Induction of immunogenic cell death in murine colon cancer cells by ferrocene-containing redox phospholipid polymers.

Immunogenic cell death (ICD), activated by damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), is an apoptotic cell death process that elicits antitumor immunity. Although anticancer drugs that can induce ICD are promising for cancer treatment, the design strategy for ICD inducers remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated the cell-penetrating redox phospholipid polymer poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine-co-vinyl ferrocene) (pMFc) inducing ICD in murine colon cancer CT26 cells.

Prokineticin-1 induces normal lymphangiogenic activity and is involved in lymphangiogenesis and lymph node metastasis in colorectal cancer.

Background: Prokineticin family correlates with important roles in several biological processes, including homeostasis. We discovered novel functions of prokineticin1 (PROK1) in lymphangiogenesis and lymphnode metastasis in colorectal cancer.

Materials And Methods: We examined changes in the number of lymphatic endothelial cells after PROK1 stimulation.

Enhanced desalination performance in compacted carbon-based reverse osmosis membranes.

Reverse osmosis membranes typically suffer compaction during the initial stabilization stage due to the applied hydraulic pressure, altering the desalination performance. The elucidation of the underlying transformations during compaction is key for further development of new membranes and its deployment in real-world scenarios. Hydraulic compaction of amorphous carbon (a-C) based membranes under cross-flow operation for water purification and desalination has been observed experimentally, and analysed employing molecular dynamics simulations.

Enhanced Antifouling Feed Spacer Made from a Carbon Nanotube-Polypropylene Nanocomposite.

Spacers are widely used in membrane technologies to reduce fouling and concentration polarization. Fouling can start from the spacer surface and grow, thereby reducing flux, selectivity, and operation lifetime. Fluorescein isothiocyanate labeled bovine serum albumin was used for fouling studies and observed during cross-flow filtration operation for up to 144 h.

Clinical influence of anastomotic stricture caused by pancreatogastrointestinalstomy following pancreatoduodenectomy.

Background And Purpose: Pancreatic fistula after pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) is not uncommon, but few reports describe a stricture after pancreatogastrointestinalstomy. We investigated the clinical influence of anastomotic stricture caused by pancreatogastrointestinalstomy after PD.

Methods: The subjects of this prospective cohort study were 132 patients who underwent PD or pylorus-preserving PD.

Acinar cell carcinoma of the pancreas in childhood.

A 12-year-old Japanese girl with pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma is presented. She was referred to our hospital with upper abdominal pain on exercise. Computed tomography scan showed a 17 × 17 × 12 cm heterogeneous mass in the right abdominal cavity centering around the pancreatic head to the anterior pararenal space.

Sericin in the isolating solution improves the yield of islets isolated from the pancreas.

Approximately half of the transplantable pancreatic islet tissue is lost during isolation, including the digestion and purification steps. Modifying the isolation method could increase the yield. This would enable the one donor-one recipient concept and improve the therapeutic effects of islet transplantation.

Preoperative diagnosis of cavernous hemangioma presenting with melena using wireless capsule endoscopy of the small intestine.

Primary neoplasms of the small intestine are relatively rare in all age groups, accounting for about 5 % of all gastrointestinal tumors 1. Cavernous hemangiomas of the small intestine are also rare, can cause gastrointestinal bleeding, and are extremely difficult to diagnose preoperatively 2. We present a patient who presented with melena and iron deficiency anemia, for whom wireless capsule endoscopy and single-balloon enteroscopy facilitated the diagnosis of cavernous hemangioma.

Sigmoid colonic metastasis by lymphatic spread occurring with unilateral Krukenberg tumor considered to be caused by stage IA early gastric cancer: A case report.

Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignancies in Asia, and the second most common cause of cancer-associated mortality in Japan. Colorectal metastases originating from gastric adenocarcinoma are extremely rare. The present study reports an unusual case of lymphogenous sigmoid metastasis of gastric adenocarcinoma occurring in a 58-year-old female patient.

