Effect of Tryptophan Restriction in the Therapy of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: a Systematic Review.

Background & Aims: The metabolic pathways of tryptophan (TRP) have been implicated in the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), positing that the strategic modulation of TRP consumption may exert regulatory effects on serotonin levels, consequently altering the clinical manifestation of IBS. This systematic review was meticulously orchestrated to evaluate the effect of TRP restriction on IBS.

Methods: A comprehensive search of the MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases was conducted.

Circ-CCS enhances autophagy during imatinib resistance of gastrointestinal stromal tumor by regulating miR-197-3p/ATG10 signaling.

Context: Drug resistance in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) is connected with autophagy activation. Accumulating data demonstrates the critical role of circular RNAs (circRNAs) dysregulation in this development.

Aim: To explore the possible function of hsa_circ_0092306 (circ-CCS) in GIST imatinib resistance.

CHINESE HERBAL DECOCTION AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR ATROPHIC GASTRITIS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS.

Background: Chinese herbal decoction (CHD) has been extensively used in the treatment of atrophic gastritis (AG) in China and other Far Eastern countries. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the efficacy and safety of CHD in AG.

Materials And Methods: Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane central register of controlled trials (central), VIP, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Sinomed, Wanfang data were searched (up to December 2015).

Prevalence of depression and anxiety in patients with chronic digestive system diseases: A multicenter epidemiological study.

Aim: To investigate the prevalence of depression and anxiety in patients with chronic digestive system diseases.

Methods: A total of 1736 patients with chronic digestive system diseases were included in this cross-sectional study, including 871 outpatients and 865 in-patients. A self-designed General Information for Patients of the Department of Gastroenterology of General Hospitals questionnaire was used to collect each patient's general information, which included demographic data (including age, sex, marital status, and education) and disease characteristics (including major diseases, disease duration, principal symptoms, chronic pain, sleep disorder, and limited daily activities).

Effects of luteinizing hormone receptor signaling in prostate cancer cells.

Background: The importance of androgen signaling in prostate cancer (PC) is well described and prostate cancer cells retain the ability to directly synthesize androgens. Luteinizing hormone (LH) can induce expression of steroidogenic enzymes and trigger androgen production, but the regulation of this process is not well-described. Here, we explored the impact of silencing LH receptor (LHR) silencing on androgen synthesis and on several relevant signaling pathways in PC.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection of gastric fundus subepithelial tumors originating from the muscularis propria.

Endoscopic resection of gastric subepithelial tumors (SETs) carries a high risk of perforation, particularly for tumors located at the gastric fundus and originating from the muscularis propria. Based on our experience with endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and a novel endoscopic device, namely the 'Resolution clip' for the endoscopic closure of iatrogenic upper gastrointestinal (upper GI) perforations, we evaluated the clinical feasibility and safety of ESD for gastric fundus subepithelial tumors originating from the muscularis propria. In this prospective study, 11 consecutive patients who presented with gastric SETs ≤3 cm in diameter were enrolled.

Analysis of the causes and clinical characteristics of jejunoileal hemorrhage in China: a multicenter 10 year retrospective survey.

Background: A retrospective study was performed to assess the causes, diagnostic methods for, and clinical features of, jejunoileal hemorrhage in Shandong province, China and to derive recommendations for management of this condition from these data.

Methods: We performed a retrospective systematic collection of data from between January 1999 and December 2008 in seven cities in Shandong province, China, identified 72 patients with jejunoileal hemorrhage and analyzed the relevant clinical data.

Results: Overall, tumors were the most common cause of jejunoileal hemorrhage (42 patients, 58.

Expression and significance of RKIP and E-cadherin in lung squamous cell carcinoma.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of Raf kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP) and epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin) in lung squamous cell carcinoma tissue and its correlation with the clinical pathology of lung squamous cell carcinoma. RKIP and E-cadherin mRNA (by RT-PCR) and protein (by western blotting) levels were monitored in carcinoma tissues and surrounding normal tissues from 86 lung squamous cell carcinoma cases, and their positive rates were calculated. The rates of positive RKIP and E-cadherin mRNA expression were significantly lower in lung squamous cell carcinoma than in the surrounding normal tissues (P < 0.

