa block elicited, following the conditioning pulse stimulation, was satisfactorily fitted by two exponential processes. Moreover, the fast and slow time constants of recovery from the INa block by the same conditioning protocol were noticeably increased in the presence of picaridin. However, the fraction in fast or slow component of recovery time course was, respectively, increased or decreased with an increase in picaridin concentrations. The Hys(V)'s strength of persistent INa (INa(P)), responding to triangular ramp voltage, was also enhanced during cell exposure to picaridin. The magnitude of resurgent INa (INa(R)) was raised in its presence. Picaritin-induced increases of INa(P) or INa(R) intrinsically in GH3 cells could be attenuated by further addition of ranolazine. The predictions of molecular docking also disclosed that there are possible interactions of the picaridin molecule with the hNaV1.7 channel. Taken literally, the stimulation of INa exerted by the exposure to picaridin is expected to exert impacts on the functional activities residing in electrically excitable cells.

Parathyroidectomy Improves the Consumption of Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents in Hemodialysis Patients.

Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is common in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, and it can suppress erythropoiesis. We aimed to investigate the relationship between the consumption of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) and parathyroidectomy (PTX) in ESRD patients with SHPT and to determine the predictors for anemia improvement. The current standard of chronic kidney disease anemia therapy relies on the prescription of iron supplementation, and ESA. We retrospectively analyzed 81 ESRD patients with PTX at Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chiayi Christian Hospital from July 2004 to Dec 2018. The requirement of ESA therapy markedly declined from a dose of 41.6 (interquartile range [IQR], 0−91.2) to 10.3 (IQR, 0−59.5, p = 0.001) unit/kg/week. In addition, 63.7% of patients required iron replacement therapy preoperatively and the proportion reduced to 52.5% after PTX (p < 0.001). The hemoglobin (Hb) level showed an insignificant change from a median value of 10.7 g/dL (9.5−11.6 g/dL) before PTX to 10.5 g/dL (9.6−11.2 g/dL) at 6 months after PTX. A preoperative Hb level ≤ 10 mg/dL (odds ratio [OR], 20.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.71−125, p < 0.001) and transferrin saturation (TSAT) < 25% (OR, 12.8; 95% CI, 2.51−129, p < 0.001) were predictors for anemia improvement. Our study demonstrated that PTX markedly decreased the requirement of ESA. Patients with a low preoperative Hb level or low TSAT showed an increase in the Hb level after PTX. PTX may be considered not only for SHPT with refractory anemia but also for high ESA-dependent patients.

PCDHB15 as a potential tumor suppressor and epigenetic biomarker for breast cancer.

Breast cancer is among the most frequently diagnosed cancer types and the leading cause of cancer-related death in women. The mortality rate of patients with breast cancer is currently increasing, perhaps due to a lack of early screening tools. In the present study, using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) breast cancer dataset (n=883), it was determined that methylation of the protocadherin ß15 (PCDHB15) promoter was higher in breast cancer samples than that in normal tissues. A negative association between promoter methylation and expression of PCDHB15 was observed in the TCGA dataset and breast cancer cell lines. In TCGA cohort, lower PCDHB15 expression was associated with shorter relapse-free survival times. Treatment with the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor restored PCDHB15 expression in a breast cancer cell line; however, overexpression of PCDHB15 was shown to suppress colony formation. PCDHB15 methylation detected in circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) isolated from serum samples was higher in patients with breast cancer (40.8%) compared with that in patients with benign tumors (22.4%). PCDHB15 methylation was not correlated with any clinical parameters. Taken together, PCDHB15 is a potential tumor suppressor in cases of breast cancer, which can be epigenetically silenced via promoter methylation. PCDHB15 methylation using cfDNA is a novel minimally invasive epigenetic biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer.

Integrated Molecular Characterization to Reveal the Association between Kynurenine 3-Monooxygenase Expression and Tumorigenesis in Human Breast Cancers.

Kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO) is overexpressed in several tumors and participates in the progression of breast cancer tumorigenesis, including cancer types such as triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). This malignant gene is an enzyme in the kynurenine pathway, which is involved in the carcinogenesis of cancer through immune function manipulation. However, it remains unclear whether the role of the KMO contributes to tumorigenesis and immune functions in human breast cancer. In this study, we found that KMO was highly expressed in different types of tumors, especially in invasive ductal breast carcinoma. In addition, KMO expression was positively correlated with the malignant clinical features of patients with breast cancer, such as TNBC and a nodal-positive status, along with patients with a higher Nottingham prognostic index (NPI). Furthermore, the top ten KMO-correlated genes were the chemokines and pro-inflammatory cytokines known to be involved in the progression of various cancers, therefore, KMO may facilitate breast cancers via synergistically regulating inflammatory responses in tumors with these hub genes. Taken together, these findings highlight the tumor-promotion role of KMO in breast cancers and suggest that KMO can serve as a biomarker for prognosis prediction in breast cancer patients.

Quantitation of Nitration, Chlorination, and Oxidation in Hemoglobin of Breast Cancer Patients by Nanoflow Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

Cells are continually exposed to endogenous reactive oxygen, nitrogen, and halogen species, causing damage to biomolecules. Among them, peroxynitrite and hypochlorous acid are not only oxidants but also biological nitrating and chlorinating agents, leading to the formation of 3-nitrotyrosine and 3-chlorotyrosine, respectively, in proteins. 3-Nitrotyrosine has been detected in vivo under several pathophysiological conditions, including breast cancer. Studies show that the concentrations of 3-nitrotyrosine in plasma proteins and platelets were significantly elevated in breast cancer patients. Compared to blood serum albumin, hemoglobin adducts represent biomonitoring of exposure with a longer lifetime. In this study, human hemoglobin was freshly isolated from blood and digested into peptides with trypsin, and the levels of protein adducts, including nitration, nitrosylation, and chlorination of tyrosine as well as oxidation of methionine residues, were simultaneously quantified by nanoflow liquid chromatography nanoelectrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (nanoLC-NSI/MS/MS) with selected reaction monitoring. The results demonstrated that the relative extents of nitration at α-Tyr-42 and ß-Tyr-130, nitrosylation at α-Tyr-24, and chlorination at α-Tyr-24 and ß-Tyr-130 are significantly higher in globin of 25 breast cancer patients compared to those in 25 healthy subjects (p < 0.05). In particular, nitration at α-Tyr-42 and chlorination at α-Tyr-24 showed the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of >0.8. While the age of the subjects is correlated with the extents of some of these adducts, the body mass index does not have an effect on any of them. Starting with 1 drop of blood, our results indicated that this highly sensitive and specific nanoLC-NSI/MS/MS is useful in investigating the role of reactive nitrogen oxide species and reactive chlorine species in the etiology of breast cancer.

Sole adjuvant intraoperative breast radiotherapy in Taiwan: a single-center experience.

INTRODUCTION: Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) is more convenient than standard whole breast external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) as a sole adjuvant radiotherapy for breast cancer. The impact of age on breast cancer course and treatment strategy is still under investigation, and the peak age for breast cancer in Taiwan is much younger than that in Western countries. We aimed to review the oncological outcomes of sole IORT compared with standard EBRT in a country with younger breast cancer patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed patients with invasive breast cancer who received breast-conserving surgery (BCS) from September 2014 to December 2016. The clinicopathologic characteristics and oncological outcomes of eligible patients who received EBRT or IORT as sole adjuvant radiotherapy after BCS were collected and reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 170 patients were enrolled with a mean follow-up time of 3.53 ± 0.82 years. The risk of locoregional recurrence was 2.44% for EBRT versus 10.64% for IORT (p = 0.024). IORT was a significant risk factor of locoregional recurrence (p = 0.005). The hazard ratios (HRs) for locoregional recurrence in the IORT group compared with the EBRT group were significantly higher in non-suitable risk group patients (HR = 7.02, p = 0.009) and in patients under 50 years old (HR = 10.42, p = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS: Locoregional recurrence was significantly higher in patients who received IORT than in those who underwent EBRT. IORT should not be used alone in patients under 50 years old who do not belong to a suitable group.