Hepatic artery infusion therapy is effective for chemotherapy-resistant liver metastatic colorectal cancer.

Background: Systemic FOLFOX (folinic acid (leucovorin (LV)), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and oxaliplatin), FOLFIRI (LV, 5-FU, and irinotecan), or FOLFOXIRI (5-FU, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan) chemotherapy regimens and additional molecular-target treatments, including anti-vascular endothelial growth factor, anti-epidermal growth factor receptor, and anti-multi-kinase antibodies, have been recommended for unresectable recurrent colorectal cancers. However, no effective treatments are currently available for cases refractory to these therapies. Therefore, the development of alternative therapies is desired.

PAR1 participates in the ability of multidrug resistance and tumorigenesis by controlling Hippo-YAP pathway.

The Hippo pathway significantly correlates with organ size control and tumorigenesis. The activity of YAP/TAZ, a transducer of the Hippo pathway, is required to sustain self-renewal and tumor-initiation capacities in cancer stem cells (CSCs). But, upstream signals that control the mammalian Hippo pathway have not been well understood.

Expression of prokineticin-receptor2(PK-R2) is a new prognostic factor in human colorectal cancer.

The increased invasiveness of colorectal cancer cells is important for progression and metastasis to the surrounding organs. According to recent molecular biological studies, signaling through transmembrane Prokineticin-Receptor2(PK-R2) is likely involved in the ability of tumor cell to invade. However, no studies have evaluated the relationship between PK-R2 expression, ability of cancer to invade/metastasize, and patient prognosis in cases of resected colorectal cancer.

The prognosis was poorer in colorectal cancers that expressed both VEGF and PROK1 (No correlation coefficient between VEGF and PROK1).

The angiogenic proteins vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and prokineticin1 (PROK1) proteins are considered important in colorectal cancer, the relationship between their simultaneous expression and prognosis was investigated in the present study. VEGF and PROK1 expression in 620 primary human colorectal cancer lesions was confirmed via immunohistochemical staining with anti-VEGF and anti-PROK1 antibodies, and the correlation between the expression of these 2 proteins and recurrence/prognosis were investigated. VEGF protein was expressed in 329 (53.

Prokineticin 2 (PROK2) is an important factor for angiogenesis in colorectal cancer.

The Prokineticin 2 (PROK2) is correlated with indispensable in maintaining the homeostasis of healthy human tissues. Herein, we examined the role of PROK2 in human colorectal cancer.After total RNA extraction from 6 colorectal cancer cell lines, we examined the expression of PROK2 mRNA.

The anti-tumor effect is enhanced by simultaneously targeting VEGF and PROK1 in colorectal cancer.

Hematogenous metastasis, mainly hepatic metastasis, is a frequent metastatic mode in colorectal cancer involving angiogenic growth factors. Two angiogenic growth factors, in particular, Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and Prokineticin1(PROK1), are considered to have an important role in hematogenous metastasis of colorectal cancer. Accordingly, we report our findings on the importance of the anti-tumor efffect by inhibiting these two factors in human colorectal cancer.

Prokineticin 1 protein expression is a useful new prognostic factor for human sporadic colorectal cancer.

Background: Hematogenous metastasis, regarded as closely related to angiogenic growth factors, is associated with colorectal cancer prognosis. The angiogenic growth factor prokineticin 1 (PROK1) has been cloned from endocrine cells. However, its protein expression in human malignant tumors has not been studied.

Thrombin conducts epithelial‑mesenchymal transition via protease‑activated receptor‑1 in human gastric cancer.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is thought to be a key step for cancer metastasis. Using an immunohistochemical approach with gastric carcinoma tissue, we found the expression of protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR1), along with a metalloproteinase known to activate PAR1, were associated with poorer prognosis, compared with expression-negative tumors, and activated PAR1 promotes gastric cancer cell invasion and proliferation in vivo. In this study we observed EMT induction by the PAR1 agonist α-thrombin, in human gastric cell lines stably expressing PAR1.

