Knockdown of lncRNA MIAT attenuated lipopolysaccharide-induced microglial cells injury by sponging miR-613.

Microglia activation and its mediated neuroinflammation play an important role in the pathological process of various central nervous system injuries and diseases. Previous studies have reported abnormal expression of lncRNAs participated in neuroinflammation. However, the expression pattern and involvements of MIAT in neuroinflammatory diseases are not fully investigated. We first screened abnormal expressed lncRNAs in BV2 cells treated with LPS. The expression of MIAT in LPS-induced BV2 cells was detected by qRT-PCR. MTT assay, cell migration, flow cytometry analysis, ELISA, qRT-PCR, and Western blotting analysis were applied to evaluating the effect of si-MIAT on LPS-induced H9C2 cells. The bioinformatics analysis and the rescue experiment were devoted to the underlying mechanism of lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network. The results showed LncRNA MIAT expression was significantly increased in LPS-induced BV2 microglial cells. Besides, MIAT knockdown alleviated LPS-induced repression of cell viability and induction of apoptosis and inflammatory response in BV2 cells. Furthermore, LncRNA MIAT regulated NFAT5 expression via sponging miR-613 in LPS-induced BV2 cells. Altogether, these results suggest that lncRNA MIAT functioned as a ceRNA for miR-613 to modulate NFAT5 expression in LPS-induced BV2 cells, which may contribute to a better understanding of the mechanism of neuroinflammatory diseases.

A nomogram model to individually predict prognosis for esophageal cancer with synchronous pulmonary metastasis.

Background: Esophageal cancer (EC) is a life-threatening disease worldwide. The prognosis of EC patients with synchronous pulmonary metastasis (PM) is unfavorable, but few tools are available to predict the clinical outcomes and prognosis of these patients. This study aimed to construct a nomogram model for the prognosis of EC patients with synchronous PM. Methods: From the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, we selected 431 EC patients diagnosed with synchronous PM. These cases were randomized into a training cohort (303 patients) and a validation cohort (128 patients). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, along with the Kaplan-Meier method, were used to estimate the prognosis and cancer-specific survival (CSS) among two cohorts. Relative factors of prognosis in the training cohort were selected to develop a nomogram model which was verified on both cohorts by plotting the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves as well as the calibration curves. A risk classification assessment was completed to evaluate the CSS of different groups using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: The nomogram model contained four risk factors, including T stage, bone metastasis, liver metastasis, and chemotherapy. The 6-, 12- and 18-month CSS were 55.1%, 26.7%, and 5.9% and the areas under the ROC curve (AUC) were 0.818, 0.781, and 0.762 in the training cohort. Likewise, the AUC values were 0.731, 0.764, and 0.746 in the validation cohort. The calibration curves showed excellent agreement both in the training and validation cohorts. There was a substantial difference in the CSS between the high-risk and low-risk groups (P<0.01). Conclusion: The nomogram model serves as a predictive tool for EC patients with synchronous PM, which would be utilized to estimate the individualized CSS and guide therapeutic decisions.

Expression levels of chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligands CXCL1 and CXCL3 as prognostic biomarkers in rectal adenocarcinoma: evidence from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) analyses.

Rectal cancer is a life­threatening disease worldwide. Chemotherapy resistance is common in rectal adenocarcinoma patients and has unfavorable survival outcomes; however, its related molecular mechanisms remain unknown. To identify genes related to the initiation and progression of rectal adenocarcinoma, three datasets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. In total, differentially expressed genes were analyzed from 294 tumor and 277 para-carcinoma samples from patients with rectal cancer. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes functions were investigated. Cytoscape software and MicroRNA Enrichment Turned Network were applied to construct a protein-protein interaction network of the dependent hub genes and related microRNAs. The Oncomine database was used to identify hub genes. Additionally, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis was applied to determine the RNA expression level. Tumor immune infiltration was assessed using the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource database. The expression profiles of hub genes between stages, and their prognostic value, were also evaluated. During this study, data from The Cancer Genome Atlas were utilized. In rectal adenocarcinoma, four hub genes including CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL3, and GNG4 were highly expressed at the gene and RNA levels. The expression of CXCL1, CXCL2, and CXCL3 was regulated by has-miR-1-3p and had a strong positive correlation with macrophage and neutrophil. CXCL2 and CXCL3 were differentially expressed at different tumor stages. High expression levels of CXCL1 and CXCL3 predicted poor survival. In conclusion, the CXCL1 and CXCL3 genes may have potential for prognosis and molecular targeted therapy of rectal adenocarcinoma.

