Research Progress of Acupuncture Treatment of Neurogenic Bladder after Spinal Cord Injury

Neurogenic bladder (NB) mainly occurs in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). The pathological basis of NB is the occurrence of lesions in the urination control center, which requires systematic treatment. Western medicine has many treatment methods for this disease, which can alleviate the symptoms of the disease. However, the radical effect is not ideal and there are many adverse reactions. In comparison, acupuncture can improve the residual urine volume of NB patients and regulate the related indexes of urodynamics. There are many kinds of acupuncture therapies, such as simple acupuncture and moxibustion, which can comprehensively improve the therapeutic effect and obtain a better disease prognosis. Therefore, this article elaborates on the pathogenesis of SCI complicated with NB, the treatment mechanism, and treatment methods of acupuncture and moxibustion to provide a reference for clinical treatment.

Rehabilitation care of patients with neurogenic bladder after spinal cord injury:A literature review

This article reviews the research progress of rehabilitation treatment and nursing care of patients with neurogenic bladder after spinal cord injury,in order to provide reference for the rehabilitation treatment and nursing care of patients.We reviewed recent medical literature on patients with neurogenic bladder,focusing on neurogenic bladder caused by spinal cord injury.We analyzed 30 recent of publications in patients with neurogenic bladder after spinal cord injury,in addition to reviewing and evaluating the commonly used rehabilitation nursing methods for neurogenic bladder.Psychological counseling is a vital aspect which cannot be neglected in the process of neurogenic bladder rehabilitation.Hitherto,the commonly used drug and surgical treatments may have negatively impacted the mental health of patients in varying degrees.However,in clinical practice,applying intermittent catheterization in patients who have neurogenic bladder with spinal cord injury may help improve patients’life quality,mitigate psychological burden,and reduce negative emotions.

Outcomes of seromuscular bladder augmentation compared with standard bladder augmentation in the treatment of children with neurogenic bladder

BACKGROUND Intestinal seromuscular bladder augmentation(SMBA)surgery has produced no mucosal-related complications,but its outcomes need to be studied.AIM To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of SMBA in the treatment of children with neurogenic bladder.METHODS A retrospective analysis of the clinical data of children with SMBA was performed from March 2008 to February 2018,and the data were compared with those of children receiving standard cystoplasty(SC).RESULTS In a cohort of 67 children who underwent bladder augmentation,the 46 children in the SC group had an average age of 10.6 years and a follow-up time of 36 mo,and the 21 children in the SMBA group had an average age of 7.6 years and a follow-up time of 29.7 mo.The preoperative and postoperative bladder volumes in the SMBA group were 151.7 mL and 200.4 mL,respectively,and those in the SC group were 173.9 mL and 387.0 mL,respectively.No significant difference in preoperative urinary dynamic parameters was found between the two groups,but the difference after operation was statistically significant.The main complications after SMBA were residual ureteral reflux and failed bladder augmentation,with incidences of 33.3%and 28.6%,respectively.In all 6 patients with failed augmentation in the SMBA group,ileum seromuscular patches were used for augmentation,and SC was chosen for reaugmentation.During reoperation,patch contracture and fibrosis were observed.CONCLUSION The improvement of urinary dynamic parameters in the SMBA group was significantly lower than that in the SC group.Children with SMBA had a higher probability of patch contracture and reaugmentation,which might be related to impaired blood supply and urine stimulation,and the sigmoid colon patch should be the priority.

