CCN1 promotes tumorigenicity through Rac1/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway in pancreatic cancer

The role of Cistanches Herba and its ingredients in improving reproductive outcomes: A comprehensive review

BACKGROUND

Infertility patients account for an astonishing proportion of individuals worldwide. Due to its complex etiology and challenging treatment, infertility has imposed significant psychological and economic burdens on many patients. C. Herba (Cistanche tubulosa (Schenk) Wight and Cistanche deserticola Ma), renowned as one of the most prominent Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs), is abundant in diverse bioactive compounds that exhibit therapeutic effects on many diseases related to oxidative stress (OS) and disorders of sex hormone levels.

OBJECTIVE

Due to the limited drugs currently used in clinical practice to improve reproductive outcomes and their inevitable side effects, developing safe and effective new medications for infertility is of significance. This article comprehensively reviewed the phytochemicals of C. Herba, focusing on their efficacy and mechanisms on infertility and their safety for the first time, aiming to offer valuable insights for the development and application of C. Herba, and for developing novel strategies for treating infertility.

METHODS

We used "Cistanche" and its known bioactive components in combination with "sperm", "testicles", "epididymis", "ovaries", "uterus", and "infertility" as keywords to search in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and CNKI up to November 2023. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guideline was followed.

RESULTS

The therapeutic effects of C. Herba on infertility are mainly attributed to echinacoside (ECH), verbascoside (VB), salidroside (SAL), polysaccharides, and betaine. They can effectively improve spermatogenic dysfunction, gonadal dysfunction and erectile dysfunction (ED) by exerting anti-oxidation, sex hormones regulation and anti-hypoxia. Moreover, they can also improve premature ovarian failure (POF), ovarian and uterine cancer, oocyte maturation by exerting anti-oxidation, anti-apoptosis, and anti-cancer. C. Herba and its active ingredients also exhibit pleasing safety.

CONCLUSION

C. Herba is a promising source of natural medicine for infertility. Additionally, compared to current therapeutic drugs, its favorable safety also supports its development as a nutritional supplement. However, high-quality clinical studies are required to validate its effectiveness for the development of novel therapeutic strategies.

Global Proteomics Analysis of Lysophosphatidic Acid Signaling in PC-3 Human Prostate Cancer Cells: Role of CCN1

Cysteine-rich angiogenic factor 61 (CCN1/Cyr61) is a matricellular protein that is induced and secreted in response to growth factors. Our previous work showed that 18:1-lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), which activates the G protein-coupled receptor LPAR1, induces CCN1 between 2-4 h in PC-3 human prostate cancer cells in a manner than enhances cell-substrate adhesion. While the time course of induction suggests that CCN1 contributes to intermediate events in LPA action, the roles of CCN1 in LPA-mediated signal transduction have not been fully elucidated. This study utilized a comprehensive global proteomics approach to identify proteins up- or down-regulated in response to treatment of PC-3 cells with LPA for three hours, during the time of peak CCN1 levels. In addition, the effects of siRNA-mediated CCN1 knockdown on LPA responses were analyzed. The results show that, in addition to CCN1, LPA increased the levels of multiple proteins. Proteins up-regulated by LPA included metastasis-associated in colon cancer protein 1 (MACC1) and thrombospondin-1 (TSP1/THBS1); both MACC1 and TSP1 regulated cancer cell adhesion and motility. LPA down-regulated thioredoxin interacting protein (TXNIP). CCN1 knockdown suppressed the LPA-induced up-regulation of 30 proteins; these included MACC1 and TSP1, as confirmed by immunoblotting. Gene ontology and STRING analyses revealed multiple pathways impacted by LPA and CCN1. These results indicate that CCN1 contributes to LPA signaling cascades that occur during the intermediate phase after the initial stimulus. The study provides a rationale for the development of interventions to disrupt the LPA-CCN1 axis.

The Anti-Tumor Efficacy of Verbascoside on Ovarian Cancer via Facilitating CCN1-AKT/NF-κB Pathway-Mediated M1 Macrophage Polarization

Background

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the leading cause of gynecological cancer-related mortality. Verbascoside (VB) is a phenylpropanoid glycoside from Chinese herbs, with anti-tumour activities. This study aimed to investigate the effects and mechanism of VB on OC.

