Search

Parenchymal-sparing pancreatectomy (PSP) or pancreas-sparing duodenectomy (PSD) is an alternative method for patients with benign or low-grade malignant tumours at the pancreatic head or duodenum. It avoids traumatic pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) with pancreatic function preservation and improves quality of life. However, few studies have reported on robotic PSP (RPSP) or robotic PSD (RPSD).A retrospective analysis of 17 patients with benign and low-grade malignant pancreatic head and duodenal tumours who underwent RPSP or RPSD from January 2018 to February 2022 was conducted. The demographic, perioperative, and postoperative data of all patients were collected and analysed.The operations were successful for all seventeen patients without conversion, including 10 cases of RPSP and 7 cases of RPSD. For RPSP, eight patients underwent pancreatic enucleation, and two patients underwent uncinate process resection. For RPSD, five patients underwent local duodenectomy, and two patients underwent segmental duodenectomy, with five simultaneous jejunostomies and two distal gastrectomies. The median OT and EBL were 135 min and 50 mL for RPSP and 220 min and 100 mL for RPSD, respectively. The median LOS was 8 days for RPSP and 19 days for RPSD. The main postoperative complications for RPSP included POPF (grade B, 6 cases), DGE (grade B, 1 case), PPH (1 case), and intra-abdominal infection (1 case). The main postoperative complications for RPSD included DGE (grade B, 1 case, grade C, 3 cases), postoperative haemorrhage (1 case), intra-abdominal infection (1 case), and duodenal fistula (1 case). One patient underwent interventional drain placement after RPSP because of POPF.RPSP or RPSD is feasible for highly selected patients with benign and low-grade malignant pancreatic head and duodenal tumours, avoiding potential pancreaticoduodenectomy.

The study was aimed to evaluate a prospective randomized controlled trial (RCT) In laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal inguinal hernia repair (TAPP), whether fixation of the residual sac after transecting the hernia sac can reduce the severity of postoperative seroma. A total of 252 male patients with a primary unilateral indirect inguinal hernia who underwent TAPP from September 2018 to November 2022 were recruited. Patients were randomized to the control group (CG)and the experimental group (EG). In the experimental group, after the hernia sac was transected, the residual sac was fixed to the lower edge of the rectus abdominis, while it was left in the preperitoneal space in the control group. Close follow-up was arranged to observe the incidence of seroma and other postoperative complications. All 214 patients were discharged successfully. 106 patients were randomly assigned to the control group, and 108 patients were assigned to the experimental group. There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative fluid extraction between the experimental group and the control group (11.1% VS.10.4%, p = 0.862), but the patients with seroma after the operation had fewer repeated extraction (0% VS. 45.5%, P = 0.033). The incidences of other postoperative complications were comparable in the two groups. In the treatment of indirect inguinal hernia with TAPP, after transecting the hernia sac, suturing and fixing the residual sac to the inferior edge of the rectus abdominis can reduce the incidence of repeated aspiration.

The Kugel procedure resulted in extensive adhesion in the preperitoneal space. Performing a transabdominal preperitoneal repair (TAPP) for recurrent hernia after Kugel procedure is extremely difficult. In this case report, we present the case of a 81-year-old male who presented with recurrent inguinal hernia after Kugel procedure 8 years ago. Transabdominal laparoscopy was performed first. Indirect hernia formed inferior to the lateral edge of the previous mesh was diagnosed under laparoscopy. The patient's medial umbilical ligament (MUL) was big enough and could be completely released by separating the Retzius space. Finally, TAPP was successfully performed by using the MUL to create and close the preperitoneal space. No perioperative complications or hernia recurrence was observed 1 year after the surgery. Using the MUL to deal with preperitoneal problems was practical and feasible.

BACKGROUND: Uncinate process dissection is a key step in minimally invasive pancreaticoduodenectomy (MIPD), including laparoscopic and robotic procedures, which increase the intraoperative blood loss and operative time and decrease the R0 resection rate if improperly handled. However, few studies have reported the operative skills in detail. METHODS: We performed uncinate process dissection using a combination of the anterior superior mesenteric vein (SMV)-first approach and the right posterior superior mesenteric artery (SMA)-first approach in MIPD for 138 patients with periampullary tumors between March 2017 and October 2019. The demographic and perioperative data of all the patients were collected to evaluate the efficacy of this method. RESULTS: All patients underwent an uneventful operation. An assistant incision was performed to separate extensive adhesion between the tumor and the SMV in 3 patients. The combined approach had a notably shorter operation time and resection time, less intraoperative blood loss and a shorter postoperative hospital stay than the traditional approach (P0.05). There were no deaths during the perioperative period. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of the anterior SMV-first approach and the right posterior SMA-first approach is a safe and feasible technique for uncinate process dissection in MIPD.

