MTCH2 stimulates cellular proliferation and cycles via PI3K/Akt pathway in breast cancer.

The MTCH2 protein is located on the mitochondrial outer membrane and regulates mitochondria-related cell death. This study set out to investigate the role of MTCH2 in the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of breast cancer (BC). MTCH2 expression levels in BC were analyzed using bioinformatics prior to verification by cell lines in vitro. Experiments of over-expression and siRNA-mediated knockdown of MTCH2 were conducted to assess its biological functions, including its effects on cellular proliferation and cycle progression. Xenografts were utilised for in vivo study and signaling pathway alterations were examined to identify the mechanisms driven by MTCH2 in BC proliferation and cell-cycle regulation. MTCH2 was up-regulated in BC and correlated with patients' overall survival. Over-expression of MTCH2 promoted cellular proliferation and cycle progression, while silencing MTCH2 had the opposite effect. Xenograft experiments were utilised to confirm the in vitro cellular findings and it was identified that the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was activated by MTCH2 over-expression and suppressed by its silencing. Moreover, the activation of IGF-1R rescued cellular growth and cycle arrest induced by MTCH2-silencing. Overall, this study reveals that expression of MTCH2 in BC is upregulated and potentiates cellular proliferation and cycle progression via the PI3K/Akt pathway.

FTO-mediated ZNF687 accelerates tumor growth, metastasis, and angiogenesis in colorectal cancer through the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common and lethal cancer. ZNF687 has been disclosed to take part in diversified cancers' progression by serving as a facilitator. However, the detailed regulatory functions of ZNF687 in the CRC have not been investigated. This work is planned to probe the impacts of ZNF687 on CRC progression. The IHC, RT-qPCR, and western blot assays were used to examine mRNA and protein gene expressions. The cell proliferation measurement was accompanied by a CCK-8 assay. The Transwell assay was performed to evaluate cell invasion and migration. The angiogenesis ability was evaluated by a tube formation experiment. The m6A level was evaluated through MeRIP and m6A dot blot assays. The binding ability between ZNF687 and FTO (fat mass and obesity associated protein) was tested through an RIP assay. The ß-catenin nuclear translocation was assessed through an immunofluorescence assay. The tumor growth was evaluated through an in vivo assay. ZNF687 exhibited higher expression in CRC cells and resulted in a poor prognosis. Additionally, ZNF687 inhibition suppressed CRC cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and angiogenesis. Furthermore, the suppression of ZNF687 retarded the Wnt pathway. Through rescue assays, the reduced cell migration, proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis mediated by ZNF687 knockdown could be reversed after BML-284 (the activator of the Wnt pathway) treatment. Finally, it was explained that ZNF687 knockdown inhibited in vivo tumor growth. This study manifested that FTO-mediated ZNF687 aggravated tumor growth, metastasis, and angiogenesis of CRC through Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. This finding may provide a hopeful molecular target for CRC treatment.

