A novel angiogenesis inhibitor impairs lovo cell survival via targeting against human VEGFR and its signaling pathway of phosphorylation

Longitudinal Changes in Knee Joint Synovial Vascularity in a Rabbit Model of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Quantification Using Power Doppler Ultrasound and Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound

We studied a rabbit model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to examine the time course of changes in synovial neovascularization based on quantitative power Doppler ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). Twenty-five male New Zealand rabbits were in the ovalbumin-induced arthritis (OIA) group, and 5 were in the control group. Both rear knee joints of all rabbits were examined using conventional US and CEUS over 16 weeks. The knee synoviums of OIA rabbits were sampled by US-guided biopsy, and expression of CD31 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was determined by immunohistochemistry. The correlation of joint damage based on multimodal US with microvessel density (CD31 positivity) and VEGF expression at different times was analyzed. OIA rabbits had increased synovial expression of CD31 and VEGF from weeks 6 to 12 (p < 0.01). During the early stage of CEUS enhancement, "dot enhancement" was more common at weeks 6 and 8, and "stripe enhancement" was more common at weeks 12 and 16 (p < 0.05). There were significant positive correlations of synovial CD31 and VEGF expression with power Doppler image grade, CEUS grade and peak intensity (p < 0.05 for all). Thus, OIA rabbits mimicked early-stage RA at 6 to 8 weeks, middle-stage RA at 8 to 12 weeks and late-stage RA at 12 to 16 weeks. Power Doppler image grade, CEUS grade and peak intensity, especially when combined with CD31 expression data, accurately characterized the extent of synovial vascularization in a rabbit model of RA. Increased vascularity based on CEUS may have value for the early diagnosis of RA.

Palladium (II) complex and thalidomide intercept angiogenic signaling via targeting FAK/Src and Erk/Akt/PLCγ dependent autophagy pathways in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

The current study assessed the effects of the thalidomide and palladium (II) saccharinate complex of terpyridine on the suppression of angiogenesis-mediated cell proliferation. The viability was assessed after treatment with palladium (II) complex (1.56-100 μM) and thalidomide (0.1-400 μM) alone by using ATP assay for 48 h. Palladium (II) complex was found to inhibit growth statistically significant in a dose-dependent manner in HUVECs and promoted PARP-1 cleavage through the production of ROS. On the other hand, thalidomide did not cause any significant change in cell viability. Moreover, cell death was observed to be manifested as late apoptosis due to Annexin V/SYTOX staining after palladium (II) complex treatment however, thalidomide did not demonstrate similar results. Thalidomide and palladium (II) complex also suppressed HUVEC migration and capillary-like structure tube formation in vitro in a time-dependent manner. Palladium (II) complex (5 mg/ml) treatment showed a strong antiangiogenic effect similar to positive control thalidomide (5 mg/ml) and successfully disrupted the vasculature and reduced the thickness of the vessels compared to control (agar). Furthermore, suppression of autophagy enhanced the cell death and anti-angiogenic effect of thalidomide and palladium (II) complex. We also showed that being treated with thalidomide and palladium (II) complex inhibited phosphorylation of the signaling regulators downstream of the VEGFR2. These results provide evidence for the regulation of endothelial cell functions that are relevant to angiogenesis through the suppression of the FAK/Src/Akt/ERK1/2 signaling pathway. Our results also indicate that PLC-γ1 phosphorylation leads to activation of p-Akt and p-Erk1/2 which cause stimulation on cell proliferation at lower doses. Hence, we demonstrated that palladium (II) and thalidomide can induce cell death via the Erk/Akt/PLCγ signaling pathway and that this pathway might be a novel mechanism.

Knockdown of KIF15 promotes cell apoptosis by activating crosstalk of multiple pathways in ovarian cancer: bioinformatic and experimental analysis

BACKGROUND

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most lethal malignancy of women. Unlimited proliferation is a fundamental feature of OC cells. The genes associated with cell proliferation may be histopathologic biomarkers and targets of anti-tumor therapeutic strategies. The present study aimed to identify proliferation-associated biomarkers with prognostic, diagnostic, and therapeutic value and reveal the underlying molecular mechanism of candidate genes involved in OC by a combination of bioinformatic and experimental methods.

RESULTS

KIF15 was upregulated in early-stage OC tissues and could predict poor prognosis of patients of Stage I and II. The knockdown of KIF15 significantly inhibited cell proliferation, tumor formation, and growth as well as promoting apoptosis of OC cells. A combination of experimental and bioinformatic analyses revealed KIF15 knockdown promoted cell apoptosis by activating crosstalk of multiple pathways in OC.

CONCLUSION

KIF15, an early-stage prognostic gene, was identified as a candidate histopathologic biomarker and therapeutic target of OC.

Moxibustion Eases Chronic Inflammatory Visceral Pain In Rats Via MAPK Signaling Pathway In The Spinal Cord

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore the central analgesia mechanism of moxibustion for chronic inflammatory visceral pain (CIVP).

Methods

A CIVP rat model was established by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) plus 50% ethanol via enema. The analgesic effect of moxibustion was evaluated using the abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR), mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT), and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL). The expression profile of phosphorylated proteins of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway in the spinal cord was assayed by protein microarray. The differentially expressed proteins were examined by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) for functional clusters and corresponding signaling pathways.

