Integrated assessment of CDK1 upregulation in thyroid cancer.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) has a unique role in cell cycle regulation, as it is crucial for cell cycle progression and cell division. The aim of the present study was to use a combination of various detection methods to examine the expression and clinical significance of CDK1 in thyroid cancer (THCA). We used in-house tissue microarrays, immunohistochemistry, public RNA-sequencing, gene microarrays, and meta-analyses to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the role of CDK1 in the occurrence and development of THCA. CDK1 protein expression was notably higher in THCA tissues than in non-cancer tissues as evidenced by the in-house tissue microarrays. The expression of CDK1 protein was also significantly higher in pathologic T3-T4 than in T1-T2 samples. The pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) for CDK1 was 0.71 (95% CI, 0.46-0.95) including a total of 931 THCA and 585 non-cancerous thyroid tissue samples. An aggregation of the immunohistochemistry results and the RNA-sequencing/microarray findings gave a pooled SMD for CDK1 expression of 2.13 (95% CI, 1.30-2.96). The final area under curve (AUC) for the summarized receiver operating characteristic (sROC) was 0.7941 using all 1102 cases of THCA and 672 cases of controls. KEGG analysis with the co-expressed genes of CDK1 in THCA demonstrated the top enriched pathways to be the cell cycle, thyroid hormone synthesis, autoimmune thyroid disease, etc. In summary, we reveal the overexpression of CDK1 in THCA based on multiple detection methods that combine independent cohorts. However, further studies are required to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of CDK1 that promotes the biological aggressiveness of THCA cells.

Effect of Ginkgo biloba extract on the expressions of Cox-2 and GST-Pi in rats with hepatocellular carcinoma risk.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common and aggressive cancers worldwide, and the pathogenesis is complicated at present. There iare few effective therapeutic measures, and novel therapeutic strategies are urgently required to improve clinical outcome. Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb) is reported to have an anti-cancer activity. OBJECTIVES: To explore the effect of EGb on expressions of cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) and glutathione S-transferase Pi (GST-Pi) in the pathogenesis of HCC. METHODS: 120 Wistar rats were divided into three groups at random: normal control group (control group), HCC risk group without treatment (HCC risk group), HCC risk group treated with EGb (EGb group); n=40, respectively. The HCC risk in rat was induced by aflatoxin B1 injection. At the end of 13-week, 33-week, 53-week and 73-week, 10 rats in each group were killed and the relevant samples were collected. RESULTS: The mRNA and protein expressions of Cox-2 and GST-Pi were measured by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemical analysis and western-blot. When compared with those in the control group in 73-week, the mRNA and protein expressions of GST-Pi in EGb group were weaker than those in HCC risk group in 73-week. However, the mRNA and protein expressions of Cox-2 in HCC risk group were increased than that of control group, and there was no statistical difference for mRNA and protein expressions of Cox-2 between HCC risk group and EGb group. CONCLUSION: EGb can regulate the expression of GST-Pi, but it does not seem to have an effect on Cox-2 expression in the liver of HCC risk rats.

[Changes of sperm chromatin in oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia syndrome patients after treated by integrated Chinese and Western medicine].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the changes of sperm chromatin in patients with oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia (OAT) syndrome after treated by integrated Chinese and Western medicine. METHODS: Sixty patients with OAT syndrome were treated by integrated Chinese and Western medicine for 3 months. Their sperm samples were collected before and after the treatment, subjected to acridine orange staining and analyzed by fluorescent microscopy, flow cytometry and sperm routine detection. RESULTS: Significant differences were shown in the master-group sperm signals (P < 0.01) and at and COMPalphat (P < 0.05) by flow cytometry, as well as in the green and the red groups (P < 0.05) by fluorescent microscopy before and after the treatment. Changes in sperm concentration, motility, vitality and deformity were noted after the treatment, with statistic difference between pre- and post-treatment (P < 0.05) except in forward sperm concentration. CONCLUSION: Treatment by integrated Chinese and Western medicine can improve sperm chromatin in patients with OAT syndrome. Flow cytometry, along with fluorescent microscopy and sperm routine detection, plays an important role in the evaluation of male infertility therapy.