Relationship between ETS Transcription Factor ETV1 and TGF-β-regulated SMAD Proteins in Prostate Cancer

Molecular analysis of archival diagnostic prostate cancer biopsies identifies genomic similarities in cases with progression post-radiotherapy, and those with de novo metastatic disease

BACKGROUND

It is important to identify molecular features that improve prostate cancer (PCa) risk stratification before radical treatment with curative intent. Molecular analysis of historical diagnostic formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) prostate biopsies from cohorts with post-radiotherapy (RT) long-term clinical follow-up has been limited. Utilizing parallel sequencing modalities, we performed a proof-of-principle sequencing analysis of historical diagnostic FFPE prostate biopsies. We compared patients with (i) stable PCa (sPCa) postprimary or salvage RT, (ii) progressing PCa (pPCa) post-RT, and (iii) de novo metastatic PCa (mPCa).

METHODS

A cohort of 19 patients with diagnostic prostate biopsies (n = 6 sPCa, n = 5 pPCa, n = 8 mPCa) and mean 4 years 10 months follow-up (diagnosed 2009-2016) underwent nucleic acid extraction from demarcated malignancy. Samples underwent 3'RNA sequencing (3'RNAseq) (n = 19), nanoString analysis (n = 12), and Illumina 850k methylation (n = 8) sequencing. Bioinformatic analysis was performed to coherently identify differentially expressed genes and methylated genomic regions (MGRs).

RESULTS

Eighteen of 19 samples provided useable 3'RNAseq data. Principal component analysis (PCA) demonstrated similar expression profiles between pPCa and mPCa cases, versus sPCa. Coherently differentially methylated probes between these groups identified ~600 differentially MGRs. The top 50 genes with increased expression in pPCa patients were associated with reduced progression-free survival post-RT (p < 0.0001) in an external cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

3'RNAseq, nanoString and 850k-methylation analyses are each achievable from historical FFPE diagnostic pretreatment prostate biopsies, unlocking the potential to utilize large cohorts of historic clinical samples. Profiling similarities between individuals with pPCa and mPCa suggests biological similarities and historical radiological staging limitations, which warrant further investigation.

Construction of gastric cancer prognostic signature based on the E26 transcription factor and the identification of novel oncogene ELK3

The aim of the present study was to investigate the function of 29 E26 (ETS) transcription factor families in gastric cancer (GC) and determine their association with prognosis. Our analysis of the expression of the ETS family revealed that 28 genes were dysregulated in GC, and that their expression was associated with multiple clinicopathological features (P<0.05). Based on the expression signature of the ETS family, consensus clustering was performed to generate two gastric cancer subtypes. These subtypes exhibited differences in overall survival (OS, P = 0.161), disease-free survival (DFS, P<0.05) and GC grade (P<0.01). Functional enrichment analysis of the target genes associated with the ETS family indicated that these genes primarily contribute to functions that facilitate tumor progression. A systematic statistical analysis was used to construct a prognostic model related to OS and DFS in association with the ETS family. This model demonstrated that the maximum area under the curve (AUC) values for predicting OS and DFS were 0.729 and 0.670, respectively, establishing ETS as an independent prognostic factor for GC Furthermore, a nomogram was created from the prognostic signature, and its predictive accuracy was confirmed by a calibration curve. Finally, the expression and prognostic significance of the six genes comprising the model were also examined. Among these, ELK3 was found to be significantly overexpressed in GC clinical samples. Subsequent in vitro and in vivo studies verified that ELK3 regulates GC proliferation and metastasis, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target for gastric cancer.

