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Ouyang G, Li Q, Wei Y, Dai W, Deng H, Liu Y, Li J, Li M, Luo S, Li S, Liang Y, Pan G, Yang J, Gan T. Identification of PANoptosis-related subtypes, construction of a prognosis signature, and tumor microenvironment landscape of hepatocellular carcinoma using bioinformatic analysis and experimental verification. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1323199. [PMID: 38742112 PMCID: PMC11089137 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1323199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide. PANoptosis is a recently unveiled programmed cell death pathway, Nonetheless, the precise implications of PANoptosis within the context of HCC remain incompletely elucidated. Methods We conducted a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis to evaluate both the expression and mutation patterns of PANoptosis-related genes (PRGs). We categorized HCC into two clusters and identified differentially expressed PANoptosis-related genes (DEPRGs). Next, a PANoptosis risk model was constructed using LASSO and multivariate Cox regression analyses. The relationship between PRGs, risk genes, the risk model, and the immune microenvironment was studies. In addition, drug sensitivity between high- and low-risk groups was examined. The expression profiles of these four risk genes were elucidate by qRT-PCR or immunohistochemical (IHC). Furthermore, the effect of CTSC knock down on HCC cell behavior was verified using in vitro experiments. Results We constructed a prognostic signature of four DEPRGs (CTSC, CDCA8, G6PD, and CXCL9). Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses underscored the superior prognostic capacity of this signature in assessing the outcomes of HCC patients. Subsequently, patients were stratified based on their risk scores, which revealed that the low-risk group had better prognosis than those in the high-risk group. High-risk group displayed a lower Stromal Score, Immune Score, ESTIMATE score, and higher cancer stem cell content, tumor mutation burden (TMB) values. Furthermore, a correlation was noted between the risk model and the sensitivity to 56 chemotherapeutic agents, as well as immunotherapy efficacy, in patient with. These findings provide valuable guidance for personalized clinical treatment strategies. The qRT-PCR analysis revealed that upregulated expression of CTSC, CDCA8, and G6PD, whereas downregulated expression of CXCL9 in HCC compared with adjacent tumor tissue and normal liver cell lines. The knockdown of CTSC significantly reduced both HCC cell proliferation and migration. Conclusion Our study underscores the promise of PANoptosis-based molecular clustering and prognostic signatures in predicting patient survival and discerning the intricacies of the tumor microenvironment within the context of HCC. These insights hold the potential to advance our comprehension of the therapeutic contribution of PANoptosis plays in HCC and pave the way for generating more efficacious treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoqing Ouyang
- Department of General Surgery, Liuzhou People’s Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Early Prevention and Treatment for Regional High Frequency Tumor, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Early Prevention and Treatment for Regional High Frequency Tumor, Guangxi Medical University, Ministry of Education, Nanning, Guangxi, China
- Liuzhou Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases Precision Diagnosis Research Center of Engineering Technology, Liuzhou People’s Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
| | - Qiuyun Li
- Department of General Surgery, Liuzhou People’s Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
- Liuzhou Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases Precision Diagnosis Research Center of Engineering Technology, Liuzhou People’s Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
| | - Yangnian Wei
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Ruikang Hospital, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Wenbin Dai
- Department of Pathology, Liuzhou People’s Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
| | - Haojian Deng
- Department of Emergency Medical, Liuzhou People’s Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
| | - Youli Liu
- Department of Pathology, Liuzhou People’s Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
| | - Jiaguang Li
- Department of Pathology, Liuzhou People’s Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
| | - Mingjuan Li
- Department of General Surgery, Liuzhou People’s Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
| | - Shunwen Luo
- Department of General Surgery, Liuzhou People’s Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
| | - Shuang Li
- Department of General Surgery, Liuzhou People’s Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
| | - Yunying Liang
- Department of General Surgery, Liuzhou People’s Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
| | - Guandong Pan
- Department of General Surgery, Liuzhou People’s Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
- Liuzhou Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases Precision Diagnosis Research Center of Engineering Technology, Liuzhou People’s Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
| | - Jianqing Yang
- Department of General Surgery, Liuzhou People’s Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
- Liuzhou Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases Precision Diagnosis Research Center of Engineering Technology, Liuzhou People’s Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
| | - Tao Gan
- Department of General Surgery, Liuzhou People’s Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
- Department of Emergency Medical, Liuzhou People’s Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
- Key Specialty Department of Emergency Medicine in Guangxi, Liuzhou People’s Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
