Dual effects of human neutrophil peptides in a mouse model of pneumonia and ventilator-induced lung injury.

Background: Pneumonia is a major cause of high morbidity and mortality in critically illness, and frequently requires support with mechanical ventilation. The latter can lead to ventilator-induced lung injury characterized by neutrophil infiltration. The cationic human neutrophil peptides (HNP) stored in neutrophils can kill microorganisms, but excessive amount of HNP released during phagocytosis may contribute to inflammatory responses and worsen lung injury.

Upregulation of lncRNA snoRNA host gene 6 regulates NUAK family SnF1-like kinase-1 expression by competitively binding microRNA-125b and interacting with Snail1/2 in bladder cancer.

Backgrounds/aims: Numerous studies have reported that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in the development and progression of bladder cancer (BC). LncRNA snoRNA host gene 6 (SNHG6) is ectopically expressed in tumor tissues of patients with BC and BC cell lines. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism of SNHG6-mediated bladder urothelial carcinoma cell migration and invasion.

A Spatial Ecology Study of Keshan Disease and Hair Selenium.

Few spatial ecological studies on hair selenium (Se) and Keshan disease (KD) have been reported. To investigate the relationships of hair Se with KD and economic indicators and to visualize the evidence for KD precise prevention. An ecological study design was employed.

The Long Noncoding RNA MALAT1 Induces Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells and Regulatory T Cells miR155/Dendritic Cell-Specific Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-3 Grabbing Nonintegrin/IL10 Axis.

By shaping T cell immunity, tolerogenic dendritic cells (tDCs) play critical roles in the induction of immune tolerance after transplantation. However, the role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the function and immune tolerance of dendritic cells (DCs) is largely unknown. Here, we found that the lncRNA MALAT1 is upregulated in the infiltrating cells of tolerized mice with cardiac allografts and activated DCs.

TPEN Attenuates Neural Autophagy Induced by Synaptically-released Zinc Translocation and Improves Histological Outcomes after Traumatic Brain Injury in Rats.

Objectives: Previous studies have demonstrated that the inhibition of autophagy could reduce traumatic brain injury (TBI)-induced cell injury and attenuate behavioural outcomes. Meanwhile, synaptically released zinc translocation is found in the hippocampus of rats, and excessive release of chelatable zinc from excitatory synaptic vesicles is involved in the pathophysiological processes of TBI. We speculated that the release of zinc is closely connected with autophagy and that treatment with the zinc chelator N,N,N',N'-tetrakis-(2-pyridylmethyl) ethylenediamine (TPEN) could attenuate autophagy and thus improve histologic outcomes after TBI in rats.

Impact of clinicopathological characteristics on survival in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors for metastatic melanoma.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have unprecedented effects on the treatment of metastatic melanoma. However, little is known about the prognostic values of various clinicopathological characteristics. Here, PubMed, Embase and Cochrane database were searched from inception to April 2018 for random controlled trials (RCTs) that compared ICIs with controls.

Endothelial Colony-forming Cells Attenuate Ventilator-induced Lung Injury in Rats with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Background: Mechanical ventilation (MV) can cause ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI).

Aim Of The Study: This study investigated whether endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFC) could inhibit VILI in a rat model of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Methods: Male Wistar rats received the femoral artery and venous cannulation (sham group) or were injected intravenously with 500 μg/kg lipopolysaccharide to induce ARDS.

KIFC1 regulated by miR-532-3p promotes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma via gankyrin/AKT signaling.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal cancers worldwide. The poor survival may be due to a high proportions of tumor recurrence and metastasis. Kinesin family member C1 (KIFC1) is highly expressed in a variety of neoplasms and is a potential marker for non-small cell lung cancer or ovarian adenocarcinoma metastasis.

Adrenomedullin Reduces Secondary Injury and Improves Outcome in Rats with Fluid Percussion Brain Injury.

Objective: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a devastating neurologic injury and remains a major cause of death in the world. Secondary injury after TBI is associated with long-term disability in patients with TBI. This study evaluated adrenomedullin (AM) on secondary injury and neurologic functional outcome in rats after TBI.

FOXO1 Inhibits Tumor Cell Migration via Regulating Cell Surface Morphology in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells.

Background/aims: Cell surface morphology plays pivotal roles in malignant progression and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Previous research demonstrated that microvilli play a key role in cell migration of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this study, we report that Forkhead box class O1 (FOXO1) is downregulated in human NSCLC and that silencing of FOXO1 is associated with the invasive stage of tumor progression.

Effects of FGFR1 Gene Polymorphisms on the Risk of Breast Cancer and FGFR1 Protein Expression.

Background/aims: Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) is widely considered to play an important role in mammary carcinogenesis. Some common variants in FGFR1 might be associated with its expression, and further affect breast cancer risk. The aim of this study was to investigate effects of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in FGFR1 on breast cancer susceptibility and FGFR1 protein expression.

Incidence and clinical parameters associated with eribulin mesylate-induced peripheral neuropathy.

Eribulin mesylate is a microtubule-targeting agent that has been approved for the treatment of breast cancer and liposarcoma. Due to its novel mechanism of action, eribulin therapy induces a distinct profile of adverse events, including peripheral neuropathy. However, the incidence and risk of eribulin-related neurotoxicities are unclear.

Sodium orthovanadate overcomes sorafenib resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by inhibiting Na/K-ATPase activity and hypoxia-inducible pathways.