Anti-prokineticin1 (PROK1) monoclonal antibody suppresses angiogenesis and tumor growth in colorectal cancer.

Background: The prokineticin1 (PROK1) gene has been cloned as an angiogenic growth factor from endocrine gland cells. However, we have not known about potentials of anti-PROK1 monoclonal antibody in human cancers. Here we investigated how the anti-PROK1 monoclonal antibody (mAb; established by our department) would affect the high-PROK1-expressing colorectal cancer (CRC) cells in vitro and vivo.

Measures for preventing wound infections during elective open surgery for colorectal cancer: scrubbing with gauze.

In addition to the general surgical-site infection prevention measures in colorectal cancer surgery, we performed a simple subcutaneous scrubbing procedure with gauze at the time of abdominal closure, which reduced the incidence of wound infections. There are 289 patients whose primary colon cancer lesions were removed by elective surgeries. They were divided into Group A (74 patients with no wound infection prevention measures who were treated from 2002 to 2003), Group B (76 patients with wound infection prevention measures who were treated from 2007 to 2008), and Group C (139 patients with subcutaneous scrubbing with gauze plus the measures in Group B who were treated from 2009 to 2012).

Prokineticin 1 expression in gastrointestinal tumors.

Aim: We studied prokineticin 1 (PROK1) expression in human gastrointestinal carcinomas by immunohistochemistry.

Materials And Methods: PROK1 expression was examined in human gastrointestinal cancer cell lines and primary gastrointestinal lesions. In addition the relationship between the number of blood vessels and PROK1 expression in these primary lesions was examined.

Retrocolic roux-en-Y anastomosis for total laparoscopic distal gastrectomy: fix-the-remnant-first technique.

Introduction: Herein we report our retrocolic Roux-en-Y anastomosis for laparoscopic distal gastrectomy and its feasibility.

Materials And Surgical Technique: After laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with lymphadenectomy, the gastric remnant was fixed through the mesentery of the transverse colon. The gastrojejunostomy was performed with linear stapling devices at an angle that allowed for easy application.

Protein-bound polysaccharide K reduced the invasive ability of colon cancer cell lines.

Background/aim: A protein-bound polysaccharide, polysaccharide K (PSK), is a non-specific immunological agent used in the treatment of colon cancer, however few studies have investigated the genetic changes in cancer cells treated with PSK. Therefore, we investigated the effect of PSK on cancer cell invasion, which is an indicator for the malignancy of colon cancer cell lines, and performed additional genetic analyses.

Materials And Methods: We performed Matrigel invasion assay to examine whether the invasive ability of colon cancer cell lines HT29, HCT116, and LoVo would be impacted upon stimulation with PSK.

[A case study of stable disease after hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy in a patient with systemic chemotherapy-resistant unresectable hepatic metastases of colon cancer].

The patient was a 72-year-old man with cancer of the descending colon accompanied by multiple unresectable hepatic metastases. As first-line systemic chemotherapy, mFOLFOX6, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody+FOLFIRI, and anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody+CPT-11 were administered in order mentioned. However, recurrent hepatic metastasis was exacerbated.

Agonist pharmacology at recombinant α1A - and α1L -adrenoceptors and in lower urinary tract α1 -adrenoceptors.

Background And Purpose: Two distinct α1 -adrenoceptor phenotypes (α1A and α1L ) have recently been demonstrated to originate from a single α1A -adrenoceptor gene. Here, we examined the agonist profiles of recombinant α1A and α1L phenotypes and of lower urinary tract (LUT) α1 -adrenoceptors.

Experimental Approach: A series of drugs (A61603, Ro 115-1240, NS-49 , MK017 and ESR1150) originally developed for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) therapy were used to stimulate recombinant α1A - and α1L -adrenoceptor phenotypes, and their potencies and intrinsic activity estimated from Ca(2+) responses.