The male reproductive toxicity after 5-Fluorouracil exposure: DNA damage, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction in vitro and in vivo.

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), a chemotherapeutic drug used to treat a variety of cancers, can enter the environment through different routes, causing serious public health and environmental concerns. It has been reported that 5-FU exposure adversely affects male reproductive function, and its effects on this system cannot be avoided. In this study, using western blotting and quantitative polymerase chain reaction studies, we found that 5-FU promoted testicular injury by inducing oxidative stress, which was accompanied by the inhibition of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2/antioxidant response element signaling.

Emerging roles of ferroptosis in male reproductive diseases.

Ferroptosis is a type of programmed cell death mediated by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation that leads to excessive lipid peroxidation in different cells. Ferroptosis is distinct from other forms of cell death and is associated with various diseases. Iron is essential for spermatogenesis and male reproductive function.

Liver Dysfunction in COVID-19: From Onset to Recovery.

With the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) worldwide, extrapulmonary lesions, including liver dysfunction, have attracted growing attention. The mechanisms underlying liver dysfunction in COVID-19 remain unclear. The reported prevalence of liver dysfunction varies widely across studies.

Stress-induced epinephrine promotes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and stemness of CRC through the CEBPB/TRIM2/P53 axis.

Background: Previous studies have indicated that chronic emotional stressors likely participate in the occurrence of cancers. However, direct evidence connecting stress and colorectal cancer development remains almost completely unexplored.

Methods: Chronic stress mouse model was used to investigate the influence of stress on tumorigenesis.

Cross-Talk Between mA- and mC-Related lncRNAs to Construct a Novel Signature and Predict the Immune Landscape of Colorectal Cancer Patients.

Background: N6-methyladenosine (mA) and 5-methylcytosine (mC) can modify long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), thereby affecting tumorigenesis and tumor progression. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the potential roles and cross-talk of mA- and mC-related lncRNAs in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and their effect on prognosis.

Methods: We systematically evaluated the expression patterns of mA- and mC-related lncRNAs in 1358 colorectal cancer (CRC) samples from four datasets.

N6-Methyladenosine-Related lncRNA Signature Predicts the Overall Survival of Colorectal Cancer Patients.

Background: The N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification can modify long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), thereby affecting the tumorigenesis and progression of tumors. However, the underlying role of m6A-modified lncRNAs in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains largely unknown. Therefore, our aim was to assess the prognostic value of m6A-modified lncRNAs in CRC patients.

Risk factors for mortality in patients over 70 years old with COVID-19 in Wuhan at the early break: retrospective case series.

Background: Elderly patients with COVID-19 were shown to have a high case-fatality rate. We aimed to explore the risk factors associated with death in patients over 70 years old (yr).

Methods: In this retrospective study, we enrolled consecutively hospitalized patients over 70 yr with COVID-19 between January 20 and February 15, 2020 in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University.

PLAGL2 promotes the proliferation and migration of gastric cancer cells via USP37-mediated deubiquitination of Snail1.

PLAGL2 (pleomorphic adenoma gene like-2), a zinc finger PLAG transcription factor, is aberrantly expressed in several malignant tumors. However, the biological roles of PLAGL2 and its underlying mechanism in gastric cancer (GC) remain unclear. A series of experiments and were conducted to reveal the role of PLAGL2 in GC progression.

TM4SF1 promotes EMT and cancer stemness via the Wnt/β-catenin/SOX2 pathway in colorectal cancer.

Background: Transmembrane 4 L six family member 1 (TM4SF1) is upregulated in several epithelial cancers and is closely associated with poor prognosis. However, the role of TM4SF1 and its potential mechanism in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain elusive.

Methods: We investigated the expression of TM4SF1 in the Oncomine, the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases and confirmed the results by immunohistochemistry (IHC), qPCR and Western blotting (WB) of CRC tissues.

Comparison of rapid freezing versus vitrification for human sperm cryopreservation using sucrose in closed straw systems.

Rapid freezing and vitrification using sucrose are two simple and cost-effective sperm cryopreservation methods. However, it is still unclear which method is better and what the optimal concentration of sucrose is. This study aimed to determine the optimal sucrose concentration for human sperm cryopreservation and compare the cryoprotective effects of rapid freezing versus vitrification using different closed straw systems in terms of sperm motility and DNA integrity.

MicroRNA-214-3p targets the PLAGL2-MYH9 axis to suppress tumor proliferation and metastasis in human colorectal cancer.

