Safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of a soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator, HEC95468, in healthy volunteers: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled phase 1 trial.

Heart failure is the most costly cardiovascular disorder. New treatments are urgently needed. This study aims to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamic profile of HEC95468, a soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator, in healthy volunteers. Sixty-two, eighteen, and forty-eight participants were enrolled in the single ascending dose (SAD) study, the food effect (FE) study, and the multiple ascending dose (MAD) study, respectively. The study conforms to good clinical practice and the Declaration of Helsinki. Overall, HEC95468 was safe and tolerable; a higher proportion of HEC95468-treated participants reported mild headaches, dizziness, decreased blood pressure, increased heart rate, and gastrointestinal-related treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), similar to the sGC stimulators riociguat and vericiguat. In terms of pharmacokinetic parameters, the maximum observed plasma concentration (Cmax) and the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC0-t) were dose-proportional over the dose range. Moderate accumulation was observed after multiple administrations of HEC95468. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure decreased, while 3',5'-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) concentration in plasma increased and heart rate was induced. Vasoactive hormones (renin, angiotensin II, and norepinephrine) in plasma were compensatorily elevated after oral administration. These data supported further clinical trials of HEC95468 in the treatment of heart failure and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Systematic Review Registration: http://www.chinadrugtrials.org.cn, identifier CTR20210064.

Bufalin induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in gallbladder carcinoma cells.

Bufalin, a major digoxin-like immunoreactive component of the Chinese medicine Chan Su, has been shown to exert a potential for anticancer activity against various human cancer cell lines in vitro. However, no detailed studies have so far been reported on its action on human gallbladder carcinoma cells. In this study, bufalin remarkably inhibited growth in human gallbladder cancer cells by decreasing cell proliferation, inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Bufalin also disrupted the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and regulated the expression of cell cycle and apoptosis regulatory molecules. Activation of caspase-9 and the subsequent activation of caspase-3 indicated that bufalin may be inducing mitochondria apoptosis pathways. Intraperitoneal injection of bufalin for 3 weeks significantly inhibited the growth of gallbladder carcinoma (GBC-SD) xenografts in athymic nude mice. Taken together, the results indicate that bufalin may be a potential agent for the treatment of gallbladder cancer.

Effects of oxymatrine on the apoptosis and proliferation of gallbladder cancer cells.

Gallbladder carcinoma is the most common malignancy of the biliary tract and is associated with a very poor outcome. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of oxymatrine (OM) on gallbladder cancer cells and the possible mechanism of its effects. The effects of OM on the proliferation of gallbladder cancer cells (GBC-SD and SGC-996) were investigated using cell counting kit-8 and colony formation assays. Annexin V/propidium iodide double staining was performed to investigate whether OM could induce apoptosis in gallbladder cancer cells. The mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and expression of apoptosis-associated proteins were evaluated to identify a mechanism for the effects of OM. In addition, the RNA expression of relevant genes was measured by qRT-PCR using the SYBR Green method. Finally, a subcutaneous implantation model was used to verify the effects of OM on tumor growth in vivo. We found that OM inhibited the proliferation of gallbladder cancer cells. In addition, Annexin V/propidium iodide double staining showed that OM induced apoptosis after 48 h and the ΔΨm decreased in a dose-dependent manner after OM treatment. Moreover, the activation of caspase-3 and Bax and downregulation of Bcl-2 and nuclear factor κB were observed in OM-treated cells. Finally, OM potently inhibited in-vivo tumor growth following subcutaneous inoculation of SGC-996 cells in nude mice. In conclusion, OM treatment reduced proliferation and induced apoptosis in gallbladder cancer cells, which suggests that this drug may serve as a novel candidate for adjuvant treatment in patients with gallbladder cancer.

Baicalin induces apoptosis of gallbladder carcinoma cells in vitro via a mitochondrial-mediated pathway and suppresses tumor growth in vivo.

Baicalin, the main active ingredient in the Scutellaria baicalensis (SB), is prescribed for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases and tumors in clinics in China. In the present study, we evaluated the antitumor activity of baicalin for gallbladder carcinoma and the underlying mechanisms both in vitro and in vivo. Our results indicate that baicalin induced potent growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and colony-formation inhibition in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. We observed inhibition of NF-κB nuclear translocation, up-regulation of Bax and down-regulation of Bcl-2, as well as increased caspase-3 and caspase-9 expression after baicalin treatment in vitro and in vivo, which indicates that the mitochondrial pathway was involved in baicalin-induced apoptosis. In addition, daily intraperitoneally injection of baicalin (15, 30 and 60 mg/kg) for 21 days significantly inhibited the growth of NOZ cells xenografts in nude mice, which improved the survival of baicalin-treated mice. In summary, baicalin exhibited a significant anti-tumor effect by suppressing cell proliferation, promoting apoptosis, and inducing cell cycle arrest in vitro, and by suppressing tumor growth and improving survival in vivo, which suggested that baicalin represents a novel therapeutic option for gallbladder carcinoma.

