[Linshu Decoction combined with levofloxacin for lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with type â ¢A prostatitis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Linshu Decoction (LSD) combined with levofloxacin in the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with type ⅢA prostatitis. METHODS: We randomly divided 124 type ⅢA prostatitis patients with lower urinary tract symptoms into an experimental and a control group, the former treated orally with LSD (1 dose bid) combined with levofloxacin tablets (0.1 g bid), and the latter with levofloxacin tablets only (0.1g bid). Before and after 4 weeks of medication, we obtained the NIH-CPSI, Traditional Chinese Medicine symptoms (TCM) scores, white blood cell (WBC) count in EPS and the results of uroflowmetry from the patients and compared them between the two groups. RESULTS: Finally 115 of the patients were included in this study. After 4 weeks of treatment, the patients of the experimental group, compared with the controls, showed significantly decreased NIH-CPSI (14.57 ± 3.87 vs 20.12 ± 3.45, P < 0.05), TCM scores (6.35 ± 1.27 vs 10.72 ± 1.72, P < 0.05) and WBC count in EPS (ï¼»7.35 ± 4.52ï¼½ vs ï¼»9.87 ± 5.87ï¼½ n/HP, P < 0.05). In comparison with baseline, the maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) and average urinary flow rate (Qave) were increased in both of the two groups after medication, with statistically significant difference only in the experimental group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Linshu Decoction combined with levofloxacin is more effective than levofloxacin alone in the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with type ⅢA prostatitis.

The role of exosomal CDC6 in the hirudin-mediated suppression of the malignant phenotype of bladder cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Bladder cancer is a malignant tumor characterized by high recurrence and persistence due to the limited therapies that are currently available. Hirudin exerts a strong anticancer effect on several tumors. Thus, it is urgent to explore the biological function of hirudin in bladder cancer and the role of bladder cancer-derived exosomes in tumor inhibition. METHODS: First, a network pharmacology analysis was performed to explore the relationships among hirudin, bladder cancer, and exosomes. Then, the effects of hirudin were examined by CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry, Transwell assay, and tumorigenic ability experiments in vitro. Exosomes derived from cells were identified with transmission electron microscopy, fluorescence labeling, and Western blotting and collected for further microarray analysis. Only CDC6 expression and mRNA abundance in hirudin-treated cells and exosomes was subjected to further validation using quantitative PCR and Western blotting. RESULTS: Through network analysis, we found that hirudin affected bladder cancer, and this effect was related to exosomes. Our studies verified the effects of hirudin by revealing that hirudin inhibits malignant processes of bladder cancer cells in vitro, such as invasion, metastasis, and apoptosis. Similarly, the oncogenic effects of bladder cancer-derived exosomes were successfully isolated and identified. Via microarray assessment of the exosomes, we identified 600 differential mRNAs, of which the expression of the core target CDC6 was found to be significantly different in both The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. We further confirmed that hirudin suppresses CDC6 expression mRNA abundance in both cells and exosomes. CONCLUSION: Hirudin was able to decrease the expression of CDC6 in bladder cancer cells and exosomes, which effectively repressed the malignant processes of bladder cancer cells.

GPX2 predicts recurrence-free survival and triggers the Wnt/ß-catenin/EMT pathway in prostate cancer.

Objective: This study aimed to establish a prognostic model related to prostate cancer (PCa) recurrence-free survival (RFS) and identify biomarkers. Methods: The RFS prognostic model and key genes associated with PCa were established using Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) and Cox regression from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-PRAD and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) GSE46602 datasets. The weighted gene co-expression network (WGCNA) was used to analyze the obtained key modules and genes, and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed. The phenotype and mechanism were verified in vitro. Results: A total of 18 genes were obtained by LASSO regression, and an RFS model was established and verified (TCGA, AUC: 0.774; GSE70768, AUC: 0.759). Three key genes were obtained using multivariate Cox regression. WGCNA analysis obtained the blue module closely related to the Gleason score (cor = -0.22, P = 3.3e - 05) and the unique gene glutathione peroxidase 2 (GPX2). Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the expression of GPX2 was significantly higher in patients with PCa than in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (P < 0.05), but there was no significant correlation with the Gleason score (GSE46602 and GSE6919 verified), which was also verified in the GSE46602 and GSE6919 datasets. The GSEA results showed that GPX2 expression was mainly related to the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and Wnt pathways. Additionally, GPX2 expression significantly correlated with eight kinds of immune cells. In human PCa cell lines LNCaP and 22RV1, si-GPX2 inhibited proliferation and invasion, and induced apoptosis when compared with si-NC. The protein expression of Wnt3a, glycogen synthase kinase 3ß (GSK3ß), phosphorylated (p)-GSK3ß, ß-catenin, p-ß-catenin, c-myc, cyclin D1, and vimentin decreased; the expression of E-cadherin increased; and the results for over-GPX2 were opposite to those for over-NC. The protein expression of GPX2 decreased, and ß-catenin was unchanged in the si-GPX2+ SKL2001 group compared with the si-NC group. Conclusion: We successfully constructed the PCa RFS prognostic model, obtained RFS-related biomarker GPX2, and found that GPX2 regulated PCa progression and triggered Wnt/ß-catenin/EMT pathway molecular changes.