Correlation between distribution of Helicobacter pylori in oral cavity and chronic stomach conditions.

In this study, the colonization and distribution of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) in patients with chronic gastric diseases were investigated and the relationship between the periodontal initial treatment and presence of Hp in oral cavity was examined to better understand the connection between Hp infection and chronic diseases. Primers for PCR amplification were designed according to ureC gene and cagA genes of Hp. Specimens were harvested from different sites of 96 patients with chronic gastric diseases and the specimens of dental plaques, gargles and dorsal mucosa were tested for Hp.

Effect of luteinizing hormone on the steroidogenic pathway in prostate cancer.

Background: Recent data has shown that prostate cancer (PCA) cells are capable of producing testosterone directly from cholesterol, which may contribute to the development of castration resistance. While up-regulation of steroidogenic enzymes has been previously described during castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) progression, regulation of this process is poorly defined. These data examine the role of luteinizing hormone (LH) in the regulation of steroidogenic machinery in PCA cells.

The disintegrin contortrostatin in combination with docetaxel is a potent inhibitor of prostate cancer in vitro and in vivo.

Background: There are few available treatments for hormone refractory prostate cancer. Through the inhibition of integrins, contortrostatin (CN) effects tumor cell growth directly as well as through the inhibition of angiogenesis. The effect of CN in combination with docetaxel on prostate cancer cell lines in vitro and in vivo is evaluated in the present study.

[Preliminary study of biweekly regimen of docetaxel, oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin for advanced gastric cancer].

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of a biweekly DOF regimen consisting of docetaxel, oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin for advanced gastric cancer.

Methods: The biweekly DOF regimen was administered in 37 advanced gastric cancer patients. Docetaxel, oxaliplatin and leucovorin were given intravenously at a dose of 35 mg/m2, 85 mg/m2 and 200 mg/m2 for 1 h, 2 h and 2 h on D1, respectively, and 5-Fu was administered as continuous intravenous infusion for 48 h at a dose of 1500 mg/m2 on D1 and D2.

Gene profiling and pathway analysis of neuroendocrine transdifferentiated prostate cancer cells.

Background: Neuroendocrine (NE) cells are present in both normal prostate and prostate cancer. In addition, NE differentiation can be induced by various factors, such as IL-6, in vitro and in vivo. However, the mechanism of this differentiation and the role of NE cells in prostate cancer are not well understood.

Both beta-actin and GAPDH are useful reference genes for normalization of quantitative RT-PCR in human FFPE tissue samples of prostate cancer.

Background: Beta-actin and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) have been frequently considered as constitutive house keeping genes for RT-PCR and used to normalize changes in specific gene expressions. However, these expressions have been shown to be affected by the sample type and experimental conditions. We investigated which housekeeping gene is useful to study gene expression of paraffin embedded human tissue samples of prostate cancer.

[Influence of intravenous chemotherapy on cellular immunity in patients with advanced digestive tract cancer].

Background & Objective: Cancer patients have a poor immune response and chemotherapy could deteriorate their immune system further. Reasonable immune therapy is an important adjuvant remedy for tumors. This study was to monitor the changes of T-cell phenotypes in peripheral blood and interleukin-2 (IL-2) concentration in plasma in digestive tract cancer patients before and after chemotherapy.

Prognostic value of the androgen receptor and its coactivators in patients with D1 prostate cancer.

Background: Prostate cancer treated with androgen ablation eventually becomes resistant. Because the androgen receptor (AR) signaling axis affects disease progression, AR coactivator molecules could provide clinical prognostic value. This study investigates the association between AR coactivator molecules and clinical outcome measures in patients with prostate cancer.

Locus-wide chromatin remodeling and enhanced androgen receptor-mediated transcription in recurrent prostate tumor cells.

Prostate cancers (PCas) become resistant to hormone withdrawal through increased androgen receptor (AR) signaling. Here we show increased AR-mediated transcription efficiency in PCa cells that have acquired the ability to grow in low concentrations of androgen. Compared to androgen-dependent PCa cells, these cells showed increased activity of transiently transfected reporters and increased mRNA synthesis relative to levels of AR occupancy of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) gene.