Evaluation of two inflammation-based prognostic scores in patients with resectable gallbladder carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Survival after surgery for gallbladder cancer is generally poor. A number of inflammation-based prognostic scores have been established to help predict survival after surgery for several types of cancer. The objective of this study was to analyze and compare the utility of two inflammation-based prognostic scores, the Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), for predicting survival in patients with gallbladder cancer after surgery with curative intent. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 85 patients with histologically confirmed, resectable gallbladder carcinoma (GBC), who were to receive curative surgery in our department. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between the variables to overall survival (OS). RESULTS: A significant difference was detected in OS in patients with low and high GPS and NLR scores. Univariate analyses using clinicopathological characteristics revealed that tumor differentiation; tumor invasion; lymph node metastasis; tumor, node, metastasis classification system stage; positive margin status; combined common bile duct resection; serum levels of C-reactive protein, albumin, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), carcinoembryonic antigen, and CA125; white blood cell count; and GPS and NLR were all associated with OS. Among these characteristics, multivariate analysis demonstrated that a high GPS was independently associated with poorer OS, together with tumor invasion, lymph node metastasis, and positive margin status. CONCLUSIONS: GPS is superior to NLR with respect to its prognostic value for patients with GBC after surgery with curative intent. GPS is not only associated with tumor progression but is also an independent marker of poor prognosis.

[The role of preoperative TACE on hepatocellular carcinoma located in caudate lobe].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of preoperative transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) on hepatocellular carcinoma located in caudate lobe. METHODS: Totally 29 cases of caudate lobe hepatocellular carcinoma admitted from January 2001 to December 2010 were analyzed retrospectively. Among the 29 patients, 23 were male and the other 6 were female. The median age was 52 years. According to receiving preoperative TACE or not, the 29 cases were divided into two groups: preoperative TACE plus surgery (group A, n = 11) and surgery only (group B, n = 18). The surgical results and long-term survival were compared between two groups. RESULTS: After TACE, the diameter of the tumour reduced by over 33.3% in 3 patients, 10.0% to 33.3% in 6 patients, and less than 10.0% in 2 patients. The duration of surgery and intraoperative blood loss in group A were (298 ± 39) minutes and (1031 ± 310) ml, respectively. The duration of surgery and intraoperative blood loss in group B were (281 ± 54) minutes and (868 ± 403) ml, respectively. No significant difference was found in terms of these two groups (t = 1.006, P = 0.324; t = 1.223, P = 0.232). In addition, 6 cases in group A developed complications and 4 cases in group B did so. Only one patient died because of postoperative complication, and this patient belonged to group A. No significant difference was found between two groups (χ(2) = 0.028, P = 0.868; χ(2) = 0.633, P = 0.426). The 5-year survival rate was 56.8% in group A and 34.9% in group B. The difference did not reach significant difference (P = 0.132). CONCLUSIONS: For hepatocellular carcinoma located in caudate lobe, preoperative TACE does not significantly increase the surgical difficulty and impair the safety. In addition, preoperative TACE has the tendency to provide benefit to long-term survival.

Isolated complete caudate lobectomy for hepatic tumor of the anterior transhepatic approach: surgical approaches and perioperative outcomes.

BACKGROUND: How to resect the caudate lobe safely is a major challenge to current liver surgery which requires further study. METHODS: Nine cases (6 hepatic cell carcinoma, 2 cavernous hemangioma and 1 intrahepatic cholangiocacinoma) were performed using the anterior transhepatic approach in the isolated complete caudate lobe resection. During the operation, we used the following techniques: the intraoperative routine use of Peng's multifunction operative dissector (PMOD), inflow and outflow of hepatic blood control, low central venous pressure and selective use of liver hanging maneuver. RESULTS: There were no perioperative deaths observed after the operation. The median operating time was 230 ± 43.6 minutes, the median intraoperative blood loss was 606.6 ± 266.3 ml and the median length of postoperative hospital stay was 12.6 ± 2.9 days. The incidence of complications was 22.22% (2/9). CONCLUSION: PMOD and "curettage and aspiration" technique can be of great help of in the dissection of vessels and parenchyma, clearly making caudate lobe resection safer, easier and faster.