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Xiao L, Tang K, Fu T, Yuan X, Seery S, Zhang W, Ji Z, He Z, Yang Y, Zhang W, Jia W, Liang C, Tang H, Wang F, Ye Y, Chen L, Shao Z. Cytokine profiles and virological markers highlight distinctive immune statuses, and effectivenesses and limitations of NAs across different courses of chronic HBV infection. Cytokine 2024; 173:156442. [PMID: 37995395 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2023.156442] [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: 07/02/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The characteristics of cytokine/chemokine(CK) profiles across different courses of chronic hepatitis B virus infection and the effects of NAs antiviral therapy on cytokine profiles remain unclear. METHODS This report provides evidence from 383 patients with chronic HBV infection. The Luminex multiple cytokine detection technology was used to detect CK profiles. The predictive power of CKs across course of disease was assessedusing univariate analyses and with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS Compared to healthy control (HC), expression levels of interleukin 6 (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-21, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 and tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR)-1 showed a significant increasing trend during chronic HBV infection. IL-23 and IL-33 increased respectively in chronic hepatitis B patients (CHB). interferon (IFN)-gamma and TNF-α changed significantly only in liver cirrhosis (LC) patients. Whereas, myeloid-related markers decreased dramatically in those with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The ROC result suggests that combining IL-6, IL-8, CXCL9 and CXCL13 into a nomogram has closely correlation with HCC during chronic HBV infection. In addition, nucleotide analogues (NAs) antiviral treatments are capable of recoveringnormal liver functions and significantly reducing the viral loads, however, they seem to have a limited effect in changing CKs, especially specific antiviral factors. CONCLUSION The differential CK and virological markers may serve as potential indicators of distinct immune statuses in chronic HBV infection. They also underscore the varying efficacy and limitations of NAs antiviral therapies. This next step would to break new ground in the optimization of current anti-HBV treatment programs although this requires further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixin Xiao
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, People's Republic of China; Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, People's Republic of China
| | - Kang Tang
- Department of Immunology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, People's Republic of China
| | - Ting Fu
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, People's Republic of China; Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaojie Yuan
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, People's Republic of China; Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, People's Republic of China
| | - Samuel Seery
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, Division of Health Research, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YW, United Kingdom
| | - Weilu Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, People's Republic of China; Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaohua Ji
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, People's Republic of China; Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhen He
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, People's Republic of China; Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Yang
- Department of Immunology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenhua Zhang
- Hepatobiliary Center, Gansu Wuwei Tumor Hospital, Wuwei, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenling Jia
- Hepatobiliary Center, Gansu Wuwei Tumor Hospital, Wuwei, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunhui Liang
- Hepatobiliary Center, Gansu Wuwei Tumor Hospital, Wuwei, People's Republic of China
| | - Haitao Tang
- Hepatobiliary Center, Gansu Wuwei Tumor Hospital, Wuwei, People's Republic of China
| | - Fengmei Wang
- Hepatobiliary Center, Gansu Wuwei Tumor Hospital, Wuwei, People's Republic of China
| | - Yancheng Ye
- Clinical Drug Experiment Institution, Gansu Wuwei Tumor Hospital, Wuwei, People's Republic of China
| | - Lihua Chen
- Department of Immunology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zhongjun Shao
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, People's Republic of China; Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, People's Republic of China.
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Liu H, Bai Y, Li F, Tian Z. Combined serum CXCL8, CXCL9 and CXCL13 tests for the prediction of microvascular invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma. Biomark Med 2023; 17:265-272. [PMID: 37218545 DOI: 10.2217/bmm-2023-0064] [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] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: This work is to explore the predictive and diagnostic value of chemokine C-X-C motif ligand 8 (CXCL8), CXCL9 and CXCL13 combined detections for microvascular invasion (MVI) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Materials & methods: A total of 82 HCC patients with MVI were recruited as the MVI group and 154 patients with non MVI were recruited as the non MVI group. Results: In HCC patients with MVI, CXCL8, CXCL9, CXCL13 levels were significantly elevated. Child-Pugh scores and serum α-fetoprotein level had positive correlation with CXCL8, CXCL9 and CXCL13 levels. The serum levels of CXCL8, 9 and 13 were effective in predicting MVI in HCC patients. Conclusion: CXCL8, CXCL9 and CXCL13 levels in HCC patients are valuable parameters in the prediction of MVI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Fifth People's Hospital, No. 1215 Guangrui Road, Liangxi District, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214007, China
| | - Yang Bai
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the 904th Hospital of Joint Logistic Support Force of PLA, No. 101 Xingyuan North Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214044, China
| | - Fuli Li
- Department of General Surgery, Fifth People's Hospital, No. 1215 Guangrui Road, Liangxi District, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214007, China
| | - Zhiqiang Tian
- Department of General Surgery, the Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214000, China
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Contribution of CXCR3-mediated signaling in the metastatic cascade of solid malignancies. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2021; 1876:188628. [PMID: 34560199 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2021.188628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Metastasis is a significant cause of the mortality resulting from solid malignancies. The process of metastasis is complex and is regulated by numerous cancer cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic factors. CXCR3 is a chemokine receptor that is frequently expressed by cancer cells, endothelial cells and immune cells. CXCR3A signaling in cancer cells tends to promote the invasive and migratory phenotype of cancer cells. Indirectly, CXCR3 modulates the anti-tumor immune response resulting in variable effects that can permit or inhibit metastatic progression. Finally, the activity of CXCR3B in endothelial cells is generally angiostatic, which limits the access of cancer cells to key conduits to secondary sites. However, the interaction of these activities within a tumor and the presence of opposing CXCR3 splice variants clouds the picture of the role of CXCR3 in metastasis. Consequently, thorough analysis of the contributions of CXCR3 to cancer metastasis is necessary. This review is an in-depth examination of the involvement of CXCR3 in the metastatic process of solid malignancies.