A novel nomogram for predicting the risk of epilepsy occurrence after operative in gliomas patients without preoperative epilepsy history.

OBJECTIVE: Epilepsy is a common complication in glioma patients after undergoing brain tumor surgery combined with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Whether antiepileptic drug prophylaxis could be used in these patients remains an open question. The purpose of this study was to produce a model for predicting the risk of epilepsy occurrence in such patients. METHODS: The clinicopathologic data of glioma patients after tumor treatment were reviewed in this study. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out to analyze the correlation between the clinicopathologic data and the risk of epilepsy occurrence. A nomogram was built according to the multivariate logistic regression model results. RESULTS: A total of 219 patients with gliomas were reviewed. Univariate analyses revealed that age, WHO glioma classification, CD34, EGFR, Ki67, MGMT, P53 and VIM were significantly associated with the risk of epilepsy occurrence. Multivariate analyses revealed that age, WHO glioma classification, CD34, EGFR, MGMT, and VIM were predictors of risk of epilepsy occurrence. A nomogram of the risk of epilepsy occurrence was built based on statistically significant variables from the multivariate logistic regression analysis. The c-index of the nomogram was 0.755 (95 % confidence interval (CI), 0.742-0.769). SIGNIFICANCE: This nomogram model provides reliable information about the risk of epilepsy occurrence for oncologists and neurological physicians.

Rabi resonance in coherent population trapping: microwave mixing scheme.

Coherent population trapping (CPT) resonance signals have promise in a wide range of applications involving precision sensing. Generally, the CPT phenomenon occurs in a three-level Λ system with a bichromatic phase-coherent light fields. We theoretically and experimentally studied an Rb vapor-cell-based atomic system involving bichromatic CPT optical fields and an external microwave (MW) field simultaneously. In such a mixing scheme, the coherence of the ground states could be controlled either by the Rabi frequency of the microwave field or by the relative phase between the optical fields and the MW field. Moreover, we investigated the Rabi resonance in this mixing scheme. The Rabi frequency of the MW field can be measured SI (International System of Units)-traceably based on the Rabi resonance lineshape, and thus holds the potential to realize intensity stabilization of the optical field in this system. Simple theoretical models and numerical calculations are also presented to explain the experimental results. There is scope to use the proposed technique in future development of SI-traceable optical field strength standards.

High Mean Corpuscular Volume as a Predictor of Poor Overall Survival in Patients with Esophageal Cancer Receiving Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Increasing numbers of recent studies have demonstrated that high mean corpuscular volume (MCV) is a predictor of poor overall survival (OS) and therapeutic response in patients with solid tumors. The aim of the present study was to explore the association between high MCV and OS in patients with advanced esophageal cancer (EC) undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Enrolled in this study were 249 patients with advanced EC who underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Pre-treatment MCV values were collected in all patients and their correlations with OS and pathophysiological characteristics were analyzed. The chi-square test was used to explore the correlation between MCV and various clinical pathophysiological characteristics, and the prognostic significance of high MCV using Kaplan-Meier curves and the Cox proportional hazards model. All P-values were two-tailed and a P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: According to ROC curve analysis, the optimal cut-off value of MCV was 93.6 fL. The mean OS was 14.7 months in all 249 EC patients, 10.9 months in patients with MCV >93.6 fL, and 18.8 months in patients with MCV <93.6 fL; the difference is statistically significant (P<0.05). Chi-square test showed that the MCV value was correlated with the N stage of the tumor and the therapeutic effect, indicating that the higher the MCV was, the higher the T stage of the tumor and the worse the therapeutic effect would be (p=0.012 and p <0.01). Multivariate analysis showed that MCV (OR = 1.864, 95% CI: 1.439-2.415) was an independent prognostic factor for OS in EC patients. CONCLUSION: High MCV is a poor predictor of OS in patients with advanced EC receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

MicroRNA-7 as a Potential Biomarker for Prognosis in Pancreatic Cancer.