Identification of Molecular Markers Associated with Prostate Cancer Subtypes: An Integrative Bioinformatics Approach

Prostate cancer (PCa) is characterised by androgen dependency. Unfortunately, under anti-androgen treatment pressure, castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) emerges, characterised by heterogeneous cell populations that, over time, lead to the development of different androgen-dependent or -independent phenotypes. Despite important advances in therapeutic strategies, CRPC remains incurable. Context-specific essential genes represent valuable candidates for targeted anti-cancer therapies. Through the investigation of gene and protein annotations and the integration of published transcriptomic data, we identified two consensus lists to stratify PCa patients' risk and discriminate CRPC phenotypes based on androgen receptor activity. ROC and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were used for gene set validation in independent datasets. We further evaluated these genes for their association with cancer dependency. The deregulated expression of the PCa-related genes was associated with overall and disease-specific survival, metastasis and/or high recurrence risk, while the CRPC-related genes clearly discriminated between adeno and neuroendocrine phenotypes. Some of the genes showed context-specific essentiality. We further identified candidate drugs through a computational repositioning approach for targeting these genes and treating lethal variants of PCa. This work provides a proof-of-concept for the use of an integrative approach to identify candidate biomarkers involved in PCa progression and CRPC pathogenesis within the goal of precision medicine.

Methylation of the JMJD2B epigenetic regulator differentially affects its ability to coactivate the ETV1 and JUN transcription factors

OBJECTIVES

Jumonji C domain-containing (JMJD) 2B (JMJD2B) is a transcriptional cofactor and histone demethylase that is involved in prostate cancer formation. However, how its function is regulated by posttranslational modification has remained elusive. Hence, we examined if JMJD2B would be regulated by lysine methylation.

METHODS

Through in vitro methylation assays and Western blotting with methyl-lysine specific antibodies, we analyzed lysine methylation within JMJD2B. Identified methylated lysine residues were mutated to arginine residues and the respective impact on JMJD2B transcriptional activity measured with a reporter gene assay in human LNCaP prostate cancer cells.

RESULTS

We discovered that JMJD2B is methylated on up to six different lysine residues. Further, we identified the suppressor of variegation 3-9/enhancer of zeste/trithorax (SET) domain-containing protein 7/9 (SET7/9) as the methyltransferase being responsible for this posttranslational modification. Mutating the methylation sites in JMJD2B to arginine residues led to diminished coactivation of the Ju-nana (JUN) transcription factor, which is a known oncogenic protein in prostate tumors. In contrast, methylation of JMJD2B had no impact on its ability to coactivate another transcription factor associated with prostate cancer, the DNA-binding protein E26 transformation-specific (ETS) variant 1 (ETV1). Consistent with a potential joint action of JMJD2B, SET7/9 and JUN in prostate cancer, the expression of JMJD2B in human prostate tumors was positively correlated with both SET7/9 and JUN levels.

CONCLUSIONS

The identified SET7/9-mediated methylation of JMJD2B appears to impact its cooperation with selected interacting transcription factors in prostate cancer cells. Given the implicated roles of JMJD2B beyond prostate tumorigenesis, SET7/9-mediated methylation of JMJD2B possibly also influences the development of other cancers, while its impairment might have relevance for obesity or a global developmental delay that can be elicited by reduced JMJD2B activity.

Methylation of the epigenetic JMJD2D protein by SET7/9 promotes prostate tumorigenesis

How the function of the JMJD2D epigenetic regulator is regulated or whether it plays a role in prostate cancer has remained elusive. We found that JMJD2D was overexpressed in prostate tumors, stimulated prostate cancer cell growth and became methylated by SET7/9 on K427. Mutation of this lysine residue in JMJD2D reduced the ability of DU145 prostate cancer cells to grow, invade and form tumors and elicited extensive transcriptomic changes. This included downregulation of CBLC, a ubiquitin ligase gene with hitherto unknown functions in prostate cancer, and upregulation of PLAGL1, a transcription factor with reported tumor suppressive characteristics in the prostate. Bioinformatic analyses indicated that CBLC expression was elevated in prostate tumors. Further, downregulation of CBLC largely phenocopied the effects of the K427 mutation on DU145 cells. In sum, these data have unveiled a novel mode of regulation of JMJD2D through lysine methylation, illustrated how this can affect oncogenic properties by influencing expression of the CBLC gene, and established a pro-tumorigenic role for CBLC in the prostate. A corollary is that JMJD2D and CBLC inhibitors could have therapeutic benefits in the treatment of prostate and possibly other cancers.