Genistein-induced neuroendocrine differentiation of prostate cancer cells.

Background: Neuroendocrine (NE) cells are present in normal prostate and their number appears to be increased in advanced prostate cancer (PCA). In this study, we studied the effect of the phytoestrogen, genistein, on NE differentiation of LNCaP cells in vitro.

Methods: Neuroendocrine marker expression of LNCaP cells exposed to genistein was measured by immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and real-time PCR methods.

[Effects of shading at blossoming and boll-forming stages on cotton fiber quality].

The study on the effects of different shading level at blossoming and boll-forming stages on cotton fiber quality of Zhongmiansuo No.41 and Lumianyan No. 18 showed that with increasing shading, the maximum fiber length of cotton decreased, while the elongation period increased.

Discovery and preclinical evaluation of a novel class of small-molecule compounds in hormone-dependent and -independent cancer cell lines.

We discovered a series of salicylhydrazide class of compounds with remarkable anticancer activity against a panel of hormone receptor-positive and -negative cell lines. In the present study, we evaluated the in vitro activity of SC21 and SC23 against a range of human tumor cell types and the in vivo efficacy of compound SC21 in a PC3 human prostate cancer xenograft model in mice. We also determined the effects of SC21 on cell cycle regulation and apoptosis.

Inhibitory effect of IL-6-induced neuroendocrine cells on prostate cancer cell proliferation.

Background: The role of increased neuroendocrine (NE) differentiation in prostate cancer (PCA) is not well understood. Long-term exposure of the prostate cancer cell line LNCaP to high concentrations of the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) results in permanent transdifferentiation of these cells into a NE phenotype. In this study, we evaluated the effect of IL-6-induced NE cells on the growth of the PCA cell lines LNCaP, PC-3, and DU-145 in vitro.

Interleukin-6 inhibits the growth of prostate cancer xenografts in mice by the process of neuroendocrine differentiation.

In vitro, the human prostate cancer (PCA) cell line LNCaP can be permanently transdifferentiated into a quiescent neuroendocrine (NE) phenotype by the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6). Recently, we have shown that the growth of prostate cancer cells is significantly suppressed when cocultured with NE cells. In order to explore the inhibitory activity of IL-6 on prostate tumor growth, nude mice bearing xenografts of the PCA cell lines LNCaP and DU-145 (a line that is incapable of NE transdifferentiation by IL-6 in vitro) were treated with IL-6 for 3 weeks, either injected around the tumor or systematically released from implanted minipumps.

A new screening system for proliferation-independent anti-cancer agents.

An in vitro screen for identification of novel anti-cancer agents, which can induce proliferation-independent apoptosis of prostate cancer (PCA) cells, is required, since the proliferative growth fraction of human prostate cancers in patients is usually <10%. This is possible using the PCA cell line LNCaP, which can be permanently transdifferentiated into a quiescent neuroendocrine (NE) phenotype without undergoing apoptosis by the cytokine interleukine-6 (IL-6). Transdifferentiation of LNCaP cells into a NE phenotype was documented using western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry for the NE markers, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and beta III tubulin.

Distal hinge of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 involves its latency transition and specificities toward serine proteases.

Background: The plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) spontaneously converts from an inhibitory into a latent form. Specificity of PAI-1 is mainly determined by its reactive site (Arg346-Met347), which interacts with serine residue of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) with concomitant formation of SDS-stable complex. Other sites may also play roles in determining the specificity of PAI-1 toward serine proteases.

Abnormal Na channel gating in murine cardiac myocytes deficient in myotonic dystrophy protein kinase.

DMPK is a serine/threonine kinase implicated in the human disease myotonic muscular dystrophy (DM). Skeletal muscle Na channels exhibit late reopenings in Dmpk-deficient mice and peak current density is reduced, implicating DMPK in regulation of membrane excitability. Since complete heart block and sudden cardiac death occur in the disease, we tested the hypothesis that cardiac Na channels also exhibit abnormal gating in Dmpk-deficient mice.