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Hatten H, Colyn L, Volkert I, Gaßler N, Lammers T, Hofmann U, Hengstler JG, Schneider KM, Trautwein C. Loss of Toll-like receptor 9 protects from hepatocellular carcinoma in murine models of chronic liver disease. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024; 1870:167321. [PMID: 38943920 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Toll-like receptor 9 (Tlr9) is a pathogen recognition receptor detecting unmethylated DNA derivatives of pathogens and damaged host cells. It is therefore an important modulator of innate immunity. Here we investigated the role of Tlr9 in fibrogenesis and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic liver disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS We treated mice with a constitutive deletion of Tlr9 (Tlr9-/-) with DEN/CCl4 for 24 weeks. As a second model, we used hepatocyte-specific Nemo knockout (NemoΔhepa) mice and generated double knockout (NemoΔhepaTlr9-/-) animals. RESULTS We show that Tlr9 is in the liver primarily expressed in Kupffer cells, suggesting a key role of Tlr9 in intercellular communication during hepatic injury. Tlr9 deletion resulted in reduced liver fibrosis as well as tumor burden. We observed down-regulation of hepatic stellate cell activation and consequently decreased collagen production in both models. Tlr9 deletion was associated with decreased apoptosis and compensatory proliferation of hepatocytes, modulating the initiation and progression of hepatocarcinogenesis. These findings were accompanied by a decrease in interferon-β and an increase in chemokines having an anti-tumoral effect. CONCLUSIONS Our data define Tlr9 as an important receptor involved in fibrogenesis, but also in the initiation and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma during chronic liver diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannes Hatten
- University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Department of Internal Medicine III, Aachen, Germany
| | - Leticia Colyn
- University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Department of Internal Medicine III, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Ines Volkert
- University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Department of Internal Medicine III, Aachen, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Gaßler
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Section Pathology, University Hospital of Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Twan Lammers
- University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging (ExMI), Aachen, Germany
| | - Ute Hofmann
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch-Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart, Germany; University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Jan G Hengstler
- Department of Toxicology, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), Dortmund, Germany
| | - Kai Markus Schneider
- University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Department of Internal Medicine III, Aachen, Germany
| | - Christian Trautwein
- University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Department of Internal Medicine III, Aachen, Germany; Department of Toxicology, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), Dortmund, Germany.
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2
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Rong J, Liu T, Yin X, Shao M, Zhu K, Li B, Wang S, Zhu Y, Zhang S, Yin L, Liu Q, Wang X, Zhang L. Co-delivery of camptothecin and MiR-145 by lipid nanoparticles for MRI-visible targeted therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2024; 43:247. [PMID: 39215325 PMCID: PMC11363558 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-024-03167-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 08/17/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Camptothecin (CPT) is one of the frequently used small chemotherapy drugs for treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but its clinical application is limited due to severe toxicities and acquired resistance. Combined chemo-gene therapy has been reported to be an effective strategy for counteracting drug resistance while sensitizing cancer cells to cytotoxic agents. Thus, we hypothesized that combining CPT with miR-145 could synergistically suppress tumor proliferation and enhance anti-tumor activity. METHODS Lactobionic acid (LA) modified lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) were developed to co-deliver CPT and miR-145 into asialoglycoprotein receptors-expressing HCC in vitro and in vivo. We evaluated the synergetic antitumor effect of miR-145 and CPT using CCK8, Western blotting, apoptosis and wound scratch assay in vitro, and the mechanisms underlying the synergetic antitumor effects were further investigated. Tumor inhibitory efficacy, safety evaluation and MRI-visible ability were assessed using diethylnitrosamine (DEN) + CCl4-induced HCC mouse model. RESULTS The LA modification improved the targeting delivery of cargos to HCC cells and tissues. The LA-CMGL-mediated co-delivery of miR-145 and CPT is more effective on tumor inhibitory than LA-CPT-L or LA-miR-145-L treatment alone, both in vitro and in vivo, with almost no side effects during the treatment period. Mechanistically, miR-145 likely induces apoptosis by targeting SUMO-specific peptidase 1 (SENP1)-mediated hexokinase (HK2) SUMOylation and glycolysis pathways and, in turn, sensitizing the cancer cells to CPT. In vitro and in vivo tests confirmed that the loaded Gd-DOTA served as an effective T1-weighted contrast agent for noninvasive tumor detection as well as real-time monitoring of drug delivery and biodistribution. CONCLUSIONS The LA-CMGL-mediated co-delivery of miR-145 and CPT displays a synergistic therapy against HCC. The novel MRI-visible, actively targeted chemo-gene co-delivery system for HCC therapy provides a scientific basis and a useful idea for the development of HCC treatment strategies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Rong
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Tongtong Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory of Immune Medicines of Ministry of Education, Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Xiujuan Yin
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Min Shao
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Kun Zhu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Bin Li
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Shiqi Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory of Immune Medicines of Ministry of Education, Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Yujie Zhu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Saisai Zhang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Likang Yin
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Qi Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory of Immune Medicines of Ministry of Education, Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China.
| | - Xiao Wang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China.
| | - Lei Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory of Immune Medicines of Ministry of Education, Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China.
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3
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Zhang Q, Liu Y, Ren L, Li J, Lin W, Lou L, Wang M, Li C, Jiang Y. Proteomic analysis of DEN and CCl 4-induced hepatocellular carcinoma mouse model. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8013. [PMID: 38580754 PMCID: PMC10997670 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58587-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) seriously threatens human health, mostly developed from liver fibrosis or cirrhosis. Since diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced HCC mouse model almost recapitulates the characteristic of HCC with fibrosis and inflammation, it is taken as an essential tool to investigate the pathogenesis of HCC. However, a comprehensive understanding of the protein expression profile of this model is little. In this study, we performed proteomic analysis of this model to elucidate its proteomic characteristics. Compared with normal liver tissues, 432 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified in tumor tissues, among which 365 were up-regulated and 67 were down-regulated. Through Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA), protein-protein interaction networks (PPI) analysis and Gene-set enrichment analysis (GSEA) analysis of DEPs, we identified two distinguishing features of DEN and CCl4-induced HCC mouse model in protein expression, the upregulation of actin cytoskeleton and branched-chain amino acids metabolic reprogramming. In addition, matching DEPs from the mouse model to homologous proteins in the human HCC cohort revealed that the DEN and CCl4-induced HCC mouse model was relatively similar to the subtype of HCC with poor prognosis. Finally, combining clinical information from the HCC cohort, we screened seven proteins with prognostic significance, SMAD2, PTPN1, PCNA, MTHFD1L, MBOAT7, FABP5, and AGRN. Overall, we provided proteomic data of the DEN and CCl4-induced HCC mouse model and highlighted the important proteins and pathways in it, contributing to the rational application of this model in HCC research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicle Proteomics, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Yuhui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicle Proteomics, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Liangliang Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Medicle Proteomics, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Junqing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medicle Proteomics, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing, 102206, China
- School of Basic Medical Science, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Weiran Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Medicle Proteomics, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Lijuan Lou
- State Key Laboratory of Medicle Proteomics, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Minghan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicle Proteomics, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Chaoying Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medicle Proteomics, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Ying Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicle Proteomics, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing, 102206, China.
- School of Basic Medical Science, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China.
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Kim HR, Seo CW, Kim J. The value of CDC42 effector protein 2 as a novel prognostic biomarker in liver hepatocellular carcinoma: a comprehensive data analysis. Osong Public Health Res Perspect 2023; 14:451-467. [PMID: 38204425 PMCID: PMC10788419 DOI: 10.24171/j.phrp.2023.0229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prognostic significance of CDC42 effector protein 2 (CDC42EP2) and its association with tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) have not been explored in liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC). This study aims to assess the potential prognostic value of CDC42EP2 by conducting a comprehensive analysis of online databases pertaining to LIHC. METHODS We evaluated the potential of CDC42EP2 as a prognostic biomarker by utilizing online databases such as TIMER, GEPIA2, KM, OSlihc, HPA, and LinkedOmics. RESULTS In LIHC, we observed that the mRNA and protein expression of CDC42EP2 were upregulated compared to normal tissues. Upregulated CDC42EP2 expression was associated with a worse prognosis based on the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with LIHC. Furthermore, CDC42EP2 was positively associated with TIICs. In the co-expression and functional enrichment analyses of CDC42EP2, 11,416 genes showed positive associations with CDC42EP2 while 8,008 genes showed negative associations. CDC42EP2-related co-expression genes were involved in protein localization to the endoplasmic reticulum, translational initiation, and RNA catabolic processes in gene set enrichment analysis-Gene Ontology (GSEAGO), and regulated the ribosome, spliceosome, and primary immune deficiency in the GSEAKyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway. In a survival map, 23 and 17 genes that exhibited positive associations with CDC42EP2 showed a significant hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival and disease-free survival, respectively. CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrated that CDC42EP2 is a novel prognostic biomarker and a potential tumor immune therapeutic target in patients with LIHC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye-Ran Kim
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Dong-Eui Institute of Technology, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Choong Won Seo
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Dong-Eui Institute of Technology, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Jongwan Kim
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Dong-Eui Institute of Technology, Busan, Republic of Korea
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Iwaki M, Kessoku T, Tanaka K, Ozaki A, Kasai Y, Kobayashi T, Nogami A, Honda Y, Ogawa Y, Imajo K, Usuda H, Wada K, Kobayashi N, Saito S, Nakajima A, Yoneda M. Combined, elobixibat, and colestyramine reduced cholesterol toxicity in a mouse model of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. Hepatol Commun 2023; 7:e0285. [PMID: 37902528 PMCID: PMC10617934 DOI: 10.1097/hc9.0000000000000285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cholesterol levels and bile acid metabolism are important drivers of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) progression. Using a mouse model, we investigated the mechanism by which cholesterol exacerbates MASH and the effect of colestyramine (a bile acid adsorption resin) and elobixibat (an apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter inhibitor) concomitant administration on bile acid adsorption and MASH status. METHODS Mice were fed a high-fat high-fructose diet with varying concentrations of cholesterol to determine changes in fatty liver according to liver status, water intake, defecation status, insulin resistance, bile acid levels, intestinal permeability, atherosclerosis (in apolipoprotein E knockout mice), and carcinogenesis (in diethylnitrosamine mice). Using small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA), we evaluated the effect of sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c (SREBP1c) knockdown on triglyceride synthesis and fatty liver status following the administration of elobixibat (group E), colestyramine (group C), or both (group EC). RESULTS We found greater reductions in serum alanine aminotransferase levels, serum lipid parameters, serum primary bile acid concentrations, hepatic lipid levels, and fibrosis area in EC group than in the monotherapy groups. Increased intestinal permeability and watery diarrhea caused by elobixibat were completely ameliorated in group EC. Group EC showed reduced plaque formation rates in the entire aorta and aortic valve of the atherosclerosis model, and reduced tumor counts and tumor burden in the carcinogenesis model. CONCLUSIONS Excessive free cholesterol in the liver can promote fatty liver disease. Herein, combination therapy with EC effectively reduced free cholesterol levels in MASH model mice. Our study provides strong evidence for combination therapy as an effective treatment for MASH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michihiro Iwaki
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Takaomi Kessoku
- Department of Palliative Medicine, International University Health and Welfare, Narita Hospital, Narita, Japan
| | - Kosuke Tanaka
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Anna Ozaki
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yuki Kasai
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Takashi Kobayashi
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Asako Nogami
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yasushi Honda
- Department of Internal Medicine, Asakura Hospital, Konan-ku, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yuji Ogawa
- Department of Gastroenterology, National Hospital Organization Yokohama Medical Center, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Kento Imajo
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shinyurigaoka General Hospital, Kawasaki, Japan
| | - Haruki Usuda
- Department of Pharmacology, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, Shimane, Japan
| | - Koichiro Wada
- Department of Pharmacology, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, Shimane, Japan
| | - Noritoshi Kobayashi
