Early results of quality of life for curatively treated rectal cancers in Chinese patients with EORTC QLQ-CR29

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Purpose</p> <p>To assess the quality of life in curatively treated patients with rectal cancer in a prospectively collected cohort.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Patients with stage I-III rectal cancer who were treated curatively in a single institution were accrued prospectively. Quality of life was assessed by use of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer questionnaire module for all cancer patients (QLQ-C30) and for colorectal cancer patients (QLQ-CR29). Quality of life among different treatment modalities and between stoma and nonstoma patients was evaluated in all patients.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 154 patients were assessed. The median time of completion for the questionnaires was 10 months after all the treatments. For patients with different treatment modalities, faecal incontinence and diarrhea were significantly higher in radiation group (p = 0.002 and p = 0.001, respectively), and no difference in male or female sexual function was found between radiation group and non-radiation group. For stoma and nonstoma patients, the QLQ-CR29 module found the symptoms of Defaecation and Embarrassment with Bowel Movement were more prominent in stoma patients, while no difference was detected in scales QLQ-C30 module.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our study provided additional information in evaluating QoL of Chinese rectal cancer patients with currently widely used QoL questionnaires. As a supplement to the QLQ-C30, EORTC QLQ-CR29 is a useful questionnaire in evaluating curatively treated patients with rectal cancer. Bowel dysfunction (diarrhea and faecal incontinence) was still the major problem compromising QoL in patients with either pre- or postoperative chemoradiotherapy.</p

Comparative Physiological Analysis of Methyl Jasmonate in the Delay of Postharvest Physiological Deterioration and Cell Oxidative Damage in Cassava

The short postharvest life of cassava is mainly due to its rapid postharvest physiological deterioration (PPD) and cell oxidative damage, however, how to effectively control this remains elusive. In this study, South China 5 cassava slices were sprayed with water and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) to study the effects of MeJA on reactive oxygen species, antioxidant enzymes, quality, endogenous hormone levels, and melatonin biosynthesis genes. We found that exogenous MeJA could delay the deterioration rate for at least 36 h and alleviate cell oxidative damage through activation of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase. Moreover, MeJA increased the concentrations of melatonin and gibberellin during PPD, which had a significant effect on regulating PPD. Notably, exogenous MeJA had a significant effect on maintaining cassava quality, as evidenced by increased ascorbic acid content and carotenoid content. Taken together, MeJA treatment is an effective and promising way to maintain a long postharvest life, alleviate cell oxidative damage, and regulate storage quality in cassava

Testosterone Promotes the Proliferation of Chicken Embryonic Myoblasts Via Androgen Receptor Mediated PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway

Testosterone (T) is essential for muscle fiber formation and growth. However, the specific mechanism by which T regulates skeletal muscle development in chicken embryos remains unclear. In this study, the role of T in myoblast proliferation both in vivo and in vitro was investigated. Results showed that the T administration significantly increased the ratio of breast muscle and leg muscle. T induced a significant increase in the cross-sectional area (CSA) and density of myofiber and the ratio of PAX7-positive cells in the skeletal muscle. Exogenous T also induced the upregulation of myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs) and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK2)/Cyclin D1 (CCND1) and protein levels of androgen receptor (AR), p-Akt and PAX7. Furthermore, T treatment significantly promoted myoblasts cultured in vitro entering a new cell cycle and increased PAX7-positive cells. The mRNA and protein expression of AR and PAX7 were upregulated when treated with T compared to that of the control. The addition of T induced proliferation accompanied by increasing AR level as well as PI3K (Phosphoinositide 3-kinase)/Akt activation. However, T-induced proliferation was attenuated by AR, PI3K, and Akt-specific inhibitors. These data indicated that the pro-proliferative effect of T was regulated though AR in response to the activation of PI3K/Akt signalling pathway

Responsiveness Expressions of Bitter Taste Receptors Against Denatonium Benzoate and Genistein in the Heart, Spleen, Lung, Kidney, and Bursa Fabricius of Chinese Fast Yellow Chicken

The present study was conducted to investigate the responsiveness expressions of ggTas2Rs against denatonium benzoate (DB) and genistein (GEN) in several organs of the Chinese Fast Yellow Chicken. A total of 300 one-day-old chicks that weighed an average of 32 g were randomly allocated into five groups with five replicates for 56 consecutive days. The dietary treatments consisted of basal diet, denatonium benzoate (5 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg, and 100 mg/kg), and genistein 25 mg/kg. The results of qRT-PCR indicated significantly (p &lt; 0.05) high-level expressions in the heart, spleen, and lungs in the starter and grower stages except for in bursa Fabricius. The responsiveness expressions of ggTas2Rs against DB 100 mg/kg and GEN 25 mg/kg were highly dose-dependent in the heart, spleen, lungs, and kidneys in the starter and grower stages, but dose-independent in the bursa Fabricius in the finisher stage. The ggTas2Rs were highly expressed in lungs and the spleen, but lower in the bursa Fabricius among the organs. However, the organ growth performance significantly (p &lt; 0.05) increased in the groups administered DB 5 mg/kg and GEN 25 mg/kg; meanwhile, the DB 20 mg/kg and DB 100 mg/kg treatments significantly reduced the growth of all the organs, respectively. These findings indicate that responsiveness expressions are dose-dependent, and bitterness sensitivity consequently decreases in aged chickens. Therefore, these findings may improve the production of new feedstuffs for chickens according to their growing stages

Influence of water temperature, habitat complexity and light on the predatory performance of the dark sleeperOdontobutis potamophila(Gunther, 1861)

Recently, the dark sleeper [Odontobutis potamophila(Gunther, 1861)] was selected as a potential aquaculture target. However, the feeding behavior of this species remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the influence of water temperature, habitat type, light intensity and photoperiod on the predatory performance of dark sleepers against juvenile demersal mrigal carp [Cirrhinus mrigala(Hamilton, 1822)] in the laboratory. Our results showed that both the prey consumption and the feeding rate of dark sleepers increased significantly with increases in water temperature (22-34 degrees C) and stabilized between 26-34 degrees C. Additionally, both the prey consumption and the feeding rate were higher in vegetated habitats than those in open areas at 22-30 degrees C, although no significant differences were detected. The prey consumption and the feeding rate of dark sleepers increased significantly with decreased light intensity (0-1350 lx) and shortened light duration (0-14 h), indicating that this fish prefers feeding in dark environments. These results will help elucidate the influence of environmental variables on this species' predatory performance and create suitable protocols for its culture

Function and mechanism of MCM8 in the development and progression of colorectal cancer

Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) has become a global health problem which has almost highest morbidity and mortality in all types of cancers. This study aimed to uncover the biological functions and underlying mechanism of MCM8 in the development and progression of CRC. The expression level of MCM8 was found to be upregulated in CRC tissues and significantly associated with tumor grade and patients’ survival. Knocking down MCM8 expression in CRC cells could restrain cell growth and cell motility while promoting cell apoptosis in vitro, as well as inhibit tumor growth in xenograft mice model. Based on the RNA screening performing on CRC cells with or without MCM8 knockdown and the following IPA analysis, CHSY1 was identified as a potential target of MCM8 in CRC, whose expression was also found to be higher in tumor tissues than in normal tissues. Moreover, it was demonstrated that MCM8 may regulate the expression of CHSY1 through affecting its NEDD4-mediated ubiquitination, both of which synergistically execute tumor promotion effects on CRC. In conclusion, the outcomes of our study showed the first evidence that MCM8 act as a tumor promotor in CRC, and may be a promising therapeutic target of CRC treatment