Cryoablation techniques in bladder cancer: A review

Bladder cancer(BC)ranks as the tenth most common cancer globally.Histopathologically,BC is broadly categorized into urothelial and non-urothelial BC.Urothelial carcinoma represents over 90%of BC in most regions worldwide.The standard treatment procedure for diagnosing and treating non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer(NMIBC)is transurethral resection of bladder tumors(TURBT).Currently,the standard of care for muscle-invasive bladder cancer(MIBC)is neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical cystectomy.Cryoablation therapy is a medical technique that uses extremely low temperatures to destroy diseased tissue.This treatment serves as a therapeutic tool for both benign and malignant diseases in organs such as the kidney,prostate gland,lung,liver,and breast,and is particularly effective for unresectable tumors,offering less trauma,quick recovery,good tolerability,and symptom control.However,cryoablation has its limitations.Over the past few years,cryoablation therapy has emerged as a new method for treating early BC.This treatment is minimally invasive,precise,and offers quick recovery,providing patients with a new treatment option.Although randomized studies are still limited,increasing evidence suggests its potential application in bladder cancer combined with transurethral resection(TURBT)or medication.Cryoablation is not standard therapy for bladder cancer.Treatment decisions should be discussed by a multidisciplinary team of urologists,oncologists,and interventional physicians and require more randomized controlled trials to define patient selection criteria and treatment approaches.

Long-term anodal block stimulation at sacral anterior roots promoted recovery of neurogenic bladder function in a rabbit model of complete spinal cord injury

A complete spinal cord injury model was established in experimental rabbits using the spinal cord clip compression method. Urodynamic examination was performed 2 weeks later to determine neurogenic bladder status. The rabbits were treated with anodal block stimulation at sacral anterior roots for 4 weeks. Electrical stimulation of sacral anterior roots improved urodynamic parameters of neurogenic bladder in rabbit models of complete spinal cord injury, effectively promoted urinary function, and relieved urinary retention. Immunohistochemistry results showed that a balance was achieved among expression of muscarinic receptor subunits M2, M3, ATP-gated ion channel P2X3 receptors, and 132-adrenergic receptor, and nerve growth factor expression decreased. These results suggested that long-term sacral anterior root stimulation of anodal block could＇be used to treat neurogenic bladder in a rabbit model of complete spinal cord injury.

Survey of spinal cord injury-induced neurogenic bladder studies using the Web of Science

OBJECTIVE：To identify global trends in research on spinal cord injury-induced neurogenic bladder, through a bibliometric analysis using the Web of Science. DATA RETRIEVAL：We performed a bibliometric analysis of studies on spinal cord injury-induced neurogenic bladder using the Web of Science.Data retrieval was performed using key words＂spinal cord injury＂,＂spinal injury＂,＂neurogenic bladder＂,＂neuropathic bladder＂,＂neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction＂,＂neurogenic voiding dysfunction＂,＂neurogenic urination disorder＂and ＂neurogenic vesicourethral dysfunction＂. SELECTION CRITERIA：Inclusion criteria：（a）published peer-reviewed articles on spinal cord injury-induced neurogenic bladder indexed in the Web of Science;（b）type of articles：original research articles and reviews;（c）year of publication：no limitation.Exclusion criteria：（a）articles that required manual searching or telephone access;（b）Corrected papers and book chapters. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES：（1）Annual publication output;（2）distribution according to journals; （3）distribution according to subject areas;（4）distribution according to country;（5）distribution according to institution;and（6）top cited publications. RESULTS：There were 646 research articles addressing spinal cord injury-induced neurogenic bladder in the Web of Science.Research on spinal cord injury-induced neurogenic bladder was found in the Science Citation Index-Expanded as of 1946.The United States,Ireland and Switzerland were the three major countries contributing to studies in spinal cord injury-induced neurogenic bladder in the 1970s.However,in the 1990s,the United States,the United Kingdom,the Netherlands,Germany and Japan published more papers on spinal cord injury-induced neurogenic bladder than Switzerland,and Ireland fell off the top ten countries list.In this century,the United States ranks first in spinal cord injury-induced neurogenic bladder studies,followed by France,the United Kingdom,Germany,Switzerland and Japan.Subject categories including urology, nephrology and clinical neurology,as well as rehabilitation,are represented in spinal cord injury-induced neurogenic bladder studies. CONCLUSION：From our analysis of the literature and research trends,we conclude that spinal cord injury-induced neurogenic bladder is a hot topic that will continue to generate considerable research interest in the future.

