Prostate-specific Antigen Density Variation Rate as a Potential Guideline Parameter for Second Prostate Cancer Detection Biopsy / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The diagnostic value of current prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests is challenged by the poor detection rate of prostate cancer (PCa) in repeat prostate biopsy. In this study, we proposed a novel PSA-related parameter named PSA density variation rate (PSADVR) and designed a clinical trial to evaluate its potential diagnostic value for detecting PCa on a second prostate biopsy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Data from 184 males who underwent second ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy 6 months after the first biopsy were included in the study. The subjects were divided into PCa and non-PCa groups according to the second biopsy pathological results. Prostate volume, PSA density (PSAD), free-total PSA ratio, and PSADVR were calculated according to corresponding formulas at the second biopsy. These parameters were compared using t-test or Mann-Whitney U-test between PCa and non-PCa groups, and receiver operating characteristic analysis were used to evaluate their predictability on PCa detection.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>PCa was detected in 24 patients on the second biopsy. Mean values of PSA, PSAD, and PSADVR were greater in the PCa group than in the non-PCa group (8.39 μg/L vs. 7.16 μg/L, 0.20 vs. 0.16, 14.15% vs. -1.36%, respectively). PSADVR had the largest area under the curve, with 0.667 sensitivity and 0.824 specificity when the cutoff was 10%. The PCa detection rate was significantly greater in subjects with PSADVR >10% than PSADVR ≤10% (28.6% vs. 6.5%, P< 0.001). In addition, PSADVR was the only parameter in this study that showed a significant correlation with mid-to-high-risk PCa (r = 0.63, P = 0.03).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Our results demonstrated that PSADVR improved the PCa detection rate on second biopsies, especially for mid-to-high-risk cancers requiring prompt treatment.</p>

Chinese medicine single-walled carbon nanotube targeting compound for antitumor therapy: a feasible way? / 中国结合医学杂志

Malignant cancer is the leading cause of death in man, exceeding cerebrovascular disease and heart disease. More than half of the total mortality due to malignant cancer is from lung, liver, intestinal and gastric cancer. Chemotherapy is one of the effective treatments for cancer. However, the great majority of Western anticancer medicines have considerable side effects. Herbal medicines offer many more advantages than synthesized compounds because they are made from purely natural compounds and have less adverse effects. However, the single administration methods used as standard in herbal medicine, and deficient drug targeting, severely limit their anticancer activity. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) can be used as drug carriers. They have been modified to form Chinese anticancer medicine-SWNT compounds which can specifically target tumors, thereby significantly increasing the therapeutic effectiveness of these medicines. Water-soluble SWNTs have high stability. As a drug carrier, SWNTs functional modification of the anticancer medicine may improve the targeting and killing of tumor cells. SWNTs have been attached to the Chinese antitumor medicines paclitaxel and plumbagin and have achieved excellent therapeutic effects. Furthermore, choosing the best administration methods such as internal iliac arterial infusion, intravesical infusion and embedment of a hypodermic chemotherapeutic pump, may also improve the anticancer effects of Chinese medicine.

Correlation of bilateral testicular volume discrepancy with semen parameters in men with varicocele / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the influence of varicocele on the volume discrepancy of bilateral testes, and the relationship between testicular volume discrepancy and semen parameters.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This study included 181 varicocele patients and 102 normal fertile men without varicocele. We retrospectively analyzed their clinical data, including the grades and locations of varicocele, testis volume and semen parameters.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Bilateral testicular volume discrepancy was found in 132 (72.9%) of the varicocele patients (including 117 cases of left testicular hypotrophy [88.6%]), and 35 (34.3%) of the non-varicocele fertile men. The rates of bilateral testicular volume discrepancy were 61.3%, 3.5%, 20.9% and 14.3% in the grade-III, grade-II, grade-I and non-varicocele groups, respectively (P < 0.05), with statistically significant differences among different age groups (P < 0.05). The percentage of morphologically normal sperm and sperm motility were reduced differently with different degrees of testicular volume discrepancy (P <0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Testicular volume discrepancy is more common in men with left varicocele, and its prevalence and degree are correlated with the grade of varicocele. Semen quality decreases with the increase of testicular volume discrepancy.</p>

Prolongation of rat renal allograft survival by recipient-derived immature dendritic cells transfected with IKK2dn gene / 中华器官移植杂志

Objective To investigate the effect and mechanisms of recipient-derived immature dendritic cells(imDC) transfected with IKK2dn and loaded with donor antigen on renal allografts survival in the rats.Methods DC were cultured from recipient rats'(Lewis) bone marrow,transfected with IKK2dn and loaded with donor antigen.The expression of CD86 and MHC Ⅱ was detected,and the ability of DC stimulating lymphocyte proliferation in vitro was measured.Male Brown Norwav rats and Lewis rats were used as donors and recipients respectively.Four groups were set up(DC group,empty transfection group,transfection group and control group),receiving 1×10~7 DC,Adv-0-DC,Adv-IKK2dn-DC loaded with BN antigen,and equal volume of normal saline,respectivelv 7 davs before transplantation.In the third party donor-group,Wistar rats as donors were treated the same as DC;group before transplantation.After transplantation,the T lymphocyte proliferation in reciPients was measured and the expression of serum IL-2 and IFN-γ was detected.The survival time of recipients and the acute reiection were observed.Pathological changes were examined tO identify the grade of rejection.Results DC assessment in vivo revealed that the transfected DC could still express CD86 and MHC Ⅱ in a low level as compared with those not transfected with IKK2dn. After DC were loaded with donor's antigen,the expression of CD86 and MHC Ⅱ was up-regulated.After DC were transfected with IKK2dn before loaded with donor's antigen, the expression of CD86 and MHC Ⅱ had no significant change. When DC were loaded with donor's antigen, its allostimulatory activity of T lymphocyte proliferation was enhanced (P<0. 05). When DC were transfected with IKK2dn before loaded with donor's antigen, its allostimulatory activity of T lymphocyte proliferation was not enhanced. Compared with control groups, IKK2dn-transfected DC pulsed with BN splenocyte lysate markedly prolonged the survival of renal allografts (26. 8±1.76d, P<0.01), and elicited markedly lower proliferative responses and reduced IL-2 and IFN-γ production. The pathological grade of rejection was low in the transfection group. Conclusion Recipient-derived imDC transfected with IKK2dn and loaded with donor splenocyte lysate could prolong the renal allograft survival in rats probably by down-regulating the expression of DC costimulatory molecules and inhibiting the T_H 1 cytokine production.

