Cancer metastasis is composed of a complex cascade that involves a variety of critical steps beginning with detachment from the primary tumor and ending with growth of tumor at a distant site, such as bone. The "seed-and-soil hypothesis" predicts that the bone microenvironment expresses factors through which attract a variety of cancer cells and promote the tumor development. The ending point of tumor development in bone is achieved through the bidirectional and dynamic interaction between tumor cells and the cells in their growth microenvironment. A variety of factors produced by the bone microenvironment, contribute to the pathogenesis of cancer skeletal metastasis. In this review, using prostate cancer (CaP) as an example, some of general mechanisms of cancer metastasis will be summarized. In addition, the current understanding of the interaction between tumor cells and the bone microenvironment will be addressed. Finally, the research directions in the near future will be suggested.

Glioma is the most common form of brain cancer. Despite recent advances in the treatment of solid tumors, there are few effective treatments for malignant gliomas due to its infiltrative nature. It has important significance to improve the treatment of glioma through in-depth understanding the intracerebral metabolic characteristics and pharmacokinetics of chemotherapeutics. Brain microdialysis (B-MD), an effective method to monitor central nervous system anticancer drug disposition, conditions of drugs through the blood-brain barrier, basic pathophysiologic metabolism, bioactive compounds and the changes of neurotransmitter in brain, provides the unique opportunity to allow the simultaneous determination of unbound concentrations of drugs in several tissues, and directly measure gliomas biochemistry continuously. B-MD has been able to monitor the change of brain drugs, metabolites and neurotransmitters, dynamic analysis of the drug concentration and pharmacological effect after administration, pharmacodynamic interaction between drugs, receptor mechanism of drug transport, as well as feedback information of internal environment. B-MD is expected to provide reference for clinical individual chemotherapy of glioma, but also provide powerful tools for the evaluation of new anticancer drugs in vivo. In this review, a comprehensive overview of B-MD for studies on glioma is elucidated with special emphasis on its application to neurochemistry and pharmacokinetic studies.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacokinetics ; Blood-Brain Barrier ; Brain Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Glioma ; metabolism ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Metabolomics ; methods ; Microdialysis ; methods ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; pharmacokinetics ; Pharmaceutical Preparations ; metabolism ; Positron-Emission Tomography

A novel biosensor for aflatoxin B1 detecting has been reported. The biosensor electrode for AFB1 detecting was assembled by immobilized aflatoxin-oxidoreductase using open-ended multi-walled carbon nanotubes as matrix. Its linear range was between 0.16μM and 3.2μM. And if the specific anti-aflatoxin B1 antibody and aflatoxin oxidoreductase were both immobilized on the electrode with Multi-Walled carbon nanotubes, the detection limit of the modified electrode could be 16 nM with a 10 times improved sensitivity. The aflatoxin enzyme biosensor assembled this way strode one step forward its practical application.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects of gefitinib as the first line treatment in elderly patients with lung adenocarcinoma.Methods 81 elderly patients of previously untreated advanced lung adenocarcinoma,who were non-smokers and unsuitable for chemotherapy,received gefitinib treatment until disease progression or intolerable toxicities occurred.The curative effect performance status of improvement and adverse effects were observed.Results All of the patients were evaluable.Partial response rate and stable disease rate of gefifinib were 25.9 ％ (21/81) and 48.1％ (39/81),respectively.55.5 ％ (45/81)of patients had performance status improved after treatment.Conclusion Gefitinib has curative effect and is well tolerated in the treatment of elderly patients with previously untreated advanced lung adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND:Injection of isoproterenol is known to induce proliferation and hypertrophy of acinar cells in rodent salivary glands. However, the clonal proliferation ability of stem/progenitor cells of salivary glands by isoproterenol remains unclear.
OBJECTIVE:To study the proliferation and activation ability of stem/progenitor cells of submandibular gland with colony assay by intraperitoneal injection of isoproterenol.
METHODS:Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups, isoproterenol and control groups, respectively intraperitonal y injected with isoproterenol and normal saline for 5 consecutive days. The gland tissues were harvested, and the stem/progenitor cells of submandibular gland were obtained by enzyme digestion in vitro. The number of clonal colonies of each group was analyzed. The larger colony cells were col ected for immunohistochemistry staining with CD90.1, laminin andα6β1.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The number of middle and low proliferative potential colony-forming cells was less but high proliferative potential colony forming cells were significantly more in isoproterenol group compared with control group (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the total number of the colonies between two groups (P>0.05). The high proliferative potential colony forming cells were positive for CD90.1, laminin andα6β1. Results showed that isoproterenol treatment model cannot increase the cellnumber, but enhance the proliferation ability of stem/progenitor cells from the submandibular gland.