SET7/9-mediated methylation affects oncogenic functions of histone demethylase JMJD2A

The histone demethylase JMJD2A/KDM4A facilitates prostate cancer development, yet how JMJD2A function is regulated has remained elusive. Here, we demonstrate that SET7/9-mediated methylation on 6 lysine residues modulated JMJD2A. Joint mutation of these lysine residues suppressed JMJD2A's ability to stimulate the MMP1 matrix metallopeptidase promoter upon recruitment by the ETV1 transcription factor. Mutation of just 3 methylation sites (K505, K506, and K507) to arginine residues (3xR mutation) was sufficient to maximally reduce JMJD2A transcriptional activity and also decreased its binding to ETV1. Introduction of the 3xR mutation into DU145 prostate cancer cells reduced in vitro growth and invasion and also severely compromised tumorigenesis. Consistently, the 3xR genotype caused transcriptome changes related to cell proliferation and invasion pathways, including downregulation of MMP1 and the NPM3 nucleophosmin/nucleoplasmin gene. NPM3 downregulation phenocopied and its overexpression rescued, to a large degree, the 3xR mutation in DU145 cells, suggesting that NPM3 was a seminal downstream effector of methylated JMJD2A. Moreover, we found that NPM3 was overexpressed in prostate cancer and might be indicative of disease aggressiveness. SET7/9-mediated lysine methylation of JMJD2A may aggravate prostate tumorigenesis in a manner dependent on NPM3, implying that the SET7/9→JMJD2A→NPM3 axis could be targeted for therapy.

Rewiring of miRNA-mRNA bipartite co-expression network as a novel way to understand the prostate cancer related players

The differential expression and direct targeting of mRNA by miRNA are two main logics of the traditional approach to constructing the miRNA-mRNA network. This approach, could be led to the loss of considerable information and some challenges of direct targeting. To avoid these problems, we analyzed the rewiring network and constructed two miRNA-mRNA expression bipartite networks for both normal and primary prostate cancer tissue obtained from PRAD-TCGA. We then calculated beta-coefficient of the regression-model when miR was dependent and mRNA independent for each miR and mRNA and separately in both networks. We defined the rewired edges as a significant change in the regression coefficient between normal and cancer states. The rewired nodes through multinomial distribution were defined and network from rewired edges and nodes was analyzed and enriched. Of the 306 rewired edges, 112(37%) were new, 123(40%) were lost, 44(14%) were strengthened, and 27(9%) weakened connections were discovered. The highest centrality of 106 rewired mRNAs belonged to PGM5, BOD1L1, C1S, SEPG, TMEFF2, and CSNK2A1. The highest centrality of 68 rewired miRs belonged to miR-181d, miR-4677, miR-4662a, miR-9.3, and miR-1301. SMAD and beta-catenin binding were enriched as molecular functions. The regulation was a frequently repeated concept in the biological process. Our rewiring analysis highlighted the impact of β-catenin and SMAD signaling as also some transcript factors like TGFB1I1 in prostate cancer progression. Altogether, we developed a miRNA-mRNA co-expression bipartite network to identify the hidden aspects of the prostate cancer mechanism, which traditional analysis -like differential expression- was not detect it.

