Expression of CIDE proteins in clear cell renal cell carcinoma and their prognostic significance

Unveiling Novel Mechanism of CIDEB in Fatty Acid Synthesis Through ChIP-Seq and Functional Analysis in Dairy Goat

Goat milk is abundant in nutrients, particularly in milk fats, which confer health benefits to humans. Exploring the regulatory mechanism of fatty acid synthesis is highly important to understand milk composition manipulation. In this study, we used chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) on goat mammary glands at different lactation stages which revealed a novel lactation regulatory factor: cell death-inducing DFFA-like effector B (CIDEB). RT-qPCR results revealed that CIDEB was significantly upregulated during lactation in dairy goats. CIDEB overexpression significantly increased the expression levels of genes involved in fatty acid synthesis (ACACA, SCD1, p < 0.05; ELOVL6, p < 0.01), lipid droplet formation (XDH, p < 0.05), and triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis (DGAT1, p < 0.05; GPAM, p < 0.01) in goat mammary epithelial cells (GMECs). The contents of lipid droplets, TAG, and cholesterol were increased (p < 0.05) in CIDEB-overexpressing GMECs, and knockdown of CIDEB led to the opposite results. In addition, CIDEB knockdown significantly decreased the proportion of C16:0 and total C18:2. Luciferase reporter assays indicated that X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) promoted CIDEB transcription via XBP1 binding sites located in the CIDEB promoter. Furthermore, CIDEB knockdown attenuated the stimulatory effect of XBP1 on lipid droplet accumulation. Collectively, these findings elucidate the critical regulatory roles of CIDEB in milk fat synthesis, thus providing new insights into improving the quality of goat milk.

Targeting lipid droplets and lipid droplet-associated proteins: a new perspective on natural compounds against metabolic diseases

BACKGROUND

Lipid droplet (LD) is a metabolically active organelle, which changes dynamically with the metabolic state and energy requirements of cells. Proteins that either insert into the LD phospholipid monolayer or are present in the cytoplasm, playing a crucial role in lipid homeostasis and signaling regulation, are known as LD-associated proteins.

METHODS

The keywords "lipid droplets" and "metabolic diseases" were used to obtain literature on LD metabolism and pathological mechanism. After searching databases including Scopus, OVID, Web of Science, and PubMed from 2013 to 2024 using terms like "lipid droplets", "lipid droplet-associated proteins", "fatty liver disease", "diabetes", "diabetic kidney disease", "obesity", "atherosclerosis", "hyperlipidemia", "natural drug monomers" and "natural compounds", the most common natural compounds were identified in about 954 articles. Eventually, a total of 91 studies of 10 natural compounds reporting in vitro or in vivo studies were refined and summarized.

RESULTS

The most frequently used natural compounds include Berberine, Mangostin, Capsaicin, Caffeine, Genistein, Epigallocatechin-3-gallate, Chlorogenic acid, Betaine, Ginsenoside, Resveratrol. These natural compounds interact with LD-associated proteins and help ameliorate abnormal LDs in various metabolic diseases.

CONCLUSION

Natural compounds involved in the regulation of LDs and LD-associated proteins hold promise for treating metabolic diseases. Further research into these interactions may lead to new therapeutic applications.

Unveiling the Multifaceted Role of CIDEB: From Apoptosis to Lipid Metabolism and Liver Health

Cell-death-inducing DNA fragmentation factor-alpha (DFFA)-like effector b (CIDEB) was first identified as an apoptosis-inducing protein. Further research revealed a pivotal role in lipid metabolism, regulating very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), lipid droplets (LD), sterol response element-binding protein (SREBP), and chylomicrons. Recent studies have uncovered that rare germline variants in CIDEB protect against liver diseases, including MAFLD, cirrhosis, and viral hepatitis. Furthermore, CIDEB influences steps of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication cycle. This review summarizes the current knowledge about CIDEB’s roles in apoptosis, lipid metabolism, and viral hepatitis, and highlights its critical role in liver diseases.