Bibliometric profile of neurogenic bladder in the literature:a 20-year bibliometric analysis

Neurogenic bladder is a dysfunction of the lower urinary tract caused by nervous system disor- der. We investigated the trends in publication of articles under the topic ＂neurogenic bladder＂ using bibliometric analysis. Articles on neurogenic bladder, published between 1995 and 2014, were retrieved from the ISI Web of Science citation database. We analyzed the search results for authors, countries, institutions, journals, and top-cited papers. A total of 1,904 articles were re- trieved. There was a small increase in the number of articles on neurogenic bladder from 1995 （n = 43） to 2014 （n = 117）. The USA was the leading country in the total number of articles （n = 598）. However, the number of publications from China has rapidly increased, and China was ranked second in 2014. Emmanuel Chartier-Kastler （n = 65） was the most productive author, and University of Paris VI （Paris 6） （n = 61） was the most productive institution. The Journal of Urology published the greatest number of artides on this topic （n = 285）. Articles on neurogenic bladder were often published in a professional journal under the category Urology ＆ Nephrology, Neurosciences ＆ Neurology, or Rehabilitation. Visualization analysis based on co-citation networks was conducted using CiteSpace III. Visualization analysis revealed that the hot spots in neurogenic bladder were botulinum toxin-A, prazosin, bethanechol, and afferent pathways. These findings provide new insight into the publication trends and hot spots in neurogenic bladder.

Impact of Adjuvant Radiotherapy and Reversibility of Neurogenic Bladder on Bladder Storage Function and Impact of Urethral Resistance on Bladder Emptying Function after Radical Hysterectomy

Purpose: To clarify which patients need careful neurourological management after abdominal radical hysterectomy (RH) by investigating the effects of adjuvant radiotherapy and reversibility of neurogenic bladder (NB) on the storage function as well as the effects of urethral resistance on the emptying function. Methods: Data from sixty-two patients referred to our NB clinic after RH were retrospectively reviewed. Findings of urodynamic studies performed at 3 (UDS-1) and 12 (UDS-2) months after treatment were compared, and logistic analysis was used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) of the effects of radiotherapy and irreversible NB on decreased bladder capacity and decreased compliance. Irreversible NB was defined as the need for clean intermittent catheterization at the last follow-up. Results: At the median follow-up period of 41 months, 60% of the patients continued to require clean intermittent catheterization. Of patients with irreversible NB and radiotherapy, 80% had decreased bladder capacity and decreased compliance at UDS-2. For decreased bladder capacity and decreased compliance, ORs of adjuvant radiotherapy at UDS-2 were 38.42 (p Conclusions: Careful neurourological follow-up after RH is mandatory for patients who undergo adjuvant radiotherapy and have irreversible NB with impaired urethral relaxation.

Augmentation cystoplasty in children with stages III and IV chronic kidney disease secondary to neurogenic bladder

Objective:This study examines the outcome of augmentation cystoplasty(AC)in children with stages III and IV chronic kidney disease(CKD)secondary to neurogenic bladder in which transplantation was not imminent.Methods:Hospital records of all children with CKD stages III and IV who underwent AC between 2008 and 2017 were retrieved to study outcome and complications including estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR,National Kidney Foundation Calculator),somatic growth(percentiles,compared with population data),and febrile urinary tract infections(fUTIs)requiring admission.Statistical analysis was performed using R.Results:AC was performed in 13 children with CKD stages III and IV(10 girls;median 8.0 years)with median follow-up of 51 months.Patients had incontinence(10/13),reflux(7/13),and hydronephrosis(13/13)despite antimuscarinics and intermittent catheterization.Bladder capacity was 74%of expected and median compliance was 5 mL/cm H20(inter-quartile range 4 mL/cm H20).All underwent ileocystoplasty(25 cm bowel).One each had nephrectomy and mitrofanoff conduit.All had resolution of incontinence.One had acute kidney injury that recovered.Initial eGFR at presentation(24 mL/min/1.73 m2)improved with conservative management alone(52 mL/min/1.73 m2,p=0.004).This improved further 1 year following AC(61 mL/min/1.73 m2,p=0.036)with stable function at 7 years.There was improvement in somatic growth,hydronephrosis,and fUTI despite no ureteric re-implantation.Conclusion:AC carries acceptable morbidity in children with CKD stages III and IV secondary to neurogenic bladder.Surgery is effective with improvements in continence,eGFR,somatic growth,and propensity for fUTIs.Ureteric re-implantation might not be necessary.

