The trend of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity in ovarian cancer survivors and its impacts on daily life during and one year after treatment

PURPOSE

To explore the trend of progression and regression of peripheral neuropathy (PN) induced by combination of carboplatin and paclitaxel, and the impacts on daily activities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

PN was evaluated by nurse-based interview and patient-reported measures in their diary. The severity of PN scaled by National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria (NCI-CTC) before each cycle of chemotherapy and at three, six, and 12 months after drug withdrawal and coded as Grade I - V.

RESULTS

The authors enrolled 106 eligible patients with ovarian cancer who underwent six cycles of combined chemotherapy of carboplatin plus paclitaxel. No patients showed Grade IV and V of PN and it was gradually aggravated following the dose accumulation. About 29.3% of the patients presented no PN, 64.2% Grade I, and 6.6% Grade II after the third course of chemotherapy, but increased to 36.8% of Grade I, 25.5% of Grade II, and 34.9% of Grade III after the sixth course of chemotherapy. At one-year follow-up, the rate of PN still existed with the rate of 88.5%, 57.3%, and 38.7% at three, six, and 12 months after drug withdrawal. Thirty-one patients encountered accidents, such as sharp injury (14.2%), fall (9.4%), burn (3.8%), and cold injury (1.9%).

CONCLUSIONS

A significant proportion of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer treated with carboplatin plus paclitaxel suffer long term neuropathy and it affects patient's daily activities. Specialized care is necessary to provide not only during treatment, but also months to years after drugs withdrawal.

Hierarchical Nanofibrous Microspheres with Controlled Growth Factor Delivery for Bone Regeneration

The integration of controlled growth factor delivery and biomimetic architecture into a microsphere is a challenging but attractive strategy for developing new injectable biomaterials. In this work, a unique hierarchical nanosphere-encapsulated-in-microsphere scaffolding system is developed. First, heparin-conjugated gelatin (HG) is synthesized, which provides binding domains for bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) to stabilize this growth factor, protect it from denaturation and proteolytic degradation, and subsequently prolong its sustained release. Next, a unique approach is developed which includes a water-in-oil-in-oil double emulsion process and a thermally induced phase separation to encapsulate BMP2-binding HG nanospheres into nanofibrous microspheres. The nanofibrous microsphere is self-assembled from synthetic nanofibers, and has superior surface area, high porosity, low density, and is an excellent carrier to support cell adhesion and tissue in-growth. BMP2 in the hierarchical microsphere is released in a multiple-controlled manner by the binding with heparin and encapsulation of the nanosphere and microsphere. An in vivo calvarial defect model confirms that this microsphere is an excellent osteoinductive scaffold for enhanced bone regeneration. By choosing different growth factors, this hierarchical microsphere system can easily be applied to other types of tissue regeneration. The work expands the ability to develop new injectable biomaterials for advanced regenerative therapies.

Novel Polymorphisms of Adrenergic, Alpha-1B-, Receptor and Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor Gamma, Coactivator 1 Beta Genes and Their Association with Egg Production Traits in Local Chinese Dagu Hens

Adrenergic, alpha-1B-, receptor (ADRA1B) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, coactivator 1 beta (PPARGC1B) genes are involved in regulation of hen ovarian development. In this study, these two genes were investigated as possible molecular markers associated with hen-housed egg production, egg weight (EW) and body weight in Chinese Dagu hens. Samples were analyzed using the polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) technique, followed by sequencing analysis. Two novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified within the candidate genes. Among them, an A/G transition at base position 1915 in exon 2 of ADRA1B gene and a T/C mutation at base position 6146 in the 3′-untranslated region (UTR) of PPARGC1B gene were found to be polymorphic and named SNP A1915G and T6146C, respectively. The SNP A1915G (ADRA1B) leads to a non-synonymous substitution (aspartic acid 489-to-glycine). The 360 birds from the Dagu population were divided into genotypes AA and AG, allele A was found to be present at a higher frequency. Furthermore, the AG genotype correlated with significantly higher hen-housed egg production (HHEP) at 30, 43, 57, and 66 wks of age and with a higher EW at 30 and 43 wks (p<0.05). For the SNP T6146C (PPARGC1B), the hens were typed into TT and TC genotypes, with the T allele shown to be dominant. The TC genotype was also markedly correlated with higher HHEP at 57 and 66 wks of age and EW at 30 and 43 wks (p<0.05). Moreover, four haplotypes were reconstructed based on these two SNPs, with the AGTC haplotype found to be associated with the highest HHEP at 30 to 66 wks of age and with higher EW at 30 and 43 wks (p<0.05). Collectively, the two SNPs identified in this study might be used as potential genetic molecular markers favorable in the improvement of egg productivity in chicken breeding.