Constructing a nomogram based on the distribution of thyroid nodules and suspicious lateral cervical lymph nodes in fine-needle aspiration biopsies to predict metastasis in papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Purpose: Elevated concentrations of thyroglobulin eluent is a risk factor for lateral cervical lymph node metastasis (LLNM) in patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). We aimed to develop a practical nomogram based on the distribution of thyroid nodules and the presence of suspicious lateral cervical lymph nodes in fine-needle aspiration biopsies (LN-FNABs), including the cytopathology and the suspicious lateral cervical lymph node (LLN) thyroglobulin eluent (Tg), to predict the possibility of LLNM preoperatively in patients with PTC. Methods: The clinical data of PTC patients who were admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2022 to May 2023 to undergo fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) were included in this study. A total of 208 patients in 2022 served as the training set (70%), and 89 patients in 2023 served as the validation set (30%). The clinical characteristics and LN-FNAB results were collected to determine the risk factors of LLNM. A preoperative nomogram was developed for predicting LLNM based on the results of the univariate and multivariate analyses. Internal calibration, external calibration, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were performed for these models. Results: The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the maximum thyroid nodule diameter (Odds Ratio (OR) 2.323, 95% CI 1.383 to 3.904; p = 0.001), Tg level (OR 1.007, 95% CI 1.005 to 1.009; p = 0.000), Tg divided by serum thyroglobulin, (Tg/sTg) [odds ratio (OR) 1.005, 95% CI 1.001 to 1.008; p = 0.009], and cytopathology (OR 9.738, 95% CI 3.678 to 25.783; p = 0.000) (all p < 0.05) had a significant impact on the LLNM of patients with suspicious LLNs. The nomogram showed a better predictive value in both the training cohort [area under the curve, (AUC) 0.937, 95% CI 0.895 to 0.966] and the validation cohort (AUC 0.957, 95% CI 0.892 to 0.989). The nomogram also showed excellent internal and external calibration in predicting LLNM. According to the DCA, the diagnostic performance of this model was dependent on the following variables: maximum thyroid nodule diameter, Tg level, Tg/sTg, and cytopathology. Conclusion: Based on the aforementioned risk factors, we believe that it is necessary to establish a personalized LLNM model for patients with PTC. Using this practical nomogram, which combines clinical and Tg risk factors, surgeons could accurately predict the possibility of LLNM preoperatively. The nomogram will also help surgeons to establish personalized treatment plans before surgery.

Oxyberberine suppressed the carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis by inhibiting liver inflammation in a sirtuin 3-dependent manner in mice.

Previous studies have shown that oxyberberine (OBB), a novel gut microbiota metabolite of berberine, exhibited prominent protective property against acute liver injury and non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases, however, the effect of OBB on liver fibrosis and its potential mechanisms remain largely unknown. This study was aimed to study the effects of OBB on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver fibrosis and tried to clarify the potential mechanisms by focusing on regulating of sirtuin 3 (SIRT3)-mediated liver inflammation. OBB significantly alleviated the liver injury and fibrosis in CCl4-treated C57/BL6 mouse livers. OBB evidently down-regulated the expression of inflammatory factors and reduced the levels of inflammatory factors in CCl4-treated mouse livers. Noteworthy, CCl4-treated decreased the mRNA and protein expression of SIRT3, and treatment with OBB notably increased the expression of SIRT3 both in transcriptional and translational levels in CCl4-treated mice livers. OBB also suppressed the cell viability of TGF-ß1-stimulated JS-1 cells and inhibited the protein expression of α-SMA but increased the expression of SIRT3 in stimulated JS-1 cells. Moreover, depletion of SIRT3 weakened the anti-inflammatory effects of OBB in stimulated JS-1 cells. Interestingly, the anti-liver injury and anti-fibrotic effects of OBB could be available in CCl4-treated WT (129S1/SvImJ) mice but were unavailable in CCl4-treated SIRT3 knockout (KO) mice. In addition, the anti-inflammatory effect of OBB was only found in CCl4-treated WT mice but was not in SIRT3 KO mice. Collectively, these findings suggested that OBB suppressed the liver injury and fibrosis through inhibition of liver inflammation in a SIRT3-dependent manner in CCl4-treated mice.

Size-controlling preparation of covalent organic framework nanospheres for electrochemical impedimetric aptasensing of oxytetracycline.

Covalent organic framework (COF) nanospheres with controlled size of ∼500 and ∼1100 nm were successfully prepared by adjusting the HOAc amount in the synthetic system. The as-synthesized COFs have large conjugate aromatic skeleton, excellent stability, abundant pore, and uniform morphology. These advantages of COFs are benefit for immobilizing aptamers to fabricate the targeted electrochemical aptasensor. The commonly used oxytetracycline (OTC) is an analytic model to explore the sensing performance of the COF-based aptasensor, indicating that the smaller COF (∼500 nm) is more conducive to acquiring the sensitive sensor than that of the larger COF (∼1100 nm). Moreover, the limitation of detection of the COF (∼500 nm)-based aptasensor is calculated to be 7.4 fg mL-1 using the response impedance signal. Additionally, the aptamer-based biosensor has fine reproducibility, good stability, excellent specificity, and available usability even in real samples.

