Few studies have addressed the impact of diagnostic urine metabolites and the clinical outcomes a... more Few studies have addressed the impact of diagnostic urine metabolites and the clinical outcomes associated with genitourinary urothelial (GU) cancer to date. Furthermore, longitudinal analysis of the dynamics of urine metabolites contributing to the detection of GU cancer has not yet been fully investigated; therefore, the discovery of novel diagnostic urine biomarkers is of enormous interest. We explored the correlation of the urine metabolomic profiles to GU cancers. The aqueous metabolites of the GU cancer and the control were also identified and analyzed through high-resolution1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Compared with the control, the urine metabolites of the tumor were studied in relation to changes over time in a linear mixed model for repeated measures. The urine metabolites of sixty-three (44 male and 19 female) patients with GU cancers were systemically analyzed. The urine metabolite profile in GU cancer was significantly higher than those in the contr...
Introduction: The effects of Gassless single port retroperitoneoscopic surgery with urologic dise... more Introduction: The effects of Gassless single port retroperitoneoscopic surgery with urologic diseaseremain unclear. In this retrospective review, we aim to elucidate the effect of the Gassless retroperitoneoscopy for urologic disease. Methods: We retrospectively enrolled five consecutive patients who visited the urologic department for urologic disease from January 2016 to October 2016. All cases were followed up at least 12 months postoperatively. Of these, two renal mass, two adrenal tumors and one ureter stricture were reports. Result: There were no significant differences between the characteristics of these groups. (p<0.05) The total complications and bleeding did not tend to difference to the discovered between the multiple port laparoscopic surgery. Archives of Nephrology and Urology 78 Postoperative length of stay and outcome were no difference then before data. Conclusion: Our data revealed that Gassless single port retroperitoneoscopy surgery for urologic disease were achieved favorable outcomes for patients with urologic disease.
The associations between the treatment outcomes of benign prostatic hyperplasia/benign prostatic ... more The associations between the treatment outcomes of benign prostatic hyperplasia/benign prostatic obstruction and lifelong health status, including urologic cancer incidence as well as geriatric adverse events (AEs), are unknown. This retrospective cohort study analyzed claims data collected during the period of 1997–2012 from Taiwan’s Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000. Patients who received transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) were prioritized, and the remaining patients who were prescribed alpha-blockers were, subsequently, identified. Patients in the TURP and medication-only groups were further divided into two groups, according to the presence or absence of AEs during the first six-month follow-up. Outcomes of primary interest were all-cause mortality, occurrence of prostate cancer, transurethral resection of the bladder tumor, and radical cystectomy for bladder cancer. Compared with patients in the AE-free TURP group, those in the TURP with AEs had a higher r...
Gossypol, a natural polyphenolic compound extracted from cottonseed oil, has been reported to pos... more Gossypol, a natural polyphenolic compound extracted from cottonseed oil, has been reported to possess pharmacological properties via modulation cell cycle and immune signaling pathway. However, whether gossypol has anti-inflammatory effects against phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced cytokine secretion in T lymphocytes through similar mechanism remains unclear. Using the T lymphocytes Jurkat cell line, we found that PHA exposure caused dramatic increase in interleukin-2 (IL-2) mRNA expression as well as IL-2 secretion. All of these PHA-stimulated reactions were attenuated in a dose-dependent manner by being pretreated with gossypol. However, gossypol did not show any in vitro cytotoxic effect at doses of 5-20 μM. As a possible mechanism underlying gossypol action, such as pronounced suppression IL-2 release, robust decreased PHA-induced phosphorylation of p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase expressions was found with gossypol pretreatment, but not significant phosphorylation of extracellul...
The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of switching from 0.2 mg t... more The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of switching from 0.2 mg tamsulosin to 0.4 mg tamsulosin oral controlled absorption system (OCAS) over a 12-week period in Taiwanese men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Taiwanese male patients who were dissatisfied with treatment with 0.2 mg tamsulosin were enrolled in this clinical study and switched to 0.4 mg tamsulosin OCAS. Efficacy was assessed over a 12-week period by an International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) questionnaire and analysis of urinary flow by uroflowmetry. A statistically significant improvement was observed in total IPSS scores from baseline (14.94±7.41, moderate) to 12 weeks (7.36±5.77, mild) in 81 patients who were switched from 0.2 to 0.4 mg tamsulosin OCAS (<0.001). The IPSS subscores for storage, voiding, nocturia, and quality of life (QOL) were also significantly improved over the 12-week period. Uroflowmetry analysis de...