- Department of Oncology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Satoru Saito
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Atsushi Nakajima
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Masato Yoneda
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
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Romualdo GR, Heidor R, Bacil GP, Moreno FS, Barbisan LF. Past, present, and future of chemically induced hepatocarcinogenesis rodent models: Perspectives concerning classic and new cancer hallmarks. Life Sci 2023; 330:121994. [PMID: 37543357 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2023.121994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the main primary liver cancer, accounts for 5 % of all incident cases and 8.4 % of all cancer-related deaths worldwide. HCC displays a spectrum of environmental risk factors (viral chronic infections, aflatoxin exposure, alcoholic- and nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases) that result in molecular complexity and heterogeneity, contributing to a rising epidemiological burden, poor prognosis, and non-satisfactory treatment options. The emergence of HCC (i.e., hepatocarcinogenesis) is a multistep and complex process that addresses many (epi)genetic alterations and phenotypic traits, the so-called cancer hallmarks. "Polymorphic microbiomes", "epigenetic reprogramming", "senescent cells" and "unlocking phenotypic plasticity" are trending hallmarks/enabling features in cancer biology. As the main molecular drivers of HCC are still undruggable, chemically induced in vivo models of hepatocarcinogenesis are useful tools in preclinical research. Thus, this narrative review aimed at recapitulating the basic features of chemically induced rodent models of hepatocarcinogenesis, eliciting their permanent translational value regarding the "classic" and the "new" cancer hallmarks/enabling features. We gathered state-of-art preclinical evidence on non-cirrhotic, inflammation-, alcoholic liver disease- and nonalcoholic fatty liver-associated HCC models, demonstrating that these bioassays indeed express the recently added hallmarks, as well as reflect the interplay between classical and new cancer traits. Our review demonstrated that these protocols remain valuable for translational preclinical application, as they recapitulate trending features of cancer science. Further "omics-based" approaches are warranted while multimodel investigations are encouraged in order to avoid "model-biased" responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme Ribeiro Romualdo
- São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu Medical School, Experimental Research Unit (UNIPEX), Multimodel Drug Screening Platform - Laboratory of Chemically Induced and Experimental Carcinogenesis (MDSP-LCQE), Botucatu, SP, Brazil; São Paulo State University (UNESP), Biosciences Institute, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Laboratory of Chemically Induced and Experimental Carcinogenesis (LCQE), Botucatu, SP, Brazil; São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu Medical School, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Renato Heidor
- University of São Paulo (USP), Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Food and Experimental Nutrition, Laboratory of Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Prata Bacil
- São Paulo State University (UNESP), Biosciences Institute, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Laboratory of Chemically Induced and Experimental Carcinogenesis (LCQE), Botucatu, SP, Brazil; São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu Medical School, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Fernando Salvador Moreno
- University of São Paulo (USP), Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Food and Experimental Nutrition, Laboratory of Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Luís Fernando Barbisan
- São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu Medical School, Experimental Research Unit (UNIPEX), Multimodel Drug Screening Platform - Laboratory of Chemically Induced and Experimental Carcinogenesis (MDSP-LCQE), Botucatu, SP, Brazil; São Paulo State University (UNESP), Biosciences Institute, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Laboratory of Chemically Induced and Experimental Carcinogenesis (LCQE), Botucatu, SP, Brazil; São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu Medical School, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
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Wang Q, Liang N, Liu C, Li J, Bai Y, Lei S, Huang Q, Sun L, Tang L, Zeng C, Tang Y, He X, Yang T, Wang G. BEX1 supports the stemness of hepatoblastoma by facilitating Warburg effect in a PPARγ/PDK1 dependent manner. Br J Cancer 2023; 129:1477-1489. [PMID: 37715024 PMCID: PMC10628275 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-023-02418-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatoblastoma (HB) is a highly aggressive paediatric malignancy that exhibits a high presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs), which related to tumour recurrence and chemotherapy resistance. Brain expressed X-linked protein 1 (BEX1) plays a pivotal role in ciliogenesis, axon regeneration and differentiation of neural stem cells. However, the role of BEX1 in metabolic and stemness programs in HB remains unclear. METHODS BEX1 expression in human and mouse HB was analyzed using gene expression profile data from NCBI GEO and immunohistochemical validation. Seahorse extracellular flux analyzer, ultra-high-performance liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS), flow cytometry, qRT-PCR, Western Blot, sphere formation assay, and diluted xenograft tumour formation assay were used to analyze metabolic and stemness features. RESULTS Our results indicated that overexpression of BEX1 significantly enhanced the Warburg effect in HB cells. Furthermore, glycolysis inhibition largely attenuated the effects of BEX1 on HB cell growth and self-renewal, suggesting that BEX1 promotes stemness maintenance of HB cells by regulating the Warburg effect. Mechanistically, BEX1 enhances Warburg effect through the downregulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ). Furthermore, pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase isozyme 1 (PDK1) is required for PPARγ-induced inhibition of Warburg effect in HB. In addition, BEX1 supports the stemness of HB by enhancing Warburg effect in a PPARγ/PDK1 dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS HB patients with high BEX1 and PDK1 expression had a poor prognosis. BEX1 promotes the stemness maintenance of HB cells via modulating the Warburg effect, which depends on PPARγ/PDK1 axis. Pioglitazone could be used to target BEX1-mediated stemness properties in HB by upregulating PPARγ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
| | - Ning Liang
- Department of General Surgery, The 75th Group Army Hospital, Dali, 671000, China
| | - Chaoxu Liu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Jing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Military Stomatology and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, and Shaanxi Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
- Department of Stomatology, Shaanxi Province People's Hospital, Xi'an, 710068, China
| | - Yaxing Bai
- Department of Dermatology, XiJing Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Shuanghong Lei
- Anorectal Department, The First People's Hospital of Longnan, Longnan, 742500, China
| | - Qian Huang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The 75th Group Army Hospital, Dali, Yunnan, 671000, China
| | - Ligang Sun
- Department of General Surgery, The 75th Group Army Hospital, Dali, 671000, China
| | - Liangke Tang
- Department of General Surgery, Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510315, China
| | - Chao Zeng
- Department of Neurology, The 74th Group Army Hospital, Guangzhou, 510318, China
| | - Yuqun Tang
- Minimally Invasive tumour Comprehensive Therapy Center, Second People's Hospital of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, 510310, China
| | - Xianli He
- Department of General Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
| | - Tao Yang
- Department of Pain Treatment, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, China.
| | - Gang Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Jiangmen Hospital, Southern Medical University, Jiangmen, 529000, China.
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8
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Zhang J, Lin XT, Fang L, Xie CM. In vivo analysis of FBXO45-mediated fibrosis and liver tumorigenesis in a chemically induced mouse model of hepatocellular carcinoma. STAR Protoc 2023; 4:102124. [PMID: 36853700 PMCID: PMC9958395 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
FBXO45, an E3 ubiquitin ligase highly expressed in liver tumors, is positively correlated with poor survival of hepatocellular carcinogenesis (HCC) patients, but whether FBXO45 drives HCC tumorigenesis remains largely unclear. Here, we describe a protocol that shortens the observation period for HCC tumorigenesis to assess the effects of FBXO45 in a DEN/CCl4-induced HCC mouse model. We describe steps for chemical induction of HCC in FBXO45-overexpressing mice, followed by tissue collection and pathology assessment via quantitative real-time PCR, histology, and immunohistochemistry. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Lin et al. (2021).1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Xiao-Tong Lin
- Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Lei Fang
- Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Chuan-Ming Xie
- Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China.
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9
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Zhou Y, Xia J, Xu S, She T, Zhang Y, Sun Y, Wen M, Jiang T, Xiong Y, Lei J. Experimental mouse models for translational human cancer research. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1095388. [PMID: 36969176 PMCID: PMC10036357 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1095388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The development and growth of tumors remains an important and ongoing threat to human life around the world. While advanced therapeutic strategies such as immune checkpoint therapy and CAR-T have achieved astonishing progress in the treatment of both solid and hematological malignancies, the malignant initiation and progression of cancer remains a controversial issue, and further research is urgently required. The experimental animal model not only has great advantages in simulating the occurrence, development, and malignant transformation mechanisms of tumors, but also can be used to evaluate the therapeutic effects of a diverse array of clinical interventions, gradually becoming an indispensable method for cancer research. In this paper, we have reviewed recent research progress in relation to mouse and rat models, focusing on spontaneous, induced, transgenic, and transplantable tumor models, to help guide the future study of malignant mechanisms and tumor prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Tao Jiang
- *Correspondence: Jie Lei, ; Yanlu Xiong, ; Tao Jiang,
| | - Yanlu Xiong
- *Correspondence: Jie Lei, ; Yanlu Xiong, ; Tao Jiang,
| | - Jie Lei
- *Correspondence: Jie Lei, ; Yanlu Xiong, ; Tao Jiang,
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10
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Mehany ABM, Farrag IM, Diab M, Ghoneim MM, El-Sherbiny M, Al-Serwi RH, Amin AH, Belal A, Shaaban S, Abdelhady AA. Curcumin and vitamin C improve immunity of kidney via gene expression against diethyl nitrosamine induced nephrotoxicity in rats:In vivo and molecular docking studies. Heliyon 2023; 9:e14126. [PMID: 36923841 PMCID: PMC10008980 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Kidney has a crucial role in immunity, so any toxicity occurs for the kidney will result in reduced immunity. The aim of this study is to improve the immune response of insufficient kidneys through immune-related genes. Diethyl Nitrosamine has been used to cause kidney damage in animal models, vitamin C and curcumin have been used to treat impaired kidney. Renal function (urea, uric acid and creatinine) and oxidative stress parameters (superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde and glutathione peroxidase) will be evaluated in this research work. Molecular docking also will be performed to investigate the role of vitamin C and curcumin in targeting immune response proteins. Also, Complementary component 3, Lipocalin-2, Toll-like receptor 2,Toll-like receptor 4, Kidney injury molecule-1, Interleukin 6, Interleukin-10, Tumor necrosis factor and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases will be investigated. The obtained results showed that vitamin C and curcumin have good effects in the treatment of impaired kidneys, this was also observed in renal function and oxidative stress parameters, expression levels of proteins and histopathological examinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed B M Mehany
- Department of zoology Faculty of science Al-Azhar University Cairo, Egypt
| | - Islam M Farrag
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine (Girls), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud Diab
- Anatomy and embryology Department faculty of medicine Al-Azhar university,cairo, Egypt
- Basic medical science, Faculty of applied medical sciences, university of tabuk saudi arabia
| | - Mohammed M Ghoneim
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, AlMaarefa University, Ad Diriyah13713, Saudi Arabia
- Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plants Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Mohamed El-Sherbiny
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, AlMaarefa University, P.O. Box 71666, Riyadh, 11597, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Rasha Hamed Al-Serwi
- Department of Basic Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ali H Amin
- Deanship of Scientific Research, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amany Belal
- Medicinal Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62514, Egypt
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099,Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Salwa Shaaban
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Faculty of pharmacySuef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alsayed A Abdelhady
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Helwan University, Helwan, Egypt
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11
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Moawed FS, Haroun RAH, Abou Zaid ES, Mansour SZ, Badawi AFM, Kandil EI. In vitro and in vivo studies of a newly synthesized copper-cetyl tri-methyl ammonium bromide combined with gallium oxide nanoparticles complex as an antitumor agent against hepatocellular carcinoma. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol 2023; 37:3946320231180708. [PMID: 37276131 DOI: 10.1177/03946320231180708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most leading causes of death worldwide. Previous studies reported that gallium alone and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) have antineoplastic activities; therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the activity of copper-cetyl tri-methyl ammonium bromide with gallium oxide nanoparticles (Cu-CTAB+GaO-NPs) against HCC by using in vitro and in vivo studies. Methods: In vitro study was performed to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of Cu-CTAB+GaO-NPs and GaO-NPs on HepG-2 cell line using crystal violet dye assay. In vivo study was done on diethyl nitrosamine (DEN) induced HCC Wister rats. Rats were randomly divided into eight groups; control, Cu-CTAB, GaO-NPs, Cu-CTAB+GaONPs, DEN, DEN+Cu-CTAB, DEN+GaO-NPs and DEN+Cu-CTAB+GaO-NPs. Histopathological examination of liver and biochemical parameters such as liver function markers, oxidative stress-antioxidants markers, tumor makers, apoptosis makers were studied. Results: Results obtained from in vitro study revealed that Cu-CTAB+GaO-NPs and GaO-NPs affect the cell viability of HepG-2 cancer cell with IC50 0.2 μg/ml and 360 μg/ml, respectively. Cu-CTAB+GaO-NPs exerted an antiproliferative effect in experimental rat models of HCC, as demonstrated both histologically, since it facilitated the tissue recovery of the damaged liver, and biochemically as showed by the reduction of liver function markers (ALT & AST), oxidative stress markers (MDA) and tumor makers (AFP,TGF-β1,α-L-Fucosidase); while antioxidants markers (SOD), apoptosis markers (caspase-3 mRNA) and araginase activity were elevated in DEN+Cu-CTAB, DEN+GaO-NPs and DEN+Cu-CTAB+GaO-NPs groups when compared to DEN group. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that both Cu-CTAB alone and/or combined with GaO-NPs exerted cytotoxic effects against DEN-induced HCC, which would in turn, speculate a possible therapeutic role of the novel Cu-CTAB+GaO-NPs compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatma Sm Moawed
- Health Radiation Research Department, National Centre for Radiation Research and Technology, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | - Eman S Abou Zaid
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Somya Z Mansour
- Radiation Biology Department, National Centre for Radiation Research and Technology, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | - Eman I Kandil
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
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12
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Sun J, Wang X, Shen Q, Wang M, Chen S, Zhang X, Huang Y, Zhang Z, Li W, Yuan Y, Huang Z. DNASE1L3 inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma by delaying cell cycle progression through CDK2. Cell Oncol 2022; 45:1187-1202. [PMID: 36327092 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-022-00709-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Dysregulated cell cycle targeting is a well-established therapeutic strategy against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Dissecting the underlying mechanism may improve the efficacy of HCC therapy. METHODS HCC data from TCGA and new clinical samples were used for DNASE1L3 expression analysis and for assessing its correlation with HCC development. The in vitro function of DNASE1L3 in HCC cell proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion was assessed using RTCA, CCK-8 and transwell assays and the in vivo function in subcutaneous tumor formation in a xenograft nude mouse model. The role of DNASE1L3 in HCC tumorigenesis was further verified in AKT/NRASV12-induced and DEN/CCl4-induced primary liver cancers in wildtype and Dnase1l3-/- mice. Finally, RNA-Seq analysis followed by biochemical methods including cell cycle, immunofluorescence, co-immunoprecipitation and Western blotting assays were employed to reveal the underlying mechanism. RESULTS We found that DNASE1L3 was significantly downregulated and served as a favorable prognostic factor in HCC. DNASE1L3 dramatically attenuated HCC cell proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion in vitro and reduced subcutaneous tumor formation in nude mice in vivo. Furthermore, DNASE1L3 overexpression dampened AKT/NRASV12-induced mouse liver cancer in wildtype mice and DNASE1L3 deficiency worsened DEN/CCl4-induced liver cancer in Dnase1l3-/- mice. Systemic analysis revealed that DNASE1L3 impaired HCC cell cycle progression by interacting with CDK2 and inhibiting CDK2-stimulated E2F1 activity. C-terminal deletion (DNASE1L3ΔCT) diminished the interaction with CDK2 and abrogated the inhibitory function against HCC. CONCLUSION Our study unveils DNASE1L3 as a novel HCC cell cycle regulator and tumor suppressor. DNASE1L3 impairs HCC tumorigenesis by delaying cell cycle progression possibly through disrupting the positive E2F1-CDK2 regulatory loop. DNASE1L3 may serve as a target for the development of novel therapeutic strategies against HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqi Sun
- College of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiyang Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qingsong Shen
- College of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Min Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuxian Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xuechun Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yongping Huang
- College of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhonglin Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenhua Li
- College of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yufeng Yuan
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zan Huang
- College of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
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13
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Gan X, Ding D, Wang M, Yang Y, Sun D, Li W, Ding W, Yang F, Zhou W, Yuan S. DANCR deletion retards the initiation and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma based on gene knockout and patient-derived xenograft in situ hepatoma mice model. Cancer Lett 2022; 550:215930. [PMID: 36183859 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2022.215930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Our previous study has demonstrated that the expression level of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA)-differentiation antagonizing non-protein coding RNA (DANCR) increases in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), contributing to the initiation and aggravation of such kind of malignant tumor, which is recognized as a promising therapeutic target for patients with HCC. To further investigate the effect of DANCR on HCC in preclinical models, we generated a Dancr knockout (KO) mice model by Cas9/gRNA technology and a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) in situ hepatoma mice model using immunodeficient mice and utilized adeno-associated virus 8 (AAV8) delivery DANCR-shRNA system to silence the expression of DANCR in xenograft tumor. Here, we reported that Dancr expression mainly occurred in hepatocytes and its depletion significantly alleviated hepatic fibrosis in mice and showed a prospective result with smaller tumor size and fewer number of tumors in HCC preclinical mice model. Additionally, we found that the expression of Dancr in mice cirrhotic liver was positively correlated with the content of Dancr in serum. Overall, DANCR KO can inhibit the occurrence and development of HCC and is a target worthy of further study in patients with HCC.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cell Proliferation/genetics
- Disease Models, Animal
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Gene Knockout Techniques
- Heterografts
- Humans
- Liver Neoplasms/genetics
- Liver Neoplasms/pathology
- Mice
- MicroRNAs/genetics
- Prospective Studies
- RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics
- RNA, Long Noncoding/metabolism
- RNA, Small Interfering
- RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojie Gan
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, 225 Changhai Road, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Dongyang Ding
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, 225 Changhai Road, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Mengchao Wang
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, 225 Changhai Road, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Yuan Yang
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, 225 Changhai Road, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Dapeng Sun
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, 225 Changhai Road, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Wen Li
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, 225 Changhai Road, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Wenbin Ding
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, 225 Changhai Road, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Fu Yang
- The Department of Medical Genetics, Naval Medical University, 800 Xiangyin Road, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Weiping Zhou
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, 225 Changhai Road, Shanghai, 200438, China.
| | - Shengxian Yuan
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, 225 Changhai Road, Shanghai, 200438, China.
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14
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Zhou L, Yu KH, Wong TL, Zhang Z, Chan CH, Loong JH, Che N, Yu HJ, Tan KV, Tong M, Ngan ES, Ho JW, Ma S. Lineage tracing and single-cell analysis reveal proliferative Prom1+ tumour-propagating cells and their dynamic cellular transition during liver cancer progression. Gut 2022; 71:1656-1668. [PMID: 34588223 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2021-324321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has high intratumoral heterogeneity, which contributes to therapeutic resistance and tumour recurrence. We previously identified Prominin-1 (PROM1)/CD133 as an important liver cancer stem cell (CSC) marker in human HCC. The aim of this study was to investigate the heterogeneity and properties of Prom1+ cells in HCC in intact mouse models. DESIGN We established two mouse models representing chronic fibrotic HCC and rapid steatosis-related HCC. We performed lineage tracing post-HCC induction using Prom1C-L/+; Rosa26tdTomato/+ mice, and targeted depletion using Prom1C-L/+; Rosa26DTA/+ mice. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was carried out to analyse the transcriptomic profile of traced Prom1+ cells. RESULTS Prom1 in HCC tumours marks proliferative tumour-propagating cells with CSC-like properties. Lineage tracing demonstrated that these cells display clonal expansion in situ in primary tumours. Labelled Prom1+ cells exhibit increasing tumourigenicity in 3D culture and allotransplantation, as well as potential to form cancers of differential lineages on transplantation. Depletion of Prom1+ cells impedes tumour growth and reduces malignant cancer hallmarks in both HCC models. scRNA-seq analysis highlighted the heterogeneity of Prom1+ HCC cells, which follow a trajectory to the dedifferentiated status with high proliferation and stem cells traits. Conserved gene signature of Prom1 linage predicts poor prognosis in human HCC. The activated oxidant detoxification underlies the protective mechanism of dedifferentiated transition and lineage propagation. CONCLUSION Our study combines in vivo lineage tracing and scRNA-seq to reveal the heterogeneity and dynamics of Prom1+ HCC cells, providing insights into the mechanistic role of malignant CSC-like cells in HCC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhou
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.,Department of Clinical Oncology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ken Ho Yu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.,Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health Limited (D24H), Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Tin Lok Wong
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.,State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Zhao Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chun Ho Chan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jane Hc Loong
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Noelia Che
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hua Jian Yu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kel Vin Tan
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Man Tong
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.,Department of Clinical Oncology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China.,State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Elly S Ngan
- Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Joshua Wk Ho
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China .,Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health Limited (D24H), Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Stephanie Ma
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China .,Department of Clinical Oncology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China.,State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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15
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Liu S, Huang F, Ru G, Wang Y, Zhang B, Chen X, Chu L. Mouse Models of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Classification, Advancement, and Application. Front Oncol 2022; 12:902820. [PMID: 35847898 PMCID: PMC9279915 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.902820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the subtype of liver cancer with the highest incidence, which is a heterogeneous malignancy with increasing incidence rate and high mortality. For ethical reasons, it is essential to validate medical clinical trials for HCC in animal models before further consideration on humans. Therefore, appropriate models for the study of the pathogenesis of the disease and related treatment methods are necessary. For tumor research, mouse models are the most commonly used and effective in vivo model, which is closer to the real-life environment, and the repeated experiments performed on it are closer to the real situation. Several mouse models of HCC have been developed with different mouse strains, cell lines, tumor sites, and tumor formation methods. In this review, we mainly introduce some mouse HCC models, including induced model, gene-edited model, HCC transplantation model, and other mouse HCC models, and discuss how to choose the appropriate model according to the purpose of the experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sha Liu
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Fang Huang
- Cancer Center, Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, Affiliated People’s Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Guoqing Ru
- Cancer Center, Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, Affiliated People’s Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yigang Wang
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bixiang Zhang
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoping Chen
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Liang Chu
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Liang Chu,
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16
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Wang M, Lan L, Yang F, Jiang S, Xu H, Zhang C, Zhou G, Xia H, Xia J. Hepatic SIRT6 deficit promotes liver tumorigenesis in the mice models. Genes Dis 2022; 9:789-796. [PMID: 35782983 PMCID: PMC9243323 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2020.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
SIRT6 belongs to class III sirtuin family with NAD+-dependent histone deacetylase activities and controls multiple processes including aging, metabolism and inflammation. In recent years, increasing studies showed tumor suppressor role of SIRT6 in HCC development. We established a two-stage DEN followed CCl4 induced liver carcinogenesis in the hepatic-specific SIRT6 HKO mice models and found that hepatic SIRT6 deficit significantly promotes liver injury and liver cancer through inhibition of the ERK1/2 pathway. SIRT6 was compensatory upregulated in mice tumor tissues and human HCC cells and overexpressed SIRT6 inhibits tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, we provide a useful mouse model for delineating the molecular pathways involved in chronic liver diseases and primary liver cancer and suggest that SIRT6 can be a promising target for HCC therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Wang
- Department of Pathology in the School of Basic Medical Sciences & Sir Run Run Hospital & State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine & Key Laboratory of Antibody Technique of National Health Commission, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211166, PR China
- Department of Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, PR China
| | - Linhua Lan
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, PR China
| | - Fan Yang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Shan Jiang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Haojun Xu
- Department of Pathology in the School of Basic Medical Sciences & Sir Run Run Hospital & State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine & Key Laboratory of Antibody Technique of National Health Commission, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211166, PR China
| | - Chengfei Zhang
- Department of Pathology in the School of Basic Medical Sciences & Sir Run Run Hospital & State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine & Key Laboratory of Antibody Technique of National Health Commission, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211166, PR China
| | - Guoren Zhou
- Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, PR China
- Corresponding author. Department of Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, PR China.
| | - Hongping Xia
- Department of Pathology in the School of Basic Medical Sciences & Sir Run Run Hospital & State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine & Key Laboratory of Antibody Technique of National Health Commission, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211166, PR China
- Department of Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, PR China
- Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, PR China
- Corresponding author. Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211166, PR China.
| | - Jinglin Xia
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, PR China
- Corresponding author. Department of Intervention Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, PR China.