MicroRNAs play critical roles in tumor progression. Our recent study has indicated that microRNA-7 (miR-7) impairs autophagy-derived pools of glucose to suppress the glycolysis in pancreatic cancer progression. However, the roles of miR-7 in clinical significance and chemoresistance of pancreatic cancer remain unexplored. The aim of this study was to assess the expression of miR-7 in patients with pancreatic cancer and to evaluate the possibility of its usage as a prognostic molecular biomarker. MicroRNA array-based quantification analysis of 372 miRNAs was compared in serum between pancreatic cancer and healthy individuals, gemcitabine-sensitive and gemcitabine-resistance patients. We identified miR-7 showed the potential predictive power for gemcitabine-sensitive patients with pancreatic cancer. Then, the results were validated in pancreatic tissue microarray and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, demonstrating that lower miR-7 expression was correlated with more advanced tumor stages and worse prognosis in pancreatic cancer. The Cox proportional-hazards model analysis identified miR-7 to be an independent variable for prediction of the survival. Furthermore, the mechanistic exploration suggested the clinical significance of miR-7 involved its interference effect on autophagy and glycolysis in pancreatic cancer using pancreatic cancer tissue microarrays and TCGA data. Therefore, the results of the present study provide evidences that low microRNA-7 expression may contribute to tumor progression and poor prognosis in pancreatic cancer.

Folate-conjugated herpes simplex virus for retargeting to tumor cells.

BACKGROUND: Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)-mediated oncolytic therapy is a promising cancer treatment modality. However, viral tropism is considered to be one of the major stumbling blocks to the development of HSV-1 as an anticancer agent. METHODS: The surface of oncolytic HSV-1 G207 was covalently modified with folate-poly (ethylene glycol) conjugate (FA-PEG). The specificities and tumor targeting efficiencies of modified or unmodified G207 particles were analyzed by a real-time polymerase chain reaction at the level of cell attachment and entry. Immune responses were assessed by an interleukin-6 release assay from RAW264.7 macrophages. Biodistribution and in vivo antitumoral activity after intravenous delivery was evaluated in BALB/c nude mice bearing subcutaneous KB xenograft tumors. RESULTS: FA-PEG-HSV exhibited enhanced targeting specificity for folate receptor over-expressing tumor cells and had lower immunogenicity than the unmodified HSV. In vivo, the FA-PEG-HSV group revealed an increased anti-tumor efficiency and tumor targeting specificity compared to the naked HSV. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that folate-conjugated HSV G207 presents a folate receptor-targeted oncolytic virus with a potential therapeutic value via retargeting to tumor cells.

Predictive value of lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with oesophageal cancer undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The survival rate of patients with advanced oesophageal cancer is very low and can vary significantly, even among patients with the same TNM stage. It is important to look for indicators that are economical and readily available to predict overall survival. The aim of this study was to determine whether lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) could be potential predictors of survival in patients with advanced oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy. METHODS: Differences in survival among 204 patients with advanced oesophageal cancer who underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy were collected and analysed. Univariate and multivariate COX regression analyses were used to investigate the association between blood inflammatory markers and patient survival before treatment. RESULTS: Univariate COX regression analyses showed that a history of alcohol use, neutrophil count, LMR, NLR, tumour length, and N stage were significantly associated with the survival of tumour patients receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Multivariate COX regression analysis showed that NLR and LMR were predictors of outcome in tumour patients receiving chemoradiotherapy. According to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the AUC of LMR and NLR was 0.734 and 0.749, and the best cutoff point for LMR and NLR was 3.03 and 2.64, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: LMR and NLR can be used to predict the survival of patients with advanced oesophageal cancer receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy, thereby providing clinicians with suggestions for further treatment options.