Renal pelvis cancer with invasion of the renal vein or inferior vena cava (IVC) carries a poor pr... more Renal pelvis cancer with invasion of the renal vein or inferior vena cava (IVC) carries a poor prognosis. The present study investigated whether early-onset lung metastasis in these patients contributes to their poor outcome. Data were retrospectively collected from hospitalized patients with metastatic renal pelvis urothelial cancer. The parameters used to estimate the risk of lung metastasis were based on computed tomographic (CT) scans. The parameters included sex, age (≤65 years or >65 years), site (right or left side), metastasis to para-aortic lymph nodes (LNs), suspicion of peritoneal spread, IVC involvement, and renal vein involvement. There were 71 cases including: 40 (56%) patients with lung metastasis (22 early-onset and 18 late-onset), 68 (96%) with suspicion of peritoneal spread, 38 (54%) with para-aortic LN metastasis, 10 (14%) with IVC involvement, and 53 (74%) with renal vein involvement. Sixty-four cases were evaluated to estimate the risk of lung metastasis. Tum...
Although widely deemed as a tumor suppressor gene, the role of B-cell translocation gene 2 (BTG2)... more Although widely deemed as a tumor suppressor gene, the role of B-cell translocation gene 2 (BTG2) in bladder cancer is still inconclusive. We investigated the role and regulatory mechanism of BTG2 in bladder cancer. BTG2 expression in human bladder tissues was determined by RT-qPCR and immunoblotting assays. Expressions of BTG2 and PTEN in bladder carcinoma cells were determined by immunoblotting, RT-qPCR, or reporter assays. TheH-thymidine incorporation assay, flow cytometry, and the xenograft animal model were used to determine the cell growth. BTG2 expression was lower in human bladder cancer tissues than normal bladder tissues. Highly differentiated bladder cancer cells, RT4, expressed higher BTG2 than the less-differentiated bladder cancer cells, HT1376 and T24. Overexpression of BTG2 in T24 cells inhibited cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Camptothecin and doxorubicin treatments in RT-4 cells or transient overexpression of p53 into p53-mutant HT1376 cells induced p53 and BTG2 ...
Capillarisin (Cap), an active component of Artemisia capillaris root extracts, is characterized b... more Capillarisin (Cap), an active component of Artemisia capillaris root extracts, is characterized by its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties. Nevertheless, the functions of Cap in prostate cancer have not been fully explored. We evaluated the potential actions of Cap on the cell proliferation, migration and invasion of prostate carcinoma cells. Cell proliferation and cell cycle distribution were measured by water-soluble tetrazolium-1 and flow cytometry assays. The expression of cyclins, p21, p27, survivin, matrix metallopeptidase (MMP2 and MMP9) were assessed by immunoblotting assays. Effects of Cap on invasion and migration were determined by wound closure and matrigel transmigration assays. The constitutive and interlukin-6 (IL-6)-inducible STAT3 activation of prostate carcinoma cells were determined by immunoblotting and reporter assays. Capillarisin inhibited androgen-independent DU145 and androgen-dependent LNCaP cell growth through the induction of cell c...
To evaluate the long-term surgical outcomes of patients with urinary retention (UR) caused by a b... more To evaluate the long-term surgical outcomes of patients with urinary retention (UR) caused by a benign prostatic obstruction (BPO) who underwent transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), and compare their outcomes with those of patients who received medication without surgical intervention. This retrospective cohort study analyzed claims data collected during the period of 1997-2012 from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. We examined geriatric adverse events among patients who had received a diagnosis of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia and whom experienced UR, and compared those who received TURP and medication only. Primary outcomes included urinary tract infection (UTI), UR, inguinal hernia, hemorrhoids, stroke, acute myocardial infarction, and bony fracture. We excluded patients who had concomitant prostate cancer, bladder cancer, or a long-term urinary catheter indwelling, as well as those who did not receive α-blocker medication regularly. ...
