20-hydroxyecdysone enhances the expression of the chitinase 5 via Broad-Complex Zinc-Finger 4 during metamorphosis in silkworm, Bombyx mori

Insect chitinases are hydrolytic enzymes required for the degradation of chitin. They are essential for insect moulting and metamorphosis. In this study, the regulation mechanism of a chitinase gene, Bombyx mori chitinase 5 (BmCHT5), was studied. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that BmCHT5 was up-regulated during the larval-larval and larval-pupa transitions and notably induced by 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). Analysis of the BmCHT5 promoter revealed the presence of one Bombyx mori Broad-Complex Zinc-Finger Isoform 4 (BR-C Z4), two BR-C Z2 and two ecdysone-induced protein 74A (E74A) cis-regulatory elements (CREs) that are related to 20E. qRT-PCR showed that the expression of both BmBR-C Z4 and BmBR-C Z2 during metamorphosis, and when induced by 20E, was anastomotic with the variations in BmCHT5 mRNA level. In contrast, BmE74A did not follow this trend. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay did not retrieve a binding partner for the two BR-C Z2 CREs in the BmN cell line nuclear extract, whereas BR-C Z4 CRE specifically bound to BmBR-C Z4. Besides, luciferase activity analysis confirmed that BmBR-C Z4 could enhance the activity of the BmCHT5 promoter with BR-C Z4 CRE and could not enhance the promoter activity by mutating BR-C Z4 CRE. Taken together, these data suggest that the transcription factor BmBR-C Z4 enhances the expression of BmCHT5 during metamorphosis.

Abstract P2-08-11: An orally bioavailable selective estrogen receptor downregulator

Orally bioavailable selective estrogen receptor downregulators (SERDs) may offer greater systemic drug exposure, improved clinical efficacy, and more durable treatment outcome for breast cancer patients with disease progression following antiestrogen or aromatase inhibitor therapy. We report the design and synthesis of ZB716, a C-3 position boronic acid modified fulvestrant, which behaves as a steroidal SERD suitable for oral administration. ZB716 binds to ERa competitively at an IC50 of 4.1 nM as compared to 3.9 nM for fulvestrant, and it effectively downregulates ERa (IC50=12.7 nM) in both tamoxifen-sensitive (T47D) and tamoxifen-resistant (T47D/PKCa) breast cancer cells. It acts as an antiestrogen that exerts potent antiproliferative effects on tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cells (MCF-7/TamR, T47D/PKCa, and T47D/Y537S). When orally administered to mice, rats, and Beagle dogs, ZB716 demonstrates superior oral bioavailability in all animal-based pharmacokinetic studies when compared to fulvestrant administered by subcutaneous injection. More importantly, orally administered ZB716 was found to potently inhibit xenograft tumor growth in mice. These pre-clinical data strongly suggest that ZB716 is a promising SERD drug that could offer significant improvement over existing SERD regimen of Faslodex. ZB716 is being prepared in an IND application for phase 1 clinical trial in ER+, HER2- advanced breast cancer patients.

Citation Format: Wang G, Liu J, Zheng S, Miele L, Wiese T, Zhong Q, Guo S. An orally bioavailable selective estrogen receptor downregulator [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-08-11.

[Up-regulation of DLK1 in non-small cell lung cancer and the relevant molecular mechanism]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the expression of delta-like 1 homolog (DLK1) gene in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its regulatory mechanism.

METHODS

The expression levels of DLK1 protein in 204 NSCLC tissues were examined by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining, and the correlation between DLK1expression and clinicopathological features was analyzed. Bisulfate sequencing PCR (BSP) of DNA samples from the tumor tissues of 18 NSCLC patients was performed to evaluate the DNA methylation status of CpG island in the DLK1 promoter region, and also compared with the corresponding IHC staining of DLK1 protein in the same samples.

RESULTS

Among the 102 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) tissue specimens and their adjacent normal bronchial epithelia, DLK1 was up-regulated in 72 and 37 samples, respectively (P=0.001), and among 102 adenocarcinomas (ADC) tissues and their adjacent alveolar tissues, DLK1 was up-regulated in 77 and 7 samples, respectively (P<0.001). In addition, overexpression of DLK1 was significantly associated with histological type, clinical stage and tumor size of NSCLC (P<0.05 for all). The expression of DLK1protein was inversely correlated with its promoter methylation (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

DLK1 expression is up-regulated in NSCLCs, which may be due, at least in part, to the DNA hypomethylation in the promoter region of theDLK1 gene.