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17
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Romualdo GR, Leroy K, Costa CJS, Prata GB, Vanderborght B, da Silva TC, Barbisan LF, Andraus W, Devisscher L, Câmara NOS, Vinken M, Cogliati B. In Vivo and In Vitro Models of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Current Strategies for Translational Modeling. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:5583. [PMID: 34771745 PMCID: PMC8582701 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13215583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer-related death globally. HCC is a complex multistep disease and usually emerges in the setting of chronic liver diseases. The molecular pathogenesis of HCC varies according to the etiology, mainly caused by chronic hepatitis B and C virus infections, chronic alcohol consumption, aflatoxin-contaminated food, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease associated with metabolic syndrome or diabetes mellitus. The establishment of HCC models has become essential for both basic and translational research to improve our understanding of the pathophysiology and unravel new molecular drivers of this disease. The ideal model should recapitulate key events observed during hepatocarcinogenesis and HCC progression in view of establishing effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to be translated into clinical practice. Despite considerable efforts currently devoted to liver cancer research, only a few anti-HCC drugs are available, and patient prognosis and survival are still poor. The present paper provides a state-of-the-art overview of in vivo and in vitro models used for translational modeling of HCC with a specific focus on their key molecular hallmarks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme Ribeiro Romualdo
- Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo 05508-270, Brazil; (G.R.R.); (C.J.S.C.); (T.C.d.S.)
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618-689, Brazil; (G.B.P.); (L.F.B.)
- Department of Pathology, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618-687, Brazil
| | - Kaat Leroy
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (K.L.); (M.V.)
| | - Cícero Júlio Silva Costa
- Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo 05508-270, Brazil; (G.R.R.); (C.J.S.C.); (T.C.d.S.)
| | - Gabriel Bacil Prata
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618-689, Brazil; (G.B.P.); (L.F.B.)
- Department of Pathology, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618-687, Brazil
| | - Bart Vanderborght
- Gut-Liver Immunopharmacology Unit, Basic and Applied Medical Sciences, Liver Research Center Ghent, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;
- Hepatology Research Unit, Internal Medicine and Paediatrics, Liver Research Center Ghent, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;
| | - Tereza Cristina da Silva
- Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo 05508-270, Brazil; (G.R.R.); (C.J.S.C.); (T.C.d.S.)
| | - Luís Fernando Barbisan
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618-689, Brazil; (G.B.P.); (L.F.B.)
| | - Wellington Andraus
- Department of Gastroenterology, Clinics Hospital, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo (HC-FMUSP), São Paulo 05403-000, Brazil;
| | - Lindsey Devisscher
- Hepatology Research Unit, Internal Medicine and Paediatrics, Liver Research Center Ghent, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;
| | - Niels Olsen Saraiva Câmara
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences IV, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil;
| | - Mathieu Vinken
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (K.L.); (M.V.)
| | - Bruno Cogliati
- Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo 05508-270, Brazil; (G.R.R.); (C.J.S.C.); (T.C.d.S.)
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Potential lncRNA Biomarkers for HBV-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma Diagnosis Revealed by Analysis on Coexpression Network. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 2021:9972011. [PMID: 34692847 PMCID: PMC8536424 DOI: 10.1155/2021/9972011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Background Increasing evidence demonstrated that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) could affect inflammatory tumor immune microenvironment by modulating gene expression and could be used as a biomarker for HBC-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) but still needs further research. The aim of the present study was to determine an lncRNA signature for the diagnosis of HBV-related HCC. Methods HBV-related HCC expression profiles (GSE55092, GSE19665, and GSE84402) were abstracted from the GEO (Gene Expression Omnibus) data resource, and R package limma and RobustRankAggreg were employed to identify common differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Using machine learning, optimal diagnostic lncRNA molecular markers for HBV-related HCC were identified. The expression of candidate lncRNAs was cross-validated in GSE121248, and an ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curve of lncRNA biomarkers was carried out. Additionally, a coexpression network and functional annotation was built, after which a PPI (protein-protein interaction) network along with module analysis were conducted with the Cytoscape open source software. Result A total of 38 DElncRNAs and 543 DEmRNAs were identified with a fold change larger than 2.0 and a P value < 0.05. By machine learning, AL356056.2, AL445524.1, TRIM52-AS1, AC093642.1, EHMT2-AS1, AC003991.1, AC008040.1, LINC00844, and LINC01018 were screened out as optional diagnostic lncRNA biosignatures for HBV-related HCC. The AUC (areas under the curve) of the SVM (support vector machine) model and random forest model were 0.957 and 0.904, respectively, and the specificity and sensitivity were 95.7 and 100% and 94.3 and 86.5%, respectively. The results of functional enrichment analysis showed that the integrated coexpressed DEmRNAs shared common cascades in the p53 signaling pathway, retinol metabolism, PI3K-Akt signaling cascade, and chemical carcinogenesis. The integrated DEmRNA PPI network complex was found to be comprised of 87 nodes, and two vital modules with a high degree were selected with the MCODE app. Conclusion The present study identified nine potential diagnostic biomarkers for HBV-related HCC, all of which could potentially modulated gene expression related to inflammatory conditions in the tumor immune microenvironment. The functional annotation of the target DEmRNAs yielded novel evidence in evaluating the precise functions of lncRNA in HBV-related HCC.
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19
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Chun HJ, Shim YJ, Kwon YH. Cholic acid supplementation accelerates the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease to the procarcinogenic state in mice fed a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet. J Nutr Biochem 2021; 100:108869. [PMID: 34563665 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2021.108869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the major causes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although the intracellular cholesterol accumulation has been demonstrated to regulate the gene expression responsible for steatohepatitis, the role played by cholesterol in the development of NAFLD-associated HCC has not been fully elucidated. In this study, using microarray analysis, we investigated the molecular mechanisms governing cholesterol-mediated progression of NAFLD. To ensure hepatic cholesterol accumulation, either a high-fat and high-cholesterol (HFHC) diet or a high-fat and high-cholesterol with cholic acid (HFHCCA) diet was fed to diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-injected C57BL/6J mice for 10 weeks. While an HFHC diet increased hepatic triglyceride levels, an HFHCCA diet induced hepatic cholesterol accumulation by reducing bile acid biosynthesis in DEN-injected mice. Livers from both HFHC and HFHCCA groups exhibited increases in steatosis and necrosis; however, histological features of HCC were not observed in any of the experimental groups. Hepatic gene expression profile of the HFHCCA group was different from those of other groups. Functional analysis showed that cholic acid supplementation upregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with inflammation, proliferation, apoptosis, chemical drug response, and cancer signaling pathway. Downregulated DEGs were associated with steroid metabolism, mitochondrial function, and oxidative phosphorylation pathway. Furthermore, hepatic cholesterol accumulation lowered the expression of DEGs associated with energy and macronutrient metabolism, especially amino acid metabolism. In this study, the results of a global gene expression profile demonstrated that feeding the HFHCCA diet to DEN-injected mice accelerated the carcinogenic progression of NAFLD, implicating the critical role played by hepatic accumulation of cholesterol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hee Jeong Chun
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Yeon Joo Shim
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Young Hye Kwon
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea; Research Institute of Human Ecology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
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20
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Uehara T, Pogribny IP, Rusyn I. The DEN and CCl 4 -Induced Mouse Model of Fibrosis and Inflammation-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Curr Protoc 2021; 1:e211. [PMID: 34370903 PMCID: PMC8744072 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) develops most often as a complication of fibrosis or cirrhosis. Although most human studies of HCC provide crucial insights into the molecular signatures of HCC, they seldom address its etiology. Mouse models provide essential tools for investigating the pathogenesis of HCC, but the majority of rodent cancer models do not feature liver fibrosis. Detailed here is a protocol for an experimental mouse model of HCC that arises in association with advanced liver fibrosis. The disease model is induced by a single injection of N-nitrosodiethylamine (DEN) at 2 weeks of age followed by repeated administration of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4 ) from 8 weeks of age for up to 14 consecutive weeks. A dramatic potentiation of liver tumor incidence is observed following administration of DEN and CCl4 , with 100% of mice developing liver tumors at 5 months of age. This model has been employed for studying the molecular mechanisms of fibrogenesis and HCC development, as well as for cancer hazard/chemotherapy testing of drug candidates. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol: The DEN and CCl4 -induced mouse model of fibrosis and inflammation-associated hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeki Uehara
- Strategic Development Department, Shionogi & Co., Osaka, Japan
| | - Igor P. Pogribny
- National Center for Toxicological Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, Arkansas
| | - Ivan Rusyn
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
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21
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Identification of New Biomarker for Prediction of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Development in Early-Stage Cirrhosis Patients. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2021; 2021:9949492. [PMID: 34335764 PMCID: PMC8318773 DOI: 10.1155/2021/9949492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Background Liver cirrhosis is one of the major drivers of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the present study, we aimed to identify and validate new biomarker for early prediction of HCC development in early-stage cirrhosis patients. Methods mRNA expression and clinical parameters of GSE63898, GSE89377, GSE15654, GSE14520, and TCGA-HCC cohort and ICGC-HCC cohort were downloaded for analysis. Wilcoxon test was performed to identify DEGs. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were used to develop the risk signature, and ROC analysis was performed to analyze the predictive accuracy and sensitivity of the risk signature. Results There were 42 DEGs (including 28 upregulated genes and 14 downregulated genes) found in early-stage liver cirrhosis patients before developing HCC from GSE1565442. Then, a risk signature consisting of 8 DEGs could effectively classify early-stage cirrhosis patients into high-risk group with shorter HCC development time and low-risk group with longer HCC development time from GSE15654. Multivariate Cox analysis indicated that the risk signature was an independent prognostic factor for the prediction of HCC development and ROC analysis showed that the signature exhibited good predictive efficiency in predicting 2-, 5-, and 10-year HCC development. Mechanistically, significantly higher proportions of CD8 T cells were found to be enriched in cirrhosis patients with low risk score, and higher CD8 T cells were associated with longer HCC development time. Besides, the signature was an independent prognostic factor for poorer prognosis of early-stage liver cirrhosis patients of GSE15654. Moreover, the signature could also separate HCC patients from healthy controls and was also associated with the poorer prognosis of HCC patients from three HCC cohorts. Finally, we also identified HDAC inhibitors, such as trichostatin A, to be a potential chemopreventive treatment for the prevention of HCC development by targeting risk signature based on CMap analysis. Conclusion A risk signature was developed and validated for early prediction of HCC development, which may be a useful tool to set up individualized follow-up interval schedules.