Methods

OC cell lines SKOV3 and A2780 were used in this study. Cell viability, proliferation, and migration were measured using CCK-8, clonogenic, and transwell assays, respectively. Apoptosis and M1/M2 macrophages were detected using flow cytometry. The interaction between VB and CCN1 was predicted by molecular docking. The mRNA expression of CCN1 was detected by RT-qPCR. The protein levels of CCN1, AKT, p-AKT, p65, and p-p65 were determined by western blotting. A xenograft mice model was established for in vivo validation.

Results

VB inhibited OC cell proliferation and migration in a dose-dependent manner, and promoted apoptosis and M1 macrophage polarization. VB downregulated CCN1 and inhibited the AKT/NF-κB pathway. LY294002, an AKT inhibitor, potentiated the anti-tumour effects of VB. CCN1 overexpression weakened the anti-tumour effects of VB and VB + LY294002. In vivo experiments verified that VB inhibited tumour growth and promoted M1 polarization, which is regulated by the CCN1-mediated AKT/NF-κB pathway.

Conclusion

VB triggers the CCN1-AKT/NF-κB pathway-mediated M1 macrophage polarization for protecting against OC.

A Substance P (SP)/Neurokinin-1 Receptor Axis Promotes Perineural Invasion of Pancreatic Cancer and Is Affected by lncRNA LOC389641

Perineural invasion (PNI) is considered to be a main reason for the poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer. In the present study, we analyzed the roles of substance P (SP)/neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R) and lncRNA LOC389641 in pancreatic cancer PNI. Pancreatic cancer cell lines BxPC-3 and MIAPaCa-2 were cocultured with SH-SY5Y cells and then stimulated with SP to simulate the in vivo influence of ganglia on pancreatic cancer. The BxPC-3 and MIAPaCa-2 cells were transfected with a neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R) overexpression vector, NK-1R silencing vector, LOC389641 overexpression vector, or LOC389641 silencing vector, respectively. The proliferative abilities of BxPC-3 and MIAPaCa-2 cells were assessed using the cell counting kit-8 and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assays. Wound-healing and Transwell assays were performed to determine the migration and invasion abilities of the cells. When SP was added to the coculture system, it positively regulated cancer cell proliferation, migration, and PNI and significantly activated the NK-1R/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway. Incubation with 100 nmol/L SP for 24 h was selected as the optimal condition for treatment. The activated NK-1R positively regulated the proliferation, migration, and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells. However, the levels of lncRNA LOC389641 and tumor necrosis factor receptor SF10A (TNFRSF10A) mRNA in BxPC-3 and MIAPaCa-2 cells were not affected by SP treatment. Overexpression or silencing of LOC389641 changed the effect of SP stimulation on pancreatic cancer PNI. When taken together, these results revealed that SP/NK-1R and LOC389641 promoted the progression of pancreatic cancer PNI. Moreover, we found that pancreatic cancer PNI promoted by the SP/NK-1R axis could be blocked by the TNFRSF10A/NF-κB pathway mediated by LOC389641.

Drug Resistance in Glioma Cells Induced by a Mesenchymal-Amoeboid Migratory Switch

Cancer cell invasion is a precondition for tumour metastasis and represents one of the most devastating characteristics of cancer. The development of drugs targeting cell migration, known as migrastatics, may improve the treatment of highly invasive tumours such as glioblastoma (GBM). In this study, investigations into the role of the cell adhesion protein Cellular communication network factor 1 (CCN1, also known as CYR61) in GBM cell migration uncovered a drug resistance mechanism adopted by cells when treated with the small molecule inhibitor CCG-1423. This inhibitor binds to importin α/β inhibiting the nuclear translocation of the transcriptional co-activator MKL1, thus preventing downstream effects including migration. Despite this reported role as an inhibitor of cell migration, we found that CCG-1423 treatment did not inhibit GBM cell migration. However, we could observe cells now migrating by mesenchymal-amoeboid transition (MAT). Furthermore, we present evidence that CCN1 plays a critical role in the progression of GBM with increased expression in higher-grade tumours and matched blood samples. These findings support a potential role for CCN1 as a biomarker for the monitoring and potentially early prediction of GBM recurrence, therefore as such could help to improve treatment of and increase survival rates of this devastating disease.

