Jian-Qing Ye

Laparoscopic inferior mesenteric-gonadal vein bypass for the treatment of nutcracker syndrome

Nutcracker syndrome is a rare entity caused by extrinsic compression on the left renal vein (LRV) crossing between the superior mesenteric artery and the aorta. This article reports the treatment of two cases of nutcracker syndrome using laparoscopic inferior mesenteric-gonadal vein bypass, knowing that this treatment option would avoid renal reperfusion injury and LRV hypertension. In addition, it is easier to operate compared with laparoscopic splenorenal venous bypass and laparoscopic transposition of LRV into the inferior vena cava.

Overexpression of USP39 predicts poor prognosis and promotes tumorigenesis of prostate cancer via promoting EGFR mRNA maturation and transcription elongation

Castration resistance is a serious problem facing clinical treatment of prostate cancer (PCa). The underlying molecular mechanisms of acquired proliferation ability of tumor cells upon androgen deprivation are largely undetermined. In the present study, we identified that ubiquitin specific peptidase 39 (USP39) was significantly upregulated in PCa samples and cell lines. Elevated USP39 expression was positively correlated with Gleason score, predicted a poor outcome, and functioned as an independent risk factor for biochemical recurrence (BCR) especially in patients with a Gleason score ≤7. Our cell-based study showed that the expression level of USP39 was the highest in AR-negative PCa cell lines. Knockdown of USP39 in PCa cells inhibited cancer colony formation and tumor cell growth, and induced G2/M arrest and cell apoptosis. Microarray analysis suggested that knockdown of USP39 caused a reduced expression of EGFR. Silencing of USP39 inhibited the expression of EGFR 3′-end, and presented a remarkable block to the maturation of EGFR mRNA, suggesting that silencing of USP39 decreased the transcriptional elongation and maturation of EGFR mRNA. Oncomine datasets analysis showed that USP39 expression was positively correlated with EGFR level. The above findings suggest that USP39 plays a vital oncogenic role in the tumorigenesis of PCa and may prove to be a potential biomarker for predicting the prognosis of PCa patients.

The prognostic value of lymphovascular invasion in radical prostatectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

To systematically evaluate the prognostic value of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in radical prostatectomy (RP) by a meta-analysis based on the published literature. To identify relevant studies, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science database were searched from 1966 to May 2014. Finally, 25 studies (9503 patients) were included. LVI was found in 12.2% (1156/9503) of the RP specimens. LVI was found to be correlated with higher pathological tumor stages (greater than pT3 stage) (risk ratio [RR] 1.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.73-2.08, P< 0.00001), higher Gleason scores (greater than GS = 7) (RR 1.30, 95% CI 1.23-1.38, P< 0.00001), positive pathological node (pN) status (RR 5.67, 95% CI 3.14-10.24, P< 0.00001), extracapsular extension (RR 1.72, 95% CI 1.46-2.02, P< 0.00001), and seminal vesicle involvement (RR 3.36, 95% CI 2.41-4.70, P< 0.00001). The pooled hazard ratio (HR) was statistically significant for Biochemical Recurrence-Free (BCR-free) probability (HR 2.05, 95% CI 1.64-2.56; Z = 6.30, P< 0.00001). Sensitivity analysis showed that the pooled HR and 95% CI were not significantly altered by the omission of any single study. Begg′s Funnel plots showed no significant publication bias (P = 0.112). In conclusion, LVI exhibited a detrimental effect on the BCR-Free probability and clinicopathological features in RP specimens, and may prove to be an independent prognostic factor of BCR.

Frizzled 8 promotes the cell proliferation and metastasis of renal cell carcinoma

Recent reports have shown a rapid rise in the incidence of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and Wnt (Wingless-related integration site) signaling pathway is important in RCC. Frizzled 8 (FZD8) is a member of Frizzled (FZD) receptor family which could activate canonical or non-canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathways. Nevertheless, the role of FZD8 in RCC is poorly investigated. The immunohistochemical analysis showed high expression of FZD8 in RCC tissues compared with peri-tumor tissues. FZD8 knockdown decreased the ability of proliferation and metastasis of RCC cells. Research revealed that the FZD8 regulated the transcription of Cyclin D1, c-Myc, and could promote the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) by mediating Vimentin and Snail through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. In addition, the results of our experiment revealed that FZD8 is involved in the regulation of non-canonical Wnt signaling pathway. These data suggested that the expression of FZD8 may play an important role in the proliferation and metastasis of RCC, and serve as a putative promising drug target for human RCC therapy.

