OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of paclitaxel, quizartinib and their combination on proliferation, apoptosis and FLT3/STAT5 pathway of human leukemia cell line MV4-11 (FLT3-ITD+). METHODS: MV4-11 cells were treated with paclitaxel and quizartinib at different concentrations for 24 h, 48 h and 72 h, respectively, and then the two drugs were combined at 48 h to compare the inhibition of proliferation, the apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry, the expression of FLT3 and STAT5 mRNA was determined by fluorescence quantitative PCR, and the protein expression of FLT3, p-FLT3, STAT5 and p-STAT5 was determined by Western blot. RESULTS: Different combination groups of paclitaxel and quizartinib had synergistic inhibitory effect. The cell survival rate in the combination group was significantly lower than that in the single drug group (P<0.05). The cell apoptosis rate in the combination group was significantly higher than that in the single drug group (P<0.001). The expression of FLT3 mRNA in combination group was significantly higher than that in two single drugs (P<0.01). The expression of STAT5 mRNA in combination group was significantly higher than that in quizartinib group (P<0.001); increased compared with paclitaxel group, but there was no statistical significance. The expression level of p-FLT3、p-STAT5 protein in the combination group was significantly lower than that in the single drug group (P<0.05, P<0.05). CONCLUSION Paclitaxel combined with quizartinib can synergistically inhibit the proliferation of MV4-11 cell line and promote the apoptosis of MV4-11 cell line by inhibiting the activity of FLT3/STAT5 pathway.
Apoptosis ; Benzothiazoles ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics* ; Paclitaxel/therapeutic use* ; Phenylurea Compounds ; RNA, Messenger ; STAT5 Transcription Factor/pharmacology* ; Signal Transduction ; fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of medical ozone oil and urea ointment for prevention and treatment of hand-foot skin reaction (HFSR) caused by sorafenib in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: A total of 99 patients diagnosed with advanced HCC according to National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) who were scheduled to receive sorafenib treatment for the first time were enrolled in this study between April, 2018 and January, 2020. The patients were randomized into medical ozone oil group ( RESULTS: Eight patients were excluded for poor compliance or protocol violations, leaving a total of 91 patients for analysis, including 44 in medical ozone oil group and 47 in urea ointment group. Sixteen (36.4%) of patients in ozone oil group developed HFSR, a rate significantly lower than that in urea ointment group (57.4%; CONCLUSIONS Medical ozone oil can significantly reduce the incidence and severity of HFSR to improve the quality of life of HCC patients receiving sorafenib treatment.
Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/drug therapy* ; Hand-Foot Syndrome/prevention & control* ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Niacinamide/therapeutic use* ; Ozone/therapeutic use* ; Phenylurea Compounds/adverse effects* ; Quality of Life ; Sorafenib/therapeutic use*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of E26 transformation-specific variant 4 (ETV4) in sorafenib and cisplatin resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: HCC cell lines SMMC-7721 and HCC-LM3 were transfected with an ETV4- overexpressing plasmid or small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting ETV4. The cells with ETV4 overexpression or ETV4 interference were treated with DMSO, sorafenib (5 μmol/L) or cisplatin (5 μmol/L) for 48 h, and the total protein and total RNA were collected. Western blotting, flow cytometry, EdU proliferation assay were used to analyze the apoptosis and proliferation of the cells. We also obtained clinical specimens of HCC tissues and paired adjacent tissues from 11 patients for detecting ETV4 mRNA expression levels using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (q-PCR). The effect of ETV4 interference on the mRNA expression levels of immediate early response gene 3 (IER3) was examined in HCC cells that were treated with DMSO, sorafenib or cisplatin for 48 h. RESULTS: The expression of ETV4 mRNA was significantly higher in HCC tissues than in the paired adjacent tissues. Overexpression of ETV4 in the HCC cell lines obviously inhibited cell apoptosis induced by sorafenib or cisplatin. Conversely, ETV4 interference significantly enhanced the apoptosis and inhibited the proliferation of the HCC cells following treatments with sorafenib or cisplatin. In addition, ETV4 regulated the mRNA expression levels of IER3 in the cells treatmed with sorafenib and cisplatin. CONCLUSIONS ETV4 promotes resistance of HCC cells to sorafenib or cisplatin .
Apoptosis ; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Cisplatin ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; Membrane Proteins ; Niacinamide ; Phenylurea Compounds ; Sorafenib