Design and Synthesis of Amphiphilic Catalyst [C16mim]5VW12O40Br and Its Application in Deep Desulfurization with Superior Cyclability at Room Temperature.

Achieving long-term stable deep desulfurization at room temperature and recovering high value-added sulfone products is a challenge at present. Herein, a series of catalysts [Cnmim]5VW12O40Br (CnVW12, 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide tungstovanadate, n = 4, 8, 16) were presented for the room temperature catalytic oxidation of dibenzothiophene (DBT) and its derivatives. Factors affecting the reaction process, such as the amount of catalyst, oxidant, and temperature, were systematically discussed. C16VW12 showed higher catalytic performance, and 100% conversion and selectivity could be achieved in 50 min with only 10 mg. The mechanism study showed that the hydroxyl radical was the active radical in the reaction. Benefiting from the "polarity strategy", the sulfone product accumulated after 23 cycles in a C16VW12 system, and the yield and purity were about 84% and 100%, respectively.

The values of elastic quantitative and semi-quantitative indexes measured from different frequencies in the establishment of prediction models for breast tumor diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE: To obtain the elastic quantitative and semi-quantitative indexes of solid breast masses using ultrasound linear array probes with two different frequencies, and to construct prediction models and evaluate their diagnostic values. METHODS: A total of 92 patients who were scheduled for surgical treatment on solid breast masses were enrolled in this study. Linear array probes with two frequencies, 9-3 MHz (L9 group) and 14-5 MHz (L14 group), were used for sound touch elastography and strain elastography before surgery, and the maximum elasticity value (Emax), average elasticity value (Emean), minimum elasticity value (Emin), standard deviation (SD)(in kPa), elasticity ratio (E), and strain ratio to fat (SRf) were recorded and calculated for the breast mass (A) and surrounding tissues (Shell). The elastic characteristic indexes of the L9 group and L14 group were compared, and the prediction models of these two groups were constructed using Logistic regression method. RESULTS: The diagnostic performance of the prediction model based on L9 group was better than the model based on L14 group (AUC: 0.904 vs. 0.810, P = 0.0343, z = 2.116) and the best single index EMax-shell-L9 (P = 0.0398, z = 2.056). The sensitivity of L9 based model was 85.19% and the specificity was 84.21%. CONCLUSION: The prediction model based on quantitative and semi-quantitative elastic ultrasound indexes from L9-3 probe exhibited better performance, which could improve the diagnostic accuracy for malignant breast tumors.

Two three-dimensional Fe(II) frameworks based on {P4Mo6} tetrameric clusters exhibiting efficient visible-light photocatalytic properties for the degradation of Cr(VI) and methylene blue.

Two three-dimensional frameworks based on the {P4Mo6} unit, H(4,4'-bipy)2[Fe4(PO4)(H2O)4Na6][Fe6(H2O)4][(Mo6O12)(HPO4)3(PO4)(OH)3]4·5H2O (4,4'-bipy = 4,4'-bipyridine) (1) and H3(C12H14N2)4[Fe4(PO4)(H2O)4Na4][Fe2(Mo6O12(HPO4)3(PO4)(OH)3)4]·6H2O (2) were successfully synthesized by varying the solvent. The extended structures of the two compounds were formed by transition metal Fe(II) ions bridging the {P4Mo6}-based tetrameric clusters around [NaXFe4(PO4)] (X = 6 (1), or X = 4 (2)) core. The 4,4'-bipy molecules and in situ generated methyl viologen cations as templates induce the formation of two three-dimensional structures, an 8-connected bcu topology framework for 1 and a 4-connected 2-fold interpenetrating diamond-like topological network for 2, respectively. Additionally, multiform hydrogen bonds are found in the framework and also play an important role in stabilizing the structure. The proton conduction mechanism of the two compounds can be mainly classified as the Grotthuss mechanism; the proton conductivity values are 1.06 × 10-3 S cm-1 for 1 and 3.13 × 10-3 S cm-1 for 2 at 75 °C under 98% relative humidity. The visible-light photocatalytic activity was evaluated by photocatalytic decomposition of Cr(VI) and MB dye, and the removal ratios can reach 95.6% (1) and 82% (2) for Cr(VI), and 98% (1) and 99% (2) for MB.

