L-type Amino Acid Transporter 1 (SLC7A5)-Mediated Transport of Pregabalin at the Rat Blood-Spinal Cord Barrier and its Sensitivity to Plasma Branched-Chain Amino Acids

FXR, MRP-1 and SLC7A5: New Targets for the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Detect the expression of Farnesoid X Receptor(FXR), Multiple Drug Resistance Associated Protein-1(MRP-1) and Solute Carrier Family 7, Member 5 (SLC7A5) in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) of rat model, so as to provide new therapeutic targets for gene therapy of HCC. Sixty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups. The rats in experimental group were given 0.2% diethylnitrosamine (DEN) by gavage with a dose of 10 mg/kg, 3 times a week, and it stopped at 12 weeks. The control group rats were given physiological saline by gavage, while the sham operation group did not receive anything by gavage. At 10 weeks, one rat in the experimental group was euthanized, and the changes of livers were recorded. The procedure was repeated at 12 weeks. After 12 weeks, HCC only occurred in the experimental group. After confirming the formation of the tumor through pathological examination, liver tissues and tumor tissues were taken from the three groups. FXR, MRP-1 and SLC7A5 expression in liver tissues and tumor tissues was detected. After 7 weeks the rats in experimental group ate less, and their weight was significantly reduced. Three months later, HCC was detected in 15 rats in the experimental group. The ratio of FXR/GAPDH mRNA, MRP-1/GAPDH mRNA, SLC7A5/GAPDH mRNA were significantly different among the three groups. Under the light microscope the FXR protein, MRP-1 protein, and SLC7A5 protein react with their respective antibodies, and they showed granular expression. Every pathological section included different numbers of positive cells in each group. FXR expression in HCC of rats was significantly lower than that in normal liver tissues, but MRP-1 and SLC7A5 expression in HCC were significantly higher than that in normal liver tissues, suggesting that drugs targeting FXR, MRP-1 and SLC7A5 may be new strategies for the treatment of HCC.

Expression of Claudin-9 (CLDN9) in Breast Cancer, the Clinical Significance in Connection with Its Subcoat Anchorage Proteins ZO-1 and ZO-3 and Impact on Drug Resistance

(1) Introduction: Claudin-9 (CLDN9) is a member of the claudin protein family, a critical transmembrane protein family for tight junctions that are implemented in the progression of numerous cancer types. The present study investigated the role that CLDN9, along with the subcoat proteins, Zonula Occludens (ZOs), plays in clinical breast cancer and subsequent impact on drug response of patients. (2) Methods: CLDN9 protein and CLDN9 transcript were determined and correlated with clinical and pathological indicators, together with the status of hormonal receptors. The levels of CLDN9 transcript were also assessed against the therapeutic responses of the patients to chemotherapies by using a dataset from the TCGA database. Breast cancer cell models, representing different molecular subtypes of breast cancer, with differential expression of CLDN9 were created and used to assess the biological impact and response to chemotherapeutic drugs. (3) Results: Breast cancer tissues expressed significantly higher levels of the CLDN9, with the high levels being associated with shorter survival. CLDN9 was significantly correlated with its anchorage proteins ZO-1 and ZO-3. Integrated expression of CLDN9, ZO-1 and ZO-3 formed a signature that was significantly linked to overall survival (OS) (p = 0.013) and relapse-free survival (RFS) (p = 0.024) in an independent matter. CLDN9 transcript was significantly higher in patients who were resistant to chemotherapies (p < 0.000001). CLDN9 connection to chemoresistance was particularly prominent in patients of ER-positive (ER(+)), Her-2-negative((Her-2(-)), ER(+)/Her-2(-) and triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs), but not in patients with HER-2-positive tumors. In Her-2-negative MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells, loss of CLDN9 significantly increased sensitivity to several chemotherapeutic drugs including paclitaxel, gemcitabine and methotrexate, which was not seen in Her-2(+) SKBR3 cells. However, suppressing Her-2 using neratinib, a permanent Her-2 inhibitor, sensitized cellular response to these chemodrugs in cells with CLDN9 knockdown. (4) Conclusions: CLDN9 is an important prognostic indicator for patients with breast cancer and also a pivotal factor in assessing patient responses to chemotherapies. Her-2 is a negating factor for the treatment response prediction value by CLDN9 and negating Her-2 and CLDN9 may enhance breast cancer cellular response to chemotherapeutic drugs.