Transurethral needle electrode resection and transurethral holmium laser resection of bladder cancer.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to explore the efficacy and safety of transurethral needle electrode resection and transurethral holmium laser resection of non-muscular invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this prospective, case-control study, patients from the Urinary Surgery or Oncology Department who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria received transurethral needle electrode resection (n = 52) or transurethral holmium laser resection (n = 51). RESULTS: A total of 103 patients with NMIBC were included in the present study, with 68 males and 35 females. Their mean age was 57.3 years. Sixty-two patients had Ta, 15 patients had T1, and 26 patients had Tis. Operative time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative gross hematuria time, bladder irrigation time, and postoperative hospitalization time were all significantly lower in the transurethral holmium laser resection group than the transurethral needle electrode resection group. After resection, transurethral holmium laser resection significantly decreased the value of HGF, TSH, and TNF-α versus the transurethral needle electrode resection group. The incidence of obturator reflex was significantly lower in the transurethral holmium laser resection group than the transurethral needle electrode resection group. There was no significant difference in disease-free survival rate and progression-free survival rate between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Transurethral holmium laser resection has clinical advantages in the treatment of NMIBC.

Targeting MRP4 expression by anti-androgen treatment reverses MRP4-mediated docetaxel resistance in castration-resistant prostate cancer.

It has been demonstrated that docetaxel (DTX) may improve the overall survival of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). However, its effectiveness is limited with time, and tumor escape is eventually inevitable. DTX resistance is the main reason for the failure of chemotherapy for CRPC. In the present study, the expression status of multidrug resistance protein 4 (MRP4) in DTX-resistant prostate cancer cells was investigated, and it was explored whether anti-androgen treatment may inhibit MRP4 expression and overcome DTX resistance. DTX-resistant C4-2/D cells were established by exposing DTX-sensitive C4-2/S cells to gradually increasing concentrations of DTX. MRP4 gene expression and the effect of androgen signaling on its expression were assessed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. Intracellular and extracellular concentrations of DTX were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography. Anti-androgen treatment effects on DTX sensitivity were determined by a clonogenic test and an MTT cytotoxicity assay. MRP4 was overexpressed in C4-2/D cells, while its expression was barely detectable in C4-2/S cells. MRP4 expression levels were elevated in C4-2/D cells by dihydrotestosterone, whereas they were blocked by anti-androgen bicalutamide (BKL) treatment. Intracellular and extracellular DTX concentrations in C4-2/D cells were associated with MRP4 levels. The downregulation of MRP4 by BKL increased the intracellular concentration of DTX in C4-2/D cells and re-sensitized C4-2/D cells to DTX. These results indicated that overexpression of MRP4 mediates acquired DTX resistance, and suggest that targeting MRP4 expression by anti-androgen treatment may reverse DTX-resistant prostate cancer cells to DTX chemotherapy.

[Clinical Trial of Long-snake Moxibustion Treatment for Immune Function in Allergic Rhinitis Disease Patients].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the curative effect of long-snake moxibustion in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. METHODS: A total of 66 patients with allergic rhinitis were randomized into moxibustion group (n=34) and control (herbal medicine) group (n=32) according to a computer-aided random digit table. Long-snake moxibustion stimulation over the Governor Vessel from Dazhui (GV 14) to Mingmen (GV 4) was performed for 30 min, once a week for 2 consecutive months. Patients of the control group were treated by oral administration of "Yupingfeng" Granules (containing radix astragali, atrctylodis macrocephalae, etc.) one bag (5 g) every time, 3 times a day for 2 months. Plasma IL-2, IL-6, cAMP and cGMP contents were detected using ELISA. RESULTS: After the treatment, of the 32 and 34 cases in the control and moxibustion groups, 2 and 6 were cured, 12 and 16 experienced marked improvement in their symptoms (nasal mucosal edema, obstruction and discharging, sneezing), 12 and 9 were improved, 6 and 3 invalid, with the effective rates being 81.3% and 91.2%, respectively. Results of ELISA showed that after the treatment, plasma IL-2, IL-6, and cGMP contents were significantly decreased in both the moxibustion and control groups (P<0.01), while plasma cAMP levels and cAMP/cGMP ratios were significantly up-regulated in both groups (P<0.01). The therapeutic effects of moxibustion were considerably superior to those of herbal medicine "Yupingfeng" in clinical effective rate and lowering plasma IL-2, IL-6, cGMP contents (P<0.01), and in raising plasma cGMP level and cAMP/cGMP ratio(P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Long-snake moxibustion treatment is effective in improving symptoms of allergic rhinitis patients, which may be related to its function in mobilizing the body's immune function.

[Effects of scalp acupuncture combined with auricular point sticking on cognitive behavior ability in patients with vascular dementia].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the therapeutic differences among scalp acupuncture combined with auricular point sticking, body acupuncture and western medication for treatment of vascular dementia (VD). METHODS: Ninety cases were randomly divided into a combined therapy group (31 cases), a body acupuncture group (29 cases) and a western medication group (30 cases). The combined therapy group was treated with scalp acupuncture at forehead middle line, parieral middle line, temporal front line and temporal rear line as well as auricular point sticking at naogan (AT3,41), shen (CO10), shenmen (TF4), zhen (AT3), once a day; the body acupuncture group was treated with acupuncture at Baihui (GV 20), Fengchi (GB 20), Zusanli (ST 36) and so on, once a day; the western medication group was treated with oral administration of aniracetam tablets, 0.2 g per time, twice a day. Fourteen days were considered as a treatment course, and totally 3 courses were required. The mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and activities of daily living (ADL) were applied to assess the changes of cognitive behavior ability before and after treatment among three groups. Also the efficacy among three groups were compared. RESULTS: One case dropped out in the body acupuncture group and western medication group, respectively. The total effective rate was 90.334 (28/31) in the combined therapy group, which was superior to 85.734 (24/28) in the body acupuncture group and 79.3% (23/29) in the western medication group (both P < 0.05). After the treatment, the scores of MMSE and ADL were all improved among three groups, which was the most significant in the combined therapy group (MMSE: 23.32 +/- 4.45 vs 21.23 +/- 4.13, P < 0.05; 23.32 +/- 4.45 vs 20.41 +/- 4. 01, P < 0.01; ADL: 53.18 +/- 21.55 vs 51.92 +/- 20.42, P < 0.05; 53.18 +/- 21.55 vs 49.42 +/- 19.43, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The scalp acupuncture combined with auricular point sticking could improve the clinical symptoms and cognitive behavior ability in patients with vascular dementia, which has superior total efficacy to body acupuncture and western medication aniracetam tablets.

Variations of morphology and photosynthetic performances of Ulva prolifera during the whole green tide blooming process in the Yellow Sea.

Since 2007, the world's largest macroalgal blooms have occurred along the coastal area of the Yellow Sea for 6 consecutive years. In 2012, shipboard surveying and satellite remote sensing were used to monitor the whole blooming process. The blooms originated in Rudong sea area of the South Yellow Sea where bloom patches were of dark green and filamentous thalli were the dominant morphology. The scale of the blooms reached its peak size in Rizhao sea area of the North Yellow Sea, and decreased promptly and became insignificant in Qingdao coast where the blooms turned yellow, mostly with air sac blades. Meanwhile, vegetative cells of the green tide algae changed into cytocysts gradually from which germ cells were released as the blooms drifted northward. Additionally, chlorophyll contents and fluorescence activity of free-floating thalli in the North Yellow Sea were both significantly lower than that in the South Yellow Sea. Those studies presented here contributed to increasing our understanding about how the green tide declined gradually in the North Yellow Sea.