An analysis of curative effect of combined transvaginal and hysteroscopic electrocauterization of partial endometrium to treat previous cesarean scar diverticulum.

BACKGROUND: To explore the curative effect of the combined transvaginal and hysteroscopic electrocauterization of partial endometrium to treat previous cesarean scar diverticulum. METHODS: The retrospective study method is adopted. 28 cases of cesarean scar diverticulum patients were selected as research objects and divided into two groups: one is combined hysteroscopic and transvaginal surgery group (N.=15) and the other is hysteroscopic electrocauterization group (N.=13). The curative effects of the two groups are observed and compared, including clinical treatment indicators (operation duration, intraoperative blood loss, fever, length of hospital stay (LOS), etc.), and follow-up visits are carried out to check the differences of diverticulum repair and menostaxis improvement one to six months after surgery. RESULTS: The average operation duration, length of stay, and hospitalization expenses for the hysteroscopic electrocauterization group are 28.84±12.61 min, 2.93±1.04 days, and 7916.57±1948.45 yuan, respectively, all significantly lower than the combined hysteroscopic and transvaginal surgery group, those are respectively 73.93±15.46 min, 5.93±1.22 days, and 10,130.10±1037.75 yuan. The differences are statistically significant (P<0.05). The follow-up visits in six months after operation find that the effective rate of menstrual period (menostaxis) improvement of the combined hysteroscopic and transvaginal surgery group is 93.3% (14/15), and that of scar diverticulum repair is 73.3% (11/15), which are notably higher than the hysteroscopic electrocauterization group, those are respectively 46.2% (6/13) and 23.1% (3/13). The differences are also statistically significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The repairing effect of the combined transvaginal and hysteroscopic electrocauterization of partial endometrium to treat previous cesarean scar diverticulum [previous cesarean scar defect (PCSD)] is obvious. As it can fully remove previous cesarean scars and the surrounding ectopic intimae and reduce the recurrence rate, it is worthy of clinical promotion and application.

Qili Qiangxin capsules for chronic heart failure: A GRADE-assessed clinical evidence and preclinical mechanism.

Introduction: Chronic heart failure (CHF) has become an increasing concern with the aging of the population. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Qili Qiangxin capsules (QLQX) for CHF. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis on clinical studies was conducted. The mechanisms of preclinical studies were summarized. Results: We searched six electronic databases by 20 July 2022, and finally, 7 preclinical experiments (PEs) and 24 randomized controlled trials were included. The risk of bias was accessed by the SYRCLE and RoB 2.0 tool, respectively. PEs indicated that QLQX suppresses myocardial apoptosis, inhibits renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system activation, improves water retention, and enhances cardiocyte remodeling. In clinical studies, compared with routine treatment, QLQX could improve the indicators: clinical efficacy rate (RR = 1.16, 95% CI [1.12, 1.22], GRADE: moderate), left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (SMD = -1.04, 95% CI [-1.39, -0.70], GRADE: low), left ventricular ejection fraction (SMD = 1.20, 95% CI [0.97, 1.43], GRADE: moderate), 6-minute walk distance (SMD = 1.55, 95% CI [0.89, 2.21], GRADE: low), brain natriuretic peptide (SMD = -0.78, 95% CI [-1.06, -0.51], GRADE: low), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (SMD = -2.15, 95% CI [-3.60, -0.71], GRADE: low), and adverse events (RR = 0.46, 95% CI [0.25, 0.87], GRADE: low). Discussion: In summary, QLQX exerts a potential mechanism of utility on myocardial apoptosis and cardiac function and has noteworthy clinical adjuvant efficacy and safety in patients with CHF. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/.