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Construction of a five-gene prognostic model based on immune-related genes for the prediction of survival in pancreatic cancer. Biosci Rep 2021; 41:229064. [PMID: 34143198 PMCID: PMC8252190 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20204301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: To identify differentially expressed immune-related genes (DEIRGs) and construct a model with survival-related DEIRGs for evaluating the prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer (PC). Methods: Six microarray gene expression datasets of PC from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and Immunology Database and Analysis Portal (ImmPort) were used to identify DEIRGs. RNA sequencing and clinical data from The Cancer Genome Atlas Program-Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma (TCGA-PAAD) database were used to establish the prognostic model. Univariate, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariate Cox regression analyses were applied to determine the final variables of the prognostic model. The median risk score was used as the cut-off value to classify samples into low- and high-risk groups. The prognostic model was further validated using an internal validation set of TCGA and an external validation set of GSE62452. Results: In total, 142 DEIRGs were identified from six GEO datasets, 47 were survival-related DEIRGs. A prognostic model comprising five genes (i.e., ERAP2, CXCL9, AREG, DKK1, and IL20RB) was established. High-risk patients had poor survival compared with low-risk patients. The 1-, 2-, 3-year area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the model reached 0.85, 0.87, and 0.93, respectively. Additionally, the prognostic model reflected the infiltration of neutrophils and dendritic cells. The expression of most characteristic immune checkpoints was significantly higher in the high-risk group versus the low-risk group. Conclusions: The five-gene prognostic model showed reliably predictive accuracy. This model may provide useful information for immunotherapy and facilitate personalized monitoring for patients with PC.
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Wang J, Zhang C, Chen X, Li Y, Li A, Liu D, Li F, Luo T. Functions of CXC chemokines as biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets in the hepatocellular carcinoma microenvironment. Transl Cancer Res 2021; 10:2169-2187. [PMID: 35116536 PMCID: PMC8797652 DOI: 10.21037/tcr-21-127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Background Several studies have indicated that CXC chemokines influence the prognosis and therapy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, there are limited studies on the roles of CXC chemokines in HCC based on data acquired from various databases. This study aimed to conduct an in-depth and comprehensive bioinformatic analysis of the expression and functions of CXC chemokines in HCC. Methods Data was obtained from various databases including ONCOMINE, UALCAN, STRING, GeneMinia, DAVID, Kaplan-Meier plotter, TIMER, GSCALite and NetworkAnalyst for the analysis of the expression and functions of the CXC chemokines in HCC. Results Analysis of the differential expression levels of CXC chemokines between HCC and adjacent normal tissues revealed that the mRNA expression levels of CXCL1/2/5/6/7/12/14 were significantly lower in HCC tissues than those in adjacent normal tissues, whereas the mRNA expression levels of CXCL9/16/17 were significantly higher in HCC tissues. Analysis of the relationship between CXC chemokines and overall survival revealed that high mRNA expression levels of CXCL1/3/5/6/8 were associated with poor overall survival, whereas high mRNA expression levels of CXCL2/4/7/9/10/12 were associated with better overall survival. The functions of CXC chemokines and related genes were associated with cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions and chemokine signaling pathway. Analysis of the association between CXC chemokines and activity of cancer pathways indicated that the DNA damage response and hormone androgen receptor (AR) signaling pathways were inhibited, whereas apoptosis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways were activated. The expression of CXC chemokines was positively correlated with the infiltration of six types of immune cells (B cells, CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, macrophages, neutrophils and dendritic cells). Conclusions This study has demonstrated that CXC chemokines can influence survival of patients with HCC by recruiting different types of immune cells into the tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jukun Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Li
