We wanted to demonstrate the value of multiparameter flow cytometry in detecting human tumor cells of breast cancer (BC) (SKBR-3) in normal peripheral blood. In addition, we investigated a cluster of patients to compare the overall survival (OS) between advanced BC patients [circulating tumor cells (CTCs) >or=5 group] and limited BC patients (CTCs <5 group). SKBR-3 human BC cells were serially diluted in normal whole blood to demonstrate the sensitivity of multiparameter flow cytometry for detecting CTCs, and we also compared the specificity with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. On the other hand, we detected CTCs among 45 patients by multiparameter flow cytometry. OS was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier product limit method, and compared it between CTCs <5 and CTCs >or=5 groups with the log-rank test. Cox regression models were fitted to determine the associated factors on survival. Human BC cells (SKBR-3) could be differentiated from normal blood based on the multiple light scatter and cell surface marker expression by multiparameter flow cytometry. The method was found to have a sensitivity limit of 10(-5) and was effective for detecting human BC cells in vivo. It also found that this method had a higher specificity compared with RT-PCR. For the retrospective study, the median OS was 95 weeks and 65.5 weeks (P < 0.05, 2-tailed) for patients with CTCs <5 and CTCs >or=5, respectively. Kaplan-Meier was used to analyze the patients' survival with Log Rank P = 0.004 and Breslow P = 0.003, which showed that these two groups had statistically significant difference. Cox regression analysis was performed, and we found CTCslevels, metastasis and age (P < 0.05) were three relative factors for patients' survival. Multiparameter flow cytometry can detect CTCs effectively and has the potential to be a valuable tool for prognosis assessment among BC patients in clinical situations in China.

MAP3K3 is involved in both the immune response and in tumor progression. Its potential biological role in vitro in lung cancer cell lines and the association of mRNA/protein expression patterns with clinical outcome of primary lung tumors were investigated in this study. Silencing MAP3K3 using siRNA in lung cancer cell lines resulted in decreased cell proliferation, migration and invasion. These effects were associated with down-regulation of the JNK, p38, AKT, and GSK3β pathways as determined using phospho-protein and gene expression array analyses. However, MAP3K3 mRNA and protein overexpression in primary lung tumors correlated significantly with favorable patient survival. Gene cluster and pathway analyses of primary tumor datasets indicated that genes positively-correlated with MAP3K3 are significantly involved in immune response rather than the cell cycle regulators observed using in vitro analyses. These results indicate that although MAP3K3 overexpression has an oncogenic role in vitro, in primary lung adenocarcinomas it correlates with an active immune response in the tumor environment that correlates with improved patient survival. MAP3K3 may potentially not only serve as diagnostic/prognostic markers for patients with lung cancer but also provide an indicator for future investigations into immunomodulatory therapies for lung cancer.

P-selectin, a cell adhesion molecule, is an important member of the selectin family. Recent studies have shown that P-selectin deletion inhibits tumor growth in Rip1-Tag2 mice by suppressing platelet accumulation in tumor tissues. This study aimed to evaluate whether and how P-selectin affects tumor stiffness in Rip1-Tag2 mice. To explore the role of P-selectin in tissue stiffness, we demonstrated that tumor progression in Rip1-Tag2 mice was correlated with tissue stiffness using immunofluorescence and histological staining. Furthermore, we showed that P-selectin deficiency significantly decreased tissue stiffness by inhibiting lysyl oxidase (LOX) expression. Our experiments involving Rip1-Tag2 mice treated with the LOX inhibitor BAPN showed that BAPN significantly abolished collagen deposition to decrease tumor stiffness and thus inhibit tumor growth. These results indicate that P-selectin deletion significantly decreases tumor stiffness in Rip1-Tag2 mice by inhibiting LOX expression. Further study demonstrated that P-selectin-mediated platelet accumulation increases tissue stiffness mainly by increasing LOX expression and thus promotes tumor growth. Therefore, P-selectin may be an effective therapeutic targeting for treating human insulinomas.

We employed next generation RNA sequencing analysis to reveal dysregulated long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in lung cancer utilizing 461 lung adenocarcinomas (LUAD) and 156 normal lung tissues from 3 separate institutions. We identified 281 lncRNAs with significant differential-expression between LUAD and normal lung tissue. LINC00857, a top deregulated lncRNAs, was overexpressed in tumors and significantly associated with poor survival in LUAD. knockdown of LINC00857 with siRNAs decreased tumor cell proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion in vitro, as well as tumor growth in vivo. Overexpression of LINC00857 increased cancer cell proliferation, colony formation and invasion. Mechanistic analyses indicated that LINC00857 mediates tumor progression via cell cycle regulation. Our study highlights the diagnostic/prognostic potential of LINC00857 in LUAD besides delineating the functional and mechanistic aspects of its aberrant disease specific expression and potentially using as a new therapeutic target.

