A retrospective analysis of the safety and efficacy of apatinib in treating advanced metastatic colorectal cancer

Objective Colorectal cancer(CRC) is a heterogeneous disease in which both epigenetic alterations and gene mutations transform normal cells into cancer cells. Apart from a variety of standard treatments, there are few options available to improve a CRC patient's overall survival(OS) and quality of a life. The objective of the present retrospective study was to analyze the response and toxicity associated with apatinib in patients with metastatic CRC(m CRC).Method Data on the use of apatinib as salvage therapy were collected from patients diagnosed with m CRC, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group(ECOG) performance status ≤ 3, from the Luhe Hospital. A total of 17 patients with stage IV unresectable m CRC, who received at least one cycle of apatinib, between October 2015 and February 2017, were involved in this study. Our primary endpoints were the overall response rate(ORR) and disease control rate(DCR), and the secondary objectives were progression-free survival(PFS), OS and safety.Result Seventeen patients with a median age of 62 years(34–83 years) were enrolled. Twelve patients were male, and the location of the primary tumor was in the colon and the rectum in 9 and 8 patients, respectively. Liver metastasis was observed in 9 patients and lung metastasis in 5. The ECOG performance status was 0 to 2 in 13 patients. The ORR at the first evaluation was 17.6 %(3/17). The DCR was 82.4%(14/17). The median PFS was 3.0 months(95% confidence interval(CI): 1.924–4.076 months) and the median OS was 5.4 months(95% CI: 3.383–7.417 months). Grade 1–2 adverse events included hypertension(52.9%), fatigue(64.7%), anorexia(29.4%), hoarseness(23.5%), proteinuria(23.5%), and development of rashes(17.6%). Grade 3 adverse events included thrombocytopenia(5.9%) and proteinuria(5.9%). There were no Grade 4 adverse events in our analysis.Conclusions Apatinib was found to be both safe and effective in the treatment of advanced m CRC, and its associated toxicities were acceptable and manageable. However, further studies are required to validate these findings.

Protective effects of sodium butyrate on rotavirus inducing endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated apoptosis via PERK-eIF2αsignaling pathway in IPEC-J2 cells

Background:Rotavirus(RV)is a major pathogen that causes severe gastroenteritis in infants and young animals.Endoplasmic reticulum(ER)stress and subsequent apoptosis play pivotal role in virus infection.However,the protective mechanisms of intestinal damage caused by RV are poorly defined,especially the molecular pathways related to enterocytes apoptosis.Thus,the aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect and mechanism of sodium butyrate(SB)on RV-induced apoptosis of IPEC-J2 cells.Results:The RV infection led to significant cell apoptosis,increased the expression levels of ER stress(ERS)markers,phosphorylated protein kinase-like ER kinase(PERK),eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha(eIF2α),caspase9,and caspase3.Blocking PERK pathway using specific inhibitor GSK subsequently reversed RV-induced cell apoptosis.The SB treatment significantly inhibited RV-induced ERS by decreasing the expression of glucose regulated protein 78(GRP78),PERK,and eIF2α.In addition,SB treatment restrained the ERS-mediated apoptotic pathway,as indicated by downregulation of C/EBP homologous protein(CHOP)mRNA level,as well as decreased cleaved caspase9 and caspase3 protein levels.Furthermore,siRNA-induced GPR109a knockdown significantly suppressed the protective effect of SB on RV-induced cell apoptosis.Conclusions:These results indicate that SB exerts protective effects against RV-induced cell apoptosis through inhibiting ERS mediated apoptosis by regulating PERK-eIF2αsignaling pathway via GPR109a,which provide new ideas for the prevention and control of RV.

Three New Ranidae Mitogenomes and the Evolution of Mitochondrial Gene Rearrangements among Ranidae Species

Various types of gene rearrangements have been discovered in the mitogenoes of the frog family Ranidae. In this study, we determined the complete mitogenome sequence of three Rana frogs. By combining the available mitogenomic data sets from GenBank, we evaluated the phylogenetic relationships of Ranidae at the mitogenome level and analyzed mitogenome rearrangement cases within Ranidae. The three frogs shared an identical mitogenome organization that was extremely similar to the typical Neobatrachian-type arrangement. Except for the genus Babina, the monophyly of each genus was well supported. The genus Amnirana occupied the most basal position among the Ranidae. The [Lithobates ＋ Rana] was the closest sister group of Odorrana. The diversity of mitochondrial gene arrangements in ranid species was unexpectedly high, with 47 mitogenomes from 40 ranids being classified into 10 different gene rearrangement types. Some taxa owned their unique gene rearrangement characteristics, which had significant implication for their phylogeny analysis. All rearrangement events discovered in the Ranidae mitogenomes can be explained by the duplication and random loss model.

完全腹膜外疝修补术与Lichtenstein术治疗腹股沟疝的疗效比较

目的探讨腹腔镜完全腹膜外疝修补术(TEP)与Lichtenstein术治疗腹股沟疝的临床疗效及并发症影响。方法回顾性分析2018年6月1日至2021年6月1日中国人民解放军联勤保障部队第967医院普外科收治的126例腹股沟疝患者临床资料。74例患者接受TEP手术,为TEP组;52例接受Lichtenstein术,为开放组;对比2组手术相关指标、术后1周并发症(阴囊水肿、切口感染、尿潴留、暂时性神经感觉异常)发生率及术后不同时间腹股沟区视觉模拟评分(VAS)。结果TEP组手术时间、住院费用明显高于开放组,术中出血量、住院时间,术后1周并发症(阴囊水肿、切口感染、尿潴留、暂时性神经感觉异常)发生率明显低于开放组,差异有统计学意义(P均<0.05)。术后24 h及1、3个月腹股沟区VAS评分明显低于开放组,差异有统计学意义(P均<0.05);但术后6个月VAS评分与开放组相比差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论TEP手术具有创伤小、疼痛轻、恢复快、住院时间短、并发症发生率低的特点,治疗效果明显优于Lichtenstein术,但其费用高、手术用时长,临床应用中应根据患者自身情况及手术医师所掌握的手术技能选择合适的手术方式。