Based on the investigation in Longxi Mountain National Nature Reserve and the theory of survival analysis,a static life table of Taxus chinensis var. mairei population was worked out,the curves of its survival rate,mo...Based on the investigation in Longxi Mountain National Nature Reserve and the theory of survival analysis,a static life table of Taxus chinensis var. mairei population was worked out,the curves of its survival rate,mortality rate and killing power were drawn,and the population dynamics was analyzed by spectral analysis.The results showed that the survival curve of the population appeared to be a type of Deevey Ⅲ,and the high mortality of seeding was one of the important reasons which caused Taxus chinensis var. mairei to be endangered.The spectral analysis of the population showed that there was a marked periodic regularity in the process of natural regeneration of Taxus chinensis var. mairei .展开更多
Cell death is a fundamental physiological process in all living organisms.Its roles extend from embryonic development,organ maintenance,and aging to the coordination of immune responses and autoimmunity.In recent year...Cell death is a fundamental physiological process in all living organisms.Its roles extend from embryonic development,organ maintenance,and aging to the coordination of immune responses and autoimmunity.In recent years,our understanding of the mechanisms orchestrating cellular death and its consequences on immunity and homeostasis has increased substantially.Different modalities of what has become known as‘programmed cell death’have been described,and some key players in these processes have been identified.We have learned more about the intricacies that fine tune the activity of common players and ultimately shape the different types of cell death.These studies have highlighted the complex mechanisms tipping the balance between different cell fates.Here,we summarize the latest discoveries in the three most well understood modalities of cell death,namely,apoptosis,necroptosis,and pyroptosis,highlighting common and unique pathways and their effect on the surrounding cells and the organism as a whole.展开更多
AIM: Ursolic acid (UA) and oleanolic acid (OA) are triperpene acids having a similar chemical structure and are distributed wildly in plants all over the world. In recent years, it was found that they had marked anti-...AIM: Ursolic acid (UA) and oleanolic acid (OA) are triperpene acids having a similar chemical structure and are distributed wildly in plants all over the world. In recent years, it was found that they had marked anti-tumor effects. There is little literature currently available regarding their effects on colon carcinoma cells. The present study was designed to investigate their inhibitory effects on human colon carcinoma cell line HCT15. METHODS: HCT15 cells were cultured with different drugs. The treated cells were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and their morphologic changes observed under a light microscope. The cytotoxicity of these drugs was evaluated by tetrazolium dye assay. Cell cycle analysis was performed by flow cytometry (FCM). Data were expressed as means +/-SEM and Analysis of variance and Student' t-test for individual comparisons. RESULTS: Twenty-four to 72 h after UA or OA 60 micromol/L treatment, the numbers of dead cells and cell fragments were increased and most cells were dead at the 72nd hour. The cytotoxicity of UA was stronger than that of OA. Seventy-eight hours after 30 micromol/L of UA or OA treatment, a number of cells were degenerated, but cell fragments were rarely seen. The IC(50) values for UA and OA were 30 and 60 micromol/L, respectively. Proliferation assay showed that proliferation of UA and OA-treated cells was slightly increased at 24h and significantly decreased at 48 h and 60 h, whereas untreated control cells maintained an exponential growth curve. Cell cycle analysis by FCM showed HCT15 cells treated with UA 30 and OA 60 for 36 h and 72 h gradually accumulated in G(0)/G(1) phase (both drugs P【0.05 for 72 h), with a concomitant decrease of cell populations in S phase (both drugs P【0.01 for 72 h) and no detectable apoptotic fraction. CONCLUSION: UA and OA have significant anti-tumor activity. The effect of UA is stronger than that of OA. The possible mechanism of action is that both drugs have an inhibitory effect on tumor cell proliferation through cell-cycle arrest.展开更多