Objective To explore the association of dietary behavior of children with Tourette syndrome (TS) and tic symptoms.Methods 207 TS children and their 264 corresponding controls,who visited our hospital during the period of November 2008 to October 2010,were investigated with children' s dietary behavior questionnaire,under the guidance of professional staff,and the TS tic symptom severity was also evaluated according to The Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS).Kruskal-Wallis H rank-sum test was applied for univariate analysis and multinominal logistic regression for further multivariate analysis,with values of odds ratio (OR) and population attributable risk (PAR) obtained to demonstrate the relation strength between dietary behavior and tic symptom severity.Results Results of univariate analysis showed that western fast meal,barbecues,cream food,cold food,and spicy food were related to TS tic symptom severity (P＜0.05).Results of multivariate analysis demonstrated that western fast meal,fruits and vegetables,cream food and spicy food were risk factors for mild TS compared with control group,with OR and 95％ CI of 3.282 (1.922,5.064),2.239 (1.298,3.861),2.341 (1.355,4.046),2.118 (1.327,3.380) and their corresponding PAR of 0.306,0.464,0.169,0.250 respectively.As to moderate and severe TS,the risk factors included western fast meal,fruits and vegetables,and spicy food,with their respective OR and 95％ CI of 2.581 (1.322,5.038),2.364 (1.166,4.795),1.822 (1.014,2.272) and PAR of 0.234,0.487,0.197.Conclusion Dietary behavior,especially western fast meal,fruits and vegetables,cream food and spicy food,are considered to be associated with TS tic symptom severity.Therefore it' s obligatory to rectify undesirable dietary behaviors for TS children.

Objective To evaluate the surgical technique of titanium miniplates in reconstruction of laminar roof after a posterior approach in intraspinal tumor surgery. Methods From August, 2007 to March, 2009, 11patients underwent intraspinal tumor surgery with osteotomy and reconstruction of laminar roof, titanium miniplates were used for fixing in the re-implantation. There were 2 intramedullary tumors,9 extramedullary tumors. The target of surgery was the cervical spine in 2 cases, the cervicothoracic spine in 4 cases, the thoracic spine in 2 cases, the thoracolumbar spine in 2 cases, and the lumbar spine in 1 cases. The patitens were followed up for 6 months to 2years. Local pain,bony healing and spinal malformation were assessed. Results In the 11 patients, there was no case of dural, nerve root, or spinal cord injury due to laminar roof reconstruction. One patient complained of moderate to severe local pain during follow-up and 2 patients complained of occasional slight pain at the surgical site. No limitation of activity occurred. Bony healing was confirmed radiologically or CT scan in 9 patients. There were no patients demonstrated a new spinal malalignment, and no patients developed stenosis of the spinal canal. Conclusions The reconstruction of the laminar roof using titanium miniplates will benefit the recovery of normal structure of spine,and maintain the stability of spine,and avoid the occurrence of stenosis of the spinal canal.