Nomograms for predicting risk of locoregional recurrence and distant metastases for esophageal cancer patients after radical esophagectomy.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to develop nomograms for predicting the risk of locoregional recurrence or distant metastasis in esophageal cancer patients who were treated with esophagectomy and regional lymphadenectomy. METHODS: The clinicopathologic data of 408 esophageal cancer patients after esophagectomy and regional lymphadenectomy were analyzed in this study. Univariate and multivariate COX regression analyses were used to test the association between the clinicopathologic data and the risk of locoregional recurrence or distant metastasis. The nomograms were built from the COX regression model. RESULTS: Univariate analyses revealed that tumor length, tumor width, T-staging and perineural invasion(PNI) were significantly associated with locoregional recurrence, and that tumor length, tumor width, differentiation, T-staging, N-staging, lymph vascular space invasion(LVSI), PNI and adjuvant chemotherapy were significantly associated with distant metastasis. Multivariate analyses revealed that tumor length, tumor width and T-staging were predictors of risk of locoregional recurrence, and that differentiation, N-staging, LVSI and PNI were predictors of risk of distant metastasis. Two nomograms were constructed for a visual explanation of these two COX regression models. The bias-corrected curve showed no significant departure from the ideal curve in these two nomograms. CONCLUSIONS: Two nomograms were developed and validated to predict the risk of locoregional recurrence and distant metastasis in esophageal cancer patients after radical esophagectomy. The calculation outcome will help oncologists to choose adjuvant treatment regimens.

Mean Corpuscular Volume as a Predictive Factor of Response to Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to identify if blood routine parameters and serum tumor marker are potential predictive factors for tumor response to preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in locally advanced rectal cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 55 locally advanced rectal cancer patients were treated with preoperative CRT in this study. The total dose of preoperative radiotherapy was 45 Gy in 25 fractions of 1.8 in 5 weeks. All patients concurrently received 825 mg/m2 capecitabine orally twice daily on days 1 to 14 and 22 to 35. Total mesorectal excision (TME) was performed 6 weeks after the end of preoperative CRT. Blood routine examination and serum tumor marker were checked before preoperative CRT. Tumor response to preoperative CRT was evaluated with the semiquantitative tumor regression grading (TRG) system proposed by Dworak criteria according to histopathological examination of the surgical specimens. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to test the association between blood routine parameters and serum tumor marker and tumor response to preoperative CRT. RESULTS: Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that differentiation, lymphocyte, LMR, MCV, PLR, and CEA have been significantly associated with tumor response to preoperative CRT. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that differentiation, MCV, and CEA were the predictors of tumor response to preoperative CRT. According to the ROC analysis, the AUC of differentiation, MCV, and CEA was 0.794, 0.802, and 0.723, respectively. Optimal cutoff points for MCV and CEA were 87.65 fl and 4.05 ng/ml, respectively. CONCLUSION: MCV is a potential predictive factor for tumor response to preoperative chemoradiation in locally advanced rectal cancer.

A multi­targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor lenvatinib for the treatment of mice with advanced glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive primary brain tumor that originates from the glial cells in adults. Aberrant angiogenesis is essential for malignant glioblastoma tumorigenesis, development and metastasis. Lenvatinib is a multi­targeted anticancer agent that targets of receptor tyrosine kinases including vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 and 2, fibroblast growth factor receptor 1, platelet­derived growth factor receptor ß and v­kit Hardy­Zuckerman 4 feline sarcoma viral oncogene homolog. In the present study, the therapeutic effects of lenvatinib as a treatment for glioblastoma were investigated in vivo and in vitro. The maximum dose toxicity (MDT) and treatment­associated adverse events of lenvatinib were identified by cytotoxicity assay in experimental mice. Increasing levels of the pro­apoptosis genes caspase­3, -8, -9 and -10 following lenvatinib treatment were determined by reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and apoptosis of the malignant gliomas cells was analyzed by FACS. In vivo treatment with lenvatinib for BV­2 bearing male BALC/c nude mice was assessed via tumor growth suppression and long­term observation of survival. Subsequent cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses were further analyzed to determine the in vivo efficacy of lenvatinib treatment in mice with glioblastoma. The MDT of lenvatinib was identified as 0.24 mg, with relatively few side effects and improved efficacy in mice. Lenvatinib (0.24 mg) significantly increased apoptosis in BV­2, C6, BC3H1 and G422 glioma cell lines. Tumor growth was significantly inhibited and tumor­bearing mice demonstrated an improved survival rate following treatment with lenvatinib. In conclusion, lenvatinib provided an effective treatment outcome, and the results of the present study may help to achieve a comprehensive therapeutic schedule for clinical application.

