[Epidemiological and clinicopathological characteristics of prostate cancer in Hunan]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the epidemiological and clinicopathological characteristics of PCa and provide some strategies for the clinical prevention and treatment of the malignancy.

METHODS

This study included 1 594 cases of pathologically diagnosed PCa after radical prostatectomy in Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2020. We collected the basic information about the patients, their main complaints and clinicopathological results, and analyzed the epidemiological and clinicopathological data.

RESULTS

The patients were aged from 28 to 93 years, and the number of PCa cases showed an overall upward trend from 2010 to 2020. Urinary system symptoms were most common (62.53%) as initial symptoms, followed by increased PSA (17.82%), PCa, prostate nodule, prostate mass (8.43%) and bone metastasis (2.94%) found at physical examinations, and the cases of PSA elevation among the clinic visitors increased year by year from 2010 to 2020. Gleason score 7 was found in a largest proportion of the PCa patients, and adenocarcinoma was the main pathological type (78.6%). Logistic regression analysis showed that high Gleason score, instead of age and expressions of Ki67, AR and ERG, was an independent risk factor for intraductal carcinoma.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of PCa shows an increasing trend, and is more common in those over 50 years old. PSA screening is gradually popularized in China. Intraductal carcinoma, as a major risk factor for aggressive PCa and poor prognosis of the malignancy, is significantly correlated with high Gleason scores.

[Xiongcan Yishen Prescription up-regulates the expressions of cholesterol transport proteins, steroidogenic enzymes and SF-1 in the Leydig cells of rats with late-onset hypogonadism]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of Xiongcan Yishen Prescription (XYP) on the expressions of cholesterol transport proteins, steroidogenic enzymes and steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1) in the Leydig cells of the rats with late-onset hypogonadism (LOH).

METHODS

Twenty-five 18-month-old male SD rats were randomly divided into five groups of equal number, LOH model control, testosterone propionate (TP) and low-, medium- and high-dose XYP, and another 5 two-month-old male SD rats included as normal controls. After modeling, the animals in the TP group were treated by intramuscular injection of TP at 5.21 mg/kg qd alt, those in the low-, medium- and high-dose XYP groups intragastrically with XYP at 10.4, 20.8 and 41.6 g/kg qd alt respectively, and those in the LOH model and normal control groups with saline, all for 28 successive days. Then, all the rats were sacrificed for determination of the expressions of the cholesterol transport proteins StAR and TSPO, steroidogenic enzymes CYP11A1, HSD3B7 and HSD17B4, and SF-1 in the Leydig cells by Western blot.

RESULTS

The expressions of StAR, TSPO, CYP11A1, HSD3B7, HSD17B4 and SF-1 in the Leydig cells were significantly decreased in the LOH model controls compared with those in the normal controls (P< 0.05), but remarkably increased in the low-, medium- and high-dose XYP groups in comparison with those in the LOH model control group (P< 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Xiongcan Yishen Prescription can up-regulate the expressions of the cholesterol transport proteins StAR and TSPO, steroidogenic enzymes CYP11A1, HSD3B7 and HSD17B4, and SF-1 in the rat Leydig cells, which might be one of the possible mechanisms of the prescription in the treatment of LOH.