Translation of basic science into clinical medicine in man-agement for neurogenic bladder

Neurogenic bladder （ NB） dysfunction caused by spinal cord injury （ SCI ） or diseases of the central nervous system or peripheral nerves is a major medical and social problem. Traditional treatments to NB include medication, injection of Botulinum toxin A into the detrusor, neuromodulation and surgery. There are also emerging approaches, such as tissue engineering, stem cell transplantation and gene therapy. In recent years, we have carried out explorations in both therapeutic areas and tried to translate basic research into clinical practice. This paper reviews our work in this regard, and provides references for future research.

Histologic subtypes of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer

The majority of bladder cancers(BCs)are non-muscle invasive BCs(NMIBCs)and show the morphology of a conventional urothelial carcinoma(UC).Aberrant morphology is rare but can be observed.The classification and characterization of histologic subtypes(HS)in UC in BC have mainly been described in muscle in-vasive bladder cancer(MIBC).However,the currently used classification is ap-plied for invasive urothelial neoplasm and therefore,also valid for a subset of NMIBC.The standard transurethral diagnostic work-up misses the presence of HS in NMIBC in a considerable percentage of patients and the real prevalence is not known.HS in NMIBC are associated with an aggressive phenotype.Conse-quently,clinical guidelines categorize HS of NMIBC as“(very)high-risk”tumors and recommend offering radical cystectomy to these patients.Alternative strategies for bladder preservation can only be offered to highly selected patients and ideally within clinical trials.Novel treatment strategies and biomarkers have been established MIBC and NMIBC but have not been comprehensively invest-igated in the context of HS in NMIBC.Further evaluation prior to implementation into clinical practice is needed.

Treatment of children with neurogenic bladder dysfunctions using dynamic nero-electrostimulation(DENS) and M-Cholinolytic therapy

【Objective】 To investigate effects of combined usage of dynamic neuro-electric stimulation(DNES) and M-cholynolytic therapy(oxybutynin) upon manifestations of neurogenic bladder dysfunctions(NBD) in children.【Method】 Urodynamics examination included registration of extemporaneous urinary excretion,urofluometry,and retrograde cytometry in horizontal and vertical position by example of urodynamic system(UDS) ACS 180 Plus(MENFIS BioMed.,USA).In accordance to severity of clinician manifestations,three groups of patients have been defined(27-highest one,49-middle and 51 low levels).Dynamic neuro-electrostimulation(DNES) procedures were conducted using the"DiaDNES-PKM"device(Russian Federation).The children were exposed to juxtaspinal stimulation on S1-S3 level-altogether 10 sessions have been performed.Oxybutynin(driptan) was used in dosage of 2.5 mg per diem.【Result】It was established that combined usage of DNES and oxybutynin in the group with highest severity caused the reduction of manifestations by 3.1 times while separately given DNES and basic therapy were followed by 34.1% and 28.0% reduction correspondently.Meanwhile,DNES and oxybutynin reduced severity in patients with pronounced disturbances by 7.5 times.Combined usage of oxybutynin and DNES in severely manifested NBD increased the effective volume of bladder by 2.3 times.Also significant reduction of both intrabladder pressure(by 48.0%) and compliance of the bladder(by 4.8 times) were detected under condition of combined usage of DNES and oxybutynin.All mentioned indices were modified to less extent in case of separate usage of DNES or oxybutynin when compared with the one registered after the combined their usage(P <0.05).【Conclusion】Combined usage of DENS and oxybutinin(driptan) is effective in most severe cases in children suffered from neurogenic overactive bladder.

