Promotion effect of FOXCUT as a microRNA sponge for miR-24-3p on progression in triple-negative breast cancer through the p38 MAPK signaling pathway / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a type of highly invasive breast cancer with a poor prognosis. According to new research, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a significant role in the progression of cancer. Although the role of lncRNAs in breast cancer has been well reported, few studies have focused on TNBC. This study aimed to explore the biological function and clinical significance of forkhead box C1 promoter upstream transcript (FOXCUT) in triple-negative breast cancer.@*METHODS@#Based on a bioinformatic analysis of the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database, we detected that the lncRNA FOXCUT was overexpressed in TNBC tissues, which was further validated in an external cohort of tissues from the General Surgery Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. The functions of FOXCUT in proliferation, migration, and invasion were detected in vitro or in vivo. Luciferase assays and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) were performed to reveal that FOXCUT acted as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for the microRNA miR-24-3p and consequently inhibited the degradation of p38.@*RESULTS@#lncRNA FOXCUT was markedly highly expressed in breast cancer, which was associated with poor prognosis in some cases. Knockdown of FOXCUT significantly inhibited cancer growth and metastasis in vitro or in vivo. Mechanistically, FOXCUT competitively bounded to miR-24-3p to prevent the degradation of p38, which might act as an oncogene in breast cancer.@*CONCLUSION@#Collectively, this research revealed a novel FOXCUT/miR-24-3p/p38 axis that affected breast cancer progression and suggested that the lncRNA FOXCUT could be a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for breast cancer.

Analysis of the epidemiological characteristics of new occupational pneumoconiosis in Jiangxi Province, 2010-2019 / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of new occupational pneumoconiosis(hereinafter referred to as pneumoconiosis) in Jiangxi Province from 2010 to 2019. METHODS: The data of new pneumoconiosis cases in Jiangxi Province from 2010 to 2019 were collected through the Occupational Disease and Occupational Disease Health Information Monitoring Subsystem in the China Disease Prevention and Control Information System, and a retrospective analysis was conducted. RESULTS: From 2010 to 2019, there were 4 450 new cases of pneumoconiosis in Jiangxi Province. Among these cases, the main disease types were coal workers′ pneumoconiosis and silicosis, accounting for 98.5%. The number of new cases of pneumoconiosis showed a decreasing trend with the increase of years for the last ten years(P<0.05). The median age and the 0 th-100 th percentile [M(P_0-P_(100))] of new-onset pneumoconiosis diagnosis was 56.6(34.0-97.0) years old. The service length M(P_0-P_(100)) with dust-exposure was 12.0(1.0-48.0) years. The main industry of the new pneumoconiosis cases was concentrated in the coal mining and washing industry(63.4%). The distribution of economic types of enterprises with new pneumoconiosis cases was mainly state-owned enterprises(70.0%). The enterprise scale was medium-sized and small enterprises(65.9% in total). The types of work were mainly coal blenders, rock drillers, and coal miners, accounting for 56.5%. CONCLUSION: The incidence of occupational pneumoconiosis in Jiangxi Province is not optimistic. It is necessary to strengthen the prevention and control of occupational diseases on workers exposed to dust in key industries, enterprises and types of work.

A novel mouse model of human breast cancer stem-like cells with high CD44+CD24-/lower phenotype metastasis to human bone / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>A satisfactory animal model of breast cancer metastasizing to bone is unavailable. In this study, we used human breast cancer stem-like cells and human bone to build a novel "human-source" model of human breast cancer skeletal metastasis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Human breast cancer stem-like cells, the CD44+/CD24-/lower subpopulation, was separated and cultured. Before injection with the stem-like cells, mice were implanted with human bone in the right or left dorsal flanks. Animals in Groups A, B, and C were injected with 1 x 10(5), 1 x 10(6) human breast cancer stem-like cells, and 1 x 10(6) parental MDA-MB-231 cells, respectively. A positive control group (D) without implantation of human bone was also injected with 1 x 10(6) MDA-MB-231 cells. Immunohistochemistry was performed for determination of CD34, CD105, smooth muscle antibody, CD44, CD24, cytokine, CXC chemokine receptor-4 (CXCR4), and osteopontin (OPN). mRNA levels of CD44, CD24, CXCR4, and OPN in bone metastasis tissues were analyzed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Our results demonstrated that cells in implanted human bones of group B, which received 1 x 10(6) cancer stem-like cells, stained strongly positive for CD44, CXCR4, and OPN, whereas those of other groups showed no or minimum staining. Moreover, group B had the highest incidence of human bone metastasis (77.8%, P = 0.0230) and no accompaniment of other tissue metastasis. The real-time PCR showed an increase of CD44, CXCR4, and OPN mRNA in metastatic bone tissues in group B compared with those of groups C and D, however the expression of CD24 mRNA in group B were the lowest.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>In the novel "human source" model of breast cancer, breast cancer stem-like cells demonstrated a higher human bone-seeking ability. Its mechanism might be related to the higher expressions of CD44, CXCR4, and OPN, and the lower expression of CD24 in breast cancer stem-like cells.</p>