Structural variation and eQTL analysis in two experimental populations of chickens divergently selected for feather-pecking behavior

Feather pecking (FP) is a damaging nonaggressive behavior in laying hens with a heritable component. Its occurrence has been linked to the immune system, the circadian clock, and foraging behavior. Furthermore, dysregulation of miRNA biogenesis, disturbance of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABAergic) system, as well as neurodevelopmental deficiencies are currently under debate as factors influencing the propensity for FP behavior. Past studies, which focused on the dissection of the genetic factors involved in FP, relied on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and short insertions and deletions < 50 bp (InDels). These variant classes only represent a certain fraction of the genetic variation of an organism. Hence, we reanalyzed whole-genome sequencing data from two experimental populations, which have been divergently selected for FP behavior for over more than 15 generations, performed variant calling for structural variants (SVs) as well as tandem repeats (TRs), and jointly analyzed the data with SNPs and InDels. Genotype imputation and subsequent genome-wide association studies, in combination with expression quantitative trait loci analysis, led to the discovery of multiple variants influencing the GABAergic system. These include a significantly associated TR downstream of the GABA receptor subunit beta-3 (GABRB3) gene, two microRNAs targeting several GABA receptor genes, and dystrophin (DMD), a direct regulator of GABA receptor clustering. Furthermore, we found the transcription factor ETV1 to be associated with the differential expression of 23 genes, which points toward a role of ETV1, together with SMAD4 and KLF14, in the disturbed neurodevelopment of high-feather pecking chickens.

Promotion of colorectal cancer by transcription factor BHLHE40 involves upregulation of ADAM19 and KLF7

BHLHE40 is a transcription factor, whose role in colorectal cancer has remained elusive. We demonstrate that the BHLHE40 gene is upregulated in colorectal tumors. Transcription of BHLHE40 was jointly stimulated by the DNA-binding ETV1 protein and two associated histone demethylases, JMJD1A/KDM3A and JMJD2A/KDM4A, which were shown to also form complexes on their own and whose enzymatic activity was required for BHLHE40 upregulation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed that ETV1, JMJD1A and JMJD2A interacted with several regions within the BHLHE40 gene promoter, suggesting that these three factors directly control BHLHE40 transcription. BHLHE40 downregulation suppressed both growth and clonogenic activity of human HCT116 colorectal cancer cells, strongly hinting at a pro-tumorigenic role of BHLHE40. Through RNA sequencing, the transcription factor KLF7 and the metalloproteinase ADAM19 were identified as putative BHLHE40 downstream effectors. Bioinformatic analyses showed that both KLF7 and ADAM19 are upregulated in colorectal tumors as well as associated with worse survival and their downregulation impaired HCT116 clonogenic activity. In addition, ADAM19, but not KLF7, downregulation reduced HCT116 cell growth. Overall, these data have revealed a ETV1/JMJD1A/JMJD2A→BHLHE40 axis that may stimulate colorectal tumorigenesis through upregulation of genes such as KLF7 and ADAM19, suggesting that targeting this axis represents a potential novel therapeutic avenue.

Combinatorial approaches of nanotherapeutics for inflammatory pathway targeted therapy of prostate cancer

Prostate cancer (PC) is the most prevalent male urogenital cancer worldwide. PC patients presenting an advanced or metastatic cancer succumb to the disease, even after therapeutic interventions including radiotherapy, surgery, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), and chemotherapy. One of the hallmarks of PC is evading immune surveillance and chronic inflammation, which is a major challenge towards designing effective therapeutic formulations against PC. Chronic inflammation in PC is often characterized by tumor microenvironment alterations, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and extracellular matrix modifications. The inflammatory events are modulated by reactive nitrogen and oxygen species, inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Major signaling pathways in PC includes androgen receptor, PI3K and NF-κB pathways and targeting these inter-linked pathways poses a major therapeutic challenge. Notably, many conventional treatments are clinically unsuccessful, due to lack of targetability and poor bioavailability of the therapeutics, untoward toxicity and multidrug resistance. The past decade witnessed an advancement of nanotechnology as an excellent therapeutic paradigm for PC therapy. Modern nanovectorization strategies such as stimuli-responsive and active PC targeting carriers offer controlled release patterns and superior anti-cancer effects. The current review initially describes the classification, inflammatory triggers and major inflammatory pathways of PC, various PC treatment strategies and their limitations. Subsequently, recent advancement in combinatorial nanotherapeutic approaches, which target PC inflammatory pathways, and the mechanism of action are discussed. Besides, the current clinical status and prospects of PC homing nanovectorization, and major challenges to be addressed towards the advancement PC therapy are also addressed.

