Okadaic acid promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by inhibiting protein phosphatase 2A

As a specific inhibitor of serine/threonine protein phosphatases, okadaic acid (OA) has been found to be a tumor promoter. However, whether OA plays a role in metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been well elucidated. In this study, Hep3B and HepG2 cells were treated with different doses of OA and the cell viability was determined by CCK8 test. As a result, Hep3B and HepG2 cells showed no obvious cytotoxicity after OA treatment below 20 or 25 nM for 12 or 24 hours. However, wound healing, invasion, and migration abilities of HCC cells were significantly enhanced in the OA-treated groups than those of the control group (P < .05), measured by cell scratching and BD transwell assays. Moreover, we found that the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related key factors was changed upon OA treatment in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the activity of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in OA-treated cells was also decreased significantly compared with the control cells (P < .05). Interfering of PP2A subunit A or C caused a similar expression change of EMT-related key factors as the OA treatment in HCC cells. Our results suggest that OA promotes the EMT process of HCC cells by inhibiting the activity of PP2A.

Correlations between chromobox homolog 8 and key factors of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, especially in China, with high metastasis and poor prognosis. Recently, as the core component of the polycomb repressive complexes 1 (PRC1), chromobox protein homolog 8 (CBX8) is considered as an oncogene and prognostic marker in HCC.

Methods

A tissue microarray of 166 paired HCC and adjacent non-tumor samples were collected to identify the relationship between CBX8 and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) associated proteins by Spearman correlation analysis. Knock-down of CBX8 in HCC cells was conducted to detect the biologic functions of CBX8 in HCC metastasis.

Results

We found out that CBX8 was over-expressed in HCC and its expression was closely related to the metastasis of HCC patients. In addition, knock-down of CBX8 was found to inhibit the invasion and migration ability of HCC cells. Moreover, there was a significant relationship between expression of CBX8 and EMT associated proteins both in HCC cells and tumor tissues.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that CBX8 promotes metastasis of HCC by inducing EMT process.

Determination of Organophosphorous Pesticide Phosphamidon in Environmental Water with Luminol Chemiluminescence Detection

A novel chemiluminescence method has been developed for the determination of the organophosphorous pesticide phosphamidon in environmental water samples, based on the reaction of phosphamidon with luminolH2O2 in an alkaline medium using sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate as the enhancer. Under optimum conditions, the increased chemiluminescence intensity was proportional to the concentration of phosphamidon in the range of 0.011.0 g/mL and the detection limit was 0.0038 g/mL (3). The relative standard deviation was &lt;2 for 0.5 g/mL phosphamidon (n = 11). The proposed method was applied to the determination of phosphamidon residue in an environmental water sample with satisfactory results. Further study was focused on the mechanism of phosphamidon, and a possible mechanism was proposed.

Measurement of the cosmic ray proton spectrum from 40 GeV to 100 TeV with the DAMPE satellite

The precise measurement of the spectrum of protons, the most abundant component of the cosmic radiation, is necessary to understand the source and acceleration of cosmic rays in the Milky Way. This work reports the measurement of the cosmic ray proton fluxes with kinetic energies from 40 GeV to 100 TeV, with 2 ¹/₂ years of data recorded by the DArk Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE). This is the first time that an experiment directly measures the cosmic ray protons up to ~100 TeV with high statistics. The measured spectrum confirms the spectral hardening at ~300 GeV found by previous experiments and reveals a softening at ~13.6 TeV, with the spectral index changing from ~2.60 to ~2.85. Our result suggests the existence of a new spectral feature of cosmic rays at energies lower than the so-called knee and sheds new light on the origin of Galactic cosmic rays.

The Effects of Ginsenosides and Anserine on the Up-Regulation of Renal Aquaporins 1–4 in Hyperuricemic Mice

Hyperuricemia is a metabolic disease of the kidney that results in decreased uric acid excretion. Here, we aimed to investigate the effects of ginsenosides and anserine on hyperuricemia and the expression of aquaporin (AQP) 1–4, which are indicators of renal excretion. Ginsenosides and anserine were administered separately or together after the establishment of hyperuricemia with adenine in BALB/c mice. Renal function indexes such as serum uric acid, creatinine, and urea nitrogen were measured in each group of mice, and the expression of AQP1–4 in renal tissues was detected. Serum uric acid and urea nitrogen were decreased in the ginsenoside and the anserine +UA groups. Meanwhile, the uric acid excretion and clearance rate were clearly increased in the co-treatment +UA group ([Formula: see text].05). Moreover, ginsenosides or anserine ginsenosides or anserine alone and treatment with both increased the expression of AQP1–4; however, the synergistic effects were more significantly enhanced ([Formula: see text].01). We provide the first reported evidence that ginsenosides and anserine have synergistic effects on uric acid excretion. The improvement in renal function in hyperuricemic mice after treatment with ginsenosides and anserine may result from up-regulation of AQP1–4 expressions.

