BACKGROUNDThe presence of residual tumor after surgery for pituitary adenoma may necessitate further treatment. The suprasellar and parasellar extension of the tumor have been widely considered as the predictors for residual tumor. However there is scarcity of studies regarding the preoperative tumor volume and residual tumor. This study was conducted to evaluate if tumor volume could predict the outcome of transsphenoidal pituitary surgery.

METHODSA prospective study was designed and 48 patients who underwent transsphenoidal pituitary surgery within 1 year in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University were included in this study. The preoperative tumor volume and immediate postoperative tumor volume (within 4 - 7 days) were calculated in the contrast magnetic resonance imaging by using the formula of ellipsoid. All these volumes were divided into three subgroups, i.e. group 1, group 2 and group 3 with preoperative volume of less than 4 cm(3), 4 - 8 cm(3), and more than 8 cm(3) respectively. The parasellar and suprasellar extension of the tumor were also classified by Knosp and modified Hardy's classifications.

RESULTSBaseline characteristics were comparable. The preoperative tumor volume of more than 8 cm(3) (group 3, (12.1 ± 1.1) cm(3)) had increased risk on postoperative tumor residue (P < 0.01) than the other two groups ((2.1 ± 0.3) cm(3) and (6.1 ± 0.3) cm(3) in groups 1 and 2). The mean postoperative volume in group 3 patients ((2.2 ± 0.1) cm(3)) was significantly higher than the other two groups (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONPreoperative volume of more than 8 cm(3) can be considered as a predictor for postoperative residual volume.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pituitary Gland ; pathology ; surgery ; Pituitary Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery ; Prospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Tumor Burden ; physiology ; Young Adult

Differentiation-based histologic grading of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is widely used, but its clinical impact is limited by insufficient prognostic value, interobserver disagreement, and the difficulty of its application to CRC with specific histologic types such as mucinous and medullary carcinoma. A recently proposed novel grading system based on quantifying poorly differentiated clusters (PDCs) claims to have the advantages of reproducibility and improved prognostic value, and might apply to heterogeneous CRC. We aimed to validate the clinicopathologic significance of the PDCs-based grading system and to determine the relationship between this grading system and microsatellite instability (MSI). Two hundred and one patients who had undergone radical surgery were reviewed. Based on the number of PDCs, 85, 58, and 58 tumors were classified as grade (G) 1 (42.3%), G2 (28.9%), and G3 (28.9%), respectively. PDCs-based grade was significantly associated with T, N, and M stages; lymphovascular invasion; conventional histologic grade; and frequent tumor budding (all P <0.001). In multivariate analysis, PDCs-based grade was found to be an independent prognostic factor for disease-free survival (P = 0.022; hazard ratio, 3.709 [G2], 7.461 [G3]). G3 CRC significantly correlated with high MSI (MSI-H) compared to G1 and G2 (P = 0.002; odds ratio, 5.750). In conclusion, this novel grading would provide valuable prognostic information to a greater number of patients and would require continued verification. PDCs-based grading is feasible for CRCs with heterogeneous morphology, and we propose that the association between G3 and MSI-H be further evaluated in different histological subtypes of CRC.
Colorectal Neoplasms/*genetics/*pathology/surgery ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis/pathology ; Male ; *Microsatellite Instability ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Grading/*methods ; Tumor Burden/*physiology

OBJECTIVETo study the anti-tumor effects of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) strain D817 on human colon carcinoma model in nude mice.

METHODSThe nude mouse model of human colon carcinoma was established by subcutaneous inoculation of human colon cancer LOVO cells. The tumor-bearing mice were given PBS, 5-Fu, high-dose NDV D817, moderate-dose NDV D817 or low-dose NDV D817 via caudal vein injection. The tumor size and weight of mice were measured. The liver damages were examined by histopathology. Apoptosis and necrosis of tumor cells were detected by flow cytometry. The endotumoral content of TNF-alpha was detected using a mouse TNF-alpha ELISA kit. The live virus was detected by hemagglutination (HA) test.

