Conversion chemotherapy combined with surgical treatment of unresectable advanced gastric cancer

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Background: Local advanced gastric cancer which could not receive R0 resection, or gastric cancer with single distant metastasis usually received palliative chemotherapy or entered into various clinical trials, and surgery usually roled as a symptomatic treatment. This study is to investigate the efficacy and safety of PCF chemotherapy combined with surgery in the treatment of these patients. Methods: From 2007.8 to 2012.8, 78 cases of local advanced gastric cancer which can not be treated with R0 resection(T4N2~3M0) or gastric cancer with single distant metastases(M1) were prospectively analysed. Patients were treated with 2~4 cycles of combined chemotherapy with paclitaxel (150mg/m2,d1), cisplatin(25mg/m2, d1~3) and 5-fluorouracil (750 mg/m2, d1~3) ( repeated every 3 weeks), and were then treated with cytoreductive surgery: mainly treated with radical resection of gastric tumor, combined with extended lymph node dissection, pancreaticoduodenal resection, colon resection, ovariectomy, liver resection and tumor radio frequency, followed by another 2~4 cycles of postoperative PCF chemotherapy.The treatment completion rate, patients’ tolerance and overall survival time were analyzed. Results: 56 patients (71.8%) accomplished chemotherapy and surgical resection as planned. 47 cases had R0 resection(60.3%). Grade 3/4 toxic effects included bone marrow suppression(24.4%) and gastrointestinal reaction(37.2%), the overall response rate (CR+PR) was 73.1%(CR 2 cases, PR 55 cases). Survival analysis: the median survival time was 23.4 months. 1-year and 3-year survival rate was 68.1% and 33.5%. The OS of patients with surgical resection was much longer than that of the non-surgery group.(36.1 VS 10.0 months, P<0.01). The OS of local advanced group was 38.6 months, and was significantly longer than 20.7 months of the distant metastasis group (P<0.01), however, it had no significant difference compared to 31.3 months of the distant metastasis group with R0 resection. Conclusions: PCF chemotherapy combined with surgical resection were safe and effective, and can make survival benefits for patients with local advanced gastric cancer or gastric cancer with single distant metastasis.

MIR210 as a potential molecular target to block invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process driving invasion, recurrence, and metastasis of gastric cancer, and EMT is triggered by specific physiological factors that arise during tumorigenesis, such as hypoxia. Identifying the molecular mechanisms underlying EMT will potentially yield insight into the pathways fueling cancer recurrence and metastasis and thus, lead to novel molecular targets that will improve treatment of the disease. The microRNA210 (MIR210) is such a candidate molecule mediating EMT in gastric cancer based on a number of observations. First, MIR210 is often highly overexpressed in gastric cancer. Second, MIR210 is a hypoxia-specific miRNA, and its expression is significantly increased in hypoxic environments where EMT develops. Third, MIR210 is regulated by hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), a key transcription factor mediating important tumor associated processes such as EMT and angiogenesis in response to hypoxia during tumorigenesis. Finally, MIR210 has been intriguingly associated with Helicobacterpylori infection, which typically develops in an anaerobic environment and is known to have a causal role in the development of gastric cancer. Although studies have shown that MIR210 is often highly expressed in gastric cancer and associated with specific pathological conditions, functional experiments have not yet been performed to determine the role of MIR210 and downstream mediators in the development and progression of gastric cancer. Here, MIR210 is proposed as a viable molecular target in the treatment of gastric cancer, specifically for the inhibition of invasion and metastasis.

Improving the feeding value of straws with Pleurotus ostreatus

The high content of lignin in cell walls is the major limiting factor in the digestion and utilisation of cereal crop residues by ruminants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the white rot fungus, Pleurotus ostreatus (P. ostreatus), to degrade lignin and to enhance the rumen degradability of maize stover, rice straw, wheat straw and their mixture in equal proportion on a dry-matter (DM) basis. Four samples of each substrate were incubated aerobically in triplicate with P. ostreatus for 0 (Control), 21, 28 and 35 days under solid-state conditions (temperature, 24°C; humidity, 70 ± 5%). The changes in chemical composition, DM and nutrient losses, and rumen fermentation characteristics using in vitro DM digestibility (DMD) and the in vitro gas-production (GP) technique were measured. The results showed that incubation with P. ostreatus decreased (P < 0.001) the contents of neutral detergent fibre and lignin with a concomitant increase (P < 0.001) in the contents of ash and crude protein. The losses of nutrients differed (P < 0.001) among the straw types, with rice straw and maize stover showing the largest (P < 0.05) lignin degradation compared to wheat and mixed straws. The DMD and 72-h cumulative GP increased (P < 0.001) consistently with increasing fungal incubation period and for all substrates the highest values of DMD and GP were measured after 35 days of incubation with P. ostreatus. The lignin degradation was strongly associated with hemicellulose degradation (r = 0.71) across the various straws. Results of the present study demonstrated that incubation of low-quality crop residues with P. ostreatus under solid-state conditions upgrades their feeding value by reducing the content of lignin and increasing the content of crude protein and ruminal degradation.