Background A superior lumbar hernia is a posterior ventral hernia that is rarely encountered in the clinical setting. However, no standard operative strategy exists for superior lumbar hernia repair at present. Methods Twelve patients with primary superior lumbar hernia who underwent sublay repair via the retroperitoneal space with the Kugel patch between December 2008 and June 2019 were included in this study. The demographic, peri‐operative and post‐operative data of the patients were collected to analyse the effectiveness of this technique. Results All patients underwent an uneventful operation. The median operative time was 60 min, and the median blood loss was 35 mL. The median hernia defect area was 16 cm2. Five medium‐sized Kugel patches (11 cm × 14 cm) and seven large‐sized Kugel patches (14 cm × 17 cm) were used for the repairs. The median visual analogue scale score on post‐operative day 1 was 3. The median time to removal of drainage was 3 days. The median duration of the hospital stay was 3 days. No serious post‐operative complications, including seroma, haematoma, incision or mesh infection, recurrence and chronic pain, occurred during the follow‐up period. Conclusion Sublay repair for primary superior lumbar hernia with the Kugel patch shows benefits including a reliable repair, minimal invasiveness and few post‐operative complications., Repair for superior lumbar hernias is technically challenging. Sublay repair using the Kugel mesh is a feasible and effective method for superior lumbar hernias. Sublay repair for superior lumbar hernias provides the advantages of reliable repair and rapid recovery.

The working environment of the pipeline system of the launch vehicle is very complex. Bellows in piping system should endure high temperature, corrosive medium, vibration and other conditions, which require for high reliability. However, due to the restrictions of fixed location, weight reduce requirement, the number and location of bellows are strictly required. There is a great difference for the bellows design method between the launch vehicle and the ground pipeline. In this paper, a bellows designing method for launch vehicle is introduced in detail. The method calculates the compensation amount of bellows under divided working conditions, and checks the fatigue damage coefficient as the main failure judgement basis. It has been proved by practice that the designing method of divided working conditions can solve the design problems of the bellows of launch vehicles effectively.

Objective To investigate the role of ribosomal associated protein hnRNP D in resistance to gemcitabine (GEM) in pancreatic cancer cells. Methods The expressions of hnRNP D in clinical pancreatic cancer tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry. The proliferation of pancreatic cancer cell lines (PANC-1, BXPC-3, SW1990 and ASPC-1) were measured by CCK8 assay. IC50 of each cell line was calculated and compared. The expressions of hnRNP D protein in pancreatic cancer cell lines were detected by Western Blot assay. The change of hnRNP D expression was confirmed by qPCR and Western Blot after the expressions of hnRNP D in PANC-1 cells being down-regulated by miRNA. And than the apoptosis rate and cell cycle of PANC-1 cells were detected by flow cytometry, while the expressions of apoptosis-related proteins cleaved caspase3, P-Akt, AKT and P65 were detected by Western Blot. Results HnRNP D protein expressed in clinical pancreatic tissues widely. The IC50 of GEM in PANC-1 was the highest while in BXPC-3 was the lowest. And the expression of hnRNP D protein in PANC-1 was the highest while in BXPC-3 was the lowest. After miRNA interfering, the expressions of hnRNP D protein and gene were significantly decreased in PANC-1 cells. The decrease of hnRNP D expression promoted cell apoptosis and inhibited the cell transformation to the S phase in cell cycle. Under the intervention of GEM, cleaved caspase3 expression was significantly increased, while p-Akt, AKT and P65 expression was significantly decreased. Conclusion HnRNP D was associated with resistance to GEM in pancreatic cancer cells. Decreasing of hnRNP D expression promoted cell apoptosis induced by GEM.

