In vitro cytotoxicity of curcuminoids against head and neck cancer HNO97 cell line / Citotoxicidade in vitro de curcuminoides contra a linhagem de células HNO97 de câncer de cabeça e pescoço

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a malignant tumour of Head and Neck Cancer (HNC). The recent therapeutic approaches used to treat cancer have adverse side effects. The natural agents exhibiting anticancer activities are generally considered to have a robust therapeutic potential. Curcuminoids, one of the major active compounds of the turmeric herb, are used as a therapeutic agent for several diseases including cancer. In this study, the cytotoxicity of curcuminoids was investigated against OSCC cell line HNO97. Our data showed that curcuminoids significantly inhibits the proliferation of HNO97 in a time and dose-dependent manner (IC50=35 μM). Cell cycle analysis demonstrated that curcuminoids increased the percentage of G2/M phase cell populations in the treated groups. Treating HNO97 cells with curcuminoids led to cell shrinking and increased detached cells, which are the typical appearance of apoptotic cells. Moreover, flow cytometry analysis revealed that curcuminoids significantly induced apoptosis in a time-dependent manner. Furthermore, as a response to curcuminoids treatment, comet tails were formed in cell nuclei due to the induction of DNA damage. Curcuminoids treatment reduced the colony formation capacity of HNO97 cells and induced morphological changes. Overall, these findings demonstrate that curcuminoids can in vitro inhibit HNC proliferation and metastasis and induce apoptosis.

O carcinoma de células escamosas oral (OSCC) é um tumor maligno do câncer de cabeça e pescoço (HNC). As recentes abordagens terapêuticas usadas para tratar o câncer têm efeitos colaterais adversos. Os agentes naturais que exibem atividades anticâncer são geralmente considerados como tendo um potencial terapêutico robusto. Curcuminoides, um dos principais compostos ativos da erva cúrcuma, são usados como agente terapêutico para várias doenças, incluindo câncer. Neste estudo, a citotoxicidade dos curcuminoides foi investigada contra a linha de células OSCC HNO97. Nossos dados mostraram que os curcuminoides inibem significativamente a proliferação de HNO97 de forma dependente do tempo e da dose (IC50 = 35 μM). A análise do ciclo celular demonstrou que os curcuminoides aumentaram a porcentagem de populações de células da fase G2 / M nos grupos tratados. O tratamento das células HNO97 com curcuminoides levou ao encolhimento celular e ao aumento das células destacadas, que são a aparência típica das células apoptóticas. Além disso, a análise de citometria de fluxo revelou que os curcuminoides induziram significativamente a apoptose de uma maneira dependente do tempo. Além disso, em resposta ao tratamento com curcuminoides, caudas de cometa foram formadas nos núcleos das células devido à indução de danos ao DNA. O tratamento com curcuminoides reduziu a capacidade de formação de colônias das células HNO97 e induziu alterações morfológicas. No geral, esses achados demonstram que os curcuminoides podem inibir in vitro a proliferação e metástase de HNC e induzir apoptose.

Analysis of etiological characteristics and establishment of prediction model of postoperative infections in patients undergoing oral squamous cell carcinoma surgery with free flap reconstruction / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the characteristics of pathogen infection and to establish a prediction model of infections in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients undergoing surgery with free flap reconstruction.@*METHODS@#The retrospective cohort study consisted of 1 596 patients undergoing tumor resection and free flap reconstruction for oral squamous cell carcinoma from January 2018 to December 2020. According to the postoperative infection, the patients were divided into the infected group (n=154) and non-infected group (n=1 442). The characteristics of pathogens were analyzed in the infected patients. The primary outcome variable was postoperative infection, and Logistic regression was used to determine risk factors of the infection. The prediction model was established and the discriminatory accuracy of the model was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.@*RESULTS@#Totally 154 cases were infected in the 1 596 cases undergoing surgery with free flap reconstruction, and the infection rate was 9.65%. The most frequent sites of infection were the surgical wound and respiratory tract. A total of 268 pathogens were isolated and cultured, including 240 strains of Gram-negative bacteria, accounting for 89.55%, mainly Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae; 23 strains of Gram-positive bacteria, accounting for 8.58%, mainly Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus; and 5 strains of fungi, accounting for 1.87%. The isolated Pseudomonas aeruginosa had high resistant rate to imipenem and meropenem, and was sensitive to antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin. The isolated Staphylococcus aureus had high resistant rate to erythromycin and clindamycin, and was sensitive to vancomycin. According to the multivariate Logistic analysis, four independent variables were significantly associated with an increased risk of postoperative infection (P < 0.05): clinical N category≥1, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade ≥2, tracheotomy and length of hospital stay >13 d. The prediction model was established based on these factors and the expression of the risk prediction model was as follows: predicted probability value P=1/(1+e-a), a=-0.803+0.674×(clinical N category ≥1)+0.518×(the ASA grade ≥2)+0.918×(tracheotomy)+1.581×(length of hospital stay >13 d), Hosmer-Lemeshow χ2=10.647, P=0.223, the degree of fitting of the model was good. The area under the ROC curve was 0.818 and 95%CI of the model for predicting infection was 0.789-0.846.@*CONCLUSION@#Oral squamous cell carcinoma patients undergoing surgery with free flap reconstruction are prone to have a high incidence of postoperative infection and Gram-negative bacteria are the main pathogens causing an infection. The established prediction model is of good predictive effect. Rational antimicrobial use coupled with awareness of infection control measures is paramount to reduce the incidence of postoperative infection in the oral squamous cell carcinoma patients undergoing surgery with free flap reconstruction.

Carcinoma de células escamosas de la lengua / Squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue

Las neoplasias de la lengua son los tumores más comunes de la cavidad bucal y la mayoría pertenecen a carcinomas de células escamosas. Presentamos dos casos de carcinomas de la lengua, correspondientes a un carcinoma escamoso moderadamente diferenciado y un carcinoma verrugoso, en mujeres de mediana edad con factores de riesgo oncogénicos. Estos tumores pueden tener diversos grados de diferenciación, los cuales determinan su pronóstico y tratamiento.

Tongue neoplasms are the most common in the oral cavity, and the majority correspond to squamous cell carcinomas. We present two cases of tongue carcinomas, corresponding to moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma and verrucous carcinoma, in middle-aged women with oncogenic risk factors.These tumors can have various degrees of differentiation, which determine their prognosis and treatment.

Effect of ethanol extracts of Antrodia cinnamomea on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell line

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors. Ethanol extract of Antrodia cinnamomea (EEA) has been widely studied for its health benefits including anticancer effects. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of EEA on HNSCC. Cell proliferation, transwell, and wound healing assays were performed. The impact of EEA on tumor growth was investigated using a xenograft model. Expressions of migration-related proteins (MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2) and apoptosis-related proteins (cleaved caspase-9 and cleaved PARP) were determined using western blot analysis. The results indicated that EEA significantly inhibited the capacities of proliferation, invasion, and migration of HNSCC cells in a dose-dependent manner. Cleaved caspase-9 and cleaved PARP expressions were increased in cells treated with an increasing concentration of EEA, which suggested that EEA induced apoptosis of HNSCC. MMP-2 and MMP-9 were downregulated when cells were administered EEA, while TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were not affected, which uncovered the mechanisms mediating the EEA-induced inhibition on cell invasion and migration. The animal experiment also suggested that EEA inhibited tumor growth. Our study confirmed the inhibitive effects of EEA on cell proliferation, invasion, and migration of HNSCC in vitro and in vivo, providing the basis for further study of the application of EEA as an effective candidate for cancer treatment.