Impact of oral anti-hepatitis B therapy on the survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma initially treated with chemoembolization / 癌症

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>Most hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) develop in a background of underlying liver disease including chronic hepatitis B. However, the effect of antiviral therapy on the long-term outcome of patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related HCC treated with chemoembolization is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the survival benefits of anti-HBV therapy after chemoembolization for patients with HBV-related HCC.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 224 HCC patients who successfully underwent chemoembolization were identified, and their survival and other relevant clinical data were reviewed. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were performed to validate possible effects of antiviral treatment on overall survival (OS).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The median survival time (MST) was 15.9 (95% confidence interval [CI], 9.5-27.7) months in the antiviral group and 9.6 (95% CI, 7.8-13.7) months in the non-antiviral group (log-rank test, P = 0.044). Cox multivariate analysis revealed that antiviral treatment was a prognostic factor for OS (P = 0.008). Additionally, a further analysis was based on the stratification of the TNM tumor stages. In the subgroup of early stages, MST was significantly longer in the antiviral-treatment group than in the non-antiviral group (61.8 months [95% CI, 34.8 months to beyond the follow-up period] versus 26.2 [95% CI, 14.5-37.7] months, P = 0.012). Multivariate analysis identified antiviral treatment as a prognostic factor for OS in the early-stage subgroup (P = 0.006). However, in the subgroup of advanced stages, MST of the antiviral-treated group was comparable to that of the non-antiviral group (8.4 [95% CI, 5.2-13.5] months versus 7.4 [95% CI, 5.9-9.3] months, P = 0.219). Multivariate analysis did not indicate that antiviral treatment was a significant prognostic factor in this subgroup.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Antiviral treatment is associated with prolonged OS time after chemoembolization for HCC, especially in patients with early-stage tumors.</p>

Adsorption and sustained release of epirubicin from carbon-coated iron nanocrystals / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the adsorption and desorption of epirubicin (EADM) by carbon-coated iron nanocrystals (CCIN).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>EADM standard curve was generated. After thorough mixture of CCIN and EADM with sonication, the mixture solution was centrifuged at high speed to obtain dissociated EADM for evaluating the adsorption capacity of CCIN. A dialyzer was used to evaluate the desorption of drug-loaded CCIN particles in different media (PBS, normal saline, or distilled water), at different temperatures, and with different quantities of loaded drug.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The adsorption of EADM by CCIN presented linear adsorption before saturation and saturation adsorption, with an adsorption saturation point of about 160 microg/mg. The desorption of EADM from CCIN particles was affected by such factors as the extraction media, temperature, and quantity of the loaded drug. Compared to distilled water, PBS and normal saline improved the release rate of EADM from the drug-loaded CCIN particles. Higher temperature also contributed to higher release rate of EADM. Higher release rate of EADM occurred after the CCIN particles adsorbed greater amount of EADM.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CCIN shows an EADM adsorption pattern of Langmuir isotherm adsorption. Such factors as higher temperature, PBS solution, higher speed of medium replacement, and more drug adsorbed all contribute to a higher release rate of EADM.</p>

Effects of carbon-coated iron nanocrystals combined with epirubicin on HepG-2 cells and its acute toxicity in mice / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the cytotoxicity of carbon-coated iron nanoparticles (CCIN) and epirubicin-loaded CCIN on Hep-G2 cells in vitro and compare the acute toxicities of epirubicin and epirubicin-loaded CCIN in mice.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The cytotoxicities of CCIN and epirubicin-loaded CCIN on HepG2 cells were assessed using MTT assay, and the uptake of CCIN by the tumor cells was observed by optical and electron microscopy. Different doses of epirubicin and equivalent doses of epirubicin-loaded CCIN were injected intravenously in mice to compare their acute toxicities.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Optical and electron microscopy revealed cytoplasmic uptake of CCIN in the tumor cells without obvious destruction of the cell structural integrity. Incubation of the HepG-2 cells with different concentrations of CCIN suspension did not result in significant variation in the mean absorbance. MTT assay showed reduced cytotoxicity of epirubicin-loaded CCIN in HepG2 cells as compared with that of epirubicin alone. The cell growth inhibition rate was significantly higher with epirubicin-CCIN mixture that contained a lower proportion of CCIN. In acute toxicity experiment with mice, the median lethal dose (LD(50)) of epirubicin was 16.9 mg/kg, while that of epirubicin-CCIN mixture was 20.7 mg/kg.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CCIN uptake by HepG-2 cells does not cause obvious cytotoxicity in vitro within a certain concentration range, epirubicin-loaded CCIN has reduced cytotoxicity against HepG2 cells as compared with epirubicin, and the cytotoxicity of the mixture decreases with the increase in the CCIN content in the mixture. Epirubicin delivery in mixture with CCIN can reduce its acute toxicity in mice.</p>

Acute toxicity of carbon-coated iron nanocrystal and its effect on liver and kidney functions and hematological system / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the acute toxicity of carbon-coated iron nanocrystal (CCIN) in mice and its effects on hepatic, renal and hematological functions.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Acute toxicity of CCIN was evaluated by observing the toxic reactions in mice within 14 days following intravenous injection of different doses of CCIN particles. The liver and kidney functions and blood chemistry were tested in rats before and at different time points after CCIN injection.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The median lethal dose (LD(50)) of CCIN particles given by intravenous injection was 203.8 mg /kg in mice. Within the intravenous dose of 80 mg /kg injection, CCIN caused only mild alterations of the rats' biochemical and hematological indices that recovered without intervention in two weeks.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CCIN is characterized by low acute toxicity and mild side effects on the hepatic, renal and hematological functions within a certain dose range.</p>