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Zhou HM, Chen DH, Diao WJ, Wu YF, Zhang JG, Zhong L, Jiang ZY, Zhang X, Liu GL, Li Q. Inhibition of RhoGEF/RhoA alleviates regorafenib resistance and cancer stemness via Hippo signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma. Exp Cell Res 2024; 436:113956. [PMID: 38341081 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2024.113956] [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: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are vulnerable to drug resistance. Although drug resistance has been taken much attention to HCC therapy, little is known of regorafenib and regorafenib resistance (RR). This study aimed to determine the drug resistance pattern and the role of RhoA in RR. Two regorafenib-resistant cell lines were constructed based on Huh7 and Hep3B cell lines. In vitro and in vivo assays were conducted to study RhoA expression, the activity of Hippo signaling pathway and cancer stem cell (CSC) traits. The data showed that RhoA was highly expressed, Hippo signaling was hypoactivated and CSC traits were more prominent in RR cells. Inhibiting RhoA could reverse RR, and the alliance of RhoA inhibition and regorafenib synergistically attenuated CSC phenotype. Furthermore, inhibiting LARG/RhoA increased Kibra/NF2 complex formation, prevented YAP from shuttling into the nucleus and repressed CD44 mRNA expression. Clinically, the high expression of RhoA correlated with poor prognosis. LARG, RhoA, YAP1 and CD44 show positive correlation with each other. Thus, inhibition of RhoGEF/RhoA has the potential to reverse RR and repress CSC phenotype in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- He-Ming Zhou
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 100 Haining Road, Shanghai, 200080, PR China
| | - Da-Hong Chen
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 100 Haining Road, Shanghai, 200080, PR China
| | - Wen-Jing Diao
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 100 Haining Road, Shanghai, 200080, PR China
| | - Ya-Fei Wu
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 100 Haining Road, Shanghai, 200080, PR China
| | - Ji-Gang Zhang
- Clinical Research Center, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 100 Haining Road, Shanghai, 200080, PR China
| | - Lin Zhong
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 100 Haining Road, Shanghai, 200080, PR China
| | - Zhong-Yi Jiang
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 100 Haining Road, Shanghai, 200080, PR China
| | - Xue Zhang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 100 Haining Road, Shanghai, 200080, PR China; Shanghai Eye Diseases Prevention & Treatment Center / Shanghai Eye Hospital, Shanghai, 200040, PR China
| | - Gao-Lin Liu
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 100 Haining Road, Shanghai, 200080, PR China; Shanghai Eye Diseases Prevention & Treatment Center / Shanghai Eye Hospital, Shanghai, 200040, PR China
| | - Qin Li
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 100 Haining Road, Shanghai, 200080, PR China; Shanghai Eye Diseases Prevention & Treatment Center / Shanghai Eye Hospital, Shanghai, 200040, PR China.
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Cellai I, Comeglio P, Filippi S, Martinelli S, Villanelli F, Amore F, Rapizzi E, Maseroli E, Cipriani S, Raddi C, Guarnieri G, Sarchielli E, Danza G, Morelli A, Rastrelli G, Maggi M, Vignozzi L. The regulatory effect of sex steroids on the RhoA/ROCK pathway in the rat distal vagina. J Sex Med 2023; 20:1-13. [PMID: 36897236 DOI: 10.1093/jsxmed/qdac009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex steroids have been demonstrated as important modulators of vaginal function. The RhoA/ROCK calcium-sensitizing pathway plays a role in genital smooth muscle contractile mechanism, but its regulation has never been elucidated. AIM This study investigated the sex steroid regulation of the vaginal smooth muscle RhoA/ROCK pathway using a validated animal model. METHODS Ovariectomized (OVX) Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with 17β-estradiol (E2), testosterone (T), and T with letrozole (T + L) and compared with intact animals. Contractility studies were performed to test the effect of the ROCK inhibitor Y-27632 and the nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor L-NAME. In vaginal tissues, ROCK1 immunolocalization was investigated; mRNA expression was analyzed by semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction; and RhoA membrane translocation was evaluated by Western blot. Finally, rat vaginal smooth muscle cells (rvSMCs) were isolated from the distal vagina of intact and OVX animals, and quantification of the RhoA inhibitory protein RhoGDI was performed after stimulation with NO donor sodium nitroprusside, with or without administration of the soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor ODQ or PRKG1 inhibitor KT5823. OUTCOMES Androgens are critical in inhibiting the RhoA/ROCK pathway of the smooth muscle compartment in the distal vagina. RESULTS ROCK1 was immunolocalized in the smooth muscle bundles and blood vessel wall of the vagina, with weak positivity detected in the epithelium. Y-27632 induced a dose-dependent relaxation of noradrenaline precontracted vaginal strips, decreased by OVX and restored by E2, while T and T + L decreased it below the OVX level. In Western blot analysis, when compared with control, OVX significantly induced RhoA activation, as revealed by its membrane translocation, with T reverting it at a level significantly lower than in controls. This effect was not exerted by E2. Abolishing NO formation via L-NAME increased Y-27632 responsiveness in the OVX + T group; L-NAME had partial effects in controls while not modulating Y-27632 responsiveness in the OVX and OVX + E2 groups. Finally, stimulation of rvSMCs from control animals with sodium nitroprusside significantly increased RhoGDI protein expression, counteracted by ODQ and partially by KT5823 incubation; no effect was observed in rvSMCs from OVX rats. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Androgens, by inhibiting the RhoA/ROCK pathway, could positively contribute to vaginal smooth muscle relaxation, favoring sexual intercourse. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS This study describes the role of androgens in maintaining vaginal well-being. The absence of a sham-operated animal group and the use of the only intact animal as control represented a limitation to the study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Cellai
- Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Department of Experimental Clinical and Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence 50139, Italy
| | - Paolo Comeglio
- Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Department of Experimental Clinical and Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence 50139, Italy
| | - Sandra Filippi
- Interdepartmental Laboratory of Functional and Cellular Pharmacology of Reproduction, Department of Neurosciences, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, Florence 50139, Italy
| | - Serena Martinelli
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Experimental Clinical and Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence 50139, Italy
| | - Fabio Villanelli
- Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Department of Experimental Clinical and Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence 50139, Italy
| | - Francesca Amore
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Experimental Clinical and Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence 50139, Italy
| | - Elena Rapizzi
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Experimental Clinical and Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence 50139, Italy
| | - Elisa Maseroli
- Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Department of Experimental Clinical and Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence 50139, Italy
| | - Sarah Cipriani
- Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Department of Experimental Clinical and Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence 50139, Italy
| | - Chiara Raddi
- Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Department of Experimental Clinical and Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence 50139, Italy
| | - Giulia Guarnieri
- Section of Human Anatomy and Histology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence 50139, Italy
| | - Erica Sarchielli
- Section of Human Anatomy and Histology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence 50139, Italy
| | - Giovanna Danza
- Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Department of Experimental Clinical and Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence 50139, Italy
| | - Annamaria Morelli
- Section of Human Anatomy and Histology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence 50139, Italy
| | - Giulia Rastrelli
- Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Department of Experimental Clinical and Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence 50139, Italy
| | - Mario Maggi
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Experimental Clinical and Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence 50139, Italy.,INBB (Istituto Nazionale Biostrutture e Biosistemi), Rome, Italy
| | - Linda Vignozzi
- Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Department of Experimental Clinical and Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence 50139, Italy.,INBB (Istituto Nazionale Biostrutture e Biosistemi), Rome, Italy
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Rho kinase Blockade Ameliorates DSS-Induced Ulcerative Colitis in Mice Through Dual Inhibition of the NF-κB and IL-6/STAT3 Pathways. Inflammation 2021; 43:857-867. [PMID: 31916050 DOI: 10.1007/s10753-019-01171-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has received much attention due to its increasing worldwide incidence and potential increased risk of colorectal cancer. The protective function of a Rho-associated protein kinase inhibitor (Y-27632) against 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) induced mouse colitis has been proven in previous studies, but the concrete therapeutic mechanism of Y-27632 is still not completely illuminated. This current research is intended for further investigation of the effect and mechanism of Y-27632 in a mouse model of acute experimental ulcerative colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). A total of 24 male BALB/c mice were randomly separated into the following three groups (n = 8 per group) and injected intraperitoneally with the corresponding reagents for 7 days: control group (PBS), DSS group (PBS), and Y-27632 group (PBS and Y-27632; 10 mg/kg). Our data indicated that Y-27632 could significantly improve the severity of colitis, as evidenced by the disease activity index (DAI) scores, histological damage, and colon length. Additionally, Y-27632 treatment significantly decreased CD68 and proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-17F (IL-17F), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Furthermore, Y-27632 potently and pleiotropically suppressed nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and signal transduction and transcriptional activator 3 (STAT3) activation as well as the activity of prosurvival genes that are dependent on these transcription factors. In summary, the study demonstrates that Y-27632 exerts ameliorative effects on colonic inflammation mediated through dual inhibition of the NF-κB and IL-6/STAT3 pathways and thus is likely to function as a prospective novel treatment for human ulcerative colitis (UC).
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