Cong-Qing Jiang

Expression of putative stem cell genes Musashi-1 and β1-integrin in human colorectal adenomas and adenocarcinomas

Background and aimsRecent studies revealed that Musashi-1and β1-integrin were putative stem cell genes. Overexpressions of Musashi-1 and β1-integrin have been reported in some tumor tissues and cell lines. This study was to detect expressions of the two genes in colorectal adenomas and carcinomas and to analyze the correlation between Musashi-1 and β1-integrin.MethodsMusashi-1 and β1-integrin immunoreactivity was studied immunohistochemically in tissue microarray-based samples containing 69 colorectal adenocarcinomas, eight normal mucosa, and eight adenomas, and their messenger RNA (mRNA) expression level was detected by RT-PCR in resected specimens including the three types of tissue.ResultsA percentage of 66.7% (46/69) and 59.2% (41/69) of colorectal adenocarcinomas were immunoreactive with Musashi-1 and β1-integrin, respectively. The expressions of Musashi-1 and β1-integrin protein were significantly higher in tissue samples of stage III than those of stage I-II (P = 0.0252; P = 0.0018, respectively). β1-integrin expression was higher in group of adenocarcinomas than that of adenomas (P = 0.0276). Musashi-1 expression was closely correlated with β1-integrin (rs = 0.631, P = 0.0001). Significant differences of Musashi-1 and β1-integrin mRNA expression levels were found between the normal colorectal mucosa, adenoma, and adenocarcinoma tissues (P = 0.01; P = 0.03, respectively).ConclusionsMusashi-1 and β1-integrin may be involved in human colorectal tumor carcinogenesis and progression. Our observations also indicate the need for further investigations to test in vivo whether cells with these markers have stem cell properties.

MicroRNA-133a suppresses colorectal cancer cell invasion by targeting Fascin1.

MicroRNAs (miRs) are a type of small non-coding RNA molecule that are involved in gene silencing and the regulation of cancer progression; miR-133a in particular has been implicated in colorectal cancer, although its specific role and underlying mechanism have yet to be determined. In the present study, the expression level of miR-133a was significantly downregulated in a number of colorectal cancer cell lines, as well as in colorectal cancer tissues compared with the normal adjacent tissues. Furthermore, the Fascin1 (FSCN1) gene was identified as a direct target of miR-133a, and the protein expression level of FSCN1 was negatively regulated by miR-133a in colorectal cancer cells. Additionally, restoration of miR-133a expression and downregulation of FSCN1 protein expression suppressed colorectal cancer cell invasion, while overexpression of FSCN1 reversed the inhibitory effect of miR-133a upregulation on colorectal cancer cell invasion. Thus, the present data indicates that miR-133a may at least partially suppress colorectal cancer cell invasion, possibly via the inhibition of FSCN1 expression. The present study highlights the important role of miR-133a in the progression of colorectal cancer.

Chemokine CCL3 facilitates the migration of hepatoma cells by changing the concentration intracellular Ca2

Aim:  Recurrence and metastasis are the major factors associated with the poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It was confirmed that multiple chemokines and their receptors are related to the progression and metastasis of HCC. The aim of this research was to conduct an investigation into whether macrophage inflammatory protein‐1α/CCL3, and its receptor CCR1 play a role in HCC invasion and metastasis.

Transanal surgery for obstructed defecation syndrome: Literature review and a single-center experience.

Obstructed defecation syndrome (ODS) is a functional disorder commonly encountered by colorectal surgeons and gastroenterologists, and greatly affects the quality of life of patients from both societal and psychological aspects. The underlying anatomical and pathophysiological changes of ODS are complex. However, intra-rectal intussusception and rectocele are frequently found in patients with ODS and both are thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of ODS. With the development of evaluation methods in anorectal physiology laboratories and radiology studies, a great variety of new operative procedures, especially transanal procedures, have been invented to treat ODS. However, no procedure has been proved to be superior to others at present. Each operation has its own merits and defects. Thus, choosing appropriate transanal surgical procedures for the treatment of ODS remains a challenge for all surgeons. This review provides an introduction of the current problems and options for treatment of ODS and a detailed summary of the essential assessments needed for patient evaluation before carrying out transanal surgery. Besides, an overview of the benefits and problems of current transanal surgical procedures for treatment of ODS is summarized in this review. A report of clinical experience of some transanal surgical techniques used in the authors’ center is also presented.

Differential Proteomics Analysis of Colonic Tissues in Patients of Slow Transit Constipation.

Objective. To investigate and screen the different expression of proteins in STC and normal group with a comparative proteomic approach. Methods. Two-dimensional electrophoresis was applied to separate the proteins in specimens from both 5 STC patients and 5 normal controls. The proteins with statistically significant differential expression between two groups were identified by computer aided image analysis and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization tandem time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Results. A total of 239 protein spots were identified in the average gel of the normal control and 215 in patients with STC. A total of 197 protein spots were matched and the mean matching rate was 82%. There were 14 protein spots which were expressed with statistically significant differences from others. Of those 14 protein spots, the expression of 12 spots increased markedly, while that of 2 spots decreased significantly. Conclusion. The proteomics expression in colonic specimens of STC patients is statistically significantly different from that of normal control, which may be associated with the pathogenesis of STC.