Shexiang Baoxin Pill for Acute Myocardial Infarction: Clinical Evidence and Molecular Mechanism of Antioxidative Stress.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has been a preclinical and clinical concern due to high hospitalization rate and mortality. This study was aimed at evaluating the effectiveness and safety of Shexiang Baoxin Pill (SBP) for AMI and exploring the possible mechanism of oxidative stress. Six databases were searched on March 26, 2021. Twenty-four studies were included and accessed by the RoB 2.0 or SYRCLE tool. Compared with routine treatment (RT), SBP showed the effectiveness in the clinical efficacy (RR = 1.15, 95% CI [1.06, 1.25]), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (SMD = 0.73, 95% CI [0.62, 0.95]), glutathione (GSH) (SMD = 2.07, 95% CI [1.51, 2.64]), superoxide dismutase (SOD) (SMD = 0.92, 95% CI [0.58, 1.26]), malondialdehyde (MDA) (SMD = -4.23, 95% CI [-5.80, -2.66]), creatine kinase-myocardial band (CK-MB) (SMD = -4.98, 95% CI [-5.64, -4.33]), cardiac troponin I (cTnI) (SMD = -2.17, 95% CI [-2.57, -1.76]), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP) (SMD = -1.34, 95% CI [-1.56, -1.12]), interleukin-6 (IL-6) (SMD = -0.99, 95% CI [-1.26, -0.71]), triglycerides (TG) (SMD = -0.52, 95% CI [-0.83, -0.22]), flow-mediated dilation (FMD) (SMD = 1.39, 95% CI [1.06, 1.72]), von Willebrand Factor (vWF) (SMD = -1.77, 95% CI [-2.39, -1.15]), nitric oxide (NO) (SMD = 0.89, 95% CI [0.65, 1.13]), and recurrent rate (RR = 0.30, 95% CI [0.15, 0.59]). But SBP adjunctive to RT plus PCI had no improvements in almost pooled outcomes except for the Hs-CRP (SMD = -1.19, 95% CI [-1.44, -0.94]) and TG (SMD = -0.25, 95% CI [-0.48, -0.02]). Laboratory findings showed that SBP enhanced the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity and regulated laboratory indexes especially for homocysteine. In conclusion, SBP has adjunctive effects on AMI via the mechanism of antioxidative stress. The current evidence supports the use of SBP for mild and moderate AMI patients.

Alpinetin exerts anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and anti-angiogenic effects through activating the Nrf2 pathway and inhibiting NLRP3 pathway in carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis.

Alpinetin is the major active ingredient of Alpiniakatsumadai Hayata. As a kind of novel plant-derived flavonoid, alpinetin has shown potent hepatoprotective effect against many liver diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver and lipopolysaccharide/d-Galactosamine-induced liver injury. However, its roles in liver fibrosis remain to be determined. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of alpinetin in mice with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver fibrosis, and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of action. Alpinetin ameliorated the CCl4-induced liver injury and fibrosis in mice, as shown by decreased collagen deposition and the decreased expression of liver fibrosis marker proteins. Alpinetin suppressed the inflammation and oxidative stress in fibrotic livers of mice, as evidenced by decreased levels of proinflammatory factors, the decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and the increased activities of antioxidant enzymes. In addition, alpinetin attenuated the angiogenesis in fibrotic livers of the test animals. Mechanistically, alpinetin inhibited the CCl4-induced expression of NLRP3, ASC, cleaved caspase-1, mature (cleaved-) IL-1ß, and IL-18 in livers of mice. Furthermore, alpinetin resulted in an increased in the nuclear expression and a decrease in the cytoplasmic expression of Nrf2, as well as increased protein expression of downstream target enzymes, GCLC, HO-1, NQO1, and GCLM, thus exerting the antioxidant effect. Overall, these findings suggested that the anti-fibrotic effect of alpinetin can be attributed to the inhibition of NLRP3-mediated anti-inflammatory activities and Nrf2-mediated anti-oxidative activities, in addition to the decrement of hepatic angiogenesis.