Serum metabolomics reveals the effect of electroacupuncture on urinary leakage in women with stress urinary incontinence.

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI), which is defined as an involuntary loss of urine upon physical exertion coughing, sneezing or laughing, has a significant negative impact on the quality of life of many women. Multi-center, large-scale and randomized clinical trials have illustrated that non-invasive electroacupuncture is an effective treatment for SUI, but its therapeutic mechanism in treating SUI remains unknown. Here, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry based serum metabolomics was performed to reveal metabolic profiles and diagnostic biomarkers from recruitment of 25 patients and 25 healthy women before and after electroacupuncture. We identified 10 differentially abundant metabolites, including butantriol, 3,4-dihydroxybutanoic acid, succinic acid, 1-deoxypentitol, psicose, citric acid, 3-hydroxybutyric acid, hydracrylic acid, 3-hydroxyphenylacetic acid and D-mannitol, from patients between before and after electroacupuncture. The electroacupuncture therapy altered propanoate metabolism, butanoate metabolism and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. A panel of 8 biomarkers (butantriol, 3,4-dihydroxybutanoic acid, succinic acid, 1-deoxypentitol, psicose, citric acid, 3-hydroxybutyric acid and hydracrylic acid) was evaluated to determine the effect of electroacupuncture on SUI and differentiated well between before and after treatment. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.962. The sensitivity, specificity and coincidence rate were 92 %, 92 % and 96 %, respectively, at a 95 % confidence interval ranging from 0.9053 to 1. Furthermore, the levels of these diagnostic biomarkers were not significantly altered in healthy subjects after sham electroacupuncture. It was indicated that an 8-biomarker panel might be constructed for the therapeutic evaluation of electroacupuncture treatment for SUI.

Genetic variant of MAML2 in the NOTCH signaling pathway and the risk of bladder cancer: A STROBE-compliant study.

The NOTCH signaling pathway plays a crucial role in cell phenotype and transformation. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may regulate gene expression to trigger bladder cancer susceptibility. Here, we aimed to explore the relationships between genetic variants in the NOTCH pathway and bladder cancer progression.We screened SNPs located in NOTCH pathway genes using the 1000 Genomes Project dataset (CHB). A case-control cohort study including 580 bladder cancer cases and 1101 controls was conducted to genotype the candidate SNPs. The expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) and bioinformatics analyses were performed to explore the biological function of the SNPs' host gene and their relationship. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to assess the association between host gene expression and bladder cancer patient prognosis.The rs7944701 in the intron of mastermind-like 2 (MAML2) had the strongest signal and was related to bladder cancer risk (OR = 1.329, 95% CI = 1.115-1.583, P = .001). eQTL analysis showed that rs7944701 with a C allele was negatively associated with mastermind-like 2 (MAML2) expression (TT versus TC/CC). Bioinformatics analysis indicated that MAML2expression was lower in bladder cancer tissues than in non-tumor tissues (P = 5.46 × 10). Additionally, bladder cancer patients with high MAML2 expression had a significantly poorer prognosis (HR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.29-1.82, P = .010).The rs7944701 in MAML2 was strongly associated with bladder cancer susceptibility in a Chinese population. This genetic variant and its host gene could be a potential novel biomarker for individuals suffering from bladder cancer.

Comparison of modified transumbilical laparoendoscopic single-site nephroureterectomy and retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephroureterectomy: initial experience.