Objective To investigate the effects of cucurmosin (CUS) on proliferation and drugs resistance in gemcitabine (GEM) human pancreatic cancer cell PANC-1RG7. Methods The ultrastructural changes of PANC-1RG7 cells after CUS intervention were observed by transmission electron microscope. Flow Cytometer (FCM) was used to detect the effect of CUS on the growth cycle of PANC-1RG7 cells. We used colony formation experiment, Sulforhodamine B assays and subcutaneous implantation tumor model to observe the proliferation inhibition and reversal drug-resistance reversion of CUS on PANC-1RG7 in vitro and in vivo. Western blot was used to observe the expressions of RRM1, RRM2, PI3K, Akt, mTOR and other proteins related to apoptosis after CUS intervention. Results After CUS intervention, PANC-1RG7 cells were obviously apoptotic with large number of vacuoles and apoptotic bodies. Compared with parental cell PANC-1, GEM-resistant cell PANC-1 was more sensitive to CUS. The combination of GEM and CUS at different concentrations showed synergistic effect. At the concentration of CUS with the inhibition rate of 10%, the reversal multiples and the reversal efficiency were 1.78±0.65 and 50.13±16.87%, respectively. Subcutaneous implantation tumor model confirmed the proliferation inhibitory effect of CUS in vitro. Western blot confirmed that CUS down-regulated the expressions of RRM1, RRM2, PI3K, Akt and mTOR. Conclusion CUS can significantly inhibit PANC-1RG7 cell proliferation in vivo and in vitro, and can reverse cell GEM-resistance.

Background Robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy (RPD) has been increasingly performed for patients with periampullary tumours and tumours in the pancreatic head. This method offers several technical advantages compared to open and laparoscopic surgeries. However, the surgical results often vary depending on the experience of different pancreatic centres. Methods A retrospective study of our first 55 cases of RPD from August 2016 to April 2020 was conducted to evaluate the perioperative outcomes of RPD and to summarize the operative experiences in a single intuition. Benign and malignant tumours in the pancreatic head or periampullary tumours without obvious vascular and adjacent organ invasion were included in this study. Perioperative characteristics and postoperative complications of the enrolled patients were retrospectively collected. Results The first 17 cases were robot-assisted laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (RA-LPD) and the remaining 38 patients underwent total RPD. The RA-LPD group had a remarkably longer operative time than the total RPD group (415.3±89.2 vs. 362.4±75.6 min, P=0.047). The incidences of biliary leakage, chyle leakage, DGE, intra-abdominal infection and intra-abdominal haemorrhage were 3.6%, 0.0%, 5.5%, 9.1% and 5.5%, respectively. Two patients underwent relaparotomy due to severe intra-abdominal haemorrhage. The median length of hospital stay was 14 (11 to 19) days. There were no deaths during the perioperative period. Conclusions RPD is a technically feasible procedure for selected patients with periampullary tumours and tumours in the pancreatic head in experienced hands.

Pathological diagnosis plays a critical role in the treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC). However, the commonly used biopsy methods still have a number of shortcomings, such as a relatively low diagnostic accuracy and a high incidence of complications. A retrospective review was conducted to compare 76 patients with laparoscopic biopsy and staging and 11 patients with CT-guided pancreatic biopsy for LAPC between January 2017 and October 2020. Logistic regression with univariate and multivariate analyses was performed to identify preoperative predictors of occult metastasis. The diagnostic accuracy of laparoscopic biopsy and staging for pancreatic cancer was 100%. Sixty-two patients were confirmed to have LAPC, 59 patients by pancreatic biopsy and three patients by regional lymph node biopsy. Fourteen patients were diagnosed with distant occult metastasis, three patients by liver biopsy and 11 patients by peritoneum biopsy. Nine patients with severe obstructive manifestations underwent a simultaneous bypass procedure. No postoperative hemorrhage, pancreatic fistula, intra-abdominal infection, or trocar site metastasis was observed. Laparoscopic biopsy and staging had a higher diagnostic accuracy (100% vs. 81.8%, p=0.0147) and a shorter duration to chemotherapy (3 days vs. 9 days, p=0.035) than CT-guided biopsy. Elevated CA125 levels (≥35 U/ml) were a significant preoperative predictor of occult metastasis (OR 6.482, 95% CI 1.624–25.874, p=0.008). Laparoscopic biopsy and staging are safe and effective methods to obtain rapid pathology and precise staging for LAPC patients, especially for patients with elevated CA125 levels.