Vibrational spectroscopic investigation of heat-induced changes in functional groups related to protein structural conformation in camelina seeds and their relationship to digestion in dairy cows

The objective of this study was to use Fourier transform/infrared-attenuated total reflectance (FT/IR-ATR) molecular spectroscopy to quantify the heat-induced changes in feed protein molecular structures in relation to protein digestion in dairy cows. Camelina seeds were evaluated in this study as a model for feed protein. The seeds were either heated in air-draft oven (dry heating) or in autoclave (moist heating) at 120°C for 60 min or kept as raw (control). The parameters evaluated were Cornell net protein and carbohydrate system (CNCPS) subfractions, in situ ruminal degradation kinetics, intestinal digestibility of rumen undegraded protein (RUP) and protein molecular structures. Moist heating decreased (P < 0.05) the content of total rumen degradable (RDP) crude protein (CP) subfractions and increased the content of total RUP subfractions compared with raw seeds, indicating a significant shift at the site of protein digestion from rumen to post-ruminal tract. The decrease in RDP was mainly related to the marked decrease in rapidly solubilised (PA) and degradable (PB1) fractions, whereas the moderately degradable (PB2) and slowly degradable (PB3) fractions increased, suggesting a decrease in degradation rate of RDP. The in situ rumen incubation study revealed that moist heating decreased (P < 0.05) RDP and increased (P < 0.05) RUP and its intestinal digestibility. The molecular spectroscopy study revealed that moist heating altered protein molecular structures. Except PA and lag time, dry heating did not significantly alter any of the CNCPS CP subfraction, in situ ruminal CP degradation parameters, intestinal digestibility of RUP, and protein molecular structures. The correlation analysis showed that the heat-induced changes in protein secondary structures, α-helix-to-β-sheet ratio, were positively correlated (P < 0.05) with the contents PA (r = 0.90), PB1 (r = 0.89), RDP (r = 0.72) and intestinal digestibility (r = 0.91) of RUP, and negatively correlated (P < 0.05) with PB2 (r = –0.90), PB3 (r = –0.85) and RUP (–0.87). These results showed that compared with dry heating, moist heating significantly changed protein subfractions, rumen degradability and intestinal digestibility, and these changes were strongly associated with changes in protein molecular structures.

Significance of multidrug resistance gene-related proteins in the postoperative chemotherapy of gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a serious problem in chemotherapy and is one of the main reasons for a poor outcome of gastric cancer. Study on the key proteins in multidrug resistance is necessary for the treatment of gastric cancer.

METHODS

The expression of ToPo II, MRP and GST-π in 119 gastric cancers was retrospectively examined, and the results were analyzed in correlation with clinicopathological data. ToPo II negative, MRP positive and GST-π positive were regarded as three risk factors which may be associated with chemotherapy resistance and poor prognosis. Patients were divided into two groups: high-risk group (≥2 risk factors) and the low-risk group (<2 risk factors), and the tumor recurrence and patients' survival time of the two groups were also analyzed.

RESULTS

The positive rates of ToPo II, MRP and GST-π were 73.9%, 42.9% and 51.3%, respectively. The positively correlation between the expression of MRP and GST-π had been found. A significant correlation was shown between ToPo II expression and the level of differentiation. Significant differences with GST-π expression were also found in relation to the sex and differentiation. In the high-risk group, the 3-year survival rate of patients with/without chemotherapy were 62.1% and 52.0%, 5-year survival rates were 44.8% and 40.0%, but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). In the low-risk group, the 3-year survival rate of patients with/without chemotherapy were 81.2% and 51.5%, 5-year survival rates were 71.9% and 45.5%, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Combined detection of MDR-related proteins ToPo II, MRP and GST-π may be prospectively valuable for postoperative individualized chemotherapy, and further predict the outcomes of gastric cancer patients.