Results

Moxibustion exerted a significant analgesic effect for CIVP rats, mainly presenting as a decrease in the AWR score (all P<0.01) under different levels of distending pressure and an increase in MWT and TWL thresholds (all P<0.05). Compared with the normal group, 76 proteins were upregulated while 15 were downregulated, and MAPK signaling pathway was activated in the model group. Compared with the model group, there were 53 downregulated and 38 upregulated proteins in the moxibustion group, and MAPK signaling pathway was inhibited. Fold change (FC)>1.3 or <0.77 was taken as the screening standard to define the differentially expressed proteins. Fifteen differentially expressed proteins upregulated in the model group were downregulated in the moxibustion group. GO analysis showed that the differentially expressed proteins mainly controlled cellular metabolism regulation, transportation, and stress reactions. KEGG analysis revealed that these differentially expressed proteins were mostly involved in the ERK, JNK, and p38 pathways, and the ERK pathway was predominant.

Conclusion

Moxibustion mitigates CIVP in rats and inhibits the phosphorylation of proteins in the spinal MAPK signaling pathway. The analgesic effect of moxibustion may be associated with the regulation of the spinal MAPK signaling pathway.

Mechanical stretch promotes tumoricidal M1 polarization via the FAK/NF-κB signaling pathway

Macrophages (Mφs) can be used as a part of cell-based cancer immunotherapy. However, they may be hampered by a failure to effectively and stably regulate their polarization state to enhance their tumoricidal effects. In this work, mechanical stretch (MS), as a biology-free modulatory method, was shown to enhance M1 polarization and tumoricidal effects. By using an in vitro Flexcell Tension system, we found that murine Mφ RAW264.7 cells showed higher M1 polarization-related mRNA expression and cytokine release after MS. Further molecular analyses found that focal adhesion kinase and NF-κB activation occurred in the MS-induced M1 polarization. Coculture of MS-preconditioned Mφ with B16F10 skin melanoma cells in vitro showed that the proliferation of B16F10 cells decreased, whereas caspase-3-induced apoptosis increased. Importantly, the injection of MS-preconditioned Mφ into murine skin melanomas in vivo impeded tumor growth; lesions were characterized by increased amounts of M1 Mφ, decreased tumor cell proliferation, and increased tumor cell apoptosis in the tumor microenvironment. Together, our results suggest that MS could be used as a simple preconditioning approach to prepare tumoricidal M1 Mφ for cancer immunotherapy.-Shan, S., Fang, B., Zhang, Y., Wang, C., Zhou, J., Niu, C., Gao, Y., Zhao, D., He, J., Wang, J., Zhang, X., Li, Q. Mechanical stretch promotes tumoricidal M1 polarization via the FAK/NF-κB signaling pathway.

The effects of mechanical stretch on the biological characteristics of human adipose-derived stem cells

Adipose‐derived stem cells (ADSCs) are a subset of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which have promised a vast therapeutic potential in tissue regeneration. Recent studies have demonstrated that combining stem cells with mechanical stretch may strengthen the efficacy of regenerative therapies. However, the exact influences of mechanical stretch on MSCs still remain inconclusive. In this study, human ADSCs (hADSCs) were applied cyclic stretch stimulation under an in vitro stretching model for designated duration. We found that mechanical stretch significantly promoted the proliferation, adhesion and migration of hADSCs, suppressing cellular apoptosis and increasing the production of pro‐healing cytokines. For differentiation of hADSCs, mechanical stretch inhibited adipogenesis, but enhanced osteogenesis. Long‐term stretch could promote ageing of hADSCs, but did not alter the cell size and typical immunophenotypic characteristics. Furthermore, we revealed that PI3K/AKT and MAPK pathways might participate in the effects of mechanical stretch on the biological characteristics of hADSCs. Taken together, mechanical stretch is an effective strategy for enhancing stem cell behaviour and regulating stem cell fate. The synergy between hADSCs and mechanical stretch would most likely facilitate tissue regeneration and promote the development of stem cell therapy.

Antiangiogenic Effect of Alkaloids

Alkaloids are among the natural phytochemicals contained in functional foods and nutraceuticals and have been suggested for the prevention and/or management of oxidative stress and inflammation-mediated diseases. In this review, we aimed to describe the effects of alkaloids in angiogenesis, the process playing a crucial role in tumor growth and invasion, whereby new vessels form. Antiangiogenic compounds including herbal ingredients, nonherbal alkaloids, and microRNAs can be used for the control and treatment of cancers. Several lines of evidence indicate that alkaloid-rich plants have several interesting features that effectively inhibit angiogenesis. In this review, we present valuable data on commonly used alkaloid substances as potential angiogenic inhibitors. Different herbal and nonherbal ingredients, introduced as antiangiogenesis agents, and their role in angiogenesis-dependent diseases are reviewed. Studies indicate that angiogenesis suppression is exerted through several mechanisms; however, further investigations are required to elucidate their precise molecular and cellular mechanisms, as well as potential side effects.

Screening and analysis of key active constituents in Guanxinshutong capsule using mass spectrum and integrative network pharmacology

Guanxinshutong capsule (GXSTC) is an effective and safe traditional Chinese medicine used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) for many years. However, the targets of this herbal formula and the underlying molecular mechanisms of action involved in the treatment of CVDs are still unclear. In the present study, we used a systems pharmacology approach to identify the active ingredients of GXSTC and their corresponding targets in the calcium signaling pathway with respect to the treatment of CVDs. This method integrated chromatographic techniques, prediction of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion, analysis using Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, network construction, and pharmacological experiments. 12 active compounds and 33 targets were found to have a role in the treatment of CVDs, and four main active ingredients, including protocatechuic acid, cryptotanshinone, eugenol, and borneol were selected to verify the effect of (GXSTC) on calcium signaling system in cardiomyocyte injury induced by hypoxia and reoxygenation. The results from the present study revealed the active components and targets of GXSTC in the treatment of CVDs, providing a new perspective to enhance the understanding of the role of the calcium signaling pathway in the therapeutic effect of GXSTC.