AIM: To analyze the correlation between cytokineinduced killer (CIK) cells adoptive immunotherapy and cancer-related death in gastric cancer patients. METHODS: One hundred and fifty-six gastric cancer patients after o...AIM: To analyze the correlation between cytokineinduced killer (CIK) cells adoptive immunotherapy and cancer-related death in gastric cancer patients. METHODS: One hundred and fifty-six gastric cancer patients after operation at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University were enrolled in this study. Their clinical data including demographic characteristics, operation time, tumor size, pathological type and staging, tumor metastasis, outcome of chemotherapy or CIK cells adoptive immunotherapy, survival time or time of death were collected with a standard structured questionnaire. Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the median survival time, and the 2- and 5- year survival rates. Hazard risk (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of CIK cells adoptive immunotherapy for gastric cancer were calculated using the two-stage time-dependent covariates Cox model. RESULTS: The survival time of gastric cancer patients was longer after CIK cells adoptive immunotherapy than after chemotherapy (χ 2 = 10.907, P = 0.001). The median survival time of gastric cancer patients was also longer after CIK cells adoptive immunotherapy than after chemotherapy (49 mo vs 27 mo, P < 0.05). The 2- and 5-year survival rates of gastric cancer patients were significantly higher after CIK cells adoptive immunotherapy than after chemotherapy (73.5% vs 52.6%, 40.4% vs 23.9%, P < 0.05). A significant difference was observed in the survival curve for patients who received CIK cells adoptive immunotherapy (0, 1-10, 11-25, and over 25 frequencies) (χ 2 = 14.534, P = 0.002). The frequencies of CIK cells adoptive immunotherapy were significantly related with the decreasing risk of death in gastric cancer patients after adjustment for sex and age of the patients, tumor stage and relapse (HR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.36-0.80) when the first stage Cox model was used to define the subjects who remained alive beyond 36 mo as survivors. However, no correlation was observed between the frequencies of death in CIK cells adoptive immunotherapy and the 展开更多
AIM: To compare the therapeutic effect and significances of multimodality treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with tumor thrombi in portal vein (PVTT). METHODS: HCC patients (n=147) with tumor thrombi in the ...AIM: To compare the therapeutic effect and significances of multimodality treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with tumor thrombi in portal vein (PVTT). METHODS: HCC patients (n=147) with tumor thrombi in the main portal vein or the first branch of portal vein were divided into four groups by the several therapeutic methods. There were conservative treatment group in 18 out of patients (group A); and hepatic artery ligation(HAL) and/or hepatic artery infusion (HAI) group in 18 patients (group B), in whom postoperative chemoembolization was done periodically; group of removal of HCC with PVTT in 79 (group C) and group of transcatheter hepatic arterial chemoembolization (TACE) or HAI and/or portal vein infusion (PVI) after operation in 32 (group D). RESULTS: The median survival period was 12 months in our series and the 1-,3-, and 5-year survival rates were 44.3%, 24.5% and 15.2%, respectively. The median survival times were 2, 5, 12 and 16 months in group A, B, C and D, respectively. The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 5.6%, 0% and 0% in group A; 22.2%, 5.6% and 0% in group B; 53.9%, 26.9% and 16.6% in group C; 79.3%, 38.9% and 26.8% in group D, respectively. Significant difference appeared in the survival rates among the groups (P 【 0.05). CONCLUSION: Hepatic resection with removal of tumor thrombi and HCC should increase the curative effects and be encouraged for the prolongation of life span and quality of life for HCC patients with PVTT, whereas the best therapeutic method for HCC with PVTT is with regional hepatic chemotherapy or chemoembolization after hepatic resection with removal of tumor thrombi.展开更多
Multidrug resistance(MDR) occurs frequently after long-term chemotherapy, resulting in refractory cancer and tumor recurrence.Therefore, combatting MDR is an important issue. Autophagy, a self-degradative system, univ...Multidrug resistance(MDR) occurs frequently after long-term chemotherapy, resulting in refractory cancer and tumor recurrence.Therefore, combatting MDR is an important issue. Autophagy, a self-degradative system, universally arises during the treatment of sensitive and MDR cancer. Autophagy can be a double-edged sword for MDR tumors: it participates in the development of MDR and protects cancer cells from chemotherapeutics but can also kill MDR cancer cells in which apoptosis pathways are inactive. Autophagy induced by anticancer drugs could also activate apoptosis signaling pathways in MDR cells, facilitating MDR reversal. Therefore, research on the regulation of autophagy to combat MDR is expanding and is becoming increasingly important. We summarize advanced studies of autophagy in MDR tumors, including the variable role of autophagy in MDR cancer cells.展开更多