Potential clinical application of microRNAs in bladder cancer

Bladder cancer(BC)is the tenth most prevalent malignancy globally,presenting significant clinical and societal challenges because of its high incidence,rapid progression,and frequent recurrence.Presently,cystoscopy and urine cytology serve as the established diagnostic methods for BC.However,their efficacy is limited by their invasive nature and low sensitivity.Therefore,the development of highly specific biomarkers and effective noninvasive detection strategies is imperative for achieving a precise and timely diagnosis of BC,as well as for facilitating an optimal tumor treatment and an improved prognosis.microRNAs(miRNAs),short noncoding RNA molecules spanning around 20–25 nucleotides,are implicated in the regulation of diverse carcinogenic pathways.Substantially altered miRNAs form robust functional regulatory networks that exert a notable influence on the tumorigenesis and progression of BC.Investigations into aberrant miRNAs derived from blood,urine,or extracellular vesicles indicate their potential roles as diagnostic biomarkers and prognostic indicators in BC,enabling miRNAs to monitor the progression and predict the recurrence of the disease.Simultaneously,the investigation centered on miRNA as a potential therapeutic agent presents a novel approach for the treatment of BC.This review comprehensively analyzes biological roles of miRNAs in tumorigenesis and progression,and systematically summarizes their potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers,as well as therapeutic targets for BC.Additionally,we evaluate the progress made in laboratory techniques within this field and discuss the prospects.

Does local vaginal estrogen after tension-free transobturator vaginal tape reduce overactive bladder symptoms in postmenopausal women? A prospective randomized, controlled study

Objective:We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of topical estrogen after transvaginal tension-free vaginal tape-obturator(TVT-O)in the treatment of de novo overactive bladder symptoms that appear after surgery.Methods:This is a prospective randomized controlled study performed in the Urology and Gynecology Departments,Kasr Al Ainy Hospital,Cairo University,Cairo,Egypt.Two hundred and ten postmenopausal females presenting during the period between January 2017 and November 2020 with stress urinary incontinence were included in the study.Patients were divided into two groups,105 patients in Group A(treatment group)and 105 patients in Group B(control group).Patients in Group A underwent transvaginal TVT-O followed by local vaginal estrogen treatment for 6 months,while patients in Group B underwent transvaginal TVT-O only.The study included any postmenopausal female with urodynamic stress urinary incontinence.All patients had to fulfill a 3-day bladder diary,overactive bladder symptoms score,urine analysis,urodynamic study,and post-voiding residual urine measurement by abdominal ultrasound preoperatively and at 3-month and 6-month follow-ups.Results:At 6-month follow-up,daytime frequency was reduced to 8%in Group A(increased to 21%in Group B)with a statistically significant difference between both groups(p=0.009).At 6-month follow-up,nocturia was 8%in Group A(11%in Group B)with no statistically significant difference between both groups(p=0.469).There was a statistically significant difference between both groups as regards to urinary urgency at 6-month follow-up(p=0.024).There was a statistically significant difference in postoperative wound healing events as regards to cure,hyperemia,gapping,and wound infection 1 week after intervention between both groups(p=0.008).No local or systemic side-effects were reported from local estrogen use.Conclusion:Local vaginal estrogen treatment given to postmenopausal patients after midurethral sling procedures can reduce the symptoms of daytime frequency and urinary urgency.Long-term follow-up is needed.