Acupuncture for Adults with Diarrhea-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Functional Diarrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective. To evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of acupuncture therapy in the treatment of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) or functional diarrhea (FD) in adults. Method. Five electronic databases-PubMed, EMBASE, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang-were searched, respectively, until June 8, 2020. The literature of clinical randomized controlled trials of acupuncture for the treatment of IBS-D or FD in adults were collected. Meta-analysis was conducted by Using Stata 16.0 software, the quality of the included studies was assessed by the RevMan ROB summary and graph, and the results were graded by GRADE. Result. Thirty-one studies with 3234 patients were included. Most of the studies were evaluated as low risk of bias related to selection bias, attrition bias, and reporting bias. Nevertheless, seven studies showed the high risk of bias due to incomplete outcome data. GRADE's assessments were either moderate certainty or low certainty. Compared with loperamide, acupuncture showed more effectiveness in weekly defecation (SMD = -0.29, 95% CI [-0.49, -0.08]), but no significant improvement in the result of the Bristol stool form (SMD = -0.28, 95% CI [-0.68, 0.12]). In terms of the drop-off rate, although the acupuncture group was higher than the bacillus licheniformis plus beanxit group (RR = 2.57, 95% CI [0.24, 27.65]), loperamide group (RR = 1.11, 95% CI [0.57, 2.15]), and trimebutine maleate group (RR = 1.19, 95% CI [0.31, 4.53]), respectively, it was lower than the dicetel group (RR = 0.83, 95% CI [0.56, 1.23]) and affected the overall trend (RR = 0.93, 95% CI [0.67, 1.29]). Besides, acupuncture produced more significant effect than dicetel related to the total symptom score (SMD = -1.17, 95% CI [-1.42, -0.93]), IBS quality of life (SMD = 2.37, 95% CI [1.94, 2.80]), recurrence rate (RR = 0.43, 95% CI [0.28, 0.66]), and IBS Symptom Severity Scale (SMD = -0.75, 95% CI [-1.04, -0.47]). Compared to dicetel (RR = 1.25, 95% CI [1.18, 1.32]) and trimebutine maleate (RR = 1.35, 95% CI [1.13, 1.61]), acupuncture also showed more effective at total efficiency. The more adverse effect occurred in the acupuncture group when comparing with the dicetel group (RR = 11.86, 95% CI [1.58, 89.07]) and loperamide group (RR = 4.42, 95% CI [0.57, 33.97]), but most of the adverse reactions were mild hypodermic hemorrhage. Conclusion. Acupuncture treatment can improve the clinical effectiveness of IBS-D or FD, with great safety, but the above conclusions need to be further verified through the higher quality of evidence.

Intramural ectopic pregnancy following pelvic adhesion: case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Intramural pregnancy is an uncommon type of ectopic pregnancy, where the gestational sac is completely encircled by myometrium and unconnected with endometrial cavity, fallopian tubes or round ligament. Owing to its potentially life-threatening hemorrhage and uterine rupture, early diagnosis and management are urgently required. We present a case of a woman undergoing zigzag medical procedures, which featured non-consensus preoperative diagnosis of intramural and interstitial pregnancy and an intramural ectopic pregnancy ultimately confirmed and successfully removed by emergency laparoscopy. Additionally, we present a review of the related literature and discuss its varied clinical features, imageological characters, diagnosis, differential diagnosis and multiple treatments. METHODS: A comprehensive bibliographic search through PubMed, using keywords: intramural ectopic pregnancy. Relevant literatures published from January 2013 to April 2019 were reviewed. RESULTS: Twenty-four cases in total for intramural ectopic pregnancy including this report were reviewed. Diagnoses were mainly made by ultrasound images. Most patients had a history of uterine surgery or intrauterine operation and had been surgically resected. None of the mothers were in danger, but only one case had live birth at 37 weeks of gestation. CONCLUSION: Non-specific clinical presentation and non-uniform ultrasound criteria pose a challenge for us to make timely and accurate management. Integrated radiological examinations and communication and cooperation between sonographers and gynecologists play a vital role in diagnostic accuracy and selecting the optimal therapeutic method of an intramural pregnancy.

Uterine arteriovenous malformation combined with iliac arteriovenous malformation diagnosed by contrast-enhanced ultrasound: A case report and review of the literature.

 Uterine arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is an extremely rare condition characterized by abnormal connections between veins and arteries. The atypical clinical manifestations and relatively low morbidity of AVM are conducive to missed diagnosis. The present study describes a case of a 47-year-old female patient with congenital uterine AVM followed by iatrogenic AVM. The diagnosis was established by contrast-enhanced ultrasound combined with contrast-enhanced CT (CECT). Because the symptom of vaginal bleeding was severe, trophoblastic disease or neoplasia could be preferred. The manifestations on various imaging examinations were carefully assessed, and the relevant literature was also reviewed.