Background As the preferred drug for single chemotherapeutic application in pancreatic cancer, gemcitabine often demonstrated low sensitivity and strong chemotherapy resistance in patients. Therefore, the search for other drugs with high efficiency and low side effects has become of high importance. The aim of this study was to assess the therapeutic effects of cucurmosin on pancreatic cancer as an alternative of gemcitabine and explore its underlying biochemical mechanism. Methods The subcutaneous xenograft mice with pancreatic cancer were treated by high- and low-dose cucurmosin and gemcitabine, respectively. A comparative metabolomic analysis was performed on the serum samples from the different groups by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques and then subjected to univariate and multivariate statistical analysis. Results Cucurmosin demonstrated a dose-dependent inhibition to the pancreatic tumors. High-dose cucurmosin provided similar chemotherapeutic efficacy with gemcitabine by positively regulating pyruvate metabolism, glycolysis or gluconeogenesis, and cysteine and methionine metabolism. Inactivating GFR signaling pathway and further inducing apoptosis of tumor cells are the important mechanism of anti-tumor function of cucurmosin. Conclusions Cucurmosin is a promising chemotherapeutic drug for pancreatic cancer. However, the dose selection and surface modification should be optimized according to the stage of pancreatic cancer, and an expanded study in both laboratory and clinical regimes needs to be performed.

Background Seroma is a common and inevitable postoperative complication in transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) hernia repair, especially in patients with large inguinoscrotal hernias. However, studies have rarely reported drainage in TAPP for large inguinoscrotal hernias. Methods Sixty-five patients with 78 large indirect inguinoscrotal hernias who underwent TAPP procedure with drainage between September 2016 and December 2019 were enrolled in this study. 181 patients with Type Ⅲ indirect inguinal hernias (European Hernia Society (EHS) classification, hernia defect >3 cm) who underwent TAPP without drainage (no-drainage group) between January 2019 and December 2019 were included for a comparison. In the drainage group, a 12-Fr drainage tube was inserted into the distal hernia sac via the preperitoneal space to decrease the incidence of seroma. Results There was no conversion to open procedures in all the patients. The operative time (56.5 ± 8.4 VS 54.8 ± 9.6 min, unilateral; 95.8 ± 10.4 VS 92.1 ± 13.9 min, bilateral), blood loss (5.9 ± 1.9 VS 5.6 ± 1.7 mL), visual analogue scale score on postoperative day 1 (2.3 ± 0.5 VS 2.2 ± 0.5) and postoperative hospital stay (1.1 ± 0.3 VS 1.0 ± 0.2 days) in the drainage group were equivalent to those in the no-drainage group (p > 0.05). The mean length of drainage was 5.2 ± 1.3 days. The drainage group had a significantly lower incidence of seroma than the no-drainage group (1.5% VS 9.4%, p = 0.037). The postoperative complications including haematoma, recurrence and chronic pain were comparable in the two groups. Conclusion Drainage with appropriate duration is a feasible, safe and effective measure to decrease the incidence of seroma in TAPP for patients with large inguinoscrotal hernias.

Surgical resection is the primary treatment for benign primary retroperitoneal tumors. However, only a few studies have reported robotic resection for retroperitoneal tumors due to the low morbidity rate, and only a small fraction of retroperitoneal tumors are eligible for minimally invasive operations. A retrospective study enrolling 16 patients with benign primary retroperitoneal tumors between November 2016 and April 2020 was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of robotic resection for benign primary retroperitoneal tumors via the transperitoneal approach. Surgical skills were described in detail and operative experiences were summarized. The operations were uneventfully performed without conversion in all the patients. The median operation time was 135 (120–180) min, and the median estimated blood loss was 25 (20–60) mL. The median duration of diet restoration was 2 (1–2) days and the median length of postoperative hospital stay was 6 (4–7) days. No serious intraoperative or postoperative complications occurred during the perioperative period. Robotic resection via the transperitoneal approach is a feasible and safe procedure for highly selected patients with benign primary retroperitoneal tumors, with few postoperative complications and a rapid recovery.

Thermal buckling and post-buckling behaviors of sub-stiffened panels were analyzed. The study was carried out by constructing an optimization processes of metallic sub-stiffened panel under the framework of Multidisciplinary software ModelCenter and Finite element software ABAQUS. The optimal design parameters of sub-stiffened panels for three different kinds of layout were acquired with Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm. The optimal results showed that, compared to the conventional stiffened panel with equivalent mass designs, the critical thermal buckling temperatures of prismatic sub-stiffened panel, grid sub-stiffened panel and curvilinear sub-stiffened panel increased by 63.1, 57.1 and 70.5 %, respectively. The thermal post-buckling equilibrium paths of conventional stiffened panel and sub-stiffened panels were also compared by using Riks method. The results indicated that the introduction of sub-stiffening to the conventional stiffened panel can significantly improve the panel’s thermal buckling load and thermal post-buckling behavior, which demonstrates that sub-stiffened structures have a promising application prospect in the field of structural engineering.

