[Changes of intestinal mucosal barrier in mice with chronic ulcerative colitis]

Objective: To study the damage and mechanism of intestinal mucosal barrier function in mice with ulcerative colitis induced by Dextran sulphate sodium (DSS). Methods: Mice models of chronic ulcerative colitis induced by DSS were established. The mice were completely randomized into normal control group and DSS group, 25 mice in each group. The body weight and colon length of the mice were monitored. The pathological examination of colon tissue was confirmed the success of the model and assessed the integrity of the colonic mucosal barrier; Evan's Blue's intestinal permeability analysis assessed the function of colon mucosal barrier; immunofluorescence staining and Western blot were used to evaluate the expression of intestinal mucosal barrier integrity-related proteins. Results: Compared with the normal control group, the DSS group had lower body weight [(25.6±0.7)g vs (23.5±0.7)g, t=2.14, P<0.05], and the colon length was shorter [(7.3±0.4)cm vs (5.6±0.2)cm, t=3.975, P<0.001]; colonic pathological results showed that the intestinal mucosa became thinner and part of the intestinal mucosa was defective; Evan's Blue instilled into the intestinal lumen was more abundant into the intestinal mucosa, and the optical density at 620 nm (OD(620))/colon tissue weight (g) was higher [(0.11±0.01) vs (0.15±0.01), t=4.174, P<0.05]; immunofluorescence and Western blot results showed lower expression of ZO-1, Claudin-1, and F-actin in colonic mucosa. Conclusion: The structure and function of intestinal mucosal barrier in DSS-induced chronic ulcerative colitis mice is impaired.

Urinary Extracellular Vesicle: A Potential Source of Early Diagnostic and Therapeutic Biomarker in Diabetic Kidney Disease

OBJECTIVE

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) has become one of the major causes of end-stage renal disease. Urinary extracellular vesicles (uEVs) contain rich biological information which could be the ideal source for noninvasive biomarkers of DKD. This review discussed the potential early diagnostic and therapeutic values of proteins and microRNAs in uEVs in DKD.

DATA SOURCES

This review was based articles published in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Google Scholar databases up to November 20, 2017, with the following keywords: "Diabetic kidney disease", "Extracellular vesicle", and "Urine".

STUDY SELECTION

Relevant articles were carefully reviewed, with no exclusions applied to the study design and publication type.

RESULTS

There is no "gold standard" technology to separate and/or purify uEVs. The uEVs contain a variety of proteins and RNAs and participate in the physiological and pathological processes of the kidney. UEVs, especially urinary exosomes, may be useful biomarkers for early diagnosis and treatment to DKD. Furthermore, the uEVs has been used as a therapeutic target for DKD.

CONCLUSION

Proteins and nucleic acids in uEVs represent promising biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of DKD.

Fas-associated factor 1 inhibits tumor growth by suppressing Helicobacter pylori-induced activation of NF-κB signaling in human gastric carcinoma

Loss of Fas-associated factor 1 (FAF1) may act as a pro-survival signal in diseased cells, but whether this is true in gastric carcinoma remains unclear. Here we report that FAF1 was expressed at low levels in gastric carcinoma tissues and cell lines, and its expression correlated with larger tumors, higher histology grade, higher TNM stage, tumor infiltration, and lymph node metastasis. Univariate analysis and survival curve analysis identified low FAF1 expression as a predictor of poor prognosis. FAF1 overexpression in HGC-27 gastric cancer cells induced cell apoptosis and inhibited cell proliferation and growth. It also reduced colony formation in vitro and tumor growth in mice. We found that Helicobacter pylori, a risk factor for gastric cancer, down-regulated FAF1 expression via NF-κB signaling. Knock-down of IKKβ or p65 expression in gastric cancer cells reversed H. pylori-induced down-regulation of FAF1 expression and partially blocked H. pylori-induced secretion of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-8. Our results suggest that loss of FAF1 contributes to human gastric carcinogenesis by allowing H. pylori to activate NF-κB signaling.