Wild-type p53 upregulates an early onset breast cancer-associated gene GAS7 to suppress metastasis via GAS7-CYFIP1-mediated signaling pathway.

The early onset breast cancer patients (age ≤ 40) often display higher incidence of axillary lymph node metastasis, and poorer five-year survival than the late-onset patients. To identify the genes and molecules associated with poor prognosis of early onset breast cancer, we examined gene expression profiles from paired breast normal/tumor tissues, and coupled with Gene Ontology and public data base analysis. Our data showed that the expression of GAS7b gene was lower in the early onset breast cancer patients as compared to the elder patients. We found that GAS7 was associated with CYFIP1 and WAVE2 complex to suppress breast cancer metastasis via blocking CYFIP1 and Rac1 protein interaction, actin polymerization, and ß1-integrin/FAK/Src signaling. We further demonstrated that p53 directly regulated GAS7 gene expression, which was inversely correlated with p53 mutations in breast cancer specimens. Our study uncover a novel regulatory mechanism of p53 in early onset breast cancer progression through GAS7-CYFIP1-mediated signaling pathways.

Efficacy and toxicity of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin-based chemotherapy in early-stage breast cancer: a multicenter retrospective case-control study.

AIM: PEGylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) has comparable efficacy and differing toxicity from conventional anthracyclines used to treat advanced breast cancer. This study compared disease-free survival and toxicity between PLD-based and conventional anthracycline-based regimens as adjuvant treatments for early-stage breast cancer. METHODS: We analyzed disease-free survival (DFS) rates, and adverse events in 102 women with early-stage (I-IIIa) breast cancer who received adjuvant PLD-based chemotherapy from 2002 to 2008. Each patient was matched for age, stage at diagnosis, HER-2 expression and hormone therapy use to a patient treated with an epirubicin-based regimen. Fisher's exact and Pearson's chi-square tests were used for categorical data analysis. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression models were used to analyze DFS. RESULTS: DFS at 5 years was 81.3% for PLD-based regimen and 82.3% for epirubicin-based regimen. This difference was not significant (p = 0.939). Stage IIIa disease was associated with a shorter DFS in univariate analysis (p = 0.048). In multivariate analysis that controlled for adjuvant treatment, age at diagnosis, stage, HER-2 expression, type of surgery and hormone and radiation therapy, stage IIIa disease (P = 0.023) and lack of hormone therapy (P = 0.024) were each independently associated with shorter DFS. Adverse events were evaluated, and with the exception of hand-foot syndrome, more grade 3 and 4 toxicities occurred in patients who received epirubicin-based regimens than in those given PLD-based regimens. CONCLUSION: For patients with early-stage breast cancer who received PLD-based adjuvant chemotherapy, 5-year DFS was comparable and toxicity was acceptable, yet different from those of patients who received epirubicin-based regimens.

Multi-center study on patient selection for and the oncologic safety of intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) with the Xoft Axxent® eBx® System for the management of early stage breast cancer in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: In this multi-center study, we report the patient selection criteria for and preliminary oncologic outcomes associated with intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) delivered by the Xoft Axxent® eBx® system for early-stage breast cancer in Taiwan. METHODS: Patients with early breast cancer in Taiwan received breast conserving surgery and received IORT with Xoft Axxent® eBx® System during 2013-2015 was search from database of Taiwan IORT study cooperative group (T-IORTSCG). Patients' clinicopathologic characteristics and early post-operative results were collected and reported. RESULTS: During the study period, 26 hospitals in Taiwan performed a total of 261 Xoft IORT procedures for breast cancer. The mean age of them was 52.9 ± 9.8 years (37-72), and tumor size was 1.5 ± 0.8 cm (0.1-4.2 cm) for invasive cancer and 1.2 ± 0.8 cm (range, 0.2-3.0 cm) for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) lesions. Lymph node metastasis was found in 6 (2.3%) patients. The patients received IORT in Taiwan differed markedly from those used in the ELIOT and TARGIT-A studies. Specifically, patients selected for IORT in Taiwan tended to be younger, their tumors tended to be larger and the prevalence of lymph node metastasis tended to be lower. Among these 261 patients, 8 (3.1%) patients required whole breast radiotherapy. During a mean follow up of 15.6 months, locoregional recurrence was observed in 2 (0.8%) patients. CONCLUSION: In real world experience, patients received IORT differed quite significantly with criteria formulated by trials. The preliminary results of IORT in Taiwan showed it is well acceptable by patients and clinicians.