The Extremely-Low-Frequency Electromagnetic Field Affects Apoptosis and Oxidative-Stress-Related Genes and Proteins in the Porcine Endometrium-An In Vitro Study

Nowadays, the extremely-low-frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) is recognized as environmental pollution. The data indicate that the ELF-EMF may affect factors related to epigenetic regulation and alter important biological processes in the uterus. The impact of the ELF-EMF on apoptosis and oxidative-stress-related genes has not been documented in porcine endometrium. This raises the question of whether the exposure to the ELF-EMF can induce apoptosis and/or oxidative stress in the endometrium of pigs during the peri-implantation period. Porcine endometrial slices (100 ± 5 mg) collected (n = 5) during the peri-implantation period were treated in vitro with ELF-EMF at a frequency of 50 Hz and flux density of 8 × 104 mG for 2 h. To determine the effect of ELF-EMF on apoptosis and oxidative stress in the endometrium, CASP3, CASP7, CIDEB, GADD45G, NOS1, NOS2, NOS3, and TP53I3 mRNA transcript were analyzed using real-time PCR, and protein abundance of CASP3, CASP7 using Western blot, and eNOS using ELISA were determined. Moreover, CASP3/7 and NOS activity was analyzed using flow cytometry and colorimetry, respectively. The decreased CASP7 and increased NOS3 mRNA transcript and protein abundance in ELF-EMF-treated endometrium were observed. Moreover, CIDEB, GADD45G, and TP53I3 mRNA transcript abundance was increased. Only p ≤ 0.05 was considered a statistically significant difference. The documented alterations indicate the potential of the ELF-EMF to affect apoptosis and generate oxidative stress in the endometrium. The insight into observed consequences documents for the first time the fact that the ELF-EMF may influence endometrial cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and/or tissue receptivity during peri-implantation.

Evaluation of vital genes correlated with CD8 + T cell infiltration as prognostic biomarkers in stomach adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Infiltration of CD8 + T cells in the tumor microenvironment is correlated with better prognosis in various malignancies. Our study aimed to investigate vital genes correlated with CD8 + T cell infiltration in stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) and develop a new prognostic model.

METHODS

Using the STAD dataset, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed, and co-expression networks were constructed. Combined with the CIBERSORT algorithm, the most relevant module of WGCNA with CD8 + T cell infiltration was selected for subsequent analysis. The vital genes were screened out by univariate regression analysis to establish the risk score model. The expression of the viral genes was verified by lasso regression analysis and in vitro experiments.

RESULTS

Four CD8 + T cell infiltration-related genes (CIDEC, EPS8L3, MUC13, and PLEKHS1) were correlated with the prognosis of STAD. Based on these genes, a risk score model was established. We found that the risk score could well predict the prognosis of STAD, and the risk score was positively correlated with CD8 + T cell infiltration. The validation results of the gene expression were consistent with TCGA. Furthermore, the risk score was significantly higher in tumor tissues. The high-risk group had poorer overall survival (OS) in each subgroup.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study constructed a new risk score model for STAD prognosis, which may provide a new perspective to explore the tumor immune microenvironment mechanism in STAD.

A Novel Signature of Lipid Metabolism-Related Gene Predicts Prognosis and Response to Immunotherapy in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Background: Lipid metabolism disorder, a new hallmark of cancer initiation, has been involved in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, few biomarkers about lipid metabolism-related genes (LMRGs) have been developed for prognosis prediction and clinical treatment of LUAD patients.

Methods: In this study, we constructed and validated an effective prognostic prediction model for LUAD patients depending on LMRGs. Subsequently, we investigated the prediction model from immune microenvironment, genomic changes, and immunotherapy.

Results: Then, eleven LMRGs were identified and applied to LUAD subtyping. In comparison with the high-risk group, the low-risk group exhibited a remarkably favorable prognosis, along with a higher immune score and lower tumor purity. Moreover, the low-risk group presented higher levels of immune checkpoint molecules, lower tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) score and tumor mutation burden (TMB), and higher likelihood of benefiting from immunotherapy. Furthermore, the genomic changes of six LMRGs (CD79A, HACD1, CYP17A1, SLCO1B3, ANGPTL4, and LDHA) were responsible for the difference in susceptibility to LUAD by greatly influencing B-cell activation.

