LncRNA MYLK antisense RNA 1 activates cell division cycle 42/Neutal Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein pathway via microRNA-101-5p to accelerate epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of colon cancer cells

Long noncoding RNA MYLK antisense RNA 1 (MYLK-AS1) is the crux in multiple diseases. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the possible mechanism of MYLK-AS1. A total of 62 colon cancer (CC) specimens and paired adjacent normal tissues were collected, and the expression of MYLK-AS1, microRNA (miR)-101-5p/cell division cycle 42 (CDC42) was detected. CC cell lines were transfected with MYLK-AS1, miR-101-5p, CDC42-related plasmids, and the biological functions and markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were analyzed. The binding relationship between MYLK-AS1, miR-101-5p, and CDC42 was evaluated. In CC tissues and cell lines, MYLK-AS1 and CDC42 were highly expressed, and miR-101-5p was lowly expressed. Inhibition of MYLK-AS1 or upregulation of miR-101-5p can inhibit CC cell growth and EMT. miR-101-5p inhibited CDC42/N-wasp axis activation in CC cells by targeting CDC42. Knockdown of CDC42 or upregulation of miR-101-5p partially reversed the effects caused by upregulation of MYLK-AS1. MYLK-AS1, which is significantly upregulated in CC, may be a molecular sponge for miR-101-5p, and MYLK-AS1 promotes the activation of the CDC42/N-wasp axis in CC cells by targeting CDC42 through miR-101-5p, which in turn promotes tumor development. MYLK-AS1 may be a potential biomarker and target for CC therapy.

Viral contamination on the surfaces of the personal protective equipment among health care professionals working in COVID-19 wards: A single-center prospective, observational study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate potential viral contamination on the surfaces of personal protective equipment (PPE) in COVID-19 wards.

METHODS

Face shields, gloves, the chest area of PPE and shoe soles were sampled at different time points. The samples were tested for the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by PCR, and the cycle threshold (CT) values were recorded.

RESULTS

The positive rate was 74.7% (239/320) for all PPE specimens. The CT values of the samples were ranked in the following order: face shields > chests > gloves > shoe soles (37.08±1.38, 35.48±2.02, 34.17±1.91 and 33.52±3.16, respectively; P for trend < .001). After disinfection, the CT values of shoe soles decreased compared with before disinfection (32.78±3.47 vs. 34.3±2.61, P = .037), whereas no significant effect of disinfection on the CT values of face shields, chests and gloves was observed. After disinfection, the CT values of specimens collected from shoe soles gradually increased; before disinfection, the CT values of shoe sole specimens were all less than 35.

CONCLUSIONS

SARS-CoV-2 can attach to the surfaces of the PPE of healthcare professionals in COVID-19 wards, especially the shoe soles and undisinfected gloves. Shoe soles had the highest SARS-CoV-2 loads among all tested PPE items.

Comparison of the efficacy and safety of the EC-T (epirubicin/cyclophosphamide followed by docetaxel) and TCb (docetaxel/carboplatin) neoadjuvant regimens in early TOP2A-normal stage II-III breast cancer

This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of the EC-T (4 cycles of epirubicin 90 mg/m2 + cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2, followed by 4 cycles of docetaxel 75 mg/m2) and TCb (6 cycles of docetaxel 75 mg/m2, intravenous drip (ID), day 1 + carboplatin AUC 6, ID, day 1) neoadjuvant regimens in patients with TOP2A-normal stage II-III breast cancer. This study analyzed 280 patients enrolled from three studies registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03140553, NCT03154749, NCT03507465) with early TOP2A-normal stage II-III breast cancer who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy, including 100 patients who received the EC-T regimen and 180 patients who received the TCb regimen. The primary endpoint was the ratio of RCB 0/1 (residual cancer burden 0/1) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The secondary endpoint was the safety of the two groups. There was no significant difference in the ratio of RCB 0/1 between the two groups (23% vs. 23.9%, p=0.614). Among the triple-negative breast cancer patients, the efficacy did not differ between the two groups (40% vs. 32%, p=0.52). Among the lymph node metastasis patients, the efficacy of the EC-T group was significantly better than that of the TCb group (14% vs. 2.6%, p=0.03). Regarding the side effects, the incidence of grade 3/4 anemia was higher in the EC-T group than in the TCb group (21.0% vs. 8.33%, p=0.002), while the incidence of grade 3/4 neutropenia was higher in the EC-T group than in the TCb group (17% vs. 14.44%, p=0.570), and the incidence of grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia was low in each group (EC-T group: 6 % and TCb group: 7.22%, p=0.697). In the EC-T group, grade 3/4 nausea and vomiting occurred in 5 patients. The EC-T group showed a higher rate of grade 3/4 myalgia than the TCb group (7% and 4.44%, respectively, p=0.363). To conclude, the TCb regimen can be used as an alternative regimen for TOP2A-normal stage II-III breast cancer patients in neoadjuvant chemotherapy. However, in patients with node-positive tumors, EC-T is still recommended. Though no difference of grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia in two groups, grade 4 thrombocytopenia caused by the carboplatin-containing regimen should be taken seriously.