INTRODUCTION: Owing to the development of the laparoendoscopic single-site (LESS) procedure, transumbilical LESS nephroureterectomy (LESS-NU) has become a new approach for treating upper tract urothelial carcinoma. AIM: The aim of this study is to introduce a modified LESS-NU procedure with bladder cuff excision for treating upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). We compared its clinical efficacy and postoperative outcomes in terms of follow-up time with traditional retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephroureterectomy (RL-NU). MATERIAL AND METHODS: From May 2014 to May 2019, we performed nephroureterectomy on 42 patients using the retroperitoneal approach and a modified LESS approach. A retrospective analysis was conducted for the evaluation of the clinical and postoperative outcomes between the two groups. RESULTS: The study included 25 LESS-NU and 17 RL-NU patients. All the procedures were completed successfully. The LESS-NU group had a significantly shorter mean operative time than the RL-NU group (204.4 min, 236.18 min, p = 0.005). The differences in skin incision length (2.88 cm, 8.94 cm, p < 0.001) and oral analgesic dose (n = 1.12, n = 2.75, p < 0.001) between LESS-NU and RL-NU were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Modified LESS-NU is a feasible and safe procedure. Compared with the retroperitoneal laparoscopic approach, the single-site approach did not alter the patients' position. LESS-NU is a better procedure for treating UTUC than RL-NU in terms of cosmetic result and postoperative pain.

Effects of inoculation of biosurfactant-producing Bacillus sp. J119 on plant growth and cadmium uptake in a cadmium-amended soil.

A biosurfactant-producing Bacillus sp. J119 isolated from heavy metal contaminated soils was investigated for its effects on the plant growth-promoting characteristics and heavy metal and antibiotic resistance. A pot experiment was conducted for investigating the capability of the biosurfactant-producing bacterial strain Bacillus sp. J119 to promote the plant growth and cadmium uptake of rape, maize, sudangrass and tomato in soil artificially contaminated with different levels of cadmium (Cd) (0 and 50mgkg(-1)). The strain was found to exhibit different multiple heavy metal (Pb, Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn) and antibiotic (kanamycin, streptomycin, ampicillin, tetracycline and rifampin) resistance characteristics. The strain had the capacity to produce indole acetic acid (IAA) and siderophores. Cd treatment did not significantly decreased growth of tomato, maize and rape plants, but Cd treatment significantly decreased growth of sudangrass (p<0.05). In the Cd-added soil, above-ground biomass and root dry weights of tomatoes were increased by 24 and 59%, respectively, in live bacterial inoculation compared to dead bacterial inoculation control. There were no obvious differences in the above-ground tissue and root dry weight of maize and sudangrass between live bacterial inoculation and dead bacterial inoculation. In the soil treated with 50 mg Cdkg(-1), increase in above-ground tissue Cd content varied from 39 to 70% in live bacterium-inoculated plants compared to dead bacterium-inoculated control. In addition, among the inoculated plants, tomato was the greatest Cd accumulator. The bacterial strain was also able to colonize and develop in the rhizosphere soils after root inoculation.

[Effect of varicocele on expression of apoptosis associated gene Bcl-2 and Bax in spermatogenic cells of adolescent rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of varicocel (VC) on expression of apoptosis associated gene Bcl-2 and Bax in spermatogenic cells of adolescent rats, and investigate the mechanism of the infertility resulting from varicocele. METHODS: The varicocele model was created by partial ligation of the left renal vein in the adolescent rats, two and four and eight weeks after creation of the varicocele model, the expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax were detected by immunohistochemical method. RESULTS: With the duration of varicocele model, the Bcl-2 expression in experiment group was decreased as compared with that in control group. And in experiment group, the Bcl-2 expression level was lower in left testis than in right testis. But Bax expression in experiment group was increased as compared with that in control group, and in experiment group, the Bax expression level was higher in left testis than in right testis. CONCLUSION: Experimental varicocele could change obviously expression of apoptosis associated gene Bcl-2 and Bax in spermatogenic cells of adolescent rats.

Pinch-force-magnification mechanism of low degree of freedom EMG prosthetic hand for children.

EMG prosthetic hands are being extensively studied for the disabled who need them not only for cosmesis but also for the functions to help them with basic daily activities. However, most EMG prosthetic hands are developed for adults. Since the early use of prosthetic hands is important for the children to accept and adapt to them, we are developing low degrees of freedom (DoF) prosthetic hand that is suitable for children. Due to the limited size of a child's hand, the servo motor which drives the MP joint are small-sized and low-power. Hence, a pinch-force-magnification mechanism is required to improve the pinch force of the EMG prosthetic hand. In this paper we designed a wire-driven mechanism which can magnify pinch force by increasing the length of the MP joint's moment arm. Pinch force measurement experiment validated that the pinch force of the prosthetic hand with the mechanism is more than twice of that of the hand with direct drive.