Conclusion: Generally speaking, the LMRG model is a reliable independent biomarker for predicting adverse outcomes in LUAD patients and has the potential to facilitate risk-stratified immunotherapy.

Lipid droplets: platforms with multiple functions in cancer hallmarks

Lipid droplets (also known as lipid bodies) are lipid-rich, cytoplasmic organelles that play important roles in cell signaling, lipid metabolism, membrane trafficking, and the production of inflammatory mediators. Lipid droplet biogenesis is a regulated process, and accumulation of these organelles within leukocytes, epithelial cells, hepatocytes, and other nonadipocyte cells is a frequently observed phenotype in several physiologic or pathogenic situations and is thoroughly described during inflammatory conditions. Moreover, in recent years, several studies have described an increase in intracellular lipid accumulation in different neoplastic processes, although it is not clear whether lipid droplet accumulation is directly involved in the establishment of these different types of malignancies. This review discusses current evidence related to the biogenesis, composition and functions of lipid droplets related to the hallmarks of cancer: inflammation, cell metabolism, increased proliferation, escape from cell death, and hypoxia. Moreover, the potential of lipid droplets as markers of disease and targets for novel anti-inflammatory and antineoplastic therapies will be discussed.

Development and validation of a 4-gene combination for the prognostication in lung adenocarcinoma patients

Objective: To identify a multi-gene prognostic factor in patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).

Materials and methods Prognosis-related genes were screened in the TCGA-LUAD cohort. Then, patients in this cohort were randomly separated into training set and test set. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was performed to the penalized the Cox proportional hazards regression (CPH) model on the training set, and a prognostication combination based on the result of LASSO analysis was developed. By performing Kaplan-Meier curve analysis, univariate and multivariable CPH model on the overall survival (OS) as well as recurrence free survival (RFS), the prognostication performance of the multigene combination were evaluated. Moreover, we constructed a nomogram and performed decision curve analysis to evaluate the clinical application of the multigene combination.

Results We obtained 99 prognosis-related genes and screened out a 4-gene combination (including CIDEC, ZFP3, DKK1, and USP4) according to the LASSO analysis. The results of survival analyses suggested that patients in the 4-gene combination low-risk group had better OS and RFS than those in the 4-gene combination high-risk group. The 4-gene mentioned was demonstrated to be independent prognostic factor of patients with LUAD in the training set(OS, HR=11.962, P<0.001; RFS, HR=9.281, P<0.001) and test set (OS, HR=5.377, P=0.003; RFS, HR=2.949, P=0.104). More importantly, its prognosis performance was well in the validation set (OS, HR=0.955, P=0.002; RFS, HR=1.042, P<0.001).

Conclusions We introduced a 4-gene combination which could predict the survival of LUAD patients and might be an independent prognostic factor in LUAD.

Cell Cycle Progression Regulates Biogenesis and Cellular Localization of Lipid Droplets

Intracellular lipid accumulation has been associated with a poor prognosis in cancer. We have previously reported the involvement of lipid droplets in cell proliferation in colon cancer cells, suggesting a role for these organelles in cancer development.

Intracellular lipid accumulation has been associated with a poor prognosis in cancer. We have previously reported the involvement of lipid droplets in cell proliferation in colon cancer cells, suggesting a role for these organelles in cancer development. In this study, we evaluate the role of lipid droplets in cell cycle regulation and cellular transformation. Cell cycle synchronization of NIH 3T3 cells revealed increased numbers and dispersed distribution of lipid droplets specifically during S phase. Also, the transformed cell lineage NIH 3T3-H-rasV12 showed an accumulation of both lipid droplets and PLIN2 protein above the levels in NIH 3T3 cells. PLIN2 gene overexpression, however, was not able to induce NIH 3T3 cell transformation, disproving the hypothesis that PLIN2 is an oncogene. Furthermore, positive PLIN2 staining was strongly associated with highly proliferative Ki-67-positive areas in human colon adenocarcinoma tissue samples. Taken together, these results indicate that cell cycle progression is associated with tight regulation of lipid droplets, a process that is altered in transformed cells, suggesting the existence of a mechanism that connects cell cycle progression and cell proliferation with lipid accumulation.