AIM:The prognosis of early gastric carcinoma (EGC) is generally excellent after surgery. The presence or absence of lymph node metastasis in EGC is an important prognostic factor. The survival and recurrence rates of ...AIM:The prognosis of early gastric carcinoma (EGC) is generally excellent after surgery. The presence or absence of lymph node metastasis in EGC is an important prognostic factor. The survival and recurrence rates of node-negative EGC are much better than those of node-positive EGC. This study examined the factors related to lymph node metastasis in EGC to determine the appropriate treatment for EGC.METHODS: We investigated 748 patients with EGC who underwent surgery between January 1985 and December 1999 at the Division of Gastroenterologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chonnam National University Hospital. Several clinicopathologic factors were investigated to analyze their relationship to lymph node metastasis: age, sex, tumor location, tumor size, gross type, histologic type, depth of invasion, extent of lymph node dissection, type of operation,and DNA ploidy.RESULTS:Lymph node metastases were found in 75 patients (10.0%). Univariate analysis showed that male sex, tumor size larger than 2.0cm, submucosal invasion of tumor, histologic differentiation, and DNA ploidy pattern were risk factors for regional lymph node metastasis in EGC patients. However, a multivariate analysis showed that three risk factors were associated with lymph node metastasis:large tumor size, undifferentiated histologic type and submucosal invasion. No statistical relationship was found for age, sex, tumor location, gross type, or DNA ploidy in multivariate analysis. The 5-year survival rate was 94.2% for those without lymph node metastasis and 87.3% for those with lymph node metastasis, and the difference was significant (P<0.05).CONCLUSION: In patients with EGC, the survival rate of patients with positive lymph nodes is significantly worse than that of patients with no lymph node metastasis. Therefore,a standard D2 lymphadenectomy should be performed in patients at high risk of lymph node metastasis: large tumor size, undifferentiated histologic type and submucosal invasion.展开更多
文摘Based on the investigation in Longxi Mountain National Nature Reserve and the theory of survival analysis,a static life table of Taxus chinensis var. mairei population was worked out,the curves of its survival rate,mortality rate and killing power were drawn,and the population dynamics was analyzed by spectral analysis.The results showed that the survival curve of the population appeared to be a type of Deevey Ⅲ,and the high mortality of seeding was one of the important reasons which caused Taxus chinensis var. mairei to be endangered.The spectral analysis of the population showed that there was a marked periodic regularity in the process of natural regeneration of Taxus chinensis var. mairei .
基金B.S.F.is supported by grants from the European Research Council(PLAT-IL-1,714175)B.S.F.and E.L.are further supported by grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft(DFG,German Research Foundation)(SFBTRR57)the DFG Germany’s Excellence Strategy-EXC 2151-390873048.
文摘Cell death is a fundamental physiological process in all living organisms.Its roles extend from embryonic development,organ maintenance,and aging to the coordination of immune responses and autoimmunity.In recent years,our understanding of the mechanisms orchestrating cellular death and its consequences on immunity and homeostasis has increased substantially.Different modalities of what has become known as‘programmed cell death’have been described,and some key players in these processes have been identified.We have learned more about the intricacies that fine tune the activity of common players and ultimately shape the different types of cell death.These studies have highlighted the complex mechanisms tipping the balance between different cell fates.Here,we summarize the latest discoveries in the three most well understood modalities of cell death,namely,apoptosis,necroptosis,and pyroptosis,highlighting common and unique pathways and their effect on the surrounding cells and the organism as a whole.