Omega-3PUFA Attenuates MNU-Induced Colorectal Cancer in Rats by Blocking PI3K/AKT/Bcl-2 Signaling

Background

Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (Omega-3PUFA) is one of the essential nutrients for human body involved in intracellular metabolic regulation and cell signaling. Previous studies have shown that Omega-3PUFA is involved in the pathogenesis of digestive system tumors, including colorectal cancer (CRC), however, the effects of Omega-3PUFA on CRC has not been fully elucidated. In the current study, we evaluated whether Omega-3PUFA can alleviate N-methyl-N-nitrosourea(MNU) induced CRC in a rat model and illustrated the potential mechanism.

Methods

The effects of Omga-3PUFA on MNU-induced colorectal cancer in rats were analyzed by in vivo experiments. The viability, apoptosis, colony formation and invasion of CRC cells treated with Omga-3PUFA were detected by CCK8, flow cytometry, clone formation assay and transwell invasion assay. The expression of apoptosis-related proteins in CRC cells treated with Omga-3PUFA was detected by Western blotting. Finally, after adding PI3K activator, the viability, apoptosis and protein expression of CRC cells treated with Omga-3PUFA were detected by CCK8, flow cytometry and Western blotting.

Results

Our results showed that Omega-3PUFA attenuated MNU-induced CRC in rats and inhibited AKT/Bcl-2 signaling in rats. In addition, Omega-3PUFA inhibited CRC cell proliferation and induces CRC cell apoptosis. Moreover, Omega-3PUFA inhibited CRC cell colony formation and invasion, and inhibited PI3K/AKT/Bcl-2 signaling in CRC cells. Furthermore, The effects of Omega-3PUFA on cell proliferation and apoptosis were inhibited by blocking PI3K/AKT signaling.

Conclusion

Omega-3PUFA can attenuate MNU-induced colorectal cancer in rats by blocking PI3K/AKT/Bcl-2 signaling, which suggests that Omega-3PUFA may be a potent agent for CRC treatment.

Axillary lymph node status, adjusted for pathologic complete response in breast and axilla after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, predicts differential disease-free survival in breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Our retrospective study in breast cancer patients evaluated whether integrating subtype and pathologic complete response (pcr) information into axillary lymph node restaging after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (nac) adds significance to its prognostic values.

METHODS

Patients included in the analysis had stage ii or iii disease, with post-nac axillary lymph node dissection (alnd), without sentinel lymph node biopsy before completion of nac, with definitive subtyping data and subtype-oriented adjuvant treatments. The ypN grading system was used to restage axillary lymph node status, and ypN0 was adjusted by pcr in both breast and axilla into ypN0(pcr) and ypN0(non-pcr). Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Among the 301 patients analyzed, 145 had tumours that were hormone receptor-positive (hr+) and negative for the human epidermal growth factor receptor (her2-), 101 had tumours that were positive for her2 (her2+), and 55 had tumours that were triple-negative. The rate of pcr in both breast and axilla was 11.7%, 43.6%, and 25.5% respectively for the 3 subtypes. Compared with the non-pcr patients, the pcr patients had better disease-free survival (dfs) and overall survival (os): p = 0.002 for dfs and p = 0.011 for os. In non-pcr patients, dfs and os were similar in the ypN0(non-pcr) and ypN1 subgroups, and in the ypN2 and ypN3 subgroups. We therefore grouped the ypN grading results into ypN0(pcr) (n = 75), ypN0- 1(non-pcr) (n = 175), and ypN2-3 (n = 51). In those groups, the 3-year dfs was 98%, 91%, and 56%, and the 3-year os was 100%, 91%, and 82% respectively. The differences in dfs and os between those three subgroups were significant (all p < 0.05 in paired comparisons). Multivariate Cox regression showed that subtype and ypN staging adjusted by pcr were the only two independent factors predicting dfs.

CONCLUSIONS

Axillary lymph node status after nac, adjusted for pcr in breast and axilla, predicts differential dfs in patients without prior sentinel lymph node biopsy.