Collagen triple helix repeat containing 1 (CTHRC1) activates Integrin β3/FAK signaling and promotes metastasis in ovarian cancer

BACKGROUND

Metastasis is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), however the mechanisms that underline this process are poorly understood. Collagen triple helix repeat containing-1 (CTHRC1) is a 28-kDa secreted protein reported to be involved in vascular remodeling, bone formation and morphogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the role of CTHRC1 in promoting the metastasis of EOC and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms.

METHODS

The biologic functions of CTHRC1 in metastasis were validated both in vivo and in vitro experiments. The phosphor-antibody microarray analysis and Co-immunoprecipitation were performed to detect and identify the integrin β3/FAK signaling pathway that mediated the function of CTHRC1. Seventy two EOC samples were analyzed for association between CTHRC1/integrin β3 expression and patient clinicopathological features.

RESULTS

We demonstrated that CTHRC1 enhances the biological behavior of EOC including cell migration, invasion, as well as its adhesion capability to cell-extracellular matrix in vitro. Additionally, CTHRC1 promoted metastatic spread of EOC cells in an i.p. ovarian xenograft model and this phenotype was primarily ascribed to the activation of integrin/FAK signaling. Mechanistically, we determined that FAK were phosphorylated on Tyr397, and were activated by integrin β3, which is important for the CTHRC1-mediated migratory and invasive ability of EOC cells in vitro and i.p. metastasis. In addition, we found that attenuated CTHRC1/integrin β3 expression predicted a poor prognostic phenotype and advanced clinical stage of EOC.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that CTHRC1, a newly identified regulator of i.p. metastasis through activation of integrin β3/FAK signaling in EOC, may represent a potential therapeutic target for ovarian cancer.

Identification of miR-101-3p targets and functional features based on bioinformatics, meta-analysis and experimental verification in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

MiR-101-3p has been reported to suppress invasion and metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. However, the relevant mechanisms are still unclear. The research seeks to determine systematic value of miR-101-3p in HCC, and comprehensively summarize the predicted target genes as well as their potential function, pathways and networks in HCC.

METHODS

The miR-101-1 profiles in 353 HCC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were analyzed. Meta-analysis was performed to estimate relationship of miR-101 (including precursor and mature miR-101) with clinical features and prognosis in HCC. Further, the promising targets of miR-101-3p were predicted and followed with Gene Ontology (GO), pathway and network analysis. In addition, the functional impact of miR-101-3p was confirmed with in vitro experiments in HCC cells.

RESULTS

In TCGA data, low-expression of miR-101-1 might be a diagnostic (AUC: 0.924, 95% CI: 0.894-0.953) and prognostic (HR=1.55) marker for HCC. Down-regulated miR-101-1 also correlated with poor differentiation, advanced TNM stage, lymph node metastasis and high AFP level of HCC. Meta-analysis revealed that miR-101 down-regulation were associated with poor prognosis, high AFP level and advanced TNM stage of HCC. Moreover, 343 hub genes were filtered and miR-101-3p may be involved in intracellular signaling cascade, transcription, metabolism and cell proliferation. Focal adhesion and pathways in cancer were also significantly enriched. In vitro experiments demonstrated that miR-101-3p inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis in HCC cells.

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-101-1 may be a prospective biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis of HCC. Potential targets of miR-101-3p could regulate genesis and development of HCC. The data offers insights into biological significances and promising targets of miR-101-3p for further investigation and potential therapies in HCC.

A novel synthetic small molecule YF-452 inhibits tumor growth through antiangiogenesis by suppressing VEGF receptor 2 signaling

Tumor angiogenesis is characterized by abnormal vessel morphology, endowing tumor with highly hypoxia and unresponsive toward treatment. To date, mounting angiogenic factors have been discovered as therapeutic targets in antiangiogenic drug development. Among them, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) inhibitors exerts potent antiangiogenic activity in tumor therapy. Therefore, it may provide a valid strategy for cancer treatment through targeting the tumor angiogenesis via VEGFR2 pathway. In this study, we established a high-profile compounds library and certificated a novel compound named N-(N-pyrrolidylacetyl)-9-(4-bromobenzyl)-1,3,4,9-tetrahydro-β-carboline (YF-452), which remarkably inhibited the migration, invasion and tube-like structure formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with little toxicity invitro. Rat thoracic aorta ring assay indicated that YF-452 significantly blocked the formation of microvascular exvivo. In addition, YF-452 inhibited angiogenesis in chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) and mouse corneal micropocket assays. Moreover, YF-452 remarkably suppressed tumor growth in xenografts mice model. Furthermore, investigation of molecular mechanism revealed that YF-452 inhibited VEGF-induced phosphorylation of VEGFR2 kinase and the downstream protein kinases including extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK), focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and Src. These results indicate that YF-452 inhibits angiogenesis and may be a potential antiangiogenic drug candidate for cancer therapy.