Hyperthermic intraperitoneal perfusion chemotherapy and response evaluation in patients with gastric cancer and malignant ascites.

The present study describes the use of bidirectional chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with gastric cancer and peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC), using newly developed response criteria for the treatment of malignant ascites. In addition, the association between effusion response and survival was analyzed. Between June 2010 and May 2014, patients affected by malignant ascites secondary to unresectable PC of gastric origin were treated with a combination of systemic and loco-regional chemotherapy. Cisplatin (75 mg/m2) at an inflow temperature of 43°C was infused intraperitoneally, and docetaxel (75 mg/m2) was infused simultaneously via a peripheral vein, on day 1 every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was overall survival rate, and the secondary endpoint was efficacy against malignant ascites using new response criteria. In total, 41 patients were enrolled, the majority of whom received 6 cycles of intraperitoneal chemotherapy in combination with hyperthermia. The majority of patients exhibited clinical regression of ascites and relief of associated symptoms. Malignant ascites disappeared [complete response (CR)] or decreased by 50% [partial response (PR)] in 73.2% of patients. No mortalities associated with the procedures occurred. The median survival time was 8.6 months, and the 1-year survival rate was 24.4%. As these new response criteria for the treatment of malignant ascites were found to be feasible, bidirectional chemotherapy may be the preferred strategy for the treatment of gastric cancer with PC. The CR, PR and non-PR groups showed significant differences in overall survival, indicating that decreased effusion was associated with improved patient survival.

Downregulation of SKA1 Gene Expression Inhibits Cell Growth in Human Bladder Cancer.

Spindle and kinetochore-associated protein 1 (SKA1), a component of microtubule-binding complex of kinetochore, is essential for proper chromosome segregation. Recently, SKA1 has been shown to be involved in malignant progression of several human cancers. However, its role in bladder cancer is still unknown. To evaluate the function of SKA1 in bladder cancer cells, the authors employed an RNA interference lentivirus system to deplete its expression in both BT5637 and T-24 bladder cancer cells. The cell proliferation was significantly decreased in both cell lines after SKA1 knockdown. Moreover, the colony formation capacity was impaired by SKA1 silencing. Flow cytometry analysis showed that depletion of SKA1 led to cell cycle arrest at S phase. Furthermore, knockdown of SKA1 in T-24 cells obviously downregulated the expressions of CDK4 and Cyclin D1, and alleviated the activations of ERK2 and AKT, conducive to cell growth inhibition. These findings suggested that knockdown of SKA1 could potently suppress bladder cancer cell proliferation in vitro and lentivirus-mediated silencing of SKA1 might serve as a novel strategy for gene therapy of bladder cancer.

Genome-wide screening and identification of long noncoding RNAs and their interaction with protein coding RNAs in bladder urothelial cell carcinoma.

To understand lncRNAs expression profiling and their potential functions in bladder cancer, we investigated the lncRNA and coding RNA expression on human bladder cancer and normal bladder tissues. Bioinformatic analysis revealed thousands of significantly differentially expressed lncRNAs and coding mRNA in bladder cancer relative to normal bladder tissue. Co-expression analysis revealed that 50% of lncRNAs and coding RNAs expressed in the same direction. A subset of lncRNAs might be involved in mTOR signaling, p53 signaling, cancer pathways. Our study provides a large scale of co-expression between lncRNA and coding RNAs in bladder cancer cells and lays biological basis for further investigation.

Synthesis of 3H-pyrrolo[2,3-c]quinolin-4(5H)-ones via Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction and cyclization.

Biologically active 3H-pyrrolo[2,3-c]quinolin-4(5H)-ones have been synthesized in an efficient and concise manner utilizing readily available 4-hydroxyquinolin-2(1H)-ones as the starting material. The key strategy relies on the construction of the pyrrole ring through the palladium catalyzed sequential cross-coupling reaction and cyclization process.