Optical Anapole Metamaterial

The toroidal dipole is a localized electromagnetic excitation independent from the familiar magnetic and electric dipoles. It corresponds to currents flowing along minor loops of a torus. Interference of radiating induced toroidal and electric dipoles leads to anapole, a nonradiating charge-current configuration. Interactions of induced toroidal dipoles with electromagnetic waves have recently been observed in artificial media at microwave, terahertz, and optical frequencies. Here, we demonstrate a quasi-planar plasmonic metamaterial, a combination of dumbbell aperture and vertical split-ring resonator, that exhibits transverse toroidal moment and resonant anapole behavior in the optical part of the spectrum upon excitation with a normally incident electromagnetic wave. Our results prove experimentally that toroidal modes and anapole modes can provide distinct and physically significant contributions to the absorption and dispersion of slabs of matter in the optical part of the spectrum in conventional transmission and reflection experiments.

Sculpting nanoparticle dynamics for single-bacteria-level screening and direct binding-efficiency measurement

Particle trapping and binding in optical potential wells provide a versatile platform for various biomedical applications. However, implementation systems to study multi-particle contact interactions in an optical lattice remain rare. By configuring an optofluidic lattice, we demonstrate the precise control of particle interactions and functions such as controlling aggregation and multi-hopping. The mean residence time of a single particle is found considerably reduced from 7 s, as predicted by Kramer’s theory, to 0.6 s, owing to the mechanical interactions among aggregated particles. The optofluidic lattice also enables single-bacteria-level screening of biological binding agents such as antibodies through particle-enabled bacteria hopping. The binding efficiency of antibodies could be determined directly, selectively, quantitatively and efficiently. This work enriches the fundamental mechanisms of particle kinetics and offers new possibilities for probing and utilising unprecedented biomolecule interactions at single-bacteria level.

Optical trapping is a versatile tool for biomedical applications. Here, the authors use an optofluidic lattice to achieve controllable multi-particle hopping and demonstrate single-bacteria-level screening and measurement of binding efficiency of biological binding agents through particle-enabled bacteria hopping.

Haemolysis during sodium dimercaptosulphonate therapy for Wilson's disease in G6PD-deficient patients: First report of two cases

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE

Wilson's disease (WD) is an inherited disorder in which defective biliary excretion of copper leads to its accumulation. Sodium dimercaptosulphonate (DMPS) is used as the primary therapy in China.

CASE DESCRIPTION

We report two cases, with WD and G6PD deficiency, who developed haemolysis on treatment with DMPS, without any other known risk. After withdrawal of DMPS and administration of dexamethasone and packed red blood cells, the patients recovered.

WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION

Clinicians should keep in mind haemolysis as a potentially life-threatening side effect of DMPS in patients with G6PD.

Tunable Polarization Conversion and Rotation based on a Reconfigurable Metasurface

Polarization is an important property of electromagnetic (EM) wave and different polarization manipulations are required for varied optical applications. Here we report a reconfigurable metasurface which achieves both the polarization conversion and the polarization rotation in THz regime. The metasurface is reconfigured through the micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) actuation. The cross polarization transmittance from a linear polarized incidence is experimentally tuned from 0 to 28% at 2.66 THz. In addition, the polarization rotation angle is effectively changed from −12.8° to 13.1° at 1.78 THz. The tunable bi-functional metasurface for polarization conversion and the polarization rotation can be flexibly applied in various applications such as imaging, polarization microscopy and material analysis, etc.

High-resolution and multi-range particle separation by microscopic vibration in an optofluidic chip

An optofluidic chip is demonstrated in experiments for high-resolution and multi-range particle separation through the optically-induced microscopic vibration effect, where nanoparticles are trapped in loosely overdamped optical potential wells created with combined optical and fluidic constraints. It is the first demonstration of separating single nanoparticles with diameters ranging from 60 to 100 nm with a resolution of 10 nm. Nanoparticles vibrate with an amplitude of 3-7 μm in the loosely overdamped potential wells in the microchannel. The proposed optofluidic device is capable of high-resolution particle separation at both nanoscale and microscale without reconfiguring the device. The separation of bacteria from other larger cells is accomplished using the same chip and operation conditions. The unique trapping mechanism and the superb performance in high-resolution and multi-range particle separation of the proposed optofluidic chip promise great potential for a diverse range of biomedical applications.