Up-regulation of SR-BI promotes progression and serves as a prognostic biomarker in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Background

Scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) has been reported to be involved in carcinogenesis of several human cancers. However, it is currently unknown whether SR-BI plays a role in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Here, we aimed to evaluate a tumor promotive mechanism for SR-BI in ccRCC.

Methods

The expression of SR-BI was evaluated by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), Western blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC) in ccRCC tissues and cell lines. Lipid droplets in ccRCC tissues and normal kidney tissues were examined by Oil Red O (ORO) and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The correlation between SR-BI mRNA levels and clinicopathological features was analyzed by Pearson’s chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox model were used to evaluate the difference in progression-free survival (PFS) associated with expression of SR-BI. Inhibition of SR-BI was conducted by using small interfering RNA (siRNA). In vitro assays were performed to assess the impact of SR-BI knockdown on cell biological behaviors. High density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol content in ccRCC cells and extracellular media was also measured after transfection with siRNA.

Results

The expression of SR-BI was markedly up-regulated in ccRCC tissues and tumor cell lines. ORO and HE staining revealed huge amounts of lipid droplets accumulation in ccRCC. Clinical analysis showed that over-expression of SR-BI was positively associated with tumor size, grade, distant metastasis and inversely correlated with PFS. Furthermore, SR-BI was proved to be an independent prognostic marker in ccRCC patients. The inhibition of SR-BI attenuated the tumorous behaviors of ccRCC cells, expression of metastasis and AKT pathway related proteins. The content of HDL-cholesterol was reduced in cells while increased in extracellular media after transfection with si-SR-BI.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrate that SR-BI functions as an oncogene and promotes progression of ccRCC. SR-BI may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for ccRCC.

Lipid Droplet Biogenesis

Lipid droplets (LDs) are ubiquitous organelles that store neutral lipids for energy or membrane synthesis and act as hubs for metabolic processes. Cells generate LDs de novo, converting cells to emulsions with LDs constituting the dispersed oil phase in the aqueous cytoplasm. Here we review our current view of LD biogenesis. We present a model of LD formation from the ER in distinct steps and highlight the biology of proteins that govern this biophysical process. Areas of incomplete knowledge are identified, as are connections with physiology and diseases linked to alterations in LD biology.

Cideb Deficiency Aggravates Dextran Sulfate Sodium-induced Ulcerative Colitis in Mice by Exacerbating the Oxidative Burden in Colonic Mucosa

BACKGROUND

Abnormal lipid metabolism is one of many factors that contribute to the development of ulcerative colitis (UC). As a lipid droplet-associated protein, Cideb facilitated the export of lipids from enterocytes and promoted intestinal lipid absorption. We found that Cideb was upregulated in the colonic mucosa of both UC patients and dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced mouse colitis, but its roles in the pathogenesis of UC are still ill-defined.

METHODS

Acute colitis was induced with DSS in Cideb-null and wild-type mice, and the inflammation and oxidative stress were evaluated in the colonic mucosa. Moreover, triglyceride accumulation and oxidative stress were further analyzed in polarized Caco-2 cells with overexpression of Cideb.

RESULTS

Our present data indicated that Cideb-null mice were more susceptible to DSS-induced colitis, and consumption of a high-fat diet exacerbated the deterioration of DSS-induced colitis in Cideb-null mice. Moreover, Cideb deficiency increased the colonic oxidative stress in DSS-treated mice and more significant under a high-fat diet condition. In exploring the mechanism, we found that Cideb deficiency elevated the lipid content in both feces and the colonic mucosa of DSS-treated mice, especially those fed with a high-fat diet. The in vitro evidence proved that Cideb expression reduced triglyceride accumulation and oxidative stress in polarized Caco-2 cells in the presence of oleic acid.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that Cideb plays a protective role against the development of UC by reducing the lipid accumulation and oxidative damage in the colonic mucosa. Therefore, Cideb could be a potential therapeutic target for UC.