Exposure to inorganic arsenic (InAs) has been documented as a risk factor for lung cancer. This s... more Exposure to inorganic arsenic (InAs) has been documented as a risk factor for lung cancer. This study examined the association between InAs exposure, its metabolism, and lung cancer occurrence. We followed 1,300 residents from an arseniasis area in Taiwan, determined urinary InAs metabolites, and identified 39 lung cancer cases. Cox proportional hazards model was performed. The results demonstrated that participants with either the primary methylation index [monomethylarsonic acid (MMA)/InAs] or the secondary methylation index [dimethylarsenic acid (DMA)/MMA] lower than their respective median values were at a higher risk of lung cancer (HRs from 3.41 to 4.66) than those with high methylation capacity. The incidence density of lung cancer increased from 79.9/100,000 (year) to 467.4/100,000 (year) for residents with low methylation capacity and from 0 to 158.5/100,000 (year) for residents with high methylation capacity when the arsenic exposure dose increased from 2 to 10 ppb to ≥200 ppb, respectively. The analyses revealed a dose-response relationship between lung cancer occurrence and increasing arsenic concentrations in drinking water as well as cumulative arsenic exposure (monotonic trend test; &amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.05 and &amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.05, respectively) among the residents with low methylation capacity. The relationship between arsenic exposure and lung cancer among high methylators was not statistically significant. Hypomethylation responses to InAs exposure may dose dependently increase lung cancer occurrence. The high-risk characteristics observed among those exposed should be considered in future preventive medicine and research on arsenic carcinogenesis. .
The aging male : the official journal of the International Society for the Study of the Aging Male, 2017
To evaluate the surgical outcomes of stroke patients with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasi... more To evaluate the surgical outcomes of stroke patients with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) who underwent transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and compare the clinical outcomes between patients with stroke and those without stroke receiving this procedure. This retrospective cohort study analyzed claims data collected during the period of 1997-2012 from Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. We enrolled 6625 patients who had persistent lower urinary tract symptoms and underwent TURP for BPH. They were categorized into a stroke (n = 577) and nonstroke (n = 6048) group. Patient characteristics, postoperative clinical outcomes, medication records, and medical expenses were compared. Compared with the stroke group patients, those in the nonstroke group were younger, had fewer comorbidities, and more favorable postoperative clinical outcomes. Nevertheless, TURP achieved favorable outcomes in stroke patients with symptomatic BPH. In the stroke group, th...
We assessed the lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs) and clinical outcomes between diabetes melli... more We assessed the lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs) and clinical outcomes between diabetes mellitus (DM) patients and non-diabetic (non-DM) patients receiving transurethral resection of prostate (TUR-P). This analysis was a retrospective cohort study using 13 years (2000-2012) of claims data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). A total of 4,887 patients who had persistent LUTSs and underwent TUR-P for prostate enlargement (benign prostate enlargement [BPE]) were enrolled and divided into two groups: DM and non-DM groups. The patients' characteristics, postoperative clinical outcomes, and the medication records after TUR-P were compared. Chi-square test was used for categorical variables and independent samples t-test for continuous variables. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to compare the risk of postoperative outcomes. Finally, we estimated the medication-free survival rate after TUR-P using Kaplan-Meier method and compared...
Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), a bioactive component of propolis, is considered as a new an... more Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), a bioactive component of propolis, is considered as a new anti-cancer agent. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common oral cancer with unsatisfying survival. N-myc downstream regulated family genes (NDRGs) involve in numerous physiological processes. We investigated the anti-cancer effect of CAPE on OSCC and related mechanisms. Cell proliferation assay, western blot, gene transfection and knockdown, and reporter assay were applied. We showed that CAPE attenuated OSCC cell proliferation and invasion in vitro, and safely and effectively inhibited OSCC cell growth in a xenograft animal model. CAPE treatment induced NDRG1, but not NDRG2 and NDRG3, expression in OSCC cells as determined by western blot, RT-qPCR, and reporter assay. The 5&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;-deletion assay demonstrated that CAPE increased NDRG1 promoter activity depending on the region of -128 to +46 of the 5&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;-flanking of NDRG1 gene. NDRG1 gene knockdown attenuated CAPE anti-growth effect on OSCC cells. CAPE activated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. The extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) inhibitor (PD0325901) and ERK1 knockdown blocked CAPE-induced NDRG1 expression in OSCC cells. CAPE activated MAPK signaling pathway and increased NDRG1 expression through phosphorylation of ERK1/2 to repress OSCC cells growth.
