Xiaokun Zhao

microRNA-155 silencing inhibits proliferation and migration and induces apoptosis by upregulating BACH1 in renal cancer cells.

The purpose of this study was to explore the functional role and mechanism of miR-155 in the development of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). miR-155 expression was quantified in renal cancers, matched adjacent non-tumor tissues and renal cell lines using quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR). Cell proliferation, apoptosis and migratory activity were measured following suppression of miR-155 expression by antisense oligonucleotides. miR-155 targets were scanned using target prediction programs. Following the inhibition of miR-155, target gene expression was detected by western blotting. The expression of miR-155 was upregulated in clear cell RCC (ccRCC) tissue and renal cancer cell lines. The suppression of miR-155 inhibited cell proliferation and migratory activity and induced apoptosis in renal cancer cells. The suppressor gene suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS-1) and BACH1 were predicted as potential target genes by bioinformatics analysis. The suppression of miR-155 inhibited BACH1 protein expression. miR-155 may function as an oncogene by targeting BACH1. Thus, the inhibition of miR-155 may be an effective way to treat RCC.

DNA Repair Gene XRCC3 T241M Polymorphism and Bladder Cancer Risk in a Chinese Population

The X-ray repair cross-complementing group 3 (XRCC3), one of the DNA repair genes, was suggested to play an imperative role in the development of carcinogenesis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of the XRCC3 T241M polymorphism in bladder cancer susceptibility in a Chinese population. We genotyped 150 bladder cancer cases and 150 healthy controls who had been frequency matched to cases by age and sex. Genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. A significant association was found between smoker and bladder cancer [odds ratio (OR)=1.97, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.24-3.13, p=0.004]. The XRCC3 241MM genotype was more frequent in the bladder cancer group than in the healthy controls group (OR=3.22, 95% CI=1.14-9.11, p=0.03). There were no significant associations between any genotypes and the stage, grade, and histological type of bladder cancer. Our study suggested an increased risk role of XRCC3 241MM genotype in bladder cancer susceptibility in a Chinese population.

Primary Mature Teratoma Presenting as an Adrenal Tumor in a Child

Teratomas, rare germ tumors usually found in the ovaries and testes, are potentially malignant. Adrenal teratomas are extremely rare, and their diagnosis relies on the findings from radiologic examinations. Early diagnosis and surgical resection are important for effective treatment. The success of the treatment determines the need for postoperative chemotherapy. Because the prognosis is currently difficult to predict, close, lifelong follow-up is recommended. The present review discusses the character of mature teratomas of the adrenal gland. We report 1 case of a primary mature teratoma presenting as an adrenal tumor in a child and review the published data.

Large renal cavernous hemangioma with renal vein thrombosis: case report and review of literature.

Kidney cavernous hemangiomas are rare. Renal cavernous hemangioma complicated by secondary chronic thrombosis of the renal vein has not been previously reported. A 17-year-old boy was initially diagnosed with a renal mass with tumor thrombosis. Radical nephrectomy was performed, and the pathologic examination revealed a renal cavernous hemangioma with chronic renal vein thrombosis. We also reviewed the previous diagnostic and treatment methods described in previous reports.

Renal Cavernous Hemangioma in a Child: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Renal cavernous hemangioma is rare, and most cases of renal hemangioma tend to be small, with a peak incidence between 30 and 40 years of age. We report a case of a large renal hemangioma in a 12-year-old child, which is extremely rare. The diagnosis and treatment of renal cavernous hemangiomas are discussed.

Effects of YC-1 on Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 Alpha in Hypoxic Human Bladder Transitional Carcinoma Cell Line T24 Cells

