Terazosin reduces steroidogenic factor 1 and upregulates heat shock protein 90 expression in LH-induced bovine ovarian theca cells

Activation of telomerase activity and telomere elongation of host cells by Theileria annulata infection

Theileria annulata-transformed cells share many phenotypes with cancer cells, including uncontrolled proliferation, immortalization, and dissemination. Telomeres are DNA-protein complex at the end of eukaryotic chromosomes that function to maintain genome stability and cell replicative capacity. Telomere length maintenance is primarily dependent on telomerase activity. In up to 90% of human cancer cells, telomerase is reactivated through expression of its catalytic subunit TERT. However, the effect of T. annulata infection on telomere and telomerase activity in bovine cells has not yet been described. In the present study, we confirmed that telomere length and telomerase activity are upregulated after T. annulata infection in three types of cell lines. This change depends on the presence of parasites. After eliminating Theileria from cells with antitheilerial drug buparvaquone, telomerase activity and the expression level of bTERT were decreased. In addition, inhibition of bHSP90 by novobiocin led to decreased AKT phosphorylation levels and telomerase activity, indicating that the bHSP90-AKT complex is a potent factor modulates telomerase activity in T. annulata-infected cells.

Study on the mechanism of Cortex Lycii on lung cancer based on network pharmacology combined with experimental validation

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Xie Bai San is a Chinese medicine prescription that has been used to treat lung cancer in China for a long time. It has been proven to alleviate the symptoms and extend the survival time of lung cancer patients. Xie Bai San comprises Cortex Lycii, Cortex Mori, and Radix Glycyrrhizae Preparata. The effects and mechanisms of Cortex Mori and Glycyrrhizae on lung cancer have been reported, whereas the underlying mechanism of Cortex Lycii remains unknown.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Network pharmacology was used to explore the unknown mechanisms underlying the effect of Cortex Lycii on lung cancer. Molecular docking was used to predict the binding of a compound to the protein. The fingerprint of Cortex Lycii was obtained by HPLC. Cell counting Kit-8 assay was used to determine the appropriate concentration of Cortex Lycii extract for human lung adenocarcinoma cells, A549 and H1299. Wound healing assay and Matrigel invasion assay were used to detect the influence of Cortex Lycii extract on the migration and invasion ability of A549 and H1299. The protein expression level was detected by western blot and immunohistochemical staining.

RESULTS

Using network pharmacology, 38 components of Cortex Lycii and 79 possible lung cancer-related target genes of Cortex Lycii were obtained. The targets were assigned to 35 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways and the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway contained the most targets and had the second-lowest P-value. The molecular docking showed the components of Cortex Lycii bound to HSP90AB1. Among them, 6 components bound to HSP90AB1 in which HSP90AB1 binds to and phosphorylates AKT. The functional experiments showed that Cortex Lycii suppressed the migration and invasion of human lung cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. Cortex Lycii up-regulated E-Cadherin and down-regulated N-Cadherin, Vimentin, and MMP2. Furthermore, Cortex Lycii made no change in the total AKT and mTOR protein levels, but caused the down-regulation of p-AKT and p-mTOR in human lung cancer cells, which was reversed by Terazosin, an agonist of HSP90. Moreover, acacetin and apigenin, two components of Cortex Lycii, reduced the protein level of p-AKT and p-mTOR, and the reduction was also inhibited by Terazosin.

CONCLUSION

Cortex Lycii suppressed epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in lung cancer cells through the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway, possibly by targeting HSP90AB1 and inhibiting HSP90AB1-AKT binding.

DAB2IP down-regulates HSP90AA1 to inhibit the malignant biological behaviors of colorectal cancer

Background

Studies have shown that DAB2IP inhibits cancer progression, while HSP90AA1 promotes cancer progression. However, the specific regulatory mechanism of DAB2IP and HSP90AA1 in colorectal cancer (CRC) is not clear. Our aim is to investigate the role and mechanism of DAB2IP and HSP90AA1 in the development of CRC.

Methods

We used bioinformation to analyze the interaction between DAB2IP and HSP90AA1 and predict their downstream pathways. Then, a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to reveal the role of DAB2IP and HSP90AA1 in the invasion and metastasis of colorectal cancer, and flow cytometry was used to explore their effects on apoptosis.

Results

Loss of DAB2IP was associated with poor prognosis of CRC. In contrast, elevated expression of HSP90AA1 was associated with the malignant behavior of CRC. The present study demonstrated a negative correlation between DAB2IP and HSP90AA1. Using bioinformatic analysis, we scanned SRP9 which was highly expressed in CRC, as a co-related gene of DAB2IP and HSP90AA1. Mechanistically, DAB2IP promoted apoptosis through HSP90AA1/SRP9/ASK1/JNK signaling axis in CRC.

Conclusions

These findings provide evidence that DAB2IP-based therapy may enhance the anticancer effect of HSP90AA1 inhibitors, and combined targeting of DAB2IP and HSP90AA1 may be a powerful treatment strategy to combat CRC.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-022-09596-z.

Estrogen Receptors in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Female infertility is mainly caused by ovulation disorders, which affect female reproduction and pregnancy worldwide, with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) being the most prevalent of these. PCOS is a frequent endocrine disease that is associated with abnormal function of the female sex hormone estrogen and estrogen receptors (ERs). Estrogens mediate genomic effects through ERα and ERβ in target tissues. The G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) has recently been described as mediating the non-genomic signaling of estrogen. Changes in estrogen receptor signaling pathways affect cellular activities, such as ovulation; cell cycle phase; and cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Over the years, some selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) have made substantial strides in clinical applications for subfertility with PCOS, such as tamoxifen and clomiphene, however the role of ER in PCOS still needs to be understood. This article focuses on the recent progress in PCOS caused by the abnormal expression of estrogen and ERs in the ovaries and uterus, and the clinical application of related targeted small-molecule drugs.