The resistance to sorafenib highly affects its clinical benefits for treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Sodium orthovanadate (SOV) is a phosphate analog that displays anti-cancer activities against various types of malignancies including HCC. The present study has demonstrated that SOV is able to overcome sorafenib resistance and strengthens sorafenib in suppressing sorafenib-resistant HCC cells in vitro and in animal models.

lncRNA NEAT1 competes against let-7a to contribute to non-small cell lung cancer proliferation and metastasis.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for >80% of diagnosed cases of lung cancer worldwide. Although multiple genes are altered in NSCLC, the precise mechanism of NSCLC requires further investigation. Nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript (NEAT)1 is one of the long non-coding RNAs implicated in multiple types of cancer regulation.

Combined caveolin-1 and epidermal growth factor receptor expression as a prognostic marker for breast cancer.

Previous studies have indicated that caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is able to bind the signal transduction factor epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) to regulate its tyrosine kinase activity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical significance of Cav-1 gene expression in association with the expression of EGFR in patients with breast cancer. Primary breast cancer samples from 306 patients were analyzed for Cav-1 and EGFR expression using immunohistochemistry, and clinical significance was assessed using multivariate Cox regression analysis, Kaplan-Meier estimator curves and the log-rank test.

IFN-Expressing Amniotic Fluid-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Migrate to and Suppress HeLa Cell-Derived Tumors in a Mouse Model.

Background: Immunotherapy for cervical cancer with type I interferon (IFN) is limited because of the cytotoxicity that accompanies the high doses that are administered. In this study, we investigated the utilization of amniotic fluid-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AF-MSCs) as a means for delivering IFN to local tumor sites for the suppression of cervical cancer in a mouse model using HeLa cell xenografts.

Methods: The tumor tropism ability of AF-MSCs and AF-MSCs genetically modified to overexpress IFN (IFN-AF-MSCs) was examined through Transwell in vitro and through fluorescent images and immunohistochemistry in a mouse model.

Impact of hormone receptor status on the efficacy of HER2-targeted treatment.

The introduction of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeted drugs into routine clinical practice has a dramatic effect on the outlook for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer (BC). However, the association between efficacy of HER2-targeted therapy and hormone receptor (HR) status is still unclear. Here we conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to address this issue in both neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings.

Prediction of tumor biological characteristics in different colorectal cancer liver metastasis animal models using F-FDG and F-FLT.

Background: Positron emission tomography (PET) is a noninvasive method to characterize different metabolic activities of tumors, providing information for staging, prognosis, and therapeutic response of patients with cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of F-fludeoxyglucose (F-FDG) and 3'-deoxy-3'-F-fluorothymidine (F-FLT) PET in predicting tumor biological characteristics of colorectal cancer liver metastasis.

Methods: The uptake rate of F-FDG and F-FLT in SW480 and SW620 cells was measured via an in vitro cell uptake assay.

Inhibition of FASN expression enhances radiosensitivity in human non-small cell lung cancer.

Fatty acid synthase (FASN) is the key enzyme required for the de novo synthesis of long-chain fatty acids. FASN has been observed to be overexpressed in the majority of cancer tissues, and its expression is associated with a poor prognosis, potentially mediated by resistance to drug or radiation. The present study investigated whether the downregulation of FASN in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may increase radiosensitivity.

CXCL5 secreted from adipose tissue-derived stem cells promotes cancer cell proliferation.

Accumulating data suggest that adipose tissue facilitates breast tumor initiation and progression through paracrine and endocrine pathways, and that adipose tissue-derived stem cell (ASC) is likely the major cell type responsible for tumorigenesis and tumor development. However, it remains unknown how ASCs exert their effects. In the present study, in cultured breast cancer cell lines, including estrogen receptor (ER)-positive MCF-7 cells and ER-negative MDA-MB-231 cells, the effects on tumor proliferation of isolated ASCs from human breasts were examined.

[Identification of a novel STK11 gene mutation in a family affected with hereditary Peutz-Jeghers syndrome].

OBJECTIVE To explore the genetic basis for a family affected with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS). METHODS Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and oral swab samples from the patient and her relatives. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to analyze 106 target genes by capturing the exons and adjacent intronic regions.

Significant efficacy and well safety of apatinib combined with radiotherapy in NSCLC: Case report.

Rationale: The outcomes of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain poor, in particular, the frail elderly patients cannot tolerate chemotherapy. The new efficient, safe, and more specific treatments are needed. Radiation combined with targeted therapy is the focus of research in recent years.

Targeting posttranslational modifications of RIOK1 inhibits the progression of colorectal and gastric cancers.

RIOK1 has recently been shown to play important roles in cancers, but its posttranslational regulation is largely unknown. Here we report that RIOK1 is methylated at K411 by SETD7 methyltransferase and that lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) reverses its methylation. The mutated RIOK1 (K411R) that cannot be methylated exhibits a longer half-life than does the methylated RIOK1.

High expression of PU.1 is associated with Her-2 and shorter survival in patients with breast cancer.

The transcription factor PU.1 was previously identified as an oncogene or a tumor suppressor in different types of leukemia. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of PU.

Urine volatile organic compounds as biomarkers for minimal change type nephrotic syndrome.

Urinary volatile organic compounds (VOCs) profiling has recently received considerable attention because it can be obtained noninvasively and conveniently while it can be successfully used in a variety of diseases and can provide unique biomarkers. The aim of current study was to investigate potential biomarkers between minimal change type nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) and normal. Urinary samples were collected from 38 minimal change type nephrotic syndrome patients and 15 healthy controls.