Promotion of metastasis of thyroid cancer cells via NRP-2-mediated induction.

Tumor-node-metastasis is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in thyroid cancer patients. Upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) increases the migratory ability of thyroid cancer cells to lymph nodes. Expression of neuropilin-2 (NRP-2), the co-receptor of VEGF-C, has been reported to be correlated with lymph node metastasis in human thyroid cancer. The present study investigated the role of VEGF-C/NRP-2 signaling in the regulation of metastasis of two different types of human thyroid cancer cells. The results indicated that the VEGF-C/NRP-2 axis significantly promoted the metastatic activities of papillary thyroid carcinoma cells through the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase and p38 MAPK signaling cascades. However, neither MEK or p38 MAPK inhibitors produced significant inhibition of the migratory activity and invasiveness regulated by the VEGF-C/NRP-2 axis in follicular thyroid carcinoma cells. Finally, VEGF-C/NRP-2-mediated invasion and migration of thyroid cancer cells required the expression of NRP-2. The present results demonstrate that the promotion of metastasis by VEGF-C is mainly due to the upregulation of NRP-2 in thyroid cancer cells, and this metastatic activity regulated by the VEGF-C/NRP-2 axis provides further insight into the process of tumor metastasis.

Hinokitiol inhibits vasculogenic mimicry activity of breast cancer stem/progenitor cells through proteasome-mediated degradation of epidermal growth factor receptor.

Hinokitiol, alternatively known as ß-thujaplicin, is a tropolone-associated natural compound with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antitumor activity. Breast cancer stem/progenitor cells (BCSCs) are a subpopulation of breast cancer cells associated with tumor initiation, chemoresistance and metastatic behavior, and may be enriched by mammosphere cultivation. Previous studies have demonstrated that BCSCs exhibit vasculogenic mimicry (VM) activity via the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway. The present study investigated the anti-VM activity of hinokitiol in BCSCs. At a concentration below the half maximal inhibitory concentration, hinokitiol inhibited VM formation of mammosphere cells derived from two human breast cancer cell lines. Hinokitiol was additionally indicated to downregulate EGFR protein expression in mammosphere-forming BCSCs without affecting the expression of messenger RNA. The protein stability of EGFR in BCSCs was also decreased by hinokitiol. The EGFR protein expression and VM formation capability of hinokitiol-treated BCSCs were restored by co-treatment with MG132, a proteasome inhibitor. In conclusion, the present study indicated that hinokitiol may inhibit the VM activity of BCSCs through stimulating proteasome-mediated EGFR degradation. Hinokitiol may act as an anti-VM agent, and may be useful for the development of novel breast cancer therapeutic agents.

Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin as Adjuvant Therapy for Stage I-III Operable Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Conventional anthracyclines play an essential role for the treatment of breast cancer and have potent cytotoxic activity, but are associated with severe toxicity. In metastatic breast cancer, pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) is a formulation with efficacy similar to conventional doxorubicin but with reduced toxicity. This multicenter study evaluated the efficacy and safety of PLD-based adjuvant chemotherapy for women with stage I-III operable breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and eighty women with stage I-III breast cancer who received PLD-based adjuvant chemotherapy at six different Institutions in Taiwan from February 2002 to March 2008 were included and followed-up until April 2015. Treatment efficacy was determined by disease-free survival (DFS) rate and safety was evaluated by adverse events. RESULTS: The 5- and 10-year DFS rates were 76.3 and 72.6%, respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that tumor size >5 cm (p=0.045; hazard ratio=3.31) and stage III (hazard ratio=3.54; p=0.019) were each associated with shorter DFS. Only stage III (hazard ratio=5.60; p=0.018) retained statistical significance with regard to DFS in the multivariate analysis. Grade 3/4 hematological toxicity was neutropenia (n=13; 7.2%). The women receiving PLD had low-grade 3 or 4 nausea/vomiting, mucositis, and alopecia. Grade 3 hand-foot syndrome occurred in three patients (1.7%). CONCLUSION: PLD could be considered an effective and safe alternative to conventional anthracyclines in the treatment of stage I-III operable breast cancer.

