Cardioprotective effects of sinomenine in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in a rat model

BackgroundIschemia reperfusion (I/R) play an imperative role in the expansion of cardiovascular disease. Sinomenine (SM) has been exhibited to possess antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and anticarcinogenic properties. The aim of the study was scrutinized the cardioprotective effect of SM against I/R injury in rat.MethodsRat were randomly divided into normal control (NC), I/R control and I/R + SM (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg), respectively. Ventricular arrhythmias, body weight and heart weight were estimated. Antioxidant, inflammatory cytokines, inflammatory mediators and plasmin system indicator were accessed.ResultsPre-treated SM group rats exhibited the reduction in the duration and incidence of ventricular fibrillation, ventricular ectopic beat (VEB) and ventricular tachycardia along with suppression of arrhythmia score during the ischemia (30 and 120 min). SM treated rats significantly (P < 0.001) altered the level of antioxidant parameters. SM treatment significantly (P < 0.001) repressed the level of creatine kinase MB (CK-MB), creatine kinase (CK) and troponin I (Tnl). SM treated rats significantly (P < 0.001) repressed the tissue factor (TF), thromboxane B2 (TXB2), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) and plasma fibrinogen (Fbg) and inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory mediators.ConclusionOur result clearly indicated that SM plays anti-arrhythmia effect in I/R injury in the rats via alteration of oxidative stress and inflammatory reaction.     

28例原发性卵黄囊瘤患者的CT表现分析

目的分析28例原发性卵黄囊瘤(YST)患者的CT表现。方法选择2015年2月至2019年12月收治的28例YST患者的临床资料进行回顾性分析,8例YST患者入院后均予以CT检查,然后对患者的CT影像学特征和临床资料数据进行分析比较。结果本研究中28例YST患者肿瘤位于性腺的有17例(60.71%),其中位于睾丸、卵巢处的分别有7例、10例,占比分别为60.71%、41.18%,均为单侧发病;9例(39.29%)位于性腺外,其中位于骶尾部、前纵隔、阴道的分别有6例、2例、1例,占比分别为66.67%、22.22%、11.11%。CT检测可见肿瘤"浅分叶",且呈"椭网形",18例(64.29%)肿瘤边界较为清晰,9例(32.14%)呈"深分叶状"形态不规则;8例(28.57%)边界模糊,肿瘤大小分析可见,肿瘤位于前纵隔、卵巢的相对较大,位于阴道、睾丸、骶尾部的相对较小。28例YST患者中,单纯型21例YST(75.00%),混合型7例(25.00%)。结论原发性卵黄囊瘤进行CT检测尤为重要,其CT表现具有一定特征性,可为临床治疗提供一定的依据。     

中医药预防结直肠癌术后复发转移的临床研究述评＊

对于结直肠癌患者，术后复发转移是导致其死亡的主要原因。大量研究显示中医药在结直肠癌复发转移的预防方面有着良好疗效。本文从临床研究入手，针对疾病不同分期，从结直肠癌术后辨证分型的临床研究及中医药预防结直肠癌复发转移的临床试验研究两方面展开论述，发现问题并给出未来临床研究方向的建议。本文旨在为结直肠癌术后复发转移中医药预防的临床研究提供思路和方法，把控好中医药在结直肠癌全过程防治中关键环节，更好地继承发扬中医药在“治未病”中的独特优势。     

基于TCGA数据库挖掘甲状腺乳头状癌淋巴结转移相关的突变基因及其机制探讨北大核心

目的:挖掘并筛选与甲状腺乳头状癌(papillary thyroid carcinoma,PTC)淋巴结转移相关的突变基因及其潜在的机制。方法:从TCGA数据库获得377例PTC患者的测序数据及完整的临床资料,并分为淋巴结转移组(LM,n=212)与无淋巴结转移组(NLM,n=165)。利用R语言(v3.6.2)对转移组特有的突变基因进行富集分析。采用String在线软件绘制蛋白互作网络,Cytoscape软件筛选网络中的核心基因。在UALCAN网站上验证基因表达量与淋巴结转移之间的关系。利用荧光实时定量PCR测定候选基因在细胞系中mRNA的表达量。结果:一共筛选出1197个仅在LM组发生突变的基因,它们主要富集在黏着连接、细胞黏附分子(cell adhesion molecules,CAMs)通路。CAMs通路的核心基因ITGB1与VCAN的表达量与淋巴结转移相关。与正常甲状腺细胞系相比,VCAN基因在PTC细胞系TPC-1和B-CPAP中mRNA的表达量较高,尤其是B-CPAP细胞系。结论:CAMs通路可能是PTC淋巴结转移相关机制之一,其中VCAN基因可能是潜在的分子标志物。     