Few studies have addressed the impact of diagnostic urine metabolites and the clinical outcomes a... more Few studies have addressed the impact of diagnostic urine metabolites and the clinical outcomes associated with genitourinary urothelial (GU) cancer to date. Furthermore, longitudinal analysis of the dynamics of urine metabolites contributing to the detection of GU cancer has not yet been fully investigated; therefore, the discovery of novel diagnostic urine biomarkers is of enormous interest. We explored the correlation of the urine metabolomic profiles to GU cancers. The aqueous metabolites of the GU cancer and the control were also identified and analyzed through high-resolution1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Compared with the control, the urine metabolites of the tumor were studied in relation to changes over time in a linear mixed model for repeated measures. The urine metabolites of sixty-three (44 male and 19 female) patients with GU cancers were systemically analyzed. The urine metabolite profile in GU cancer was significantly higher than those in the contr...
Introduction: The effects of Gassless single port retroperitoneoscopic surgery with urologic dise... more Introduction: The effects of Gassless single port retroperitoneoscopic surgery with urologic diseaseremain unclear. In this retrospective review, we aim to elucidate the effect of the Gassless retroperitoneoscopy for urologic disease. Methods: We retrospectively enrolled five consecutive patients who visited the urologic department for urologic disease from January 2016 to October 2016. All cases were followed up at least 12 months postoperatively. Of these, two renal mass, two adrenal tumors and one ureter stricture were reports. Result: There were no significant differences between the characteristics of these groups. (p&lt;0.05) The total complications and bleeding did not tend to difference to the discovered between the multiple port laparoscopic surgery. Archives of Nephrology and Urology 78 Postoperative length of stay and outcome were no difference then before data. Conclusion: Our data revealed that Gassless single port retroperitoneoscopy surgery for urologic disease were achieved favorable outcomes for patients with urologic disease.
The associations between the treatment outcomes of benign prostatic hyperplasia/benign prostatic ... more The associations between the treatment outcomes of benign prostatic hyperplasia/benign prostatic obstruction and lifelong health status, including urologic cancer incidence as well as geriatric adverse events (AEs), are unknown. This retrospective cohort study analyzed claims data collected during the period of 1997–2012 from Taiwan’s Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000. Patients who received transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) were prioritized, and the remaining patients who were prescribed alpha-blockers were, subsequently, identified. Patients in the TURP and medication-only groups were further divided into two groups, according to the presence or absence of AEs during the first six-month follow-up. Outcomes of primary interest were all-cause mortality, occurrence of prostate cancer, transurethral resection of the bladder tumor, and radical cystectomy for bladder cancer. Compared with patients in the AE-free TURP group, those in the TURP with AEs had a higher r...
Gossypol, a natural polyphenolic compound extracted from cottonseed oil, has been reported to pos... more Gossypol, a natural polyphenolic compound extracted from cottonseed oil, has been reported to possess pharmacological properties via modulation cell cycle and immune signaling pathway. However, whether gossypol has anti-inflammatory effects against phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced cytokine secretion in T lymphocytes through similar mechanism remains unclear. Using the T lymphocytes Jurkat cell line, we found that PHA exposure caused dramatic increase in interleukin-2 (IL-2) mRNA expression as well as IL-2 secretion. All of these PHA-stimulated reactions were attenuated in a dose-dependent manner by being pretreated with gossypol. However, gossypol did not show any in vitro cytotoxic effect at doses of 5-20 μM. As a possible mechanism underlying gossypol action, such as pronounced suppression IL-2 release, robust decreased PHA-induced phosphorylation of p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase expressions was found with gossypol pretreatment, but not significant phosphorylation of extracellul...
The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of switching from 0.2 mg t... more The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of switching from 0.2 mg tamsulosin to 0.4 mg tamsulosin oral controlled absorption system (OCAS) over a 12-week period in Taiwanese men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Taiwanese male patients who were dissatisfied with treatment with 0.2 mg tamsulosin were enrolled in this clinical study and switched to 0.4 mg tamsulosin OCAS. Efficacy was assessed over a 12-week period by an International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) questionnaire and analysis of urinary flow by uroflowmetry. A statistically significant improvement was observed in total IPSS scores from baseline (14.94±7.41, moderate) to 12 weeks (7.36±5.77, mild) in 81 patients who were switched from 0.2 to 0.4 mg tamsulosin OCAS (<0.001). The IPSS subscores for storage, voiding, nocturia, and quality of life (QOL) were also significantly improved over the 12-week period. Uroflowmetry analysis de...
