CCL20-CCR6 axis directs sperm-oocyte interaction and its dysregulation correlates/associates with male infertility‡.

The interaction of sperm with the oocyte is pivotal during the process of mammalian fertilization. The limited numbers of sperm that reach the fallopian tube as well as anatomic restrictions indicate that human sperm-oocyte encounter is not a matter of chance but a directed process. Chemotaxis is the proposed mechanism for re-orientating sperm toward the source of a chemoattractant and hence to the oocyte.

TACC3 transcriptionally upregulates E2F1 to promote cell growth and confer sensitivity to cisplatin in bladder cancer.

Accumulating evidence has shown that transforming acidic coiled-coil 3 (TACC3) is deregulated in a broad spectrum of cancers. In the present study, we reported that TACC3 was markedly elevated in bladder cancer, especially in muscle-invasive bladder cancers (MIBCs). The upregulation of TACC3 was positively associated with tumor invasiveness, grade, T stage, and progression in patients with bladder cancer.

Effect of continuous positive airway pressure on carotid intima-media thickness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: A meta-analysis.

Objective: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), an early marker of atherosclerosis. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the first-line treatment for OSA. A meta-analysis was performed to determine whether CPAP therapy could decrease carotid IMT.

EGCG inhibited bladder cancer SW780 cell proliferation and migration both in vitro and in vivo via down-regulation of NF-κB and MMP-9.

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the bioactive polyphenol in green tea, has been demonstrated to have various biological activities. Our study aims to investigate the antiproliferation and antimigration effects of EGCG against bladder cancer SW780 cells both in vitro and in vivo. Our results showed that treatment of EGCG resulted in significant inhibition of cell proliferation by induction of apoptosis, without obvious toxicity to normal bladder epithelium SV-HUC-1 cells.

Expression profile of / in spermatogenesis and transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.

The majority of bladder cancer-associated mortalities are due to transitional cell carcinoma (TCC), which is the most prevalent and chemoresistant malignancy of the bladder. Sperm acrosome associated 5 (SPACA5)/Spaca5 is a sperm acrosome-associated, c-type lysozyme-like protein that has been recently identified, and has been designated as an attractive candidate antigen for cancer testis. In the present study, the expression profile of / was analyzed in spermatogenesis and TCC of the bladder using diverse molecular and cellular biology methods.

[Testicular malignant Leydig cell tumor: A case report].

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features of testicular malignant Leydig cell tumor (TMLCT) and improve the non-invasive diagnosis of the disease.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological data on a case of TMLCT, detected the circulating tumor cells (CTC) in the peripheral venous blood, and reviewed the related literature.

Results: The patient, a 47-year-old male, underwent radical orchidoepididymectomy under general anesthesia.

Effect of positive airway pressure on glomerular filtration rate in patients with sleep-disordered breathing: a meta-analysis.

Objective: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) has been suggested to be associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Positive airway pressure (PAP) is an effective treatment for SDB, but the impact of PAP therapy on glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in patients with SDB remains unclear. The present meta-analysis was performed to determine whether PAP therapy could increase GFR.

Hedyotis diffusa plus Scutellaria barbata Induce Bladder Cancer Cell Apoptosis by Inhibiting Akt Signaling Pathway through Downregulating miR-155 Expression.

Traditional Chinese medicine is increasingly used to treat cancer. Our clinical experiences identify Hedyotis diffusa plus Scutellaria barbata as the most common herb-pair (couplet medicinal) used for the core treatment of bladder cancer. This study aims to investigate the antitumor effect of the herb-pair in bladder cancer cells.

Reprogrammed CRISPR-Cas9 targeting the conserved regions of HPV6/11 E7 genes inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in E7-transformed keratinocytes.

The persistence infection of low-risk type (type 6 or type 11) of human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main cause of genital warts. Given the high rate of recurrence after treatment, the use of a new molecular agent is certain to be of value. The aim of this study was to achieve targeted inactivation of viral E 7 gene in keratinocytes using the reprogrammed clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) 9 system.

GlnR-Mediated Regulation of ectABCD Transcription Expands the Role of the GlnR Regulon to Osmotic Stress Management.

Unlabelled: Ectoine and hydroxyectoine are excellent compatible solutes for bacteria to deal with environmental osmotic stress and temperature damages. The biosynthesis cluster of ectoine and hydroxyectoine is widespread among microorganisms, and its expression is activated by high salinity and temperature changes. So far, little is known about the mechanism of the regulation of the transcription of ect genes and only two MarR family regulators (EctR1 in methylobacteria and the EctR1-related regulator CosR in Vibrio cholerae) have been found to negatively regulate the expression of ect genes.

Meta-Analysis of the Association between H63D and C282Y Polymorphisms in HFE and Cancer Risk.

Background: Previous studies suggested that the H63D and C282Y polymorphisms in the HFE genes were susceptible to many cancer types, nevertheless, the present results were inconclusive. Thus, the present study was aimed to evaluate the association between the HFE polymorphisms (H63D and C282Y) and cancer risk via meta-analysis.