- Department of General Surgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Ang Li
- Department of General Surgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Dongbin Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Fei Li
- Department of General Surgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Luo
- Department of General Surgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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Meng Q, Qiu B. Exosomal MicroRNA-320a Derived From Mesenchymal Stem Cells Regulates Rheumatoid Arthritis Fibroblast-Like Synoviocyte Activation by Suppressing CXCL9 Expression. Front Physiol 2020; 11:441. [PMID: 32528301 PMCID: PMC7264418 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic systemic inflammatory disease, is a primary cause of disability worldwide. The involvement of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) in the regulation of the pathogenesis of RA has been highlighted. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are important candidates for cell-based treatment in many inflammatory autoimmune diseases. Herein, we identify whether MSC-derived exosomes loaded with microRNA-320a (miR-320a) regulate RA-FLSs. Synovial tissues from 22 patients with RA and 9 patients with osteoarthritis were collected. RA-FLSs were obtained from patients with RA, and their functions were evaluated by determining levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and IL-8 and by transwell migration and invasion assays. Dual luciferase reporter gene assays were employed to identify interaction between miR-320a and CXC chemokine ligand 9 (CXCL9). A co-culture system of MSC-derived exosomes and RA-FLSs were performed. The collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mouse models with arthritis and bone damage were developed. Our results revealed the existence of reciprocal expression of miR-320a and CXCL9 in the synovial tissues obtained from patients with RA. CXCL9 knockdown or miR-320a upregulation suppressed the activation, migration, and invasion of RA-FLSs. CXCL9 was confirmed to be a target of miR-320a, and CXCL9 overexpression restored RA-FLS function in the presence of miR-320a. MSC-derived exosomes containing miR-320a mimic significantly suppressed RA-FLS activation, migration, and invasion in vitro and attenuated arthritis and bone damage in mice with CIA in vivo. Our study uncovers that MSC-derived exosomes participate in the intercellular transfer of miR-320a and subsequently inhibit the progression of RA. These results provide a novel potential therapeutic approach for RA treatment by increasing miR-320a in exosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Meng
- Department of Orthopedics, Guizhou Orthopedics Hospital, Guiyang, China
| | - Bing Qiu
- Department of Orthopedics, Guizhou Orthopedics Hospital, Guiyang, China
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LncRNA MYCNOS facilitates proliferation and invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma by regulating miR-340. Hum Cell 2019; 33:148-158. [PMID: 31776854 DOI: 10.1007/s13577-019-00303-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains one of the most common and aggressive human cancers worldwide. Accumulating evidences indicate that non-coding RNAs are critical regulators implicated in various physiological processes including HCC development. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) MYCN opposite-strand (MYCNOS) was reported to be up-regulated in several human cancers, yet its role in HCC progression is still elusive. In the present study, MYCNOS was up-regulated in both HCC tissues and cell lines, and elevated MYCNOS expression was correlated to shorter survival time of HCC patients. We knocked down MYCNOS expression using short hairpin RNAs specifically targeting MYCNOS. MYCNOS knockdown significantly inhibited proliferation in HCC cells in vitro accompanied by exacerbated cell apoptosis; it also suppressed tumor growth in mouse model in vivo. Besides, the migration and invasion of HCC cells were remarkably inhibited after MYCNOS knockdown. In addition, MYCNOS acted as a negative regulator of miR-340 in HCC cells, and all effects of MYCNOS knockdown were abrogated by further miR-340 inhibition. We also discovered that oncogene phosphatidylinositol-3, 4, 5-trisphosphate-dependent Rac exchange factor 2 (PREX2) was a downstream target of miR-340, and PREX2 expression was positively correlated to that of MYCNOS in HCC tissues. In conclusion, our findings demonstrated that MYCNOS knockdown inhibited HCC progression through regulating miR-340.