Four Main Active Ingredients Derived from a Traditional Chinese Medicine Guanxin Shutong Capsule Cause Cardioprotection during Myocardial Ischemia Injury Calcium Overload Suppression

Guanxin Shutong capsule is a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of myocardial ischemia (MI). Previous studies have shown that the formula has four main active ingredients (FMAI), protocatechuic acid, cryptotanshinone, borneol, and eugenol. However, the mechanisms of action of these FMAI against MI injury are still not well known. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the protective effects of the FMAI on MI in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, rat neonatal cardiomyocytes were isolated, the cell viability and apoptosis rate were, respectively, measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method and fluorescence activating cell sorter, and the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca²⁺ ]_i ) and CaM and CaMKII δ mRNA as well as protein levels were determined. Meanwhile, their downstream targets of RyR2 and PLB were also measured by western blot. In vivo, a rat model of coronary artery ligation was used to evaluate the cardioprotective effects. Infarct sizes of heart tissues and levels of serum biochemical indicators, including creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, superoxide dismutase, and glutamate oxaloacetic transaminase, were measured. The in vitro results showed that the FMAI inhibited cell apoptosis, reduced [Ca²⁺ ]_i , decreased the expression of CaM and CaMKII δ, and increased the expression of RyR2 and PLB. In vivo, the FMAI diminished infract size, reduced creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and aspartate aminotransferase levels, and enhanced superoxide dismutase activity. In conclusion, our data suggest that the FMAI suppressed calcium overload and exerted its protective effect via its antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and anti-apoptosis activities. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Anti-Metastatic and Anti-Angiogenic Activities of Core-Shell SiO2@LDH Loaded with Etoposide in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Currently, nanoparticles have gained a great attention in the anti-tumor research area. However, to date, studies on the anti-metastasis action of core-shell SiO2@LDH (LDH: layered double hydroxide) nanoparticles remain untouched. Two emerging aspects considered are establishing research on the controlling delivery effect of SiO2@LDH combined with anti-cancer medicine from a new perspective. The fine properties synthetic SiO2@LDH-VP16 (VP16: etoposide) are practiced to exhibit the nanoparticle's suppression on migration and invasion of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Both in vitro and in vivo inspection shows that SiO2@LDH can help VP16 better function as an anti-metastasis agent. On the other hand, anti-angiogenic efficiency, co-localization, as well as western blot are investigated to explain the possible mechanism. A clear mergence of SiO2@LDH-VP16 and cytomembrane/microtubule may be observed from co-location images. Results offer evidence that SiO2@LDH-VP16 plays positions on cytomembrane and microtubules. It efficiently inhibits metastasis on NSCLC by reducing vascularization, and eliciting depression of the PI3K-AKT and FAK-Paxillin signaling pathways. SiO2@LDH-VP16, the overall particle morphology, and function on anti-metastasis and anti-angiogenic may be tuned to give new opportunities for novel strategies for cancer therapy.

Reactive stroma component COL6A1 is upregulated in castration-resistant prostate cancer and promotes tumor growth

Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) remains the most critical challenge in the clinical management of prostate cancer (PCa). Reactive stromal changes in PCa are likely involved in the emergence of CRPC. In the present study, we identified a novel oncogene termed COL6A1 which was upregulated in the reactive stroma of CRPC. We established an androgen-independent LNCaP (LNCaP-AI) cell line in steroid-reduced (SR) medium within 2 months. We examined COL6A1 expression with western blot during the LNCaP-AI induction, and studied the function of COL6A1 in vitro and in vivo. Immunohistochemical staining of COL6A1 was performed in ten pairs of androgen-sensitive PCa and CRPC samples. We demonstrated that COL6A1 expression was markedly increased in LNCaP-AI cells and CRPC tissues compared with LNCaP cells and paired androgen-sensitive PCa specimens. In vitro, COL6A1 knockdown resulted in G1-S cell cycle arrest and descended vitality. Overexpression of COL6A1 was associated with accelerated S phase entry and elevated vitality in prostate cancer cells. COL6A1 also promoted tumorigenesis of LNCaP cells in vivo. Taken together, these data suggest an important role of COL6A1 in the molecular etiology of castration-resistant prostate cancer, and support the potential use of COL6A1 in CRPC therapy.

Peritoneal expression of Matrilysin helps identify early post-operative recurrence of colorectal cancer

Recurrence of colorectal cancer (CRC) following a potentially curative resection is a challenging clinical problem. Matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) is over-expressed by CRC cells and supposed to play a major role in CRC cell diffusion and metastasis. MMP-7 RNA expression was assessed by real-time PCR using specific primers in peritoneal washing fluid obtained during surgical procedure. After surgery, patients underwent a regular follow up for assessing recurrence. transcripts for MMP-7 were detected in 31/57 samples (54%). Patients were followed-up (range 20-48 months) for recurrence prevention. Recurrence was diagnosed in 6 out of 55 patients (11%) and two patients eventually died because of this. Notably, all the six patients who had relapsed were positive for MMP-7. Sensitivity and specificity of the test were 100% and 49% respectively. Data from patients have also been corroborated by computational approaches. Public available coloncarcinoma datasets have been employed to confirm MMP7 clinical impact on the disease. Interestingly, MMP-7 expression appeared correlated to Tgfb-1, and correlation of the two factors represented a poor prognostic factor. This study proposes positivity of MMP-7 in peritoneal cavity as a novel biomarker for predicting disease recurrence in patients with CRC.

