Cloperastine inhibits esophageal squamous cell carcinoma proliferation in vivo and in vitro by suppressing mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation

Dexrazoxane inhibits the growth of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by attenuating SDCBP/MDA-9/syntenin-mediated EGFR-PI3K-Akt pathway activation

Syndecan-binding protein (SDCBP) was reported to stimulate the advancement of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and could potentially be a target for ESCC treatment. There is a growing corpus of research on the anti-tumor effects of iron chelators; however, very few studies have addressed the involvement of dexrazoxane in cancer. In this study, structure-based virtual screening was employed to select drugs targeting SDCBP from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug databases. The sepharose 4B beads pull-down assay revealed that dexrazoxane targeted SDCBP by interacting with its PDZ1 domain. Additionally, dexrazoxane inhibited ESCC cell proliferation and anchorage-independent colony formation via SDCBP. ESCC cell apoptosis and G2 phase arrest were induced as measured by the flow cytometry assay. Subsequent research revealed that dexrazoxane attenuated the binding ability between SDCBP and EGFR in an immunoprecipitation assay. Furthermore, dexrazoxane impaired EGFR membrane localization and inactivated the EGFR/PI3K/Akt pathway. In vivo, xenograft mouse experiments indicated that dexrazoxane suppressed ESCC tumor growth. These data indicate that dexrazoxane might be established as a potential anti-cancer agent in ESCC by targeting SDCBP.

Identification of hub necroptosis-related lncRNAs for prognosis prediction of esophageal carcinoma

Necroptosis is a newly identified programmed cell death associated with the biological process of various cancers, including esophageal carcinoma (ESCA). Meanwhile, the dysregulation of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) is greatly implicated in ESCA progression and necroptosis regulation. However, the lncRNAs involved in regulating necroptosis in ESCA are still unclear. In this study, we aim to explore the expression profile of necroptosis-related lncRNAs (NRLs), and evaluate their roles in ESCA prognosis and treatment. In the present study, 198 differentially expressed NRLs were identified between the ESCA and adjacent normal tissues through screening the data extracted from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. And, a prognostic panel consisting of 6 NRLs was constructed using the LASSO algorithm and multivariate Cox regression analysis. The ESCA patients with high risks had a markedly reduced survival time and higher mortality prevalence. Moreover, C-index of 6 NRLs-panel was superior to 48 published prognostic models based on lncRNAs or mRNAs for ESCA. There were significant differences between the high-risk and low-risk groups in tumor-related pathways, genetic mutations, and drug sensitivity responses. In vitro analysis revealed that inhibition of PVT1 impeded the proliferation, migration, and colony formation of ESCA cells, increased the expressions of p-RIP1 and p-MLKL and promoted necroptosis. By contrast, PVT1 overexpression resulted in a decrease in necroptotic cell death events, thus promoting tumor progression. Collectively, the established 6-NRLs panel was a promising biomarker for the prognostic prediction of ESCA. Moreover, our current findings provided potential targets for individualized therapy for ESCA patients.

Vortioxetine hydrobromide inhibits the growth of gastric cancer cells in vivo and in vitro by targeting JAK2 and SRC

Gastric cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Most patients are diagnosed in the advanced stage. Inadequate therapeutic strategies and the high recurrence rate lead to the poor 5-year survival rate. Therefore, effective chemopreventive drugs for gastric cancer are urgently needed. Repurposing clinical drugs is an effective strategy for discovering cancer chemopreventive drugs. In this study, we find that vortioxetine hydrobromide, an FDA-approved drug, is a dual JAK2/SRC inhibitor, and has inhibitory effects on cell proliferation of gastric cancer. Computational docking analysis, pull-down assay, cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) and in vitro kinase assays are used to illustrate vortioxetine hydrobromide directly binds to JAK2 and SRC kinases and inhibits their kinase activities. The results of non-reducing SDS-PAGE and Western blotting indicate that vortioxetine hydrobromide suppresses STAT3 dimerization and nuclear translocation activity. Furthermore, vortioxetine hydrobromide inhibits the cell proliferation dependent on JAK2 and SRC and suppresses the growth of gastric cancer PDX model in vivo. These data demonstrate that vortioxetine hydrobromide, as a novel dual JAK2/SRC inhibitor, curbs the growth of gastric cancer in vitro and in vivo by JAK2/SRC-STAT3 signaling pathways. Our results highlight that vortioxetine hydrobromide has the potential application in the chemoprevention of gastric cancer.