Surgical management of patients with bowel obstructions secondary to gastric cancer.

AIM: To assess whole-body fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in the management of small bowel obstructions (SBOs) secondary to gastric cancer and its role in treatment strategies. METHODS: The medical records of all of the patients who were admitted for an intestinal obstruction after curative resection for gastric cancer were retrospectively reviewed. PET/CT was performed before a clinical treatment strategy was established for each patient. The patients were divided into 2 groups: patients with no evidence of a tumor recurrence and patients with evidence of a tumor recurrence. Tumor recurrences included a local recurrence, peritoneal carcinomatosis or distant metastases. The primary endpoint was the 1-year survival rate, and other variables included patient demographics, the length of hospital stay, complications, and mortality. RESULTS: The median time between a diagnosis of gastric cancer and the detection of a SBO was 1.4 years. Overall, 31 of 65 patients (47.7%) had evidence of a tumor recurrence on the PET/CT scan, which was the only factor that was associated with poor survival. Open and close surgery was the main type of surgical procedure reported for the patients with tumor recurrences. R0 resections were performed in 2 patients, including 1 who underwent combined adjacent organ resection. In the group with no evidence of a tumor recurrence on PET/CT, bowel resections were performed in 7 patients, adhesiolysis was performed in 7 patients, and a bypass was performed in 1 patient. The 1-year survival curves according to PET/CT evidence of a tumor recurrence vs no PET/CT evidence of a tumor recurrence were significantly different, and the 1-year survival rates were 8.8% vs 93.5%, respectively. There were no significant differences (P = 0.71) in the 1-year survival rates based on surgical vs nonsurgical management (0% with nonoperative treatment vs 20% after exploratory laparotomy). CONCLUSION: (18)F-FDG PET/CT can be used to identify the causes of bowel obstructions in patients with a history of gastric cancer, and this method is useful for planning the surgical management of these patients.

Impact of being overweight on the surgical outcomes of patients with gastric cancer: a meta-analysis.

AIM: To investigate the effect of being overweight on the surgical results of patients with gastric cancer. METHODS: Comprehensive electronic searches of the PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were conducted. Studies were identified that included patients with surgical complications from gastric cancer who were classified as normal weight [body mass index (BMI) < 25 kg/m(2)] or overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m(2)). The operative time, retrieved lymph nodes, blood loss, and long-term survival were analyzed. A subgroup analysis was conducted based on whether patients received laparoscopic or open gastrectomy procedures. All statistical tests were performed using ReviewerManager 5.1.2 software. RESULTS: This meta-analysis included 23 studies with 20678 patients (15781 with BMI < 25 kg/m(2); 4897 with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m(2)). Overweight patients had significantly increased operation times [MD: -29.14; 95%CI: -38.14-(-20.21); P < 0.00001], blood loss [MD: -194.58; 95%CI: -314.21-(-74.95); P = 0.001], complications (RR: 0.75; 95%CI: 0.66-0.85; P < 0.00001), anastomosis leakages (RR: 0.59; 95%CI: 0.42-0.82; P = 0.002), and pancreatic fistulas (RR: 0.486; 95%CI: 0.34-0.63; P < 0.00001), whereas lymph node retrieval was decreased significantly in the overweight group (MD: 1.69; 95%CI: 0.75-2.62; P < 0.0001). In addition, overweight patients had poorer long-term survival (RR: 1.14; 95%CI: 1.07-1.20; P < 0.0001). No significant difference was detected for the mortality and length of hospital stay. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis demonstrates that a high BMI not only increases the surgical difficulty and complications but also impairs the long-term survival of patients with gastric cancer.

Duct-to-duct biliary reconstruction after radical resection of Bismuth IIIa hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

At present, radical resection remains the only effective treatment for patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma. The surgical approach for R0 resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma is complex and diverse, but for the biliary reconstruction after resection, almost all surgeons use Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy. A viable alternative to Roux-en-Y reconstruction after radical resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma has not yet been proposed. We report a case of performing duct-to-duct biliary reconstruction after radical resection of Bismuth IIIa hilar cholangiocarcinoma. End-to-end anastomosis between the left hepatic duct and the distal common bile duct was used for the biliary reconstruction, and a single-layer continuous suture was performed along the bile duct using 5-0 prolene. The patient was discharged favorably without biliary fistula 2 wk later. Evidence for tumor recurrence was not found after an 18 mo follow-up. Performing bile duct end-to-end anastomosis in hilar cholangiocarcinoma can simplify the complex digestive tract reconstruction process.