Region-specific changes in presynaptic agmatine and glutamate levels in the aged rat brain

During the normal aging process, the brain undergoes a range of biochemical and structural alterations, which may contribute to deterioration of sensory and cognitive functions. Age-related deficits are associated with altered efficacy of synaptic neurotransmission. Emerging evidence indicates that levels of agmatine, a putative neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain, are altered in a region-specific manner during the aging process. The gross tissue content of agmatine in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of aged rat brains is decreased whereas levels in the temporal cortex (TE) are increased. However, it is not known whether these changes in gross tissue levels are also mirrored by changes in agmatine levels at synapses and thus could potentially contribute to altered synaptic function with age. In the present study, agmatine levels in presynaptic terminals in the PFC and TE regions (300 terminals/region) of young (3month; n=3) and aged (24month; n=3) brains of male Sprague-Dawley rats were compared using quantitative post-embedding immunogold electron-microscopy. Presynaptic levels of agmatine were significantly increased in the TE region (60%; p<0.001) of aged rats compared to young rats, however no significant differences were detected in synaptic levels in the PFC region. Double immunogold labeling indicated that agmatine and glutamate were co-localized in the same synaptic terminals, and quantitative analyses revealed significantly reduced glutamate levels in agmatine-immunopositive synaptic terminals in both regions in aged rats compared to young animals. This study, for the first time, demonstrates differential effects of aging on agmatine and glutamate in the presynaptic terminals of PFC and TE. Future research is required to understand the functional significance of these changes and the underlying mechanisms.

Association of novel polymorphisms of forkhead box L2 and growth differentiation factor-9 genes with egg production traits in local Chinese Dagu hens

Transcription factor forkhead box L2 (FOXL2) and growth differentiation factor-9 (GDF9) genes have critical roles in the regulation of hen ovarian development. In the present study, these genes were explored as possible molecular markers associated with BW, hen-housed egg production, and egg weight in Chinese Dagu hens. Samples were analyzed using the PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) technique followed by sequencing analysis, and two novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified within these candidate genes. Among them, an A/G transition at base position 238 in the coding region of the FOXL2 gene and a G/T transversion at base position 1609 in exon 2 of the GDF9 gene were found to be polymorphic and named SNPs A238G and G1609T, respectively. The SNP A238G (FOXL2) leads to a nonsynonymous substitution (isoleucine77-to-valine), and when the 360 Dagu hen samples were divided into genotypes AA and AB, allele A was found to be present at a higher frequency. Furthermore, the AA genotype correlated with significantly higher hen-housed egg production at 30, 43, 57, and 66 wk of age and with a higher egg weight at 43 wk (P<0.05). For the SNP G1609T (GDF9), the hens were typed into TT and TC genotypes, with the T allele shown to be dominant. The TC genotype was also markedly correlated with higher hen-housed egg production and a higher egg weight (P<0.05). Moreover, four haplotypes were reconstructed based on these two SNPs, with the AATC haplotype found to be correlated with the highest hen-housed egg production at 30 to 66 wk of age and with higher egg weights at 43 wk (P<0.05). Collectively, the two SNPs identified in this study might be used as possible genetic molecular markers to aid in the improvement of egg production traits in chicken breeding.

Chondrocytes Directly Transform into Bone Cells in Mandibular Condyle Growth

For decades, it has been widely accepted that hypertrophic chondrocytes undergo apoptosis prior to endochondral bone formation. However, very recent studies in long bone suggest that chondrocytes can directly transform into bone cells. Our initial in vivo characterization of condylar hypertrophic chondrocytes revealed modest numbers of apoptotic cells but high levels of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 expression, some dividing cells, and clear alkaline phosphatase activity (early bone marker). Ex vivo culture of newborn condylar cartilage on a chick chorioallantoic membrane showed that after 5 d the cells on the periphery of the explants had begun to express Col1 (bone marker). The cartilage-specific cell lineage-tracing approach in triple mice containing Rosa 26(tdTomato) (tracing marker), 2.3 Col1(GFP) (bone cell marker), and aggrecan Cre(ERT2) (onetime tamoxifen induced) or Col10-Cre (activated from E14.5 throughout adult stage) demonstrated the direct transformation of chondrocytes into bone cells in vivo. This transformation was initiated at the inferior portion of the condylar cartilage, in contrast to the initial ossification site in long bone, which is in the center. Quantitative data from the Col10-Cre compound mice showed that hypertrophic chondrocytes contributed to ~80% of bone cells in subchondral bone, ~70% in a somewhat more inferior region, and ~40% in the most inferior part of the condylar neck (n = 4, P < 0.01 for differences among regions). This multipronged approach clearly demonstrates that a majority of chondrocytes in the fibrocartilaginous condylar cartilage, similar to hyaline cartilage in long bones, directly transform into bone cells during endochondral bone formation. Moreover, ossification is initiated from the inferior portion of mandibular condylar cartilage with expansion in one direction.

