Association between perioperative glucocorticoids and cancer metastasis and survival in patients undergoing radical cystectomy for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder: A single-center retrospective study

Shiyu Mao,Yuan Wu,Ruiliang Wang,Yadong Guo,Jing Yuan,Wentao Zhang,Junfeng Zhang,Yang Yan,Xudong Yao 대한비뇨의학회 2020 Investigative and Clinical Urology Vol.61 No.4

Purpose: Perioperative glucocorticoids have the potential to increase the risk of tumor metastasis. However, the relationship between perioperative glucocorticoids and oncologic outcomes remains controversial. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the association of perioperative glucocorticoids with clinicopathologic outcomes following radical cystectomy (RC). Materials and Methods: We screened and included 185 patients who underwent radical surgery for bladder cancer in our center between 2009 and 2018. The Kaplan–Meier method was applied, and a log-rank test was used to estimate differences in metastasis-free survival (MFS) and overall survival (OS) between the groups. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to analyze any association of glucocorticoids with clinical outcomes. Results: A total of 76 (41.1%) patients received perioperative glucocorticoids. Median postoperative follow-up was 2.0 years. Kaplan–Meier survival curve indicated that the glucocorticoids group was significantly associated with increased distant MFS (p=0.008) but not with OS. In the multivariate analysis, no significant differences were observed for MFS between the groups. Interestingly, when the variable of blood transfusion was excluded from the multivariate analysis model, we found that patients receiving glucocorticoids were independently associated with worse MFS (hazard ratio, 1.790; p=0.030). Furthermore, the partial correlation analysis showed a significant positive correlation between perioperative glucocorticoids and blood transfusion (r=0.604, p<0.001). In the nontransfusion subgroup, propensity score matching showed that patients receiving glucocorticoids had a higher risk of distant metastasis. Conclusions: Perioperative glucocorticoids were associated with a higher rate of distant metastasis in patients undergoing RC for bladder cancer.

Hsa_circ_0003602 Contributes to the Progression of Colorectal Cancer by Mediating the miR-149-5p/SLC38A1 Axis

Wu Rong,Tang Shiyu,Wang Qiuxiao,Kong Pengfei,Liu Fang 거트앤리버 소화기연관학회협의회 2023 Gut and Liver Vol.17 No.2

Background/Aims: We aimed to investigate the role and working mechanism of Homo sapiens circular RNA_0003602 (hsa_circ_0003602) in colorectal cancer (CRC) development. Methods: The expression of circ_0003602, miR-149-5p, and solute carrier family 38 member 1 (SLC38A1) was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. RNase R assays were conducted to determine the characteristics of circ_0003602. CCK-8 assays, flow cytometry analysis, transwell invasion assays, wound healing assays and tube formation assays were employed to evaluate cell viability, apoptosis, invasion, migration, and angiogenesis. All protein levels were examined by Western blot or immunohistochemistry assay. The glutamine metabolism was monitored by corresponding glutamine, α-ketoglutarate and glutamate assay kits. Dualluciferase reporter assay was utilized to confirm the targeted combination between miR-149-5p and circ_0003602 or SLC38A1. A xenograft tumor model was established to analyze the role of circ_0003602 in CRC tumor growth in vivo. Results: Circ_0003602 was upregulated in CRC tissues and cell lines. Circ_0003602 silencing suppressed CRC cell viability, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, and glutaminolysis; induced cell apoptosis in vitro; and blocked tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, circ_0003602 directly interacted with miR-149-5p to negatively regulate its expression, and circ_0003602 knockdown suppressed the malignant behaviors of CRC cells largely by upregulating miR-149-5p. MiR-149-5p directly bound to the 3’ untranslated region of SLC38A1 to induce its degradation, and miR-149-5p overexpression reduced the malignant potential of CRC cells largely by downregulating SLC38A1. Circ_0003602 positively regulated SLC38A1 expression by sponging miR-149-5p in CRC cells. Conclusions: Circ_0003602 knockdown impedes CRC development by targeting the miR-149- 5p/SLC38A1 axis, which provides a novel theoretical basis and new insights for CRC treatment.

