Comparison of Salivary and Serum Alkaline Phosphates Level and Lactate Dehydrogenase Levels in Patients with Tobacco Related Oral Lesions with Healthy Subjects - A Step Towards Early Diagnosis

Aim: To evaluate and compare salivary and serum levels of Alkaline Phosphates and Lactate Dehydrogenase in patients without the habit of tobacco, in patients with the habit of tobacco, in patients with benign oral lesions and in patients with oral premalignant lesions and oral malignant lesions. Material and Methodology: This study was comprised of 500 subjects, Group I: 100 healthy individuals without the habit of tobacco usage formed the control group. Group II: 100 patients with the habit of tobacco/ smoking consumption without any oral lesion. Group III: 100 patients with benign oral lesions. Group IV: 100 patients having the history of tobacco consumption and having apparent precancerous lesions like leukoplakia, erythroplakia. Group V:100  patients having frank oral cancer. The grade of dysplasia in these patients was statically correlated with the levels of serum and salivary ALP and LDH. Results: This study revealed that there was high expression of both serum and salivary ALP and LDH  in group IV and Group V as compared with the other groups and mean difference showed a statistically significant p value of less than 0.01. This study revealed that the in group V, the highest level of serum and salivary ALP was found in those patients who were reported with poorly differentiated oral cancer. Conclusion: Both Alkaline phosphates and Lactate dehydrogenase could be considered a sensitive markers for the detection of dysplasia with already existing precancancerous and cancerous lesions.     

mTOR抑制剂AZD2014对肝癌细胞的增殖抑制作用及其机制研究

目的：初步探讨mTOR抑制剂AZD2014对肝癌细胞的增殖抑制作用及其机制。方法：先采用CCK-8法检测不同浓度的AZD2014（10、100、500、1 000 nmol/L）对肝癌细胞增殖的作用，再分别采用荧光定量PCR和Western blot法检测肝癌细胞中含植物同源结构和环指域泛素样蛋白1（UHRF1）mRNA和蛋白的表达水平。结果：细胞增殖实验结果显示，10、100、500、1 000 nmol/L的AZD2014均可显著抑制肝癌细胞的增殖能力，抑制程度与其浓度呈正相关（P < 0.05）；荧光定量PCR和Western blot检测结果显示，500和1 000 nmol/L的AZD2014可显著降低肝癌细胞内UHRF1 mRNA及蛋白的表达水平。结论：AZD2014可能通过抑制肝癌细胞内UHRF1的表达水平来抑制肝癌细胞的增殖能力。     

Indole alkaloid glycosides with a 1′-(phenyl)ethyl unit from Isatis indigotica leaves

Seven indole alkaloid glycosides containing a 1′-(4″-hydroxy-3″,5″-dimethoxyphenyl)ethyl unit (1–7) were isolated from an aqueous extract of Isatis indigotica leaves (da qing ye). Their structures were determined by spectroscopic data analysis combined with enzymatic hydrolysis as well as comparison of their experimental CD (circular dichroism) and calculated ECD (electrostatic circular dichroism) spectra. Based on analysis of ${\left[\alpha \right]}_{\text{D}}^{20}$ and/or Cotton effect (CE) data of 1–7, two simple roles to assign location and/or configuration of β-glycopyranosyloxy and 1′-(phenyl)ethyl units in the indole alkaloid glycosides are proposed. Stereoselectivity in plausible biosynthetic pathways of 1–7 is discussed. Compounds 3 and 4 and their mixture in a 3:2 ratio showed activity against KCNQ2 in CHO cells. The mixture of 5 and 6 (3:2) exhibited antiviral activity against influenza virus H1N1 PR8 with IC₅₀ 64.7 μmol/L (ribavirin, IC₅₀ 54.3 μmol/L), however, the individual 5 or 6 was inactive. Preliminary structure–activity relationships were observed.     

Outcomes With First-line PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibition in Advanced Urothelial Cancer: A Single Institution Experience

