The Anticancer Effect of a Novel Quinoline Derivative 91b1 through Downregulation of Lumican

Quinoline derivatives have been reported to possess a wide range of pharmaceutical activities. Our group previously synthesized a series of quinoline compounds, in which compound 91b1 showed a significant anticancer effect. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the anticancer activity of compound 91b1 in vitro and in vivo, and screen out its regulated target. A series of cancer cell lines and nontumor cell lines were treated with compound 91b1 by MTS cytotoxicity assay and cell-cycle assay. In vivo anticancer activity was evaluated by a xenografted model on nude mice. Target prediction of 91b1 was assessed by microarray assay and confirmed by pancancer analysis. Relative expression of the target gene Lumican was measured by qRT-PCR. 91b1 significantly reduced tumor size in the nude mice xenograft model. Lumican was downregulated after 91b1 treatment. Lumican was proven to increase tumorigenesis in vivo, as well as cancer cell migration, invasion, and proliferation in vitro. The results of this study suggest that the anticancer activity of compound 91b1 probably works through downregulating the gene Lumican.

Evolving medical therapies for ulcerative colitis

Patients with ulcerative colitis have traditionally relied on sulfasalazine, mesalamine, and corticosteroids as the mainstay of medical therapy. Steroid-refractory, -dependent, or -intolerant patients have resorted to agents such as cyclosporine for short-term efficacy and 6-mercaptopurine or azathioprine for long-term efficacy. The next generation of evolving therapies includes many novel agents that target various aspects of the human immune response. Therapies that block the production or action of tumor necrosis factor have received much interest in inflammatory bowel disease. Treatments currently under study include interleukins, interferons, T-cell selective antibodies, molecules involved in cellular trafficking and signaling, mucosal healing or growth factors, and novel steroid agents. Other "less traditional" therapies, including probiotics, heparins, and anti-gastric ulcer remedies, challenge our understanding of the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis and may provide further insights into future therapies.

Antibiotics in inflammatory bowel disease

The use of antibiotics as primary therapy in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been an issue of great controversy among the experts in the field. Although the utility of certain antimicrobial agents in managing secondary complications, such as abscess formation, toxic megacolon and pouchitis, has been substantiated by clinical trials, clear evidence to support or undermine their use as primary therapeutic agents in IBD is lacking. This may be secondary to the fact that the etiology of IBD remains unknown, and, despite much speculation and research in the area, no infectious agent has been found to cause or contribute to the pathogenesis of these disorders. The dearth of data, in turn, has resulted in widely varying treatment strategies and a lack of a clear standard of care with regard to the use of antibiotics.

Five-year results of a randomized, prospective, clinical trial of diode vs argon laser trabeculoplasty for open-angle glaucoma

PURPOSE

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of laser trabeculoplasty (LTP) with a semiconductor diode laser (810 nm, [DLT]) vs an argon blue-green laser (488 to 514 nm, [ALT]).

METHODS

In a prospective, randomized clinical trial, 50 eyes of 46 patients with uncontrolled open-angle glaucoma on maximally tolerated medical therapy were treated and followed at regular intervals for 5 years. Fifty laser spots were applied over 180 degrees using either maximal laser power or sufficient power to produce blanching or a small bubble (570 to 850 mW, DLT; 400 to 1,100 mW, ALT). We performed DLT using a 100-microm spot size, a 0.5-second exposure, and a Ritch lens; we conducted ALT with a 50-microm spot, a 0.1-second exposure, and a Goldmann lens. Patients in the study were followed until trabeculectomy was required.

RESULTS

The mean follow-up times +/- SD for all eyes were 38.6 +/- 5.4 months, DLT (n = 22; range, 1 to 68 months) and 35.5 +/- 4.8 months, ALT (n = 28; range, 1 to 66 months). Those in the diode laser group (n = 16) who had more than 1 year of follow-up were tracked for 49.4 months, and those in the argon laser group (n = 21) were tracked for 45.8 months. There were no significant differences in the mean pretreatment intraocular pressures (IOPs): 21.2 mm Hg, DLT (n = 22) and 21.5, ALT 21.5 mm Hg (n = 28); P = .81] or in mean final IOPs (15.7 mm Hg, DLT and 17.1 mm Hg, ALT; P = .19). Time to surgical failure showed no significant differences, with 50% of the DLT eyes and 58% of the ALT eyes surviving at 5 years (P = .59).

CONCLUSION

In eyes with open-angle glaucoma and unsatisfactory IOP control on maximally tolerated medical therapy, DLT and ALT are equally effective in lowering IOP over a 5-year period.

Microbiologic evaluation of a hydrogen peroxide sterilization system

The reliability of chemical sterilizers (acetone and/or 30-percent hydrogen peroxide at 25 degrees C and at 60 degrees C) was tested against Bacillus subtilis inoculated onto glass slides, commercial biological indicator discs (Bacillus stearothermophilus and B. subtilis), and B. subtilis spore survival. Acetone alone was not sporicidal. Hydrogen-peroxide-sterilized glass slides were sterile after 5 minutes. The indicator discs required 25 minutes at 25 degrees C, and less than 3 minutes at 60 degrees C (P < .0001). The D value of B. subtilis in 27-percent hydrogen peroxide at 25 degrees C is 2 minutes, with z values of 22 degrees C and 26 degrees C at 25 degrees C and 40 degrees C, respectively. For delicate instruments, a 30-percent peroxide solution followed by an acetone rinse provides an effective alternative to classic heat sterilization.