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) in prostate cancer: A dual function mediator?

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) is a member of a family of secreted cytokines with vital biological functions in cells. The abnormal expression of TGF-β signaling is a common finding in pathological conditions, particularly cancer. Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the leading causes of death among men. Several genetic and epigenetic alterations can result in PCa development, and govern its progression. The present review attempts to shed some light on the role of TGF-β signaling in PCa. TGF-β signaling can either stimulate or inhibit proliferation and viability of PCa cells, depending on the context. The metastasis of PCa cells is increased by TGF-β signaling via induction of EMT and MMPs. Furthermore, TGF-β signaling can induce drug resistance of PCa cells, and can lead to immune evasion via reducing the anti-tumor activity of cytotoxic T cells and stimulating regulatory T cells. Upstream mediators such as microRNAs and lncRNAs, can regulate TGF-β signaling in PCa. Furthermore, some pharmacological compounds such as thymoquinone and valproic acid can suppress TGF-β signaling for PCa therapy. TGF-β over-expression is associated with poor prognosis in PCa patients. Furthermore, TGF-β up-regulation before prostatectomy is associated with recurrence of PCa. Overall, current review discusses role of TGF-β signaling in proliferation, metastasis and therapy response of PCa cells and in order to improve knowledge towards its regulation, upstream mediators of TGF-β such as non-coding RNAs are described. Finally, TGF-β regulation and its clinical application are discussed.

Interaction of ncRNA and Epigenetic Modifications in Gastric Cancer: Focus on Histone Modification

Gastric cancer has developed as a very common gastrointestinal tumors, with recent effective advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of early gastric cancer. However, the prognosis for gastric cancer remains poor. As a result, there is in sore need of better understanding the mechanisms of gastric cancer development and progression to improve existing diagnostic and treatment options. In recent years, epigenetics has been recognized as an important contributor on tumor progression. Epigenetic changes in cancer include chromatin remodeling, DNA methylation and histone modifications. An increasing number of studies demonstrated that noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are associated with epigenetic changes in gastric cancer. Herein, we describe the molecular interactions of histone modifications and ncRNAs in epigenetics. We focus on ncRNA-mediated histone modifications of gene expression associated with tumorigenesis and progression in gastric cancer. This molecular mechanism will contribute to our deeper understanding of gastric carcinogenesis and progression, thus providing innovations in gastric cancer diagnosis and treatment strategies.

Gene fusions in vascular tumors and their underlying molecular mechanisms

INTRODUCTION

The group of vascular tumors contains many different entities, and is considered difficult by pathologists, as they often have overlapping histological characteristics. Chromosomal translocations have been identified in ~20% of mesenchymal tumors and are considered the drivers of tumor formation. Many translocations have been discovered over the past decade through next-generation sequencing. This technological advancement has also revealed several recurrent gene fusions in vascular tumors.

AREAS COVERED

This review will discuss the various vascular tumors for which recurrent gene fusions have been identified. The gene fusions and the presumed molecular mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis are shown, and potential implications for targeted therapies discussed. The identification of these gene fusions in vascular tumors has improved diagnostic accuracy, especially since several of these fusions can be easily detected using surrogate immunohistochemical markers.

EXPERT OPINION

The identification of gene fusions in a subset of vascular tumors over the past decade has improved diagnostic accuracy, and has provided the pathologists with novel diagnostic tools to accurately diagnose these often difficult tumors. Moreover, the increased understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms can guide the development of targeted therapeutic strategies.