MicroRNA and mRNA sequencing analyses reveal key hepatic metabolic and signaling pathways responsive to maternal undernutrition in full-term fetal pigs

Maternal undernutrition is highly prevalent in developing countries, leading to severe fetus/infant mortality, intrauterine growth restriction, stunting, and severe wasting. However, the potential impairments of maternal undernutrition to metabolic pathways in offspring are not defined completely. In this study, two groups of pregnant domestic pigs received nutritionally balanced gestation diets with or without 50% feed intake restriction from 0 to 35 gestation days and 70% from 35 to 114 gestation days. Full-term fetuses were collected via C-section on day 113/114 of gestation. MicroRNA and mRNA deep sequencing were analyzed using the Illumina GAIIx system on fetal liver samples. The mRNA-miRNA correlation and associated signaling pathways were analyzed via CLC Genomics Workbench and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis Software. A total of 1189 and 34 differentially expressed mRNA and miRNAs were identified between full-nutrition (F) and restricted-nutrition (R) groups. The correlation analyses showed that metabolic and signaling pathways such as oxidative phosphorylation, death receptor signaling, neuroinflammation signaling pathway, and estrogen receptor signaling pathways were significantly modified, and the gene modifications in these pathways were associated with the miRNA changes induced by the maternal undernutrition. For example, the upregulated (p < 0.05) oxidative phosphorylation pathway in R group was validated using RT-qPCR, and the correlational analysis indicated that miR-221, 103, 107, 184, and 4497 correlate with their target genes NDUFA1, NDUFA11, NDUFB10 and NDUFS7 in this pathway. These results provide the framework for further understanding maternal malnutrition's negative impacts on hepatic metabolic pathways via miRNA-mRNA interactions in full-term fetal pigs.

Repurposed pizotifen malate targeting NRF2 exhibits anti-tumor activity through inducing ferroptosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Targeted therapy attempts are needed to enhance esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients' overall survival and satisfaction of life. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), as a high-confidence cancer driver gene, controls the antioxidant response, metabolic balance and redox homeostasis in cancer and is regarded as a potent molecular target for cancer treatment. Here, we attempted to find a new NRF2 inhibitor and study the underlying molecular mechanism in ESCC. We found that up-regulated NRF2 protein was negatively correlated with patient prognosis and promoted tumor proliferation in ESCC. Moreover, Pizotifen malate (PZM), a FDA-approved medication, bound to the Neh1 domain of NRF2 and prevented NRF2 protein binding to the ARE motif of target genes, suppressing transcription activity of NRF2. PZM treatment suppressed tumor development in ESCC PDX model by inducing ferroptosis via down-regulating the transcription of GPX4, GCLC, ME1 and G6PD. Our study illustrates that the over expression of NRF2 indicates poor prognosis and promotes tumor proliferation in ESCC. PZM, as a novel NRF2 inhibitor, inhibits the tumor growth by inducing ferroptosis and elucidates a potent NRF2-based therapy strategy for patients with ESCC.

Construction and Evaluation of a Risk Score Model for Lymph Node Metastasis-Associated Circadian Clock Genes in Esophageal Squamous Carcinoma

Background: Studies suggested that circadian clock genes (CCGs) in human esophageal squamous carcinoma (ESCC) samples are dysregulated. However, the relevance of CCGs to lymph node metastasis (LNM) and prognosis of ESCC remains unclear. Methods: The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between normal and ESCC samples in The Cancer Genome Atlas database (TCGA) database were intersected with the genes associated with LNM (LNMGs) in ESCC samples and 300 CCGs to obtain the differentially expressed LNM-associated CCGs (DE-LNM-CCGs). The risk model was constructed by Cox regression analysis in the TCGA-ESCC training set, and the accuracy of the risk model was verified by risk profile and overall survival profile. Furthermore, differences of 23 immune cells, 13 immune functions, and immune checkpoint molecules between the high- and low-risk groups were assessed using the single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was conducted to investigate the functional differences between low- and high-risk groups. Finally, we validated the mRNA expression levels of prognostic model genes by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Results: A total of six DE-LNM-CCGs were identified in TCGA-ESCC. TP53 and NAGLU were selected by Cox regression analysis to construct the risk model. Risk profile plots, overall survival plots, and validation results of the risk model in the validation set indicated that the constructed risk model was reliable. The result of ssGSEA showed that the percentages of activated B cells, activated dendritic cells, effector memory CD8 T cells, immune function in neutrophils, plasmacytoid dendritic cells, T cell co-inhibition, and Type 17 T helper cells were different between the high- and low-risk groups. In addition, the expression of CD274, PDCD1, TNFRSF18, and TNFRSF9 was dysregulated between the high- and low-risk groups. GSEA revealed that the high-risk group was associated with cell differentiation, oxidative phosphorylation, and steroid biosynthesis pathways, while the low-risk group was associated with chromosome, ECM–receptor interaction, and other pathways. Finally, qRT-PCR results showed that the mRNA expression levels of two prognostic genes were consistent with TCGA. Conclusion: In conclusion, the risk model constructed based on TP53 and NAGLU could accurately predict the prognosis.