CIDE gene expression in adipose tissue, liver, and skeletal muscle from obese and lean pigs

The expression of the cell death-inducing DNA fragmentation factor α-like effector (CIDE) family including Cidea, Cideb, and Cidec was significantly increased in mouse and human models of obesity. However, there was less information on these genes' expression in pigs. Here, we hypothesized that different fat accumulation between lean (Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshire gilts, DLY) and obese (Lantang) pigs was attributed to porcine CIDE-modulating lipid metabolism. Our data showed that Cidea and Cidec were expressed at a high level in adipose tissue, and at a relatively high level in skeletal muscle, whereas Cideb was mainly expressed in the liver in both breeds of pig. Lantang pigs had higher white adipose and skeletal muscle Cidea and Cidec mRNA abundance, and hepatic and muscle Cideb mRNA than DLY pigs. Lipid metabolism-related genes including sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c), hepatocyte nuclear factor-4α (HNF-4α), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), fatty acid synthase (FASN), diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1), and DGAT2 showed a higher expression level in adipose tissue from obese pigs than in that from lean pigs. Lantang pigs exhibited higher mRNA abundance for liver SREBP-1c, HNF-4α, and PGC-1α, and higher skeletal muscle SREBP-1c, HNF-4α, PGC-1α, and DGAT2 expression, as compared with DLY pigs. However, the perlipin2 mRNA levels in adipose tissues, liver, and skeletal muscle were significantly lower in obese pigs than in their lean counterparts. Furthermore, plasma non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA), glucose, and triacylglycerol (TAG) levels were greater in obese pigs than in lean pigs. Finally, data from correlation analysis further found that CIDE mRNA expression was positively correlated with back fat thickness (BFT), abdominal fat mass (AFM), and the levels of NEFA, TAG, and glucose in the two breeds. Collectively, these data revealed that the porcine CIDEs possibly modulated lipid metabolism and contributed to the development of fat deposition and obesity in Lantang pigs.

Targeting lipid metabolism of cancer cells: A promising therapeutic strategy for cancer

One of the most important metabolic hallmarks of cancer cells is deregulation of lipid metabolism. In addition, enhancing de novo fatty acid (FA) synthesis, increasing lipid uptake and lipolysis have also been considered as means of FA acquisition in cancer cells. FAs are involved in various aspects of tumourigenesis and tumour progression. Therefore, targeting lipid metabolism is a promising therapeutic strategy for human cancer. Recent studies have shown that reprogramming lipid metabolism plays important roles in providing energy, macromolecules for membrane synthesis, and lipid signals during cancer progression. Moreover, accumulation of lipid droplets in cancer cells acts as a pivotal adaptive response to harmful conditions. Here, we provide a brief review of the crucial roles of FA metabolism in cancer development, and place emphasis on FA origin, utilization and storage in cancer cells. Understanding the regulation of lipid metabolism in cancer cells has important implications for exploring a new therapeutic strategy for management and treatment of cancer.

Low level of PDZ domain containing 1 (PDZK1) predicts poor clinical outcome in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most lethal neoplasm of the urologic system. Clinical therapeutic effect varies greatly between individual ccRCC patients, so there is an urgent need to develop prognostic molecular biomarkers to help clinicians identify patients in need of early aggressive management. In this study, samples from primary ccRCC tumor and their corresponding nontumor adjacent tissues (n=18) were analyzed by quantitative proteomic assay. Proteins downregulated in tumors were studied by GO and KEGG pathways enrichment analyses. Six proteins were found both downregulated and annotated with cell proliferation in ccRCC patients. Of these proteins, PDZK1 and FABP1 were also involved in the lipid metabolism pathway. The downregulation of PDZK1 was further validated in TCGA_KIRC dataset (n=532) and independent set (n=202). PDZK1 could discriminate recurrence, metastasis and prognosis between ccRCC patients. Low level of PDZK1 in both mRNA and protein was associated with reduced overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in two independent sets. In univariate and multivariate analyses, PDZK1 was defined as an independent prognostic factor for both OS and DFS. These findings indicated that low level of PDZK1 could predict poor clinical outcome in patients with ccRCC.