Kugel procedure is a classic preperitoneal herniorrhaphy via the posterior approach for inguinal hernias but it has a steep learning curve. The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of the Kugel procedure via the internal ring approach. Kugel procedures via the internal ring approach were performed on 3673 patients with inguinal hernias between September, 2005 and August, 2017. Demographic data, peri-operative data and postoperative data were collected to evaluate of the efficacy of this technique. None of the patients with inguinal hernias who underwent the Kugel procedure via the internal ring approach was converted to other procedures. The mean operation time for a unilateral hernia was 46.3 ± 15.2 min, with a mean blood loss of 28.9 ± 10.5 mL. The mean visual analogue scale score on postoperative day 1 was 3.1 ± 0.9. Drainage tubes were placed in 266 patients and were removed after a mean duration of 2.8 ± 0.5 days. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 1.2 ± 0.8 days. There were no serious intra-operative complications. Postoperative complications included seroma (n = 84), haematoma (n = 28), ecchymosis (n = 33), superficial incision infection (n = 1), recurrence (n = 1) and mild chronic pain (n = 11). The Kugel procedure via the internal ring approach is a safe, feasible and cost-effective technique for inguinal hernias that retains the benefits of the standard Kugel procedure and is easier to master.

A gemcitabine (GEM)-resistant human pancreatic cancer cell line (PANC-1RG7) was established in vitro by gradually increasing GEM concentrations and cloning cell cultures to develop a cellular model of acquired drug resistance studies. We found that PANC-1RG7 cells exhibited significantly different morphological characteristics from parental cells. PANC-1RG7 cells grew slowly (p0.05), yet the cell cycle remained unchanged (p0.05). PANC-1RG7, with a resistance index to GEM of 39.9, showed cross-resistance characteristics to methotrexate, gefitinib, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil. The proliferation inhibition of GEM was significantly reduced in vivo (p0.05). The known resistance-associated genes and proteins we detected remained unchanged, with the exception of cytidine deaminase, multidrug resistance-related protein and breast cancer resistance protein genes, which decreased; by contrast, 5'-nucleotidase, ribonucleotide reductase (RRM) 1 and RRM2 proteins increased (p0.05). Therefore, a cell line with acquired GEM resistance was established successfully. Resistance was acquired by overexpressing RRM1 and RRM2 proteins.

Objective: To investigate the effect of cucurmosin (CUS) on proliferation inhibition in the human pancreatic cancer cell line SW-1990 in vitro and in vivo. Methods: 1. MTT assay was used to analyse the proliferation inhibition of CUS in SW-1990 cells compared with gemcitabine (GEM) in vitro. 2. We established an NOD-SCID mice orthotopic transplantation model and estimated the proliferation inhibition effect of CUS in SW-1990 cells in vivo. 3. Western blot was used to determine the protein expressions of Caspase 3, Bcl-2, Caspase 9, PI3K, Akt, mTOR, P70S6k, and 4E-BP1 after CUS intervention. Results: 1. CUS inhibited the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells and induced apoptosis in CUS dose- and time-dependent manners. 2. NOD-SCID mice models were established successfully, and the tumour proliferation inhibition rates of these models increased compared with the control group. 3. CUS inhibited all of the examined proteins in the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling pathway and induced active fragments of Caspase 3 and Caspase 9. Conclusion: 1. CUS can inhibit the growth of SW-1990 cells in vitro and in vivo. 2. CUS can induce apoptosis in SW-1990 cells to inhibit cell growth.

Eighteen pedicled anterolateral thigh perforator island flaps were used for complex perineal reconstructions between May 2003 and May 2005. The patients' average age was 48.6 years (range, 32 to 64 years), and the average follow-up period was 8 months (range, 2 to 13). In 7 cases, the perforator was septocutaneous and in 11 it was intramuscular. The application of the pedicled anterolateral thigh fasciocutaneous flap is described perineum reconstruction. The size of the perineum defects ranged from 6 x 9 cm to 16 x 17 cm, and the size of the transferred flap ranged from 8 x 11 cm to 18 x 20 cm. All flaps survived. One patient developed minor wound dehiscence in the posterior aspect of the perineal wound because of fecal contamination and skin maceration. The esthetic appearance of the reconstructed perineum was good. Despite a variable vascular anatomy that can give rise to some surgical challenge in raising the flap, the authors conclude that this is a safe and reliable flap for perineal reconstruction.