A Simple Scoring System Predicting the Survival Time of Patients with Bone Metastases after RT.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to develop a scoring system to predict the survival time of patients with bone metastases after radiation therapy (RT). The scoring system can guide physicians to a better selection of appropriate treatment regimens. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 125 patients with bone metastases treated with RT between January 2007 and September 2010 were reviewed retrospectively. Fifteen potential prognostic factors were investigated: sex, age, Karnofsky performance score (KPS), type of primary tumor, resection of tumor before bone metastases, interval between primary tumor diagnosis and diagnosis of bone metastases, Carcinoembryonic Antigen(CEA), lung metastases before bone metastases, liver metastases before bone metastases, brain metastases before bone metastases, stage, T, N, M, and degree of cellular differentiation. RESULTS: In an univariate analysis, 10 factors were significantly associated with survival time after bone metastasis: sex, KPS, breast cancer, esophageal cancer, colorectal cancer, interval between tumor diagnosis and diagnosis of bone metastases, CEA, lung metastases before bone metastases, T-staging, and differentiation. In a multivariate analysis, 7 factors were found to be significant: sex, KPS, esophageal cancer, colorectal cancer, interval between tumor diagnosis and diagnosis of bone metastases, T-staging, and differentiation. The median survival of all patients with bone metastases after RT was 14.1 months. There were significant differences in the median survival of patients with bone metastases after RT of 4.9 months, 10.5 months, and 29.7 months in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: According to this scoring system, the survival time of patients after bone metastasis can be estimated.

Activity guided isolation and modification of juglone from Juglans regia as potent cytotoxic agent against lung cancer cell lines.

BACKGROUND: Juglans regia has been found to exhibit significant anticancer activity against various human cancer cell lines. This study was undertaken to isolate the active chemical constituent (Juglone) and to investigate its cytotoxic activity along with its various analogs against different human cancer cell lines. METHODS: Isolation of juglone, a napthoquinone, from the chloroform extract of the root part of Juglans regia was executed by flash chromatography using silica gel as stationary phase. The isolated Juglone was used as starting material for the further synthesis of a novel series of triazolyl analogs using click chemistry approach to investigate their cytotoxic potential against different human cancer cell lines using 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-yl)-diphenyl tetrazoliumbromide (MTT) assay. RESULTS: The different extracts of Juglans regia and the isolated compound (juglone) exhibited satisfactory cytotoxic activity against a panel of eight different human cancer cell lines namely, prostate colon (Colo-205 and HCT-116), breast (T47D), prostate (PC-3 and DU-145), skin (A-431) and lung (NCI-H322 and A549). Interestingly, all the synthesised analogs displayed enhanced and selective cytotoxic activity against lung cancer cell lines only. Of the synthesized derivatives, 15a and 16a displayed the best activity with IC50 of 4.72 and 4.67 µM against A549 cells. Both these derivatives exhibited superior potency to BEZ-235 against both the lung cancer cell lines. So far as the structural aspects are concerned, electron withdrawing substituents at the ortho position of R moiety of the triazolyl analogs seem to be essential for attaining better activity. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates the selective and enhanced cytotoxic activity of the triazolyl analogs of juglone against NCI-H322 and A549 human lung cancer cell lines. Some derivatives exhibited superior potency to BEZ-235, a commercially available anticancer agent.