[Effects of cell-to-cell communication and histone acetyltransferase on the change of osteogenic differentiation ability among single-cell clones from healthy periodontium with heterogeneity of osteogenic differentiation abilities]

Objective: To investigate the effect of cell-to-cell communication amongst single-cell clones from healthy periodontium with different osteogenic differentiation potentials on change of osteogenic differentiation capabilities and the role histone acetyltransferase partaken in this process. Methods: In order to research the change of osteogenic differentiation ability via cell-to-cell communication, indirect co-culture method was used by placing two single-cell clones with different osteogenesis potentials in each of the 6-well plates. Blank control, weak and strong osteogenic groups were set up, corresponding to Transwell chambers with blank, cells of weak osteogenesis ability and cells of strong osteogenesis ability, respectively. Each group was made in triplicate. After co-culture for four days, Transwell chamber was removed. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and alizarin red staining were employed to detect the change of osteogenic differentiation ability. The acetylation level of H3 was measured by using Western blotting. Histone acetyltransferases were detected by qPCR. Results: Single-cell clones were ensured from mesenchymal stem cells by flow cytometer, the positive expression of CD29, CD90, CD105, CD146 was (99.80±0.02)%, (99.36±0.18)%, (99.41±0.05)% and (95.10±2.11)%, respectively. And CD31 and CD34 expression were (0.29±0.11)% and (0.22±0.13)%, respectively. Alizarin red and oil red O staining confirmed that single-cell clones had the abilities of adipogenesis and osteogenesis. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and alizarin red staining indicated that different single-cell clones were heterogeneity in osteogenesis differentiation. Indirect co-culture indicated that the mRNA expression of osteocalcin (OCN) were 14.24±5.60 and 4.78±2.90, respectively and Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) were 2.75±1.44 and 1.61±0.44, respectively, in strong and weak osteogenic groups. They were significantly higher compared to the blank group (the mRNA expression of OCN and RUNX2 were 1.00±0.47 and 1.00±0.39, respectively). The expression of OCN and RUNX2 were also higher in strong osteogenic group than that in weak osteogenic group (P<0.05). The mean gray level of the acetylation of H3 in strong osteogenic group (0.76±0.09) and weak osteogenic group (0.54±0.12) were also higher than that in the blank group (0.30±0.04)(P<0.05). qPCR results showed that KAT6A in strong osteogenic group exhibiting higher expression (P<0.05) compared to weak osteogenic group and the blank group, which were corresponding to the changes of acetylation levels. Conclusions: Single-cell clones from healthy periodontium showed heterogeneity in osteogenic differentiation abilities. Single-cell clones with strong osteogenesis abilities had an advantage over others by promoting others' osteogenesis differentiation and this change mediated by cell-to-cell communication might be caused by modulating KAT6A to affect the acetylation level of histone.

Correction: Optofluidic lens with low spherical and low field curvature aberrations

Correction for 'Optofluidic lens with low spherical and low field curvature aberrations' by H. T. Zhao et al., Lab Chip, 2016, 16, 1617-1624.

Optofluidic lens with low spherical and low field curvature aberrations

This paper reports an optofluidic lens with low spherical and low field curvature aberrations through the desired refractive index profile by precisely controlling the mixing between ethylene glycol and deionized water in an optofluidic chip. The experimental results demonstrate that the spherical aberration is reduced to 19.5 μm and the full width at half maximum of the focal point is 7.8 μm with a wide divergence angle of 35 degrees. In addition, the optofluidic lens can focus light at different off-axis positions on the focal plane with Δx' < 6.8 μm and at opposite transverse positions with |Δy - Δy'| < 5.7 μm. This is the first demonstration of a special optofluidic lens that significantly reduces both the spherical and field curvature aberrations, which enhances the focusing power and facilitates multiple light source illumination using a single lens. It is anticipated to have high potential for applications such as on-chip light manipulation, sample illumination and multiplexed detection.

Mechanism for Helicobacter pylori infection to regulate Fas-associated factor 1 expression through nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway

AIM: To explore the influence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection on human gastric cancer cells overexpressing Fas-associated factor 1 (FAF1) after knockout of IKKβ or p65 of the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway, in order to further clarify the mechanism of H. pylori in gastric carcinogenesis.

METHODS: Lentivirus vectors carrying siRNA targeting IKKβ or p65 were constructed (LV-IKKβ-RNAi, LV-p65-RNAi) and used to transfecting human gastric cancer cells HGC-27 overexpressing FAF1. IKKβ, p65, and FAF1 mRNA and protein expression was detected by real-time PCR and Western blot before and after transfection. CCK8 assay was applied to detect cell proliferation after transfection. The transfected cells were infected with H. pylori culture filtrate, and real-time PCR and Western blot were applied to detect IKKβ, p65 and FAF1 expression before and after H. pylori infection.

