Possible roles of insulin, IGF-1 and IGFBPs in initiation and progression of colorectal cancer

AIM: To investigate the roles of serum insulin, insulinlike growth factor-1(IGF-1), and insulin-like growth factor binding proteins(IGFBPs) in the initiation and progression of colorectal cancer. METHODS: We determined serum insulin, IGF-1 and IGFBPs levels in 615 colorectal cancer patients and 650 control healthy donors by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). In the meantime, their body mass index(BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio(WHR) were measured. RESULTS: Serum levels of insulin and IGF-1 as well as IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio in pre-operation patients were significantly elevated, but the level of IGFBP-3 was significantly decreased compared with normal controls and post-operation patients(P < 0.05 and P < 0.001,respectively). There is no significant difference(P > 0.05) in the levels of insulin, IGF-1, IGFBP-1, IGFBP-3 and IGF-1/IGFBP-3 between the patients with and without hepatic as well as distal abdominal metastases. WHR and BMI of colon cancer patients were positively and significantly correlated with the levels of insulin and IGF-1/IGFBP-3. In contrast, WHR and BMI were negatively correlated with IGFBP-3 level. CONCLUSION: The elevation of insulin, IGF-1 as well as IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio and the reduction of IGFBP-3 may be related to the initiation of colorectal cancer, but they are not related to the progression and outcome of the disease.

Effects of perioperative rosuvastatin on postoperative delirium in elderly patients:A randomized,double-blind,and placebo-controlled trial

BACKGROUND Experimental evidence has indicated the benefits of statins for the treatment of postoperative delirium.Previously,clinical trials did not reach definite conclusions on the effects of statins on delirium.Some clinical trials have indicated that statins reduce postoperative delirium and improve outcomes,while some studies have reported negative results.AIM To evaluate whether perioperative rosuvastatin treatment reduces the incidence of delirium and improves clinical outcomes.METHODS This randomized,double-blind,and placebo-controlled trial was conducted in a single center in Jiangsu,China.This study enrolled patients aged greater than 60 years who received general anesthesia during elective operations and provided informed consent.A computer-generated randomization sequence(in a 1:1 ratio)was used to randomly assign patients to receive either rosuvastatin(40 mg/d)or placebo.Participants,care providers,and investigators were all masked to group assignments.The primary endpoint was the incidence of delirium,which was assessed twice daily with the Confusion Assessment Method during the first 7 postoperative days.Analyses were performed on intention-to-treat and safety populations.RESULTS Between January 1,2017 and January 1,2020,3512 patients were assessed.A total of 821 patients were randomly assigned to receive either placebo(n=411)or rosuvastatin(n=410).The incidence of postoperative delirium was significantly lower in the rosuvastatin group[23(5.6%)of 410 patients]than in the placebo group{42(13.5%)of 411 patients[odds ratios(OR)=0.522,95%confidence interval(CI):0.308-0.885;P<0.05]}.No significant difference in 30-d all-cause mortality(6.1%vs 8.7%,OR=0.67,95%CI:0.39-1.2,P=0.147)was observed between the two groups.Rosuvastatin decreased the hospitalization time(13.8±2.5 vs 14.2±2.8,P=0.03)and hospitalization expenses(9.3±2.5 vs 9.8±2.9,P=0.007).No significant differences in abnormal liver enzymes(9.0%vs 7.1%,OR=1.307,95%CI:0.787-2.169,P=0.30)or rhabdomyolysis(0.73%vs 0.24%,OR=3.020,95%CI:0.31-29.2,P=0.37)were observed between the two groups.CONCLUSION The current study suggests that perioperative rosuvastatin treatment reduces the incidence of delirium after an elective operation under general anesthesia.However,the evidence does not reveal that rosuvastatin improves clinical outcomes.The therapy is safe.Further investigation is necessary to fully understand the potential usefulness of rosuvastatin in elderly patients.

Effect of doxycycline intervention on the apoptosis as well as the IL-1, TNF-α and HIF-1α expression in cornea and aqueous humor in rats with corneal alkali burn

Objective:To study the effect of doxycycline intervention on the apoptosis as well as the IL-1, TNF-α and HIF-1α expression in cornea and aqueous humor in rats with corneal alkali burn.Methods: Male SD rats were selected as experimental animals and randomly divided into control group, alkali burn group and doxycycline group, corneal alkali burn models were established by sodium hydroxide eye drop and then they received doxycycline eye drops intervention. The expression of apoptosis molecules, inflammatory response cytokines and angiogenesis moleculesin the cornea as well as the expression of inflammatory response cytokines and angiogenesis molecules in aqueous humor were detected 14 and 28 d after model establishment.Results: 14 and 28 d after model establishment, Bcl-2 and PEDF protein expression in cornea tissue of alkali burn group were significantly lower than those of control group while Caspase-3, Caspase-8, Caspase-9, IL-1, TNF-α, HIF-1α and VEGF protein expression were significantly higher than those of control group;Bcl-2 and PEDF protein expression in cornea tissue of doxycycline group were significantly higher than those of alkali burn group while Caspase-3, Caspase-8, Caspase-9, IL-1, TNF-α, HIF-1α and VEGF protein expression were significantly lower than those of alkali burn group.Conclusion: Doxycycline for corneal alkali burn intervention can inhibit the apoptosis, inflammatory response and angiogenesis.

Lighting up rotaxanes with AIEgens

Aiming at the construction of novel rotaxanes with desired luminescent properties for practical applications, recently the rapid development of rotaxanes decorated with aggregation-induced emission(AIE) luminogens(i.e., AIEgens) has been witnessed. The combination of AIEgens and rotaxanes leads to the successful construction of a novel type of luminescent rotaxanes with many attractive features. In particular, the unique controllable dynamic feature of rotaxanes endows the resultant AIEgen-based rotaxanes precisely tunable emissions under external stimuli, leading to the construction of a novel type of smart luminescent materials. In this minireview, the recent progress of AIEgen-based rotaxanes has been summarized, with an emphasis on the design strategy and potential applications.

Pretreatment HIV drug resistance in adults initiating antiretroviral therapy in China,2017

Background:After the scale-up of antiretroviral therapy(ART)for HIV infected people,increasing numbers of patients have pretreatment drug resistance(PDR).In this study,the prevalence of PDR was evaluated in adults initiating antiretroviral therapy in China.Methods:Blood samples were obtained from 1943 patients who initiated antiretroviral therapy(ART)in 2017 from 13 provinces or cities in China.Pol sequences were used to analyze drug resistance and construct transmission networks.Logistic regression model was used to estimate the potential factors associated with PDR.Results:In total,1711 eligible patients(76.0%male;87.8%aged≥25 years)were included,of which 117(6.8%)had PDR.The highest rates of PDR were 12.2%in Liangshan Prefecture of Sichuan and 9.3 and 8.9%in Dehong and Lincang Prefecture of Yunnan.A multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that PDR was significantly higher among intravenous drug users(adjusted Odds Ratio(aOR)=2.64,95%CI:1.57–4.44)and individuals from Liangshan,Dehong,and Lincang(aOR=2.04,95%CI:1.26–3.30).In total,754 sequences were used to generate 164 transmission networks.Five transmission networks had two or three sequences containing the same mutations,two networks contained subjects from Liangshan,and one network contained subjects from Dehong.Conclusions:Overall,the PDR prevalence was moderate,with a particularly high prevalence in areas with severe HIV epidemics.These results indicate the importance of continuous PDR monitoring in patients initiating antiretroviral therapy.