RESULTSThe moderate-dose NDV D817 inhibited the tumor growth more apparently than 5-Fu. The tumor growth inhibition rate reached to 48.1%. The liver damage and the weight change caused by NDV were less severe. NDV D817 made an increased apoptosis index and induced production of TNF-alpha. Live virus was not detected in important organs except in the tumor of nude mice by HA test.

CONCLUSIONIn the anti-tumor process in nude mice bearing xenografts of human colon carcinoma, a suitable dose of NDV D817 is more safe and effective.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Colonic Neoplasms ; pathology ; therapy ; Humans ; Liver ; pathology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Newcastle disease virus ; physiology ; Random Allocation ; Tumor Burden ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

OBJECTIVETo generate an oncolytic herpes simplex virus (oHSV) permissive mouse melanoma cell line B16RHSV, preserving the tumorigenic ability in syngeneic mice.

METHODSThe herpes simplex virus entry mediator (HVEM) gene was amplified by PCR from human melanoma cell line A375, and cloned into pGEM-T Easy vector for sequencing. The HVEM gene was then cloned into pcDNA3 vector to generate pcDNA3-HVEM for transfection of mouse melanoma cell line B16-F10 cells. After that, the putative transfected cells were selected in full growth medium containing G418. The HVEM-expressing cells were isolated by immunomagnetic bead separation. The mouse melanoma cell line expressing oHSV receptor-HVEM, designated as B16RHSV, was generated. The permissibility of B16RHSV cells to oHSV infection was examined with green fluorescence protein (GFP)-expressing oHSV (oHSVGFP). To investigate the tumorigenic ability of both cells in vivo, 2×10(5) cells in 100 µl were subcutaneously inoculated into the right flanks of C57/BL mice.

RESULTSIn vitro, the B16RHSV mouse melanoma cells were shown by fluorescence microscopy capable of being infected by oHSVGFP. In vivo, the B16RHSV cells, like their wild type counterpart, grew to form melanoma in syngeneic mice.

CONCLUSIONA herpes simplex virus-permissive mouse melanoma cell line was established. Its tumorigenicity remained unchanged.

Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Female ; Gene Amplification ; Genetic Vectors ; Herpesvirus 1, Human ; genetics ; physiology ; Humans ; Melanoma ; pathology ; virology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Plasmids ; Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Member 14 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transfection ; Tumor Burden

The bones are the most common sites of breast cancer metastasis. Upon arrival within the bone microenvironment, breast cancer cells coordinate the activities of stromal cells, resulting in an increase in osteoclast activity and bone matrix degradation. In late stages of bone metastasis, breast cancer cells induce apoptosis in osteoblasts, which further exacerbates bone loss. However, in early stages, breast cancer cells induce osteoblasts to secrete inflammatory cytokines purported to drive tumor progression. To more thoroughly evaluate the role of osteoblasts in early stages of breast cancer metastasis to the bones, we used green fluorescent protein-labeled human breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-435, which both induce osteolysis after intra-femoral injection in athymic mice, and the murine pre-osteoblastic cell line MC3T3-E1 to modulate osteoblast populations at the sites of breast cancer metastasis. Breast cancer cells were injected directly into the femur with or without equal numbers of MC3T3-E1 cells. Tumors grew significantly larger when co-injected with breast cancer cells and MC3T3-E1 cells than injected with breast cancer cells alone. Osteolysis was induced in both groups, indicating that MC3T3-E1 cells did not block the ability of breast cancer cells to cause bone destruction. MC3T3-E1 cells promoted tumor growth out of the bone into the extraosseous stroma. These data suggest that breast cancer cells and osteoblasts communicate during early stages of bone metastasis and promote tumor growth.
Animals ; Bone Neoplasms ; secondary ; Breast Neoplasms ; pathology ; Cell Line ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Femur ; pathology ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Osteoblasts ; cytology ; physiology ; Osteolysis ; etiology ; Tumor Burden

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of LIM and SH3 protein 1 (LASP-1) expression on the proliferative ability of human colorectal cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.

METHODSRT-PCR and Western blot were used to screen cells of the colorectal cancer cell line with no or with minimal endogenous LASP-1 expression. LASP-1 cDNA with or without GFP was transfected into SW480 colorectal cancer cells with minimal LASP-1 expression. Stable transfectants were established after G418 selection. Cell proliferative capacity was assessed by MTT assay. Tumor growth was visualized by whole-body imaging system.