BackgroundFirst-line PD-inhibition in cisplatin-ineligible patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer represents a novel clinical setting, with uncertainty concerning second-line outcomes. Specifying second-line treatment and outcomes will provide guidance in this new sequence. We performed a retrospective chart review to document the outcomes of these patients treated at our institution.Patients and MethodsOur cohort consisted of 43 patients with advanced urothelial cancer receiving first-line checkpoint inhibition. Baseline factors, programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) status, treatments, and outcomes during and beyond the first line were obtained. Response was scored using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, version 1.1 criteria. Log rank tests were used to compare outcomes in prognostic subgroups, and outcome associations with PD-L1 status were analyzed with Fisher exact tests.ResultsA total of 43 patients received first-line atezolizumab or pembrolizumab from June 2014 until June 2018. The median age was 76.8 years, and the population was 74% male, with 60% having visceral metastases. Reasons for cisplatin ineligibility were Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 2%, 30%; renal insufficiency, 44%, and both, 21%. First-line objective response rate (ORR) was 30%, and complete response was 14%. The median overall survival was 11.7 months. Of 29 patients progressing, 17 received second-line treatment (most commonly, gemcitabine/carboplatin [10 patients]). The second-line response rate was 33%, and the ORR was 11%. The second-line median overall survival was 6.2 months. No association was found between PD-L1 status and outcomes.ConclusionOutcomes with first-line immunotherapy are consistent with historical outcomes. The ORR after first-line checkpoint inhibition falls short of historical comparators; however, the response rate compares favorably to those of chemotherapies used in previous second-line regimens. The older age and poorer performance status may have contributed to second-line outcomes.     

羌活中的香豆素类成分及其抑制脂多糖诱导的RAW 264.7细胞NO生成活性的研究

目的研究羌活Notopterygium incisum的香豆素类成分及其抗炎活性。方法采用硅胶、HPLC等柱色谱方法进行分离纯化,通过质谱、核磁共振波谱数据鉴定化合物的结构;采用脂多糖(LPS)诱导的小鼠巨噬细胞RAW 264.7炎症反应模型,考察羌活中香豆素类成分对炎症反应模型一氧化氮(NO)生成的影响。结果从羌活甲醇提取物分离得到24个香豆素类化合物,分别鉴定为异欧前胡素(1)、川白芷素(2)、补骨脂素(3)、香柑内酯(4)、茵陈素(5)、欧芹酚(6)、5-去氢羌活醇(7)、环氧脱水羌活醇(8)、7″-O-甲基异羌活醇(9)、佛手柑素(10)、7-异戊烯氧基-6-甲氧基-香豆素(11)、栓翅芹烯醇(12)、羌活醇(13)、去甲呋喃羽叶芸香素(14)、异羌活醇(15)、蛇床夫内酯(16)、6-异戊烯氧基伞形花内酯(17)、紫花前胡苷元(18)、异虎耳草素(19)、紫花前胡苷(20)、前胡苷V(21)、前胡苷I(22)、印枳苷元-11-O-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖基-(1→6)-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖苷(23)、羌活苷(24)。化合物7～10、13和15抑制LPS诱导的RAW 264.7细胞NO生成活性最强,最大半数抑制浓度(IC_(50))值为8.50～35.12μmol/L。结论化合物7为新的天然产物,化合物17为首次从羌活中分离得到;C-5位上具有多烯烃结构的香豆素抑制LPS诱导的RAW 264.7细胞NO生成活性较强。     

Abscopal effect in radioimmunotherapy

Abscopal effect is an interesting phenomenon in radiobiology that causes activation of immune system against cancer cells. Traditionally, this phenomenon was known as a suppressor of non-irradiated tumors or metastasis. However, it can be used as a stimulator of the immune system against primary tumor during radiotherapy. Immunotherapy, a novel tumor therapy modality, also triggers immune system against cancer. To date, some immunotherapy types have been developed. However, immune checkpoint blockade is a more common modality and some drugs have been approved by the FDA. Studies have shown that radiotherapy or immunotherapy administered alone have low efficiency for tumor control. However, their combination has a more potent anti-tumor immunity. For this aim, it is important to induce abscopal effect in primary tumors, and also use appropriate drugs to target the mechanisms involved in the exhaustion of cytotoxic CD8+T lymphocytes (CTLs) and natural killer (NK) cells. Among the different radiotherapy techniques, stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) with some few fractionations is the best choice for inducing abscopal effect. On the other hand, programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) is known as one of the best targets for triggering anti-tumor immunity. This combination is known as the best choice among various strategies for radioimmunotherapy. However, there is the need for other strategies to improve the duration of immune system’s activity within tumor microenvironment (TME). In this review, we explain the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind abscopal effect by radiotherapy and evaluate the molecular targets which induce potent anti-tumor immunity.     

