Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common health‐related issues in the male individuals of western countries. Icaritin (ICT) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine that exhibits antitumor efficacy in variety of cancers including PCa. However, the precise function and detailed molecular mechanism of ICT in the regression of PCa remain unclear. Ubiquitin‐conjugating enzyme E2C (UBE2C) is an anaphase‐promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C)‐specific ubiquitin conjugating enzyme, which acts as an oncogene in PCa progression. The function of ICT in PCa was investigated in transgenic adenocarcinoma mouse prostate (TRAMP) mice using survival analysis, hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, TUNEL assay, and immunohistochemistry and in human PCa cell lines using various molecular techniques and functional assays including plasmid construction and transfection. Bioinformatic analyses were performed to identify the interaction between miRNA and UBE2C via the TargetScan algorithm. We demonstrated that ICT inhibited the development and progression of PCa in TRAMP mice by improving the survival rate and tumor differentiation. Furthermore, we found that ICT could significantly inhibit cell proliferation and invasion and induce apoptosis in PCa cells. Consistently, downregulation of UBE2C suppressed the proliferation and invasion of PCa cells. Moreover, a luciferase reporter assay confirmed that UBE2C was a direct target of miR‐381‐3p. Meanwhile, ICT simultaneously downregulated UBE2C expression and upregulated miR‐381‐3p levels in human PCa cells. Altogether, our findings provide a strong rationale for the clinical application of ICT as a potential oncotherapeutic agent against PCa via a novel molecular mechanism of regulating the miR‐381‐3p/UBE2C pathway.

Circular RNA UVRAG (circUVRAG), a type of non‐coding RNA, is derived and cyclized by part of the exon from the UVRAG gene. However, the role of circUVRAG in bladder cancer (BLCA) has not been reported. The purpose of the present study was therefore to characterize the role of circUVRAG in BLCA. Bioinformatics analysis showed interactive relationships among circUVRAG, microRNA‐223 (miR‐223), and fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2). Quantitative real‐time PCR was used to detect the expression of circUVRAG in BLCA cell lines. UM‐UC‐3 cells were stably transfected with siRNA against circUVRAG, and cell proliferation and migration ability were tested using the CCK8 assay, clone formation, and Transwell assays in vitro. Tumor xenograft formation and metastasis were determined using nude mice. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was used to confirm the subcellular localization of circUVRAG, and the luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm the relationships among circUVRAG, miR‐223, and FGFR2. Results showed that circUVRAG was upregulated in BLCA cell lines. Downregulation of circUVRAG expression suppressed proliferation and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. Downregulation of circUVRAG suppressed FGFR2 expression by “sponging” miR‐223, which was confirmed by rescue experiments and luciferase reporter assay. Overall, the results showed that downregulation of circUVRAG suppressed the aggressive biological phenotype of BLCA. Taken together, silencing circular RNA UVRAG inhibited bladder cancer growth and metastasis by targeting the miR‐223/FGFR2 axis, which may provide a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for the management of BLCA.

Consumption of diet high in soy products is suggested to contribute to lower prostate cancer incidence in Asian men. But little has been known about the influences of dietary patterns on gut microbiota and microbiota-mediated isoflavone metabolism. Here, we determined the influences of western pattern diet on prostate carcinogenesis, gut microbiota and microbiota-mediated equol metabolism using a transgenic adenocarcinoma of mouse prostate (TRAMP) model. We mimicked the western pattern diet using a high fat diet (HFD). TRAMP mice were fed with either control diet (CD) or HFD. At the age of 24 weeks, mice were orally administered daidzein over a 4-day period, and then sacrificed. The serum daidzein and equol were analyzed by ultra high performance liquid chromatography. Fecal microbiome was analyzed with fecal 16S rRNA pyrosequencing, and prostate was dissected and performed with histopathology. HFD could promote prostate carcinogenesis in TRAMP mice (p = 0.045). The daidzein showed no significant differences between CD and HFD groups, while equol was significantly decreased in HFD group (p = 0.019). Fecal microbiotas differed between the two groups, 21 microbial phylotypes were increased and 11 phylotypes were decreased in abundance in HFD group, including decreased abundance of equol-producing bacterium Adlercreutzia (0.08% vs. 0.27%). HFD may promote prostate carcinogenesis through adversely affecting equol-producing bacterium. Further functional validations are required to ascertain the mechanism of those HFD-responsive bacteria in carcinogenesis.

Background/Aims: We aim to investigate the impact of maternal high fat diet (HFD) on the development and progression of prostate cancer (PCa) in transgenic adenocarcinoma mouse prostate (TRAMP) offspring. Methods: The TRAMP model was used, and divided into maternal HFD group and normal diet (ND) group in the present study. Each group contained 36 TRAMP mice. Serum levels of leptin, adiponectin, interleukin (IL) -1α, IL-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 were measured by the 20th, 24th and 28th week old through ProcartaPlex Multiplex Immunoassay. Body fat ratio was measured by MiniQMR. Tumor formation rate was measured through hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, and mortality rate was measured meantime. Western blot was applied to determine the levels of Protein Kinase B (Akt) and Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). Results: The mortality rate of maternal HFD group was significantly higher than that of ND group (P = 0.046). The tumor formation rate was significantly higher in maternal HFD group than in ND group only in 20th week subgroup (P = 0.040). A significant increase of leptin was seen in maternal HFD 20th and 24th week subgroups (P = 0.001 and < 0.001, respectively) and a decrease of adiponectin was seen in maternal HFD 20th and 28th week subgroups (P =0.006 and < 0.001, respectively). Besides, an activated phos-Akt (P-Akt) and deactivated PTEN were observed in maternal HFD group. Conclusions: Maternal HFD could increase the standard serum leptin level, inhibit the expression of PTEN protein, promote P-Akt protein expression, activate the PI3K/Akt pathway, and ultimately promote the development and progression of PCa in TRAMP offspring.

Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate the prognostic value of preoperative plasma fibrinogen to predict oncological outcome and intravesical recurrence in upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma. Methods: This retrospective study comprised 130 patients with non-metastatic upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma who underwent surgery between June 2009 and June 2017 at a single center. Patients were categorized base on an optimal value of preoperative plasma fibrinogen. Progression-free and cancer-specific survival were assessed using Kaplan-Meier method. The associations between plasma fibrinogen and clinical outcomes were assessed with univariate and Multivariate analysis. Results: Elevated plasma fibrinogen was associated with advance tumor stage, high tumor grade and tumor size. No significant association was found between plasma fibrinogen and intravesical recurrence. Multivariate analysis revealed that plasma fibrinogen >= 3.602 g/L was an independent prognostic indicator for progression-free survival (HR = 2.18; 95% CI: 1.17-4.06; p = 0.01) and cancer- specific survival (HR = 2.2; 95% CI: 1.13-4.28; p = 0.02), as well as pathological T stage and tumor grade. Conclusions: Elevated preoperative plasma fibrinogen is an independent unfavorable prognostic factor for oncological outcomes in patients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma. However, there is no association between preoperative plasma fibrinogen and intravesical recurrence. As an effective and easily accessible biomarker, this parameter can be applied in pre-intervention risk stratification of upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma.