Upregulated miR-125b mitigates inflammation, astrocyte activation, and dysfunction of spinal cord injury by inactivating the MAPK pathway.

Background: Since the abnormal expression of miR-125b in spinal cord injury (SCI) and the regulatory effect of miR-125b on the MAPK pathway have been expounded, we attempt to investigate whether miR-125b exerts a regulatory effect on SCI by modulating the MAPK pathway.

Method: A SCI rat model was established. The rats were treated with miR-125b antagomir or agomir, and their motor function affected by miR-125b was further detected by Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) scoring.

Case report: An ectopic adrenocortical adenoma in the renal sinus.

Background: Ectopic adrenal tissue is rare in adults, with an incidence of only about 1%. We report a rare case of ectopic adrenocortical adenoma in the left renal sinus.

Case Preentation: A 57-year-old woman was admitted to the Department of Urology due to "a left kidney tumor" on physical examination.

Automatic segmentation of hyperreflective dots via focal priors and visual saliency.

Purpose: Hyperreflective dots (HRDs) can be observed in spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), which can provide a sensitive marker in the treatment decision process. Quantitative analyses of HRDs are the key to make appropriate decisions on observation, treatment, and retreatment. The purpose of this study is to automatically and accurately segment HRDs in SD-OCT B-scans with diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Long-term tracing and staining of carbon nanoparticles for axillary lymph nodes in patients with locally advanced breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Background: The regression of positive nodes in breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate this regression by injecting and tracing carbon nanoparticles (CNs) into the fusion node prior to NAC in patients with breast cancer.

Methods: Guided by ultrasound, 0.

Efficacy of Endovenous Laser Treatment Combined with Sclerosing Foam in Treating Varicose Veins of the Lower Extremities.

Introduction: This study aims to investigate the efficacy of incision-free endovenous laser treatment (EVLT) combined with sclerosing foam in treating varicose veins of the lower extremities.

Methods: A total of 140 patients (186 limbs) who underwent laser closure of the great saphenous vein + injection sclerotherapy were included in the present study. Preoperative information, intraoperative conditions, duration of the operation, and length of hospital stay were recorded in detail.

High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1) Predicts Invasion and Poor Prognosis of Glioblastoma Multiforme via Activating AKT Signaling in an Autocrine Pathway.

BACKGROUND As a nuclear protein and a secreted protein, HMGB1 is involved in many cellular processes such as proliferation, transcription, and inflammation. The overexpression of HMGB1 in various types of cancers is reported, but its clinical significance and prognostic value in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) has not been well defined. MATERIAL AND METHODS The expression of HMGB1 in 116 patients with GBM was investigated with immunohistochemistry, and was detected with qRT-PCR in 12 pairs of tumor tissues and adjacent tissues.

Overexpression of SET and MYND Domain-Containing Protein 2 (SMYD2) Is Associated with Tumor Progression and Poor Prognosis in Patients with Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND SET and MYND domain-containing protein 2 (SMYD2), which is identified as a protein-lysine methyltransferase, plays a crucial role in the progression of some tumors such as bladder carcinoma. However, the clinical significance of SMYD2 in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) has not been elucidated. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the expression and role of SMYD2 in human PTC.

Roles of SIRT1/FoxO1/SREBP-1 in the development of progestin resistance in endometrial cancer.

Purpose: The prevalence of endometrial cancer (EC) is increasing worldwide. Progestin therapy is effective for both early stage EC patients who require preserving fertility and advanced or recurrent patients. Progestin resistance resulting from downregulation of progesterone receptor (PR) remains a major problem, and its mechanism is currently unclear.

Grape seed proanthocyanidins protect against streptozotocin‑induced diabetic nephropathy by attenuating endoplasmic reticulum stress‑induced apoptosis.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is by far the most common cause of end‑stage renal disease (ESRD) in industrial countries, accounting for ~45% of all new ESRD cases in the United States. Grape seed proanthocyanidin extracts (GSPE) are powerful antioxidants, with an antioxidant ability 50‑fold greater than that of vitamin E and 20‑fold greater than that of vitamin C. The present study investigated whether GSPE can protect against streptozotocin (STZ)‑induced DN and aimed to elucidate a possible mechanism.

Protective effect of calcitriol on podocytes in spontaneously hypertensive rat.

Background: Hypertension is a major global public health issue. Uncontrolled hypertension leads to organ damage, especially renal damage. Calcitriol is used to treat osteoporosis, promote bone formation, and increase bone mass.

The role of microRNA-146a in regulating the expression of IRAK1 in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

MicroRNA-146a (miR-146a) is reportedly implicated in the pathogenesis of ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury; however, its role in cerebral I/R injury is unclear and requires further investigation. In this study, cerebral I/R injury was established in mice via middle cerebral artery occlusion, and the expression of miR-146a was detected in the brain tissue via quantitative real-time PCR. We found that the expression of miR-146a was upregulated.

Evaluation of MMP-9 and MMP-2 and their suppressor TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 in adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction.

Objective: Adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEG) is a lethal malignancy featured with early metastasis, poor prognosis, and few treatment options. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and metalloproteinase suppressor (TIMP) have been considered to be associated with cancer invasion and metastasis. In our study, we evaluated expressions of MMP-9, MMP-2, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2 in AEG and their correlation with clinicopathological parameters and the overall survival rate.