NSK-01105, a novel sorafenib derivative, inhibits human prostate tumor growth via suppression of VEGFR2/EGFR-mediated angiogenesis

The purpose of this study is to investigate the anti-angiogenic activities of NSK-01105, a novel sorafenib derivative, in in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models, and explore the potential mechanisms. NSK-01105 significantly inhibited vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced migration and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells at non-cytotoxic concentrations as shown by wound-healing, transwell migration and endothelial cell tube formation assays, respectively. Cell viability and invasion of LNCaP and PC-3 cells were significantly inhibited by cytotoxicity assay and matrigel invasion assay. Furthermore, NSK-01105 also inhibited ex vivo angiogenesis in matrigel plug assay. Western blot analysis showed that NSK-01105 down-regulated VEGF-induced phosphorylation of VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2) and the activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Tumor volumes were significantly reduced by NSK-01105 at 60 mg/kg/day in both xenograft models. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated a close association between inhibition of tumor growth and neovascularization. Collectively, our results suggest a role of NSK-01105 in treatment for human prostate tumors, and one of the potential mechanisms may be attributed to anti-angiogenic activities.

Ferulic acid ameliorates nerve injury induced by cerebral ischemia in rats

This study was designed to investigate the protective effect of ferulic acid (FA) on nerve injury induced by cerebral ischemia. Focal cerebral ischemia was induced by occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery and reperfusion 90 min later in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Daily treatment of the rats with FA was initiated 30 min after the surgery, and was continued for 7 days. The efficacy of FA against nerve injury was assessed by neurological deficit scores as well as pathohistological observation. The expression levels in the brain and level in the peripheral blood of erythropoietin (EPO) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. The results showed that FA attenuated nerve injury of the hippocampus, significantly ameliorated neurological deficits, and increased EPO but not G-CSF expression in the hippocampus and the peripheral blood of ischemic rats. The findings indicate that FA has certain protective effects on the nerve injury of cerebral ischemia, and suggest that promoting EPO in the brain and peripheral blood may be one of the neuroprotective mechanisms of FA.

Expression of multidrug resistance-associated proteins and their relation to postoperative individualized chemotherapy in gastric cancer

Background

Adjuvant chemotherapy could reduce residual tumor cells and prevent relapse, however, not all patients are suitable for adjuvant chemotherapy. Screening appropriate patients based on molecular markers for individualized adjuvant chemotherapy is necessary.

Methods

Between June 2002 and June 2004, 119 patients who underwent radical gastrectomy were retrospectively analyzed. Some patients had adjuvant chemotherapy based on platinum and 5-FU for four to six cycles. Topoisomerase II (ToPo II) negative, multidrug resistance protein (MRP) positive and glutathione S-transferase π (GST-π) positive were regarded as three risk factors that may be associated with chemotherapy resistance and poor prognosis. Patients were divided into two groups: a high-risk group (≥2 risk factors) and a low-risk group (<2 risk factors), and tumor recurrence and patient survival time of the two groups were analyzed.

Results

The average recurrence time of the low-risk group was significantly longer than that of the high-risk group (21.29 ± 11.10 versus 15.16 ± 8.05 months, P <0.01). The 3-year and 5-year survival rates of the high-risk group were 57.4% and 42.6%, however, it had no significant difference compared to 66.2% and 58.5% of the low-risk group (P >0.05). In the high-risk group, the 3-year survival rates of patients with/without chemotherapy were 62.1% and 52.0% and the 5-year survival rates were 44.8% and 40.0%, respectively, but the difference was not statistically significant (P >0.05). In the low-risk group, the 3-year survival rates of patients with/without chemotherapy were 81.2% and 51.5%, and the 5-year survival rates were 71.9% and 45.5%, respectively, these differences were statistically significant (P <0.05).

Conclusions

Combined detection of the multidrug resistance (MDR)-related proteins ToPo II, MRP and GST-π may be prospectively valuable for postoperative individualized chemotherapy and in further predicting the outcomes of gastric cancer patients.

Brain iron accumulation exacerbates the pathogenesis of MPTP-induced Parkinson's disease

Brain iron levels are significantly increased in Parkinson's disease (PD) and iron deposition is observed in the substantia nigra (SN) of PD patients. It is unclear whether iron overload is an initial cause of dopaminergic neuronal death or merely a byproduct that occurs in the SN of PD patients. In this study, ceruloplasmin knockout (CP-/-) mice and mice receiving an intracerebroventricular injection of ferric ammonium citrate (FAC) were selected as mouse models with high levels of brain iron. These mice were administered with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) by intraperitoneal injection. Their behavior and the dopaminergic neuron damage to their substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) were assessed. These findings suggest that the injection of FAC or the absence of the CP gene may exacerbate both the observed apoptosis of TH-positive neurons and the behavioral symptoms of the MPTP-treated mice. The intracerebroventricular injection of deferoxamine (DFO) significantly alleviated the neuronal damage caused by MPTP in CP-/- mice. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the increased nigral iron content exacerbates the oxidative stress levels, promoting apoptosis through the Bcl-2/Bax pathway and the activated caspase-3 pathway in the brain. Therefore, iron overload in the brain exacerbates dopaminergic neuronal death in SNpc and leads to the onset of PD.