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Elshaer AM, El-Kharashi OA, Hamam GG, Nabih ES, Magdy YM, Abd El Samad AA. Involvement of TLR4/ CXCL9/ PREX-2 pathway in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the promising role of early administration of lactobacillus plantarum in Wistar rats. Tissue Cell 2019; 60:38-47. [PMID: 31582017 DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2019.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2019] [Revised: 06/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Improvement of gut microbiota may help in preventing the progression of cirrhosis. We supposed that Lactobacillus Plantarum (L. Plantarum) protects the cirrhotic liver through suppression of TLR4/ CXCL9/ PREX-2. METHODOLOGY Rats were divided into two groups. Group I, lasts for six weeks and Group II lasts for 12 weeks. Each group was subdivided into: naïve, Lactobacillus Plantarum (L. Plantarum), thioacetamide (TAA) and TAA + L. Plantarum. Liver function tests, α fetoprotein (AFP) levels, CXCL9, PREX-2 and TLR4 expression were assessed. Histological studies were performed. RESULTS TAA induced significant deterioration in liver functions and increased AFP. There was periportal cirrhosis, vacuolated hepatocytes, decrease hepatocyte parrafin-1 (hep par-1) expression, increase proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) positive nuclei and cytokeratin AE1/AE3. The PCR results showed significant increase in TLR4, CXCL9 and PREX-2 expression. Early administration of L. Plantarum significantly decreased the expression of TLR4, CXCL9 and PREX-2 together with improvement in liver function and prevented the pathological changes. CONCLUSIONS The cirrhotic complications induced by TAA are through activation of TLR4/ CXCL9/ PREX-2 pathway and could be prevented by the early administration of L. Plantarum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmaa M Elshaer
- Department of clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Omnyah A El-Kharashi
- Department of clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Ghada Galal Hamam
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Enas S Nabih
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Yosra M Magdy
- Department of clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Abeer A Abd El Samad
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
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Ding Q, Xia Y, Ding S, Lu P, Sun L, Liu M. An alternatively spliced variant of CXCR3 mediates the metastasis of CD133+ liver cancer cells induced by CXCL9. Oncotarget 2018; 7:14405-14. [PMID: 26883105 PMCID: PMC4924724 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.7360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 01/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastasis of liver cancer is closely linked to tumor microenvironment, in which chemokines and their receptors act in an important role. The CXCR3, the receptor of chemokine CXCL9, belongs to a superfamily of rhodopsin-like seven transmembrane GPCRs and CXCR subfamily. In HCC tissues, CXCR3 was frequently upregulated and correlated with tumor size, tumor differentiation, portal invasion and metastasis. In the study, CXCR3-A isoform that was bound by CXCL9 was found to cause significant change of ERK1/2 phosphorylation level in the MAPK signaling pathway, consequently upregulating the MMP2 and MMP9 expression and promoting invasion and metastasis of CD133+ liver cancer cells. Also, CXCR3-A suppressed the adhesion ability of CD133+ liver cancer cells that stimulated by CXCL9 for 24h. These findings suggest that CXCR3 and its ligand CXCL9 could promote the metastasis of liver cancer cells and might be a potential target for the intervention of liver cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Ding
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Yujia Xia
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Shuping Ding
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Panpan Lu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Liang Sun
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Mei Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
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P-Rex1 and P-Rex2 RacGEFs and cancer. Biochem Soc Trans 2017; 45:963-77. [PMID: 28710285 DOI: 10.1042/bst20160269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Revised: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate-dependent Rac exchanger (P-Rex) proteins are RacGEFs that are synergistically activated by phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate and Gβγ subunits of G-protein-coupled receptors. P-Rex1 and P-Rex2 share similar amino acid sequence homology, domain structure, and catalytic function. Recent evidence suggests that both P-Rex proteins may play oncogenic roles in human cancers. P-Rex1 and P-Rex2 are altered predominantly via overexpression and mutation, respectively, in various cancer types, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, and melanoma. This review compares the similarities and differences between P-Rex1 and P-Rex2 functions in human cancers in terms of cellular effects and signalling mechanisms. Emerging clinical data predict that changes in expression or mutation of P-Rex1 and P-Rex2 may lead to changes in tumour outcome, particularly in breast cancer and melanoma.
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12
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Li CH, Yen CH, Chen YF, Lee KJ, Fang CC, Zhang X, Lai CC, Huang SF, Lin HK, Arthur Chen YM. Characterization of the GNMT-HectH9-PREX2 tripartite relationship in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Int J Cancer 2017; 140:2284-2297. [PMID: 28205209 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.30652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Revised: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) involves many molecular pathways. Glycine N-methyltransferase (GNMT) is downregulated in almost all HCC and its gene knockout mice developed HCC with high penetrance. We identified PREX2, a novel PTEN inhibitor, as a GNMT-interacting protein. Such interaction enhanced degradation of PREX2 through an E3 ligase HectH9-mediated proteasomal ubiquitination pathway. Depletion of GNMT or HectH9 resulted in AKT activation in a PREX2 dependent manner and enhanced cell proliferation. An elevated PREX2 protein expression accompanied by activation of AKT was observed in the liver of Gnmt knockout mice. PREX2 protein expression was upregulated in 54.9% of human HCC samples, while its mRNA level was comparable in tumor and tumor-adjacent tissue, suggesting a post-translational alteration of PREX2 expression. Higher level of PREX2 in the tumor tissues was associated with poorer survival. These results reveal a novel mechanism in which GNMT participates in AKT signaling and HCC tumorigenesis by promoting HectH9-mediated PREX2 degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chung-Hsien Li
- Center for Infectious Disease and Cancer Research (CICAR), Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Hung Yen
- Center for Infectious Disease and Cancer Research (CICAR), Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Natural Products, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Fu Chen
- Center for Infectious Disease and Cancer Research (CICAR), Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan
| | - Kuo-Jui Lee
- Center for Infectious Disease and Cancer Research (CICAR), Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Chieh Fang
- Center for Infectious Disease and Cancer Research (CICAR), Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan
| | - Xian Zhang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest Cancer Center, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC
| | - Chih-Chung Lai
- Center for Infectious Disease and Cancer Research (CICAR), Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan
| | - Shiu-Feng Huang
- Division of Molecular and Genomic Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, 35053, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Kuan Lin
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest Cancer Center, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC
| | - Yi-Ming Arthur Chen
- Center for Infectious Disease and Cancer Research (CICAR), Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan.,Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan
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13
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Ding Q, Lu P, Xia Y, Ding S, Fan Y, Li X, Han P, Liu J, Tian D, Liu M. CXCL9: evidence and contradictions for its role in tumor progression. Cancer Med 2016; 5:3246-3259. [PMID: 27726306 PMCID: PMC5119981 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Revised: 08/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemokines are a group of low molecular weight peptides. Their major function is the recruitment of leukocytes to inflammation sites, but they also play a key role in tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis. In the last few years, accumulated experimental evidence supports that monokine induced by interferon (IFN)‐gamma (CXCL9), a member of CXC chemokine family and known to attract CXCR3‐ (CXCR3‐A and CXCR3‐B) T lymphocytes, is involved in the pathogenesis of a variety of physiologic diseases during their initiation and their maintenance. This review for the first time presents the most comprehensive summary for the role of CXCL9 in different types of tumors, and demonstrates its contradictory role of CXCL9 in tumor progression. Altogether, this is a useful resource for researchers investigating therapeutic opportunities for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Ding
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, China
| | - Panpan Lu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, China
| | - Yujia Xia
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, China
| | - Shuping Ding
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, China
| | - Yuhui Fan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, China
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, China
| | - Ping Han
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, China
| | - Jingmei Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, China
| | - Dean Tian
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, China
| | - Mei Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, China
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Ding Q, Xia Y, Ding S, Lu P, Sun L, Fan Y, Li X, Wang Y, Tian DA, Liu M. Potential role of CXCL9 induced by endothelial cells/CD133+ liver cancer cells co-culture system in tumor transendothelial migration. Genes Cancer 2016; 7:254-259. [PMID: 27738495 PMCID: PMC5059115 DOI: 10.18632/genesandcancer.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2016] [Accepted: 09/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Transendothelial migration is a pivotal step before the dissemination of tumor cells into the blood circulation. Related researches about the crosstalk between tumor cells and endothelial cells could contribute to understanding the mechanism of transendothelial migration. Cumulative studies showed that CD133 was an important marker for cancer stem cells. In our research, a co-culture system was developed to study the interaction between CD133+ liver cancer cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells. The results showed that the direct co-cultured supernatants promoted the migration and invasion of CD133+ liver cancer cells. It was further investigated that the expression level of chemokine CXCL9 was significantly elevated in the culture supernatants of direct co-culture system by activating the NF-kB, rather than in the indirect co-culture system or mono-culture system. High expression of CXCL9 in the direct co-cultured supernatants played a significant role in enhancing the migration and invasion of CD133+ liver cancer cells. Collectively, these findings suggest that chemokine CXCL9 may function as a potential target during the process of transendothelial migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Ding