Donor Graft MicroRNAs: A Newly Identified Player in the Development of New-onset Diabetes After Liver Transplantation

New-onset diabetes after liver transplantation (NODALT) is a frequent complication with an unfavorable outcome. We previously demonstrated a crucial link between donor graft genetics and the risk of NODALT. We selected 15 matched pairs of NODALT and non-NODALT liver recipients using propensity score matching analysis. The donor liver tissues were tested for the expression of 10 microRNAs (miRNAs) regulating human hepatic glucose homeostasis. The biological functions of potential target genes were predicted using gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Both miR-103 and miR-181a were significantly highly expressed in the NODALT group as compared to the non-NODALT group. The predicted target genes (e.g. Irs2, Pik3r1, Akt2, and Gsk3b) were involved in glucose import and the insulin signaling pathway. We also observed dysregulation of miRNAs (e.g. let-7, miR-26b, miR-145, and miR-183) in cultured human hepatocytes treated with tacrolimus or high glucose, the two independent risk factors of NODALT identified in this cohort. The hepatic miRNA profiles altered by tacrolimus or hyperglycemia were associated with insulin resistance and glucose homeostatic imbalance as revealed by enrichment analysis. The disease susceptibility miRNA expressive pattern could be imported directly from the donor and consolidated by the transplant factors.

Human parvovirus B19 infection induced pure red cell aplasia in liver transplant recipients

AIM

Th aim of this study was to explore the diagnosis and treatment of pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) induced by human parvovirus B19 (HPV B19) infection in liver transplant recipients.

METHODS

We described and analysed the clinical manifestation, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of the 13 liver transplant recipients confirmed to have PRCA induced by HPV B19.

RESULTS

In the past 3 years, 13 liver transplant recipients out of a cohort of 570 recipients were confirmed to have PRCA induced by HPV B19. Some experienced fever (eight patients) but all of the patients had a gradual decline of haemoglobin levels within 2 months posttransplantation. The diagnosis was confirmed by several tests including bone marrow aspiration and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. All recipients achieved remission using symptomatic treatment that included intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG), immunosuppressive regimen switch and blood transfusion.

CONCLUSION

Pure red cell aplasia induced by HPV B19 infection is a disease with a favourable prognosis after symptomatic and supportive treatment. (i) Pure red cell aplasia anaemia is a prominent clinical sign of HPV B19 infection in liver transplant recipients. (ii) PCR technology combined with bone marrow aspiration and other laboratory examinations will meet the requirement for the diagnosis and suggests that the differential diagnosis includes PRCA and graft versus host disease (GVHD). (iii) IVIG is recommended as the first regimen for the treatment of PRCA induced by HPV B19 infection in liver transplant recipients. IVIG can be repeated if the patient has a relapse. (iv) A switch of the baseline immunosuppressive regimen may achieve a favourable curative effect.

Efficacy and safety of basiliximab in liver transplantation for patients with hepatitis B virus-related diseases: a single centre study

AIMS

We aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of basiliximab in liver transplantation (LT) for patients with hepatitis B virus-related diseases.

METHODS

A total of 268 patients with hepatitis B virus-related diseases undergoing LT were enrolled and divided into two groups according to the usage of basiliximab. Total survival, the survival of high-risk patients defined by the posttransplant model for predicting mortality, acute rejection rate, biochemical parameters and other follow-up data were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Group Bas was composed of 131 patients who received basiliximab, and Group Triple enrolled the other 137 patients who did not. Between the two groups, there was no significant difference in the cumulative survival of patients without hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or in the cumulative survival of patients with HCC. For patients with benign end-stage liver diseases, Group Bas had more patients with a high risk of short- and medium-term mortality than Group Triple (22.81% vs. 8.85%, p = 0.017), but the survival curves of the two groups were not significantly different. The 1-year incidence of acute rejection was lower in Group Bas, although the difference was not significant (8.75% vs. 15.33%, p > 0.05). In both Group Bas and Group Triple, the level of serum creatinine (Scr) at 1 week posttransplantation was significantly lower than pretransplantation (61.00 vs. 88.50 μmol/l, p < 0.001; 61.50 vs. 74.00 μmol/l, p < 0.001; respectively). There was a significant difference in the pretransplantation Scr between the two groups (88.50 vs. 74.00 μmol/l, p = 0.005), but the values of Scr decreased to the same level 1 week (61.00 vs. 61.50 μmol/l, p > 0.05) and 4 weeks (61.00 vs. 59.00 μmol/l, p > 0.05) after transplantation. Significantly fewer recipients in Group Bas experienced hepatitis B relapse than in Group Triple (2/131 vs. 13/137, p = 0.006).

