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Dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) in colorectal cancer provides important opportunities for the development of future miRNA‑based therapies. The present study aimed to assess the role of miRNA‑630 (miR‑630) expression in colorectal cancer. HCT116 human colorectal cancer cells were transfected with miR‑630 inhibitor, mimic or control miRNA, and the effects of miR‑630 dysregulation on cell viability, proliferation and apoptosis were analyzed using MTT and bromodeoxyuridine assays, and an annexin V‑fluorescein isothiocyanate cell apoptosis kit, respectively. In addition, the changes in the protein expression of proliferation‑associated and AKT signaling pathway proteins were analyzed by western blot analysis. The results of the present study demonstrated that overexpression of miR‑630 significantly promoted HCT116 cell proliferation however inhibited apoptosis. Furthermore, miR‑630 overexpression reduced the protein expression of p27, BCL2‑associated X apoptosis regulator, procaspase‑3 and active caspase‑3, and increased the levels of phosphorylated‑AKT and BCL2 apoptosis regulator. The suppression of miR‑630 led to the opposite results. In conclusion, the present findings suggested that miR‑630 may function as an oncogenic miRNA in colorectal cancer, and may promote cellular proliferation and inhibit apoptosis, through the regulation of the expression of p27 and the AKT signaling pathway. The present study suggested that the inhibition of miR‑630 may have potential as an alternative therapeutic strategy for the treatment of patients with colorectal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to provide an animal experimental basis for the protective effect of the adenoviral vector-mediated interleukin-10 (Ad-mIL-10) gene on islet β-cells during the early stages of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice. A total of 24 female NOD mice at the onset of diabetes were allocated at random into three groups (n=8 per group): Group 1, intraperitoneally injected with 0.1 ml Ad-mIL-10; group 2, intraperitoneally injected with 0.1 ml adenovirus vector; and group 3, was a diabetic control. In addition to groups 1, 2 and 3, 8 age- and gender-matched NOD mice were intraperitoneally injected with 0.1 ml PBS and assigned to group 4 as a normal control. All mice were examined weekly for body weight, urine glucose and blood glucose values prior to onset of diabetes, and at 1, 2 and 3 weeks after that, and all mice were sacrificed 3 weeks after injection. Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-10, interferon (IFN)-γ, IL-4, insulin and C-peptide were evaluated, and in addition the degree of insulitis and the local expression of IL-10 gene in the pancreas were detected. The apoptosis rate of pancreatic β-cells was determined using a TUNEL assay. Compared with groups 2 and 3, IL-10 levels in the serum and pancreas were elevated in group 1. Serum IFN-γ levels were decreased while serum IL-4 levels and IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio were significantly increased in group 1 (P<0.01). C-peptide and insulin levels were higher in group 1 compared with groups 2 and 3, (P<0.01). Furthermore, compared with groups 2 and 3, the degree of insulitis, islet β-cell apoptosis rate and blood glucose values did not change significantly (P>0.05). The administration of the Ad-mIL-10 gene induced limited immune regulatory and protective effects on islet β-cell function in NOD mice with early T1D, while no significant reduction in insulitis, islet β-cell apoptosis rate and blood glucose was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of primary extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) of soft tissue is rare, particularly in skeletal muscle. The present study describes a case of diffuse large B cell lymphoma of the right lower extremity and provides a detailed review of the literature associated with this disorder, with the aim of improving the future diagnosis and therapy of extranodal NHL. The present case report was of a 76-year-old woman who presented with a right thigh and calf mass. In view of the tumor's location and the patient's age, soft tissue tumors were considered to be soft tissue sarcoma. Imaging scans were performed to determine the location and size of the tumor, followed by a biopsy of the muscle. Histopathological examination then yielded a diagnosis of diffuse large B cell lymphoma. The patient then underwent 4 cycles of chemotherapy. There was evident relief of pain and swelling in the right extremity; however, positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) determined insufficient treatment efficacy. Chemotherapy was adjusted for 2 cycles; however, the patient suffered an aggravation of edema, so a different chemotherapy regimen of bleomycin, cytarabine, vincristine, cyclosphamide and dexamethasone (BCOAD) was performed for a further 2 cycles. The edema was alleviated and magnetic resonance imaging revealed shrinkage of the lower limb mass and the right thigh mass was undetectable. In conclusion, the present case report demonstrated that PET/CT may help determine the efficacy of chemotherapy treatment and that the BCOAD chemotherapy regimen may be more effective than standard treatments in certain cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chest X-ray is routinely requested by pediatricians for children with suspected pneumonia, but has been demonstrated to be an insensitive method with relatively low accuracy. Computed tomography (CT) allows for the characterization of the consolidation in pneumonia but has a high risk of radiation exposure in children. Lung ultrasonography can identify subpleural lung consolidation in adults, but it is not accepted in routine clinical practice and is also not used for the diagnosis of children with pneumonia. The objective of the present study was to compare diagnostic parameters of lung ultrasound with chest X-ray in children with suspected pneumonia, using CT as a reference standard. Medical records of 949 children, aged ≤16 years, with suspected pneumonia were reviewed. Data regarding the chest radiograph, lung ultrasound and chest CT were collected and analyzed. Beneficial score analysis for each diagnostic modality was evaluated according to the pneumonia severity index. The chest radiograph