[ ABSTRACT] AIM:To explore the role of SHARPIN in regulation of Rip1 in castration-resistant prostate cancer LNCaP-AI cells.METHODS:The LNCaP-AI cells were treated with TNF-α+Z-VAD ( an inhibitor of pan-caspase) to activate necroptosis, which were compared to the cells treated with TNF-α+Z-VAD+Nec-1 ( an inhibitor of Rip1 ) .A blank group and a TNF-α-treated group were set up as controls.The cell viability in each group was measured by MTS as-say.In addition, SHARPIN was knocked down by siRNA, and the inhibitory efficiency was evaluated by RT-qPCR.The expression of Rip1 at mRNA and protein levels after knocking down SHARPIN was determined by RT-qPCR and Western blot to explore the underlying mechanism of regulatory network of necroptosis in prostate cancer.RESULTS: Compared with blank control group and TNF-α-treated group, the viability of LNCaP-AI cells treated with TNF-α+Z-VAD decreased by 28%(P<0.05).After treated with TNF-α+Z-VAD+Nec-1, the LNCaP-AI cells showed no significant difference in the viability compared with blank control and TNF-α-treated groups.Taken together, necroptosis may be an important way of cell death in LNCaP-AI cells.Besides, the expression of Rip1 at protein level was up-regulated following the inhibition of SHARPIN using siRNA, indicating that down-regulation of SHARPIN enhanced necroptosis via activating Rip1 in
LNCaP-AI cells.CONCLUSION:Necroptosis is an important way of cell death .Inhibition of oncogenic factor SHARPIN enhances necroptosis via activating Rip1 in LNCaP-AI cells.

[ ABSTRACT] AIM: To investigate the SALL4 expression, proliferation and apoptosis in the LNCaP cells after transfection of SALL4 siRNA.METHODS: The expression of SALL4 at mRNA and protein levels was detected by real-time PCR and Western blotting.MTS assay, colony formation assay and flow cytometry were used to determine the prolifer-ation, colony formation ability and apoptosis of the LNCaP cells.The effect of SALL4 on the expression of Bax and Bcl-2 was analyzed by Western blotting.RESULTS:Compared with negative control group, the expression of SALL4 at mRNA and protein levels in LNCaP cells was down-regulated by transfection of SALL4 siRNA ( P<0.05 ) .The proliferation rate and colony formation ability were decreased, while apoptosis rate increased in si-SALL4 group (P<0.05).Higher expres-sion of Bax and lower expression of Bcl-2 in si-SALL4 group were observed ( P<0.05 ) .CONCLUSION:Down-regula-tion of SALL4 by siRNA not only suppresses LNCaP cell proliferation and colony formation, but also inhibits Bcl-2 expres-sion and activates Bax expression to induce apoptosis.

Objective To assess the applicability of sound touch elastography ( ST E) and sound touch quantify ( ST Q ) in measuring liver and spleen stiffness . Methods One hundred and eighteen healthy volunteers were included and underwent ST E and ST Q . T he success rate ,variability and reproducibility of ST E and ST Q were analyzed . T he accurate sampling size and number of tests for liver ST Q were also analyzed . Results T he success rates ,variability ,reproducibility of ST E and ST Q in liver were 97 .5% and 99 .2% ,8 .7% and 12 .0% ,0 .917 and 0 .916 , respectively . While those with spleen were 76 .3% and 66 .9% ,12 .4% and 16 .4% ,0 .847 and 0 .706 ,respectively . The sampling size of 1 .5 cm×1 .0 cm yield the lowest variability ( 8 .5% ) ( F ＝6 .562 , P ＝0 .002) ,and there was no significant difference between results of detecting 5 times and 10 times( P ＝0 .571) . T he liver and spleen stiffness of ST E were 5 .75 kPa ( 95%CI :5 .60－5 .91 kPa) and 15 .58 kPa ( 95% CI :14 .99 －16 .16 kPa) . Conclusions The measurement of liver stiffness using both ST E and ST Q have a high success rate and low variability . However ,ST E is better than STQ in measuring spleen stiffness .

Objective To compare the characteristics,complications and outcomes of the modified lapa-roscopic Swenson(MLSw)and laparoscopic Soave(LS)procedures for children with short-segment Hirschsprung disease(HD). Methods Seventy-seven pediatric patients with HD who underwent surgery from March 2007 to December 2016 were enrolled in this retrospective study. Twenty-six patients were treated with LS and 51 cases un-derwent MLSw. The preoperative,operative and postoperative data was collected,with follow-up periods ranging from 12 to 48 months. The perioperative/operative characteristics,postoperative complications,and outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results On average,the patients in the LS group had a longer operating time than that in the MLSw group(P < 0.05). Blood loss was significantly less in the MLSw group than that in the LS group(P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in feeding time between the two groups(P > 0.05). The MLSw group was discharged after a shorter hospitalization time than that in the LS group(P < 0.05). The MLSw group had lower incidences of postoperative complications than those in the LS group in the early postoperative period,with no significant difference in the rate of complications during the late postoperative period was found between the two groups. Conclusions Both LS and MLSw are suitable for treatment of children with short-segment HD. However,the MLSw operation is much simpler,with less operating time,less intraoperative blood loss,shorter hospitalization time and better bowel control in the early postoperative period. We favor this approach because it allows complete removal of the entire original aganglionic bowel,without leaving behind a cuff.