Loss of steroid receptor co-activator-3 attenuates carbon tetrachloride-induced murine hepatic injury and fibrosis. Lab Invest. 2009;89:903-914. [PMID: 19488034 DOI: 10.1038/labinvest]

Loss of cell junctional components and matrix alterations drive cell desquamation and fibrotic changes in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

The distal bronchioles in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) exhibit histopathological abnormalities such as bronchiolization, peribronchiolar fibrosis and honeycomb cysts that contribute to the overall architectural remodeling of lung tissue seen in the disease. Here we describe an additional histopathologic finding of epithelial desquamation in patients with IPF, wherein epithelial cells detach from the basement membrane of the distal bronchioles. To understand the mechanism driving this pathology, we performed spatial transcriptomics of the epithelial cells and spatial proteomics of the basement membrane of the distal bronchioles from IPF patients and patients with no prior history of lung disease. Our findings reveal a downregulation of cell junctional components, upregulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition signatures and dysregulated basement membrane matrix in IPF distal bronchioles, facilitating epithelial desquamation. Further, functional assays identified regulation between Collagen IV in the matrix, and the junctional genes JUP and PLEC , that is crucial for maintaining distal bronchiolar homeostasis. In IPF, this balanced regulation between matrix and cell-junctions is disrupted, leading to loss of epithelial adhesion, peribronchiolar fibrosis and epithelial desquamation. Overall, our study suggests that in IPF the interplay between the loss of cell junctions and a dysregulated matrix results in desquamation of distal bronchiolar epithelium and lung remodeling, exacerbating the disease.

One Sentence Summary

Two-way regulation of cell junctional proteins and matrix proteins drives cellular desquamation and fibrosis in the distal bronchioles of patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

A previously healthy 3-year-old female with hypertension, proteinuria, and hypercalciuria

A 3-year-old female patient with no significant medical history presented to her pediatrician with foamy urine. Initial testing revealed moderate proteinuria on qualitative testing, although she was incidentally noted to have severe hypertension (240/200 mmHg). Physical examination of the carotid and femoral areas revealed significant systolic vascular murmurs. Labs showed elevated serum creatinine, hypokalemia, metabolic alkalosis, elevated renin and aldosterone and hypercalciuria. Echocardiography identified ventricular hypertrophy. Computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen and magnetic resonance angiography of the head showed multiple tortuous or interrupted arteries and multiple calcifications in the renal sinus area. B-mode ultrasonography suggested thickening of the carotid and femoral artery walls, with numerous spotted calcifications. Genetic testing revealed that ABCC6 had a complex heterozygous mutation (exon 24: c.3340C > T and intron 30: c.4404-1G > A). Our panel of experts reviewed the evaluation of this patient with hypertension, proteinuria, hypercalciuria, and vascular abnormalities as well as the diagnosis and appropriate management of a rare disease.

Risk of dementia or Parkinson's disease in the presence of Sjögren's syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective

Evidence from observational studies suggests that Sjögren's syndrome (SS) may contribute to an elevated risk of Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia. However, few studies have been undertaken to summarize and assess the consistency of the data quantitatively. Therefore, we evaluated the risk of dementia and PD in SS patients through a systematic review and meta-analysis approach.

Methods

Two reviewers independently conducted a systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases (updated to February 14, 2022) to identify published literature on the association between SS and dementia or PD. The risk estimates of dementia or PD in patients with SS were pooled using fixed or random-effects models.

Results

Of the 631 studies initially searched, 10 were eventually included. Pooled results suggested that the risk of developing dementia significantly increased in patients with SS (HR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.15-1.33, P < 0.001), and such risk in females with SS was similar to that in males. The risk of PD was 1.36 times higher in SS (HR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.23-1.50, P < 0.001). The association between SS and PD risk appeared to occur primarily in female patients (female: HR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.21-1.35; P < 0.001 vs. male: HR = 1.00, 95% CI: 0.87-1.16, P = 0.962, respectively). No significant effect of age was observed on the risk of developing PD and dementia in SS patients.

Conclusion

Our study supports that people with SS are at higher risk of PD and dementia than the general population. Further studies are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and to assess whether interventions for SS have the potential to affect dementia and PD development.

M2-polarized tumor-associated macrophages facilitated migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of HCC cells via the TLR4/STAT3 signaling pathway

Background

M2-polarized macrophages are tumor-associated-macrophages (TAMs), which are important contents of tumor-infiltrating immune cells. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is a molecular biomarker of tumor aggressiveness and poor prognosis. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) have important roles in the immune system and M2-polarized macrophages. However, the effects of TLR4 on M2-polarized macrophages in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are unknown. Here, TLR4 expressed on HCC cells mediates the pro-tumor effects and mechanisms of M2-polarized macrophages.