Lipid Droplets: A Key Cellular Organelle Associated with Cancer Cell Survival under Normoxia and Hypoxia

The Warburg effect describes the phenomenon by which cancer cells obtain energy from glycolysis even under normoxic (O₂-sufficient) conditions. Tumor tissues are generally exposed to hypoxia owing to inefficient and aberrant vasculature. Cancer cells have multiple molecular mechanisms to adapt to such stress conditions by reprogramming the cellular metabolism. Hypoxia-inducible factors are major transcription factors induced in cancer cells in response to hypoxia that contribute to the metabolic changes. In addition, cancer cells within hypoxic tumor areas have reduced access to serum components such as nutrients and lipids. However, the effect of such serum factor deprivation on cancer cell biology in the context of tumor hypoxia is not fully understood. Cancer cells are lipid-rich under normoxia and hypoxia, leading to the increased generation of a cellular organelle, the lipid droplet (LD). In recent years, the LD-mediated stress response mechanisms of cancer cells have been revealed. This review focuses on the production and functions of LDs in various types of cancer cells in relation to the associated cellular environment factors including tissue oxygenation status and metabolic mechanisms. This information will contribute to the current understanding of how cancer cells adapt to diverse tumor environments to promote their survival.

Small (<4 cm) clear cell renal cell carcinoma: correlation between CT findings and histologic grade

PURPOSE

To evaluate the correlation between CT findings and histologic grade of small clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC).

METHODS

CT scans of 101 patients with small ccRCC were reviewed independently by two radiologists for tumor size, shape, margin, encapsulation, enhancement pattern, and visual relative enhancement. Enhancement patterns were defined according to the percentage of uniform enhancement [pattern 1, homogeneous (≥90%); pattern 2, relatively homogeneous (≥75 and <90%); and pattern 3, heterogeneous (<75%)]. Quantitative parameters representing attenuation and degree of enhancement were calculated. Histologic grade was classified as low (Fuhrman grade I or II) and high (Fuhrman grade III or IV). CT imaging variables were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

A total of 63 low-grade and 38 high-grade small ccRCCs were assessed. Low-grade tumors differed from high-grade tumors with respect to enhancement pattern 1 or 2 (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001), smaller size (p = 0.002 and p = 0.001), and lower attenuation on unenhanced scan (p < 0.001 and p = 0.008). In multivariate analysis, enhancement pattern 1 or 2 and low attenuation (≤30 HU) were identified as independent predictors of low-grade ccRCC. Accuracy derived from logistic regression analysis was 79.2% for reader 1 and 70.3% for reader 2.

CONCLUSIONS

CT imaging features including tumor attenuation and enhancement pattern can be useful to predict the biologic behavior of small ccRCC for adequate treatment strategy.

Spermatozoal cell death-inducing DNA fragmentation factor-α-like effector A (CIDEA) gene expression and DNA fragmentation in infertile men with metabolic syndrome and normal seminogram

BACKGROUND

This is the first study to investigate spermatozoal cell death-inducing DNA fragmentation factor-α-like effector A (CIDEA) gene expression and DNA fragmentations in the spermatozoa of men diagnosed with metabolic syndrome (MS) who have normal seminograms with unexplained infertility, and to correlate these parameters with seminal glucose concentration.

METHODS

This study included 120 participants: 75 male subjects with MS (38 fertile and 37 infertile), and a control group of 45 fertile males without MS. HOMA-IR, semen analysis, and biochemical measurement of seminal plasma insulin and glucose levels were carried out. Spermatozoal insulin gene and CIDEA gene expressions were performed by the RT-PCR method. The percentage of spermatozoal DNA fragmentation was also estimated.