To investigate the inhibition of PANC-1 pancreatic cancer cell growth by cucurmosin (CUS) and its possible mechanism.We observed the inhibition of PANC-1 cell growth by sulforhodamine B and colony-forming experiments in vitro and established nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency mouse subcutaneous tumor models in vivo. We used Western blot to analyze protein levels related to apoptosis and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathways after drug intervention, whereas the messenger RNA expression of EGFR was analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.Sulforhodamine B and colony-forming experiments indicated that CUS inhibited PANC-1 cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. A stronger inhibitory effect was observed when CUS was combined with gefitinib. The subcutaneous tumor growth was also inhibited. Western blot showed that all the examined proteins decreased, except for 4E-BP1 and the active fragments of caspase 3 and caspase 9 increased. Epidermal growth factor receptor expression did not change significantly in quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.Cucurmosin can strongly inhibit the growth of PANC-1 cells in vitro and in vivo. Cucurmosin can down-regulate EGFR protein expression, but not at the messenger RNA level. Cucurmosin can also inhibit the ras/raf and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt downstream signaling pathways and enhance the sensitivity of the EGFR-targeted drug gefitinib.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is common in Western populations and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality among males in North America, with an increasing morbidity in China and other Asian countries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protein expression of autophagy-related genes Beclin-1 and LC3 in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and elucidate their association with p53 and Bcl-2. The total protein of 34 PCa and 50 BPH samples was extracted and the expression of Beclin-1 and LC3 was analyzed by western blotting assay. Subsequently, a total of 96 paraffin-embedded BPH tissue samples was subdivided into 2 groups, one group in which patients had received 5α-reductase inhibitor, due to its effect of androgen ablation, and the control group, in which patients had not received the 5α-reductase inhibitor. The samples were randomly collected and examined using immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis. The western blot analysis demonstrated that Beclin-l and LC3 expression was higher in BPH tissues compared to PCa tissues (P0.05). The result of IHC revealed that Beclin-l and LC3 expression in the group of patients who had received the 5α-reductase inhibitor was significantly higher compared to that in the control group; however, the expression of Bcl-2 and p53 was lower (P

Background Pancreatic cancer treatment is limited and effective drugs are needed. We investigated cucurmosin (CUS)-induced apoptosis in cystic fibrosis pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells (CFPAC-1) and a possible mechanism of action to evaluate the clinical application potential of this new Type I ribosome-inactivating protein. Methods We analyzed the growth inhibition and apoptosis of CFPAC-1 cells via methylthiazol tetrazolium assay and fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Western blot was used to analyze the protein levels of caspase 3, bcl-2, caspase 9, plateletderived growth factor receptor (PDGFR)-β, PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), p-mTOR, P70S6K-α, p-P70S6K-α, 4E-BP1, p-4E-BP1 and p-Bad after CUS intervention. The mRNA expression of PDGFR-β was analyzed using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results CUS inhibited the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells. The induction of apoptosis depended on the CUS dose and incubation time. The drug inhibited all of the examined proteins in the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling pathway and induced the active fragments of caspase 3 and caspase 9. CUS downregulated PDGFR-β expression but no significant change was observed at the mRNA level. Conclusion CUS strongly inhibits the growth of CFPAC-1 by inducing cell apoptosis. CUS downregulated the expression of PDGFR-β at the protein level and induced the apoptosis of CFPAC-1 through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling pathway.

Pancreatic cancer remains the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Potent therapeutic strategies are urgently needed for pancreatic cancer. Cucurmosin is a novel type 1 ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) isolated from the sarcocarp of Cucurbita moschata (pumpkin). Due to its cytotoxicity, cucurmosin can inhibit tumor cell proliferation through induction of apoptosis on tumor cells, but the specific mechanism is still unclear. We explored the function of cucurmosin in BxPC-3 pancreatic cancer cells using multiple cellular and molecular approaches such as 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, flow cytometry, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting and transmission electron microscopy for observing typical changes and formation of apoptotic bodies. We found that cucurmosin inhibited the proliferation of BxPC-3 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner, and increased the cell population in the G0-G1 phase. With increasing concentration of cucurmosin, the expression of EGFR, p-PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, mTOR, p-mTOR, P70S6K-α, p-P70S6K-α, 4E-BP1 and p-4E-BP1 at the protein level was decreased, whereas the expression of p-Bad and caspase-9 was elevated. However, the mRNA expression of EGFR did not change. These findings suggest that cucurmosin can down-regulate the expression of EGFR by targeting. Cucurmosin induces the apoptosis of BxPC-3 pancreatic cancer cells via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.