Elevated protein expressions of CD markers such as IL2RA/CD25, CXCR4/CD184, CD34 and CD56 are associated with adverse prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, the prognostic value of mRNA expressions of these CD markers in AML remains unclear. Through our pilot evaluation, IL2RA mRNA expression appeared to be the best candidate as a prognostic biomarker. Therefore, the aim of this study is to characterize the prognostic value of IL2RA mRNA expression and evaluate its potential to refine prognostification in AML.

Ulva prolifera, a type of marine macroalgae, is the causative species behind green tides mainly in the Yellow Sea and adjacent regions. Nevertheless, it can be used as food or animal feed in South China. The vegetative fragments of U. prolifera are an important seed source for successive green tide blooms. Fragmentation shortens the transition time from the vegetative state to the reproductive state. However, the translation of the algal metabolites during gametogenesis is far from well understood. In this study, the dynamic metabolic profiles of U. prolifera thallus during fragmentation-induced proliferation were investigated using non-targeted metabolomics approach via a series of time course experiments in June 2017. After a 30 min low temperature shock, fragmentation induced a reproductive response of 91.57% of U. prolifera in 48 h, whereas the value was only 21.43% in the control group. A total of 156 chromatographic peaks were detected, and 63 metabolites were significantly changed in U. prolifera during reproduction. Aanlysis of the kinetic metabolic pattern showed that the fragments not only induced the formation of sporangia, but also led to complex metabolite accumulation. During fragmentation-induced proliferation, U. prolifera consumed different sugars at different time points. γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamic acid, gallic acid, and malic acid may play important roles in germ cell formation and in the release of U. prolifera, whereas n-hexanol, 2-methyl-3-phenylindole, and 3-indoleacetonitrile may be beneficial for biotic stress resistance. Compared with the control group, in the treatment group, metabolites such as alcohols and organic acids also showed significant difference with the photoperiod at the initial stage of proliferation (before 60 h). In conclusion, changes in the levels of metabolites, including sugars, organic acids, and alcohol with photoperiod may be the strategy adopted by U. prolifera to cope with fragmentation in nature.

Glioma is one of the most common and aggressive malignant intracranial tumors worldwide. Recently, non-coding RNAs have been found to play critical roles in the development of glioma. However, the exact mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. In the present study, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR was used to determine the expression level of the long non-coding RNA MIR22HG and microRNA (miR)-9, while western blot analysis was used to detect the protein expression level of CPEB3. The potential binding sites were predicted using the StarBase v2.0 online tool and the hypothesis was verified using a luciferase reporter assay. A Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was used to assess cell viability, while wound healing and Matrigel assays were used to determine the migration and invasion ability of glioma cancer cells. The results showed that MIR22HG expression level was decreased but miR-9 expression level was elevated in glioma tissues and cell lines. Furthermore, MIR22HG was found to sponge miR-9, while CPEB3 was the direct target of miR-9 in the glioma cell line. Functionally, MIR22HG regulated the proliferation, invasion and migration of the glioma cell line by targeting miR-9. CPEB3 may be involved in the progression of the glioma cell line. Taken together, these findings confirmed that MIR22HG suppressed glioma development by inhibiting the miR-9/CPEB3 axis and provides a novel therapeutic strategy for glioma treatment.

Pingyangmycin is a clinically used anticancer drug and induces lung fibrosis in certain cancer patients. We previously reported that the negatively charged cell surface glycosaminoglycans are involved in the cellular uptake of the positively charged pingyangmycin. However, it is unknown if pingyangmycin affects glycosaminoglycan structures. Seven cell lines and a Lewis lung carcinoma-injected C57BL/6 mouse model were used to understand the cytotoxicity of pingyangmycin and its effect on glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis. Stable isotope labelling coupled with LC/MS method was used to quantify glycosaminoglycan disaccharide compositions from pingyangmycin-treated and untreated cell and tumour samples. Pingyangmycin reduced both chondroitin sulphate and heparan sulphate sulphation in cancer cells and in tumours. The effect was persistent at different pingyangmycin concentrations and at different exposure times. Moreover, the cytotoxicity of pingyangmycin was decreased in the presence of soluble glycosaminoglycans, in the glycosaminoglycan-deficient cell line CHO745, and in the presence of chlorate. A flow cytometry-based cell surface FGF/FGFR/glycosaminoglycan binding assay also showed that pingyangmycin changed cell surface glycosaminoglycan structures. Changes in the structures of glycosaminoglycans may be related to fibrosis induced by pingyangmycin in certain cancer patients.