RESULTS

The spermatozoal insulin and CIDEA gene expression, as well as the DNA fragmentation, were significantly higher in the infertile MS group than in the fertile MS group, and significantly higher in both the MS groups than in the control group. Seminal glucose concentration showed significant positive correlations with seminal insulin level, spermatozoa insulin, CIDEA gene expression, and DNA fragmentation. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between spermatozoa CIDEA gene expression and DNA fragmentation.

CONCLUSIONS

It can be concluded that MS may affect male fertility at the molecular level, through its possible inducing effect of spermatozoa CIDEA and insulin gene expression, DNA fragmentation, and increased seminal glucose.

A Five-Gene Signature Predicts Prognosis in Patients with Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma

Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) is one of the most common cancers with high mortality all over the world. Many studies have proposed that genes could be used to predict prognosis in KIRC. In this study, RNA expression data from next-generation sequencing and clinical information of 523 patients downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset were analyzed in order to identify the relationship between gene expression level and the prognosis of KIRC patients. A set of five genes that significantly associated with overall survival time was identified and a model containing these five genes was constructed by Cox regression analysis. By Kaplan-Meier and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis, we confirmed that the model had good sensitivity and specificity. In summary, expression of the five-gene model is associated with the prognosis outcomes of KIRC patients, and it may have an important clinical significance.

Metastatic and prognostic factors in patients with alveolar echinococcosis

BACKGROUND

Prognostic predictions in alveolar echinococcosis (AE) are usually based on relapse and metastasis. Thus, assessment of factors associated with metastasis and clinical outcomes in patients with alveolar echinococcosis are of significant important. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlated factors for metastasis and prognosis for patients with AE.

METHODS

We analyzed 159 AE patients who underwent curative surgery at the First Teaching Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from February 2003 to December 2013 by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining for CD44 was performed in 159 AE and adjacent normal liver specimens. The clinicopathological parameters were analyzed for metastasis and prognosis, including gender, age, size, calcification, necrosis, foreign body granuloma and CD44 protein level.

RESULTS

The rate of metastasis was 22.1%. Chi-square test showed that low levels of CD44 was associated with metastasis (P = 0.004). However, multivariate analysis suggested that CD44 expression is not independent prognostic indicators for overall survival (P = 0.356). In addition, no correlations between prognosis and gender, age, size, calcification, necrosis, foreign body granulomatous, metastasis were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

The finding that a low level of CD44 is associated with metastasis in AE patients. At present, it thus remains question whether CD44 expression is a valid prognostic marker for AE, further investigations are required.

Investigating the antiviral role of cell death-inducing DFF45-like effector B in HCV replication

Cell-death-inducing DFF45-like effector B (CIDEB) is an apoptotic host factor, which was recently found to also regulate hepatic lipid homeostasis. Herein we delineate the relevance of these dual roles of CIDEB in apoptosis and lipid metabolism in the context of hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication. We demonstrate that HCV upregulates CIDEB expression in human serum differentiated hepatoma cells. CIDEB overexpression inhibits HCV replication in HCV replicon expressing Huh7.5 cells, while small interfering RNA knockdown of CIDEB expression in human serum differentiated hepatoma cells promotes HCV replication and secretion of viral proteins. Furthermore, we characterize a CIDEB mutant, KRRA, which is deficient in lipid droplet clustering and fusion and demonstrate that CIDEB-mediated inhibition of HCV is independent of the protein's lipid droplet fusogenic role. Our results suggest that higher levels of CIDEB expression, which favour an apoptotic role for the host factor, inhibit HCV. Collectively, our data demonstrate that CIDEB can act as an anti-HCV host factor and contribute to altered triglyceride homeostasis.