RESULTSpcDNA3-LASP-1 and pEGFP-LASP-1 vectors were successfully constructed and transfected into the SW480 cells. After comparative study for 7 days, LASP-1 over-expression was found capable of enhancing significantly the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells in vitro. Stable transfectants with GFP expression were inoculated subcutaneously into the nude mice. Tumorigenesis and proliferation ability of LASP-1-overexpressed transfectants were higher than those of the control cells.

CONCLUSIONLASP-1 gene expression enhances proliferation of colorectal cancer cells and may serve as a useful marker for colorectal cancer progression.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiology ; Animals ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Colonic Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cytoskeletal Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiology ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; metabolism ; Humans ; LIM Domain Proteins ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Plasmids ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Recombinant Proteins ; metabolism ; Tumor Burden

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of CEA gene regulation on the anti-tumor activity of oncolytic adenovirus H101 to esophageal carcinoma, and to explore the intrinsic factors influencing H101 sensitivity.

METHODSStable human esophageal cancer cell line EC9706 cells with lower (EC9706-SCEA) and higher CEA expression (EC9706-CEA) were chosen, thawed and cultured, and then to analyse the influence of CEA expressed at different levels on cell growth. The cytotoxic effect of H101 was assayed by in vitro and nude mouse in vivo.

RESULTSThe cell growth experiment showed that the population doubling time of EC9706-SCEA, EC9706-CEA and EC9706 cells were (30.9 ± 2.0) h, (31.1 ± 2.5) h and (29.1 ± 2.6) h, respectively, showing no significant difference among them (P > 0.05). The cytotoxic activity of H101 was higher on EC9706-SCEA than on other four groups, when MOI was ≥ 0.01 PFU (P < 0.05). The mouse experiment showed that H101 inhibited the growth of transplanted tumors in all experimental groups. Its effect on CEA-silenced tumors (inhibition rate was 61.5% to 74.5%) was significantly higher than that on CEA-overexpression tumors (32.3% to 38.5%) and control EC9706 transplanted tumors (35.5% to 44.8%). There was a significant difference between them (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe results in vitro and in vivo experiments show that H101 can enhance the cytotoxic effect on EC9706 cells with lower CEA expression. To silence the expression of CEA may provide a novel strategy for target gene therapy of esophageal carcinoma.

Adenoviridae ; physiology ; Animals ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; therapy ; Female ; Gene Silencing ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Oncolytic Virotherapy ; Oncolytic Viruses ; physiology ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; RNA, Small Interfering ; genetics ; Tumor Burden

This study is to investigate whether naked plasmid DNA can effectively transfect lung cancer related cells and express human kallistatin, an endogenous protein that inhibits angiogenesis and tumor growth, and to explore the biological activity of the low-level expressed kallistatin to lung cancer in vitro and in vivo. The plasmids were delivered with Lipofectamine 2000 to transfect various lung cancer related cells. Kal expression was determined by ELISA. The biological effects of Kal expression on proliferation, migration and apoptosis rate of the cells were examined. In subcutaneous NCI-H446 xenograft model, pKal was injected directly into tumors, the changes of CD34, Ki-67 and E-cadherin expression were detected with immunohistochemical assay, the tumor apoptosis was analyzed with TUNEL assay. Both the endothelial cell and lung cancer cells could express kallistatin after plasmid transfection. The proliferation and migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells were inhibited, but the apoptosis rate was not affected. The proliferation rates of all the three tested lung cancer cells, such as NCI-H446, NCI-H460 and A549, were inhibited, and their apoptosis rates were enhanced, but different cells behaved differently. In subcutaneous NCI-H446 xenograft model, intratumor injection of pKal inhibited the growth of lung cancer by reducing angiogenesis and proliferation of tumor cells. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the efficacy of plasmid-mediated expression of kallistatin to lung cancer related cells, thus providing a basis for their clinical application in the treatment of lung cancer.
Animals ; Antigens, CD34 ; metabolism ; Apoptosis ; Cadherins ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Humans ; Ki-67 Antigen ; metabolism ; Lung Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; Plasmids ; Serpins ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiology ; Transfection ; Tumor Burden

OBJECTIVETo study the function of MT1-MMP in tumor angiogenesis and elucidate the possible way of action that MT1-MMP contributes to angiogenesis.

