The Adenosine Monophosphate (AMP) Analog, 5-Aminoimidazole-4-Carboxamide Ribonucleotide (AICAR) Inhibits Hepatosteatosis and Liver Tumorigenesis in a High-Fat Diet Murine Model Treated with Diethylnitrosamine (DEN).

BACKGROUND The development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are associated with obesity and hepatosteatosis. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) regulates metabolic homeostasis. This study aimed to investigate the effects of treatment with the adenosine monophosphate (AMP) analog, 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide (AICAR) on hepatosteatosis in a mouse model fed a high-fat diet (HFD), and on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) induced by diethylnitrosamine (DEN) in the HFD mouse model.

The prognostic role of Helicobacter pylori in gastric cancer patients: A meta-analysis.

Background: The prognostic value of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in gastric cancer patients has been investigated over many years; however, the results remain inconclusive. Thus, we performed a comprehensive review of currently available evidence via a systemic meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of H.

Molecular pathological expression in malignant gliomas resected by fluorescein sodium-guiding under the YELLOW 560 nm surgical microscope filter.

Background: This study aimed to analyze the relationship between molecular pathologic expression of GFAP and Ki-67 and fluorescence levels, and to provide molecular pathological basis for the removal of malignant gliomas (MG) by Fluorescein Sodium (FLS) navigation under the YELLOW 560 nm surgical microscope filter.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of clinical data of 18 MG cases confirmed by the postoperative pathology was performed. All cases were resected by FLS guiding under the YELLOW 560 nm filter.

Blebbistatin modulates prostatic cell growth and contrapctility through myosin II signaling.

To investigate the effect of blebbistatin (BLEB, a selective myosin inhibitor) on regulating contractility and growth of prostate cells and to provide insight into possible mechanisms associated with these actions. BLEB was incubated with cell lines of BPH-1 and WPMY-1, and intraprostatically injected into rats. Cell growth was determined by flow cytometry, and organ bath studies were performed to explore muscle contractility.

Pilot study of expanded carrier screening for 11 recessive diseases in China: results from 10,476 ethnically diverse couples.

Expanded carrier screening (ECS) has been demonstrated to increase the detection rate of carriers compared with traditional tests. The aim of this study was to assess the potential value of ECS for clinical application in Southern China, a region with high prevalence of thalassemia and with diverse ethnic groups, and to provide a reference for future implementations in areas with similar population characteristics. A total of 10,476 prenatal/preconception couples from 34 self-reported ethnic groups were simultaneously tested and analyzed anonymously for 11 Mendelian disorders using targeted next-generation sequencing.

Cytoreductive surgery for metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumors followed by sunitinib compared to followed by imatinib-a multi-center cohort study.

Background: The progression-free survival (PFS) is not optimal when imatinib was recommended for treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) undergoing surgery after tumor local or multifocal progression.

Methods: We evaluate PFS of patients undergoing R0 resection or optimal cytoreductive surgery followed by sunitinib therapy compared with imatinib after tumor unifocal or multifocal progression.

Results: From January 2006 to June 2017, ninety-seven patients from thirteen medical centers were enrolled.

Upregulation of Oxytocin Receptor in the Hyperplastic Prostate.

The etiology of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is complex, both age and androgen are thought to be important. However, the failure of androgen blockade treatments suggests other paracrine/autocrine factors involved in BPH. Oxytocin was found to have a paracrine/autocrine role in prostate in recent years.

Insights into Crystal Facets of Perovskite SrSnO as High-Performance Photocatalysts toward Environmental Remediation.

To gain in-depth insights into the relevant exposed crystal planes for the photocatalytic performance of perovskite-structured oxides, SrSnO nanocrystals with different microstructures were synthesized and their photocatalytic activity for the degradation of simulated dye was investigated. The as-obtained orthorhombic SrSnO nanorods with exposed {001} crystal planes showed higher photocatalytic activity for decomposing methylene blue than that of SrSnO nanoribbons with exposed {111} crystal planes. The surface atomic configurations revealed that the quantity of SnO overlayer on the {001} crystal facets is slightly greater than that on {111} crystal planes, which results in exposed {001} crystal facets of the SrSnO nanorods that can exhibit better activity in the photocatalytic process, due to fewer lattice defects, which act as traps for photogenerated charge carriers to decrease the recombination of photoexcited electrons and holes.

Testosterone regulates myosin II isoforms expression and functional activity in the rat prostate.

Background: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is mainly caused by increased prostatic smooth muscle (SM) tone and prostatic volume. At the molecular level, SM myosin II (SMM II) and non-muscle myosin II (NMM II) mediate SM tone and cell proliferation while testosterone (T) plays a permissive role in the development of BPH.

Aims: The novel objective of this study was to elucidate the effects of T on the proliferation and apoptosis of rat prostatic cells and SM contractility as well as related regulatory signaling pathways.

Galangin induced antitumor effects in human kidney tumor cells mediated via mitochondrial mediated apoptosis, inhibition of cell migration and invasion and targeting PI3K/ AKT/mTOR signalling pathway.

Purpose: Galangin is an important flavonoid that has been reported to be of immense pharmacological importance. It has been shown to have a number of bioactivities which range from anticancer to antimicrobial. In this study the effects of Galangin were studied on the proliferation of the A498 kidney cancer cells.

Ornithine decarboxylase is involved in methyl jasmonate-regulated postharvest quality retention in button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus).