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Yujia Xia
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Shuping Ding
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Panpan Lu
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Liang Sun
- Department of Gastroenterology, the Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Yuhui Fan
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Xin Li
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - De-an Tian
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Mei Liu
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
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Yamamoto M, Tanaka H, Xin B, Nishikawa Y, Yamazaki K, Shimizu K, Ogawa K. Role of the BrafV637E mutation in hepatocarcinogenesis induced by treatment with diethylnitrosamine in neonatal B6C3F1 mice. Mol Carcinog 2016; 56:478-488. [PMID: 27253992 PMCID: PMC5214095 DOI: 10.1002/mc.22510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Revised: 05/21/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The BrafV637E mutation is frequently reported in mouse hepatic tumors, depending on the mouse strain, and corresponds to the human BrafV600E mutation. In this study, we detected the BrafV637E mutation by whole‐exome analysis in 4/4 hepatic tumors induced by neonatal treatment with diethylnitrosamine (DEN) in male B6C3F1 mice. We also detected the BrafV637E mutation in 54/63 (85.7%) hepatic lesions, including microscopic foci and grossly visible tumors, by PCR‐direct sequencing. Although the mutation was detected in 5/7 (71.4%) hepatic tumors induced by neonatal DEN treatment followed by repeated CCl4 administration, it was not detected in 24 tumors induced by CCl4 treatment without DEN or in eight spontaneous lesions in B6C3F1 mice, suggesting that the mutation is induced by the genotoxic action of DEN. The DEN‐induced tumors exhibited hyperphosphorylation of ERK1 and Akt, suggesting that the BrafV637E mutation might activate the MAPK and Akt pathways. Moreover, the DEN‐induced tumors overexpressed mRNAs for the oncogene‐induced senescence (OIS) markers such as p15Ink4b and p19Arf as well as pro‐survival/pro‐proliferative cytokines/chemokines such as complement C5/C5a, ICAM‐1, IL‐1 receptor antagonist and CXCL9, suggesting that the BrafV637E mutation influences the expression of genes involved in either OIS or cellular growth/survival. Liver‐specific expression of mutated Braf under control of the albumin enhancer/promoter resulted in an enlarged liver that consisted entirely of small basophilic hepatocytes resembling DEN‐induced preneoplastic hepatocytes with ERK1/Akt hyperphosphorylation and C5/C5a overexpression. These results indicate that the BrafV637E mutation induces hepatocytic changes in DEN‐induced hepatic tumors. © 2016 The Authors. Molecular Carcinogenesis published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Yamamoto
- Department of Pathology, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Hiroki Tanaka
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Bing Xin
- Department of Pathology, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Yuji Nishikawa
- Department of Pathology, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Kosuke Yamazaki
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Surgery Area, Japanese Red Cross Hokkaido College of Nursing, Kitami, Japan
| | - Keiko Shimizu
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Katsuhiro Ogawa
- Department of Pathology, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
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16
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Yang J, Gong X, Ouyang L, He W, Xiao R, Tan L. PREX2 promotes the proliferation, invasion and migration of pancreatic cancer cells by modulating the PI3K signaling pathway. Oncol Lett 2016; 12:1139-1143. [PMID: 27446408 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2016.4688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate-dependent Rac exchanger factor 2 (PREX2) is a novel regulator of the small guanosine triphosphatase Rac, and has been observed to be implicated in human cancer by inhibiting the activity of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), thus upregulating the activity of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway. However, the exact role of PREX2 in pancreatic cancer has not been reported to date. In the present study, the expression levels of PREX2 were observed to be frequently increased in pancreatic cancer specimens compared with those in their matched adjacent normal tissues. In addition, PREX2 expression was also frequently upregulated in several pancreatic cancer cell lines, including AsPC-1, BxPC-3, PANC-1 and CFAPC-1, compared with that in the normal pancreatic epithelial cell line HPC-Y5. Overexpression of PREX2 significantly promoted the proliferation, invasion and migration of pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells, while small interfering RNA-induced knockdown of PREX2 expression significantly inhibited the proliferation, invasion and migration of these cells. Investigation of the molecular mechanism revealed that the overexpression of PREX2 upregulated the phosphorylation levels of PTEN, indicating that the activity of PTEN was reduced, which further increased the phosphorylation levels of AKT, which indicated that the activity of the PI3K signaling pathway was upregulated. By contrast, knockdown of PREX2 upregulated the activity of PTEN and inhibited the activity of the PI3K signaling pathway. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that PREX2 regulates the proliferation, invasion and migration of pancreatic cancer cells, probably at least via modulation of the activity of PTEN and the PI3K signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianyi Yang
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, P.R. China
| | - Xuejun Gong
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, P.R. China
| | - Lu Ouyang
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, P.R. China
| | - Wen He
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, P.R. China
| | - Rou Xiao
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, P.R. China
| | - Li Tan
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, P.R. China