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22
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Bao YL, Wang L, Pan HT, Zhang TR, Chen YH, Xu SJ, Mao XL, Li SW. Animal and Organoid Models of Liver Fibrosis. Front Physiol 2021; 12:666138. [PMID: 34122138 PMCID: PMC8187919 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.666138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Liver fibrosis refers to the process underlying the development of chronic liver diseases, wherein liver cells are repeatedly destroyed and regenerated, which leads to an excessive deposition and abnormal distribution of the extracellular matrix such as collagen, glycoprotein and proteoglycan in the liver. Liver fibrosis thus constitutes the pathological repair response of the liver to chronic injury. Hepatic fibrosis is a key step in the progression of chronic liver disease to cirrhosis and an important factor affecting the prognosis of chronic liver disease. Further development of liver fibrosis may lead to structural disorders of the liver, nodular regeneration of hepatocytes and the formation of cirrhosis. Hepatic fibrosis is histologically reversible if treated aggressively during this period, but when fibrosis progresses to the stage of cirrhosis, reversal is very difficult, resulting in a poor prognosis. There are many causes of liver fibrosis, including liver injury caused by drugs, viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver, fatty liver and autoimmune disease. The mechanism underlying hepatic fibrosis differs among etiologies. The establishment of an appropriate animal model of liver fibrosis is not only an important basis for the in-depth study of the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis but also an important means for clinical experts to select drugs for the prevention and treatment of liver fibrosis. The present study focused on the modeling methods and fibrosis characteristics of different animal models of liver fibrosis, such as a chemical-induced liver fibrosis model, autoimmune liver fibrosis model, cholestatic liver fibrosis model, alcoholic liver fibrosis model and non-alcoholic liver fibrosis model. In addition, we also summarize the research and application prospects concerning new organoids in liver fibrosis models proposed in recent years. A suitable animal model of liver fibrosis and organoid fibrosis model that closely resemble the physiological state of the human body will provide bases for the in-depth study of the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis and the development of therapeutic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Long Bao
- College of Basic Medicine, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
| | - Li Wang
- College of Basic Medicine, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
| | - Hai-Ting Pan
- College of Basic Medicine, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
| | - Tai-Ran Zhang
- College of Basic Medicine, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
| | - Ya-Hong Chen
- Health Management Center, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, China
| | - Shan-Jing Xu
- School of Medicine, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, Chian
| | - Xin-Li Mao
- School of Medicine, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, Chian.,Key Laboratory of Minimally Invasive Techniques & Rapid Rehabilitation of Digestive System Tumor, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, China.,Department of Gastroenterology, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, China
| | - Shao-Wei Li
- Key Laboratory of Minimally Invasive Techniques & Rapid Rehabilitation of Digestive System Tumor, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, China.,Department of Gastroenterology, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, China
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23
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Shouman MM, Abdelsalam RM, Tawfick MM, Kenawy SA, El-Naa MM. Antisense Tissue Factor Oligodeoxynucleotides Protected Diethyl Nitrosamine/Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Liver Fibrosis Through Toll Like Receptor4-Tissue Factor-Protease Activated Receptor1 Pathway. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:676608. [PMID: 34045968 PMCID: PMC8144514 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.676608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tissue factor (TF) is a blood coagulation factor that has several roles in many non-coagulant pathways involved in different pathological conditions such as angiogenesis, inflammation and fibrogenesis. Coagulation and inflammation are crosslinked with liver fibrosis where protease-activated receptor1 (PAR1) and toll-like receptor4 (TLR4) play a key role. Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides are strong modulators of gene expression. In the present study, antisense TF oligodeoxynucleotides (TFAS) was evaluated in treating liver fibrosis via suppression of TF gene expression. Liver fibrosis was induced in rats by a single administration of N-diethyl nitrosamine (DEN, 200 mg/kg; i. p.) followed by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4, 3 ml/kg; s. c.) once weekly for 6 weeks. Following fibrosis induction, liver TF expression was significantly upregulated along with liver enzymes activities and liver histopathological deterioration. Alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and transforming growth factor-1beta (TGF-1β) expression, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and hydroxyproline content and collagen deposition were significantly elevated in the liver. Blocking of TF expression by TFAS injection (2.8 mg/kg; s. c.) once weekly for 6 weeks significantly restored liver enzymes activities and improved histopathological features along with decreasing the elevated α-SMA, TGF-1β, TNF-α, hydroxyproline and collagen. Moreover, TFAS decreased the expression of both PAR1 and TLR4 that were induced by liver fibrosis. In conclusion, we reported that blockage of TF expression by TFAS improved inflammatory and fibrotic changes associated with CCl4+DEN intoxication. In addition, we explored the potential crosslink between the TF, PAR1 and TLR4 in liver fibrogenesis. These findings offer a platform on which recovery from liver fibrosis could be mediated through targeting TF expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maha M Shouman
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Modern Sciences and Arts University (MSA), Giza, Egypt
| | - Rania M Abdelsalam
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, New Giza University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud M Tawfick
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Sanaa A Kenawy
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mona M El-Naa
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sadat City, Sadat City, Egypt
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24
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Liver Cancer: Therapeutic Challenges and the Importance of Experimental Models. Can J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2021; 2021:8837811. [PMID: 33728291 PMCID: PMC7937489 DOI: 10.1155/2021/8837811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer is one of the main causes of death related to cancer worldwide; its etiology is related with infections by C or B hepatitis virus, alcohol consumption, smoking, obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, diabetes, and iron overload, among other causes. Several kinds of primary liver cancer occur, but we will focus on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Numerous cellular signaling pathways are implicated in hepatocarcinogenesis, including YAP-HIPPO, Wnt-β-catenin, and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB); these in turn are considered novel therapeutic targets. In this review, the role of lipid metabolism regulated by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) in the development of HCC will also be discussed. Moreover, recent evidence has been obtained regarding the participation of epigenetic changes such as acetylation and methylation of histones and DNA methylation in the development of HCC. In this review, we provide detailed and current information about these topics. Experimental models represent useful tools for studying the different stages of liver cancer and help to develop new pharmacologic treatments. Each model in vivo and in vitro has several characteristics and advantages to offer for the study of this disease. Finally, the main therapies approved for the treatment of HCC patients, first- and second-line therapies, are described in this review. We also describe a novel option, pirfenidone, which due to its pharmacological properties could be considered in the future as a therapeutic option for HCC treatment.
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25
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Gamaev L, Mizrahi L, Friehmann T, Rosenberg N, Pappo O, Olam D, Zeira E, Bahar Halpern K, Caruso S, Zucman-Rossi J, Axelrod JH, Galun E, Goldenberg DS. The pro-oncogenic effect of the lncRNA H19 in the development of chronic inflammation-mediated hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncogene 2021; 40:127-139. [PMID: 33093654 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-020-01513-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The oncofetal long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) H19 is postnatally repressed in most tissues, and re-expressed in many cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The role of H19 in carcinogenesis is a subject of controversy. We aimed to examine the role of H19 in chronic inflammation-mediated hepatocarcinogenesis using the Mdr2/Abcb4 knockout (Mdr2-KO) mouse, a well-established HCC model. For this goal, we have generated Mdr2-KO/H19-KO double knockout (dKO) mice and followed spontaneous tumor development in the dKO and control Mdr2-KO mice. Cellular localization of H19 and effects of H19 loss in the liver were determined in young and old Mdr2-KO mice. Tumor incidence and tumor load were both significantly decreased in the liver of dKO versus Mdr2-KO females. The expression levels of H19 and Igf2 were variable in nontumor liver tissues of Mdr2-KO females and were significantly downregulated in most matched tumors. In nontumor liver tissue of aged Mdr2-KO females, H19 was expressed mainly in hepatocytes, and hepatocyte proliferation was increased compared to dKO females. At an early age, dKO females displayed lower levels of liver injury and B-cell infiltration, with higher percentage of binuclear hepatocytes. In human samples, H19 expression was higher in females, positively correlated with cirrhosis (in nontumor liver samples) and negatively correlated with CTNNB1 (beta-catenin) mutations and patients' survival (in tumors). Our data demonstrate that the lncRNA H19 is pro-oncogenic during the development of chronic inflammation-mediated HCC in the Mdr2-KO mouse model, mainly by increasing liver injury and decreasing hepatocyte polyploidy in young mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lika Gamaev
- The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Lina Mizrahi
- The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Tomer Friehmann
- The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Nofar Rosenberg
- The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Orit Pappo
- Department of Pathology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Devorah Olam
- The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Evelyne Zeira
- The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Keren Bahar Halpern
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Stefano Caruso
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, INSERM, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors Laboratory, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Jessica Zucman-Rossi
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, INSERM, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors Laboratory, F-75006, Paris, France
- Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, AP-HP, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - Jonathan H Axelrod
- The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Eithan Galun
- The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Daniel S Goldenberg
- The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
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26
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Mahmoud YI, Shehata AMM, Fares NH, Mahmoud AA. Spirulina inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma through activating p53 and apoptosis and suppressing oxidative stress and angiogenesis. Life Sci 2020; 265:118827. [PMID: 33253720 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most hepatocellular carcinoma cases are diagnosed at late stages of the disease, which makes it the second cause of cancer mortality worldwide. For advanced-stage patients, chemotherapeutic drugs are the best treatment option; however, their adverse effects and high cost are still major obstacles for effective treatment. Spirulina microalga is a rich source of nutritional and bioactive elements and potential pharmaceuticals, which has an -proliferative effect against several cancer cell lines. It also has a prophylactic effect against the early stages of some cancer models, including hepatocellular carcinoma. AIMS The present study was carried out to evaluate the therapeutic anticarcinogenic effect of spirulina against advanced murine hepatocellular carcinoma. MAIN METHODS Hepatocarcinoma was induced by a single injection of diethylnitrosamine (100 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) followed by 22 weekly injections of carbon-tetrachloride (0.5 mg/kg, i.p). Spirulina (250 and 500 mg/kg bw) was given orally, from week 25 to 28, after the establishment of hepatocellular carcinoma. KEY FINDINGS Spirulina inhibited HCC structural and functional alterations, manifested by improving the survival rate, significantly decreasing the tumor marker AFP, and the count and size of the hepatic nodules, as well as downstaging HCC. This was accompanied with the augmentation of the endogenous antioxidant capacity, apoptosis (Bax) and the tumor suppressor protein (p53), as well as the suppression of tissue levels of the lipid peroxidation marker (MDA) and neoangiogenesis marker (VEGF). SIGNIFICANCE In conclusion, spirulina has an anticarcinogenic effect against advanced hepatocellular carcinoma exerted through activating the tumor suppressor protein p53 and apoptosis, and suppressing oxidative stress and angiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yomna I Mahmoud