Background: In the present study, we investigated the role of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) in the methyl jasmonate (MeJA)-regulated postharvest quality maintenance of Agaricus bisporus (J. E. Kange) Imbach button mushrooms by pretreating mushrooms with a specific irreversible inhibitor called α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) before exposure to MeJA vapor.

Multiparametric radiomics improve prediction of lymph node metastasis of rectal cancer compared with conventional radiomics.

Aims: To establish multiparametric radiomics of rectal tumor for the preoperative prediction of lymph node (LN) metastasis.

Materials And Methods: This prospective study consisted of 115 consecutive patients with rectal carcinoma between April 2015 and April 2017. The multiparametric radiomics scores were extracted from the endorectal ultrasound (ERUS), computed tomography (CT) and shear-wave elastography (SWE) features of the rectal tumor, LN, and peripheral tissues.

Aberrant expression of stress-induced phosphoprotein 1 in colorectal cancer and its clinicopathologic significance.

Stress-induced phosphoprotein 1 (STIP1) is an adaptor protein that bridges HSP70 and HSP90 folding and a secretory protein that regulates malignant tumor progression. The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the clinicopathological significance and prognostic role of STIP1 in colorectal cancer (CRC). We used data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to analyze STIP1 expression in CRC and utilized 8 pairs of fresh-frozen tissue samples to investigate STIP1 expression in CRC tissues and adjacent normal tissues using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot assays.

Genomewide DNA Methylation Responses in Patients with β-Thalassemia Treated with Yisui Shengxue Granules ().

Objective: To examine the clinical effects of Yisui Shengxue Granules () in the treatment of β-thalassemia and explore its mechanism on DNA methylation levels.

Methods: A randomized placebo-controlled double-blinded trial was conducted. Forty patients with β-thalassemia were recruited and distributed randomly by envelope method into an experimental group and a control group, 20 patients in each group.

Combination of PI3K/Akt Pathway Inhibition and Plk1 Depletion Can Enhance Chemosensitivity to Gemcitabine in Pancreatic Carcinoma.

The prognosis of pancreatic cancer (PC) remains pessimistic because of the difficulty in early diagnosis as well as the little advance in chemotherapy. Although being the first-line chemotherapy drug for PC at present, gemcitabine still has some disadvantages, such as low drug sensitivity and significant side effects. Thus, how to further improve the sensitivity of PC cells to gemcitabine is still a difficult subject in the field of pancreatic cancer-treatment.

Evaluating the prognostic value and functional roles of transcription factor AP4 in colorectal cancer.

The basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor AP4 (TFAP4) gene serves an important function in the genesis and progression of tumors. However, few studies to date have defined the role of this gene in colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of the present study was to assess the expression of TFAP4 in CRC and its impact on the prognosis of patients with CRC.

Association patterns of urinary sodium, potassium, and their ratio with blood pressure across various levels of salt-diet regions in China.

We aim to evaluate the association of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) with estimated urinary sodium (Na) and potassium(K) excretions, and their gram-to-gram Na/K ratio across various salt-diet regions during 2005-2009 in China. A prospective cohort study was conducted to recruit 46,285 participants in China. A single fasting morning urine specimen was collected to estimate 24-hour urinary Na and K excretion using Kawasaki formula.

Methylprednisolone and plasmapheresis are effective for life-threatening diffuse alveolar hemorrhage and gastrointestinal hemorrhage in granulomatosis with polyangiitis: A case report and literature review.

Rationale: The treatment of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) with life-threatening complications, such as diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) and gastrointestinal hemorrhage (GIH), remains challenging.

Patient Concerns: A 70-year-old female presented with a 6-month history of a productive cough and a 10-day history of arthralgia that progressed to respiratory failure and massive hematochezia.

Diagnoses: Chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) revealed multiple nodules, masses, and cavities.

Oxidative Stress Induces Neuronal Apoptosis Through Suppressing Transcription Factor EB Phosphorylation at Ser467.

Background/aims: This study determined the role and mechanism of action of transcription factor EB (TFEB) in H2O2-induced neuronal apoptosis.

Methods: SH-SY5Y cells were treated with Akt inhibitor/activator and different concentrations of H2O2. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometric analysis.

miR-326 regulates HbF synthesis by targeting EKLF in human erythroid cells.

Haploinsufficiency of erythroid Krüppel-like factor (EKLF/KLF1) has been shown recently to ameliorate the clinical severity of β-thalassemia by increased expression levels of fetal hemoglobin (HbF). The underlying mechanisms for role of EKLF in regulating HbF are of great interest but remain incompletely understood. In this study, we used a combination of in silico, in vitro, and in vivo approaches to identify microRNAs (miRs) involved in EKLF regulation and to validate the role of miR-326 in HbF modification.

MicroRNA expression profiles of neural stem cells following valproate inducement.

Neural stem cells (NSCs) possess self-renewal and multilineage differentiation ability, thus are considered to be a potential source for cell replacement therapy of many nervous system diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases. Valproate (VPA), a member of histone deacetylase inhibitor family, is an epigenetic regulator and can promote NSCs to differentiate into neurons, nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms of the process remain unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) exert a crucial part in the posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression.

SlMYC2 Involved in Methyl Jasmonate-Induced Tomato Fruit Chilling Tolerance.

MYC2, a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, is a master regulator in Jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway. However, the functions of SlMYC2 in methyl jasmonate (MeJA)-mediated fruit chilling tolerance are far from being clearly understood. Thus, in the present work, we constructed SlMYC2-silenced tomato fruit by virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) and investigated the function of SlMYC2 in MeJA-induced tomato fruit chilling tolerance.