All-trans retinoic acid enhances bystander effect of suicide-gene therapy against androgen-unresponsive prostate cancer / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the enhancing effect of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) on the bystander effect of the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase(HSV-TK)/ganciclovir (GCV) against androgen unresponsive prostate cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The bystander effect of the HSV-TK/GCV system was measured by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay on PC-3 cells before and after ATRA treatment. The growth and the histopathology of transplant tumors were observed in 4 groups of nude mice with prostate cancer.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>ATRA augmented significantly the bystander effect of the HSV-TK/GCV system by reducing TK positive PC-3 cells from 50% to 30% (P < 0.05). HSV-TK showed an inhibiting effect, while ATRA with the HSV-TK/GCV system produced significant effect on prostate cancer 1 week earlier than the former (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ATRA can argument the in vivo and in vitro bystander effect of the HSV-TK/GCV system in the treatment of androgen unresponsive prostate cancer.</p>

Expressions of eNOS and connexin 43 in the penile tissue of rats with diabetic erectile dysfunction / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expressions of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and connexin 43 (Cx43) in the penile tissue of rats with diabetes mellitus induced erectile dysfunction (DMED) and their correlation with DMED.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>SD rat models of DM were established by intraperitoneal injection of alloxan, and 8 weeks later, apomorphine was administered to induce ED in the DM models. The expressions of eNOS and Cx43 were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Alloxan did not influence the expressions of eNOS mRNA and Cx43 mRNA in the penile tissue. Compared with the DM models, the expression of eNOS mRNA significantly decreased in the DMED group (0.155 +/- 0.157 vs 0.508 +/- 0.242, P < 0.01), while that of Cx43 mRNA markedly increased (0.993 +/- 0.157 vs 0.545 +/- 0.138, P < 0.01), with a negative correlation between the two expressions (r = -0.987). The same results were shown by immunohistochemistry in the penile smooth muscle cells of the DMED rats.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The decrease of eNOS expression in the penile tissue might play a key role in the development of ED in diabetic patients, while the accompanying compensative elevation of the Cx43 level has yet to be further studied.</p>

The mRNA expression of platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor of bladder transitional cell carcinoma and its relation to invasiveness / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the relationship between mRNA expression of platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF) and invasion of bladder transitional cell carcinoma (BTCC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The mRNA expression of PD-ECGF in BTCC was detected by RT-PCR. The target PCR bands were analyzed by NIH Image 1.62 software.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mRNA level of PD-ECGF in BTCC was 3.86 times as high as that of normal bladder mucosa (t = 2.36, P < 0.05). The expression level of stage Ta, T1 and T2-4 tumor was 1.33, 4.02 and 7.59 times as high as that of normal bladder mucosa, respectively. That of Grade 3 tumor was 2.27 times as high as that of Grade 1 - 2 tumor (t = 3.52, P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The mRNA expression of PD-ECGF was positively correlated with the invasiveness and grade of BTCC. The results suggest that the mRNA level of PD-ECGF might be used as an indicator of tumor progression and a guide for clinical treatment of bladder transitional cell carcinoma.</p>

The significance of platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor mRNA expression in superficial bladder cancer / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the mRNA expression of platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF) in superficial bladder cancer and its significance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>PD-ECGF mRNA expressions were determined by RT-PCR in 28 cases of superficial bladder cancers and 6 cases of normal bladder mucosa. The relation between PD-ECGF mRNA expression and tumor invasion to lamina propria or recurrence after transurethral resection was also analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Some degree of PD-ECGF mRNA expression was present in all the samples. The PD-ECGF mRNA level was 3.1-fold higher in pT(1) tumors than in normal bladder mucosa (t = 2.13, P < 0.05) and 2.2-fold higher in pT(1) tumors than in pT(a) tumors (t = 2.66, P < 0.05); G(3) tumors expressed 3.3-fold higher PD-ECGF mRNA than normal bladder mucosa (t = 2.44, P < 0.05) and 2.5-fold higher than G(1 - 2) tumors (t = 3.36, P < 0.01). Eleven cases recurred during the mean follow-up period of 18 months. Three-fold higher PD-ECGF mRNA expression was showed in cases who recurred after transurethral resection than that in cases who did not recur (t = 4.49, P < 0.01). The specificity and sensitivity of predicting tumor recurrence were 82.4% and 81.8% respectively using 0.095 as a cutoff value of PD-ECGF mRNA level in this group of superficial bladder cancer.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>PD-ECGF mRNA expression correlates with tumor dedifferentiation and plays an important role in the early invasion in superficial bladder cancer. To analyze the PD-ECGF mRNA level contributes to the evaluations of tumor differentiation and invasion to lamina propria as well as recurrence prediction in superficial bladder cancer.</p>