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, P.O. Box 11566, Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Aya M M Shehata
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, P.O. Box 11566, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Nagui H Fares
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, P.O. Box 11566, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Asmaa A Mahmoud
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, P.O. Box 11566, Cairo, Egypt
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27
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Liu T, Wu H, Qi J, Qin C, Zhu Q. Seven immune-related genes prognostic power and correlation with tumor-infiltrating immune cells in hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Med 2020; 9:7440-7452. [PMID: 32815653 PMCID: PMC7571821 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.3406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Given poor prognosis and the lack of efficient therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, immunotherapy has emerged as an increasingly important role. However, there were few reports on the correlation between immune‐related genes and HCC. The purpose of this study is to construct a novel immune‐related gene‐based prognostic signature for HCC and to explore the potential mechanisms. Methods We organized expression data of 374 HCC samples and 50 nontumor samples from TCGA database. A robust signature was constructed by Cox regression analysis based on the immune‐related genes, which were filtered by differential genes analysis and Cox regression analysis. Then, the correlation analysis between the signature and clinical characteristics was conducted. And the signature was validated in ICGC database. Furthermore, the relationships between immune cell infiltration and the signature were explored by bioinformatics analysis. Results Seven genes‐based model (Risk score = BIRC5 * 0.0238 + FOS * 0.0055 + DKK1 * 0.0085 + FGF13 * 0.3432 + IL11 * 0.0135 + IL17D * 0.0878 + SPP1 * 0.0003) was constructed eventually and it was proved to be an independent prognostic factor for HCC patients. The signature‐calculated risk scores were shown to be positively correlated with the infiltration of these five immune cells, including macrophages, neutrophils, CD8+T, dendritic, and B cells. And the results suggested that high amplication of BIRC5, FGF13, IL11, IL17D, and SPP1 were more likely correlated with immune cell infiltration. Finally, PPI network, TFs‐based regulatory network and gene enrichment plots were performed to show potential molecular mechanisms. Conclusion We construct a robust immune‐related gene‐based prognostic signature with seven genes and explore potential mechanisms about it, which may contribute to the immunotherapy research for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiantian Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Shandong Provincial Engineering and Technological Research Center for Liver Diseases Prevention and Control, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Shandong Provincial Engineering and Technological Research Center for Liver Diseases Prevention and Control, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Jianni Qi
- Shandong Provincial Engineering and Technological Research Center for Liver Diseases Prevention and Control, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Central Laboratory, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Central Laboratory, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Chengyong Qin
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Shandong Provincial Engineering and Technological Research Center for Liver Diseases Prevention and Control, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Department of Gastroenterology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Qiang Zhu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Shandong Provincial Engineering and Technological Research Center for Liver Diseases Prevention and Control, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Department of Gastroenterology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
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Li X, Liu R. Long non-coding RNA H19 in the liver-gut axis: A diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for liver diseases. Exp Mol Pathol 2020; 115:104472. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yexmp.2020.104472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Dey P, Kim JB, Chitchumroonchokchai C, Li J, Sasaki GY, Olmstead BD, Stock KL, Thomas-Ahner JM, Clinton SK, Bruno RS. Green tea extract inhibits early oncogenic responses in mice with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Food Funct 2020; 10:6351-6361. [PMID: 31503268 DOI: 10.1039/c9fo01199d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) increases hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk. We hypothesized that the hepatoprotective anti-inflammatory benefits of catechin-rich green tea extract (GTE) would protect against HCC progression by inhibiting NASH-associated liver injury and pro-oncogenic responses. We used an HCC model in high-fat (HF)-fed mice that mimics early oncogenic events during NASH without inducing tumorigenesis and premature mortality. Male C57BL/6J mice (4-weeks old) were fed a HF diet containing GTE at 0% or 2%. Mice were administered saline or diethylnitrosamine (DEN; 60 mg kg-1, i.p.) at 5-weeks and 7-weeks of age. NASH, inflammation, fibrosis, and oncogenic responses were assessed at 25-weeks of age. Saline-treated mice showed prominent histopathological signs of steatosis and hepatocellular ballooning. Although DEN did not impact adiposity, steatosis, ballooning and hepatic lipid accumulation, these parameters were attenuated by GTE regardless of DEN. Hepatic lipid peroxidation and fibrosis that were increased by DEN were attenuated by GTE. Hepatic TLR4, MCP1 and TNFα mRNA levels were unaffected by DEN, whereas iNOS was increased by DEN. These transcripts were lowered by GTE. GTE attenuated the frequency of PCNA+ hepatocytes and mRNA expression of cyclin D1, MIB1 and Ki-67 that were otherwise increased by DEN. GTE increase APAF1 mRNA that was otherwise lowered by DEN. Relative to saline-treated mice, DEN increased mRNA levels of oncostatin M, gp130, c-Fos, c-Myc and survivin; each was lowered by GTE in DEN-treated mice. These findings indicate that GTE may protect against hepatic oncogenesis by limiting early steps in the carcinogenic cascade related to NASH-associated HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyankar Dey
- Human Nutrition Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
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Survival of endogenous hepatic stem/progenitor cells in liver tissues during liver cirrhosis. Life Sci 2020; 241:117121. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2019.117121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Moeini A, Torrecilla S, Tovar V, Montironi C, Andreu-Oller C, Peix J, Higuera M, Pfister D, Ramadori P, Pinyol R, Solé M, Heikenwälder M, Friedman SL, Sia D, Llovet JM. An Immune Gene Expression Signature Associated With Development of Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Identifies Mice That Respond to Chemopreventive Agents. Gastroenterology 2019; 157:1383-1397.e11. [PMID: 31344396 PMCID: PMC6815707 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2019.07.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Cirrhosis and chronic inflammation precede development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in approximately 80% of cases. We investigated immune-related gene expression patterns in liver tissues surrounding early-stage HCCs and chemopreventive agents that might alter these patterns to prevent liver tumorigenesis. METHODS We analyzed gene expression profiles of nontumor liver tissues from 392 patients with early-stage HCC (training set, N = 167 and validation set, N = 225) and liver tissue from patients with cirrhosis without HCC (N = 216, controls) to identify changes in expression of genes that regulate the immune response that could contribute to hepatocarcinogenesis. We defined 172 genes as markers for this deregulated immune response, which we called the immune-mediated cancer field (ICF). We analyzed the expression data of liver tissues from 216 patients with cirrhosis without HCC and investigated the association between this gene expression signature and development of HCC and outcomes of patients (median follow-up, 10 years). Human liver tissues were also analyzed by histology. C57BL/6J mice were given a single injection of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) followed by weekly doses of carbon tetrachloride to induce liver fibrosis and tumorigenesis. Mice were then orally given the multiple tyrosine inhibitor nintedanib or vehicle (controls); liver tissues were collected and histology, transcriptome, and protein analyses were performed. We also analyzed transcriptomes of liver tissues collected from mice on a choline-deficient high-fat diet, which developed chronic liver inflammation and tumors, orally given aspirin and clopidogrel or the anti-inflammatory agent sulindac vs mice on a chow (control) diet. RESULTS We found the ICF gene expression pattern in 50% of liver tissues from patients with cirrhosis without HCC and in 60% of nontumor liver tissues from patients with early-stage HCC. The liver tissues with the ICF gene expression pattern had 3 different features: increased numbers of effector T cells; increased expression of genes that suppress the immune response and activation of transforming growth factor β signaling; or expression of genes that promote inflammation and activation of interferon gamma signaling. Patients with cirrhosis and liver tissues with the immunosuppressive profile (10% of cases) had a higher risk of HCC (hazard ratio, 2.41; 95% confidence interval, 1.21-4.80). Mice with chemically induced fibrosis or diet-induced steatohepatitis given nintedanib or aspirin and clopidogrel down-regulated the ICF gene expression pattern in liver and developed fewer and smaller tumors than mice given vehicle. CONCLUSIONS We identified an immune-related gene expression pattern in liver tissues of patients with early-stage HCC, called the ICF, that is associated with risk of HCC development in patients with cirrhosis. Administration of nintedanib or aspirin and clopidogrel to mice with chronic liver inflammation caused loss of this gene expression pattern and development of fewer and smaller liver tumors. Agents that alter immune regulatory gene expression patterns associated with carcinogenesis might be tested as chemopreventive agents in patients with cirrhosis.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Anticarcinogenic Agents/pharmacology
- Aspirin/pharmacology
- Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/immunology
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology
- Case-Control Studies
- Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/drug effects
- Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/genetics
- Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/immunology
- Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/pathology
- Clopidogrel/pharmacology
- Diethylnitrosamine
- Gene Expression Profiling
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Gene Regulatory Networks
- Humans
- Indoles/pharmacology
- Liver Neoplasms/genetics
- Liver Neoplasms/immunology
- Liver Neoplasms/pathology
- Liver Neoplasms, Experimental/genetics
- Liver Neoplasms, Experimental/metabolism
- Liver Neoplasms, Experimental/pathology
- Liver Neoplasms, Experimental/prevention & control
- Male
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Transcriptome
- Tumor Escape/genetics
- Tumor Microenvironment
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Affiliation(s)
- Agrin Moeini
- Liver Cancer Translational Research Liver Cancer Translational Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)-Hospital Clínic, Liver Unit, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Sara Torrecilla
- Liver Cancer Translational Research Liver Cancer Translational Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)-Hospital Clínic, Liver Unit, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Victoria Tovar
- Liver Cancer Translational Research Liver Cancer Translational Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)-Hospital Clínic, Liver Unit, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Carla Montironi
- Liver Cancer Translational Research Liver Cancer Translational Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)-Hospital Clínic, Liver Unit, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Department of Liver Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Carmen Andreu-Oller
- Liver Cancer Translational Research Liver Cancer Translational Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)-Hospital Clínic, Liver Unit, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Judit Peix
- Liver Cancer Translational Research Liver Cancer Translational Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)-Hospital Clínic, Liver Unit, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Mónica Higuera
- Liver Cancer Translational Research Liver Cancer Translational Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)-Hospital Clínic, Liver Unit, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Liver diseases, Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Dominik Pfister
- Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Pierluigi Ramadori
- Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Roser Pinyol
- Liver Cancer Translational Research Liver Cancer Translational Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)-Hospital Clínic, Liver Unit, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Manel Solé
- Liver Cancer Translational Research Liver Cancer Translational Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)-Hospital Clínic, Liver Unit, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Mathias Heikenwälder
- Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Scott L Friedman
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Department of Liver Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Daniela Sia
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Department of Liver Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA.