Combined portal vein resection for hilar cholangiocarcinoma: a meta-analysis of comparative studies.

Hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HCCA) frequently invades into the adjacent portal vein, and portal vein resection (PVR) is the only way to manage this condition and achieve negative resection margins. However, the safety and effectiveness of PVR is controversial. Studies analyzing the effect of PVR on the surgical and pathological outcomes in the management of HCCA with gross portal vein involvement were considered eligible for this meta-analysis. The outcome variables analyzed included postoperative morbidity, mortality, survival rate, proportion of R0 resection, lymph node metastasis, microscopic vascular invasion, and perineural invasion. From 11 studies, 371 patients who received PVR and 1,029 who did not were identified and analyzed. Data from patients who received combined PVR correlated with higher postoperative death rates (OR = 2.31; 95 % CI, 1.21-4.43; P = 0.01) and more advanced tumor stage. No significant difference was detected in terms of morbidity, proportion of R0 resection, or 5-year survival rate. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that in centers with more experience or studies published after 2007, combined PVR did not cause significantly higher postoperative death. No strong evidence could suggest that combined PVR leads to more morbidity or mortality for patients with HCCA when the portal vein is grossly involved. In addition, combined PVR is oncologically valuable because R0 resection and 5-year survival did not differ significantly between two cohorts, despite the fact that the PVR cohort consisted of patients with more advanced HCCA.

Single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy versus multi-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

BACKGROUND: Single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) is theoretically supposed to be associated with better cosmetic results and less surgical-site pain than multi-incision laparoscopic cholesystectomy (MILC). So far, several relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been reported, but the results are conflicting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Meta-analysis was conducted with all the qualified RCTs comparing SILC with MILC. The databases include PubMed, EmBase, and the Cochrane Library, and the censor data were collected up to November 2011. The analyzed outcome variables included postoperative pain score, analgesia requirements, morbidity, conversion rate, operative time, postoperative hospital stay, and postoperative cosmetic score. Analyses were based on the intention-to-treat principle, if possible. All the calculations and statistical tests were performed using ReviewerManager version 5.1.2 software. RESULTS: Nine trials with a total of 755 patients (SILC in 400 patients, MILC in 355 patients) were identified and analyzed. SILC resulted in significantly longer operative time (P=.005) and higher postoperative cosmetic score on Day 30 after operation (P<.00001). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of postoperative pain score, analgesia requirements, morbidity, conversion rate, and postoperative hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the current meta-analysis, SILC appears to be as safe and effective as MILC to remove the gallbladder and results in a longer operative time and higher cosmetic satisfaction on Day 30 after surgery.

[Change of coagulation in patients with gallbladder cancer and its clinical significance].

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between the change of coagulation and the clinicopathologic characteristics in patients with gallbladder cancer. METHODS: The 64 gallbladder cancer patients (GBC group) and 60 cholecystitis patients (control group) had been reviewed from January 2007 to June 2013. The prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen (Fib), and thrombin time (TT) had been measured and compared between patients of GBC group and control group. The relationship of coagulation function and prognosis were analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with control group, APTT in GBC group ((29.0 ± 4.2) s) was significantly shortened (t = -4.265, P = 0.000) and PT ((11.5 ± 1.4) s), TT ((15.3 ± 3.5) s), Fib ((4.1 ± 0.9) g/L) were significantly increased in GBC group (t = 2.521, 4.147 and 4.365, all P < 0.05). The level of Fib was higher in patients with medium or poor-differentiated tumor cells (F = 4.069, P = 0.022), lymph metastasis (t = 2.640, P = 0.010) and advanced staging (II-IV) (t = 3.003, P < 0.01) than those of well-differentiated, non-lymph metastasis and early staging (0-I). The ratio of gallbladder cancer with hyperfibrinogenemia (32/64) was significantly higher than control group (11/60, χ(2) = 13.709, P < 0.01). In GBC group, compared with normal Fib patients, hyperfibrinogenemia patients showed significantly difference in clinicopathologic characteristics (χ(2) = 5.851-10.573, P < 0.05). The average survival period of hyperfibrinogenemia patients and normal Fib patients were 8.63 months and 16.73 months. The 1-, 3-year survival rate of patients with hyperfibrinogenemia were significantly lower than those with normal Fib (64.7%, 14.9% vs. 74.9%, 21.1%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Preoperative plasma level of Fib might be a new promising biomarker in patients with gallbladder cancer for evaluating disease progression and prognosis.

