Clinical significance of the modified Naples prognostic score in patients with stage II-III colon cancer undergoing curative resection: a retrospective study from the real world.

Background: The Naples prognostic score (NPS) determined by the nutritional and inflammatory condition of an individual is attracting growing attention for predicting postoperative outcomes in a variety of malignancies. The study aimed to assess the clinical significance of a modified NPS (M-NPS) and establish and validate nomograms incorporating M-NPS in curative stage II-III colon cancer patients.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 328 stage II-III colon cancer patients receiving radical surgical resection at our hospital from January 2011 to December 2016.

A novel chromatin regulator signature predicts the prognosis, clinical features and immunotherapy of colon cancer.

To elucidate the potential function and prognostic value of chromatin regulators (CRs) in colon cancer. A comprehensive analysis of CR RNA expression data from public databases was conducted. The authors successfully established and validated a 17 CR-based signature using public databases.

Celastrol suppresses nitric oxide synthases and the angiogenesis pathway in colorectal cancer.

The thunder god vine (Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. F) is traditionally used for inflammation-related diseases in traditional Chinese medicine. In recent years, celastrol (a natural compound from the root of the thunder god vine) has attracted great interest for its potential anticancer activities.

Nitric oxide synthase inhibitors 1400W and L-NIO inhibit angiogenesis pathway of colorectal cancer.

Background: It has been widely accepted that angiogenesis plays fundamental roles in colorectal cancer development, and therapeutic targeting of this pathway has achieved promising outcome. Recent reports have highlighted the involvement of nitric oxide synthases (NOS) in the development of angiogenesis in cancer; however, the mechanism and therapeutic value of NOS inhibitors in colon cancer are largely unknown.

Objective: In this study, we investigated the effects and mechanism of the NOS inhibitors 1400W and L-NIO on the angiogenesis pathway in colorectal cancer cells.

Hepatoprotective effects of limb ischemic post-conditioning in hepatic ischemic rat model and liver cancer patients via PI3K/ERK pathways.

The most effective way of treating liver cancer is surgical resection, which usually requires blocking the hepatic portal circulation, and may result in hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (HIRI). It is of paramount importance to control HIRI for liver cancer surgical resection. In this study, a 70% ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) model of rat liver was established, and the protective effect and mechanism of limb ischemic post-conditioning (LIPOC) on HIRI was investigated.

Magnetic compression technique for colonic anastomosis in rats.

Background: Magnetic compression technique (MCT) is useful for construction of digestive tract anastomoses in pigs and dogs. This study determined the efficacy of MCT for performing colonic anastomosis in rats.

Methods: Twenty male Sprague-Dawley rats (230-280 g) were randomly apportioned to a study group that underwent colonic anastomosis with MCT or a control group subjected to hand-sewn colonic anastomosis.

Evaluation of Serum CEA, CA19-9, CA72-4, CA125 and Ferritin as Diagnostic Markers and Factors of Clinical Parameters for Colorectal Cancer.

Blood-based protein biomarkers have recently shown as simpler diagnostic modalities for colorectal cancer, while their association with clinical pathological characteristics is largely unknown. In this study, we not only examined the sensitivity and reliability of single/multiple serum markers for diagnosis, but also assessed their connection with pathological parameters from a total of 279 colorectal cancer patients. Our study shown that glycoprotein carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) owns the highest sensitivity among single marker in the order of CEA > cancer antigen 72-4 (CA72-4) > cancer antigen 19-9 9 (CA19-9) > ferritin > cancer antigen 125 (CA125), while the most sensitive combined-markers for two to five were: CEA + CA72-4; CEA + CA72-4 + CA125; CEA + CA19-9 + CA72-4 + CA125; and CEA + CA19-9 + CA72-4 + CA125 + ferritin, respectively.

ABCB5-ZEB1 Axis Promotes Invasion and Metastasis in Breast Cancer Cells.

ABCB5 belongs to the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) superfamily, which is recognized for playing a role in the failure of chemotherapy. ABCB5 has also been found to be overexpressed at the transcriptional level in a number of cancer subtypes, including breast cancer. However, the exact mechanism ABCB5 uses on cancer cell metastasis is still unclear.

Cullin3 promotes breast cancer cells metastasis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition by targeting BRMS1 for degradation.

Metastasis is the leading cause of death in breast cancer (BC) patients. However, until now, the mechanisms of BC metastasis remain elusive. Cullin3 is a highly conserved Cullin family member present in the genomes of all eukaryotes, which has been proposed as an oncogene in many types of tumors; however, its role and underlying mechanisms in BC remain unclear.

β2-adrenogenic signaling regulates NNK-induced pancreatic cancer progression via upregulation of HIF-1α.

Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. It is suggested that 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), a tobacco-specific nitrosamine, mediates the carcinogenic action of cigarette smoking by promoting cancer growth. In the present study, we show that smoking, HIF-1α expression and β2-adrenogenic receptor (β2-AR) expression are negatively correlated with the overall survival of pancreatic cancer patients.

Hydrogen peroxide mediates hyperglycemia-induced invasive activity via ERK and p38 MAPK in human pancreatic cancer.