Integrin and gene network analysis reveals that ITGA5 and ITGB1 are prognostic in non-small-cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Integrin expression has been identified as a prognostic factor in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study was aimed at determining the predictive ability of integrins and associated genes identified within the molecular network.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 959 patients with NSCLC from The Cancer Genome Atlas cohorts were enrolled in this study. The expression profile of integrins and related genes were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas RNAseq database. Clinicopathological characteristics, including age, sex, smoking history, stage, histological subtype, neoadjuvant therapy, radiation therapy, and overall survival (OS), were collected. Cox proportional hazards regression models as well as Kaplan-Meier curves were used to assess the relative factors.

RESULTS

In the univariate Cox regression model, ITGA1, ITGA5, ITGA6, ITGB1, ITGB4, and ITGA11 were predictive of NSCLC prognosis. After adjusting for clinical factors, ITGA5 (odds ratio =1.17, 95% confidence interval: 1.05-1.31) and ITGB1 (odds ratio =1.31, 95% confidence interval: 1.10-1.55) remained statistically significant. In the gene cluster network analysis, PLAUR, ILK, SPP1, PXN, and CD9, all associated with ITGA5 and ITGB1, were identified as independent predictive factors of OS in NSCLC.

CONCLUSION

A set of genes was identified as independent prognostic factors of OS in NSCLC through gene cluster analysis. This method may act as a tool to reveal more prognostic-associated genes in NSCLC.

Effects of integrin α5β1 on the proliferation and migration of human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells

Integrin (ITG) α5β1 is a dominant fibronectin receptor that is abundantly expressed on the surface of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). However, the association between integrin α5β1 and the proliferation and migration of VSMCs has yet to be elucidated. The aim of the present study was to characterize the roles of ITGα5 and ITGβ1 in the proliferation and migration of VSMCs, and to determine the effects of ITGα5β1 on integrin-linked kinase (ILK) and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) mRNA expression. Lentiviral expression vectors as well as RNA interference vectors of ITGα5 and ITGβ1 were successfully constructed and transfected into VSMCs to obtain ITGα5‑ and ITGβ1‑overexpressing or -silenced cells, respectively. Cell cycle distribution, proliferation and migration were analyzed in the transfected VSMCs in order to clarify the roles of ITGβ1 and ITGα5 in the proliferation and migration of VSMCs. ITGβ1 was markedly associated with the proliferation and migration of VSMCs, and FAK was shown to be involved in the signaling pathways of ITGβ1. ITGα5 did not exert any effects on VSMCs. The results of the present study may provide a possible therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of early vascular disease associated with VSMCs.

Molecular Mechanisms for High Hydrostatic Pressure-Induced Wing Mutagenesis in Drosophila melanogaster

Although High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) as an important physical and chemical tool has been increasingly applied to research of organism, the response mechanisms of organism to HHP have not been elucidated clearly thus far. To identify mutagenic mechanisms of HHP on organisms, here, we treated Drosophila melanogaster (D. melanogaster) eggs with HHP. Approximately 75% of the surviving flies showed significant morphological abnormalities from the egg to the adult stages compared with control flies (p < 0.05). Some eggs displayed abnormal chorionic appendages, some larvae were large and red, and some adult flies showed wing abnormalities. Abnormal wing phenotypes of D. melanogaster induced by HHP were used to investigate the mutagenic mechanisms of HHP on organism. Thus 285 differentially expressed genes associated with wing mutations were identified using Affymetrix Drosophila Genome Array 2.0 and verified with RT-PCR. We also compared wing development-related central genes in the mutant flies with control flies using DNA sequencing to show two point mutations in the vestigial (vg) gene. This study revealed the mutagenic mechanisms of HHP-induced mutagenesis in D. melanogaster and provided a new model for the study of evolution on organisms.

ITGA2B and ITGA8 are predictive of prognosis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma patients

Integrins play an important role in cancer growth and metastasis. This study aimed at determining the predictive ability of integrins and associated genes identified through molecular network in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. A total of 525 patients with ccRCC from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohorts were collected in this study. The expression profile of integrins and related genes were obtained from the TCGA RNAseq database. Clinicopathological characteristics, including age, gender, tumor size, tumor node metastasis (TNM), tumor grade, stage, laterality, and overall survival were collected. Cox proportional hazards regression model as well as Kaplan-Meier curve were used to assess the relative factors. Genes of integrin family that showed certain correlations with overall survival (OS) were further validated in the Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC) cohort. In the TCGA cohort, after Cox proportional hazards analysis, ITGA2B (hazards ratio (HR) = 1.232, 95 % CI 1.097 to 1.383) and ITGA8 (HR = 0.804, 95 % CI 0.696 to 0.930) were shown predictive of ccRCC prognosis. Low ITGA8 expression was associated with poor prognosis for OS (log-rank test, p < 0.0001), while high level of ITGA2B expression was correlated with poor prognosis for OS (log-rank test, p < 0.0001). This finding was validated in FUSCC cohort (log-rank test, all p < 0.05). As a result, low ITGA8 expression was associated with poor prognosis for OS (log-rank test, p = 0.0053), while high level of ITGA2B expression was correlated with poor prognosis for OS (log-rank test, p < 0.0001). Plus, low ITGA8 expression was associated with poor prognosis for disease-free survival (DFS) in the TCGA cohort (log-rank test, p < 0.0001). In the gene cluster network analysis, GIT1 and SHC1 associated with ITGA2B and ITGA8 were identified as independent predictive factors of overall survival of ccRCC. ITGA2B, ITGA8, GIT1, and SHC1 were identified as independent prognostic factors of overall survival of ccRCC. This method may act as a tool to reveal more prognostic-associated genes in ccRCC.

