Overview of the miR-29 family members' function in breast cancer

Impact of cataranthine treatment on miRNA34 and miRNA29 levels in HepG2 cells and their association with the expression levels of Bcl-2 and Nrf2

INTRODUCTION

Cataranthine is an alkaloid used in the development of anti-cancer drugs. In this study, the effect of cataranthine is assessed by measuring the levels of miR-34 and miRNA-29, which are effective regulators of BCL-2 and NRF-2 gene expression, and their relation to the survival of HCC cells.

METHODS

This study used cataranthine, and the HepG2 cell line. The MTT test was used to determine the appropriate concentration of cataranthine for treatment (IC50). Oxidative stress status was assessed by evaluating TAC (total antioxidant capacity), TOS (total oxidant status), and MAD (malondialdehyde) levels. Flow cytometry was used to investigate apoptosis. The expression levels of Nrf2, Bcl2, miRNA34, and miRNA29 genes in HepG2 were evaluated by RT-PCR.

RESULTS

We observed that cataranthine significantly reduced the levels of oxidative markers (MAD, and TOS) and, conversely, increased the level of antioxidant markers in HepG2 cells. Treatment of HepG2 cells with different doses of cataranthine significantly increased the expression of Nrf2 and Bcl-2 genes, while significantly decreasing the expression of miR29 and miR34 genes.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that cataranthine may exert its anticancer effects by reducing oxidative stress and promoting apoptosis, while decrease in miR34 and miR29 as well as increase in Nrf2 and Bcl2 may act as resistance mechanisms in cancer cells. The results highlight the dual potential of cataranthine in regulating cellular responses to oxidative stress and cell death in liver cancer, with dose-dependent modulatory effects.

Serum miR‑29 is increased in mice with early liver fibrosis

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a fatty liver disease that is not caused by alcohol consumption and is characterized by fatty degeneration, inflammation and hepatocellular damage. Therefore, predicting future fibrosis is critical in the early stages of NASH to prevent disease progression. The present study examined histological changes in the liver as well as microRNA (miR/miRNA) expression changes in the liver and serum of NASH mice model to identify potential biomarker candidates that could predict early fibrosis. This study used 6-week-old C57BL/6NJcl male mice and fed the control with a standard solid diet (CE-2) for breeding and propagation and NASH groups with a high-fat diet [choline-deficient high-fat and 0.1% (w/v) methionine supplemented diet], respectively. Agilent Technologies miRNA microarray was used to investigate microRNA expression in the liver and serum. Hematoxylin and eosin staining of the livers of the NASH group mice during the second week of feeding revealed fatty degeneration, balloon-like degeneration and inflammatory cell infiltration, confirming that the mice were in a state of NASH. The livers of the NASH group mice at 6 weeks of feeding showed fibrosis. Microarray analysis revealed that miRNAs were upregulated and 47 miRNAs were downregulated in the liver of the NASH group. Pathway analysis using OmicsNet predicted miR-29 to target collagen genes. Furthermore, miR-29 was downregulated in the livers of NASH-induced mice but upregulated in serum. These findings suggested that lower miR-29 expression in NASH-induced liver would increase collagen expression and fibrosis. Early liver fibrosis suggests that miR-29 leaks from the liver into the bloodstream, and elevated serum miR-29 levels may be a predictive biomarker for early liver fibrosis.

miR-192 family in breast cancer: Regulatory mechanisms and diagnostic value

There is a growing interest in the role of the miRNA family in human cancer. The miRNA-192 family is a group of conserved small RNAs, including miR-192, miR-194, and miR-215. Recent studies have shown that the incidence and mortality of breast cancer have been increasing epidemiologically year by year, and it is urgent to clarify the pathogenesis of breast cancer and seek new diagnostic and therapeutic methods. There is increasing evidence that miR-192 family members may be involved in the occurrence and development of breast cancer. This review describes the regulatory mechanism of the miRNA-192 family affecting the malignant behavior of breast cancer cells and evaluates the value of the miRNA-192 family as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for breast cancer. It is expected that summarizing and discussing the relationship between miRNA-192 family members and breast cancer, it will provide a new direction for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer and basic medical research.