| | - Josep M Llovet
- Liver Cancer Translational Research Liver Cancer Translational Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)-Hospital Clínic, Liver Unit, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Department of Liver Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
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Li J, Cao LT, Liu HH, Yin XD, Wang J. Long non coding RNA H19: An emerging therapeutic target in fibrosing diseases. Autoimmunity 2019; 53:1-7. [PMID: 31646913 DOI: 10.1080/08916934.2019.1681983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Fibrosis is characterised by excessive deposition of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and develops because of fibroblast differentiation during the process of inflammation. There are few effective treatment options for this diseases due to the aetiology of fibrosis is not completely clarified. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a type of ncRNA with a length of greater than 200 nucleotides without evident protein coding function, are important regulators of most biological and pathological processes, including participation, regulation or mediation of disease development. Among them, H19 is recently discovered as a class of lncRNAs which is related to fibrotic disease and inflammation. These observations implied a potential role for H19 as a promising therapeutic targets for treatment of fibrotic diseases. In this review, we will describe the characteristics of H19 and summarise recent advances in the mechanisms of H19 in the process of fibrosis. Finally, we will succinctly discuss the recent progress of the involvement of H19 in the development and pathogenesis of fibrosis diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Li
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Long-Ting Cao
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Hong-Hui Liu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Xiao-Dong Yin
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
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Fahmi A, Hassanen N, Abdur-Rahman M, Shams-Eldin E. Phytochemicals, antioxidant activity and hepatoprotective effect of ginger ( Zingiber officinale) on diethylnitrosamine toxicity in rats. Biomarkers 2019; 24:436-447. [PMID: 30979347 DOI: 10.1080/1354750x.2019.1606280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Context: Chronic liver damage has serious medical consequences. Objective: To investigate the hepatoprotective effect of dry Zingiber officinale (ginger) and its essential (volatile) oil against diethylnitrosamine (DEN) toxicity in rats. Materials and methods: Phenols and flavonoids components were characterized in dry ginger using HPLC-UV instrument while ginger essential oil (E.O.) was investigated via GC-MS technique. Antioxidant activity was determined in vitro. In rat model, ginger was administrated for 2 months. Lipid profile, antioxidant biomarkers, liver functions and histopathology were assessed. Results: Chlorogenic acid (63.85 ppm) and hesperidin (156.91 ppm) are among the major phenolic and flavonoid constituents in dry ginger. Curcumene (15.21%) and linalool (13.47%) represent the main E.O. constituents. In rats treated with ginger E.O., a significant elevation in serum HDL (31.14%) was accompanied by a decrease in LDL (55.14%). A significant decrease in serum ALT and ALP was reported (56.85% and 53.84%, respectively). Serum GSH-Px activity has significantly increased 75.06%. Meanwhile, E.O. showed anticancer potential against HepG2 cell line (IC50 = 40 µg/mL). Liver histopathological examinations confirmed the protective effect against abnormalities. Conclusion: Ginger was able to reduce the severity of DEN-cytotoxicity in rats, which suggests a novel antioxidant role originating from this medicinal plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdelgawad Fahmi
- a Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science , Cairo University , Giza , Egypt
| | - Naglaa Hassanen
- b Department of Special Food and Nutrition , Food Technology Research Institute Agriculture Research Center , Giza , Egypt
| | - Mariam Abdur-Rahman
- a Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science , Cairo University , Giza , Egypt
| | - Engy Shams-Eldin
- b Department of Special Food and Nutrition , Food Technology Research Institute Agriculture Research Center , Giza , Egypt
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Antiviral therapy improves post-operative survival outcomes in patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma of less than 3 cm - A retrospective cohort study. Am J Surg 2019; 219:717-725. [PMID: 31266631 DOI: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2019.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Revised: 02/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The impact of antiviral therapy on long-term survival outcomes in patients with small HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-related HCC) after liver resection is still controversial, as the impact can be overshadowed by tumor-related factors. This study investigated this impact on recurrence and survival in patients with HCC of less than 3 cm. OBJECTIVE This study was designed to further determine the impact of antiviral treatment on prognosis of patients with HCC after liver resection, to verify whether patients with cirrhosis still benefited from antiviral treatment, to study the impact of antiviral treatment on post-operative HCC recurrence, and to determine whether patients with a low preoperative HBV-DNA viral load should receive antiviral therapy. METHODS The clinical data on patients who underwent curative liver resection for histopathologically confirmed small HCC (≤3 cm in diameter) were analyzed to determine factors which were related with HCC recurrence and survival. The disease-free and overall survival outcomes were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the risk factors of long-term survival. RESULTS Of the 795 patients in this study, patients with high preoperative HBV-DNA levels had significantly worse DFS and OS outcomes at 1-, 3- and 5- year after liver resection when compared with those with low HBV-DNA levels (86.1%, 60.8%, 46.6% vs 90.5%, 71.3%, 51.4%; and 98.5%, 89.3%, 75.2% vs 98.8%, 91.5%, 84%, respectively). Patients who received antiviral therapy had significantly better DFS and OS outcomes at 1-, 3- and 5- year after liver resection when compared with those without (91.6%, 69.5%, 55% vs 80.2%, 56%, 44.2%; and 99.6%, 93.5%, 87% vs 96.1%, 80.5%, 61.3%, respectively). Antiviral therapy significantly improved the OS but not DFS outcomes in patients with low HBV-DNA levels. The corresponding 1-, 3- and 5- year DFS and OS outcomes were 92.6%, 73%, 59.1% vs 87.1%, 68.5%, 57.9%; and 99.5%, 95.1%, 91.1% vs 97.6%, 85.5%, 72.4%, respectively. Antiviral treatment significantly prolonged DFS and OS in patients with cirrhosis. The corresponding 1-, 3- and 5- year DFS and OS were 90.2%, 66%, 49% vs 73.9%, 46.6%, 32.8%; and 100%, 93.6%, 85% vs 93.8%, 73.3%, 52.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION Antiviral therapy improved the prognosis of small HBV-related HCC of less than 3 cm. The survival benefit was also detected in patients with cirrhosis. Antiviral therapy should be considered a routine post-operative therapy for patients with HBV-related HCC.
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Yoshida GJ, Azuma A, Miura Y, Orimo A. Activated Fibroblast Program Orchestrates Tumor Initiation and Progression; Molecular Mechanisms and the Associated Therapeutic Strategies. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20092256. [PMID: 31067787 PMCID: PMC6539414 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20092256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
: Neoplastic epithelial cells coexist in carcinomas with various non-neoplastic stromal cells, together creating the tumor microenvironment. There is a growing interest in the cross-talk between tumor cells and stromal fibroblasts referred to as carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which are frequently present in human carcinomas. CAF populations extracted from different human carcinomas have been shown to possess the ability to influence the hallmarks of cancer. Indeed, several mechanisms underlying CAF-promoted tumorigenesis are elucidated. Activated fibroblasts in CAFs are characterized as alpha-smooth muscle actin-positive myofibroblasts and actin-negative fibroblasts, both of which are competent to support tumor growth and progression. There are, however, heterogeneous CAF populations presumably due to the diverse sources of their progenitors in the tumor-associated stroma. Thus, molecular markers allowing identification of bona fide CAF populations with tumor-promoting traits remain under investigation. CAFs and myofibroblasts in wound healing and fibrosis share biological properties and support epithelial cell growth, not only by remodeling the extracellular matrix, but also by producing numerous growth factors and inflammatory cytokines. Notably, accumulating evidence strongly suggests that anti-fibrosis agents suppress tumor development and progression. In this review, we highlight important tumor-promoting roles of CAFs based on their analogies with wound-derived myofibroblasts and discuss the potential therapeutic strategy targeting CAFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Go J Yoshida
- Department of Molecular Pathogenesis, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan.
| | - Arata Azuma
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5, Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 1138603, Japan.
| | - Yukiko Miura
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5, Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 1138603, Japan.
| | - Akira Orimo
- Department of Molecular Pathogenesis, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan.
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Matsuura K, Takami T, Maeda M, Hisanaga T, Fujisawa K, Saeki I, Matsumoto T, Hidaka I, Yamamoto N, Sakaida I. Evaluation of the Effects of Cultured Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell Infusion on Hepatocarcinogenesis in Hepatocarcinogenic Mice With Liver Cirrhosis. Transplant Proc 2019; 51:925-935. [PMID: 30979485 DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2019.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Liver transplantation remains the only curative therapy for decompensated liver cirrhosis. However, it has several limitations, and not all patients can receive liver transplants. Therefore, liver regenerative therapy without liver transplantation is considered necessary. In this study, we attempted minimally invasive liver regenerative therapy by peripheral vein infusion of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) cultured from a small amount of autologous bone marrow fluid and evaluated the effects of BMSCs on hepatocarcinogenesis in a mouse model. METHODS C57BL/6 male mice were injected intraperitoneally with N-nitrosodiethylamine once at 2 weeks of age, followed by carbon tetrachloride twice a week from 6 weeks of age onwards, to create a mouse model of highly oncogenic liver cirrhosis. From 10 weeks of age, mouse isogenic green fluorescent protein-positive BMSCs (1.0 × 106/body weight) were infused once every 2 weeks, for a total of 5 times, and the effects of frequent BMSC infusion on hepatocarcinogenesis were evaluated. RESULTS In the histologic evaluation, no significant differences were observed between the controls and BMSC-administered mice in terms of incidence rate, number, or average size of foci and tumors. However, significant suppression of fibrosis and liver injury was confirmed in the group that received BMSC infusions. DISCUSSION Considering that BMSC infusion did not promote carcinogenesis, even in the state of highly oncogenic liver cirrhosis, autologous BMSC infusion might be a safe and effective therapy for human decompensated liver cirrhosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Matsuura
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - T Takami
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi, Japan; Center for Regenerative Medicine, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi, Japan.
| | - M Maeda
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - T Hisanaga
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi, Japan; Department of Medical Education, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - K Fujisawa
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi, Japan; Center for Regenerative Medicine, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - I Saeki
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - T Matsumoto
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi, Japan; Department of Oncology and Laboratory Medicine, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - I Hidaka
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi, Japan; Center for Liver Disease, Yamaguchi University Hospital, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - N Yamamoto
- Health Administration Center, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - I Sakaida
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi, Japan; Center for Liver Disease, Yamaguchi University Hospital, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine, Yamaguchi, Japan
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Callegari E, Domenicali M, Shankaraiah RC, D'Abundo L, Guerriero P, Giannone F, Baldassarre M, Bassi C, Elamin BK, Zagatti B, Ferracin M, Fornari F, Altavilla G, Blandamura S, Silini EM, Gramantieri L, Sabbioni S, Negrini M. MicroRNA-Based Prophylaxis in a Mouse Model of Cirrhosis and Liver Cancer. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2019; 14:239-250. [PMID: 30641476 PMCID: PMC6330511 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2018.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Most hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) arise in the context of chronic liver disease and/or cirrhosis. Thus, chemoprevention in individuals at risk represents an important but yet unproven approach. In this study, we investigated the ability of microRNA (miRNA)-based molecules to prevent liver cancer development in a cirrhotic model. To this end, we developed a mouse model able to recapitulate the natural progression from fibrosis to HCC, and then we tested the prophylactic activity of an miRNA-based approach in the model. The experiments were carried out in the TG221 transgenic mouse, characterized by the overexpression of miR-221 in the liver and predisposed to the development of liver tumors. TG221 as well as wild-type mice were exposed to the hepatotoxin carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) to induce chronic liver damage. All mice developed liver cirrhosis, but only TG221 mice developed nodular lesions in 100% of cases within 6 months of age. The spectrum of lesions ranged from dysplastic foci to carcinomas. To investigate miRNA-based prophylactic approaches, anti-miR-221 oligonucleotides or miR-199a-3p mimics were administered to TG221 CCl4-treated mice. Compared to control animals, a significant reduction in number, size, and, most significantly, malignant phenotype of liver nodules was observed, thus demonstrating an important prophylactic action of miRNA-based molecules. In summary, in this article, we not only report a simple model of liver cancer in a cirrhotic background but also provide evidence for a potential miRNA-based approach to reduce the risk of HCC development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Callegari
- Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Marco Domenicali
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy; Center for Applied Biomedical Research, St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | - Ram Charan Shankaraiah
- Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Lucilla D'Abundo
- Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Paola Guerriero
- Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Ferdinando Giannone
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy; Center for Applied Biomedical Research, St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | - Maurizio Baldassarre
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy; Center for Applied Biomedical Research, St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | - Cristian Bassi
- Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Bahaeldin K Elamin
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Bisha, 61922 Bisha, Saudi Arabia; Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, University of Khartoum, 11115 Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Barbara Zagatti
- Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Manuela Ferracin
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesca Fornari
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy; Center for Applied Biomedical Research, St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Stella Blandamura
- Department of Medicine DIMED, University of Padova, 35121 Padova, Italy
| | - Enrico Maria Silini
- Section of Anatomy and Pathology, University Hospital of Parma, 43121 Parma, Italy
| | - Laura Gramantieri
- Center for Applied Biomedical Research, St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | - Silvia Sabbioni
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnologies, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Massimo Negrini
- Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
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Iwako H, Tashiro H, Okimoto S, Yamaguchi M, Abe T, Kuroda S, Kobayashi T, Ohdan H. Antithrombin Insufficiency Promotes Susceptibility to Liver Tumorigenesis. J Surg Res 2018; 236:198-208. [PMID: 30694755 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2018.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antithrombin (AT) is not only a major regulator of hemostasis, but it shows anti-inflammatory properties as well. We aimed to investigate whether AT-insufficient mice increase susceptibility to liver tumorigenesis. METHODS We induced the development of liver tumor in AT-insufficient (AT+/-) mice and wild-type (AT+/+) mice by treating them with diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and CCl4. The development of liver tumors and liver inflammation were compared between these mouse groups. Following this, AT was administered to the AT-insufficient mice treated with DEN and CCl4. RESULTS Tumor size and the number of DEN and CCl4-induced liver tumors significantly increased in AT-insufficient mice compared with the wild-type mice. Serum transaminase levels, cell death, and the expression of cleaved caspase-3 in liver were increased in AT+/-. Furthermore, hepatic neutrophil infiltrations and serum interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor-α levels were significantly elevated in AT-insufficient mice. The levels of 8-OHdG, oxidative DNA damage marker, in liver were significantly increased in AT-insufficient mice. Administration of AT led to a significant decrease in DEN- and CCl4-induced liver injury and inflammation in AT-insufficient mice, compared with the wild-type group. CONCLUSIONS AT insufficiency led to increased susceptibility to liver tumorigenesis by increasing hepatic inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Iwako
- Department of Gastroenterological and Transplant Surgery, Applied Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Japan; Department of Clinical Research, Kure Medical Center, National Hospital Organization, Japan.