Inhibition of lung tumor growth by targeting EGFR/VEGFR-Akt/NF-κB pathways with novel theanine derivatives

The molecularly targeted agents, including anti-VEGF or anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody and some inhibitors of EGFR tyrosine kinase, are effective in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to a certain extent, but the benefit for a proportion of patients is still limited. Hence, it is necessary and urgent to develop more selective and effective molecular targeted agents against lung cancer. Here, we have synthesized novel theanine derivatives, methyl coumarin-3-carboxylyl L-theanine (TMC), ethyl coumarin-3-carboxylyl L-theanine (TEC), ethyl 6-fluorocoumarin- 3-carboxylyl L-theanine (TFC), and ethyl 6-nitrocoumarin-3-carboxylyl L-theanine (TNC), which are fluorescent small molecules, based on their parental compound theanine and studied their anticancer activities in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models of human and mouse cancers. Our results show that the four theanine derivatives significantly inhibit the lung cancer cell migration and the growth of lung cancer and leukemia cell lines. TFC and TNC display enhanced effects with anticancer drugs cytarabine vincristine, andmethotrexate on inhibition of lung cancer cell growth and no toxicity to the normal human embryonic lung fibroblast and peripheral blood lymphocytes. TFC and TNC exhibit strong suppression of the highly metastatic Lewis lung cancer (LLC) and A549 tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice without toxicity to mice. TFC and TNC can effectively suppress the growth of lung cancer cells in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo by targeting EGFR/VEGFR-Akt/NF-κB pathways. Our study has suggested that TFC and TNC may have the therapeutic and/or adjuvant therapeutic applications in the treatment of lung cancers and other cancer.

Discovery of biphenyl-aryl ureas as novel VEGFR-2 inhibitors. Part 4: exploration of diverse hinge-binding fragments

VEGFR-2 plays an essential role in angiogenesis and is an important target for cancer therapy. A series of biphenyl-aryl ureas were synthesized and evaluated as novel VEGFR-2 inhibitors. The pyridine, methylamine carbonyl pyridine and pivaloyl amide pyridine were introduced as novel hinge binding fragment. The majority of title compounds displayed potent VEGFR-2 inhibition. In particular, L1, L9, W14 and W15 exhibited significant enzymatic inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 0.36nM, 0.22nM, 0.15nM and 0.14nM. Compounds L1, L9 and W15 displayed potent antiproliferative activity against A549 and SMMC-7721 cells. SAR study suggested that incorporation of 3-trifluoromethyl and methylamine carbonyl on terminal pyridine could improve VEGFR-2 inhibitory activity. Molecular docking illustrated that urea moiety formed two critical hydrogen bonds with the DFG residues of VEGFR-2. The results indicated that these biphenyl-aryl ureas could serve as promising lead compounds for further optimization.

c-Myc plays a key role in TADs-induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Cancer cell growth is complicated progression which is regulated and controlled by multiple factors including cell cycle, migration and apoptosis. In present study, we report that TADs, a novel derivative of taspine, has an essential role in resisting hepatocellular carcinoma growth (including arrest cell cycle) and migration, and inducing cell apoptosis. Our findings demonstrated that the TADs showed good inhibition on the hepatoma cell growth and migration, and good action on apoptosis induction. Using genome-wide microarray analysis, we found the down-regulated growth and apoptosis factors, and selected down-regulated genes were confirmed by Western blot. Knockdown of a checkpoint c-Myc by siRNA significantly attenuated tumor inhibition and apoptosis effects of TADs. Moreover, our results indicated TADs could simultaneously increase cyclin D1 protein levels and decrease amount of cyclin E, cyclin B1 and cdc2 of the cycle proteins, and also TADs reduced Bcl-2 expression, and upregulated Bad, Bak and Bax activities. In conclusion, these results illustrated that TADs is a key factor in growth and apoptosis signaling inhibitor, has potential in cancer therapy.

Potential roles of Centipede Scolopendra extracts as a strategy against EGFR-dependent cancers

Centipede Scolopendra, a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine, has been shown to have anti-cancer effects. In this study, the inhibitory effect of alcohol extracts of Centipede Scolopendra (AECS) was more prominent when treating cells highly expressing epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) (A431 and HEK293/EGFR cells versus HEK293 cells). The elution profiles of AECS on cell membrane chromatography (CMC) column showed that AECS could bind to EGFR, and competition studies indicated that AECS and gefitinib may have direct competition at a single common binding site on EGFR. SiRNA knockdown of EGFR in A431 cells attenuated AECS effects, suggesting that EGFR was a target mediated by AECS. In a cell culture system, AECS dramatically induced apoptosis of A431 and HEK293/EGFR cells, which was associated with the effects on Bcl-2 family. Furthermore, AECS could alter EGFR kinase activity and reduce phosphorylation of EGFR and downstream signaling players AKT and Erk1/2. The mechanism of AECS to inhibit high-EGFR expression cell proliferation is due to its ability to induce apoptosis and modulate the EGFR pathway. This study might provide a novel therapy for cancer with high-EGFR expression.

miRNA-directed regulation of VEGF in tilapia under hypoxia condition

The Nile tilapia represents an excellent model for hypoxia tolerance. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a key role in physiological blood vessel formation and pathological angiogenesis under hypoxia conditions. Tight regulation of VEGF level is necessary for hypoxia adaptation in tilapia. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) function as important regulators of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level, which are usually involved in stress responses. We reasoned that VEGF level could be regulated by miRNAs. Through bioinformatics analysis, we identified a putative miR-204 binding site in the VEGF mRNA. We found that hypoxia leads to a marked up-regulation in VEGF level, but a decrease in miR-204 level. miR-204 directly regulates VEGF expression by targeting its 3'-UTR, and inhibition of miR-204 substantially increases VEGF level in vivo. Moreover, we found that miR-204 loss of function could affect blood O2-carrying capacity, anaerobic metabolism, and antioxidant enzyme activity. Taken together, miR-204 is an endogenous regulator of VEGF expression, which participates in a regulatory circuit that allows rapid gene program transitions upon hypoxia stress.

