There is increasing evidence that circular RNA (circRNA) are involved in cancer development, but the regulation and function of human circRNA remain largely unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that ZKSCAN1, a zinc finger family gene, is expressed in both linear and circular (circZKSCAN1) forms of RNA in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and cell lines. Here, we analyzed a cohort of 102 patients and found that expression of both ZKSCAN1 mRNA and circZKSCAN1 was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the HCC samples compared with that in matched adjacent nontumorous tissues by reverse transcription PCR (RT‐PCR). The low expression level of ZKSCAN1 was only associated with tumor size (P = 0.032), while the cirZKSCAN1 levels varied in patients with different tumor numbers (P < 0.01), cirrhosis (P = 0.031), vascular invasion (P = 0.002), or microscopic vascular invasion (P = 0.002), as well as with the tumor grade (P < 0.001). Silencing both ZKSCAN1 mRNA and circZKSCAN1 promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. In contrast, overexpression of both forms of RNA repressed HCC progression in vivo and in vitro. Silencing or overexpression of both forms of RNA did not interfere with each other. RNA‐seq revealed a very different molecular basis for the observed effects; ZKSCAN1 mRNA mainly regulated cellular metabolism, while circZKSCAN1 mediated several cancer‐related signaling pathways, suggesting a nonredundant role for ZKSCAN1 mRNA and circRNA. In conclusion, our results revealed two post‐translational products (ZKSCAN1 mRNA and circZKSCAN1) that cooperated closely with one another to inhibit growth, migration, and invasion of HCC. cirZKSCAN1 might be a useful marker for the diagnosis of HCC.

Objective:This systematic review examined whether radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a safe treatment modality for benign thyroid nodules (BTNs).Data Sources:PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library database were searched for articles that (a) targeted human beings and (b) had a study population with BTNs that were confirmed by fine-needle aspiration cytology and/or core needle biopsy.Study Selection:Thirty-two studies relating to 3409 patients were included in this systematic review.Results:Based on literatures, no deaths were associated with the procedure, serious complications were rare, and RFA appears to be a safe and well-tolerated treatment modality. However, a broad spectrum of complications offers insights into some undesirable complications, such as track needle seeding and Horner syndrome.Conclusions:RFA appears to be a safe and well-tolerated treatment modality for BTNs. More research is needed to characterize the complications of RFA for thyroid nodules.

No abstract

R. NP603, a novel and potent inhibitor of FGFR1 tyrosine kinase, inhibits hepatic stellate cell proliferation and ameliorates hepatic fibrosis in rats. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 301: C469 -C477, 2011. First published May 4, 2011 doi:10.1152/ajpcell.00452.2010.-Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) and its main receptor FGFR1 have been shown to promote hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation and proliferation. However, scant information is available on the anti-fibrogenic activity of FGFR1 inhibitors. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a selective FGFR1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor NP603 on HSC proliferation and hepatic fibrosis. We demonstrated that rat primary HSCs secreted significant amounts of FGF-2, and its tyrosine phosphorylation of FGFR1 was attenuated by NP603. NP603 inhibited HSC activaton by measuring the expression of ␣-smooth muscle actin (␣-SMA) and the production of type I collagen using ELISA. Furthermore, NP603 (25 M) in vitro strongly suppressed HSC growth induced by FGF-2 (10 ng/ml) and FCS. This effect correlated with the suppression of extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK) activity and its downstream targets cyclin D1 and p21. In addition, PO NP603 (20 mg·kg Ϫ1 ·day Ϫ1 ) administration significantly decreased hepatic collagen deposition and ␣-SMA expression in CCl4-treated rats. Collectively, these studies suggest that selective blocking of the FGFR1-mediated pathway could be a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of hepatic fibrosis.

No abstract