S-1-Based versus capecitabine-based preoperative chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer: a matched-pair analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper was to compare the efficacy and safety of S-1-based and capecitabine-based preoperative chemoradiotherapy regimens in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer through a retrospective matched-pair analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between Jan 2010 and Mar 2014, 24 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who received preoperative radiotherapy concurrently with S-1 were individually matched with 24 contemporary patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who received preoperative radiotherapy concurrently with capecitabine according to clinical stage (as determined by pelvic magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography) and age (within five years). All these patients performed mesorectal excision 4-8 weeks after the completion of chemoradiotherapy. RESULTS: The tumor volume reduction rates were 55.9±15.1% in the S-1 group and 53.8±16.0% in the capecitabine group (p = 0.619). The overall downstaging, including both T downstaging and N downstaging, occurred in 83.3% of the S-1 group and 70.8% of the capecitabine group (p = 0.508). The significant tumor regression, including regression grade I and II, occurred in 33.3% of S-1 patients and 25.0% of capecitabine patients (p = 0.754). In the two groups, Grade 4 adverse events were not observed and Grade 3 consisted of only two cases of diarrhea, and no patient suffered hematologic adverse event of Grade 2 or higher. However, the incidence of diarrhea (62.5% vs 33.3%, p = 0.014) and hand-foot syndrome (29.2% vs 0%, p = 0.016) were higher in capecitabine group. Other adverse events did not differ significantly between two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The two preoperative chemoradiotherapy regimens were effective and safe for patients of locally advanced rectal cancer, but regimen with S-1 exhibited a lower incidence of adverse events.

Phasic study of intestinal homeostasis disruption in experimental intestinal obstruction.

AIM: To investigate the phasic alteration of intestinal homeostasis in an experimental model of intestinal obstruction. METHODS: A rabbit model of intestinal obstruction was established by transforming parts of an infusion set into an in vivo pulled-type locking clamp and creating a uniform controllable loop obstruction in the mesenteric non-avascular zone 8 cm from the distal end of the ileum. The phasic alteration of intestinal homeostasis was studied after intestinal obstruction. The changes in goblet cells, intraepithelial lymphocytes, lamina propria lymphocytes, and intestinal epithelium were quantified from periodic acid-Schiff-stained sections. Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity and serum citrulline levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Claudin 1 mRNA expression was examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. Intestinal microorganisms, wet/dry weight ratios, pH values, and endotoxin levels were determined at multiple points after intestinal obstruction. Furthermore, the number and ratio of CD3(+), CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells were determined by flow cytometry, and secretory IgA levels were measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: A suitable controllable rabbit model of intestinal obstruction was established. Intestinal obstruction induced goblet cell damage and reduced cell number. Further indicators of epithelial cell damage were observed as reduced serum citrulline levels and claudin 1 gene expression, and a transient increase in ODC activity. In addition, the wet/dry weight ratio and pH of the intestinal lumen were also dramatically altered. The ratio of Bacillus bifidus and enterobacteria was reversed following intestinal obstruction. The number and area of Peyer's patches first increased then sharply decreased after the intestinal obstruction, along with an alteration in the ratio of CD4/CD8(+) T cells, driven by an increase in CD3(+) and CD8(+) T cells and a decrease in CD4(+) T cells. The number of lamina propria lymphocytes also gradually decreased with prolonged obstruction. CONCLUSION: Intestinal obstruction can induce disruption of intestinal homeostasis.

A model to discriminate malignant from benign thyroid nodules using artificial neural network.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to construct a model for using in differentiating benign and malignant nodules with the artificial neural network and to increase the objective diagnostic accuracy of US. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 618 consecutive patients (528 women, 161 men) with 689 thyroid nodules (425 malignant and 264 benign nodules) were enrolled in the present study. The presence and absence of each sonographic feature was assessed for each nodule - shape, margin, echogenicity, internal composition, presence of calcifications, peripheral halo and vascularity on color Doppler. The variables meet the following criteria: important sonographic features and statistically significant difference were selected as the input layer to build the ANN for predicting the malignancy of nodules. RESULTS: Six sonographic features including shape (Taller than wide, p<0.001), margin (Not Well-circumscribed, p<0.001), echogenicity (Hypoechogenicity, p<0.001), internal composition (Solid, p<0.001), presence of calcifications (Microcalcification, p<0.001) and peripheral halo (Absent, p<0.001) were significantly associated with malignant nodules. A three-layer 6-8-1 feed-forward ANN model was built. In the training cohort, the accuracy of the ANN in predicting malignancy of thyroid nodules was 82.3% (AURO  = 0.818), the sensitivity and specificity was 84.5% and 79.1%, respectively. In the validation cohort, the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity was 83.1%, 83.8% and 81.8%, respectively. The AUROC was 0.828. CONCLUSION: ANN constructed by sonographic features can discriminate benign and malignant thyroid nodules with high diagnostic accuracy.