Eupolyphaga sinensis walker displays inhibition on hepatocellular carcinoma through regulating cell growth and metastasis signaling

Tumor growth and metastasis are responsible for most cancer patients' deaths. Here, we report that eupolyphaga sinensis walker has an essential role in resisting hepatocellular carcinoma growth and metastasis. Compared with proliferation, colony formation, transwell assay and transplantable tumor in nude mouse in vitro and vivo, eupolyphaga sinensis walker extract (ESWE) showed good inhibition on the SMMC-7721 cell growth and metastasis. Using genome-wide microarray analysis, we found the down-regulated growth and metastasis factors, and selected down-regulated genes were confirmed by real-time PCR. Knockdown of a checkpoint PKCβ by siRNA significantly attenuated tumor inhibition and metastasis effects of ESWE. Moreover, our results indicate ESWE inhibits HCC growth by not only downregulating the signaling of PKCβ, Akt, m-TOR, Erk1/2, MEK-2, Raf and JNK-1, but also increasing cyclin D1 protein levels and decreasing amount of cyclin E, cyclin B1 and cdc2 of the cycle proteins. At the same time, ESWE reduced MMP2, MMP9 and CXCR4, PLG, NFκB and P53 activities. Overall, our studies demonstrate that ESWE is a key factor in growth and metastasis signaling inhibitor targeting the PKC, AKT, MAPK signaling and related metastasis signaling, having potential in cancer therapy.

Genus caulophyllum: an overview of chemistry and bioactivity

Recently, some promising advances have been achieved in understanding the chemistry, pharmacology, and action mechanisms of constituents from genus Caulophyllum. Despite this, there is to date no systematic review of those of genus Caulophyllum. This review covers naturally occurring alkaloids and saponins and those resulting from synthetic novel taspine derivatives. The paper further discussed several aspects of this genus, including pharmacological properties, mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics, and cell membrane chromatography for activity screening. The aim of this paper is to provide a point of reference for pharmaceutical researchers to develop new drugs from constituents of Caulophyllum plants.

Chinese medicinal formula Guanxin Shutong capsule protects the heart against oxidative stress and apoptosis induced by ischemic myocardial injury in rats

Guanxin Shutong capsule (GXSTC) is a Chinese medicinal formula that has been used clinically for the treatment of chest pain, depression, palpitation and cardiovascular diseases in China for almost 10 years. The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective mechanisms against oxidative stress and apoptosis that GXSTC exhibits in the hearts of rats with myocardial ischemia (MI). Infarct size and the levels of marker enzymes, including serum creatine kinase-isoenzyme (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and glutamate oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), as well as the levels of nitric oxide (NO) and NO synthase (NOS) in the heart were measured by biochemical analysis assays. Levels of the antioxidants superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CATA), and glutathione (GSH), and the oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde (MDA), were also determined. Following a 6-week period of ischemia, myocardial apoptosis, as well as the protein and mRNA expression of NADPH oxidase, was evaluated. Myocardial NADPH oxidase activity was measured by protein expression of p47phox and gp91phox using western blot analysis and mRNA expression of p22phox, p47phox, p67phox and gp91phox using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that daily oral treatment of the rats with GXSTC reduced infarct size, myocardial apoptosis, the levels of serum MDA, LDH, CK-MB and GOT and heart GOT, and increased the activities of total SOD, CATA, NOS and the levels of NO and GSH compared with those in vehicle-treated MI model rats. Administration of GXSTC for 6 weeks also reduced the mRNA expression of the NADPH oxidase subunits p47phox and gp91phox protein, as well as the expression of Bax and caspase-3 proteins. By contrast, Bcl-2 protein expression increased. In conclusion, the results demonstrate that GXSTC attenuates myocardial injury via antioxidative and antiapoptotic effects.

A novel tissue model for angiogenesis: evaluation of inhibitors or promoters in tissue level

A novel tissue model for angiogenesis (TMA) is established for effective evaluation of angiogenesis inhibitors or promoters in vitro. Lung tissues were cultured in fibrinogen “sandwich” structure which resembled the formation of neovessels in vivo. The cells and capillary-like structures grew from the lung tissues were identified as endothelial cells and neovessels. Both immunohistochemisty and western blot results indicated that autocrine VEGF bound to the KDR and induced KDR autophosphorylation that could induce the proliferation of endothelial cells and their migration as well as the formation of microvessels on the lung tissue edge. With addition of the TMA, the murine VEGF and cultured medium produced by A549 tumor cells apparently promoted the increase of neovessels. Sorafenib as a tumor angiogenesis inhibitor and Tongxinluo as an angiogenesis promoter were both used to evaluate the TMA performance and they exhibited a good effect on neovessels in the TMA. The model established imitated angiogenesis in vivo and could well serve as an effective method in evaluating the angiogenesis inhibitors or promoters, and could also be practical for screening small molecules that affect blood vessel formation.