MIC gene polymorphism and haplotype diversity in Zhuang nationality of Southern China

Zhuang ethnic minority is the largest minority group in China. Here, we report for the first time the polymorphisms of MICA and MICB in a healthy Zhuang population of 209 unrelated individuals. Using polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific priming (PCR-SSP) and sequencing-based typing (PCR-SBT), 13 MICA-sequence alleles and 5 MICA-STR alleles, as well as 11 MICB alleles were detected, among which MICA(∗)010, MICA(∗)A5 and MICB(∗)005:02 were the most frequent alleles. Linkage disequilibria was investigated and the most common two-locus haplotypes were MICB(∗)005:02-MICA(∗)010 and MICB(∗)014-MICA(∗)045. These results suggest informative genetic markers for investigating origins and evolution of MHC class I region haplotypes in Zhuang population.

Induced magnetization in La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/BiFeO3 superlattices

Using polarized neutron reflectometry, we observe an induced magnetization of 75 ± 25 kA/m at 10 K in a La(0.7)Sr(0.3)MnO(3) (LSMO)/BiFeO(3) superlattice extending from the interface through several atomic layers of the BiFeO(3) (BFO). The induced magnetization in BFO is explained by density functional theory, where the size of band gap of BFO plays an important role. Considering a classical exchange field between the LSMO and BFO layers, we further show that magnetization is expected to extend throughout the BFO, which provides a theoretical explanation for the results of the neutron scattering experiment.

Interleukin-1β induces autophagy by affecting calcium homeostasis and trypsinogen activation in pancreatic acinar cells

The strong up-regulation of inflammatory mediators has been reported to play a key role in acute pancreatitis (AP). Elevated serum levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) are associated with the development of AP. However, the precise effect and mechanism of IL-1β in AP remains obscure. In this study, we investigated the potential role and mechanism of IL-1β in AP. We measured autophagy activation in response to IL-1β in AR42J cells. The disrupting effects of IL-1β on cellular Ca(2+) were observed. To determine whether the disruption of Ca(2+) signaling has protective effects in vivo during AP, male C57BL/6 mice were treated with cerulein to induce AP. We found that the treatment of AR42J cells with IL-1β triggered autophagy and that the autophagic flux was impaired. In addition, IL-1β induced Ca(2+) release from the ER. Furthermore, the expression of the ER stress markers GRP78 and IRE1 also increased. 2APB, an antagonist of the InsP3 receptor, inhibited increased expression of autophagy markers. Subsequent biochemical assays revealed that co-culture with IL-1β could induce the activation of trypsinogen to trypsin and reduce the viability of acinar cells. Pathological changes of the pancreas were also observed in vivo. We found that the pathological injuries of the pancreas were significantly alleviated in mice co-treated with 2APB. Taken together, our results indicate that IL-1β can induce trypsin activation and decrease cellular viability in pancreatic acinar cells. These effects depend on impaired autophagy via intracellular calcium changes. Ca(2+) signaling may become a promising therapeutic target in the treatment of pancreatitis.

PCF Chemotherapy Combined with Surgical Treatment of Late Gastric Cancer

BACKGROUND/AIMS

To investigate the efficacy and safety of PCF chemotherapy combined with surgery in the treatment of late-stage gastric cancer.

METHODOLOGY

From July 2008 to February 2011, 72 cases of late-stage gastric cancer that could not be treated with R0 resection were treated prospectively. Patients received 2-4 cycles of paclitaxel plus cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (PCF regimen) chemotherapy followed by cytoreductive surgery for the primary and metastatic tumors and another 2-4 cycles of PCF chemotherapy post-operatively. The treatment completion rate, patient tolerance and overall survival time were analyzed.