PTPN1 promotes the progression of glioma by activating the MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKT pathways and is associated with poor patient survival

Glioma is the most common primary brain tumor and is characterized by a poor prognosis. Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTPN1), as a non‑transmembrane protein tyrosine phosphatase, has been reported to serve a critical role in different diseases, including cancer. However, the role of PTPN1 in the progression of glioma remains unclear. The present study investigated the expression and clinicopathological characteristics of PTPN1 by analyzing the data from The Cancer Genome Atlas and 136 patients with glioma. It was indicated that PTPN1 was overexpressed in glioma tissues and served as a predictor for poor prognosis in patients with glioma. In addition, a series of in vitro experiments were performed to examine the underlying mechanism of PTPN1 overexpression and the clinical prognosis in patients with glioma. Knockdown of PTPN1 by small interfering RNA suppressed proliferation of glioma cells, including SF295 and A172. In addition, cell mobility was also inhibited by PTPN1 knockdown, downregulating the expression of matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP‑2) and MMP‑9. As indicated by western blot analysis, the mitogen‑activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular‑signal‑regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway and the phosphatidylinositol 3‑kinase (PI3K)/AKT serine/threonine kinase (AKT) signaling pathway was regulated by PTPN1, while knockdown of PTPN1 significantly suppressed the MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKT pathways, in addition to the downstream oncogenic transcription factor MYC Proto‑Oncogene. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that PTPN1 is upregulated in glioma tissue and the overexpression of PTPN1 predicted the poor prognosis of patients with glioma. PTPN1 promotes the progression of glioma by activating the MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKT pathways.

Downregulated Expression of Chromobox Homolog 7 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background: As an essential member of the Polycomb group (PcG) proteins, chromobox homolog 7 (CBX7) is found deregulated in some human cancers, and is thought to be a contributing factor in carcinogenesis. However, the expression and role of CBX7 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still not well characterized. Materials and Methods: The levels of the CBX7 protein were quantified in 75 paired HCC and adjacent nontumor tissues by immunohistochemistry; comparisons were made using McNemar's chi-square test. The Kaplan-Meier estimate was used for survival analysis. Results: We found that the expression of CBX7 in HCC tissues was significantly lower than that of adjacent nontumor tissues. In addition, decreased CBX7 expression levels were correlated with liver cirrhosis in HCC patients. Furthermore, the survival times of HCC patients who were CBX7-expression-negative were shorter than HCC patients who were CBX7-expression-positive. Conclusion: Our results show that downregulation of CBX7 is related to HCC progression and a poor prognosis in HCC patients.

[Clinical analysis of hemorrhagic cystitis in children and adolescents with hematological diseases post haplo-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation]

目的

观察儿童及青少年血液病患者单倍型造血干细胞移植（haplo-HSCT）后出血性膀胱炎（HC）的临床特征并探讨其影响因素。

方法

回顾性分析2015至2016年接受haplo-HSCT的89例儿童及青少年血液病患者的临床资料。

结果

全部89例患者中，≤14岁62例（儿童组）、>14~<18岁27例（青少年组）；男56例，女33例；中位移植年龄10（1~17）岁；急性淋巴细胞白血病（ALL）44例，急性髓系白血病（AML）33例，急性混合细胞白血病（AHL）3例，骨髓增生异常综合征（MDS）9例。移植物来源均为骨髓+外周血干细胞。全部89例患者中32例（36%）发生HC，其中迟发型31例，早发型1例；Ⅰ度6例、Ⅱ度16例、Ⅲ度8例、Ⅳ度2例；HC发病中位时间为移植后25（2~55）d，中位持续时间为19（3~95）d；所有患儿均获得治愈。儿童组HC发病率低于青少年组[27.4%（17/62）对55.6%（15/27），χ²=6.466，P<0.05]。儿童组中<5岁组HC发生率低于5~14岁组[0（0/12）对34%（17/50），χ²=4.043，P<0.05]。