文摘AIM: Ursolic acid (UA) and oleanolic acid (OA) are triperpene acids having a similar chemical structure and are distributed wildly in plants all over the world. In recent years, it was found that they had marked anti-tumor effects. There is little literature currently available regarding their effects on colon carcinoma cells. The present study was designed to investigate their inhibitory effects on human colon carcinoma cell line HCT15. METHODS: HCT15 cells were cultured with different drugs. The treated cells were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and their morphologic changes observed under a light microscope. The cytotoxicity of these drugs was evaluated by tetrazolium dye assay. Cell cycle analysis was performed by flow cytometry (FCM). Data were expressed as means +/-SEM and Analysis of variance and Student' t-test for individual comparisons. RESULTS: Twenty-four to 72 h after UA or OA 60 micromol/L treatment, the numbers of dead cells and cell fragments were increased and most cells were dead at the 72nd hour. The cytotoxicity of UA was stronger than that of OA. Seventy-eight hours after 30 micromol/L of UA or OA treatment, a number of cells were degenerated, but cell fragments were rarely seen. The IC(50) values for UA and OA were 30 and 60 micromol/L, respectively. Proliferation assay showed that proliferation of UA and OA-treated cells was slightly increased at 24h and significantly decreased at 48 h and 60 h, whereas untreated control cells maintained an exponential growth curve. Cell cycle analysis by FCM showed HCT15 cells treated with UA 30 and OA 60 for 36 h and 72 h gradually accumulated in G(0)/G(1) phase (both drugs P【0.05 for 72 h), with a concomitant decrease of cell populations in S phase (both drugs P【0.01 for 72 h) and no detectable apoptotic fraction. CONCLUSION: UA and OA have significant anti-tumor activity. The effect of UA is stronger than that of OA. The possible mechanism of action is that both drugs have an inhibitory effect on tumor cell proliferation through cell-cycle arrest.
基金Supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30872176, 30950022 and 30972703grants of Jiangsu Province and Soochow University Medical Development Foundation, No. EE126765
文摘AIM: To analyze the correlation between cytokineinduced killer (CIK) cells adoptive immunotherapy and cancer-related death in gastric cancer patients. METHODS: One hundred and fifty-six gastric cancer patients after operation at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University were enrolled in this study. Their clinical data including demographic characteristics, operation time, tumor size, pathological type and staging, tumor metastasis, outcome of chemotherapy or CIK cells adoptive immunotherapy, survival time or time of death were collected with a standard structured questionnaire. Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the median survival time, and the 2- and 5- year survival rates. Hazard risk (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of CIK cells adoptive immunotherapy for gastric cancer were calculated using the two-stage time-dependent covariates Cox model. RESULTS: The survival time of gastric cancer patients was longer after CIK cells adoptive immunotherapy than after chemotherapy (χ 2 = 10.907, P = 0.001). The median survival time of gastric cancer patients was also longer after CIK cells adoptive immunotherapy than after chemotherapy (49 mo vs 27 mo, P < 0.05). The 2- and 5-year survival rates of gastric cancer patients were significantly higher after CIK cells adoptive immunotherapy than after chemotherapy (73.5% vs 52.6%, 40.4% vs 23.9%, P < 0.05). A significant difference was observed in the survival curve for patients who received CIK cells adoptive immunotherapy (0, 1-10, 11-25, and over 25 frequencies) (χ 2 = 14.534, P = 0.002). The frequencies of CIK cells adoptive immunotherapy were significantly related with the decreasing risk of death in gastric cancer patients after adjustment for sex and age of the patients, tumor stage and relapse (HR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.36-0.80) when the first stage Cox model was used to define the subjects who remained alive beyond 36 mo as survivors. However, no correlation was observed between the frequencies of death in CIK cells adoptive immunotherapy and the
基金Surported by the Funds of Hundred Outsdanding Persons project of Shanghai(97BR029)Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai(984419067)