CCN-Based Therapeutic Peptides Modify Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Microenvironment and Decrease Tumor Growth in Combination with Chemotherapy

The prominent desmoplastic stroma of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a determinant factor in tumor progression and a major barrier to the access of chemotherapy. The PDAC microenvironment therefore appears to be a promising therapeutic target. CCN2/CTGF is a profibrotic matricellular protein, highly present in the PDAC microenvironment and associated with disease progression. Here we have investigated the therapeutic value of the CCN2-targeting BLR100 and BLR200, two modified synthetic peptides derived from active regions of CCN3, an endogenous inhibitor of CCN2. In a murine orthotopic PDAC model, the two peptides, administered as monotherapy at low doses (approximating physiological levels of CCN3), had tumor inhibitory activity that increased with the dose. The peptides affected the tumor microenvironment, inhibiting fibrosis and vessel formation and reducing necrosis. Both peptides were active in preventing ascites formation. An increased activity was obtained in combination regimens, administering BLR100 or BLR200 with the chemotherapeutic drug gemcitabine. Pharmacokinetic analysis indicated that the improved activity of the combination was not mainly determined by the substantial increase in gemcitabine delivery to tumors, suggesting other effects on the tumor microenvironment. The beneficial remodeling of the tumor stroma supports the potential value of these CCN3-derived peptides for targeting pathways regulated by CCN2 in PDAC.

[ARTICLE WITHDRAWN] Long Noncoding RNA TUNAR Represses Growth, Migration, and Invasion of Human Glioma Cells Through Regulating miR-200a and Rac1

THIS ARTICLE WAS WITHDRAWN BY THE PUBLISHERS IN NOVEMBER 2020.

CCN1 acutely increases nitric oxide production via integrin αvβ3-Akt-S6K-phosphorylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase at the serine 1177 signaling axis

Although CCN1 (also known as cysteine-rich, angiogenic inducer 61, CYR61) has been reported to promote angiogenesis and neovascularization in endothelial cells (ECs), its effects on endothelial nitric oxide (NO) production have never been studied. Using human umbilical vein ECs, we investigated whether and how CCN1 regulates NO production. CCN1 acutely increased NO production in a time- and dose-dependent manner, which was accompanied by increased phosphorylation of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) at serine 1177 (eNOS-Ser(1177)), but not that of eNOS-Thr(495) or eNOS-Ser(114). The level of total eNOS expression was unaltered. Treatment with either LY294002, a selective inhibitor of phosphoinositide 3-kinase known as an upstream kinase of Akt, or H-89, an inhibitor of protein kinase A, mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinase 1, Rho-associated protein kinase 2, and ribosomal protein S6 kinase (S6K), inhibited CCN1-stimulated eNOS-Ser(1177) phosphorylation and subsequent NO production. Ectopic expression of small interfering RNA against Akt and S6K significantly inhibited the effects of CCN1. Consistently, CCN1 increased the phosphorylation of Akt-Ser(473) and S6K-Thr(389). However, CCN1 did not alter the expression or secretion of VEGF, a known downstream factor of CCN1 and a potential upstream factor of Akt-mediated eNOS-Ser(1177) phosphorylation. Furthermore, neutralization of integrin αvβ3 with corresponding antibody completely reversed all of the observed effects of CCN1. Moreover, CCN1 increased acetylcholine-induced relaxation in the rat aortas. Finally, we also found that CCN1-stimulated eNOS-Ser(1177) phosphorylation and NO production are true for other types of EC tested. In conclusion, CCN1 acutely increases NO production via activation of a signaling axis in integrin αvβ3-Akt-S6K-eNOS-Ser(1177) phosphorylation, suggesting an important role for CCN1 in vasodilation.