TM9SF1 promotes bladder cancer cell growth and infiltration

BACKGROUND Bladder cancer(BC)is the most common urological tumor.It has a high recur-rence rate,displays tutor heterogeneity,and resists chemotherapy.Furthermore,the long-term survival rate of BC patients has remained unchanged for decades,which seriously affects the quality of patient survival.To improve the survival rate and prognosis of BC patients,it is necessary to explore the molecular mechanisms of BC development and progression and identify targets for treatment and intervention.Transmembrane 9 superfamily member 1(TM9SF1),also known as MP70 and HMP70,is a member of a family of nine transmembrane superfamily proteins,which was first identified in 1997.TM9SF1 can be expressed in BC,but its biological function and mechanism in BC are not clear.AIM To investigate the biological function and mechanism of TM9SF1 in BC.Overexpression of TM9SF1 increased the in vitro proliferation,migration,and invasion of BC cells by promoting the entry of BC cells into the G2/M phase.Silencing of TM9SF1 inhibited in vitro proliferation,migration,and invasion of BC cells and blocked BC cells in the G1 phase.CONCLUSION TM9SF1 may be an oncogene in BC.

Summarizing the evidence for robotic-assisted bladder neck reconstruction: Systematic review of patency and incontinence outcomes

Objective:Bladder neck contracture and vesicourethral anastomotic stenosis are difficult to manage endoscopically,and open repair is associated with high rates of incontinence.In recent years,there have been increasing reports of robotic-assisted bladder neck reconstruction in the literature.However,existing studies are small,heterogeneous case series.The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review of robotic-assisted bladder neck reconstruction to better evaluate patency and incontinence outcomes.Methods:We performed a systematic review of PubMed from first available date to May 2023 for all studies evaluating robotic-assisted reconstructive surgery of the bladder neck in adult men.Articles in non-English,author replies,editorials,pediatric-based studies,and reviews were excluded.Outcomes of interest were patency and incontinence rates,which were pooled when appropriate.Results:After identifying 158 articles on initial search,we included only ten studies that fit all aforementioned criteria for robotic-assisted bladder neck reconstruction.All were case series published from March 2018 to March 2022 ranging from six to 32 men,with the median follow-up of 5e23 months.A total of 119 patients were included in our analysis.A variety of etiologies and surgical techniques were described.Patency rates ranged from 50%to 100%,and pooled patency was 80%(95/119).De novo incontinence rates ranged from 0%to 33%,and pooled incontinence was 17%(8/47).Our findings were limited by small sample sizes,relatively short follow-ups,and heterogeneity between studies.

Transurethral resection of bladder tumor: A systematic review of simulator-based training courses and curricula

Objective:Transurethral resection of bladder tumor is one of the most common everyday urological procedures.This kind of surgery demands a set of skills that need training and experience.In this review,we aimed to investigate the current literature to find out if simulators,phantoms,and other training models could be used as a tool for teaching urologists.Methods:A systematic review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses statement and the recommendations of the European Association of Urology guidelines for conducting systematic reviews.Fifteen out of 932 studies met our inclusion criteria and are presented in the current review.Results:The UroTrainer(Karl Storz GmbH,Tuttlingen,Germany),a virtual reality training simulator,achieved positive feedback and an excellent face and construct validity by the participants.The inspection of bladder mucosa,blood loss,tumor resection,and procedural time was improved after the training,especially for inexperienced urologists and medical students.The construct validity of UroSim®(VirtaMed,Zurich,Switzerland)was established.SIMBLA simulator(Samed GmbH,Dresden,Germany)was found to be a realistic and useful tool by experts and urologists with intermediate experience.The test objective competency model based on SIMBLA simulator could be used for evaluating urologists.The porcine model of the Asian Urological Surgery Training and Education Group also received positive feedback by the participants that tried it.The Simulation and Technology Enhanced Learning Initiative Project had an extraordinary face and content validity,and 60%of participants would like to use the simulators in the future.The 5-day multimodal training curriculum“Boot Camp”in the United Kingdom achieved an increase of the level of confidence of the participants that lasted months after the project.Conclusion:Simulators and courses or curricula based on a simulator training could be a valuable learning tool for any surgeon,and there is no doubt that they should be a part of every urologist's technical education.