Increasing evidence suggests that spinal microglia regulate pathological pain in males. In this study, we investigated the effects of several microglial and astroglial modulators on inflammatory and neuropathic pain following intrathecal injection in male and female mice. These modulators were the microglial inhibitors minocycline and ZVEID (a caspase-6 inhibitor) and the astroglial inhibitors L-α-aminoadipate (L-AA, an astroglial toxin) and carbenoxolone (a connexin 43 inhibitor), as well as U0126 (an ERK kinase inhibitor) and D-JNKI-1 (a c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitor). We found that spinal administration of minocycline or ZVEID, or Caspase6 deletion, reduced formalin-induced inflammatory and nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain primarily in male mice. In contrast, intrathecal L-AA reduced neuropathic pain but not inflammatory pain in both sexes. Intrathecal U0126 and D-JNKI-1 reduced neuropathic pain in both sexes. Nerve injury caused spinal upregulation of the astroglial markers GFAP and Connexin 43 in both sexes. Collectively, our data confirmed male-dominant microglial signaling but also revealed sex-independent astroglial signaling in the spinal cord in inflammatory and neuropathic pain.
2-Aminoadipic Acid ; toxicity ; Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; therapeutic use ; Astrocytes ; pathology ; Carbenoxolone ; pharmacology ; Caspase 6 ; deficiency ; metabolism ; Connexin 43 ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Enzyme Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Female ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Transgenic ; Microglia ; pathology ; Minocycline ; therapeutic use ; Neuralgia ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Pain Measurement ; Phenylurea Compounds ; pharmacology ; Sex Characteristics ; Spinal Cord ; pathology ; Time Factors

Objective: To explore the effects and possible mechanisms of the novel pan-FGFR inhibitor BGJ398 on KG-1 cells in vitro. Methods: Effects of BGJ398 on cells proliferation were detected by CCK-8, the apoptosis was assessed by Annexin V-FITC. Reverse transcriptionquantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR) analysis was used to detect the expression of apoptosis-related genes B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and caspase-3. Western blotting analysis was performed to explore the proteins expression levels of Bcl-2, caspase-3 and the expression of p-AKT, p-S6K, p-ERK and FGFR1. Results: BGJ398 effectively inhibited cell proliferation by dose-dependent manners. BGJ398(1.4 µmol/L) induced apoptosis of KG-1 cells by 36.4%, compared with 4.5% in the control group(P<0.001). Treatment with BGJ398 at 1.4 µmol/L led to significant increases in the expression levels of caspase-3, and decreases in the expression of Bcl-2 (P<0.005). In accordance with these results, Western blot analysis further confirmed the increased expression of Bcl-2 protein along with elevated caspase-3 activity. In addition, BGJ398 markedly down-regulated FGFR1OP2-FGFR1 fusion protein, p-AKT and p-S6K expression, but not p-ERK expression. Conclusion: Novel pan-FGFR inhibitor BGJ398 substantially suppressed KG-1 cell growth and induced apoptosis by inhibiting the expression of FGFR1, p-AKT, p-S6K and regulating apoptosis-related proteins.
Apoptosis ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Humans ; Phenylurea Compounds/pharmacology* ; Protein Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology* ; Pyrimidines/pharmacology*