Oxidative phosphorylation promotes vascular calcification in chronic kidney disease

Metabolism has been reported to associate with the progression of vascular diseases. However, how vascular calcification in chronic kidney disease (CKD) is regulated by metabolic status remains poorly understood. Using a model of 5/6 nephrectomy, we demonstrated that the aortic tissues of CKD mice had a preference for using oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Both high phosphate and human uremic serum-stimulated vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) had enhanced mitochondrial respiration capacity, while the glycolysis level was not significantly different. Besides, 2-deoxy-d-glucose (2-DG) exacerbated vascular calcification by upregulating OXPHOS. The activity of cytochrome c oxidase (COX) was higher in the aortic tissue of CKD mice than those of sham-operated mice. Moreover, the expression levels of COX15 were higher in CKD patients with aortic arch calcification (AAC) than those without AAC, and the AAC scores were correlated with the expression level of COX15. Suppressing COX sufficiently attenuated vascular calcification. Our findings verify the relationship between OXPHOS and calcification, and may provide potential therapeutic approaches for vascular calcification in CKD.

Oxethazaine inhibits esophageal squamous cell carcinoma proliferation and metastasis by targeting aurora kinase A

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), a malignant neoplasm with high incidence, is a severe global public health threat. The current modalities used for treating ESCC include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Although ESCC management and treatment strategies have improved over the last decade, the overall 5-year survival rate remains <20%. Therefore, the identification of novel therapeutic strategies that can increase ESCC patient survival rates is urgently needed. Oxethazaine, an amino-amide anesthetic agent, is mainly prescribed in combination with antacids to relieve esophagitis, dyspepsia, and other gastric disorders. In the present study, we found that oxethazaine inhibited the proliferation and migration of esophageal cancer cells. According to the results of in vitro screening and binding assays, oxethazaine binds directly to AURKA, suppresses AURKA activity, and inhibits the downstream effectors of AURKA. Notably, we found that oxethazaine suppressed tumor growth in three patient-derived esophageal xenograft mouse models and tumor metastasis in vivo. Our findings suggest that oxethazaine can inhibit ESCC proliferation and metastasis in vitro and in vivo by targeting AURKA.

Current Research Progress of the Role of LncRNA LEF1-AS1 in a Variety of Tumors

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA), as key regulators of cell proliferation and death, are involved in the regulation of various processes in the nucleus and cytoplasm, involving biological developmental processes in the fields of immunology, neurobiology, cancer, and stress. There is great scientific interest in exploring the relationship between lncRNA and tumors. Many researches revealed that lymph enhancer-binding factor 1-antisense RNA 1 (LEF1-AS1), a recently discovered lncRNA, is downregulated in myeloid malignancy, acting mainly as a tumor suppressor, while it is highly expressed and carcinogenic in glioblastoma (GBM), lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), osteosarcoma, colorectal cancer (CRC), oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), prostatic carcinoma, retinoblastoma, and other malignant tumors. Furthermore, abnormal LEF1-AS1 expression was associated with tumorigenesis, development, survival, and prognosis via the regulation of target genes and signaling pathways. This review summarizes the existing data on the expression, functions, underlying mechanism, relevant signaling pathways, and clinical significance of LEF1-AS1 in cancer. It is concluded that LEF1-AS1 can serve as a novel biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of various tumors, thus deserves further attention in the future.