circ-FNTA accelerates proliferation and invasion of bladder cancer.

Role of circ-FNTA in the progression of bladder cancer (BCa) and its underlying mechanism were investigated. circ-FNTA level in BCa tissues and cell lines was detected. The prognostic potential of circ-FNTA was assessed by Kaplan-Meier methods and the proliferative and invasive abilities of BCa influenced by circ-FNTA were explored. Through dual-luciferase reporter gene assay, miRNA-451a, the target of circ-FNTA and the target gene of miRNA-451a, S1PR3 were determined. circ-FNTA was upregulated in BCa, especially in invasive BCa. High level of circ-FNTA indicated worse prognosis in BCa patients. Silence of circ-FNTA attenuated the proliferative and invasive abilities of T24 and UM-UC-3 cells. miRNA-451a was verified to be the target of circ-FNTA, which was downregulated in BCa cells. circ-FNTA negatively regulated the expression level of miRNA-451a. Moreover, S1PR3 was the downstream gene of miRNA-451a. Overexpression of miRNA-451a downregulated S1PR3 level in BCa cells. circ-FNTA accelerates the proliferative and invasive abilities of BCa through targeting miRNA-451a/S1PR3 axis, and indicates a poor prognosis of BCa patients.

Effect of transurethral partial cystectomy with 2.0 µm laser in treating superficial bladder cancer.

PURPOSE: To compare and analyze the efficacy and safety of transurethral partial cystectomy with 2.0 µm laser and transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) in treating patients with superficial bladder cancer. METHODS: The clinical data of 130 patients with superficial bladder cancer were divided into two groups based on different treatments, with 65 patients in each group, and treated with transurethral partial cystectomy with 2.0 µm laser and TURBT separately. Then, operation conditions such as intraoperative blood loss, operation time, in-dwelling time of urinary catheter and length of hospital stay were recorded and compared between the two groups. Finally, the tumor recurrence in the patients was followed up and recorded. RESULTS: The operation time (p<0.001) and length of hospital stay (p=0.013) were remarkably shorter, and the intraoperative blood loss (p<0.001) was notably smaller in laser group than those in TURBT group. Laser group had an evidently lower total incidence rate of complications than TURBT group (p=0.005). The patients were reexamined by cystoscopy at 4 weeks after operation, and the biopsy results indicated that there were markedly more cases of positive findings in TURBT groupthan those in laser group (no positive findings) (p=0.033). However, laser group exhibited distinctly decreased postoperative levels of IL-6 and TNF-α but an obviously increased IL-10 level compared with TURBT group (p<0.001). Besides, after 6-40 months of follow-up for all the patients, the total recurrence rate was prominently lower in laser group than that in TURBT group (p=0.006). CONCLUSIONS: In contrast with TURBT, transurethral partial cystectomy with 2.0 µm laser for superficial bladder cancer can significantly reduce the operation time and intraoperative blood loss, improve the operative effect, induce fewer postoperative complications and cause milder body injury and inflammatory response at the same time, which is worthy of clinical promotion.

siRNA Targeting of the SNCG Gene Inhibits the Growth of Gastric Carcinoma SGC7901 Cells in vitro and in vivo by Downregulating the Phosphorylation of AKT/ERK.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of synuclein-γ (SNCG) silencing on gastric cancer SGC7901 cells and to elucidate the associated mechanisms. pGCSIL-lentiviral siRNA targeting of the SNCG gene was employed to inhibit SNCG expression. Several experiments such as quantitative real-time PCR, Western blotting, MTT, colony formation, migration assay, and flow cytometry were performed to investigate the biological behavior of infected SGC7901 cells. BALB/c nude mice were used as tumor xenograft models to assess the effects of SNCG silencing on tumor growth. Western blot analysis was carried out to determine the relative levels of AKT, p-AKT, ERK, and p-ERK expression. Our results showed that SNCG was overexpressed in SGC7901 cells as compared to normal gastric mucosal epithelial cells. SGC7901 cells transfected with SNCG siRNA demonstrated significantly decreased gastric cancer growth (p < 0.01), reduced cell migration, cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase, promoted tumor cell apoptosis (p < 0.01), and inhibited tumorigenesis in xenograft animal models. Western blot analysis indicated that the protein levels of p-AKT and p-ERK were much lower in the SNCG siRNA group than in the control groups. The results of the present study suggest that SNCG siRNA plays a significant role in the proliferation, migration, and tumorigenesis of gastric cancer by downregulating the phosphorylation of AKT and ERK. RNA interference-mediated silencing of SNCG may provide an opportunity to develop a novel treatment strategy for gastric cancer.

Targeted Silencing of Kim-1 Inhibits the Growth of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Cell Line 786-0 In Vitro and In Vivo.

To investigate the effect of Kim-1 on 786-0 cells in vivo and in vitro, several experiments such as quantitative real-time PCR, Western blot, MTT, colony formation, and flow cytometry were performed to evaluate the biological behavior of 786-0 cells treated with Kim-1 siRNA. Furthermore, the tumor xenograft model was applied to BALB/c nude mice to assess the effect of Kim-1 silencing. Lentivirus-mediated RNAi effectively silenced Kim-1 in 786-0 cells. Kim-1 knockdown significantly inhibited the proliferation and colony formation ability of 786-0 cells (p < 0.01). The cell cycle of 786-0 cells was arrested in the G0/G1 phase (p < 0.01). Early and late apoptosis were significantly increased in the Kim-1 siRNA cells (p < 0.01). In addition, growth of 786-0 cells was significantly inhibited in the Kim-1-silenced mice. In conclusion, knockdown of Kim-1 inhibits the growth of 786-0 cells in vitro and in vivo, indicating that Kim-1 could be used as a potential target for clear cell renal cell carcinoma therapy.

Effects of local testicular heat treatment on Leydig cell hyperplasia and testosterone biosynthesis in rat testes.

Cryptorchidism or local testicular heat treatment induces reversible oligospermia or azoospermia in rodents and humans via increased germ cell apoptosis. Research in this field has concentrated on the impact of heat on spermatogenesis, with rather little attention paid to the molecular effects of heat treatment on Leydig cell function. In the present study, we investigated the effects of exposure to heat stress on the proliferative activity and testosterone biosynthesis of Leydig cells. We subjected adult rats to a single local testicular heat treatment of water at 43°C for 30min. The expression of Leydig cell-specific markers, such as cholesterol side-chain cleavage (P450SCC) and 3?-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. The proliferative activity of Leydig cells was detected by immunostaining with proliferation-associated markers, including Ki67, bromodeoxyuridine and phosphohistone-H3 (pHH3). The mRNA and protein levels of cell cycle proteins and testosterone synthesis-related enzymes were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis, respectively. The testes of heat-treated rats contained 50% more Leydig cells than those of control rats, indicating induction of Leydig cell hyperplasia by testicular heat treatment. Increased proliferative activity in Leydig cells, evidenced by enhanced expression of cell cycle proteins, was the main cause of Leydig cell hyperplasia. In addition, heat treatment reduced serum and testicular testosterone concentrations. Consistent with this finding, heat stress downregulated two enzymes required for testosterone biosynthesis, namely cytochrome P450, family 17 (CYP17) and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, in Leydig cells. Together, the results suggest that testicular heat leads to Leydig cell hyperplasia and a reduction in testosterone biosynthesis in adult rat testes.