Accurate delivery of pristimerin and paclitaxel by folic acid-linked nano-micelles for enhancing chemosensitivity in cancer therapy

Chen Chao,Du Shiyu,Zhong Wu,Liu Kunguo,Qu Lihua,Chu Feiyi,Yang Jingjing,Han Xin 나노기술연구협의회 2022 Nano Convergence Vol.9 No.52

Chemoresistance remains a huge challenge for effective treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Previous studies have shown Chinese herbal extracts possess great potential in ameliorating tumor chemoresistance, however, the efficacy is clinically limited mainly because of the poor tumor-targeting and in vivo stability. The construction of nano-delivery systems for herbal extracts has been shown to improve drug targeting, enhance therapeutic efficacy and reduce toxic and side effects. In this study, a folic acid (FA)-modified nano-herb micelle was developed for codelivery of pristimerin (PRI) and paclitaxel (PTX) to enhance chemosensitivity of NSCLC, in which PRI could synergistically enhance PTX-induced growth inhibition of A549 cancer cell. PTX was firstly grafted with the FA-linked polyethylene glycol (PEG) and then encapsulated with PRI to construct the PRI@FA-PEG-PTX (P@FPP) nano-micelles (NMs), which exhibited improved tumor-targeting and in vivo stability. This active-targeting P@FPP NMs displayed excellent tumor-targeting characteristics without obvious toxicity. Moreover, inhibition of tumor growth and metastasis induced by P@FPP NMs were significantly enhanced compared with the combined effects of the two drugs (PRI in combination of PTX), which associated with epithelial mesenchymal transition inhibition to some extent. Overall, this active-targeting NMs provides a versatile nano-herb strategy for improving tumor-targeting of Chinese herbal extracts, which may help in the promotion of enhancing chemosensitivity of NSCLC in clinical applications.

Removal and fate of carbamazepine in the microbial fuel cell coupled constructed wetland system

Jingyi Xie,Haixiao Li,Shiyu Wang,Hao Chen,Wei Jiang,Lin Zhang,Lianjie Wang,Yufeng Wu,Lirong Li,Xueqiang Lu 대한환경공학회 2022 Environmental Engineering Research Vol.27 No.3

Carbamazepine (CBZ), which is difficult to remove in the wastewater treatment system and easily forms toxic transformation products during the treatment process, is one of the priority pollutants of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). Increasing attention has been paid to explore their treatment technology without side effects from the treatment products. This study aims to reveal the removal and transformation of CBZ in the microbial fuel cell coupled constructed wetland (CW-MFC) system. The CW-MFC system was operated continuously at room temperature for nearly 80 days. The results show that CW-MFC system can effectively remove CBZ with an average removal rate of 97%. Three transformation products were identified by liquid chromatography−high-resolution mass spectrometry: 2-(2-oxoquinazolin-1(2H)-yl) benzoic acid (TP267), methyl 2-(2-oxoquinazolin-1(2H)-yl) benzoate (TP281), 2-(2,4-dioxo-3,4-dihydroquinazolin-1(2H)-yl) benzoic acid (TP283). Except TP281 in the influent, the other transformation products were formed in the system, which indicated that TP267 and TP283 were the main transformation products of CBZ. The formation pathway of transformation products could be explained by reactions including oxidation, hydrolysis, bond rupture and intramolecular reaction. The results also indicate that the CW-MFC system might be a promising technology for PPCPs treatment.

Resveratrol suppresses the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in PC-3 cells by down-regulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

Zhi Wang,Longxiang Wu,Shiyu Tong,Xiheng Hu,Xiongbing Zu,Yuan Li,Wei He,Longfei Liu,Minfeng Chen,Lin Qi 한국통합생물학회 2016 Animal cells and systems Vol.20 No.2

Resveratrol possesses a wide spectrum of pharmacological properties and has been an ideal alternative drug for the treatment of different cancers, including prostate cancer. However, the mechanisms by which resveratrol inhibits the growth of prostate cancer are still not fully elucidated. To understand the effect of resveratrol on the apoptosis and the epithelial-tomesenchymal transition (EMT) of prostate cancer as well as its related mechanism, we investigated the potential use of resveratrol in PC-3 prostate cancer cells in vitro using real-time PCR, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, Western blotting, etc. Resveratrol suppresses the PC-3 prostate cancer cell growth and induces apoptosis. Resveratrol also influences the expression of EMT-related proteins (increased E-cadherin and decreased Vimentin expression). Finally, resveratrol also suppressed Akt phosphorylation in PC-3 cells. This study indicates that resveratrol may be a potential anti-cancer treatment for prostate cancer; moreover, it provides new evidence that resveratrol suppresses prostate cancer growth and metastasis.