Metabolomics for the diagnosis of bladder cancer: A systematic review

Objective: Metabolomics has been extensively utilized in bladder cancer (BCa) research, employing mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to compare various variables (tissues, serum, blood, and urine). This study aimed to identify potential biomarkers for early BCa diagnosis.Methods: A search strategy was designed to identify clinical trials, descriptive and analytical observational studies from databases such as Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences. Inclusion criteria comprised studies involving BCa tissue, serum, blood, or urine profiling using widely adopted metabolomics techniques like mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance. Primary outcomes included description of metabolites and metabolomics profiling in BCa patients and the association of metabolites and metabolomics profiling with BCa diagnosis compared to control patients. The risk of bias was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Studies of Diagnostic Accuracy.Results: The search strategy yielded 2832 studies, of which 30 case-control studies were included. Urine was predominantly used as the primary sample for metabolite identification. Risk of bias was often unclear inpatient selection, blinding of the index test, and reference standard assessment, but no applicability concerns were observed. Metabolites and metabolomics profiles associated with BCa diagnosis were identified in glucose, amino acids, nucleotides, lipids, and aldehydes metabolism.Conclusion: The identified metabolites in urine included citric acid, valine, tryptophan, taurine, aspartic acid, uridine, ribose, phosphocholine, and carnitine. Tissue samples exhibited elevated levels of lactic acid, amino acids, and lipids. Consistent findings across tissue, urine, and serum samples revealed downregulation of citric acid and upregulation of lactic acid, valine, tryptophan, taurine, glutamine, aspartic acid, uridine, ribose, and phosphocholine.

Retraction:miR-203 suppresses bladder cancer cell growth and targets twist1

Following the publication,concerns have been raised about a number of figures in this article.An unexpected area of similarity was identified in terms of the cellular data,where the results from differently performed experiments were intended to have been shown,although the areas immediately surrounding this area featured comparatively different distributions of cells.In addition,the western blots in this article were presented with atypical,unusually shaped and possibly anomalous protein bands in many cases.

Chemosensitizing Effect of Monk Fruit Extract on Human Bladder Cancer Cells

The outcomes of chemotherapy have been unsatisfactory with the palpable side effects. We hypothesized that natural products might help improve chemotherapy with few side effects. Recently, we came across the bioactive extracts of monk fruit (Siraitia grosvenori) with anticancer activity. We then investigated if these extracts might have chemosensitizing effect to improve the efficacy of drugs clinically used today. Four different drugs, cisplatin (CPL), carboplatin (CBL), mitomycin C (MMC), and gemcitabine (GEM), were used in this study. Human bladder cancer T24 cells were treated with each drug itself or drug combined with either LLE or MOG (two types of monk fruit extracts). Cell viability was determined to assess anticancer effect and also explored the anticancer mechanism of such combinations, focusing on the status of glycolysis, cell cycle, and chromatin structure. Cell viability test showed that all drugs had anticancer activity, reducing cell viability, but only CPL showed the enhanced anticancer effect when combined with LLE (not with MOG). The rest of three drugs had no such effects with LLE or MOG. The CPL/LLE combination was found to disrupt glycolysis, by inhibiting hexokinase activity, resulted in the decreased ATP synthesis. This combination also blocked the cell cycle progression, due to a G1 cell cycle arrest. Moreover, the two epigenetic regulators, DNA methyltransferase and histone deacetylase, were inactivated with the combination, indicating chromatin modifications. Ultimately, these treated cells were found to undergo apoptosis. In conclusion, anticancer activity of CPL can be significantly enhanced with LLE. This chemosensitizing effect is attributed to the glycolysis inhibition, a G1 cell cycle arrest, and chromatin modifications, ultimately leading to apoptosis. Thus, certain natural products such as LLE could be used as an adjuvant agent in current chemotherapy, improving the drug efficacy but minimizing side effects.