Radiotherapy is an important procedure for the treatment of inoperable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, recent evidence has shown that irradiation can promote the invasion and metastasis of several types of cancer, and the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism by which radiation enhances the invasiveness of NSCLC cells. We found that after irradiation, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) was increased and translocated into the nucleus, where it bound to the hypoxia response element (HRE) in the CXCR4 promoter and promoted the transcription of CXCR4. Furthermore, reactive oxygen species (ROS) also plays a role in the radiation-induced expression of CXCR4. Our results revealed that 2 Gy X-ray irradiation promoted the metastasis and invasiveness of H1299, A549 and H460 cells, which were significantly enhanced by SDF-1α treatment. Blocking the SDF-1α/CXCR4 interaction could suppress the radiation-induced invasiveness of NSCLC cells. The PI3K/pAkt and MAPK/pERK1/2 pathways were found to be involved in radiation-induced matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression. In vivo, irradiation promoted the colonization of H1299 cells in the liver and lung, which was mediated by CXCR4. Altogether, our findings have elucidated the underlying mechanisms of the irradiation-enhanced invasiveness of NSCLC cells.

A simple, sensitive, and reliable high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method coupled with tandem mass spectrometry via electrospray ionization (ESI) source (LC-MS/MS) has been developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of five fluoroquinolone residues in milk. The studied fluoroquinolones were norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, enrofloxacin, and rufloxacin. The method involved a single solid-phase extraction (SPE) on C(18) followed by the analysis of all fluoroquinolones in a single chromatographic run using LC-ESI-MS/MS. Lomefloxacin was employed as the internal standard (IS). The limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.5 ng/g in milk, much lower than the maximum residue limit (MRL) of 100 ng/g of enrofloxacin established by the Ministry of Agriculture of China. Standard curves were linear (r > 0.99) over the concentration range of 0.5-200 ng/g with good accuracy and precision. The method has been successfully applied to the analysis of 22 different brands of cow's milk on the Chinese market.

Background : Perineural invasion (PNI) and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) are associated with poor prognosis in colorectal cancer, but their clinical significance is still controversial for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) who had received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) and surgical resection. The aim of this study was to confirm the correlation between PNI and/or LVI and clinical prognosis and to further confirm whether PNI and/or LVI can be used as potential prognostic indicators of adjuvant chemotherapy after nCRT and surgery in LARC. Methods : From February 2002 to December 2012, a total of 181 patients with LARC who had received nCRT and surgical resection were retrospectively reviewed. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were determined by the Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test, and Cox proportional hazard regression model. Results : The median follow-up time was 48 months (range, 3 to 162 months). All the PNI-positive and/or LVI-positive patients showed adverse DFS and OS ( P <0.001). In multivariate analysis, PNI and LVI were independent prognostic factors for DFS. PNI, rather than LVI, was also an independent prognostic factor for OS. In a subgroup analysis, PNI-positive, rather than LVI-positive, may benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. Conclusion : For patients with LARC undergoing nCRT and surgery, PNI-positive and/or LVI positive were associated with poorer DFS and OS. And PNI-positive, rather than LVI-positive, may benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.

The San Wu Huangqin Decoction (SWHD), a traditional Chinese medicine formula, is used to treat colds caused by exposure to wind-pathogen, hyperpyrexia, infectious diseases and cancer; moreover, it is used for detoxification. The individual herbs of SWHD, such as Sophora flavescens and Scutellaria baicalensis, exhibit a wide spectrum of antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticancer and other properties. The Chinese compound formula of SWHD is composed of S. flavescens, S. baicalensis and Rehmannia glutinosa. However, the effect of SWHD on the influenza virus (IFV) and its mechanism remain unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate, for the first time, whether SWHD could be used to treat influenza. Results showed that SWHD could effectively inhibit influenza A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) virus at different stages of viral replication (confirmed through antiviral effect assay, penetration assay, attachment assay and internalization assay) in vitro. It could reduce the infection of the virus in a dose- and time-dependent manner, as confirmed by observing the cell cytopathic effect and calculating the cell viability (p < 0.05). SWHD demonstrated better antiviral activity than oseltamivir in the evaluation of antiviral prophylaxis on influenza (p < 0.05). The antiviral activity of SWHD may be related to its regulation ability on the immune system. Western blot, real-time polymerase chain reaction and indirect immunofluorescence assay showed that the expression of the four target viral proteins of the IFV (namely, haemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA), nucleoprotein (NP) and matrix-2 (M2)) reduced significantly (p < 0.05). Moreover, SWHD (23.40 and 11.70 g/kg) significantly alleviated the clinical signs, reduced the mortality and increased the survival time of infected mice (p < 0.05). The lung index, virus titres, pathological changes in lung tissues and the expression of key proteins of the IFV in mice also decreased (p < 0.05). In conclusion, SWHD possessed anti-influenza activity. This work provided a new view of complementary therapy and drug discovery for clinical treatment.