RESULTS: LV-IKKβ-RNAi, LV-p65-RNAi and negative control (LV-NC-RNAi) were transfected into HGC-27 cells overexpressing FAF1 successfully. After transfection for 72 h, the expression of IKKβ and p65 mRNA and protein in the LV-IKKβ-RNAi group and LV-p65-RNAi group were significantly lower than that in the LV-NC-RNAi group and untransfected group (P < 0.01). There was no statistically significant difference in the expression of FAF1 mRNA and protein in the four groups (P > 0.05). The proliferation of cells in the LV-IKKβ-RNAi group and LV-p65-RNAi group increased. H. pylori culture filtrate was used to infect different groups of cells. There was no statistically significant difference in the expression of IKKβ and p65 mRNA and protein in the LV-IKKβ-RNAi group and LV-p65-RNAi group before and after H. pylori infection (P > 0.05), but the expression of IKKβ and p65 mRNA and protein in the LV-NC-RNAi group and untransfected group after H. pylori infection was significantly higher than that before H. pylori infection (P < 0.01). There was no statistically significant difference in the expression of FAF1 mRNA and protein in the LV-IKKβ-RNAi group and LV-p65-RNAi group before and after H. pylori infection (P > 0.05), but the expression of FAF1 mRNA and protein in the LV-NC-RNAi group and untransfected group after H. pylori infection was significantly lower than that before H. pylori infection (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION: H. pylori infection might regulate FAF1 expression through the NF-κB signaling pathway, and downregulation of FAF1 could lead to gastric carcinogenesis.

Endoscopic ultrasonography in interventional diagnosis and treatment of digestive diseases

Since 1980, when endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) was invented, great progress has been made in the development of EUS devices and technology, and EUS-guided diagnosis and treatment of digestive diseases have been widely adopted. Because of its safety, effectiveness and minimal invasion, EUS-guided interventional diagnosis and treatment of digestive diseases have been widely applied in the clinical work, and more and more new technologies are being developed. In this paper, we review the recent progress of EUS for the interventional diagnosis and treatment of digestive diseases.

Endoscopic ultrasonography for differentiation of malignant and benign common bile duct strictures

AIM: To assess the diagnostic value of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in the differentiation of malignant and benign common bile duct strictures.

METHODS: A retrospective review was undertaken of 39 patients with clinically suspected bile duct stricture who underwent EUS. EUS findings were compared with transabdominal ultrasound and MRI findings. The final diagnosis was based on clinical data, histopathology, cytology and follow-up results ( ≥ 4 mo). The diagnostic value of EUS for malignant or benign common bile duct strictures was analyzed.

RESULTS: Of all the 39 patients, 30 were diagnosed with malignant common bile duct stricture and 9 were diagnosed with benign disease. The accuracy rates of EUS, MRI, and B-ultrasound in the differential diagnosis of bile duct strictures were 92.3%, 76.9% and 61.8%, respectively, which were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of EUS were 96.4%, 81.2%, 93.1%, and 90.0%, respectively. The sensitivity and negative predictive value of these three methods were statistically significant, with EUS having the highest values (P < 0.05). In contrast, the specificity and positive predictive value had no statistically significant differences among different groups (P > 0.05). Four of 39 patients had a pathological or cytological diagnosis by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA). The accuracy rate of the EUS-FNA was 100%, which was statistically significant compared with those of EUS, MRI, and B-ultrasound (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: EUS has a higher accuracy rate in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant common bile duct strictures than B-ultrasound and MRI, and EUS-FNA can improve the ability to distinguish benign and malignant common bile duct strictures.

The Poisson distribution and beyond: methods for microfluidic droplet production and single cell encapsulation

There is a recognized and growing need for rapid and efficient cell assays, where the size of microfluidic devices lend themselves to the manipulation of cellular populations down to the single cell level. An exceptional way to analyze cells independently is to encapsulate them within aqueous droplets surrounded by an immiscible fluid, so that reagents and reaction products are contained within a controlled microenvironment. Most cell encapsulation work has focused on the development and use of passive methods, where droplets are produced continuously at high rates by pumping fluids from external pressure-driven reservoirs through defined microfluidic geometries. With limited exceptions, the number of cells encapsulated per droplet in these systems is dictated by Poisson statistics, reducing the proportion of droplets that contain the desired number of cells and thus the effective rate at which single cells can be encapsulated. Nevertheless, a number of recently developed actively-controlled droplet production methods present an alternative route to the production of droplets at similar rates and with the potential to improve the efficiency of single-cell encapsulation. In this critical review, we examine both passive and active methods for droplet production and explore how these can be used to deterministically and non-deterministically encapsulate cells.