successfully detected subpleural lung consolidation and dense lung opacity. The lung ultrasound successfully detected pleural effusion and perilesional inflammatory edema. The chest CT successfully detected a liquefied area, enhancement and necrosis of the lungs. Compared with the chest CT, the lung ultrasound displayed 0.906 sensitivity and 0.661 accuracy, while the chest radiograph displayed 0.793 sensitivity and 0.559 accuracy. For a pneumonia severity index of <3, the chest CT displayed a good beneficial score, followed by the lung ultrasound and chest radiograph. In conclusion, lung ultrasound is a non-invasive and simple method that could be used for the diagnosis of suspected pneumonia in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ginsenoside-Rg1, the main active component of Panax notoginseng, exhibits a number of pharmacological functions, including promoting protein synthesis in the brain, increasing the number of synapses, improving memory and promoting recovery of brain function following injury. The effect of ginsenoside-Rg1 on proliferation and glial-like-directed differentiation in the cortical neural stem cells (NSCs) of embryonic rat brain was investigated. The present study used MTS assays to identify the optimum dose and window time of ginsenoside-Rg1 administration to stimulate the proliferation of cortical NSCs in the rat embryonic tissue. The oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) set-up was used as a cell injury model. Immunofluorescent staining was used for identification of NSCs and subsequent observation of their proliferation and glial-like directed differentiation. Nestin expression was the marker for the presence of NSCs among the cortical cells of embryonic rat brain. The optimum dose of ginsenoside-Rg1 for proliferation of NSCs was 0.32 µg/ml. The optimum window time of 0.32 µg/ml ginsenoside-Rg1 administration on proliferation of NSCs was 6 h. Ginsenoside-Rg1 at 0.32 µg/ml concentration promoted incorporation of bromo-2-deoxyuridine, and expression of nestin and vimentin in primary and passaged NSCs, and NSCs following OGD. Ginsenoside-Rg1 had a role in promoting proliferation and glial-like-directed differentiation of cortical NSCs. The plausible explanation for these responses is that ginsenoside-Rg1 acts similarly to the growth factors to promote the proliferation and differentiation of NSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With regards to colon cancer, resistance to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-based chemotherapy and cancer stem cells (CSCs) are considered important factors underlying therapy failure. Metastasis-associated colon cancer 1 (MACC1) has been associated with poor prognosis and the promotion of metastasis within several types of cancer. However, the biological behavior of MACC1 in chemoresistance and CSC-like properties remains unclear. In the present study, various methods including gene knockdown, gene overexpression, western blotting, quantitative polymerase chain reaction and MTT assay, have been adopted. According to the results of the present study, MACC1 was depleted in two colon cancer cell lines resistant to 5-FU; subsequently, CSC-like properties and 5-FU sensitivity were investigated. Within 5-FU-resistant cells, cell death was facilitated by MACC1 knockdown. Furthermore, sphere formation and the expression levels of pluripotent markers, including cluster of differentiation (CD) 44, CD133 and Nanog were reduced due to MACC1 depletion. Additionally, it was indicated that the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathway may be associated with 5-FU resistance and CSC-like properties via MACC1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF-1) has important roles in the regulation of several key metabolic genes required for cellular growth and respiration. A previous study by our group indicated that NRF-1 is involved in mitochondrial dysfunction induced by the environmental pollutant benzo[a] pyrene in the 16HBE human bronchial epithelial cell line. In the present study, it was observed that its genotoxic metabolite, anti-benzopyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE), triggered cell cycle arrest in S-phase in 16HBE cells by activating ataxia-telangiectasia (ATM)/checkpoint kinase (Chk)2 and ATM and Rad3 related (ATR)/Chk1 signaling pathways. NRF-1 expression was suppressed by BPDE after treatment for 6 h. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that NRF-1 overexpression attenuated cell cycle arrest in S-phase induced by BPDE. In line with this result, DNA-damage checkpoints were activated following NRF-1 overexpression, as demonstrated by increased phosphorylation of ATM, Chk2 and ?H2AX, but not ATR and Chk1, according to western blot analysis. It was therefore indicated that NRF-1 overexpression attenuated BPDE-induced S-phase arrest via the ATM/Chk2 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) participate in the detoxification and elimination of electrophilic carcinogens by conjugating them to glutathione. Previous studies have reported a potential association between GSTM1 polymorphism and the risk of developing nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). However, those findings remain controversial. In the present study, a meta-analysis was conducted by pooling the odds ratios (ORs) with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of all the available case-control studies on NPC. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases up to May 13th, 2014 was performed to identify eligible studies. A total of 12 separate publications, involving 1,593 cases of NPC and 2,868 controls, were included in the meta-analysis. The results demonstrated that the null genotype of GSTM1 was significantly associated with increased risk of developing NPC (OR=1.530, 95% CI=1.348-1.737, Pheterogeneity=0.370). Subgroup analysis by ethnicity suggested that Asian carriers of the GSTM1 null genotype were more susceptible to NPC than individuals from other ethnic groups (OR=1.516, 95% CI=1.328-1.731, Pheterogeneity=0.270). Sensitivity analysis confirmed the stability of these observations. In conclusion, the results from the present meta-analysis indicated that the GSTM1 polymorphism may be involved in the development of NPC, particularly in Asians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]