SUMMARY BackgroundThe association between meat consumption and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still inconclusive.

BackgroundIncreasing evidence suggests that cancer-associated inflammation is associated with poorer outcomes. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), considered as a systemic inflammation marker, is thought to predict prognoses in colorectal cancer. In this study, we explored the association between the NLR and prognoses following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC).Material/MethodsFrom February 2002 to December 2012, a group of 202 patients diagnosed with LARC and receiving neoadjuvant CRT followed by radical surgery was included in our retrospective study. The associations between the pre-CRT NLR and clinicopathological characteristics, as well as the predictive value of pre-CRT NLR against survival outcomes, were analyzed.ResultsThe average NLR was 2.7±1.5 (median 2.4, range 0.6–12.8). There were 63 (31.2%) patients with NLR ≥3.0, and 139 (68.8%) patients with NLR <3.0. Correlation analyses showed that no clinicopathological characteristics except age were associated with NLR. We did not find an association between NLR and survival outcomes. In multivariate Cox model analyses, the R1/R2 resection, lymph node ratio ≥0.1, and perineural/lymphovascular invasion were independently associated with worse disease-free survival and overall survival.ConclusionsIn our cohort, the NLR did not correlate with survival outcomes in LARC patients undergoing neoadjuvant CRT. The prognostic value of NLR should be validated in large-scale prospective studies.

Previous studies have been inconsistent with respect to the reported associations between phospho-Akt (p-Akt) overexpression and lung cancer prognosis. In this study, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the prognostic value of p-Akt in patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Relevant articles were identified by searching MEDLINE. Hazard risks (HRs) from individual studies were calculated and pooled by using a random-effect model, and heterogeneity and publication bias analyses were also performed. Finally, 18 studies comprising 2,353 patients were included in the metaanalysis. p-Akt overexpression was associated with worse survival in NSCLC patients, and the pooled HRs for all the studies was 1.38 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.11-1.70; p < 0.01). After subgroup analysis, the association was strengthened in the surgery treatment group, with an HR of 1.44 (95% CI: 1.19-1.75; p < 0.01), while in the tyrosine kinase inhibitors treatment group, the statistical significance disappeared (HR: 1.22, 95% CI: 0.70-2.14; p 5 0.48). The HR in cases of early stage disease (I-III) was 1.35 (95% CI: 1.08-1.69; p 5 0.04); however, in cases of late stage disease (III-IV), the association became non-significant (HR: 1.22, 95% CI: 0.64-2.33; p 5 0.54). Our results suggest that there was a significantly inverse association between p-Akt overexpression and the prognosis of NSCLC patients, and that this association appeared to be limited in early-stage patients who underwent surgery.Lung cancer is one of the most common malignancies and the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide.1 Nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for about 85% of all lung cancer cases, and its 5-year survival rate remains at approximately 17%, despite improvements in cancer therapies over the past few decades.2 Most recently, a number of potential prognostic markers for lung cancer have been identified, including EGFR, k-Ras, p53, ERCC1 and BRCA1.

These findings indicate that the Ephedra-Gypsum extract has antipyretic and anti-asthmatic properties. Hence, the results support additional scientific evidence in prescriptions.