结论

HC是儿童及青少年血液病患者haplo-HSCT的常见并发症，总体预后良好，年龄是其发生的影响因素。

Mannose receptor C type 2 mediates 1,25(OH)2D3/vitamin D receptor-regulated collagen metabolism through collagen type 5, alpha 2 chain and matrix metalloproteinase 13 in murine MC3T3-E1 cells

Vitamin D plays an important role in maintaining skeletal development and bone homeostasis. Although vitamin D has been extensively researched, the direct effect of 1,25(OH)₂D₃ on osteoblasts is unclear. To explore the 1,25(OH)₂D₃ action on murine osteoblasts, we performed tandem mass tag experiments on MC3T3-E1 cells treated with and without 1,25(OH)₂D₃. Three up-regulated proteins (MRC2, WWTR1 and RASSF2) related to bone metabolism were confirmed in this study. 1,25(OH)₂D₃ up-regulated the expression of MRC2 through vitamin D receptor. MRC2 affects collagen metabolism in osteoblasts. Combined with bioinformatics and parallel reaction monitoring analysis, we inhibited the expression of MRC2 to explore the relationship between MRC2 and collagens. Then we found MRC2 down-regulated COL5A2 and up-regulated MMP13. This study provides a protein profile of 1,25(OH)₂D₃-treated murine osteoblasts, reveals a newly discovered signaling axis (1,25(OH)₂D₃/VDR/MRC2/COL5A2 and MMP13), and explains the effect of 1,25(OH)₂D₃ on bone metabolism from a new perspective.

IgG1+ B-cell immunity predates IgE responses in epicutaneous sensitization to foods

BACKGROUND

The generation of IgE-mediated food allergy in humans is silent and only diagnosed upon manifestation of clinical symptoms. While experimental models have been used to investigate some mechanisms of allergic sensitization, the generation of humoral immunity and memory remains to be elucidated. Here, we defined the evolution of allergen-specific B-cell responses during epicutaneous sensitization to foods.

METHODS

Wild-type and genetic knockout animals, and drug or antibody strategies for cell depletion and immunoglobulin signaling blockade were used to investigate epicutaneous sensitization and disease progression; we analyzed allergen-specific germinal centers and IgG1⁺ memory B cells by flow cytometry, evaluated humoral responses, and determined clinical reactivity (anaphylaxis).

RESULTS

Epicutaneous sensitization caused microscopic skin damage, inflammation, and recruitment of activated dendritic cells to the draining lymph nodes. This process generated allergen-specific IgG1⁺ germinal center B cells, serum IgG1, and anaphylaxis that was mediated by the alternative pathway. Whether we used peanut and/or ovalbumin from the egg white for sensitization, the allergen-specific IgG1⁺ memory compartment predominantly exhibited an immature, pro-germinal center phenotype (PDL-2^- CD80^- CD35⁺ CD73⁺ ). Subsequent subclinical exposures to the allergen induced IgE⁺ germinal center B cells, serum IgE, and likely activated the classical pathway of anaphylaxis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data demonstrate that IgG1⁺ B-cell immunity against food allergens in epicutaneous sensitization precedes the generation of IgE responses. Therefore, the assessment of allergen-specific cellular and humoral IgG1⁺ immunity may help to identify individuals at risk of developing IgE-mediated food allergy and hence provide a window for therapeutic interventions.

Expression and Clinical Significance of CMTM6 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

This study aimed to examine the expression level and clinical significance of chemokine-like factor-like MARVEL transmembrane domain-containing family member 6 (CMTM6) in paired hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and adjacent nontumor tissues. The expression of CMTM6 was detected in 75 paired HCC and adjacent nontumor tissues by immunohistochemistry. Chi-square test was used to compare the difference of CMTM6 expression between HCC tissues and adjacent nontumor tissues. The clinic-pathological features and prognosis of HCC patients were collected to analyze the relationship with CMTM6 expression. The positive expression of CMTM6 in HCC tissues was significantly lower than that of adjacent nontumor tissues. The difference of CMTM6 expression between HCC tissues and paired adjacent nontumor tissues was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Furthermore, CMTM6 expression was correlated with HCC metastasis and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) (p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed tumor staging, metastasis, and AFP had a significant relationship with CMTM6 expression. In addition, the survival time of HCC patients was different between CMTM6 positive group and CMTM6 negative group by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis (p < 0.05). Downregulation of CMTM6 is related to HCC metastasis and the prognosis of HCC patients.