Inhibition of PCSK9 protects against radiation-induced damage of prostate cancer cells

Background Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is a protein expressed primarily in the liver, formerly known to maintain plasma lipid homeostasis by regulating low-density lipoprotein receptor levels, and its exact role in the radioresistance of prostate cancer (PCa) remains unclear. We aim to investigate the function of PCSK9 in the radioresistance of PCa cells. Methods PCSK9 small interfering RNA (siRNA) was introduced into the PCa cells by transient transfection. Then, cells were exposed to ionizing radiation (IR) at indicated dose rates. Cell damage was detected using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and Hoechest 33342/propidium iodide (PI) staining. Rhodamine-123 (Rho-123) dye was used to assay mitochondrial membrane potential alteration. Western blot was used to detect the apoptosis-related protein expression. Results PCSK9 siRNA treatment significantly protected PCa cells from IR-induced cell damage, including enhancing cell viability, reducing apoptosis, and inhibiting MMPs. Moreover, PCSK9 siRNA repressed the increase of cytochrome C (cyto C), caspase-3, and B-cell leukemia/lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)-associated X (Bax) expressions induced by IR and promoted Bcl-2 expression, which might partially interpret the radioprotective role of PCSK9 siRNA in PCa cells. Conclusion PCSK9 might impact on radiosensitivity through mitochondrial pathways and serve as a novel therapeutic target for PCa patients.

Ataxin-3 promotes testicular cancer cell proliferation by inhibiting anti-oncogene PTEN

Human Ataxin-3 protein was first identified as a transcript from patients with Machado-Joseph disease (MJD), also known as spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3). Recent studies have demonstrated that Ataxin-3 is involved in gastric cancer and lung cancer. However, the role of Ataxin-3 in testicular cancer (TC) remains poorly understood. This study aims to explore the significance of Ataxin-3 expression in TC. Firstly, we investigated 53 paired TC and para-tumor tissues and found that Ataxin-3 was overexpressed in TC tissues, and this overexpression of Ataxin-3 was correlated with tumor stages. Functionally, Ataxin-3 overexpression promoted cell proliferation, and Ataxin-3 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation. In addition, up-regulation of Ataxin-3 inhibited the expression of PTEN and activated the AKT/mTOR pathway. Conversely, inhibition of Ataxin-3 suppressed the expression of p-AKT and p-mTOR, and increased the expression of p-4EBP1. These findings may provide a better understanding about the mechanism of TC and suggest that Ataxin-3 may be a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for TC.

Disruption of serine/threonine protein phosphatase 5 inhibits tumorigenesis of urinary bladder cancer cells

Serine/threonine protein phosphatase 5 (PPP5C) is a member of the protein serine/threonine phosphatase family and has been shown to participate in multiple signaling cascades and tumor progression. We found that PPP5C was highly expressed in bladder cancer tissues compared to normal urothelial tissues, and positively correlated to tumor stages through ONCOMINE microarray data mining. Knockdown of PPP5C via a lentivirus-mediated short hairpin RNA (shRNA) markedly inhibited cell proliferation and colony formation. Flow cytometric analysis showed that PPP5C-deficient T24 and BT5637 bladder cancer cells were arrested in G0/G1 phase and induced apoptosis. In addition, tumor growth was inhibited in vivo in a xenograft nude mouse model. Further studies indicated that knockdown of PPP5C downregulated c-myc and CDK4, whereas upregulated p27, BAD and Beclin1. These results suggest that PPP5C is associated with bladder cancer (BCa) and plays an oncogenic role in the development and progression of bladder cancer.