PURPOSE: Rearrangement of the proto-oncogene rearranged during transfection (RET) has been newly identified potential driver mutation in lung adenocarcinoma. Clinically available tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) target RET kinase activity, which suggests that patients with RET fusion genes may be treatable with a kinase inhibitor. Nevertheless, the mechanisms of resistance to these agents remain largely unknown. Thus, the present study aimed to determine whether epidermal growth factor (EGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) trigger RET inhibitor resistance in LC-2/ad cells with CCDC6-RET fusion genes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effects of EGF and HGF on the susceptibility of a CCDC6-RET lung cancer cell line to RET inhibitors (sunitinib, E7080, vandetanib, and sorafenib) were examined. RESULTS: CCDC6-RET lung cancer cells were highly sensitive to RET inhibitors. EGF activated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and triggered resistance to sunitinib, E7080, vandetanib, and sorafenib by transducing bypass survival signaling through ERK and AKT. Reversible EGFR-TKI (gefitinib) resensitized cancer cells to RET inhibitors, even in the presence of EGF. Endothelial cells, which are known to produce EGF, decreased the sensitivity of CCDC6-RET lung cancer cells to RET inhibitors, an effect that was inhibited by EGFR small interfering RNA (siRNA), anti-EGFR antibody (cetuximab), and EGFR-TKI (Iressa). HGF had relatively little effect on the sensitivity to RET inhibitors. CONCLUSION: EGF could trigger resistance to RET inhibition in CCDC6-RET lung cancer cells, and endothelial cells may confer resistance to RET inhibitors by EGF. E7080 and other RET inhibitors may provide therapeutic benefits in the treatment of RET-positive lung cancer patients.
Adenocarcinoma/drug therapy/*genetics ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cetuximab/pharmacology ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/drug effects/*genetics ; Epidermal Growth Factor/metabolism/*pharmacology ; *Gene Rearrangement ; Hepatocyte Growth Factor/*pharmacology ; Humans ; Indoles/pharmacology ; Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy/*genetics ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; *Mutation ; Niacinamide/analogs & derivatives/pharmacology ; Phenylurea Compounds/pharmacology ; Piperidines/pharmacology ; Protein Kinase Inhibitors/therapeutic use ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret/*antagonists & inhibitors/genetics ; Pyrroles/pharmacology ; Quinazolines/pharmacology ; RNA, Small Interfering/pharmacology ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor/genetics/metabolism ; Signal Transduction/drug effects ; fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3/metabolism

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) remains controversial. We compared the outcomes of hepatic resection (HR), transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), and sorafenib therapy as treatments for HCC with PVTT. METHODS: Patients diagnosed as HCC with PVTT between January 2000 and December 2011 who received treatment with sorafenib, HR, or TACE were included. Patients with main PVTT, superior mesenteric vein tumor thrombosis, or Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) class C were excluded. The records of 172 patients were analyzed retrospectively. HR, TACE, and sorafenib treatment were performed is 40, 80, and 52 patients respectively. PVTT was classified as either involving the segmental branch (type I) or extending to involve the right or left portal vein (type II). RESULTS: The median survival time was significantly longer in the HR group (19.9 months) than in the TACE and sorafenib groups (6.6 and 6.2 months, respectively; both p<0.001), and did not differ significantly between the latter two groups (p=0.698). Among patients with CTP class A, type I PVTT or unilobar-involved HCC, the median survival time was longer in the HR group than in the TACE and sorafenib groups (p=0.006). In univariate analyses, the initial treatment method, tumor size, PVTT type, involved lobe, CTP class, and presence of cirrhosis or ascites were correlated with overall survival. The significant prognostic factors for overall survival in Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis were initial treatment method (HR vs. TACE: hazard ratio=1.750, p=0.036; HR vs. sorafenib: hazard ratio=2.262, p=0.006), involved lobe (hazard ratio=1.705, p=0.008), PVTT type (hazard ratio=1.617, p=0.013), and CTP class (hazard ratio=1.712, p=0.012). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with TACE or sorafenib, HR may prolong the survival of patients with HCC in cases of CTP class A, type I PVTT or unilobar-involved HCC.
Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Agents/*therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/complications/drug therapy/*therapy ; Chemoembolization, Therapeutic ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/complications/drug therapy/*therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Niacinamide/*analogs & derivatives/therapeutic use ; Phenylurea Compounds/*therapeutic use ; Portal Vein ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Retrospective Studies ; Severity of Illness Index ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome ; Venous Thrombosis/*complications