Role of site-directed mutagenesis and adjuvants in the stability and potency of anthrax protective antigen

Anthrax is a zoonotic infection caused by the gram-positive, aerobic, spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Depending on the origin of the infection, serious health problems or mortality is possible. The virulence of B. anthracis is reliant on three pathogenic factors, which are secreted upon infection: protective antigen (PA), lethal factor (LF), and edema factor (EF). Systemic illness results from LF and EF entering cells through the formation of a complex with the heptameric form of PA, bound to the membrane of infected cells through its receptor. The currently available anthrax vaccines have multiple drawbacks, and recombinant PA is considered a promising second-generation vaccine candidate. However, the inherent chemical instability of PA through Asn deamidation at multiple sites prevents its use after long-term storage owing to loss of potency. Moreover, there is a distinct possibility of B. anthracis being used as a bioweapon; thus, the developed vaccine should remain efficacious and stable over the long-term. Second-generation anthrax vaccines with appropriate adjuvant formulations for enhanced immunogenicity and safety are desired. In this article, using protein engineering approaches, we have reviewed the stabilization of anthrax vaccine candidates that are currently licensed or under preclinical and clinical trials. We have also proposed a formulation to enhance recombinant PA vaccine potency via adjuvant formulation.     

Immunotherapy: A new standard in the treatment of metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Renal cell cancer (RCC) represents 2%-3% of all adulthood cancers and is the most common malignant neoplasm of the kidney (90%). In the mid-nineties of the last century, the standard of treatment for patients with metastatic RCC was cytokines. Sunititib and pazopanib were registered in 2007 and 2009, respectively, and have since been the standard first-line treatment for metastatic clear cell RCC (mccRCC). Renal cell cancer is a highly immunogenic tumor with tumor infiltrating cells, including CD8+ T lymphocytes, dendritic cells, natural killer cells (NK) and macrophages. This observation led to the design of new clinical trials in which patients were treated with immunotherapy. With the growing evidence that proangiogenic factors can have immunomodulatory effects on the host’s immune system, the idea of combining angiogenic drugs with immunotherapy has emerged, and new clinical trials have been designed. In the last few years, several therapeutic options have been approved [immunotherapy and immunotherapy/tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI)] for the first-line treatment of mccRCC. Nivolumab/ipilimumab is approved for the treatment of patients with intermediate and poor prognoses. Several checkpoint inhibitors (pembrolizumab, nivolumab, avelumab) in combination with TKI (axitinib, lenvatinib, cabozantinib) are approved for the treatment of patients regardless of their International mRCC Database Consortium prognostic group and PD-L1 expression. There is no specific and ideal biomarker that could help in selecting the ideal patient for the appropriate first-line treatment.     

Pulmonary metastases in urogenital cancers: Surgical treatment and outcomes

IntroductionMetastasis is remaining one of the major problems in cancer treatment. Like many other malignancies, urogenital tumors originating from kidney, prostate, testes, and bladder tend to metastasize to the lungs.The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate the operative results and prognosis of pulmonary metastasectomy in patients with primary urogenital tumors.MethodsThis study was approved by the local ethical committee. We retrospectively analyzed the surgical and oncological results of patients who underwent lung resections for urogenital cancer metastases in our department between 2002 and 2018. Demographic data and clinicopathological features were extracted from the medical records. Survival outcomes according to cancer subtypes and early postoperative results of VATS and thoracotomy were analyzed.Results22 out of 126 patients referred for pulmonary metastasectomy to our department had metastases from urogenital tumors. These patients consisted of 17 males and five females. Their metastasis originated from renal cell carcinoma (RCC; n = 9), bladder tumor (n = 7), testis tumors (n = 4), and prostate cancer (n = 2). There was no intraoperative complication. Postoperative complications were seen in 2 patients.ConclusionsAlthough pulmonary metastasectomy in various types of tumors is well known and documented, the data is limited for metastases of urogenital cancers in the literature. Despite the limitations of this study, we aim to document our promising results of pulmonary metastasectomy in patients with primary urogenital tumors and wanted to emphasize the role of minimally invasive approaches.