Renal pelvis cancer with invasion of the renal vein or inferior vena cava (IVC) carries a poor pr... more Renal pelvis cancer with invasion of the renal vein or inferior vena cava (IVC) carries a poor prognosis. The present study investigated whether early-onset lung metastasis in these patients contributes to their poor outcome. Data were retrospectively collected from hospitalized patients with metastatic renal pelvis urothelial cancer. The parameters used to estimate the risk of lung metastasis were based on computed tomographic (CT) scans. The parameters included sex, age (≤65 years or >65 years), site (right or left side), metastasis to para-aortic lymph nodes (LNs), suspicion of peritoneal spread, IVC involvement, and renal vein involvement. There were 71 cases including: 40 (56%) patients with lung metastasis (22 early-onset and 18 late-onset), 68 (96%) with suspicion of peritoneal spread, 38 (54%) with para-aortic LN metastasis, 10 (14%) with IVC involvement, and 53 (74%) with renal vein involvement. Sixty-four cases were evaluated to estimate the risk of lung metastasis. Tum...
Although widely deemed as a tumor suppressor gene, the role of B-cell translocation gene 2 (BTG2)... more Although widely deemed as a tumor suppressor gene, the role of B-cell translocation gene 2 (BTG2) in bladder cancer is still inconclusive. We investigated the role and regulatory mechanism of BTG2 in bladder cancer. BTG2 expression in human bladder tissues was determined by RT-qPCR and immunoblotting assays. Expressions of BTG2 and PTEN in bladder carcinoma cells were determined by immunoblotting, RT-qPCR, or reporter assays. TheH-thymidine incorporation assay, flow cytometry, and the xenograft animal model were used to determine the cell growth. BTG2 expression was lower in human bladder cancer tissues than normal bladder tissues. Highly differentiated bladder cancer cells, RT4, expressed higher BTG2 than the less-differentiated bladder cancer cells, HT1376 and T24. Overexpression of BTG2 in T24 cells inhibited cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Camptothecin and doxorubicin treatments in RT-4 cells or transient overexpression of p53 into p53-mutant HT1376 cells induced p53 and BTG2 ...
Capillarisin (Cap), an active component of Artemisia capillaris root extracts, is characterized b... more Capillarisin (Cap), an active component of Artemisia capillaris root extracts, is characterized by its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties. Nevertheless, the functions of Cap in prostate cancer have not been fully explored. We evaluated the potential actions of Cap on the cell proliferation, migration and invasion of prostate carcinoma cells. Cell proliferation and cell cycle distribution were measured by water-soluble tetrazolium-1 and flow cytometry assays. The expression of cyclins, p21, p27, survivin, matrix metallopeptidase (MMP2 and MMP9) were assessed by immunoblotting assays. Effects of Cap on invasion and migration were determined by wound closure and matrigel transmigration assays. The constitutive and interlukin-6 (IL-6)-inducible STAT3 activation of prostate carcinoma cells were determined by immunoblotting and reporter assays. Capillarisin inhibited androgen-independent DU145 and androgen-dependent LNCaP cell growth through the induction of cell c...
To evaluate the long-term surgical outcomes of patients with urinary retention (UR) caused by a b... more To evaluate the long-term surgical outcomes of patients with urinary retention (UR) caused by a benign prostatic obstruction (BPO) who underwent transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), and compare their outcomes with those of patients who received medication without surgical intervention. This retrospective cohort study analyzed claims data collected during the period of 1997-2012 from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. We examined geriatric adverse events among patients who had received a diagnosis of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia and whom experienced UR, and compared those who received TURP and medication only. Primary outcomes included urinary tract infection (UTI), UR, inguinal hernia, hemorrhoids, stroke, acute myocardial infarction, and bony fracture. We excluded patients who had concomitant prostate cancer, bladder cancer, or a long-term urinary catheter indwelling, as well as those who did not receive α-blocker medication regularly. ...