[Differential gene expression profiles of gastric cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the different gene expressions of normal versus tumor tissues of gastric cancer at molecular levels. METHODS: Gene chip technology was used to determine the differentially expressed genes between gastric cancer (n = 12) and normal tissues (n = 12) from December 2009 to June 2010 of Xinhua Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine. And reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR was performed to validate the results of gene chip analysis. RESULTS: Sixty-nine up-regulated genes and 80 down-regulated genes were identified by significance analysis of microarrays (SAM). And these genes were correlated with cell adhesion, angiogenesis, cell proliferation and apoptosis, et al. They were also closely correlated with the signaling pathways of Wnt (1/151, 0.66%) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (2/76, 2.63%). The differential expressions of ATP4A, CLDN10, OLFM4, SAA1 and PROK2 were confirmed by RT-PCR (0.94 ± 0.19 vs 4.33 ± 0.39, 1.00 ± 0.14 vs 3.04 ± 0.26, 5.37 ± 0.30 vs 1.02 ± 0.14, 4.37 ± 0.30 vs 0.95 ± 0.29, 2.62 ± 0.54 vs 1.35 ± 0.35, all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The classifier genes identified in this study may be closely correlated with the carcinogenesis of gastric cancer.

Characteristic gene expression profiles in the progression from normal gastric epithelial cells to moderate gastric epithelial dysplasia and to gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer ranks high among the most common causes of cancer-related death worldwide. This study was designed to explore key genes involved in the progression of normal gastric epithelial cells to moderate gastric epithelial dysplasia (mGED) and to gastric cancer. METHODS: Twelve pairs of mGED tissues, gastric cancer tissues, and normal gastric tissues were collected by gastroscopy. Total RNA was then extracted and purified. After the addition of fluorescent tags, hybridization was carried out on a Gene chip microarray slide. Significance analysis of microarrays was performed to determine significant differences in gene expression between the different tissue types. RESULTS: Microarray data analysis revealed totally 34 genes that were expressed differently: 18 highly expressed (fold change > 2; P < 0.01) and 16 down-regulated (fold change > 2; P < 0.01). Of the 34 genes, 24 belonged to several different functional categories such as structural molecule activity, extracellular regions, structural formation, cell death, biological adhesion, developmental processes, locomotion, and biological regulation that were associated with cancer. The remaining 10 genes were not involved in cancer research. Of these genes, the expression levels of Matrix metalloproteinase-12 (MMP12), Caspase-associated recruitment domain 14 (CARD14), and Chitinase 3-like 1 (CHI3L1) were confirmed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. A two-way clustering algorithm divided the 36 samples into three categories and the overall correct classification efficiency was 80.6% (29/36). Almost all of these genes (31/34) showed constant changes in the process of normal gastric epithelial cells to mGED to gastric cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study provided global gene expression profiles during the development and progression from normal gastric epithelial cells to mGED to gastric cancer. These data may provide new insights into the molecular pathology of gastric cancer which may be useful for the detection, diagnosis, and treatment.

Vimentin significantly promoted gallbladder carcinoma metastasis.

BACKGROUND: The precise molecular mechanisms underlying the gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) metastasis has not been fully elucidated. METHODS: In the present study, metastasis-associated proteins were identified by comparative proteomic analysis. The functional study of the candidate protein vimentin was further investigated. First, a pair of higher and lower metastatic sublines (termed GBC-SD/M3 and GBC-SD, respectively), originated from the same parental cell line, was screened by spontaneous tumorigenicity and metastasis in vivo in animal study and further characterized by metastatic phenotypes analysis in vitro. Subsequently, a proteomic approach comprised two-dimensional gel electrophoresis analysis and mass spectroscopy was used to identify and compare the protein expression patterns between higher metastatic GBC-SD/M3 and lower metastatic GBC-SD cell lines. Then twenty-six proteins were identified. RESULTS: Among the 26 proteins identified, fourteen proteins were up-regulated and 12 proteins were down-regulated in GBC-SD/M3. Vimentin was identified and found to be overexpressed in GBC-SD/M3 as compared with GBC-SD. This result was further confirmed by quantitative PCR and Western blotting analysis. Furthermore, the cell migration and invasion potency of GBC-SD/M3 in vitro was remarkably suppressed after small interference RNA-mediated knockdown of vimentin. Moreover, immunoblot and immunohistochemical analysis on 12 human GBC specimens showed consistently increased vimentin expression in metastases compared with primary tumors. CONCLUSION: Tumor vimentin level may reflect the pathological progression in some GBC and may be a useful marker for predicting tumor metastasis and a therapeutic target for the treatment of GBC patients with metastases.