Altered expression of apoptotic genes in response to OCT4B1 suppression in human tumor cell lines

OCT4B1 is a newly discovered spliced variant of OCT4 which is primarily expressed in pluripotent and tumor cells. Based on our previous studies, OCT4B1 is significantly overexpressed in tumors, where it endows an anti-apoptotic property to tumor cells. However, the mechanism by which OCT4B1 regulates the apoptotic pathway is not yet elucidated. Here, we investigated the effects of OCT4B1 suppression on the expression alteration of 84 genes involved in apoptotic pathway. The AGS (gastric adenocarcinoma), 5637 (bladder tumor), and U-87MG (brain tumor) cell lines were transfected with OCT4B1 or irrelevant siRNAs. The expression level of apoptotic genes was then quantified using a human apoptosis panel-PCR kit. Our data revealed an almost similar pattern of alteration in the expression profile of apoptotic genes in all three studied cell lines, following OCT4B1 suppression. In general, the expression of more than 54 apoptotic genes (64 % of arrayed genes) showed significant changes. Among these, some up-regulated (CIDEA, CIDEB, TNFRSF1A, TNFRSF21, TNFRSF11B, TNFRSF10B, and CASP7) and down-regulated (BCL2, BCL2L11, TP73, TP53, BAD, TRAF3, TRAF2, BRAF, BNIP3L, BFAR, and BAX) genes had on average more than tenfold gene expression alteration in all three examined cell lines. With some minor exceptions, suppression of OCT4B1 caused upregulation of pro-apoptotic and down-regulation of anti-apoptotic genes in transfected tumor cells. Uncovering OCT4B1 down-stream targets could further elucidate its part in tumorigenesis, and could lead to finding a new approach to combat cancer, based on targeting OCT4B1.

Cideb facilitates the lipidation of chylomicrons in the small intestine

Cell death-inducing DFF45-like effector b (Cideb), an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)- and lipid droplet (LD)-associated protein, has been shown to play a critical role in maintaining hepatic lipid homeostasis by promoting the lipidation and maturation of VLDL particles. Here, we observed that Cideb is expressed in the jejunum and ileum sections of the small intestine, and its expression was induced by high-fat diet. Intragastric gavage with lipids resulted in the retention of lipids in the intestine in Cideb-deficient mice. In addition, we observed that mice with Cideb deficiency exhibited reduced intestinal chylomicron-TG secretion and increased lipid accumulation in the enterocytes. The sizes of chylomicrons secreted from the small intestine of Cideb-deficient mice were also smaller than those from wild-type mice. Furthermore, the overexpression of Cideb increased TG secretion and reduced lipid accumulation in the enterocyte-like Caco-2 cells. In addition, we proved that Cideb was localized to the ER and LDs and could interact with ApoB48 in Caco-2 cells. Overall, these data revealed that Cideb plays an important role in controlling intestinal chylomicron lipidation.

Human serum activates CIDEB-mediated lipid droplet enlargement in hepatoma cells

Human hepatocytes constitutively express the lipid droplet (LD) associated protein cell death-inducing DFFA-like effector B (CIDEB). CIDEB mediates LD fusion, as well as very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) maturation. However, there are limited cell culture models readily available to study CIDEB's role in these biological processes, as hepatoma cell lines express negligible levels of CIDEB. Recent work has highlighted the ability of human serum to differentiate hepatoma cells. Herein, we demonstrate that culturing Huh7.5 cells in media supplemented with human serum activates CIDEB expression. This activation occurs through the induced expression of PGC-1α, a positive transcriptional regulator of CIDEB. Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy revealed a correlation between CIDEB levels and LD size in human serum treated Huh7.5 cells. Human serum treatment also resulted in a rapid decrease in the levels of adipose differentiation-related protein (ADRP). Furthermore, individual overexpression of CIDEB was sufficient to down-regulate ADRP protein levels. siRNA knockdown of CIDEB revealed that the human serum mediated increase in LD size was CIDEB-dependent. Overall, our work highlights CIDEB's role in LD fusion, and presents a new model system to study the PGC-1α/CIDEB pathway's role in LD dynamics and the VLDL pathway.