Norcantharidin (NCTD) is a Chinese FDA approved, chemically synthesized drug for cancer treatment. The effect of NCTD on signaling proteins of EGFR and c-Met was systematically elucidated in current study.

Xie Bai San is a Chinese medicine prescription that has been used to treat lung cancer in China for a long time. It has been proven to alleviate the symptoms and extend the survival time of lung cancer patients. Xie Bai San comprises Cortex Lycii, Cortex Mori, and Radix Glycyrrhizae Preparata. The effects and mechanisms of Cortex Mori and Glycyrrhizae on lung cancer have been reported, whereas the underlying mechanism of Cortex Lycii remains unknown.

Pingyangmycin is an anticancer drug known as bleomycin A5 (A5), discovered in the Pingyang County of Zhejiang Province of China. Bleomycin (BLM) is a mixture of mainly two compounds (A2 and B2), which is on the World Health Organization's list of essential medicines. Both BLM and A5 are hydrophilic molecules that depend on transporters or endocytosis receptors to get inside of cells. Once inside, the anticancer activities rely on their abilities to produce DNA breaks, thus leading to cell death. Interestingly, the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of BLMs in different cancer cell lines varies from nM to μM ranges. Different cellular uptake, DNA repair rate, and/or increased drug detoxification might be some of the reasons; however, the molecules and signaling pathways responsible for these processes are largely unknown. In the current study, we purified the A2 and B2 from the BLM and tested the cytotoxicities and the molecular mechanisms of each individual compound or in combination with six different cell lines, including a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line defective in glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis. Our data suggested that glycosaminoglycans might be involved in the cellular uptake of BLMs. Moreover, both BLM and A5 shared similar signaling pathways and are involved in cell cycle and apoptosis in different cancer cell lines.

Dioscin, a natural glycoside derived from many plants, has been proved to exert anti-cancer activity. Several studies have found that it reverses TGF-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Whether dioscin can reverse EMT by pathways other than TGF-β is still unknown.

We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of powdered vancomycin on stopping surgical site wound infections in neurosurgery. A systematic literature search up to July 2022 was performed and 24 137 subjects with neurosurgery at the baseline of the studies; 10 496 of them were using the powdered vancomycin, and 13 641 were not using the powdered vancomycin as a control. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess the effect of powdered vancomycin on stopping surgical site wound infections in neurosurgery using dichotomous methods with a random or fixed-effect model. The powdered vancomycin had significantly lower surgical site wound infections after spinal surgery (OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.41-0.70, P < .001), deep surgical site wound infections after spinal surgery (OR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.35-0.57, P < .001), superficial surgical site wound infections after spinal surgery (OR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.43-0.83, P = .002), and surgical site wound infections after cranial surgery (OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.22-0.61, P < .001) compared to control in subjects with neurosurgery. The powdered vancomycin had significantly lower surgical site wound infections after spinal surgery, deep surgical site wound infections after spinal surgery, superficial surgical site wound infections after spinal surgery, and surgical site wound infections after cranial surgery compared to control in subjects with neurosurgery. The analysis of outcomes should be done with caution even though the low number of studies with low sample size, 3 out of the 42 studies, in the meta-analysis, and a low number of studies in certain comparisons.

Actinidia arguta is a fruit crop with high nutritional and economic value. However, its flavor quality depends on various factors, such as variety, environment, and post-harvest handling. We analyzed the composition of total soluble sugars, titratable acids, organic acids, and flavor substances in the fruits of ten A. arguta varieties. The total soluble sugar content ranged from 4.22 g/L to 12.99 g/L, the titratable acid content ranged from 52.55 g/L to 89.9 g/L, and the sugar-acid ratio ranged from 5.39 to 14.17 at the soft ripe stage. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) showed that citric, quinic, and malic acids were the main organic acids in the A. arguta fruits. Headspace gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) detected 81 volatile compounds in 10 A. arguta varieties, including 24 esters, 17 alcohols, 23 aldehydes, 7 ketones, 5 terpenes, 2 acids, 1 Pyrazine, 1 furan, and 1 benzene. Esters and aldehydes had the highest relative content of total volatile compounds. An orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) based on the odor activity value (OAV) revealed that myrcene, benzaldehyde, methyl isobutyrate, α-phellandrene, 3-methyl butanal, valeraldehyde, ethyl butyrate, acetoin, (E)-2-octenal, hexyl propanoate, terpinolene, 1-penten-3-one, and methyl butyrate were the main contributors to the differences in the aroma profiles of the fruits of different A. arguta varieties. Ten A. arguta varieties have different flavors. This study can clarify the differences between varieties and provide a reference for the evaluation of A. arguta fruit flavor, variety improvement and new variety selection.