[Comprehensive Quality Assessment of Soil-Maize Heavy Metals in High Geological Background Area].

The aim of this study was to analyze the pollution degree and causes of soil and agricultural products in high geological background areas and to provide a basis for the safe production of agricultural products and the risk control of soil heavy metals. A total of 36 sets of soil-corn collaborative samples were collected in the farming area of Baolong Town, Wushan County, Chongqing City; the contents of heavy metals (Cd, Hg, Pb, As, and Cr) and soil pH in the soil-maize were analyzed, the pollution degree of heavy metals in the soil-maize was evaluated using the Nemerow comprehensive pollution index method (PN) and comprehensive quality impact index (IICQ). The sources of heavy metals in the soil and the influencing factors of heavy metal excess in corn were also analyzed. The results showed that the average value of soil heavy metal content in the study area was higher than the national and Chongqing soil background values, and the soil heavy metal enrichment effect was obvious. Cd was the main factor of soil-maize exceeding the standard, and the overall exceeding rates of soil and corn Cd were 91.67% and 30.55%, respectively. The evaluation results of the Nemerow comprehensive pollution index showed that the soil was dominated by heavy pollution, accounting for 63.89%. The soil-maize comprehensive quality impact index was dominated by moderate and severe pollution, accounting for 44.44% and 47.22%, respectively. From the perspective of the spatial distribution of heavy metal pollution, corn and soil pollution areas were inconsistent. Soil heavy metal pollution was mainly affected by the Permian and Triassic strata and was related to the secondary enrichment of black rock series and limestone areas. The Cd content of maize was mainly affected by soil pH, and maize was relatively safe under alkaline conditions. It is suggested that the soil in the study area should be divided into risk zones according to the stratum distribution, and the planting structure should be adjusted in the high-risk areas. For the low- and medium-risk areas, it is recommended to strengthen the monitoring of agricultural inputs and reduce the input of heavy metals in the soil. Additionally, we recommend carrying out agronomic regulation in acidic soil areas to improve soil acidification, plant corn varieties with low accumulation of heavy metals, and reduce the risk of agricultural products exceeding the standard.

[Source Analysis of Soil Heavy Metals in Agricultural Land Around the Mining Area Based on APCS-MLR Receptor Model and Geostatistical Method].

In order to identify the source of heavy metals in the soil around a mining area and provide effective suggestions for the prevention and control of regional soil pollution, 118 topsoil samples (0-20 cm) were collected in the northern part of Wuli Township, Qianjiang District, Chongqing. The heavy metal (Cd, Hg, Pb, As, Cr, Cu, Zn, and Ni) contents in the soil and soil pH were analyzed, and the spatial distribution and sources of heavy metals in the soil were studied using the geostatistical method and APCS-MLR receptor model. The results showed that the content of heavy metals in the soil was significantly higher than the background value in Chongqing; there was obvious surface accumulation; and Hg, Pb, Cd, As, and Zn showed strong variation. The proportions of soil Cd, Hg, Pb, As, and Zn exceeding the risk screening values were 47.11%, 6.61%, 4.96%, 5.79%, and 7.44%, respectively, and the proportions of soil Cd, Hg, Pb, and As exceeding the risk control values were 0.83%, 4.13%, 0.83%, and 0.83%; thus, the problem of excessive heavy metals in the soil was significant. Soil Cd, As, Cr, Cu, and Ni were mainly affected by soil parent materials, and their contribution rates to the total soil elements were 77.65%, 68.55%, 71.98%, 90.83%, and 82.19%, respectively. Soil Hg, Pb, and Zn were mainly affected by the mining of mercury mines and lead-zinc mines, with the contribution rates of 86.59%, 88.06%, and 91.34%, respectively. In addition, agricultural activities also affected soil Cd and As contents. It is recommended to strengthen the safety monitoring of agricultural products and agricultural inputs, plant varieties with a low accumulation of heavy metals, reduce the use of livestock manure, and grow non-edible agricultural products in areas that exceed the control value of heavy metal pollution risk.