Background Long-term administration of glucocorticoid drugs induces ocular hypertension in susceptible individuals probably.It has been verified that 1 1β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1),glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) can affect the generating of aqueous humor,but how they play the role in glucocorticoid-induced ocular hypertension is unclear.Objective This study was to investigate the relationship of expressions of 11β-HSD1 and steroids receptors in ciliary body and steroid-induced ocular hypertension.Methods Thirteen 12-16 week-old New Zealand albino rabbits were randomized to control group (5 rabbits) and experimental group (8 rabbits).Steroid-induced glaucoma models were induced by administration of subconjunctival injection of 5 mg dexamethasone solution(1 ml) and 0.5％ dexamethasone eye drops on alternate days in the left eyes for consecutive two months in the experimental group,and the equal volume of sterile normal saline solution was used in the same way in the control group.The successful criteria of model eyes was defined as rising of intraocular pressure (IOP) to ≥ 18 mmHg for over one week.Then,the animals were sacrificed by excessive anesthesia and the ciliary tissues were isolated for the assay of expressions of 1 1β-HSD1 protein by immunochemistry,and the expressions of 11β-HSD1 mRNA,GR mRNA and MR mRNA in ciliary body were semi-quantitatively detected by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR).The experimental results were compared between the two groups.Results The IOP was normal in the first two weeks after administration of drugs,and no significant difference was found in IOP between the first week and the second week in the experimental group (q =0.469,P ＞0.05).From 3 through 5 weeks after injection,the IOP was gradually elevated,with the highest value of (18.87±0.77) mmHg in the fifth week.Significant differences were seen between the two groups at mentioned-above time points (q =10.535,20.353,28.681,all at P ＜ 0.01).11β-HSD1 protein was positively expressed in nonpigmented epithelial cells of ciliary tissue of rabbits in both groups,however,the expression intensity was weaker in the experimental group compared with the control group.The relative expressional values of MR mRNA,GR mRNA and 11β-HSD1 mRNA in the ciliary tissue were 2.22±0.78,0.64±0.11 and 0.47±0.16 in the experimental group,and those in the control group were 0.94±0.27,1.88±0.74 and 2.68±1.28,with significant differences between the two groups (t =6.070,P =0.004 ; t =5.170,P =0.007 ; t =5.540,P =0.005).Conclusions Corticosteroidinduced glaucoma probably is associated with the up-regulation of MR level and down-regulations of GR and 11β-HSD1 in ciliary body.

Objective To evaluate the effect of nutrition support on nutritional status and clinical outcome of patients at nutritional risk in internal medical departments.Methods 148 patients at nutritional risk as identified by Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 were numbered according to the order of admission and divided into standard care group (control group,odd numbers,n =75) and individualised nutrition support group (intervention group,even numbers,n =73).Intervention consisted of encouraging food intake,designing food plan,and assuring implementation of food prescription.Energy and protein intake,body weight,length of hospital stay,hospitalization expenses and complications were compared between the two groups.Results In the interventions group,protein intake was significantly higher than that in the control group [(45.1 ± 2.2) g/d vs.(54.8±2.5) g/d,P=0.004],and energyintake higher than that in the control group [(4 180.0± 227.4) kJ/d vs.(4 589.6 ± 150.5) kJ/d,P =0.135] but without statistical significance.Intervention led to an intake of ≥75％ of requirements in 46.6％ patients in the intervention group,significantly higher than the proportion in the control group (30.7％) (P =0.047).The change of body weight was significantly smaller in the intervention group than in the control group [(-0.4 ± 0.2) kg vs.(-1.1 ± 0.2) kg,P =0.025].The length of hospital stay,hospitalization expenses,and incidence of complications showed no significant differences between the control group and the intervention group [(13.5 ±0.9) d vs.(12.4 ±0.6) d,P=0.310;(17834±1824) yuanvs.(16099±1243) yuan,P=0.435;12.8％ vs.8.1％,P=0.184].Conclusions Patients at nutritional risk in internal medical departments could benefit from nutrition support in terms of protein intake and body weight maintenance.A large-scale randomized controlled trial is necessary to confirm the effect of nutrition support on clinical outcomes of patients at nutritional risk.

Objective To study the effects of prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein ( Pup)-proteasome system on the growth of Mycobacterium strains.Methods The genes encoding Pup ( pup gene) and protea-someβsubunit ( prcB gene) were respectively knocked out from Mycobacterium smegmatis ( M.sm) strains by homologous recombination.The growth and viability of the wild-type and mutant strains of M.sm were an-alyzed under normal culture condition and under hypoxia as well as anaerobic conditions.Results The pup and prcB genes were completely and precisely knocked out from M.sm strains and the mutant strains were named △SM-Pup and△SM-prcB, respectively.The△SM-Pup strains grew faster than the wild type ( WT) and△SM-prcB strains.No significantly differences in the growth of M.sm were found between the WT and△SM-prcB strains.Conclusion The Pup-proteasome system was involved in the growth of M.sm, espe-cially the pup gene.There was difference between pup and prcB genes in regulating the growth of M.sm.The functions and influences of Pup-proteasome system still need further investigation.