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Wang K, Hua X, Fu X, Hao Z, Jiao A, Li S. Petite Integration Factor 1 knockdown enhances gemcitabine sensitivity in pancreatic cancer cells via increasing DNA damage. J Appl Toxicol 2023; 43:1522-1532. [PMID: 37183367 DOI: 10.1002/jat.4494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Chemoresistance is still a vital obstacle in various tumors chemotherapy. This study aimed to explore the role of Petite Integration Factor 1 (PIF1) in the sensitivity of gemcitabine response to pancreatic cancer cells. Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) database was employed for evaluating the level of PIF1 in pancreatic cancer tissues and normal tissues. The mRNA level of PIF1 was detected via reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis. The relative protein expression of PIF1, cleaved caspase-3, and phosphorylated histone H2Ax (γH2Ax) was assessed through western blot. Cell viability and apoptosis were assessed via Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Moreover, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and caspase-3 activity were determined via the corresponding LDH Cytotoxicity Assay Kit and caspase-3 colorimetric assay kit. PIF1 expression was upregulated in pancreatic cancer tissues and cells. Knockdown of PIF1 exhibited the repressive impact on the viability of AsPC-1 and PANC-1 cells. PIF1 knockdown enhanced LDH release and apoptosis in both AsPC-1 and PANC-1 cells. PIF1 downregulation could augment the sensitivity of gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer cells, as evidenced by lower cell viability and higher LDH release and apoptosis rate after knocking down PIF1 in gemcitabine-treated pancreatic cancer cells relative to pancreatic cancer cells treated with gemcitabine alone. Moreover, PIF1 knockdown increased γH2Ax protein expression and DNA damage, and gemcitabine treatment-induced DNA damage in AsPC-1 and PANC-1 cells was exacerbated by PIF1 silencing. Furthermore, gemcitabine treatment-caused increase of DNA damage was alleviated by PIF1 overexpression; whereas, this effect of PIF1 upregulation was reversed by thymidine, a DNA synthesis inhibitor. In addition, the decreased gemcitabine sensitivity response to pancreatic cancer cells caused by PIF1 upregulation was also hindered by thymidine treatment. In conclusion, PIF1 silencing enhanced gemcitabine sensitivity response to pancreatic cancer cells through aggrandizing DNA damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Xiangdong Hua
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Xibo Fu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Zhiqiang Hao
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Ao Jiao
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Siyuan Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
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Overexpression of Activating Transcription Factor-2 (ATF-2) Activates Wnt/Ca2+ Signaling Pathways and Promotes Proliferation and Invasion in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer. DISEASE MARKERS 2022; 2022:5772089. [PMID: 35692887 PMCID: PMC9184164 DOI: 10.1155/2022/5772089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have suggested an association of the expression of activating transcription factor-2 (ATF-2) with the survival time and the activity of the Wnt/Ca2+ signaling pathway in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the exact role of ATF-2 in tumorigenesis and its underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we study whether ATF-2 regulates the growth and reproduction of NSCLC cells through the Wnt/Ca2+ pathway. The expression of ATF-2 and pathway-related genes in non-small-cell lung cancer was detected by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. CRISPR/Cas9 technology was used to knock out the ATF-2 gene, and pathway inhibitors and agonists were added to induce cultured cells. The expression of pathway genes and the proliferation and invasion ability of A549 lung cancer cells were analyzed. ATF-2 and pathway-related genes were upregulated in NSCLC. The proliferation and invasion ability of A549 lung cancer cells was decreased after only adding pathway inhibitors. The expression of Wnt/Ca2+ pathway protein was decreased when the ATF-2 gene was knocked out, but the expression of Wnt/Ca2+ pathway protein was reversed after the addition of a pathway agonist. These results suggest that ATF-2 acts as an agonist in the Wnt/Ca2+ signaling pathway, promoting the expression of Wnt5a, Wnt11, CaMK II, and NLK in the Wnt/Ca2+ pathway, thereby regulating the proliferation and invasion of NSCLC cells.