Integrative analysis of the lncRNA-associated ceRNA network reveals lncRNAs as potential prognostic biomarkers in human muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks involved in the development and progression of various cancers, including muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). PURPOSE: This study aims to construct the lncRNA-associated ceRNA network and identify lncRNA signatures correlated with the clinical features of MIBC tissue samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TGCA) database. METHODS: The differential expression profiles of MIBC associated lncRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs were obtained from TCGA. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed to determine the principal functions of significantly dysregulated mRNAs. The dysregulated lncRNA-associated ceRNA network of MIBC was constructed based on the bioinformatics data, and the correlations between lncRNA expression and clinical features were analyzed using a weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA). Six cancer specific lncRNAs from the ceRNA network were randomly selected to detect their expression in 32 paired MIBC tissue samples and 5 bladder cancer cell lines using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). RESULTS: The ceRNA network was constructed with 30 lncRNAs, 13 miRNAs and 32 mRNAs. Seventeen lncRNAs in the ceRNA network correlated with certain clinical features, and only 1 lncRNA (MIR137HG) correlated with the overall survival (OS) of patients with MIBC (log-rank test P<0.05). GO and KEGG analyses revealed roles for the potential mRNA targets of MIR137HG in epithelial cell differentiation and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling pathways. The expression data from TCGA were highly consistent with the verification results of the MIBC tissue samples and bladder cancer cell lines. CONCLUSION: These findings improve our understanding of the regulatory mechanism of the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network and reveal potential lncRNAs as prognostic biomarkers of MIBC.

Cell-penetrating peptide conjugates of gambogic acid enhance the antitumor effect on human bladder cancer EJ cells through ROS-mediated apoptosis.

BACKGROUND: Gambogic acid (GA) is the main active ingredient of resin gamboges and possesses anti-cancer activity toward various human cancer cells. However, clinical application of GA has been limited by its poor aqueous solubility and dose-limiting toxicities. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are widely used to deliver anti-cancer drugs into cancer cells and to enhance the water solubility of drugs. PURPOSE: The object of this study was to synthesize peptide-drug conjugates in which the cell-penetrating peptide TAT (trans-activator of transcription) was conjugated to GA and evaluated the anti-cancer activity of this GA-CPP conjugate (GA-TAT) in EJ bladder cancer cells. METHODS: GA is built onto the TAT, and the GA-TAT conjugates are cleaved from the solid support and purified via HPLC. The equilibrium solubility of GA-TAT was measured using the shake-flask method. The effects of GA-TAT on EJ cell viability and proliferation were determined by MTT assay, Edu assay and colony formation assay, respectively. After treated with 1.0 µM GA-TAT for 24 h, the apoptosis rate of EJ cells were detected by Acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) assay and flow cytometry assay. The proteins of caspase-3 (processing), caspase-9 (processing), Bcl-2 and Bax were analyzed by Western blotting, and the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was evaluated by a reactive oxygen species assay. RESULTS: In contrast to free GA, the solubility of GA-TAT in water was significantly improved. Meanwhile, GA-TAT significantly increased EJ cellular uptake, toxicity and apoptosis. Mechanistic analysis revealed that GA-TAT enhanced the anti-cancer effect of GA against EJ cells through ROS-mediated apoptosis. The results were demonstrated that GA-TAT increased the ROS level in EJ cells, and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC; a well-known ROS scavenger) inhibited GA-TAT-induced ROS generation and apoptosis. Additionally, GA-TAT activated caspase-3 and caspase-9 and down-regulated the Bcl-2/Bax ratio, but these effects were largely rescued by NAC. CONCLUSION: GA-TAT has outstanding potential for promoting tumor apoptosis and exhibits promise for use in bladder cancer therapy.

[MiR-124 suppresses the proliferation of human prostate cancer PC3 cells by targeting PKM2].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism of miR-124 inhibiting the proliferative activity of prostate cancer PC3 cells. METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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). CONCLUSION: miR-124 can suppress the proliferation of PC3 cells by regulating the PKM2 gene.

[Silencing pyruvate kinase M2 sensitizes human prostate cancer PC3 cells to gambogic acid-induced apoptosis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of silencing pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) on gambogic acid (GA)-induced apoptosis of human prostate cancer PC3 cells. METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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). CONCLUSION: 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.

[A comparative study of the effects of Acanthopanacis senticosi injection, theophylline and caffeine on human sperm mobility in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of Acanthopanacis senticosi injection, theophylline and caffeine on human sperm mobility in vitro. METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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). CONCLUSION: Acanthopanacis senticosi injection can activate the mobility of human sperm in vitro.

[A multicenter study of mid urethral sling procedures in treatment of female stress urinary incontinence].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy, surgical indications and postoperative complications of mid urethral sling procedures in treatment of female stress urinary incontinence. METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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. CONCLUSIONS: Mid urethral sling procedures have excellent clinical outcomes in the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence.

[Psychological factors and erectile function in men with refractory chronic prostatitis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the psychological factors and erectile function in patients with refractory chronic prostatitis. METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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. CONCLUSION: Obvious psychological factors exist in patients with refractory chronic prostatitis, which may affect their erectile function.