Evidence has shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) participate in the progression of CRC. Previous studies have indicated that miR-214-3p is abnormally expressed in various malignant tumors. However, the biological function it plays in CRC and the potential mechanism are unclear.

PLAGL2 promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition and mediates colorectal cancer metastasis via β-catenin-dependent regulation of ZEB1.

Background: We previously demonstrated that the pleomorphic adenoma gene like-2 (PLAGL2) is involved in the pathogenesis of Hirschsprung disease. Enhanced PLAGL2 expression was observed in several malignant tumours. However, the exact function of PLAGL2 and its underlying mechanism in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain largely unknown.

Increased miR-214 expression suppresses cell migration and proliferation in Hirschsprung disease by interacting with PLAGL2.

Background: The miR-214 has been reported to be associated with various diseases, but its involvement in the pathophysiology of Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is almost completely unexplored.

Methods: In our study, we conducted a series of experiments to unravel the biological role of miR-214 in the pathophysiology of HSCR. qRT-PCR and western blotting were utilized to investigate the relative expression levels of miR-214, mRNAs, and proteins of related genes in colon tissues from 20 controls without HSCR and 24 patients with HSCR.

Downregulation of DAPK1 promotes the stemness of cancer stem cells and EMT process by activating ZEB1 in colorectal cancer.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) play an important role in the metastasis and chemoresistance in the context of colorectal cancer (CRC). Downregulation of death associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1) may promote metastasis and chemoresistance of cancer cells through various mechanisms. However, the association between DAPK1 and CSCs or EMT has not been explored.

Nuclear factor I/B promotes colorectal cancer cell proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and 5-fluorouracil resistance.

Nuclear factor I/B (NFIB) is a widely studied transcription factor that participates in tumor progression; nevertheless, studies on NFIB in colorectal cancer (CRC) are limited. In our study, Western blot and RT-PCR analyses showed that NFIB was overexpressed in CRC tissues and cell lines, which was consistent with our bioinformatic analysis results. Furthermore, NFIB expression was closely related to the TNM stage of CRC.

Platelet-derived growth factor-D promotes colorectal cancer cell migration, invasion and proliferation by regulating Notch1 and matrix metalloproteinase-9.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) has been one of the most common types of cancer for decades worldwide. The pathogenesis of CRC is associated with the processes of activating oncogenes and inactivating anti-oncogenes. Platelet-derived growth factor-D (PDGF-D) was confirmed to regulate migration, invasion, proliferation, apoptosis and metastasis in various cancer cells.

Correlation of metastasis characteristics with prognosis in gastric mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma: Two case reports.

Rationale: This article is aimed to retrospect the clinicopathological data of 2 cases of gastric MANENCs. MANEC is a rare biphasic tumor type that is coexistence of dual neuroendocrine and adenocarcinoma differentiation with each composing exceeding 30% volume. Gastric MANEC have just been reported anecdotally in the literature due to their rarity and heterogeneity.

Correlation of DAPK1 methylation and the risk of gastrointestinal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: One of the critical mechanisms of gastrointestinal cancer pathogenesis is the silencing of death associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1), which could be caused by aberrant methylation of the promoter. However, the relationship between DAPK1 methylation and the risk of gastrointestinal cancer is still controversial. Hence, we conducted this study to determine the potential correlation.

PDGF-D promotes cell growth, aggressiveness, angiogenesis and EMT transformation of colorectal cancer by activation of Notch1/Twist1 pathway.

Platelet-derived growth factor-D (PDGF-D) plays a crucial role in the progression of several cancers. However, its role in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. Our study showed that PDGF-D was highly expressed in CRC tissues and was positively associated with the clinicopathological features.

Prognostic and clinical value of Sirt1 expression in gastric cancer: A systematic meta-analysis.

Many studies have reported that the expression of silent information regulator 1 (Sirt1) is associated with the clinical features and prognosis of patients with gastric cancer, but the exact function remains controversial. We conducted this study to illustrate the clinical and prognostic value of Sirt1 in gastric cancer. The related publications before December 2015 were searched in the databases including Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Embase and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI).

Prognostic Value of Cancer Stem Cell Marker ALDH1 Expression in Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: Many studies have indicated the prognostic and clinicopathological value of aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients still remains controversial. Thus we performed this study to clarify the relationship between high ALDH1 expression in CRC and its impact on survival and clinicopathological features.

Methods: Publications for relevant studies in Pubmed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) through April 2015 were identified.