Diabetes mellitus and pancreatic cancer are intimately related, as approximately 85% of pancreatic cancer patients suffer from glucose intolerance or even diabetes. In this study, we evaluate the underlying mechanism by which hyperglycemia modulates the invasive potential of cancer cells and contributes to their enhanced metastatic behavior. Here we show that hyperglycemia increases the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentration through up-regulation of manganese superoxide dismutase (SOD2) expression, which further activates the ERK and p38 MAPK pathways, as well as the transcription factors NF-κB and AP-1, in a time-dependent manner.

Hyperglycemic tumor microenvironment induces perineural invasion in pancreatic cancer.

Glucose intolerance and frank diabetes mellitus (DM) can increase the risk of cancer death for pancreatic cancer (PanCa). However, the mechanism by which these factors influence cancer deaths is not clear. In this study, we established a model system to mimic the pancreatic tumor microenvironment in patients with DM to examine the biological behavior of PanCa cells and nerves in cell culture and in animals.

Ginkgolic acid suppresses the development of pancreatic cancer by inhibiting pathways driving lipogenesis.

Ginkgolic acid (GA) is a botanical drug extracted from the seed coat of Ginkgo biloba L. with a wide range of bioactive properties, including anti-tumor effect. However, whether GA has antitumor effect on pancreatic cancer cells and the underlying mechanisms have yet to be investigated.

Tripartite motif 16 inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastasis by down-regulating sonic hedgehog pathway in non-small cell lung cancer cells.

The present study was to examine the effect of Tripartite motif 16 (TRIM16) on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, and its clinical significance in NSCLC. The correlation of TRIM16 expression and clinical features of NSCLC was analyzed in paraffin-embedded archived normal lung tissues and NSCLC tissues by immunohistochemical analysis. The effect of TRIM16 on EMT and metastasis was examined both in vitro and in vivo.

Overexpression of Nodal induces a metastatic phenotype in pancreatic cancer cells via the Smad2/3 pathway.

Metastasis is the major cause for the high mortality rate of pancreatic cancer. Human embryonic stem cell (hESC) associated genes frequently correlate with malignant disease progression. Recent studies have demonstrated that the embryonic protein Nodal, which plays a critical role during embryonic development, is re-expressed in several types of tumors and promotes cancers progression.

Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy monitoring of 5-fluorouracil-induced apoptosis in SW620 colon cancer cells.

Colon cancer is associated with a high incidence and a poor prognosis. The aim of the present study was to determine whether Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy can be used to monitor the chemotherapy drug‑induced apoptosis of SW620 colon cancer cells. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 5‑fluorouracil (5‑FU), the main chemotherapeutic agent used for the treatment of colorectal cancer, was determined as the inhibition of growth of the SW620 cells using an MTT assay.

Suppression of the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway and inhibition of hepatic stellate cell proliferation play a role in the hepatoprotective effects of curcumin against alcohol-induced hepatic fibrosis.

The hepatoprotective effects of curcumin against alcohol-induced hepatic fibrosis have rarely been discussed and its mechanisms of action in alcohol-induced liver disease remain unknown. In this study, serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were measured to assess hepatic function; histopathological and immunohistochemical observations were used to evaluate pathological and specific molecular changes in liver tissue and flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptosis in cultured hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), the major fibrogenic cells in the liver; PCR and western blot analysis were employed to evaluate the changes in the expression of molecules and signaling pathways. We demonstrate that curcumin alleviates alcohol-induced hepatic fibrosis by affecting the HSCs.

[Label-free monitoring 5-FU induced SW 620 cells apoptosis using FTIR microspectroscopy].

The aim of the present study was to evaluate Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) monitoring of biochemical changes in apoptosis cells. Different concentrations of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) treated colon cancer cell lines SW620 were used to determine the optimum concentration of 5-FU IC50 by means of MTT assay. Cell starvation and 5-Fu synergistic cell cycle arrest was in G1 and S phase.

α-Mangostin inhibits hypoxia-driven ROS-induced PSC activation and pancreatic cancer cell invasion.

Recent advances indicating a key role of microenvironment for tumor progression, we investigated the role of PSCs and hypoxia in pancreatic cancer aggressiveness, and examined the potential protective effect of α-mangostin on hypoxia-driven pancreatic cancer progression. Our data indicate that hypoxic PSCs exploit their oxidative stress due to hypoxia to secrete soluble factors favouring pancreatic cancer invasion. α-Mangostin suppresses hypoxia-induced PSC activation and pancreatic cancer cell invasion through the inhibition of HIF-1α stabilization and GLI1 expression.

Preserve common limb in duodenal-jejunal bypass surgery benefits rats with type 2-like diabetes.

Background: In order to understand the underlying mechanisms by which weight loss surgeries improve metabolic profiles in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients and to evaluate the relevance of the length of the common limb in modulating various aspects of metabolism, we performed regular duodenal-jejunal bypass (DJB) and long-limb DJB (LL-DJB) surgeries in Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats and compared their effects on glycemic control.

Methods: Male GK rats at 12 weeks of age were used for this study. Body weight, food intake, fasting glucose, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) level, glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, cholesterol and triglycerides levels, and fecal energy content were monitored for 26 weeks after the two types of surgeries.

[Effect of L-arginine on human colon carcinoma cell line LS174 through NO pathway and the mechanism].

Objective: To study the effects of L-arginine (L-Arg) on human colon carcinoma cell line LS174 through NO pathway and the mechanism.

Methods: LS174 cells were cultured in the presence of L-Arg at different concentrations for different time. MTT assay was employed to evaluate the cell proliferation, and the cell morphological changes were observed by optical and electron microscopy.