A flat lens with tunable phase gradient by using random access reconfigurable metamaterial

The first demonstration of an optofluidic metamaterial is reported where resonant properties of every individual metamolecule can be continuously tuned at will using a microfluidic system. This is called a random-access reconfigurable metamaterial, which is used to provide the first demonstration of a tunable flat lens with wavefront-reshaping capabilities.

Water's tensile strength measured using an optofluidic chip

In this paper, for the first time, the tensile strength of water is directly measured using an optofluidic chip based on the displacement of air-water interface deformation with homogeneous nucleation. When water in a microchannel is stretched dynamically via laser-induced shock reflection at the air-water interface, the shock pressures are determined by measuring the displacements of the deformed interface. Observation of the vapor bubbles is used as a probe to identify the cavitation threshold with a critical distance, and the tensile strength of water at 20 °C is measured to be -33.3 ± 2.8 MPa. This method can be extended to investigate the tensile strength of other soft materials such as glycerol, which is measured to be -59.8 ± 10.7 MPa at 20 °C.

Droplet generation via a single bubble transformation in a nanofluidic channel

Here we report the first demonstration on droplet generation from the transformation of a single bubble in a nanofluidic channel by a laser-induced jet. A viscous two-dimensional Rayleigh-Plesset-type model is derived to describe the bubble dynamics in the nanofluidic channel, which accounts for the effect of shear stresses from the channel wall. The droplet generation (number and volume) is investigated experimentally by controlling the jet velocity via laser energy and distance. This study expands the understanding of jetting in the nanofluidic channel and demonstrates a novel method for femtoliter-volume single or multiple droplet formation. It is envisioned that this work will open new doors in on-demand generation of nanodroplets.

Biological factors in plasma from diabetes mellitus patients enhance hyperglycaemia and pulsatile shear stress-induced endothelial cell apoptosis

People suffering from Diabetes Mellitus (DM) are prone to an array of vascular complications leading to end organ damage. The hallmark of these vascular complications is endothelium dysfunction, which is caused by endothelial cell (EC) apoptosis. Although the endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction induced by hyperglycaemia and fluid shear stress has been studied, the effects of biological factors in the blood of DM patients on EC integrity have not been reported in the in vitro models that mimic the physiological pulsatile nature of the vascular system. This study reports the development of a hemodynamic lab-on-a-chip system to investigate this issue. The pulsatile flow was applied to a monolayer of endothelial cells expressing a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based biosensor that changes colour from green to blue in response to caspase-3 activation during apoptosis. Plasma samples from healthy volunteers and DM patients were compared to identify biological factors that are critical to endothelial disruption. Three types of microchannels were designed to simulate the blood vessels under healthy and partially blocked pathological conditions. The results showed that EC apoptosis rates increased with increasing glucose concentration and levels of shear stress. The rates of apoptosis further increased by a factor of 1.4-2.3 for hyperglycaemic plasma under all dynamic conditions. Under static conditions, little difference was detected in the rate of EC apoptosis between experiments using plasma from DM patients and glucose medium, suggesting that the effects of hyperglycaemia and biological factors on the induction of EC apoptosis are all shear flow-dependent. A proteomics study was then conducted to identify biological factors, demonstrating that the levels of eight proteins, including haptoglobin and clusterin, were significantly down-regulated, while six proteins, including apolipoprotein C-III, were significantly up-regulated in the plasma of DM patients compared to healthy volunteers. This hemodynamic lab-on-a-chip system can serve as a high throughput platform to assess the risk of vascular complications of DM patients and to determine the effects of therapeutics or other interventions on EC apoptosis.

Relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and primary hepatic carcinoma

AIM: To investigate the relationship between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and primary hepatic carcinoma.