[Pharmacokinetics of generic dasatinib in the management of chronic myeloid leukemia in the choronie phase]

Objective: To evaluate the pharmacokinetics and bioequivalence of generic dasatinib in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in the choronie phase (CML-CP). Methods: Using randomized, parallel, overlapping, self-control designed study, a 100 mg dose of the reference or test tablet was given to 12 CML-CP patients who were resistant or intolerant to Imatinib and Nilotinib in a randomized two-way crossover design, and the plasma concentration of the medicine was assayed by HPLC-MS-MS. The main pharmacokinetic parameters and bioequivalence of the two formulations were evaluated. Results: The major pharmacokinetic parameters were as follows: C_max (209.01±58.69) μg/L and (223.07±79.51) μg/L, T_max (1.1±0.8) h and (1.1±0.8) h, T_1/2 (5.10±1.34) h and (4.39±0.74) h, AUC_0-τ (646.65±185.67) h·μg/L and (695.84±273.40) h·μg/L (all P>0.05); AUC_0-∝ (668.11±186.00) h·μg/L and (712.42±278.08) h·μg/L, MRT (5.32 ± 1.70) h and (4.68 ± 1.53) h (all P>0.05). Conclusion: The two formulations were bioequivalent.

E26 transformation (ETS)‑specific related transcription factor‑3 (ELF3) orchestrates a positive feedback loop that constitutively activates the MAPK/Erk pathway to drive thyroid cancer

Thyroid cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy of the endocrine system, the incidence of which has increased rapidly in the last 30 years. Genetic alterations in pathways, including the mitogen‑activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal‑regulated kinase (Erk) and phosphatidylinositol‑3‑kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathways, are the driving force behind the development of differentiated thyroid cancer cases into aggressive and undifferentiated forms of thyroid cancer. E26 transformation (ETS)‑specific related transcription factor‑3 (ELF3) belong to the epithelial‑specific subfamily of ETS transcription factors and has recently been reported to be involved in various pathophysiological processes. However, the role of ELF3 in thyroid cancer has not yet been investigated. In the present study, data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were analyzed, and it was revealed that ELF3 was overexpressed in patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Furthermore, the expression of ELF3 was found to be higher in thyroid cancer tissues with a B‑Raf proto‑oncogene (BRAF) mutation as determined by western blot analysis and IHC staining. Additionally, ELF3 overexpression predicted a poor prognosis in patients with PTC. The MAPK signaling pathway inhibitor PLX4032 was demonstrated to strongly attenuate ELF3 protein levels in BRAF‑mutant thyroid cancer cell lines. Knockdown of ELF3 with small interfering RNA (siRNA) inhibited the growth, clone formation, migration and invasion of BRAF mutant thyroid cancer cells. Mechanistically, ELF3 modulated the activity of the MAPK/Erk pathway via transcriptional regulation of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 family of receptors as determined by RT‑qPCR. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated ELF3 to be a potential prognostic marker for patients with thyroid cancer. Notably, ELF3 was demonstrated to form a positive feedback loop with MAPK pathways leading to the progression of BRAF‑mutant thyroid cancer.

Riligustilide Attenuated Renal Injury by the Blockade of Renin

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Nephropathy related with renin can be alleviated with ACE-inhibitors or AT1R blockers, whereas they might be ineffective after long-term administration because of a feedback production of enhanced renin. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a new category of anti-nephropathy medicine directly targeting renin. Riligustilide (C20), originally isolated from the Chinese herb Ligusticumporteri, a rhizome, was confirmed effective against many diseases.

METHODS

The therapeutic effect of C20 on renal injury and its underlying mechanism were investigated in three different nephrotic models, which were spontaneously hypertension rats (SHR) model, diabetic nephropathy in BTBR ob/ob mice model and 5/6-nephrectomized (5/6NX) rats model.

RESULTS

The intensity of kidney fibrosis was extensively decreased in the C20-treated rats compared to the vehicle animals. C20 significantly alleviated renal injury much more in 5/6 NX rats than in vehicle group. The rats in 5/6 NX without administrated C20 developed albuminuria earlier with more severe symptoms. Additionally, our findings showed that C20 down-regulated the renin expression and relocation of CREB-CBP complex in vivo and in vitro.

CONCLUSION

C20 plays importantly reno-protective roles most likely through the relocation of CREB-CBP complex.