CONCLUSIONS

A basiliximab-induced immunosuppressive protocol is a safe regimen that achieves similar survival without increasing the acute rejection rate for LT recipients with hepatitis B virus-related diseases. For patients with benign end-stage liver diseases, this regimen reduces medium-term mortality in high-risk patients. This regimen remarkably improves renal function in the first month after LT and is correlated with a decreased hepatitis B recurrence rate in adult patients after LT.

Prospective cohort study of laparoscopic and open hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The safety and feasibility of laparoscopic hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with a diameter of 5 cm or less is well recognized. The role of laparoscopy in treating large HCC (5-10 cm) remains controversial. This prospective cohort study was undertaken to assess the short- and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic hepatectomy for large HCC and to compare this approach with open hepatectomy.

METHODS

Patients with a solitary HCC (diameter 5-10 cm) who underwent open or laparoscopic hepatectomy were enrolled in a prospective observational study from January 2012 to April 2015. Perioperative and follow-up data were analysed.

RESULTS

Some 128 patients underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy and 207 had an open hepatectomy. One and two perioperative deaths were reported in the laparoscopic and open groups respectively. Laparoscopic hepatectomy was converted to an open procedure in 12 (9·4 per cent) of 128 patients. More patients in the laparoscopic group underwent an anatomical hepatectomy than in the open group (45·3 versus 21·7 per cent; P = 0·001). The postoperative complication rate was 20·3 per cent for the laparoscopic group versus 35·7 per cent for the open group (P = 0·003). Mean(s.d.) duration of hospital stay was 11·4(3·1) and 15·8(7·7) days respectively (P < 0·001). One- and 3-year overall survival rates in the laparoscopic and open groups were 94·4 versus 93·6 per cent (P = 0·875), and 81·4 versus 82·2 per cent (P = 0·802), respectively. One- and 3-year disease-free survival rates were 89·4 versus 88·7 per cent (P = 0·825), and 67·3 versus 66·7 per cent (P = 0·902), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Laparoscopic hepatectomy is safe and feasible for the treatment of patients with large HCC.

Effect of sevoflurane anaesthesia on hepatic blood flow in infants with obstructive hepatobiliary disease

BACKGROUND

Currently most studies on anaesthetic effects on hepatic blood flow of cirrhotic patients have been performed on adults or experimental animals. We performed this study to evaluate the effect of sevoflurane anaesthesia on hepatic blood flow in infants with obstructive jaundice by Doppler ultrasound.

METHODS

Forty-four infants with biliary atresia (1-3 months of age) scheduled for a Kasai procedure were enrolled. Hepatic blood flow was calculated by Doppler ultrasound measurements before induction, and after inhalation of 2% and 3% sevoflurane. Infants were allocated to three groups according to baseline portal blood flow/hepatic artery blood flow: group A (portal blood flow/hepatic artery blood flow < 1), group B (1 ≤ portal blood flow/hepatic artery blood flow < 2) and group C (portal blood flow/hepatic artery blood flow ≥ 2). Changes in portal blood flow, hepatic artery blood flow and hepatic blood flow were compared among groups.

RESULTS

In group A (n = 9), the median (IQR) hepatic blood flow increased after inhalation of 2% sevoflurane compared to that before induction (from 49.7 (32.0-89.0) to 116.1 (40.4-159.1) ml/min; P = 0.035). Whereas in groups B and C in whom the ratio of portal blood flow and hepatic artery blood flow was normal or mildly changed, the increases in hepatic blood flow after sevoflurane anaesthesia were not significant.

CONCLUSIONS

For infants with obstructive jaundice that had reduced portal blood flow and compensatory increase in hepatic artery blood flow, sevoflurane may produce a protective effect on hepatic blood flow.

Targeting long non-coding RNA-TUG1 inhibits tumor growth and angiogenesis in hepatoblastoma

Hepatoblastoma is the most common liver tumor of early childhood, which is usually characterized by unusual hypervascularity. Recently, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) have emerged as gene regulators and prognostic markers in several cancers, including hepatoblastoma. We previously reveal that lnRNA-TUG1 is upregulated in hepatoblastoma specimens by microarray analysis. In this study, we aim to elucidate the biological and clinical significance of TUG1 upregulation in hepatoblastoma. We show that TUG1 is significantly upregulated in human hepatoblastoma specimens and metastatic hepatoblastoma cell lines. TUG1 knockdown inhibits tumor growth and angiogenesis in vivo, and decreases hepatoblastoma cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. TUG1, miR-34a-5p, and VEGFA constitutes to a regulatory network, and participates in regulating hepatoblastoma cell function, tumor progression, and tumor angiogenesis. Overall, our findings indicate that TUG1 upregulation contributes to unusual hypervascularity of hepatoblastoma. TUG1 is a promising therapeutic target for aggressive, recurrent, or metastatic hepatoblastoma.

Clinicopathological features of invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast: A nationwide multicenter study in China

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the clinicopathological features of invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) and compare them with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), hoping to find the fact of ILC in China and assist the decision makers with proper individualized treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A nationwide multicenter retrospective study was performed. A total of 4211 primary breast cancer cases were randomly selected from 1999 to 2008 in seven regions of China. ILC cases were compared with IDC by clinicopathological features and molecular subtypes.

RESULTS

A total of 135 (3.2%) ILC and 3471 (82.4%) IDC cases were included for analysis. The age, tumor size, menopausal state, family history, nodal status, and stage of ILC were similar to that of IDC. ILC was more likely to be positive for estrogen receptor (65.5% vs. 57.7%) and progesterone receptor (64.7% vs. 58.5%), and less likely to overexpress human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (17.3% vs. 23.6%). Even though, these differences are not significant, the proportion of luminal A type of ILC is significantly larger than that of IDC (54.8% vs. 42.7%; P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

ILC has a larger proportion of luminal A type compared with IDC. Larger sample size study for better known of molecular subtypes of ILC is needed in future to individualize the treatment decision.

DCD liver transplant infection: experience from a single centre in China

AIM

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the incidence, timing, location and risk factors for bacterial and fungal infections after donation after cardiac death (DCD) liver transplant and clearly delineate any relationship between infection and survival in DCD liver transplant recipients.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 257 consecutive patients undergoing DCD liver transplant between October 2010 and May 2015 at our centre.

RESULTS

A total of 133 patients (51.8%) developed at least one bacterial or fungal infection episode. The predominant infection site was the respiratory tract, followed by the blood stream. Most of the infections occurred within the first week after liver transplant (61.9%). A recipient respiratory support time greater than 7 days (p = 0.041), post-transplant hospital time greater than 24 days (p = 0.002) and renal failure after DCD liver transplant (p = 0.039) were independent predictors of bacterial and fungal infection. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of the transplant infection risk assessment model was 0.788. The 1- and 3-year survival rates for recipients without infection were significantly increased compared with recipients with infection (96.1% and 89.0% vs. 81.5% and 75.9%, p = 0.007).

CONCLUSION

This is the first study that offers detailed data revealing the timing and incidence of bacterial and fungal infection among adult DCD liver transplant recipients. Bacterial and fungal infection occurs at a high rate during the first week after DCD liver transplant, especially in patients with prolonged respiratory support time and renal failure, and infection is related to increased hospital stay.

Peripheral blood CD4(+) cell ATP activity measurement to predict HCC recurrence post-DCD liver transplant

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) continues to confound transplant surgeons and physicians. There are no effective methods to predict the patients at risk for recurrence so far although many studies have sought meaningful biomarkers. The ImmuKnow (IMK) assay is an immune cell function assay that detects cell-mediated immunity in an immunosuppressed population, mainly measuring peripheral blood CD4(+) adenosine triphosphate (ATP) release. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between cellular immune function measured by the ImmuKnow assay and HCC recurrence post-OLT.

METHODS

A total of 76 HCC cases underwent Donation after Cardiac Death (DCD) liver transplant, which confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma by histology postoperatively. The ImmuKnow assay was prospectively performed in these cases at a range of 6-36 months post-OLT. Every test was repeated 1 week later, obtaining the average value for every patient. In addition, every case had liver imaging findings at approximately the exam time.

RESULTS

Fifteen cases with liver imaging findings showed HCC recurrence (19.7%) post-OLT, and the average ImmuKnow assay in these patients was 190 ± 48 ng/ml, which was less (p < 0.05) than in patients without HCC recurrence, whose average ATP level was 313 ± 90 ng/ml. ATP levels post-OLT were found to be significantly associated with the risk of tumour recurrence. The ratio of T reg cells and the levels of TGFβ and IL-10 were higher in recurrence patients than in recurrence-free patients.

CONCLUSION

Greater suppression of cellular immunity, as measured by the ImmuKnow assay, was associated with progression of HCC recurrence post-OLT. ImmuKnow assay was helpful in determining the risk of early recurrence of HCC postliver transplant. A pathway consisting of T reg cells, TGFβ and IL-10 might be the HCC recurrence-predominant pathway.

Activation of PPARγ/P53 signaling is required for curcumin to induce hepatic stellate cell senescence

Activation of quiescent hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is the major event in hepatic fibrogenesis, along with enhancement of cell proliferation and overproduction of extracellular matrix. Although inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis are potential strategies to block the activation of HSCs, a better understanding of the senescence of activated HSCs can provide a new therapeutic strategy for prevention and treatment of liver fibrosis. The antioxidant curcumin, a phytochemical from turmeric, has been shown to suppress HSC activation in vitro and in vivo. The current work was aimed to evaluate the effect of curcumin on senescence of activated HSCs and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. In this study, curcumin promoted the expression of senescence marker Hmga1 in rat fibrotic liver. In addition, curcumin increased the number of senescence-associated β-galactosidase-positive HSCs in vitro. At the same time, curcumin induced HSC senescence by elevating the expression of senescence markers P16, P21 and Hmga1, concomitant with reduced abundance of HSC activation markers α-smooth muscle actin and α1(I)-procollagen in cultured HSCs. Moreover, curcumin affected the cell cycle and telomerase activity. We further demonstrated that P53 pharmacological inhibitor pifithrin-α (PFT-α) or transfection with P53 siRNA abrogated the curcumin-induced HSC senescence in vitro. Meanwhile, curcumin disruption of P53 leading to increased senescence of activated HSCs was further verified in vivo. Further studies indicated that curcumin promoted the expression of P53 through a PPARγ activation-dependent mechanism. Moreover, promoting PPARγ transactivating activity by a PPARγ agonist 15d-PGJ2 markedly enhanced curcumin induction of senescence of activated HSCs. However, the PPARγ antagonist PD68235 eliminated curcumin induction of HSC senescence. Taken together, our results provided a novel insight into the mechanisms underlying curcumin inhibition of HSC activation through inducing senescence.

IRAS: High-Throughput Identification of Novel Alternative Splicing Regulators

Alternative splicing is a fundamental regulatory process of gene expression. Defects in alternative splicing can lead to various diseases, and modification of disease-causing splicing events presents great therapeutic promise. Splicing outcome is commonly affected by extracellular stimuli and signaling cascades that converge on RNA-binding splicing regulators. These trans-acting factors recognize cis-elements in pre-mRNA transcripts to affect spliceosome assembly and splice site choices. Identification of these splicing regulators and/or upstream modulators has been difficult and traditionally done by piecemeal. High-throughput screening strategies to find multiple regulators of exon splicing have great potential to accelerate the discovery process, but typically confront low sensitivity and low specificity of screening assays. Here we describe a unique screening strategy, IRAS (identifying regulators of alternative splicing), using a pair of dual-output minigene reporters to allow for sensitive detection of exon splicing changes. Each dual-output reporter produces green fluorescent protein (GFP) and red fluorescent protein (RFP) fluorescent signals to assay the two spliced isoforms exclusively. The two complementary minigene reporters alter GFP/RFP output ratios in the opposite direction in response to splicing change. Applying IRAS in cell-based high-throughput screens allows sensitive and specific identification of splicing regulators and modulators for any alternative exons of interest. In comparison to previous high-throughput screening methods, IRAS substantially enhances the specificity of the screening assay. This strategy significantly eliminates false positives without sacrificing sensitive identification of true regulators of splicing.

Inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase 3β promotes autophagy to protect mice from acute liver failure mediated by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α

Our previous studies have demonstrated that inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) activity protects mice from acute liver failure (ALF), whereas its protective and regulatory mechanism remains elusive. Autophagy is a recently recognized rudimentary cellular response to inflammation and injury. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that inhibition of GSK3β mediates autophagy to inhibit liver inflammation and protect against ALF. In ALF mice model induced by D-galactosamine (D-GalN) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), autophagy was repressed compared with normal control, and D-GalN/LPS can directly induce autophagic flux in the progression of ALF mice. Autophagy activation by rapamycin protected against liver injury and its inhibition by 3-methyladenine (3-MA) or autophagy gene 7 (Atg7) small interfering RNA (siRNA) exacerbated liver injury. The protective effect of GSK3β inhibition on ALF mice model depending on the induction of autophagy, because that inhibition of GSK3β promoted autophagy in vitro and in vivo, and inhibition of autophagy reversed liver protection and inflammation of GSK3β inhibition. Furthermore, inhibition of GSK3β increased the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα), and the downregulated PPARα by siRNA decreased autophagy induced by GSK3β inhibition. More importantly, the expressions of autophagy-related gene and PPARα are significantly downregulated and the activity of GSK3β is significantly upregulated in liver of ALF patients with hepatitis B virus. Thus, we have demonstrated the new pathological mechanism of ALF that the increased GSK3β activity suppresses autophagy to promote the occurrence and development of ALF by inhibiting PPARα pathway.