The small-molecule IAP antagonist AT406 inhibits pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.

In the present study, we tested the anti-pancreatic cancer activity by AT406, a small-molecule antagonist of IAP (inhibitor of apoptosis proteins). In established (Panc-1 and Mia-PaCa-2 lines) and primary human pancreatic cancer cells, treatment of AT406 significantly inhibited cell survival and proliferation. Yet, same AT406 treatment was non-cytotoxic to pancreatic epithelial HPDE6c7 cells.

Unilateral internuclear ophthalmoplegia with upbeat nystagmus from ischemic origin: evidence for the paramedian tract neurons as a vertical neural integrator?

Only a few cases with unilateral internuclear ophthalmoplegia have been reported presenting vertical nystagmus, and few of them provides convincing evidence for the paramedian tract neuron to be a vertical neural integrator. We report a patient who suffered from confined dorsal mid-upper pontine infarction showing unilateral internuclear ophthalmoplegia with upbeat nystagmus in primary position. This case possibly provide evidence that paramedian tract neurons may act as a vertical neural integrator in human.

Effect of microRNA-208a on mitochondrial apoptosis of cardiomyocytes of neonatal rats.

Objective: To explore the effect and mechanism of microRNA-208a (miR-208a) in the mitochondrial apoptosis of cardiomyocytes of neonatal rats.

Methods: The primary cultured cardiomyocytes of neonatal rats were added into the hypoxia incubator for the hypoxia induction. The overexpression system for miR-208a of cardiomyocytes of neonatal rats was built.

MiR-34c-3p suppresses the proliferation and invasion of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by inhibiting PAC1/MAPK pathway.

MicroRNAs have become recognized as key players in the development of malignancy. They are a family of small non-coding RNAs (22 nt~30 nt) that can negatively regulate the expression of cancer-related genes by sequence selective targeting of mRNAs, leading to either mRNA translational repression or degradation. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide with a substantially low survival rate.

Microarray based analysis of gene regulation by microRNA in intervertebral disc degeneration.

The present study aimed to explore the underlying mechanism of the development of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) by bioinformatics based on microarray datasets. GSE 19943 and GSE 34095 datasets downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus data were used to screen the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in IDD. The correlation between microRNAs and target genes was investigated using different algorithms.

MiR-497 promotes metastasis of colorectal cancer cells through Nrdp1 inhibition.

We have recently shown that Nrdp1 inhibits phosphorylation of ErB3 in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells, to suppress epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling-stimulated MMP7 activation for CRC metastasis. In this study, we examined the control of Nrdp1 in CRC cells. We detected significant increases in miR-497 in CRC specimen, compared to paired normal colorectal tissue.

Golgi phosphoprotein 3 expression predicts poor prognosis in patients with prostate cancer undergoing radical prostatectomy.

Golgi phosphoprotein 3 (GOLPH3) has recently been implicated as an oncogene involved in the development of carcinoma in a number of organs. The expression of GOLPH3 in prostate cancer (PCa) tissues was investigated in the present study. Human PC-3 and LNCaP PCa cell lines were analyzed in order to assess whether silencing of GOLPH3 expression affects cell vitality, migration and invasion, in vitro.

FBXW7 suppresses epithelial-mesenchymal transition, stemness and metastatic potential of cholangiocarcinoma cells.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a fundamental role in cancer metastasis. The ubiquitin ligase FBXW7, a general tumor suppressor in human cancer, has been implicated in diverse cellular processes, however, its role in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) metastasis has not been identified. Here, we report a crucial role of FBXW7 in CCA metastasis by regulating EMT.

The PI3K/AKT Pathway and FOXO3a Transcription Factor Mediate High Glucose-Induced Apoptosis in Neonatal Rat Ventricular Myocytes.

Background: PI3K/AKT pathway plays major roles in regulating cardiomyocyte metabolism. The roles of PI3K/AKT pathway and FOXO3a in mediating high glucose-induced apoptosis in cardiomyocytes remain unclear.

Objectives: In this experimental study, we investigated the mechanisms of the PI3K/AKT pathway and FOXO3a in mediating hyperglycemia-induced apoptosis in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs).

The research of nanoparticles as gene vector for tumor gene therapy.

With the development of molecular biology, the application of the gene therapy becomes a tendency in the development of oncotherapy. The gene therapy has been acknowledged as the major progress of modern medicine, also a focus in the oncotherapy research. Commonly vectors of the gene therapy mainly include two categories, namely, viral vectors and nonviral vectors.

ERK1/2 activity contributes to gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic cancer cells.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer is mediated via extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) 1/2 overactivity.

Methods: The human pancreatic cancer cell lines BxPC3, PANC-1 and a stably gemcitabine-resistant subline, PANC1(GemRes), were treated with combinations of gemcitabine and the ERK1/2 inhibitor, U0126. Phosphorylated (p)ERK1/2 was examined by Western blotting; cell proliferation and apoptosis were quantified.

Mesothelin regulates growth and apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells through p53-dependent and -independent signal pathway.

Mesothelin, a secreted protein, is overexpressed in some cancers, including pancreatic cancer. Rescent studies have shown that overexpression of mesothelin significantly increased tumor cell proliferation, and downregulation of mesothelin inhibited cell proliferation in pancreatic cancer cells, but its exact function and mechanism remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of mesothelin on proliferation and apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells with different p53 status and to explore its signal pathway.