Sumoylation of transcription factor ETV1 modulates its oncogenic potential in prostate cancer

The transcription factor ETS variant 1 (ETV1) is capable of promoting prostate tumorigenesis. We demonstrate that ETV1 can be posttranslationally modified by covalent attachment of small ubiquitin-like modifier 1 (SUMO1) onto four different lysine residues. In human embryonic kidney 293T cells, mutation of these sumoylation sites stimulated the transactivation potential of ETV1 at the matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1), but not Yes-associated protein 1 gene promoter, while ETV1 protein stability and intracellular localization remained unchanged. In stark contrast, sumoylation-deficient ETV1 was repressed in its ability to stimulate the MMP1 promoter and to cooperate with a histone demethylase, JmjC domain-containing 2A (JMJD2A), in LNCaP prostate cancer cells. Mutation of sumoylation sites enhanced the ability of ETV1 to interact with the histone deacetylase (HDAC) 1, but had basically no impact on complex formation with HDAC3 or JMJD2A. Further, compared to non-sumoylated ETV1, its sumoylated forms were less able to bind to the transcription factor, SMAD family member 4. Lastly, in contrast to wild-type ETV1, sumoylation-deficient ETV1 repressed LNCaP cell growth. Altogether, these data suggest that sumoylation modulates ETV1 function in a cell type-specific manner, possibly by altering the spectrum of transcriptional cofactors being recruited. Notably, SUMO pathway components SUMO1, ubiquitin-like modifier activating enzyme 2 and ubiquitin conjugating enzyme 9 were upregulated in prostate tumors, implying that enhanced sumoylation indeed promotes ETV1's oncogenic activity during prostate cancer formation.

Cooperation between ETS transcription factor ETV1 and histone demethylase JMJD1A in colorectal cancer

ETS variant 1 (ETV1) is an oncogenic transcription factor. However, its role in colorectal cancer has remained understudied. The present study demonstrated that ETV1 downregulation led to reduced HCT116 colorectal cancer cell growth and clonogenic activity. Furthermore, the ETV1 mRNA levels were enhanced in colorectal tumors and were associated with disease severity. In addition, ETV1 directly bound to Jumonji C domain-containing (JMJD) 1A, a histone demethylase known to promote colon cancer. ETV1 and JMJD1A, but not a catalytically inactive mutant thereof, cooperated in inducing the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)1 gene promoter that was similar to the cooperation between ETV1 and another histone demethylase, JMJD2A. RNA-sequencing revealed multiple potential ETV1 target genes in HCT116 cells, including the FOXQ1 and TBX6 transcription factor genes. Moreover, JMJD1A co-regulated FOXQ1 and other ETV1 target genes, but not TBX6, whereas JMJD2A downregulation had no impact on FOXQ1 as well as TBX6 transcription. Accordingly, the FOXQ1 gene promoter was stimulated by ETV1 and JMJD1A in a cooperative manner, and both ETV1 and JMJD1A bound to the FOXQ1 promoter. Notably, the overexpression of FOXQ1 partially reversed the growth inhibitory effects of ETV1 ablation on HCT116 cells, whereas TBX6 impaired HCT116 cell growth and may thereby dampen the oncogenic activity of ETV1. The latter also revealed for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, a potential tumor suppressive function of TBX6. Taken together, the present study uncovered a ETV1/JMJD1A-FOXQ1 axis that may drive colorectal tumorigenesis.