Musashi1基因调控结肠癌HCT116细胞恶性生物学行为的机制研究

背景与目的：Musashi1（Msi1）属于RNA结合蛋白家族中的一员，是RNA转录后表达的关键调控者，其是否参与肿瘤的发生、发展，以及具体分子机制仍不十分清楚。探讨沉默Msi1基因对结肠癌HCT116细胞恶性生物学行为的影响及可能的机制。方法：采用慢病毒载体构建稳定低表达Msi1的细胞株，细胞计数试剂盒（cell counting kit-8，CCK-8）实验检测细胞增殖能力，克隆形成实验检测细胞克隆形成能力，流式细胞术（flow cytometry，FCM）检测细胞周期的变化，裸鼠移植瘤模型观察沉默Msi1对裸鼠成瘤的影响。实时荧光定量聚合酶链反应（real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction，RTFQ-PCR）和蛋白质印记法（Western blot）检测沉默Msi1基因后p27基因的mRNA表达和蛋白水平，双荧光素酶实验验证Msi1基因与目的基因p27 3’-非编码区（3’-untranslated region，3’-UTR）的相互作用。结果：沉默Msi1基因后，HCT116细胞的增殖能力显著下降，克隆集落数明显减少，G ₀ /G ₁ 期细胞增多，S期细胞明显减少，裸鼠移植瘤生长明显受到抑制。沉默Msi1基因后p27 mRNA表达未见明显变化，而p27蛋白水平明显上调，双荧光素酶实验证实Msi1基因能与p27 3’-UTR区域直接结合，抑制其翻译。结论：沉默Msi1基因通过靶向上调p27，导致结肠癌HCT116细胞G ₀ /G ₁ 期阻滞，从而抑制肿瘤细胞体内及体外增殖能力。     

Nobiletin and its derivatives overcome multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer: total synthesis and discovery of potent MDR reversal agents

Our recent studies demonstrated that the natural product nobiletin (NOB) served as a promising multidrug resistance (MDR) reversal agent and improved the effectiveness of cancer chemotherapy in vitro. However, low aqueous solubility and difficulty in total synthesis limited its application as a therapeutic agent. To tackle these challenges, NOB was synthesized in a high yield by a concise route of six steps and fourteen derivatives were synthesized with remarkable solubility and efficacy. All the compounds showed improved sensitivity to paclitaxel (PTX) in P-glycoprotein (P-gp) overexpressing MDR cancer cells. Among them, compound 29d exhibited water solubility 280-fold higher than NOB. A drug-resistance A549/T xenograft model showed that 29d, at a dose of 50 mg/kg co-administered with PTX (15 mg/kg), inhibited tumor growth more effective than NOB and remarkably increased PTX concentration in the tumors via P-gp inhibition. Moreover, Western blot experiments revealed that 29d inhibited expression of NRF2, phosphorylated ERK and AKT in MDR cancer cells, thus implying 29d of multiple mechanisms to reverse MDR in lung cancer.     

Recent advances in preclinical in vitro approaches towards quantitative prediction of hepatic clearance and drug-drug interactions involving organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP) 1B transporters

Hepatic uptake mediated by organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP) 1B1 and 1B3 can serve as a major elimination pathway for various anionic drugs and as a site of drug-drug interactions (DDIs). This article provides an overview of the in vitro approaches used to predict human hepatic clearance (CL_h) and the risk of DDIs involving OATP1Bs. On the basis of the so-called extended clearance concept, in vitro–in vivo extrapolation methods using human hepatocytes as in vitro systems have been used to predict the CL_h involving OATP1B-mediated hepatic uptake. CL_h can be quantitatively predicted using human donor lots possessing adequate OATP1B activities. The contribution of OATP1Bs to hepatic uptake can be estimated by the relative activity factor, the relative expression factor, or selective inhibitor approaches, which offer generally consistent outcomes. In OATP1B1 inhibition assays, substantial substrate dependency was observed. The time-dependent inhibition of OATP1B1 was also noted and may be a mechanism underlying the in vitro–in vivo differences in the inhibition constant of cyclosporine A. Although it is still challenging to quantitatively predict CL_h and DDIs involving OATP1Bs from only preclinical data, understanding the utility and limitation of the current in vitro methods will pave the way for better prediction.     

黄连素对人胃癌细胞SGC7901凋亡影响的研究

目的:探讨黄连素对人胃癌细胞SGC7901凋亡的影响。方法:MTS法检测不同浓度的黄连素(100、150、200μmol/L)对胃癌细胞的抑制作用,Hoechst 33258染色检测不同浓度的黄连素(100、150、200μmol/L)对细胞凋亡的影响;Real Time Q-PCR检测胃癌细胞中Cleaved Caspase-3、Bcl-2、Bax的mRNA表达;Western blot检测胃癌细胞中Cleaved Caspase-3、Bcl-2、Bax的蛋白表达。结果:不同浓度的黄连素能显著降低人胃癌细胞SGC701活性(P<0.05,P<0.01),促进其凋亡,升高Cleaved Caspase-3、Bax的mRNA和蛋白表达水平(P<0.05,P<0.01),降低Bcl-2的mRNA和蛋白表达水平(P<0.05,P<0.01)。结论:不同浓度的黄连素可诱导胃癌细胞凋亡,其机制可能与升高Cleaved Caspase-3、Bax的表达,降低Bcl-2的表达有关。