[Effects end mechanisms of curcumol beta-cyclodextrin compound on the proliferation and apoptosls of esophageal carcinoma cell line TE-1].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects and mechanisms of Curcumol beta-cyclodextrin Compound (CbetaC) on the proliferation and apoptosis of esophageal carcinoma cell line TE-1. METHODS: The CbetaC was prepared by saturated solution and confirmed by infrared absorption spectroscopy. The effects of CbetaC (at 25, 50, 100 mg/L) on the proliferation of human esophageal carcinoma cell line TE-1 in vitro was analyzed by MTT assay. The cell cycles and apoptosis were detected by flow cytometer. The relative expression of survivin mRNA was detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR and calculated by the 2(-deltaCt) method. The protein expression of survivin was measured by Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, results of MTT showed that CbetaC at each dose significantly inhibited the proliferation of TE-1 cells in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05). The results of flow cytometry showed that CbetaC resulted in the cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 and G2/M phase, and promoted the cell apoptosis. Besides, when compared with the control group, the protein and mRNA expressions of survivin obviously decreased in each CbetaC group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: CbetaC could inhibit the proliferation of esophageal carcinoma cell TE-1 and promote the apoptosis. Its inhibition on the survivin expression was correlated with its inhibition on the malignant phenotypes of esophageal carcinoma cells.

Carbon dioxide and methane fluxes: seasonal dynamics from inland riparian ecosystems, northeast China.

Riparian wetland ecosystems have been described as significant hotspots for carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) fluxes, but their role in the release and sequestration of these greenhouse gases has been insufficiently assessed within China. The influences of vegetation and soil parameters on daily and seasonal variations in carbon flux in the Nenjiang basin, northeast China, were recorded using a static closed-chamber technique during the non-growing (November and January) and growing (June, July and August) seasons of 2009-2010. Seasonal differences in average CO2 flux were observed (growing season: 6.605g·C·m(-2)h(-1); non-growing season: -0.185g·C·m(-2)h(-1)) and these were significantly correlated with CH4 emission (r=0.532, p=0.011) and soil temperature at 5 cm depth below ground (r=0.852, p=0.000). Average diel gaseous flux showed significant variation between hours for both gases (CO2 flux one-way ANOVA F=3.075, p<0.01; CH4 flux one way ANOVA F=2.622, p<0.05). Various significant correlations were also found between CH4 and CO2 fluxes and multiple vegetation and soil parameters. For example at both sites, growing season-CH4 flux was correlated with vegetation cover (r=0.580, p<0.05) and total vegetation phosphorous (r=0.474, p<0.05). This study allowed key temporal differences in gas release and their potential biotic and abiotic drivers to be identified. Crucially, it also highlighted important areas in need of further research, to enhance our understanding of gaseous flux from inland riparian habitats.

Association between single nucleotide polymorphisms of the transforming growth factor-ß1 gene and overall survival in unresectable locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with radio(chemo)therapy in a Chinese population.

The outcome is variable for unresectable locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (ULANSCLC) patients treated with radio(chemo)therapy. The aim of this study is to investigate whether single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-ß1) gene are associated with overall survival (OS) in ULANSCLC patients treated with definitive radio(chemo)therapy. A total of 109 patients who had available blood samples and complete clinical and follow-up information were enrolled. DNA from blood was genotyped for two SNPs: TGF-ß1 C-509T and T+869C. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, log-rank test, and Cox's proportional hazard model were used to evaluate associations between genotypes and OS. Log-rank test showed that TGF-ß1 C-509T significantly correlated with OS (pooled P = 0.017). Both univariate and multivariate analyses showed that TGF-ß1 C-509T CC genotype was significantly associated with better OS than CT or TT genotypes. These results indicate that TGF-ß1 C-509T CC genotype is significantly associated with better OS in ULANSCLC patients treated with radio(chemo)therapy as a potential independent survival predictor.