New insights into implication of the SLIT/ROBO pathway in the prehierarchical follicle development of hen ovary

The SLIT/Roundabout (ROBO) pathway is involved in follicle development of mammalian ovary, and 2 secreted hormones activin A and inhibin A have potential roles in modulation of the SLIT/ROBO system, but the related actions remain poorly understood in bird. The aims of the present study were to examine the spatial and temporal expression of the SLIT ligand genes (SLIT1, SLIT2, and SLIT3) and their receptor ROBO1, ROBO2, ROBO3, and ROBO4 genes in various-sized prehierarchical follicles during hen ovary development and the effects of activin A and inhibin A on the expression of these genes in the cultured hen follicles. Our result demonstrated that the transcripts of the 3 SLIT genes were highly expressed in the developing follicles and expression patterns of the SLIT transcripts were different from those of ROBO genes detected by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR. Both SLIT and ROBO transcripts were predominantly expressed in oocytes and granulosa cells from the prehierarchichal follicles examined by in situ hybridization. The localization for SLIT and ROBO proteins was revealed by immunohistochemistry similar to the spatial distribution of their transcript. In cultured follicles (4 to 8 mm in diameter), the expression levels of SLIT and ROBO members are hormonally regulated by activin A (10 ng/mL) and/or inhibin A (20 ng/mL) after treatment for 24 h. However, the expression of only SLIT2, SLIT3, and ROBO3 mRNA presented a directly opposite response to activin A and inhibin A hormones. These results indicate that SLIT/ROBO pathway is implicated in the prehierarchical follicular development of the hen ovary by an intrafollicular autocrine and/or paracrine action, and is influenced by activin A and inhibin A hormones.

Inhalation of recombinant adenovirus expressing granulysin protects mice infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Granulysin is a cytolytic molecule with perforin and granzymes that is expressed by activated human CTLs, NK and γδ T cells, and it has broad antimicrobial activity, including to drug-sensitive and drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We hypothesized that approaches facilitating the expression of granulysin in M. tuberculosis-infected host cells in the lung may provide a novel treatment strategy for pulmonary TB. In this study, a recombinant replication-deficient adenovirus serotype 5-based rAdhGLi was constructed that expressed human granulysin in the cytosol of the U937 and RAW264.7 macrophage-like cell lines as confirmed by western blotting and co-localization technology using indirect immunofluorescence staining. Ninety-six hours after both cell lines were infected with M. tuberculosis, acid-fast staining and enumeration demonstrated that rAdhGLi-treated cells had a lower colony-forming units (CFU) of intracellular bacteria than culture medium or AdNull controls. Granulysin was only expressed in the lung and not in other organs following inhalation of rAdhGLi. In particular, immunocompetent BALB/c mice or SCID mice intranasally infected with ~200 CFU of virulent M. tuberculosis H37Rv intranasally were treated with rAdhGLi, and they showed decreased bacterial loads in the lung when compared with phosphate-buffered saline or AdNull controls. Importantly, a clear dose-dependent rAdhGLi treatment efficacy was found in infected BALB/c mice, with the most significant reduction in lung bacteria obtained in BALB/c mice treated with 10(9) plaque-forming units of rAdhGLi without any pathological changes. Our study indicates that rAdhGLi may be used as a novel and efficient treatment strategy with the capability to directly kill intracellular M. tuberculosis.

MLF1 interacting protein: a potential gene therapy target for human prostate cancer?

