MiR-124 suppresses the proliferation of human prostate cancer PC3 cells by targeting PKM2 / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the mechanism of miR-124 inhibiting the proliferative activity of prostate cancer PC3 cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Luciferase reporter gene assay was used to examine the specific binding ability of miR-124 to PKM2 mRNA 3'-UTR. After miR-124 was transfected mimic to PC3 cells, the expression levels of PKM2 mRNA and protein were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot, respectively. The effects of miR-124 mimic and PKM2 siRNA on the proliferative activity of the PC3 cells were determined by MTT assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expressions of PKM2 mRNA and protein were upregulated (5.12 +/- 0.35) times and (4.05 +/- 0.20) times respectively in the PC3 cells as compared with those in the RWPE-1 cells (P < 0.05). Luciferase reporter gene assay demonstrated that miR-124 targeted PKM2 3'-UTR. At 24 hours after transfection with miR-124 mimic, the PKM2 protein expression in the PC3 cells was downregulated (0.16 +/- 0.04) times (P < 0.05), while the PKM2 mRNA level was not changed significantly (P > 0.05), as compared with the control group. MTT assay showed that both miRNA-124 mimic and PKM2 siRNA could inhibit the proliferation of the PC3 cells, but the former exhibited a greater inhibitory effect than the latter. After transfection with miR-124 mimic and PKM2 siRNA, the cell growth rates were (66.20 +/- 5.10)% vs (82.10 +/- 6.35)% at 24 hours (P < 0.05) and (49.34 +/- 2.37)% vs (70.10 +/- 5.80)% at 48 hours (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>miR-124 can suppress the proliferation of PC3 cells by regulating the PKM2 gene.</p>

Silencing pyruvate kinase M2 sensitizes human prostate cancer PC3 cells to gambogic acid-induced apoptosis / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of silencing pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) on gambogic acid (GA)-induced apoptosis of human prostate cancer PC3 cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Three specific PKM2 siRNAs and one negative control siRNA (si-NC) were transfected into PC3 cells. The silencing effect of PKM2 siRNAs was determined by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot, and the effects of PKM2 siRNA on the vitality and apoptosis of GA-stimulated PC3 cells detected by MTT and AO/EB double staining, respectively. The mRNA and protein levels of c-myc and cyclin D1 were analyzed by qRT-PCR and Western blot, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All the 3 PKM2 siRNAs effectively reduced the mRNA and protein expressions of PKM2, and PKM2 siRNA-1 exhibited the strongest silencing effect. At 24 h after transfection, the expression levels of PKM2 mRNA and protein were reduced by 70% and 85%, respectively (P < 0.05). Twenty-four hours of treatment with GA (0.5 micromol/L) following transfection with PKM2 siRNA-1 inhibited the vitality of the PC3 cells by 68%, increased their apoptosis, and significantly down-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of c-myc (50% and 35%) and cyclin D1 (60% and 20%) (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Inhibition of PKM2 sensitized PC3 cells to GA-induced apoptosis, suggesting that PKM2 may be a potential therapeutic target for sensitizing human prostate cancer to GA.</p>

A comparative study of the effects of Acanthopanacis senticosi injection, theophylline and caffeine on human sperm mobility in vitro / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the effect of Acanthopanacis senticosi injection, theophylline and caffeine on human sperm mobility in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We incubated the sperm aseptically obtained by masturbation from 12 asthenospermia men and treated by swim-up technique in Acanthopanacis senticosi injection (10 g/L), theophylline (3 mmol/L) and caffeine (7 mmol/L) respectively, and detected various sperm parameters with the computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) system at 0 h, 1 h and 3 h.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Acanthopanacis senticosi injection significantly increased sperm motility, the percentage of progressive motile sperm, straight line velocity (VSL) and curvilinear velocity (VCL) as compared with theophylline and caffeine (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acanthopanacis senticosi injection can activate the mobility of human sperm in vitro.</p>

Psychological factors and erectile function in men with refractory chronic prostatitis / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the psychological factors and erectile function in patients with refractory chronic prostatitis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We obtained and compared the scores on the NIH scales of chronic prostatitis symptoms, anxiety, depression and erectile function among 232 refractory and medical chronic prostatitis patients who had never received any psychotherapy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>No significant differences were observed in the scores on chronic prostatitis symptoms between the refractory and the medical chronic prostatitis groups, while the scores on anxiety and depression were significantly higher and that on erectile function significantly lower in the refractory than in the medical group (P < 0.01), with a negative correlation between the scores on the former two items and that on the latter.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Obvious psychological factors exist in patients with refractory chronic prostatitis, which may affect their erectile function.</p>

A multicenter study of mid urethral sling procedures in treatment of female stress urinary incontinence / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the clinical efficacy, surgical indications and postoperative complications of mid urethral sling procedures in treatment of female stress urinary incontinence.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A multicenter clinical trial was conducted from April 2002 to April 2008 in five hospitals, 304 cases of genuine stress urinary incontinence and 8 cases of mixed incontinence were included. TVT procedures were carried out in 134 patients, TVTO procedures in 167 patients, Monarc procedures in 11 patients. Perioperative evaluations included: operating time, bleeding volume, and perioperative complications. Operative efficacy was classified into three categories: cure, improved and failure and evaluated before discharge, 3 months after surgery and then every year.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>TVT group had longer operating time [(18.5 + or - 9.6) min] and more bleeding volume [(32.2 + or - 12.6) ml] than those in TVTO group [(11.5 + or - 3.1) min, (12.8 + or - 8.5) ml] and in Monarc group [(11.1 + or - 2.6) min, (12.3 + or - 3.5) ml] with P < 0.05. Monarc and TVTO procedures had higher cure rates and improve rates comparing with TVT, but the differences were of no significance. The cure rate (95.7%) in patients with genuine stress incontinence were significantly higher than that in patients with mixed incontinence (37.5%). No significant differences of total intra- and postoperative complications were noted for all of the three procedures. However, bladder injury tended to occur in TVT group and obturator nerve injury and vaginal injury tended to occur in TVTO group. Transient voiding dysfunction and urinary retention were the most common complications.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Mid urethral sling procedures have excellent clinical outcomes in the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence.</p>