New clinical advances in treatment of postoperative large intestinal cancer through Chinese medicinal in combination with chemotherapy

Recently, there has been a big advance in treatment of large intestinal cancer with Chinese medicinal, especially integrated Chinese-Western therapy for patients with later and advanced stage large intestinal cancer has shown its unique superiority in raising survival rate and in reducing poisonous side effects of chemotherapy, etc. Establishment of effective Chinese medicinal injection, compound formula of Chinese medicinal and syndrome differential treatment for large intestinal cancer reduced side effects of chemotherapy, enhanced life quality of the patients and prevented postoperative relapse and metastasis.

Progress of clinical research into traditional Chinese medicine syndrome and treatment of large intestinal cancer

At present, the preferred method of treatment of large intestinal cancer, a frequent type of malignant tumor, is general treatment, the main part of which is operation. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment is also an important possible component. Research into TCM diagnosis and therapy for cancer of the large bowel, including reviews of TCM syndrome research and clinical therapy studies, has deepened in recent years. Although much has been achieved, many questions have yet to be solved. Based on a composition analysis of harvest, research on the distribution and rules of evolution for TCM syndrome and its relation to large intestinal cancer is still an important question for all researchers.

Expression and significance of TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand receptor DR4 in large intestine carcinoma

AIM: To explore the expression of TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) receptor DR4 in large intestinal carcinoma and its correlation with clinical pathological characteristics.

METHODS: SP immunohistochemical technique and flow cytometry were used to detect the expression of DR4 in 41 cases of large intestinal carcinoma and 9 cases of normal tissues.

RESULTS: The positive cell membrane and cytoplasmic expression were observed in large intestinal carcinoma and normal large intestine mucosal tissues. Of large intestinal carcinoma, DR4 was positively expressed in 65.85%. However, the positive rate of DR4 in the normal tissues was 22.20%, which was significant lower than that in the cancer tissues (P <0.05). The fluorescence index (FI) of DR4 protein in the normal mucosal tissues was 1.00±0.13, while that in the cancer tissues was 1.17±0.13. There was significant difference between them (P <0.05). DR4 expression in the cancer tissues was not correlated with the degree of differentiation and lymph node metastasis.

CONCLUSION: The expression of DR4 increases in large intestinal cancer tissue, but it is not correlated with differentiation.

Relationship between expression of gastrin, somatostatin mRNA and cell apoptosis and Bcl-2, Bax in large intestinal carcinoma

AIM: To explore the correlations the between expression of somatostatin (SS), gastrin (GAS) mRNA and cell apoptosis index (AI) and Bcl-2, Bax in large intestinal cancer.

METHODS: The expression of GAS and SS genes were detected in 62 colorectal cancer patients by nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the apoptosis of the cells was detected by TUNEL method. The protein expression of,Bcl-2, Bax, GAS, and SS were detected using immunohistochemical staining (S-P method).

RESULTS: The expression of GAS and SS mRNA and protein were basically consistent. The AI in SS high and moderate expression patients with large intestinal cancer was remarkably higher than that in SS low expression ones (q = 5.06, 3.95, both P < 0.01), while it was just opposite in GAS positive patients (q = 6.66, 6.33, P < 0.01). The positive rates of Bax and Bcl-2 expression had significant difference between SS (or GAS) high, moderate and low expression patients with large intestinal cancer (Bax: χ² = 9.24, 6.91, P < 0.05; Bcl-2: χ² = 7.17, 13.83, P < 0.05). The positive rate of Bax expression in SS high (80%, 8/10) and moderate (76.5%, 13/17) expression patients was notably higher than that in the low expression ones (40.0%, 14/35) (χ² = 5.24, 6.09, P < 0.05), but the rate of Bcl-2 expression was just opposite (χ² = 4.71, 4.70, P < 0.05). The positive rate of Bcl-2 expression in GAS high (90.9%,10/11) and moderate expression patients (86.7%,13/15) was markedly higher than that in the low expression ones (44.4%, 16/36) (χ² = 5.60, 7.69, P < 0.05), but the positive rate of Bax expression in GAS high expression patients (27.3%, 3/8) was obviously lower than that in the low expression ones (69.4%, 25/36) (χ² = 4.59, P < 0.05). Bax expression was not significantly different between moderate and low GAS positive patients. The value of GAS/SS was positively correlated with Bcl-2 expression (r = 0.34, P < 0.01), but negatively with the AI value and Bax expression (r = －0.546, P < 0.01; r = －0.299, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: GAS and SS play important roles in the regulation and control of cell apoptosis in large intestinal carcinoma, and the mechanism may be related to the aberrant expression of Bcl-2 and Bax.