Here, we investigated the role of one gene that has been previously associated with human prostate carcinoma cells-myelodysplasia/myeloid leukemia factor 1 interacting protein (MLF1IP)-in order to better ascertain its role in human prostate carcinogenesis. The prostate cancer cell line PC-3 was lentivirally transfected to silence endogenous MLF1IP gene expression, which was confirmed by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Cellomics ArrayScan VTI imaging and MTT assays were conducted to assess cell proliferation. Cell cycle phase arrest and apoptosis were assayed by flow cytometry. Colony formation was assessed by fluorescence microscopy. MLF1IP gene expression was also analyzed by RT-qPCR in sixteen prostate cancer tissue samples and six healthy control prostate tissue samples from human patients. Cell proliferation was significantly inhibited in MLF1IP-silenced cells relative to control cells. G1 phase, S and G2/M phase cell counts were not significantly changed in MLF1IP-silenced cells relative to control cells. Apoptosis was significantly increased in MLF1IP-silenced cells, while MLF1IP-silenced cells displayed a significantly reduced number of cell colonies, compared to control cells. The 16 human prostate cancer tissue samples revealed no clear upregulation or downregulation in MLF1IP gene expression. MLF1IP significantly promotes prostate cancer cell proliferation and colony formation and significantly inhibits apoptosis without affecting cell cycle phase arrest. Further study is required to conclusively determine whether MLF1IP is upregulated in human prostate cancer tumors and to determine the precise cellular mechanism(s) for MLF1IP in prostate carcinogenesis.

Sorafenib combined with percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of medium-sized hepatocellular carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Sorafenib, an oral multikinase inhibitor, is the proved therapy method for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Based on heat delivery, Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has been found to achieve complete neoplasm necrosis. It is the most widely performed percutaneous therapy for HCC. However, Study associated combined Sorafenib with RFA therapy for patients with advanced HCC has never been reported. The aim of present study is to explore the efficacy and safety of sorafenib combined with RFA therapy for the patients with medium-sized HCC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 62 patients diagnosed as HCC were involved in this study. All patients were randomly assigned to sorafenib and RFA (n=30) or RFA-alone (n=32) treatment groups. Treatment outcomes, including recurrence rates, time to progression (TTP) and adverse reactions induced by sorafenib were observed and recorded to assess the efficacy and safety of the combination method.

RESULTS

During the overall follow-up period, the recurrence rate of the combination subgroup was 56.7% (17/30), and that of the RFA-alone subgroup was 87.5% (28/32) (p < 0.01). The median TTP was 17.0 months in the combination therapy vs. 6.1 months in the RFA-alone (p < 0.05). Hand-foot skin reactions were reported by 83.3% (25/30) of patients and 46.7% (14/30) reported diarrhea while the most adverse events (AEs) were mild to moderate in the combination subgroup.

CONCLUSIONS

Sorafenib combined with RFA significantly decreased recurrence rates and prolonged the survival time of medium-sized HCC patients. The combination therapy is safer and more effective than the control without unexpected side effects. Furthermore, the earlier application, the better results were.

Osterix couples chondrogenesis and osteogenesis in post-natal condylar growth

Osterix (Osx) is a transcription factor essential for osteoblast differentiation and bone mineralization. Although there are indications that Osx also plays a regulatory role in cartilage, this has not been well-studied. The goal of this study was to define the function of Osx in the post-natal growth of the secondary cartilage at the mandibular condyle. Conditional Osx knockout (cKO) mice that were missing Osx only in cartilage were generated by crossing Osx-loxP mice to Aggrecan-Cre mice. Cre activity was induced by tamoxifen injection twice a week from day 12 to 1 mo of age, and specimens were collected at 1 and 5 mo of age. At 1 mo of age, the condylar hypertrophic chondrocyte zone in the cKO-mice was > three-fold thicker than that in the age-matched control, with little sign of endochondral bone formation. Immunohistochemistry and analysis of histological data revealed a defect in the coupling of chondrogenesis and osteogenesis in the cKO mice. In five-month-old mice examined to address whether late-stage removal of the Cre-deletion event would alleviate the phenotype, the hypertrophic chondrocyte zone in the cKO condyles was considerably larger than in wild-type mice. There were large discrete areas of calcified cartilage in the hypertrophic zone, few signs of endochondral bone formation, and large regions of disorganized intramembranous bone. Analysis of these data further strengthens the notion that Osterix is essential for the coupling of terminal cartilage differentiation and endochondral ossification in mandibular condylar cartilage.