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Sun S, Zhu L, Lai M, Cheng R, Ge Y. Tanshinone I inhibited growth of human chronic myeloid leukemia cells via JNK/ERK mediated apoptotic pathways. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 54:e10685. [PMID: 34037092 PMCID: PMC8148979 DOI: 10.1590/1414-431x2020e10685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Tanshinone I (Tan I) is one of the main bioactive ingredients derived from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, which has exhibited antitumor activities toward various human cancer cells. However, its effects and underlying mechanisms on human chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells still require further investigation. This study determined the effects and mechanisms of anti-proliferative and apoptosis induction activity induced by Tan I against K562 cells. The cytotoxic effect of Tan I at varying concentrations on K562 cells was evaluated via MTT assay. Cell apoptosis was further investigated through DAPI staining and flow cytometry analysis. The expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins and activities of JNK/ATF2 and ERK signaling pathways were analyzed by western blot. Quantitative PCR was performed to further determine mRNA expression levels of JNK1/2 and ERK1/2 after Tan I treatment. The results indicated that Tan I significantly inhibited K562 cell growth and induced apoptosis in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. It induced significant cellular morphological changes and increased apoptosis rates in CML cells. Tan I promoted the cleavages of caspase-related proteins, as well as increased the expression levels of PUMA. Furthermore, Tan I significantly activated JNK and inhibited ATF-2 and ERK signaling pathways. The mRNA expression levels of JNK1/2 and ERK1/2 were up-regulated by Tan I, further confirming its regulatory effects on JNK/ERK signaling pathways. Overall, our results indicated that Tan I suppressed cell viability via JNK- and ERK-mediated apoptotic pathways in K562 cells, suggesting that it might be a promising candidate as a novel anti-leukemia drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siya Sun
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.,College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lingyan Zhu
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Mengru Lai
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Rubin Cheng
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuqing Ge
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
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Wang W, Xu Z, Wang N, Yao R, Qin T, Lin H, Yue L. Prognostic value of eight immune gene signatures in pancreatic cancer patients. BMC Med Genomics 2021; 14:42. [PMID: 33546693 PMCID: PMC7863419 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-020-00868-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors of the digestive tract, and it has a poor prognosis. Traditional methods are not effective to accurately assess the prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer. Immunotherapy is a new promising approach for the treatment of pancreatic cancer; however, some patients do not respond well to immunotherapy, which may be related to tumor microenvironment regulation. In this study, we use gene expression database to mine important immune genes and establish a prognostic prediction model for pancreatic cancer patients. We hope to provide a feasible method to evaluate the prognosis of pancreatic cancer and provide valuable targets for pancreatic cancer immunotherapy. RESULTS We used univariate COX proportional hazard regression analysis, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, and multivariate COX regression analysis to screen 8 genes related to prognosis from the 314 immune-related genes, and used them to construct a new clinical prediction model in the TCGA pancreatic cancer cohort. Subsequently, we evaluated the prognostic value of the model. The Kaplan-Meier cumulative curve showed that patients with low risk scores survived significantly longer than patients with high risk scores. The area under the ROC curve (AUC value) of the risk score was 0.755. The univariate COX analysis showed that the risk score was significantly related to overall survival (HR 1.406, 95% CI 1.237-1.598, P < 0.001), and multivariate analysis showed that the risk score was an independent prognostic factor (HR 1.400, 95% CI 1.287-1.522, P < 0.001). Correlation analysis found that immune genes are closely related to tumor immune microenvironment. CONCLUSIONS Based on the TCGA-PAAD cohort, we identified immune-related markers with independent prognostic significance, validated, and analyzed their biological functions, to provide a feasible method for the prognosis of pancreatic cancer and provide potentially valuable targets for pancreatic cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenting Wang
- Qingdao Municipal Hospital, School of Medicine, Qingdao University, 5 Donghaizhong Road, Qingdao, 266071, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhijian Xu
- Qingdao Municipal Hospital, School of Medicine, Qingdao University, 5 Donghaizhong Road, Qingdao, 266071, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Ning Wang
- Qingdao Municipal Hospital, School of Medicine, Qingdao University, 5 Donghaizhong Road, Qingdao, 266071, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruyong Yao
- Department of Central Laboratory, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, 16 Jiangsu Road, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Qin
- Qingdao Municipal Hospital, School of Medicine, Qingdao University, 5 Donghaizhong Road, Qingdao, 266071, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Hao Lin
- Qingdao Municipal Hospital, School of Medicine, Qingdao University, 5 Donghaizhong Road, Qingdao, 266071, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Yue
- Qingdao Municipal Hospital, School of Medicine, Qingdao University, 5 Donghaizhong Road, Qingdao, 266071, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
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