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; enzymology ; genetics ; Mutation ; genetics ; Niacinamide ; adverse effects ; analogs & derivatives ; Phenylurea Compounds ; adverse effects ; Tandem Repeat Sequences ; genetics ; Thyroiditis ; chemically induced ; enzymology ; genetics ; fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 ; genetics

Multiple therapeutic modalities are available for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment. We aimed to evaluate the trends for HCC treatment in Korea. Recent trends and patterns in treatment modalities were assessed in HCC patients who first registered for the Health Insurance Review Assessment Service between 2008 and 2012. From 2009 to 2012, 57,690 patients were diagnosed with HCC. Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) was the most common treatment modality for initial treatment. Curative treatment modalities like hepatic resection, liver transplantation, and local ablation therapy increased gradually. The 3 most common treatment modalities (hepatic resection, local ablation therapy, TACE) used after initial treatment in 2009 were studied. Following initial hepatic resection, 44.5% of patients required re-treatment. TACE was the most common modality (in 48.3% of cases), while 15.0% of patients received local ablation therapy. After local ablation therapy, 55.4% of patients were re-treated, wherein 45.0% of patients received TACE and 31.5% received local ablation therapy. Following initial TACE, 73.9% patients were re-treated, most commonly with TACE (57.7%) followed by local ablation therapy (12.8%). While there were no significant differences between the initial and re-treatment modalities, various multiple treatments followed the initial treatment. The treatment modalities were interchangeable.
Aged ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/epidemiology/pathology/*therapy ; Chemoembolization, Therapeutic ; Combined Modality Therapy/trends ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Databases, Factual ; Female ; Humans ; Insurance Claim Review ; Liver Neoplasms/epidemiology/pathology/*therapy ; Liver Transplantation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Niacinamide/administration & dosage/analogs & derivatives ; Phenylurea Compounds/administration & dosage ; Prevalence ; Protein Kinase Inhibitors/administration & dosage ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology

OBJECTIVETo analyze the effect of sorafenib as salvage therapy used before and/or after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in refractory relapsed FLT3-positive acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

METHODSA total of 16 patients with refractory relapsed FLT3-positive AML, including 10 refractory relapsed pre-transplantation and 6 relapsed after allo-HSCT, were enrolled in this retrospective study. Sorafenib treatment protocols included sorafenib in combination with chemotherapy inducing remission, and sorafenib monotherapy as mauntenance treatment after complete remission (CR).

RESULTSThirteen of the 16 patients achieved CR after one or two courses of induction therapy, including 7 refractory relapsed pre-transplantation and 6 relapsed after allo-HSCT. With a median follow up of 472 (range, 59-1569) days post-transplantation, 12 patients survived and 4 died. Causes of death included leukemia relapse (n=3) and acute graft-versus-host disease (n=1). The 2-year overall and disease-free survival post-transplantation of the 16 patients were (75.0±10.8) % and (50.5±13.7) % respectively. The main side effect of sorafenib was the skin rash. The incidence of rash was lower in the patients used sorafenib pre-transplantation than those post-transplantation (30.0% vs 75.0%, P=0.043).

CONCLUSIONSorafenib used as salvage therapy befor and/or after transplantation for refractory relapsed FLT3-positive AML could reduce the relapse rate and improve the survival.

Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Disease-Free Survival ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Induction Chemotherapy ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; genetics ; therapy ; Mutation ; Niacinamide ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Phenylurea Compounds ; therapeutic use ; Recurrence ; Remission Induction ; Retrospective Studies ; Salvage Therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 ; genetics