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He S, Lin J, Yu S, Sun S. Upregulation of PREX2 promotes the proliferation and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma cells via PTEN-AKT signaling. Oncol Lett 2016; 11:2223-2228. [PMID: 26998152 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2016.4164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate Rac exchanger 2 (PREX2), a regulator of the small guanosine triphosphatase Rac, demonstrates an inhibitory effect on the activity of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). Previously, PREX2 was implicated in the regulation of cell invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the exact role of PREX2 in the regulation of HCC cell proliferation and migration, as well as the underlying mechanisms, remains unclear. In the present study, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed that PREX2 was upregulated in HCC tissue compared with matched adjacent non-tumorous tissue. In addition, the present study demonstrated that the messenger RNA and protein levels of PREX2 increased in human HCC HepG2, LH86, LMH and PLHC-1 cell lines compared with normal human liver THLE-3 cells. Overexpression of PREX2 significantly enhanced the proliferation and migration of HCC cells, and knockdown of PREX2 expression significantly suppressed the proliferation and migration of HCC cells. Additional investigation revealed that overexpression of PREX2 suppressed the activity of PTEN, leading to an enhancement in the activity of protein kinase B (AKT). By contrast, knockdown of PREX2 expression upregulated the activity of PTEN and suppressed the activity of AKT. Overall, the present study suggests that PREX2 promotes the proliferation and migration of HCC cells by inhibiting PTEN-AKT signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujie He
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Yantai Mountain Hospital, Yantai, Shandong 264000, P.R. China
| | - Juan Lin
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Government Hospital of Yantai City, Yantai, Shandong 264000, P.R. China
| | - Shaoping Yu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, Shandong 264001, P.R. China
| | - Shijie Sun
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, Shandong 264001, P.R. China
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18
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The RNA-binding protein Sam68 regulates tumor cell viability and hepatic carcinogenesis by inhibiting the transcriptional activity of FOXOs. J Mol Histol 2015; 46:485-97. [PMID: 26438629 DOI: 10.1007/s10735-015-9639-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2015] [Accepted: 09/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Src associated in mitosis (Sam68; 68 kDa) is a KH domain RNA-binding protein that belongs to the signal transduction and activation of RNA family, and has been implicated in the oncogenesis and progression of several human cancers. Our study aimed to investigated the clinicopathologic significance of Sam68 expression and its role in cell proliferation and the underlying molecular mechanism in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We demonstrated that Sam68 expression was significantly increased in HCC and high expression of Sam68 was significantly associated with Edmondson grade, tumor size, tumor nodule number, HBsAg status and Ki-67 expression. The Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that increased expression of Sam68 was correlated with poor prognosis in HCC patients and served as an independent prognostic marker of overall survival in a multivariable analysis. In addition, through serum starvation and refeeding assay, we demonstrated that Sam68 was lowly expressed in serum-starved HCC cells, and was progressively increased after serum-additioning. Furthermore, siRNA knockdown of endogenous Sam68 inhibited cell proliferation and tumourigenicity of HCC cells in vitro, through blocking the G1 to S phase transition. Moreover, we reported that the anti-proliferative effect of silencing Sam68 was accompanied with up-regulated expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, p21(Cip1) and p27(Kip1), enhanced transactivation of FOXO factors (FOXO4), and dysreuglation of Akt/GSK-3β signaling. Taken together, these findings provide a rational framework for the progression of HCC and thereby indicated that Sam68 might be a novel and useful prognostic marker and a potential target for human HCC treatment.
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Lu M, Wu J, He F, Wang XL, Li C, Chen ZN, Bian H. Cell expression patterns of CD147 in N-diethylnitrosamine/phenobarbital-induced mouse hepatocellular carcinoma. J Mol Histol 2014; 46:79-91. [PMID: 25447507 DOI: 10.1007/s10735-014-9602-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2014] [Accepted: 11/25/2014] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Overexpression of CD147/basigin in hepatic cells promotes the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Whether CD147 also expressed in liver non-parenchymal cells and associated with HCC development was unknown. The aim of the study was to explore time-dependent cell expression patterns of CD147 in a widely accepted N-diethylnitrosamine/phenobarbital (DEN/PB)-induced HCC mouse model. Liver samples collected at month 1-12 of post-DEN/PB administration were assessed the localization of CD147 in hepatocytes, endothelial cells, hepatic stellate cells, and macrophages. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that CD147 was upregulated in liver tumors during month 1-8 of DEN/PB induction. Expression of CD147 was positively correlated with cytokeratin 18, a hepatocyte marker (r = 0.7857, P = 0.0279), CD31 (r = 0.9048, P = 0.0046), an endothelial cell marker, and CD68, a macrophage marker (r = 0.7619, P = 0.0368). A significant correlation was also observed between CD147 and alpha-smooth muscle actin (r = 0.8857, P = 0.0333) at DEN/PB initiation and early stage of tumor formation. Immunofluorescence and fluorescence in situ hybridization showed that CD147 co-expressed with cytokeratin 18, CD31, alpha-smooth muscle actin, and CD68. Moreover, there existed positive correlations between CD147 and microvessel density (r = 0.7857, P = 0.0279), CD147 and Ki-67 (r = 0.9341, P = 0.0022) in the development of DEN/PB-induced HCC. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that CD147 was upregulated in the liver parenchymal and mesenchymal cells and involved in angiogenesis and tumor cell proliferation in the development of DEN/PB-induced HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Lu
- Cell Engineering Research Center and Department of Cell Biology, State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, No. 169, Changle West Road, Xi'an, 710032, China
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