Suppression of proliferation and migration in highly-metastatic lung cancer cells as well as tumor growth by a new synthesized compound TBrC and its molecular mechanisms of action

To develop new anticancer agents has been considered as a useful and necessary strategy to suppress highly-metastatic lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. In this study, we synthesized a new compound ethyl 6-bromocoumarin-3-carboxylyl L-theanine (TBrC) and studied the anticancer activity of TBrC and its molecular mechanisms of action. Our results show that TBrC remarkably inhibits the proliferation and migration in highly-metastatic lung cancer cells by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest as well as regulating related protein expressions. Further study indicated that TBrC not only enhances the protein levels of Bax, cytosolic cytochrome c, caspase-3 and PARP-1 but also reduces the protein expressions of Bcl-2, cyclin D1, VEGFR1 and NF-κB as well as inhibits the phosphorylation and expressions of VEGFR2 and Akt in the cancer cells. More importantly, TBrC displays strong suppression of highly-metastatic tumor growth and reduces the tumor weight by 61.6 % in tumor-bearing mice without toxicity to the mice. Our results suggest that TBrC suppresses the proliferation and migration of lung cancer cells via VEGFR-Akt-NF-κB signaling pathways; TBrC may have a wide therapeutic and/or adjuvant therapeutic application in the treatment of lung cancer.

Brucine suppresses colon cancer cells growth via mediating KDR signalling pathway

Angiogenesis plays an important role in colon cancer development. This study aimed to demonstrate the effect of brucine on tumour angiogenesis and its mechanism of action. The anti-angiogenic effect was evaluated on the chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model and tube formation. The mechanism was demonstrated through detecting mRNA and protein expressions of VEGFR2 (KDR), PKCα, PLCγ and Raf1 by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot (WB), as well as expressions of VEGF and PKCβ and mTOR by ELISA and WB. The results showed that brucine significantly reduced angiogenesis of CAM and tube formation, inhibited the VEGF secretion and mTOR expression in LoVo cell and down-regulated the mRNA and phosphorylation protein expressions of KDR, PKCα, PLCγ and Raf1. In addition, the effects of brucine on KDR kinase activity, viability of LoVo cell and gene knockdown cell were detected with the Lance™ assay, WST-1 assay and instantaneous siRNA. Compared to that of normal LoVo cells, the inhibition on proliferation of knockdown cells by brucine decreased significantly. These results suggest that brucine could inhibit angiogenesis and be a useful therapeutic candidate for colon cancer intervention.

Effects of imperatorin, the active component from Radix Angelicae (Baizhi), on the blood pressure and oxidative stress in 2K,1C hypertensive rats

The 2-kidney, 1-clip (2K,1C) model of hypertension was used to investigate the potential antihypertensive and antioxidant effect of imperatorin extracted from the root of radix angelicae. After 10 weeks treatment of imperatorin, mean blood pressure (MBP) of 2K,1C hypertensive rats was obtained, and superoxide dismutase (SOD), nitric oxide (NO) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) were measured. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels, catalase (CATA), xanthine oxidase (XOD), angiotensinII (Ang II) and endothelin (ET) levels of kidney were evaluated with commercial kits. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotidephosphate (NADPH) oxidase subunits of the renal cortial tissues were determined by RT-PCR and Western blot. 8-Iso-prostaglandin F2α (8-iso-PGF2α) of 24h urinary excretion was also measured by ELISA. MBP was significantly reduced by treatment with IMP (6.25, 12.5 and 25 mg/kg/day, i.g.) in 2K,1C hypertensive rats. Meanwhile, we found that renal CATA and XOD activities, GSH levels, plasma NO and NOS contents were significantly increased in IMP-treated groups. Plasma ET, renal Ang II levels, MDA and the 24h urinary excretion of 8-iso-PGF2α in the IMP treated group were lower than control SD group. After that, we found the mRNA expressions and protein levels of NADPH oxidase subunits in the clipped kidney were markedly reduced after IMP treated in 2K,1C hypertensive rats. IMP showed antihypertensive and antioxidant effects in the renal injury of renovascular hypertensive rats, suggesting that IMP could be of therapeutic use in preventing renal injury related hypertension.

A novel taspine derivative suppresses human liver tumor growth and invasion in vitro and in vivo

Taspine is an attractive target of research due to the anticancer and anti-angiogenic effects shown by in vitro and in vivo experiments. The present study investigated the role of tas1611, which is a derivative of taspine that has increased activity and solubility, in the regulation of the invasive properties of the SMMC-7721 liver cell line in vitro and in tumor inhibition in vivo. The proliferation of the SMMC-7721 cells was examined using the tetrazole blue colorimetric method. Matrigel^® invasion chamber assays and zymogram analyses were performed to assess the inhibitory effect of tas1611 on cell invasion. Finally, a solid tumor athymic mouse model was employed to further investigate the anti-tumor effect of this compound. The results revealed that tas1611 had a marked inhibitory effect on the invasion of the SMMC-7721 cells and that this effect was associated with the activity and expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9. Furthermore, tas1611 was able to inhibit tumor growth effectively in a solid tumor SMMC-7721 athymic mouse model. In conclusion, tas1611 may serve as a promising novel therapeutic candidate for the treatment of metastatic liver cancer.