METHODSMT1-MMP was transfected into human breast carcinoma cell line MCF-7 cells. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR and immunofluorescence staining were employed to detect the expression of VEGF in the transfected and non-transfected MCF-7 cells. Tumor growth, microvessel density and expression of VEGF in nude mice were detected through in vivo tumorigenicity assay.

RESULTSIn MT1-MMP stable transfected MCF-7 cells, mRNA expression of VEGF(189), VEGF(165), and VEGF(121) and immunofluorescence intensity were significantly elevated (P < 0.001). In vivo tumorigenicity assay in the nude mice showed that MT1-MMP promoted tumor growth. The MVD in the MT1-MMP-transfected cells-transplanted tumor tissue was significantly elevated (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemical assay showed that there was a strong immunostaining of VEGF in those tumor tissues.

CONCLUSIONMT1-MMP can induce tumor angiogenesis through up-regulation of VEGF expression. This function of MT1-MMP may open a new approach for clinical anti-tumor research and anti-tumor drug development.

Animals ; Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 14 ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiology ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Microvessels ; pathology ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; pathology ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Tumor Burden ; Up-Regulation ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) gene silence on the growth of breast cancer cell line MCF7 in vitro and in vivo and discuss the feasibility and effectiveness of STAT3 used as gene therapeutic target for breast cancer.

METHODSHuman breast cancer cell line MCF7 cells were divided into 3 groups: mock control group, control group transfected with scrambled sequence siRNA, and experimental group transfectod with STAT3 siRNA. The STAT3 mRNA and protein levels were detected by semi-quantity RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. The cell proliferation and apoptosis were examined by MTT method and flow cytometry. MCF7 cells treated with STAT3-siRNA were transplanted subcutaneously in nude mice and their tumorgenic ability was observed. The STAT3 mRNA and protein levels of the samples from nude mice of different groups were detected by semi-quantity RT-PCR and Western blotting and compared.

RESULTSAfter treatment with STAT3-siRNA, STAT3 mRNA (0.327 ± 0.020 vs. 1.035 ± 0.050, 1.093 ± 0.018) and ptotein (0.153 ± 0.006 vs. 1.320 ± 0.033, 1.374 ± 0.022) levels in the MCF7 cells transfected with STAT3-siRNA were significantly lower than that in the two control groups (P < 0.05). MTT assay showed that after transfection of the STAT3-siRNA into MCF7 cells, cell proliferation was significantly reduced and the cell growth inhibition ratio in the STAT3-siRNA group was (44.00 ± 5.10)%, significantly higher than that in the control group (16.1 ± 1.05)% (P < 0.05). Flow cytometry results suggested that more apoptosis was observed in the STAT3-siRNA group. The apoptosis rate was (14.79 ± 0.22)%, much higher than that in the control group [(7.06 ± 0.71)%, (8.45 ± 0.43)%, P < 0.05]. The tumor growth in the experimental group was significantly slower than that in the two control groups. 0n the 22th day after transplantation, the tumor weight [(21.4 ± 10.6) mg vs. (88.6 ± 12.2) mg, (57.2 ± 21.9) mg] and volume [(41.15 ± 12.17) mm³ vs. (118.45 ± 24.68) mm³, (101.36 ± 21.90) mm³] in the experimental group were significantly lower than that in the two control groups (P < 0.05). The STAT3 mRNA and protein levels of the samples from nude mice in the experimental group were significantly lower than that in the two control groups.

CONCLUSIONsiRNA targeting STAT3 can inhibit the proliferation of MCF7 cells in vitro and in vivo. STAT3 may become a novel therapeutic target for breast cancer.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Breast Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Female ; Gene Silencing ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; RNA, Small Interfering ; genetics ; STAT3 Transcription Factor ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; physiology ; Transfection ; Tumor Burden