Multivalent and Bidirectional Binding of Transcriptional Transactivation Domains to the MED25 Coactivator

The human mediator subunit MED25 acts as a coactivator that binds the transcriptional activation domains (TADs) present in various cellular and viral gene-specific transcription factors. Previous studies, including on NMR measurements and site-directed mutagenesis, have only yielded low-resolution models that are difficult to refine further by experimental means. Here, we apply computational molecular dynamics simulations to study the interactions of two different TADs from the human transcription factor ETV5 (ERM) and herpes virus VP16-H1 with MED25. Like other well-studied coactivator-TAD complexes, the interactions of these intrinsically disordered domains with the coactivator surface are temporary and highly dynamic (‘fuzzy’). Due to the fact that the MED25 TAD-binding region is organized as an elongated cleft, we specifically asked whether these TADs are capable of binding in either orientation and how this could be achieved structurally and energetically. The binding of both the ETV5 and VP16-TADs in either orientation appears to be possible but occurs in a conformationally distinct manner and utilizes different sets of hydrophobic residues present in the TADs to drive the interactions. We propose that MED25 and at least a subset of human TADs specifically evolved a redundant set of molecular interaction patterns to allow binding to particular coactivators without major prior spatial constraints.

Opposite Roles of the JMJD1A Interaction Partners MDFI and MDFIC in Colorectal Cancer

MyoD family inhibitor (MDFI) and MDFI domain-containing (MDFIC) are homologous proteins known to regulate myogenic transcription factors. Hitherto, their role in cancer is unknown. We discovered that MDFI is up- and MDFIC downregulated in colorectal tumors. Mirroring these different expression patterns, MDFI stimulated and MDFIC inhibited growth of HCT116 colorectal cancer cells. Further, MDFI and MDFIC interacted with Jumonji C domain-containing (JMJD) 1 A, a histone demethylase and epigenetic regulator involved in colorectal cancer. JMJD1A influenced transcription of several genes that were also regulated by MDFI or MDFIC. Notably, the HIC1 tumor suppressor gene was stimulated by JMJD1A and MDFIC, but not by MDFI, and HIC1 overexpression phenocopied the growth suppressive effects of MDFIC in HCT116 cells. Similar to colorectal cancer, MDFI was up- and MDFIC downregulated in breast, ovarian and prostate cancer, but both were overexpressed in brain, gastric and pancreatic tumors that implies MDFIC to also promote tumorigenesis in certain tissues. Altogether, our data suggest a tumor modulating function for MDFI and MDFIC in colorectal and other cancers that may involve their interaction with JMJD1A and a MDFIC→HIC1 axis.

Effect of Jiawei Fengshining on Synovial Cell Apoptosis and TGF-β1/Smad Signaling Pathway in Rats with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Background/Aims

Jiawei Fengshining (JWFSN) is a new formula originated from Fengshining, a classic formula for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The mechanism of JWFSN in the treatment of RA is still unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of JWFSN formula on the inflammatory mediator levels in the serum and the TGF-β1/Smad pathway in the synovium and to explore the underlying mechanisms of JWFSN formula to ameliorate synovial hyperplasia and apoptosis inhibition of synovium in rats with RA.

Method

SPF female Wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: the blank control group, the model control group, the positive drug group, and the low-, medium-, and high- dose JWFSN groups, with 8 rats in each group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect inflammatory mediators, anti-inflammatory mediators, and rheumatoid factor (RF). The pathological condition and apoptosis of the synovial tissue were detected by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and TUNEL staining, respectively. TGF-β1, p-Smad2, p-Smad3, and Smad7 protein expressions in synovial tissue were measured by western blot assay. In addition, human rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes cell line MH7A was treated with 20% JWFSN-containing serum to obtain in vitro data.

Result

The administration of JWFSN was found to ameliorate synovial hyperplasia and promote apoptosis; increase the serum contents of anti-inflammatory mediators; reduce inflammatory mediators and RF contents; and inhibit the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway in CIA rats. In vitro JWFSN treatment increased the apoptosis of MH7A cells and decreased cell viability. Additionally, JWFSN treatment inhibited the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway in MH7A cells. Interestingly, kartogenin (TGF-β1/Smad pathway activator) treament reversed the effects of JWFSN treatment.

Conclusion

JWFSN may ameliorate inflammatory factors' abnormality, synovial hyperplasia, and apoptosis inhibition of synovium via the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway.