Characterization of SHARPIN knockout Syrian hamsters developed using CRISPR/Cas9 system

miR-504 knockout regulates tumor cell proliferation and immune cell infiltration to accelerate oral cancer development

miR-504 plays a pivotal role in the progression of oral cancer. However, the underlying mechanism remains elusive in vivo. Here, we find that miR-504 is significantly down-regulated in oral cancer patients. We generate miR-504 knockout mice (miR-504-/-) using CRISPR/Cas9 technology to investigate its impact on the malignant progression of oral cancer under exposure to 4-Nitroquinoline N-oxide (4NQO). We show that the deletion of miR-504 does not affect phenotypic characteristics, body weight, reproductive performance, and survival in mice, but results in changes in the blood physiological and biochemical indexes of the mice. Moreover, with 4NQO treatment, miR-504-/- mice exhibit more pronounced pathological changes characteristic of oral cancer. RNA sequencing shows that the differentially expressed genes observed in samples from miR-504-/- mice with oral cancer are involved in regulating cell metabolism, cytokine activation, and lipid metabolism-related pathways. Additionally, these differentially expressed genes are significantly enriched in lipid metabolism pathways that influence immune cell infiltration within the tumor microenvironment, thereby accelerating tumor development progression. Collectively, our results suggest that knockout of miR-504 accelerates malignant progression in 4NQO-induced oral cancer by regulating tumor cell proliferation and lipid metabolism, affecting immune cell infiltration.

Identification of optimal reference genes in golden Syrian hamster with ethanol- and palmitoleic acid-induced acute pancreatitis using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction

BACKGROUND

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a severe disorder that leads to high morbidity and mortality. Appropriate reference genes are important for gene analysis in AP. This study sought to study the expression stability of several reference genes in the golden Syrian hamster, a model of AP.

METHODS

AP was induced in golden Syrian hamster by intraperitoneal injection of ethanol (1.35 g/kg) and palmitoleic acid (2 mg/kg). The expression of candidate genes, including Actb, Gapdh, Eef2, Ywhaz, Rps18, Hprt1, Tubb, Rpl13a, Nono, and B2m, in hamster pancreas at different time points (1, 3, 6, 9, and 24 h) posttreatment was analyzed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The expression stability of these genes was calculated using BestKeeper, Comprehensive Delta CT, NormFinder, and geNorm algorithms and RefFinder software.

RESULTS

Our results show that the expression of these reference genes fluctuated during AP, of which Ywhaz and Gapdh were the most stable genes, whereas Tubb, Eef2, and Actb were the least stable genes. Furthermore, these genes were used to normalize the expression of TNF-α messenger ribonucleic acid in inflamed pancreas.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, Ywhaz and Gapdh were suitable reference genes for gene expression analysis in AP induced in Syrian hamster.

Syrian hamster as an ideal animal model for evaluation of cancer immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapy (CIT) has emerged as an exciting new pillar of cancer treatment. Although benefits have been achieved in individual patients, the overall response rate is still not satisfactory. To address this, an ideal preclinical animal model for evaluating CIT is urgently needed. Syrian hamsters present similar features to humans with regard to their anatomy, physiology, and pathology. Notably, the histological features and pathological progression of tumors and the complexity of the tumor microenvironment are equivalent to the human scenario. This article reviews the current tumor models in Syrian hamster and the latest progress in their application to development of tumor treatments including immune checkpoint inhibitors, cytokines, adoptive cell therapy, cancer vaccines, and oncolytic viruses. This progress strongly advocates Syrian hamster as an ideal animal model for development and assessment of CIT for human cancer treatments. Additionally, the challenges of the Syrian hamster as an animal model for CIT are also discussed.