RESULTS

There was one perioperative death. The overall response rate (complete and partial response) was 72.2%. Fifty patients (69.4%) completed chemotherapy and surgical resection as planned and 42 (58.3%) cases had R0 resection. The median survival time was 23.5 months (95% CI: 15.8-31.2 months). One-year and 2-year survival rates were 67.0% and 47.0%. The survival time of patients with surgical resection was much longer than that of the non-surgery group (30.2 vs. 8.9 months) (P < 0.01). The survival time of local advanced group was 30.3 months, and was significantly longer than 17.6 months of the distant metastasis group (P < 0.01); however, it had no significant difference compared to 28.2 months of the distant metastasis group with R0 resection.

CONCLUSIONS

PCF chemotherapy combined with surgical resection were safe and effective, and can make survival benefits for some late-stage gastric cancer patients.

Effect of aspect ratio and surface defects on the photocatalytic activity of ZnO nanorods

ZnO, aside from TiO₂, has been considered as a promising material for purification and disinfection of water and air, and remediation of hazardous waste, owing to its high activity, environment-friendly feature and lower cost. However, their poor visible light utilization greatly limited their practical applications. Herein, we demonstrate the fabrication of different aspect ratios of the ZnO nanorods with surface defects by mechanical-assisted thermal decomposition method. The experiments revealed that ZnO nanorods with higher aspect ratio and surface defects show significantly higher photocatalytic performances.

The ability of current scoring systems in differentiating transient and persistent organ failure in patients with acute pancreatitis

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to investigate the accuracy of currently used scoring systems in differentiating transient and persistent organ failure in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this retrospective study, 127 consecutive patients with AP and organ failure were included. Patients were divided into transient and persistent organ failure groups. The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Examination II score, bedside index of severity in acute pancreatitis, harmless acute pancreatitis score, and modified Marshall scores within the first 24 hours of organ failure were collected, and their accuracy in predicting transient organ failure was assessed.

RESULTS

Transient organ failure occurred in 46 patients (36.2%). Fewer patients with transient organ failure initiated with multiple organ failure (13.0% vs 37.0%, P=.004) and renal failure (17.4% vs 44.4%, P=.002). In predicting transient organ failure, the area under the curves of the 4 scoring systems is from 0.66 to 0.71. The area under the curve of serum amylase was 0.78, which was slightly better than that of the modified Marshall and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Examination II score and was significantly better than that of the bedside index of severity in acute pancreatitis and harmless acute pancreatitis score (P<.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Current scoring systems are not accurate enough in differentiating transient and persistent organ failure in patients with AP.

Phase-space dynamics of ionization injection in plasma-based accelerators

The evolution of beam phase space in ionization injection into plasma wakefields is studied using theory and particle-in-cell simulations. The injection process involves both longitudinal and transverse phase mixing, leading initially to a rapid emittance growth followed by oscillation, decay, and a slow growth to saturation. An analytic theory for this evolution is presented and verified through particle-in-cell simulations. This theory includes the effects of injection distance (time), acceleration distance, wakefield structure, and nonlinear space charge forces, and it also shows how ultralow emittance beams can be produced using ionization injection methods.

Non-destructive analysis of the conformational differences among feedstock sources and their corresponding co-products from bioethanol production with molecular spectroscopy

The objective of this study was to determine the possibility of using molecular spectroscopy with multivariate technique as a fast method to detect the source effects among original feedstock sources of wheat and their corresponding co-products, wheat DDGS, from bioethanol production. Different sources of the bioethanol feedstock and their corresponding bioethanol co-products, three samples per source, were collected from the same newly-built bioethanol plant with current bioethanol processing technology. Multivariate molecular spectral analyses were carried out using agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis (AHCA) and principal component analysis (PCA). The molecular spectral data of different feedstock sources and their corresponding co-products were compared at four different regions of ca. 1800-1725 cm(-1) (carbonyl CO ester, mainly related to lipid structure conformation), ca. 1725-1482 cm(-1) (amide I and amide II region mainly related to protein structure conformation), ca. 1482-1180 cm(-1) (mainly associated with structural carbohydrate) and ca. 1180-800 cm(-1) (mainly related to carbohydrates) in complex plant-based system. The results showed that the molecular spectroscopy with multivariate technique could reveal the structural differences among the bioethanol feedstock sources and among their corresponding co-products. The AHCA and PCA analyses were able to distinguish the molecular structure differences associated with chemical functional groups among the different sources of the feedstock and their corresponding co-products. The molecular spectral differences indicated the differences in functional, biomolecular and biopolymer groups which were confirmed by wet chemical analysis. These biomolecular and biopolymer structural differences were associated with chemical and nutrient profiles and nutrient utilization and availability. Molecular spectral analyses had the potential to identify molecular structure difference among bioethanol feedstock sources and their corresponding co-products.