Distinctive PET/CT features of splenic SANT.

A 44-year-old woman suffered from epigastralgia for 1 month. An abdominal sonography revealed a space-occupying lesion, about 6 cm, in the spleen. Contrast-enhanced CT revealed enhanced splenic lesions. The PET/CT showed FDG-avid multiple splenic nodules with a "prunes on bread" appearance in the maximum-intensity-projection image (MIP image). In sectional PET/CT images, a central cold area with peripheral increased FDG uptake in the splenic nodule is visible. Because splenic malignancy was suspected, laparoscopic splenectomy was performed. Histology revealed multiple nodules with angiomatoid appearance, CD31(+), CD34(+) and HHV-8(-) in the vascular space, typical for the rare sclerosing angiomatoid nodular transformation (SANT).

Appendiceal hemorrhage -- an uncommon cause of lower gastrointestinal bleeding.

Lower gastrointestinal bleeding is a common disease among elderly patients. The common sources of lower gastrointestinal bleeding include vascular disease, Crohn's disease, neoplasms, inflammatory bowel disease, hemorrhoids, and ischemic colitis. Lower gastrointestinal bleeding arising from the appendix is an extremely rare condition. We report a case of appendiceal hemorrhage in a young male. Diagnosis was made by multidetector computerized tomography during survey for hematochezia. The patient recovered well after appendectomy. The histological finding revealed focal erosion of appendix mucosa with bleeding.

Bowel-cleansing methods affecting PET-CT image interpretation.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to evaluate bowel-cleansing methods for colonic preparation, based on the findings of PET-computed tomographic (CT) scans. METHODS: A total of 175 patients were enrolled in this study. Patients with medical histories of colorectal cancer, abdominal operation, or abdominal malignancies were excluded from this study. The patients were divided into three groups according to the three kinds of bowel-cleansing methods used: (i) no laxatives or dietary restriction (control group), (ii) dietary restriction (low-residue diet), and (iii) a combination of contact laxatives (Dulcolax) and dietary restriction (low-residue diet). Colonic standardized uptake value data were recorded. The hot spots that influenced the interpretation of images or the localization of true lesions were classified as positive (+), whereas data that did not influence clinical diagnosis were classified as negative (-). RESULTS: In the first group, 22.2% of the patients with positive colonic hot spots were detected in whole-body PET-CT scans. In the second group, a 34.9% positive rate of colonic hot spots was visible. In the third group, a 73.5% positive rate was detected. The positive rate in the third group is significantly higher than the percentages detected in the first and the second groups (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The findings indicated that a low-residue diet is not beneficial to colonic preparation. Moreover, contact laxatives cause diagnostic confusion when PET-CT images are interpreted. Therefore, although PET-CT scans are capable of adding precision to functional imaging, and to focal localization, the researchers concluded that avoiding contact laxatives is necessary to decrease intestinal artifacts.

Young-aged woman with invasive ductal carcinoma arising in atypical microglandular adenosis: a case report.

Microglandular adenosis (MGA) and atypical microglandular adenosis (AMGA) are extremely rare and unique forms of adenosis of the breast. Both forms of adenosis are strongly associated with carcinoma arising in microglandular adenosis (MGACA) and are recognised as precursor lesions of invasive breast carcinoma. Here we provide a clinical report of a young Taiwanese woman who was diagnosed with MGACA and AMGA by means of echo-guided core biopsy. The subsequent lumpectomy revealed a spectrum of lesions ranging from MGA and AMGA to ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and invasive carcinoma. All of the above lesions have similar immunohistochemical results (expression of S-100 protein, the absence of oestrogen receptors, progesterone receptors and Her2/neu, and the lack of p63 and the smooth muscle myosin-heavy chain) with a rather different Ki-67 labelling proliferation index. This report is of practical interest because the diagnosis of AMGA and MGACA had already been made via needle biopsy.