CTHRC1 and PD‑1/PD‑L1 expression predicts tumor recurrence in prostate cancer

Collagen triple helix repeat containing 1 (CTHRC1) is a gene that has been associated with tumor progression in human prostate cancer (PC). The tumor immune microenvironment has been linked with disease outcome in PC. In the present study, the correlation between CTHRC1 with PC recurrence and the tumor immunological microenvironment was investigated. Using the data supplied by the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), the expression of CTHRC1, programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), and programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) were analyzed. Immunohistochemical staining of CTHRC1, PD-1 and PD-L1 was performed using a tissue microarray construction of prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) specimens. In PRAD, an association was reported between the CTHRC1 expression and the disease free survival (DFS) rate (P=0.022). Overexpression of CTHRC1 was correlated with increased levels of PD-1 (R=0.272, P=0.021) and PD-L1 (R=0.298, P=0.016), elevated levels of infiltrating B cells (P=9.51e⁻¹¹), CD4⁺ cells (P=1.51e⁻¹¹), macrophages (P=8.25e⁻⁵), neutrophils (P=2.17e⁻⁹) and dendritic cells (P=3.13e⁻¹³). Bioinformatics analysis revealed that CTHRC1 was correlated with the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9, mucin 1 and solute carrier organic anion transporter family member 2B1 genes, which exert an influence in PRAD. The occurrence of this condition is most likely to be associated with regulation of the tumor microenvironment. Taken together, we demonstrated that the prognosis and immunity of PC are closely linked to CTHRC1 upregulation. Furthermore, these results suggest that the immune function of PC may be suppressed by CTHRC1-targeting therapy.

[Combination of musk and olibanum promotes proliferation of prostate stem cells in mice: An experimental study]

OBJECTIVE

To study the effects of muskolibanum combination on the proliferation and differentiation of prostate stem cells.

METHODS

We cultured prostate epithelial cells and urogenital sinus mesenchymal (UGSM) cells from 7－10 d old C57BL/6 mice and 16－18 d old pregnant C57BL/6 mice, transplanted the mixed suspension of the two types of cells under the kidney envelope of SCIDCB.17 male mice, and harvested the transplants 30 days later. We randomly divided the SCIDCB.17 mice into four groups to be treated intragastrically with musk (n = 8), olibanum (n = 8), musk+olibanum (n = 7), and normal saline (blank control, n = 8)) respectively, all for 14 days. Then we collected the kidney tissue for observation of the morphology of the glandular tubes and differentiation of different subsets of stem cells by HE staining and determination of the expressions and distribution of P63, CD133, CD117 and Sca1 by immunohistochemistry and Western blot.

RESULTS

A system was successfully established for the isolation and mixed culture of Sca1 Lin+ CD49f+ (LSC) cells of prostate stem cells and UGSM cells of the mouse embryonic prostate. Immunohistochemistry showed positive expressions of P63, CD133, Sca1, and CD117 in the prostatic acinar epithelia and proved the presence of prostatic acinar epithelial structure in the transplants. Compared with the blank control group, the expressions of CD133, Sca1 and CD117 were significantly increased in the musk, olibanum, and musk+olibanum groups (P< 0.05), higher in the musk+olibanum than in the musk or olibanum group (P< 0.05), and their protein expressions were even more elevated in the musk+olibanum group (P< 0.01), with statistically significant difference from the olibanum group (P< 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of musk and olibanum can improve the proliferation and differentiation of prostate stem cells.

Comparative study of clinical efficacy of laparoscopy-assisted radical gastrectomy versus open radical gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer

The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of laparoscopy-assisted radical gastrectomy (LARG) versus that of open radical gastrectomy (ORG). Clinical data of 355 patients who underwent radical gastrectomy (160 in the LARG group and 195 in the ORG group) were analyzed retrospectively. Efficacy indices were compared and analyzed between the two groups. The operating time of LARG was longer than that of ORG (228.43 ± 34.77 versus 207.59 ± 28.39 min). However, patients in the LARG group lost less blood than did those in the ORG group (169.46 ± 82.92 versus 193.86 ± 82.09 mL), and more lymph nodes were removed in the LARG group (19.84 ± 4.7 versus 18.04 ± 4.14 per case). The recovery of intestinal function was faster (3.72 ± 1.03 versus 4.41 ± 1.30 days) in the LARG group. Patients in the LARG group were administered a semi-fluid diet earlier (5.66 ± 2.27 versus 7.09 ± 2.33 days) and had a shorter hospital stay (9.44 ± 3.06 versus 11.07 ± 7.91 days) than did those in the ORG group, and these differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found in the length of proximal and distal resection margin and the incidence of complications (P > 0.05) between the two groups. Thus, LARG is safe, feasible, and effective for treating advanced gastric cancer.