Exposure to inorganic arsenic (InAs) has been documented as a risk factor for lung cancer. This s... more Exposure to inorganic arsenic (InAs) has been documented as a risk factor for lung cancer. This study examined the association between InAs exposure, its metabolism, and lung cancer occurrence. We followed 1,300 residents from an arseniasis area in Taiwan, determined urinary InAs metabolites, and identified 39 lung cancer cases. Cox proportional hazards model was performed. The results demonstrated that participants with either the primary methylation index [monomethylarsonic acid (MMA)/InAs] or the secondary methylation index [dimethylarsenic acid (DMA)/MMA] lower than their respective median values were at a higher risk of lung cancer (HRs from 3.41 to 4.66) than those with high methylation capacity. The incidence density of lung cancer increased from 79.9/100,000 (year) to 467.4/100,000 (year) for residents with low methylation capacity and from 0 to 158.5/100,000 (year) for residents with high methylation capacity when the arsenic exposure dose increased from 2 to 10 ppb to ≥200 ppb, respectively. The analyses revealed a dose-response relationship between lung cancer occurrence and increasing arsenic concentrations in drinking water as well as cumulative arsenic exposure (monotonic trend test; &amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.05 and &amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.05, respectively) among the residents with low methylation capacity. The relationship between arsenic exposure and lung cancer among high methylators was not statistically significant. Hypomethylation responses to InAs exposure may dose dependently increase lung cancer occurrence. The high-risk characteristics observed among those exposed should be considered in future preventive medicine and research on arsenic carcinogenesis. .
The aging male : the official journal of the International Society for the Study of the Aging Male, 2017
To evaluate the surgical outcomes of stroke patients with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasi... more To evaluate the surgical outcomes of stroke patients with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) who underwent transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and compare the clinical outcomes between patients with stroke and those without stroke receiving this procedure. This retrospective cohort study analyzed claims data collected during the period of 1997-2012 from Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. We enrolled 6625 patients who had persistent lower urinary tract symptoms and underwent TURP for BPH. They were categorized into a stroke (n = 577) and nonstroke (n = 6048) group. Patient characteristics, postoperative clinical outcomes, medication records, and medical expenses were compared. Compared with the stroke group patients, those in the nonstroke group were younger, had fewer comorbidities, and more favorable postoperative clinical outcomes. Nevertheless, TURP achieved favorable outcomes in stroke patients with symptomatic BPH. In the stroke group, th...
We assessed the lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs) and clinical outcomes between diabetes melli... more We assessed the lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs) and clinical outcomes between diabetes mellitus (DM) patients and non-diabetic (non-DM) patients receiving transurethral resection of prostate (TUR-P). This analysis was a retrospective cohort study using 13 years (2000-2012) of claims data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). A total of 4,887 patients who had persistent LUTSs and underwent TUR-P for prostate enlargement (benign prostate enlargement [BPE]) were enrolled and divided into two groups: DM and non-DM groups. The patients' characteristics, postoperative clinical outcomes, and the medication records after TUR-P were compared. Chi-square test was used for categorical variables and independent samples t-test for continuous variables. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to compare the risk of postoperative outcomes. Finally, we estimated the medication-free survival rate after TUR-P using Kaplan-Meier method and compared...
Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), a bioactive component of propolis, is considered as a new an... more Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), a bioactive component of propolis, is considered as a new anti-cancer agent. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common oral cancer with unsatisfying survival. N-myc downstream regulated family genes (NDRGs) involve in numerous physiological processes. We investigated the anti-cancer effect of CAPE on OSCC and related mechanisms. Cell proliferation assay, western blot, gene transfection and knockdown, and reporter assay were applied. We showed that CAPE attenuated OSCC cell proliferation and invasion in vitro, and safely and effectively inhibited OSCC cell growth in a xenograft animal model. CAPE treatment induced NDRG1, but not NDRG2 and NDRG3, expression in OSCC cells as determined by western blot, RT-qPCR, and reporter assay. The 5&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;-deletion assay demonstrated that CAPE increased NDRG1 promoter activity depending on the region of -128 to +46 of the 5&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;-flanking of NDRG1 gene. NDRG1 gene knockdown attenuated CAPE anti-growth effect on OSCC cells. CAPE activated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. The extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) inhibitor (PD0325901) and ERK1 knockdown blocked CAPE-induced NDRG1 expression in OSCC cells. CAPE activated MAPK signaling pathway and increased NDRG1 expression through phosphorylation of ERK1/2 to repress OSCC cells growth.
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