Milk-derived exosome nanovesicles: recent progress and daunting hurdles

Raw milk is the foundation of quality and safety in the dairy industry, and improving milk source management is the fundamental guarantee. Milk-derived exosomes (MDEs) are nanoscale information transfer molecules secreted by mammary cells with unique content and high stability, which can be used not only as potential markers to analyze key traits of lactation, reproduction, nutrition and health of animals, but also help farm managers to take timely interventions to improve animal welfare, milk quality, and functional traits. Our review first outlines the latest advances in MDEs isolation and purification, compositional analysis and characterization tools. We then provide a comprehensive summary of recent applications of MDEs liquid biopsy in breed selection, disease prevention and control, and feeding management. Finally, we evaluate the impact of processing on the stability of MDEs to offer guidance for dairy production and storage. The limitations and challenges in the development and use of MDEs markers are also discussed. As a noninvasive marker with high sensitivity and specificity, the MDEs-mediated assay technology is expected to be a powerful tool for measuring cow health and raw milk quality, enabling dynamic and precise regulation of dairy cows and full traceability of raw milk.

Visualization of breast cancer-related protein synthesis from the perspective of bibliometric analysis

Breast cancer, as a daunting global health threat, has driven an exponential growth in related research activity in recent decades. An area of research of paramount importance is protein synthesis, and the analysis of specific proteins inextricably linked to breast cancer. In this article, we undertake a bibliometric analysis of the literature on breast cancer and protein synthesis, aiming to provide crucial insights into this esoteric realm of investigation. Our approach was to scour the Web of Science database, between 2003 and 2022, for articles containing the keywords "breast cancer" and "protein synthesis" in their title, abstract, or keywords. We deployed bibliometric analysis software, exploring a range of measures such as publication output, citation counts, co-citation analysis, and keyword analysis. Our search yielded 2998 articles that met our inclusion criteria. The number of publications in this area has steadily increased, with a significant rise observed after 2003. Most of the articles were published in oncology or biology-related journals, with the most publications in Journal of Biological Chemistry, Cancer Research, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, and Oncogene. Keyword analysis revealed that "breast cancer," "expression," "cancer," "protein," and "translation" were the most commonly researched topics. In conclusion, our bibliometric analysis of breast cancer and related protein synthesis literature underscores the burgeoning interest in this research. The focus of the research is primarily on the relationship between protein expression in breast cancer and the development and treatment of tumors. These studies have been instrumental in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Sustained research in this area will yield essential insights into the biology of breast cancer and the genesis of cutting-edge therapies.

Mechanisms of breast cancer progression induced by environment-polluting aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonists

Breast cancer is the most common invasive malignancy among women worldwide and constitutes a complex and heterogeneous disease. Interest has recently grown in the role of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in breast cancer and the contribution of environment-polluting AhR agonists. Here, we present a literature review addressing AhR ligands, including pesticides hexachlorobenzene and chlorpyrifos, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans, polychlorinated biphenyls, parabens, and phthalates. The objectives of this review are a) to summarize recent original experimental, preclinical, and clinical studies on the biological mechanisms of AhR agonists which interfere with the regulation of breast endocrine functions, and b) to examine the biological effects of AhR ligands and their impact on breast cancer development and progression. We discuss biological mechanisms of action in cell viability, cell cycle, proliferation, epigenetic changes, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and cell migration and invasion. In addition, we examine the effects of AhR ligands on angiogenic processes, metastasis, chemoresistance, and stem cell renewal. We conclude that exposure to AhR agonists stimulates pathways that promote breast cancer development and may contribute to tumor progression. Given the massive use of industrial and agricultural chemicals, ongoing evaluation of their effects in laboratory assays and preclinical studies in breast cancer at environmentally relevant doses is deemed essential. Likewise, awareness should be raised in the population regarding the most harmful toxicants to eradicate or minimize their use.