文摘AIM: To compare the therapeutic effect and significances of multimodality treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with tumor thrombi in portal vein (PVTT). METHODS: HCC patients (n=147) with tumor thrombi in the main portal vein or the first branch of portal vein were divided into four groups by the several therapeutic methods. There were conservative treatment group in 18 out of patients (group A); and hepatic artery ligation(HAL) and/or hepatic artery infusion (HAI) group in 18 patients (group B), in whom postoperative chemoembolization was done periodically; group of removal of HCC with PVTT in 79 (group C) and group of transcatheter hepatic arterial chemoembolization (TACE) or HAI and/or portal vein infusion (PVI) after operation in 32 (group D). RESULTS: The median survival period was 12 months in our series and the 1-,3-, and 5-year survival rates were 44.3%, 24.5% and 15.2%, respectively. The median survival times were 2, 5, 12 and 16 months in group A, B, C and D, respectively. The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 5.6%, 0% and 0% in group A; 22.2%, 5.6% and 0% in group B; 53.9%, 26.9% and 16.6% in group C; 79.3%, 38.9% and 26.8% in group D, respectively. Significant difference appeared in the survival rates among the groups (P 【 0.05). CONCLUSION: Hepatic resection with removal of tumor thrombi and HCC should increase the curative effects and be encouraged for the prolongation of life span and quality of life for HCC patients with PVTT, whereas the best therapeutic method for HCC with PVTT is with regional hepatic chemotherapy or chemoembolization after hepatic resection with removal of tumor thrombi.
基金supported by the Science and Technology Program of China (2012ZX09103101-053)the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (52013050014183 and 2013CXZDA006)+1 种基金the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (D.M.Zhang)the project was supported by Guangdong Province Universities and Colleges Pearl River Scholar Funded Scheme (D. M. Zhang)
文摘Multidrug resistance(MDR) occurs frequently after long-term chemotherapy, resulting in refractory cancer and tumor recurrence.Therefore, combatting MDR is an important issue. Autophagy, a self-degradative system, universally arises during the treatment of sensitive and MDR cancer. Autophagy can be a double-edged sword for MDR tumors: it participates in the development of MDR and protects cancer cells from chemotherapeutics but can also kill MDR cancer cells in which apoptosis pathways are inactive. Autophagy induced by anticancer drugs could also activate apoptosis signaling pathways in MDR cells, facilitating MDR reversal. Therefore, research on the regulation of autophagy to combat MDR is expanding and is becoming increasingly important. We summarize advanced studies of autophagy in MDR tumors, including the variable role of autophagy in MDR cancer cells.
文摘AIM:The prognosis of early gastric carcinoma (EGC) is generally excellent after surgery. The presence or absence of lymph node metastasis in EGC is an important prognostic factor. The survival and recurrence rates of node-negative EGC are much better than those of node-positive EGC. This study examined the factors related to lymph node metastasis in EGC to determine the appropriate treatment for EGC.METHODS: We investigated 748 patients with EGC who underwent surgery between January 1985 and December 1999 at the Division of Gastroenterologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chonnam National University Hospital. Several clinicopathologic factors were investigated to analyze their relationship to lymph node metastasis: age, sex, tumor location, tumor size, gross type, histologic type, depth of invasion, extent of lymph node dissection, type of operation,and DNA ploidy.RESULTS:Lymph node metastases were found in 75 patients (10.0%). Univariate analysis showed that male sex, tumor size larger than 2.0cm, submucosal invasion of tumor, histologic differentiation, and DNA ploidy pattern were risk factors for regional lymph node metastasis in EGC patients. However, a multivariate analysis showed that three risk factors were associated with lymph node metastasis:large tumor size, undifferentiated histologic type and submucosal invasion. No statistical relationship was found for age, sex, tumor location, gross type, or DNA ploidy in multivariate analysis. The 5-year survival rate was 94.2% for those without lymph node metastasis and 87.3% for those with lymph node metastasis, and the difference was significant (P<0.05).CONCLUSION: In patients with EGC, the survival rate of patients with positive lymph nodes is significantly worse than that of patients with no lymph node metastasis. Therefore,a standard D2 lymphadenectomy should be performed in patients at high risk of lymph node metastasis: large tumor size, undifferentiated histologic type and submucosal invasion.