Materials And Methods: We retrieved PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase and Web of Science databases for all eligible studies up to April 1, 2015.

Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) Q192R Gene Polymorphism and Cancer Risk: A Meta-Analysis Based on 30 Publications.

Common genetic variation Q192R in the paraoxonase 1 (PON1) gene has been considered to be implicated in the development of many cancers. Nevertheless, results from the related studies were inconsistent. To elucidate the association, we performed a meta-analysis for 8,112 cases and 10,037 controls from 32 published case-control studies.

[Updated genomics of testicular germ cell tumor].

Testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) is a most common testicular malignancy with an increasing incidence, and its pathogenesis and mechanisms are not yet clear. The next generation sequencing has become the main tool to uncover the underlying mechanisms of TGCT. The differential gene expressions, gene mutation, predisposing gene-dominated signaling pathways, and changes of the relevant genes in the sex chromosome are largely involved in the occurrence and development of TGCT.

Synthetic miRNA sponges driven by mutant hTERT promoter selectively inhibit the progression of bladder cancer.

The mutant promoter of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) shows high transcriptional activity in bladder cancer cells. Some up-regulated microRNAs (miRNAs) are reported as oncogenic factors in bladder cancer. Previous studies report that miRNAs can be inhibited by base-pairing interactions.

[UBE2B gene and male infertility: an update].

Male infertility is a worldwide problem, and about 15% of the cases are associated with spermatogenesis-related gene mutation. The mammalian gene UBE2B is the homolog of the RAD6 gene of yeast, belonging to the ubiquitin proteasome system and playing an important role in spermatogenesis. Mice lacking the UBE2B gene are infertile, with reduced sperm motility, increased morphologically abnormal sperm, and inhibited meiosis of spermatogonia.

Microfluidic chip capillary electrophoresis coupled with electrochemiluminescence for enantioseparation of racemic drugs using central composite design optimization.

Optimization based on central composite design (CCD) for enantioseparation of anisodamine (AN), atenolol (AT), and metoprolol (ME) in human urine was developed using a microfluidic chip-CE device. Coupling the flexible and wide working range of microfluidic chip-CE device to CCD for chiral separation of AN, AT, and ME in human urine, a total of 15 experiments is needed for the optimization procedure as compared to 75 experiments using the normal one variable at a time optimization. The optimum conditions obtained are found to be more robust as shown by the curvature effects of the interaction factors.

Downregulation of CFTR promotes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and is associated with poor prognosis of breast cancer.

The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process involving the breakdown of cell-cell junctions and loss of epithelial polarity, is closely related to cancer development and metastatic progression. While the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), a Cl(-) and HCO3(-) conducting anion channel expressed in a wide variety of epithelial cells, has been implicated in the regulation of epithelial polarity, the exact role of CFTR in the pathogenesis of cancer and its possible involvement in EMT process have not been elucidated. Here we report that interfering with CFTR function either by its specific inhibitor or lentiviral miRNA-mediated knockdown mimics TGF-β1-induced EMT and enhances cell migration and invasion in MCF-7.

Overexpression of cyclooxygenase-1 correlates with poor prognosis in renal cell carcinoma.

The aim of this study was to evaluate expression of COX-1 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and its prognostic value. mRNA of COX-1 was detected in 42 paired RCC and adjacent normal tissues with quantitative real- time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Expression of COX-1 was also evaluated in 196 RCC sections and 91 adjacent normal tissues with immunohistochemistry.

Renal plasmacytoma: Report of a rare case and review of the literature.

Renal plasmacytoma is extremely rare, presenting diagnostic challenges due to its unusual location and non-specific or absent symptoms. To the best of our knowledge, only 24 cases of renal plasmacytoma have been reported in the literature. The present study reports a case of primary renal plasmacytoma in a 46-year-old female patient.

Clinical outcomes in patients with stage I non-seminomatous germ cell cancer.

This study assesses the long-term outcomes in Han Chinese patients with clinical stage I non-seminomatous germ cell testicular cancer (CSI NSGCT) treated with surveillance, retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) and adjuvant chemotherapy. We retrospectively evaluated 89 patients with a mean age of 26.5 years.

[Tumor suppressor role of chromatin-remodeling factor ARID1A].

The mammalian SWI/SNF complex is one of ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complexes, which plays important roles in cell proliferation, differentiation, development and tumor suppression. ARID1A (AT-rich interactive domain-containing protein 1A) is a large subunit of SWI/SNF complex, and also an ARID family member with non- sequence-specific DNA binding activity. ARID1A is a tumor suppressor gene which is frequently mutated in many cancers, such as ovarian, bladder and gastric cancers.

Elevated serum cystatin C in severe OSA younger men without complications.

Purpose: Serum cystatin C is a promising new biomarker of glomerular filtration rate and cardiovascular events, but few studies focused on serum cystatin C levels in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients. The aim of our study was to evaluate the association between serum cystatin C and OSA in younger men (≤40 years old of age) without complications.

Methods: We prospectively recruited consecutive participants without comorbidities who underwent polysomnography.