METHODS: Clinical data for patients who were newly diagnosed with primary hepatic carcinoma and patients with non-cancer diseases treated at Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital from March 2010 to October 2013 were retrospectively analyzed to assess the relationship between H. pylori infection and primary hepatic carcinoma. Patients with primary hepatic carcinoma were further divided into two groups, one undergoing detection of HBV DNA copy number and H. pylori¹⁴C-UBT, and the other undergoing the determination of alpha-fetal protein (AFP) concentrations and H. pylori¹⁴C-UBT. The relationship among ¹⁴C-UBT value, HBV DNA copy number and AFP concentrations were assessed.

RESULTS: The positive rate of H. pylori infection was significantly higher in primary hepatic carcinoma than in non-cancer diseases, in poorly differentiated primary hepatic carcinoma than in moderately and well differentiated carcinoma, in stage Ⅲ/Ⅳ carcinoma than in stage Ⅰ/Ⅱ, in highly invasive carcinoma than in minimally invasive, and in bile duct cell type than in other two types. Gender and age had no significant impact on the positive rate of H. pylori infection. ¹⁴C-UBT value was significantly positively correlated with AFP concentrations (r = 0.88) and HBV DNA copy number (r = 0.657).

CONCLUSION: H. pylori infection may be associated with the occurrence and development of primary hepatic carcinoma.

Droplet optofluidic imaging for λ-bacteriophage detection via co-culture with host cell Escherichia coli

Bacteriophages are considered as attractive indicators for determining drinking water quality since its concentration is strongly correlated with virus concentrations in water samples. Previously, bacteriophage detection was based on a plague assay that required a complicated labelling technique and a time-consuming culture assay. Here, for the first time, a label-free bacteriophage detection is reported by using droplet optofluidic imaging, which uses host-cell-containing microdroplets as reaction carriers for bacteriophage infection due to a higher contact ratio. The optofluidic imaging is based on the effective refractive index changes in the microdroplet correlated with the growth rate of the infected host cells, which is highly sensitive, i.e. can detect one E. coli cell. The droplet optofluidic system is not only used in drinking water quality monitoring, but also has high potential applications for pathogenic bacteria detection in clinical diagnosis and food industry.

A pseudo-planar metasurface for a polarization rotator

New demonstrations of effective interaction between light and artificially electromagnetic interface, or the metasurface, have stimulated intensive research interests on control of light to realize applications in beam steering, optical imaging and light focusing, etc. Here we reported a new type of planar metasurface of which every individual metamolecule is single metallic layer with stereo structure and the metasurface is name as Pseudo-Planar Metasurface (PPM). The metamolecule of the PPM is a chiral structure and therefore derives significant optical activity.

Effectiveness and safety profile of S-1-based chemotherapy compared with capecitabine-based chemotherapy for advanced gastric and colorectal cancer: A meta-analysis

The aim of the present analysis was to compare the efficacy and safety profile of S-1-based chemotherapy (SBCT) versus capecitabine-based chemotherapy (CBCT) for advanced gastric cancer (AGC) and advanced colorectal cancer (ACRC). A meta-analysis was performed, which included eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that were identified using RevMan 5.1.0 software. A total of 1,064 patients from 11 RCTs, comprising of 527 patients in the SBCT group and 537 patients in the CBCT group, were included in the analysis. For AGC, the meta-analysis of overall survival (OS) [hazard ratio (HR), 0.98; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.85–1.12], time to progression (HR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.80–1.12) and overall response rate (ORR) [odds ratio (OR), 1.06; 95% CI, 0.72–1.55] of patients in the SBCT group indicated no statistical significance when compared with those in the CBCT group. Furthermore, for ACRC, a pooled analysis demonstrated no significant difference between the SBCT and CBCT groups (OS: HR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.61–1.10; progression-free survival: HR, 0.79; 95% CI=0.60–1.04; ORR: OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 0.91–1.78). The statistically significant differences identified in the overall meta-analysis indicated a low incidence of grade 3–4 hand-foot-syndrome (OR, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.06–0.36) in the SBCT group; however no statistically significant difference was observed in the incidence of grade 3–4 anemia, thrombocytopenia, leucopenia, neutropenia, diarrhea, stomatitis or nausea/vomiting. The SBCT treatment exhibited similar efficacy and an approximately equivalent safety profile compared with the CBCT treatment and was an alternative to CBCT for patients with AGC or ACRC; however, further investigation is required to provide confirmation.