Study on Preparation of Core-Spun Yarn Surgical Sutures by Compositing Drug-Loaded Nanofiber Membrane with PLA and Its Controllable Drug Release Performance

Zhichao Yang,Shuqiang Liu,Jingjing Li,Gaihong Wu,Man Zhang,Fu Li,Lu Jia,Yujing Zhang,Huimin Li,Xia Liu,Jingjing Zhao,Huiqin Zhang,Shiyu Li 한국섬유공학회 2023 Fibers and polymers Vol.24 No.12

Polylactic acid (PLA) surgical suture is considered to be one of the most ideal materials for tissue closure due to its rich raw materials and excellent biological properties. However, surgical sutures face great challenges due to problems such as wound infection and tissue reaction in practical applications. In order to improve the clinical applicability of surgical sutures, we constructed a new drug-loading system for core-spun surgical sutures. The shell was composed of nanofibrous membranes composed of polyglycolic acid (PGA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) antibacterial drugs, and the core layer adopts PLA filament. By adjusting the composition ratio of PGA and PCL in the shell, a new mode of regulating the release rate and release cycle of the suture was constructed. According to different wound healing time, different drug release cycles of surgical suture were selected. In the study, the structure of the core-spun yarn can be clearly observed by scanning electron microscope, the higher the shell PGA content and drug loading, the faster the drug release rate. When the carrier ratio PGA/PCL was 80/20 and the drug loading was 3%, the drug release rate was the fastest and the drug release was high; finally, antibacterial experiments showed that the suture had excellent antibacterial effect and could effectively kill Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The successful preparation of core-spun yarn surgical suture provides a new idea for the study of new antibacterial surgical suture.

A Novel Control Strategy for Improving the Performance of Hybrid Active Power Filters

Wen Junming,Zhang Miao,Lu Jianhang,Guan YiChuan,Wu Shiyu,Feng Chunshou 대한전기학회 2023 Journal of Electrical Engineering & Technology Vol.18 No.6

Hybrid active power filters (HAPF) are effective harmonic compensation devices. However, the inductor voltage is too low, so the DC-bus voltage can not get enough power flow. Thus, the compensation performance and stability of HAPF can be reduced. Theoretically, increasing the inductor voltage can improve the DC side control performance. Therefore, the relevant mathematical model is established, and systematic analysis is carried out. To improve the performance of HAPF, a new double closed-loop control strategy is proposed. To sum up, the main variable of the outer loop control is the inductor voltage. The current flow direction can be changed by changing the value of the inductance voltage to improve the inductance voltage and realize the stability of the DC-side voltage. Secondly, from the transfer function and the Bode Plots, the introduction of the inverter output current inner loop results in significant resonant spike suppression of the system. Compared with the self-excitation control method with voltage feedforward, this new control method is easy to implement and very effective in DC-bus control. Simulation and experimental results show that the compensation effect of HAPF is improved, the DC-side voltage is stable, and the system can operate safely and reliably.

Bioinformatic and integrated analysis identifies an lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA interaction mechanism in gastric adenocarcinoma

Yong Liao,Wen Cao,Kunpeng Zhang,Yang Zhou,Xin Xu,Xiaoling Zhao,Xu Yang,Jitao Wang,Shouwen Zhao,Shiyu Zhang,Longfei Yang,Dengxiang Liu,Yanpeng Tian,Weizhong Wu 한국유전학회 2021 Genes & Genomics Vol.43 No.6

Background lncRNAs–miRNAs–mRNAs networks play an important role in Gastric adenocarcinoma (GA). Identifcation of these networks provide new insight into the role of these RNAs in gastric cancer. Objectives Biological information databases were screened to characterize and examine the regulatory networks and to further investigate the potential prognostic relationship this regulation has in GA. Methods By mining The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we gathered information on GA-related lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs. We identifed diferentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs using R software. The lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA interaction network was constructed and subsequent survival examination was performed. Representative genes were selected out using The Biological Networks Gene Ontology plug-in tool on Cytoscape. Additional analysis of Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) terms were used to screen representative genes for functional enrichment. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were used to identify the expression of fve candidate diferential expressed RNAs. Results Information of samples from 375 cases of gastric cancer and 32 healthy cases (normal tissues) were downloaded from the TCGA database. A total of 1632 DE-mRNAs, 1008 DE-lncRNAs and 104 DE-miRNAs were identifed and screened. Among them, 65 DE-lncRNAs, 10 DE-miRNAs, and 10 DE-mRNAs form lncRNAs–miRNAs–mRNAs regulatory network. Additionally, 10 lncRNAs and 2 mRNAs were associated with the prognosis of GA. Multivariable COX analysis revealed that AC018781.1 and VCAN-AS1 were independent risk factors for GA. GO functional enrichment analysis found DE-mRNA was signifcantly enriched TERM (P<0.05). The KEGG signal regulatory network analysis found 11 signifcantly enrichment networks, the most prevailing was for the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway associated with Diabetic complications. Results of RT-qPCR was consistent with the in silico results. Conclusions The results of the present study represent a view of GA from a analysis of lncRNA, miRNA and mRNA. The network of lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA interactions revealed here may potentially further experimental studies and may help biomarker development for GA.