Use of rodents as models of human diseases

Advances in molecular biology have significantly increased the understanding of the biology of different diseases. However, these discoveries have not yet been fully translated into improved treatments for patients with diseases such as cancers. One of the factors limiting the translation of knowledge from preclinical studies to the clinic has been the limitations of in vivo diseases models. In this brief review, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of rodent models that have been developed to simulate human pathologies, focusing in models that employ xenografts and genetic modification. Within the framework of genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models, we will review some of the current genetic strategies for modeling diseases in the mouse and the preclinical studies that have already been undertaken. We will also discuss how recent improvements in imaging technologies may increase the information derived from using these GEMs during early assessments of potential therapeutic pathways. Furthermore, it is interesting to note that one of the values of using a mouse model is the very rapid turnover rate of the animal, going through the process of birth to death in a very short timeframe relative to that of larger mammalian species.

CARMA3 is upregulated in human pancreatic carcinoma, and its depletion inhibits tumor proliferation, migration, and invasion

Elevated CARMA3 expression has been reported to be involved in tumor progression of several cancer types. In the present study, we examined the expression pattern of CARMA3 protein and its biological roles in human pancreatic carcinoma. Using immunohistochemistry, we checked CARMA3 protein expression in 95 pancreatic ductal carcinoma specimens. We found that CARMA3 was overexpressed in 34 of 95 (35.8 %) specimens. A significant association was observed between CARMA3 overexpression with histological grade (p=0.0099) and nodal status (p=0.0126). To further explore its biological roles, we knocked down CARMA3 expression in CAPAN2 cell line using small interfering RNA (siRNA). MTT growth assay, wound healing assay, and Transwell assay showed that CARMA3 depletion inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. We also showed that CARMA3 depletion inhibited EGF-induced nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) activation and its target genes' expression. The effect of CARMA3 depletion on NF-κB signaling was significantly reduced in Bcl10-depleted cells. In conclusion, CARMA3 is overexpressed in pancreatic cancer and regulates malignant cell growth, invasion, and NF-κB signaling, which was dependent on its association with Bcl10.

Clinical significance and biological roles of CARMA3 in human bladder carcinoma

Caspase recruitment domain and membrane-associated guanylate kinase-like domain protein 3 (CARMA3) was reported as an oncoprotein overexpressed in several cancers. The expression pattern of CARMA3 and its clinical significance in human bladder cancer have not been well characterized. In the present study, CARMA3 expression was analyzed in 90 archived bladder cancer specimens using immunohistochemistry, and the correlation between CARMA3 expression and clinicopathological parameters was evaluated. We found that CARMA3 was overexpressed in 35 of 90 (38.8%) bladder cancer specimens. Significant association was observed between CARMA3 overexpression with tumor status (p = 0.081) and tumor grade (p = 0.027). To further explore the biological functions of CARMA3 in bladder cancer, we depleted CARMA3 in T24 and 5637 cell lines using small interfering RNA (siRNA). Using cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) assay and colony formation assay, we were able to show that CARMA3 depletion inhibited cell proliferation and colony number. Further study demonstrated that CARMA3 depletion decreased an expression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) targets cyclin D1 and Bcl-2 expression, as well as IκB phosphorylation. Luciferase reporter assay showed that CARMA3 depletion could downregulate NF-κB reporter activity. In conclusion, CARMA3 is overexpressed in bladder cancer and regulates malignant cell growth and NF-κB signaling, which makes CARMA3 a candidate therapeutic target for bladder cancer.

CIP2A is overexpressed in osteosarcoma and regulates cell proliferation and invasion

Cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (CIP2A) is a newly characterized oncoprotein involved in a variety of malignant tumors. However, its expression pattern and biological functions in osteosarcoma remain unclear. In the present study, CIP2A expression was analyzed in 51 human osteosarcoma specimens using immunohistochemistry. CIP2A siRNA was used in the MG-63 cell line, and the effect of CIP2A depletion on cell proliferation and invasion was evaluated. We found that CIP2A was overexpressed in 76.5 % (39/51) of osteosarcoma tissues, while normal bone tissues showed negative CIP2A expression. In addition, the positive rate of CIP2A expression was higher in stage IIB osteosarcoma than stage IIA cases. Knockdown of the CIP2A expression significantly reduced osteosarcoma cell proliferation and invasion, with decreased c-Myc expression and p-AKT expression. CIP2A depletion also facilitated apoptosis and inhibited MMP9 mRNA expression. Taken together, our data identified CIP2A as a critical oncoprotein involved in cell proliferation and invasion, which could serve as a therapeutic target in osteosarcoma.