A novel way to statistically analyze morphologic changes in Dmp1-null osteocytes

Recent studies have revealed multiple roles of osteocytes in bone metabolism. However, detailed analyses of the embedded osteocytes in bone structure are still limited because of the high mineral content around these cells. In this study, we developed an innovative technique, the "FITC-Imaris technique", which combines FITC ([2, 5]-Fluorescein isothiocyanate), confocal microscopy and Imaris software. With this method, we could not only visualize the 3-D morphology of embedded osteocytes, but more importantly, we were able to statistically quantitate the osteocyte structure in the cell surface area, total cell volume, and dendrite numbers. Furthermore, we made a side-by-side comparison of the new method with the acid-etched SEM imaging technique, a common imaging method for studies of osteocyte morphology with a much smaller cell depth (< 3 μm). Finally, we used the FITC-Imaris technique to show both the morphological and statistical differences in the osteocyte structure between the Dmp1-null mice (the osteomalacia model) and their age-matched control littermates. We expect that this newly developed technique will become a powerful tool to disclose more roles that osteocytes play in bone health and diseases.

Ageing alters behavioural function and brain arginine metabolism in male Sprague-Dawley rats

A growing body of evidence suggests the involvement of L-arginine and its metabolites in the ageing and neurodegenerative processes. The present study assessed behavioural performance in 4- (young), 12- (middle-aged) and 24- (aged) month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats, and investigated age-related changes in the activity of two key arginine metabolic enzymes, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and arginase, and the levels of L-arginine and its downstream metabolites in a number of memory-related brain structures. Aged rats were less anxious and performed poorly in the water maze task relative to the young and middle-aged rats, and both middle-aged and aged rats displayed reduced exploratory activity relative to the young ones. There were significant age-related changes in NOS and arginase activities, and the levels of L-arginine, L-citrulline, L-ornithine, agmatine, putrescine, spermidine, spermine and glutamate, but not γ-aminobutyric acid, in the CA1, CA2/3 and dentate gyrus sub-regions of the hippocampus and the prefrontal, entorhinal, perirhinal, postrhinal and temporal (an auditory cortex) cortices in a region-specific manner. Cluster analyses revealed that the nine related neurochemical variables formed distinct groups, which changed as a function of ageing. Multiple regression analyses revealed a number of significant correlations between the neurochemical and behavioural variables. The present study further supports the involvement of arginine metabolism in the ageing process, and provides further evidence of the effects of animals' behavioural experience on arginine metabolism.

Downregulation of Mcl-1 through GSK-3β activation contributes to arsenic trioxide-induced apoptosis in acute myeloid leukemia cells

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) induces disease remission in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) patients, but not in non-APL acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. ATO at therapeutic concentrations (1-2 μM) induce APL NB4, but not non-APL HL-60, cells to undergo apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway. The role of antiapoptotic protein Mcl-1 in ATO-induced apoptosis was determined. The levels of Mcl-1 were decreased in NB4, but not in HL-60, cells after ATO treatment through proteasomal degradation. Both GSK3β inhibitor SB216763 and siRNA blocked ATO-induced Mcl-1 reduction as well as attenuated ATO-induced apoptosis in NB4 cells. Silencing Mcl-1 sensitized HL-60 cells to ATO-induced apoptosis. Both ERK and AKT inhibitors decreased Mcl-1 levels and enhanced ATO-induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells. Sorafenib, a Raf inhibitor, activated GSK3β by inhibiting its phosphorylation, decreased Mcl-1 levels, and decreased intracellular glutathione levels in HL-60 cells. Sorafenib plus ATO augmented ROS production and apoptosis induction in HL-60 cells and in primary AML cells. These results indicate that ATO induces Mcl-1 degradation through activation of GSK3β in APL cells and provide a rationale for utilizing ATO in combination with sorafenib for the treatment of non-APL AML patients.

Synthesis and electrochemical performances of LiNiCuZn oxides as anode and cathode catalyst for low temperature solid oxide fuel cell

Low temperature solid oxide fuel cell (LTSOFC, 300-600 degrees C) is developed with advantages compared to conventional SOFC (800-1000 degrees C). The electrodes with good catalytic activity, high electronic and ionic conductivity are required to achieve high power output. In this work, a LiNiCuZn oxides as anode and cathode catalyst is prepared by slurry method. The structure and morphology of the prepared LiNiCuZn oxides are characterized by X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The LiNiCuZn oxides prepared by slurry method are nano Li0.28Ni0.72O, ZnO and CuO compound. The nano-crystallites are congregated to form ball-shape particles with diameter of 800-1000 nm. The LiNiCuZn oxides electrodes exhibits high ion conductivity and low polarization resistance to hydrogen oxidation reaction and oxygen reduction reaction at low temperature. The LTSOFC using the LiNiCuZn oxides electrodes demonstrates good cell performance of 1000 mW cm(-2) when it operates at 470 degrees C. It is considered that nano-composite would be an effective way to develop catalyst for LTSOFC.