Methods

THP-1 cells were induced to differentiate into M2-like macrophages through treatments with IL-4, IL-13, and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). We used the HCC cell lines SMMC-7721 and MHCC97-H cultured in conditioned medium from M2-like macrophages (M2-CM) to investigate the migration potential of HCC cells and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated molecular genetics. Signaling pathways that mediated M2-CM-promoted HCC migration were detected using western blotting.

Results

HCC cells cultured with M2-CM displayed a fibroblast-like morphology, an increased metastatic capability, and expression of EMT markers. TLR4 expression was markedly increased in M2-CM-treated HCC cells. TLR4 overexpression promoted HCC cell migration, and a TLR4-neutralizing antibody markedly inhibited HCC EMT in cells cultured with M2-CM. Furthermore, the TLR4/(signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway contributed to the effects of M2-CM on HCC cells.

Conclusions

Taken together, M2-polarized macrophages facilitated the migration and EMT of HCC cells via the TLR4/STAT3 signaling pathway, suggesting that TLR4 may be a novel therapeutic target. These results improve our understanding of M2-polarized macrophages.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12957-018-1312-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Spheroid-Formation (Colonosphere) Assay for in Vitro Assessment and Expansion of Stem Cells in Colon Cancer

Colorectal cancers (CRCs) form a disorganized hierarchy of heterogeneous cell populations on which current chemotherapy regimens fail to exert their distinctive cytotoxicity. A small sub-population of poorly differentiated cancer stem-like cells (CSCs), also known as cancer initiating cells, may exhibit embryonic and/or adult stem-cell gene expression signatures. Self-renewal and survival signals are also dominant over differentiation in CSCs. However, inducers of differentiation exclusive to CSC may affect cellular pathways required for the formation and progression of a tumor, which are not utilized in normal adult stem-cells. Nevertheless, assays for targeting CSCs have been hindered by expanding and maintaining rare CSCs in vitro. However, CRC-CSCs are able to form floating spheroids (known as colonospheres) 3-dimentinionally (3D) in a serum-free defined medium. Therefore, great efforts have been paid to improve colonosphere forming assay as a preclinical model to study tumor biology and to conduct drug screening in cancer research. The 3D-colonosphere culture model may also represent in vivo conditions for the spontaneous aggregation of cancer cells in spheroids. This protocol describes the development of an enrichment/culture assay using CRC-CSCs to facilitate colorectal cancer research through immunofluorescence staining of colonospheres. We have developed colonospheres from HCT116 CRC cell line to compare and link CRC-CSC markers to the NANOG expression level using an immunofluorescence assay. Our data also show that the immunostaining assay of colonosphere is a useful method to explore the role and dynamics of CRC-CSCs division between self-renewal and cell lineage differentiation of cancer cells. In principle, this method is applicable to a variety of primary cells and cell lines of epithelial origin. Furthermore, this protocol may also allow screening of libraries of compounds to identify bona fide CRC-CSC differentiation inducers.

Role of activin A in carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury

AIM: To investigate the expression and role of activin A in a mouse model of acute chemical liver injury.

METHODS: Acute liver injury in C57BL/6 male mice was induced by intraperitoneal injection with carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) (0.5 mL/kg, body weight) dissolved in olive oil (1:19 v/v). Mice were sacrificed 1, 3, 5 and 7 d after the treatment. The levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in serum were examined and pathological changes of liver observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining to evaluate the liver injury. Activin A protein levels in serum and hepatic tissue homogenate of mice were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the expression pattern of activin A protein in livers of mice was examined by immunohistochemistry. Activin type IIA receptor (ActRIIA) and Smad3 expressions in the liver were analyzed by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. In order to further investigate the role of activin A, we also utilized activin A blocking experiment by anti-activin A antibody (500 μg/kg, body weight) injection into mouse tail vein.

RESULTS: In CCl₄-treated mice, serum ALT and AST levels were significantly increased, compared with that in control mice (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the serious necrosis was observed around hepatic portal areas in CCl₄-treated mice. Simultaneously, activin A levels in serum and hepatic tissue homogenate of mice treated with CCl₄ for 1, 3 and 5 d increased significantly, compared with that in control mice (P < 0.01). Activin A protein expression in hepatocytes not within the necrotic area was also upregulated in mice following CCl₄ treatment. Not only activin A, but also ActRIIA and activin signaling molecule Smad3 mRNA expressions in injury liver induced by CCl₄ were significantly higher than that in control liver. In addition, levels of serum ALT and AST in CCl₄-treated mice were significantly decreased by injection of anti-activin A antibody to block endogenous activin A action, compared with that in CCl₄-treated mice by injection of immunoglobulin G instead of anti-activin A antibody (P < 0.01), and the severity of liver injury was also reduced remarkably.

CONCLUSION: These data show that activin A is involved in CCl₄-induced acute liver injury. Blocking activin A actions may be a therapeutic approach for acute liver injury.