The study on sentinel lymphatic channels by using methylene blue in breast cancer patients / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore why sentinel lymph node biopsies (SLNB) produce false negative results in breast cancer patients by studying the anatomical origin of sentinel lymphatic channels (SLCs), as well as the relationship between SLCs and sentinel lymph node (SLN).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty-two breast cancer patients consenting to modified radical mastectomies were marked by exit angle (theta(e)) preoperatively and were injected with 3 ml of methylene blue (MB) into the inner edge of the areolae under general anesthesia. SLCs were carefully dissected to retain connections between the areolae and SLN to define the direction, route and number of SLCs and their relationship with the SLN.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>SLCs and SLN were identified in 52 cases (83.87%) successfully. In 49 of these 52 cases (94.23%) the SLCs exited from the areolae and terminated in axilla with an theta(e) = 31 degrees - 90 degrees , and in 36 of 52 cases (69.23%) with an theta(e) = 61 degrees - 90 degrees . The majority of the time, one SLN was identified (92.31%, n = 48) with two identified SLNs occurring only 7.69% (n = 4) of the time. There were three patterns of connectivity: 1) Two SLCs could connect to one SLN separately; 2) One SLC could divide into several branches before or after entering axilla, which ultimately connected to one SLN; or 3) One SLC could divide into two branches before entering axilla, which connected to one SLN separately and these two SLNs could be located in different parts of axilla. No false negative or false positive was demonstrated by pathological analysis of SLN which was identified according to SLCs.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>No evidence showed that the mechanism of axillary lymph node metastasis is skip metastasis. We conclude that false negative results from SLNB seems to be associated with the technique used, which may be caused by the incomplete knowledge of the anatomical relationship between SLCs and SLN.</p>

Expression of tyrosine kinase Syk in breast cancer and their clinical significance / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the effects of the Syk mRNA expression in human breast cancer on tumor growth and metastasis, and to study the correlation of expression of the Syk gene with ER, PR, p53 and HER2/neu.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Specimens from 40 breast cancer patients (tumor tissues, adjacent normal tissues), 15 fibroadenoma were detected for their expression of the Syk gene and level of Syk mRNA by semi-RT-PCR technique. Meanwhile, ER, PR, p53, HER2/neu were detected in 40 tumor tissues from breast cancer with immunohistochemical staining.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All normal breast tissues were detected the expression of the Syk gene. Unlike normal breast tissue, 31 out of 40 breast cancer tissue did not show any detectable Syk mRNA expression, there were significant difference in two groups (chi(2) = 47.4, P < 0.05). The level of Syk mRNA in the primary breast cancer tissues were significantly lower than that in the adjacent non-cancerous breast tissues (t = 3.41, P < 0.05). Furthermore, only one breast cancer tissue in 18 patients with lymph node metastasis had the Syk mRNA expression, the rate and level of Syk mRNA expression in the patients with lymph node metastasis were lower than those without lymph node metastasis (chi(2) = 3.77, P < 0.05, t = 2.74, P < 0.05). Syk expression was correlated to p53 expression.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The expression of the Syk gene may play an important role in suppressing growth and metastasis of breast cancer.</p>

Optimal effects of liposome on antisense oligodeoxynucleotides uptake by mouse breast cancer TM40D cells and the effects of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides targeting c-erbB-2 on cell proliferation and apoptosis / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the optimal effects of liposome on antisense oligodeoxynucleotides targeting c-erbB-2 uptake by mouse breast cancer TM40D cells and effects of AS-ODNs on cell proliferation and apoptosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Flow cytometric analysis and fluorescence microscope were used to study the transfection ratio of AS-ODNs in mouse breast cancer TM40D cells with/without liposome in 1, 2, 4, 6 hour and the distribution of AS-ODNs in cells. the effects of ODNs on cell proliferation and activation of apoptosis were examined by MTT assay and flow cytometry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Liposome could promote AS-ODNs uptake by mouse breast cancer TM40D cells, flow cytometric analysis revealed that the time of the optimal effects was 4 hours and the percentage of FAM-positive cells reached 72.23%; the ratio maintained at a relatively high level at 6 h. Also liposome facilitated the entrance of AS-ODNs into nucleus. AS-ODNs restrained the proliferation of mouse breast cancer TM40D cells, and restraint rate was 50.24%. Meanwhile AS-ODNs promoted cell apoptosis. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that antisense ODNs increased cell apoptosis by 38.50%, compared with cultured cells group 9.13% and liposome group 9.29%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Liposome could facilitate AS-ODNs to enter cells and their nucleus. AS-ODNs of C-erbB-2 restrained the proliferation of mouse breast cancer TM40D cells and promoted apoptosis.</p>