Objectives: It was the aim of this study to explore the effects of 3-(5′-hydroxymethyl-2′-furyl)-l-benzyl indazole (YC-1) on transcription activity, cell proliferation and apoptosis of hypoxic human bladder transitional carcinoma cells (BTCC), mediated by hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α). Methods: BTCC cell line T24 cells were incubated under normoxic or hypoxic conditions, adding different doses of YC-1. The protein expression of HIF-1α and HIF-1α-mediated genes was detected by Western blotting. RT-PCR was used to detect HIF-1α mRNA expression. Cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration activity were determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, flow cytometry and transwell migration assay. The cells were pretreated by two ERK/p38 MAPK pathway-specific inhibitors, PD98059 or SB203580, and then incubated with YC-1 treatment under hypoxic condition. HIF-1α protein expression was detected by Western blotting. Results: Hypoxic T24 cells expressed a higher level of HIF-1α, vascular endothelial growth factor, matrix metalloproteinases-2, B-cell lymphoma/leukemia-2 protein and HIF-1α mRNA compared with normoxic controls, in which the above-mentioned expression was downregulated by YC-1 in a dose-dependent manner. Cell proliferation and migration activity were inhibited while apoptosis was induced by YC-1 under hypoxic condition. Moreover, YC-1-downregulated HIF-1α expression was reversed by PD98059 and SB203580, respectively. Conclusions: YC-1 inhibits HIF-1α and HIF-1α-mediated gene expression, cell proliferation and migration activity and induces apoptosis in hypoxic BTCC. The ERK/p38 MAPK pathway may be involved in YC-1-mediated inhibition of HIF-1α.

Nonbacterial Prostatitis in Kunming Mouse Induced by Long-Term Stimuli of Passive Sexual Abstinence

In this study, a state of sexual abstinence was imitated in Kunming male mice. Further assessment on the body and prostate weight and histomorphometric changes of the prostate showed that nonbacterial prostatitis in Kunming mice could be induced by long-term stimuli of passive sexual abstinence, and the normal physiological state of the mice could be kept in the process of induction. The analysis of the result suggests that copulation might be a protective factor in the process of nonbacterial prostatitis. The underlying mechanisms of this model may include immune response on prostate antigen, chronic pelvic congestion, disturbance of hormone regulation, and other mechanisms; this requires confirmation by further research.

Comorbidity Relationship to Outcome of Radical Cystectomy in Chinese: a Single Institution Study with the ACE-27 Comorbidity Index

To determine the relationship between comorbidity and outcome after radical cystectomy in Chinese patients by using the Adult Comorbidity Evaluation (ACE)-27 index. Two-hundred-and-forty-six patients treated with radical cystectomy at the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Hunan Province, China between 2000 and 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. Medical records were reviewed for age, gender, delayed time of radical cystectomy, urinary diversion type, pelvic lymphadenectomy status, TNM stage, and pathological grade. Comorbidity information was assessed by the ACE-27 index. The outcome measurement was overall survival. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to determine the association between comorbidity and outcome. The study population consisted of 215 (87.40%) males and 31 (12.60%) females with a mean age of 62±11 years. Median duration of follow-up was 47±31 months. A total of 151 (61.38%) patents died during follow-up. Of those, 118 (47.97%) had at least one comorbidity. According to the ACE-27 scores, 128 (52.03%) patients had no comorbidity, 79 (32.11%) had mild, 33 (13.41%) had moderate, and 6 (2.45%) had severe comorbidities. Multivariate analysis indicated that moderate (p=0.002) and severe (p<0.001) comorbidity was significantly associated with decreased overall survival. In addition, age ≥70 years (p=0.002), delayed time of radical cystectomy >12 weeks (p=0.044), pelvic lymphadenectomy status (p=0.014), and TNM stage >T3 (p<0.001) were determined to be independent risk factors of overall survival. Increasing severity of comorbidity statistically correlated with decreased overall survival after radical cystectomy.

Management of the bilateral forgotten ureteral stents with open surgery

Ureteral D-J stents are frequently used in the therapy of ureteral stones or large renal calculi to ensure urinary drainage and kidney function during stone therapy [1]. They are inserted either in elective or imperative situations which should be removed within a safe time frame. If they are neglected for a long time, the forgotten stents were severely calcified and encrusted, and serious complications, including migration, fragmentation, encrustation, and stone formation, will occur. The patient may suffer from large stone formation, loin pain, recurrent urinary tract infections and hematuria [2–4].The severe encrustation and stone formations may cause obstructions and threaten the renal unit [4]. An auxiliary procedure like extracorporealor intracorporeallithotripsy, and laser cystolithotripsy are required to make the patients’ stents and stones free [5, 6]. But, we present one case of bilateral forgotten ureteral D-J stent for 8 years that was succeeded by successive surgical procedures.