[The changes in blood gases, hemodynamics and oxygen delivery after weaning and the treatment of sodium nitroprusside in mechanically ventilated patients with cor pulmonale]

The change of blood gases, hemodynamics and oxygen delivery after weaning and the treatment of sodium nitroprusside were respectively studied in seven and twelve patients with cor pulmonale. Weaning resulted in decrement of pulmonary vascular resistance (from 48.4 +/- 16.6 to 37.6 +/- 18.5 kPa.s-1.L-1, P < 0.01) and increment of oxygen pressure of mixed venous blood (from 5.35 +/- 0.71 to 6.00 +/- 0.89 kPa.s-1.L-1, P < 0.01). Although artery pressure of oxygen (from 12.20 +/- 4.24 to 10.07 +/- 2.83 kPa, P < 0.01) was decreased after the treatment of sodium nitroprusside, cardiac index (from 44.5 +/- 10.3 to 53.0 +/- 13.7 ml.s-1.m-2, P < 0.05) and oxygen delivery index (from 7.9 +/- 1.6 to 9.3 +/- 2.2 ml.s-1.m-2, P < 0.05) were improved. It indicates that adequate weaning and application of vasodilator is useful to mechanically ventilated patients.

[A study of measuring cardiac output in patients during mechanical ventilation with CO2 rebreathing method]

Measurement of cardiac output with CO2 rebreathing method and thermodilution method was carried out in seven COPD patients undergoing mechanical ventilation. Mixed venous PCO2 could be measured reasonably well with CO2 rebreathing method. There was a very significant positive correlation between the CO2 method and thermodilution method for measuring cardiac output (r = 0.9130, P < 0.01). The change of cardiac output before and after infusion of sodium nitroprusside could be reflected by CO2 rebreathing method. We conclude that the cardiac output in COPD patients undergoing mechanical ventilation could be measured reasonably well with CO2 rebreathing method.

[Effects of external diaphragm pacing on transdiaphragmatic pressure, ventilation and arterial blood gases in healthy volunteers]

The effects of external diaphragm pacing (EDP) were studied in seven healthy volunteers. During EDP the movement of both left and right hemidiaphragms increased on average 1.28 and 1.30 cm respectively. The transdiaphragmatic pressure also increased from 8.63 +/- 1.576 cm H2O to 15.18 +/- 1.946 cm H2O (P less than 0.01). Inductive plethysmography showed that with EDP the mean inspiratory flow rate increased from 308 +/- 28.6 ml/sec. to 454 +/- 36.6 ml/sec. (P less than 0.01), but there was no change in respiratory rate, inspiratory time and the ratio of inspiratory time to respiratory cycle. Both tidal volume and minute volume of ventilation increased from 419 +/- 33.9 ml to 691 +/- 71.5 ml (P less than 0.01) and from 7.02 +/- 0.74 l/min. to 10.14 +/- 0.73 l/min. (P less than 0.01) respectively. Accompanied with the change of ventilation, the consumption of oxygen and the production of CO2 also increased from 258 +/- 14.9 ml/min. to 310 +/- 15.0 ml/min. (P less than 0.05) and from 228 +/- 11.4 ml/min. to 299 +/- 25.9 ml/min. (P less than 0.05) respectively. Consequently PaCO2 reduced from 5.24 +/- 0.22 kPa to 4.27 +/- 0.25 kPa (P less than 0.05), whereas PaO2 increased from 12.7 +/- 0.32 kPa to 14.5 +/- 0.42 kPa (P less than 0.01).

[The effects of almitrine bismesylate in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with CO2 retention]

Ten cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were examined before and 2 hours after oral administration of 150 mg of almitrine bismesylate while breathing 31% oxygen. The agent induced a rise in mouth occlusion pressure (P 0.1) from 2.67 +/- 0.64 cmH2O to 3.74 +/- 1.02 cmH2O (P less than 0.01). However the central inspiratory drive and ventilation response to hypercapnia did not change after taking almitrine. VT/Ti increased from 0.32 +/- 0.06 L/sec. to 0.40 +/- 0.08 L/sec. (P less than 0.01) and RR, Ti, Ti/Ttot were not changed, so VT and VE increased from 0.37 +/- 0.10 L to 0.42 +/- 0.16 L (P less than 0.05) and from 7.70 +/- 1.72 L to 8.85 +/- 2.28 L (P less than 0.05) respectively. VA also increased from 3.34 +/- 0.06 L to 4.14 +/- 0.86 L (P less than 0.01). Analysis of blood gases showed a marked increase in PaO2 from 88.70 +/- 16.19 mmHg to 109.10 +/- 25.57 mmHg (P less than 0.05) and a decrease in PaCO2 from 61.73 +/- 12.15 mmHg to 54.01 +/- 10.37 mmHg (P less than 0.05). Our results suggested that almitrine bismesylate could improve the blood gases in COPD patients with CO2 retention as it is a respiratory stimulant which might act through a peripheral mechanism.