| | - Hirotaka Tashiro
- Department of Surgery, Kure Medical Center and Chugoku Cancer Center, National Hospital Organization, Japan
| | - Sho Okimoto
- Department of Gastroenterological and Transplant Surgery, Applied Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Japan
| | - Megumi Yamaguchi
- Department of Gastroenterological and Transplant Surgery, Applied Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Japan; Department of Clinical Research, Kure Medical Center, National Hospital Organization, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Abe
- Department of Gastroenterological and Transplant Surgery, Applied Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Japan
| | - Shintaro Kuroda
- Department of Gastroenterological and Transplant Surgery, Applied Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Kobayashi
- Department of Gastroenterological and Transplant Surgery, Applied Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Japan
| | - Hideki Ohdan
- Department of Gastroenterological and Transplant Surgery, Applied Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Japan
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Romualdo GR, Prata GB, da Silva TC, Fernandes AAH, Moreno FS, Cogliati B, Barbisan LF. Fibrosis-associated hepatocarcinogenesis revisited: Establishing standard medium-term chemically-induced male and female models. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0203879. [PMID: 30212575 PMCID: PMC6136798 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma causes ~10% of all cancer-related deaths worldwide, usually emerging in a background of liver fibrosis/cirrhosis (70%-90% of cases). Chemically-induced mouse models for fibrosis-associated hepatocarcinogenesis are widely-applied, resembling the corresponding human disease. Nonetheless, a long time is necessary for the development of preneoplastic/neoplastic lesions. Thus, we proposed an early fibrosis-associated hepatocarcinogenesis model for male and female mice separately, focusing on reducing the experimental time for preneoplastic/neoplastic lesions development and establishing standard models for both sexes. Then, two-week old susceptible C3H/HeJ male and female mice (n = 8 animals/sex/group) received a single dose of diethylnitrosamine (DEN, 10 or 50 mg/Kg). During 2 months, mice received 3 weekly doses of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4, 10% corn oil solution, 0.25 to 1.50 μL/g b.wt.) and they were euthanized at week 17. DEN/CCl4 protocols for males and females displayed clear liver fibrosis, featuring collagen accumulation and hepatic stellate cell activation (α-SMA). In addition, liver from males displayed increased CD68+ macrophage number, COX-2 protein expression and IL-6 levels. The DEN/CCl4 models in both sexes impaired antioxidant defense as well as enhanced hepatocyte proliferation and apoptosis. Moreover, DEN/CCl4-treated male and female developed multiple preneoplastic altered hepatocyte foci and hepatocellular adenomas. As expected, the models showed clear male bias. Therefore, we established standard and suitable fibrosis-associated hepatocarcinogenesis models for male and female mice, shortening the experimental time for the development of hepatocellular preneoplastic/neoplastic lesions in comparison to other classical models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme Ribeiro Romualdo
- Department of Pathology, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Bacil Prata
- Department of Morphology, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tereza Cristina da Silva
- Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Angélica Henrique Fernandes
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernando Salvador Moreno
- Department of Food and Experimental Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bruno Cogliati
- Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luís Fernando Barbisan
- Department of Morphology, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
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Al-Tamimi J, Semlali A, Hassan I, Ebaid H, Alhazza IM, Mehdi SH, Al-Khalifa M, Alanazi MS. Samsum Ant Venom Exerts Anticancer Activity Through Immunomodulation In Vitro and In Vivo. Cancer Biother Radiopharm 2018; 33:65-73. [PMID: 29634416 DOI: 10.1089/cbr.2017.2400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Samsum ant venom (SAV) is a rich repertoire of natural compounds with tremendous pharmacological properties. The present work explores its antineoplastic activity in different cell lines followed by its confirmation in vivo. The cell lines, HepG2, MCF-7, and LoVo showed the differential dose-dependent antineoplastic effect with an increased level of significant cytokines, including Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 and transcription factor, Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB). However, the venom was more effective on HepG2 and MCF-7 cells than LoVo cells. Furthermore, the extract was administered to four groups (n = 8) of rats. Group I was taken as a control without any treatment, whereas group II received CCl4 (1 mL/kg) for induction of mild hepatoma. Group III was given 100 μg/kg of SAV twice a week for 1 month. Group IV was pretreated with the CCl4 (like group II) followed by dosing with SAV (100 μg/kg) for 2 months as per the authors' prestandardized dosing schedule. Intriguingly, the rats of group IV demonstrated significant decrease in key cytokines, IL-1β and IL-6, as well as the transcription factors, including Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α), NF-κB, and Inhibitor-kappa B (I-κB) as compared with group II. Furthermore, increase in IL-10 and First apoptosis signal (FAS) in the same group confirmed that SAV induces apoptosis at the given dose through immunomodulation leading to enhanced tumor killing in vivo. Hence, SAV has an excellent antineoplastic activity that can be directly used to treat certain types of cancer. Moreover, study of its ingredients can pave ways to design novel anticancer drugs. However, further in-depth investigation is required before its clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jameel Al-Tamimi
- 1 Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University , Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdelhabib Semlali
- 2 Genome Research Chair, Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University , Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Iftekhar Hassan
- 1 Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University , Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hossam Ebaid
- 1 Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University , Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ibrahim M Alhazza
- 1 Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University , Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Syed H Mehdi
- 3 Department of Geriatrics, Donald W Reynolds Institute of Aging , UAMS Little Rock, Little Rock, Arkansas
| | - Mohammed Al-Khalifa
- 1 Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University , Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad S Alanazi
- 2 Genome Research Chair, Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University , Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Brown ZJ, Heinrich B, Greten TF. Mouse models of hepatocellular carcinoma: an overview and highlights for immunotherapy research. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2018; 15:536-554. [PMID: 29904153 DOI: 10.1038/s41575-018-0033-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Mouse models are the basis of preclinical and translational research in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Multiple methods exist to induce tumour formation in mice, including genetically engineered mouse models, chemotoxic agents, intrahepatic or intrasplenic injection of tumour cells and xenograft approaches. Additionally, as HCC generally develops in the context of diseased liver, methods exist to induce liver disease in mice to mimic viral hepatitis, fatty liver disease, fibrosis, alcohol-induced liver disease and cholestasis. Similar to HCC in humans, response to therapy in mouse models is monitored with imaging modalities such as CT or MRI, as well as additional techniques involving bioluminescence. As immunotherapy is increasingly applied to HCC, mouse models for these approaches are required for preclinical data. In studying cancer immunotherapy, it is important to consider aspects of antitumour immune responses and to produce a model that mimics the complexity of the immune system. This Review provides an overview of the different mouse models of HCC, presenting techniques to prepare an HCC mouse model and discussing different approaches to help researchers choose an appropriate model for a specific hypothesis. Specific aspects of immunotherapy research in HCC and the applied mouse models in this field are also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary J Brown
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Bernd Heinrich
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Tim F Greten
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Härtner F, Andrade-Navarro MA, Alanis-Lobato G. Geometric characterisation of disease modules. APPLIED NETWORK SCIENCE 2018; 3:10. [PMID: 30839777 PMCID: PMC6214295 DOI: 10.1007/s41109-018-0066-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
There is an increasing accumulation of evidence supporting the existence of a hyperbolic geometry underlying the network representation of complex systems. In particular, it has been shown that the latent geometry of the human protein network (hPIN) captures biologically relevant information, leading to a meaningful visual representation of protein-protein interactions and translating challenging systems biology problems into measuring distances between proteins. Moreover, proteins can efficiently communicate with each other, without global knowledge of the hPIN structure, via a greedy routing (GR) process in which hyperbolic distances guide biological signals from source to target proteins. It is thanks to this effective information routing throughout the hPIN that the cell operates, communicates with other cells and reacts to environmental changes. As a result, the malfunction of one or a few members of this intricate system can disturb its dynamics and derive in disease phenotypes. In fact, it is known that the proteins associated with a single disease agglomerate non-randomly in the same region of the hPIN, forming one or several connected components known as the disease module (DM). Here, we present a geometric characterisation of DMs. First, we found that DM positions on the two-dimensional hyperbolic plane reflect their fragmentation and functional heterogeneity, rendering an informative picture of the cellular processes that the disease is affecting. Second, we used a distance-based dissimilarity measure to cluster DMs with shared clinical features. Finally, we took advantage of the GR strategy to study how defective proteins affect the transduction of signals throughout the hPIN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Härtner
- Faculty for Physics, Mathematics and Computer Science, Johannes Gutenberg Universität, Institute of Computer Science, Staudingerweg 7, Mainz, 55128 Germany
| | - Miguel A. Andrade-Navarro
- Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg Universität, Institute of Molecular Biology, Ackermannweg 4, Mainz, 55128 Germany
| | - Gregorio Alanis-Lobato
- Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg Universität, Institute of Molecular Biology, Ackermannweg 4, Mainz, 55128 Germany
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Ram AK, Pottakat B, Vairappan B. Increased systemic zonula occludens 1 associated with inflammation and independent biomarker in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. BMC Cancer 2018; 18:572. [PMID: 29776350 PMCID: PMC5960107 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-018-4484-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a frequent type of primary liver cancer, and its prevalence is increasing worldwide. Indeed, the underlying molecular mechanism is not well understood. Previous studies have shown evidence that tight junction (TJ) components were correlated with carcinogenesis and tumor development. Our aims were to determine the serum levels of tight junction protein Zonula Occludens (ZO)-1 and an inflammatory marker such as high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in HCC patients compared to healthy volunteers and also to identify the association between ZO-1 and inflammation in HCC. Methods Thirty HCC patients and 30 healthy volunteers were recruited in the current study. Clinical data regarding child class, BCLC staging, the number of lesions, tumor size, absence or presence of metastasis, cirrhosis and hepatitis infection were also collected in HCC patients. Plasma ZO-1 and serum hsCRP were analyzed by EIA and ELISA respectively and biochemical parameters by autoanalyser (AU680 Beckman Coulter, USA). Furthermore, hepatic ZO-1 protein expression and tissue localization were examined. Results Compared to healthy individuals, the serum levels of bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were elevated significantly (P < 0.0001) whilst serum albumin level was significantly (P < 0.0001) decreased in HCC patients. Furthermore, tight junction protein ZO-1 concentration was significantly elevated in HCC patients compared to control subjects (648 ± 183.8 vs. 396.4 ± 135.8 pg/ml, respectively; P < 0.0001). Serum hsCRP level was also significantly increased in HCC patients compared to control subjects (17.25 ± 3.57 vs. 5.54 ± 2.62 mg/L, respectively; P < 0.0001). Moreover, decreased protein expression of ZO-1 was found in liver tissue obtained from HCC patients. Conclusion Our findings show for the first time that the systemic concentration of ZO-1 was significantly elevated in HCC patients and is positively correlated with inflammatory markers. Thus, the current study showing evidence that inflammation promotes plasma ZO-1 concentration and raises the possibility that it could be used as a potential diagnostic biomarker for HCC progression. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-018-4484-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Kumar Ram
- Liver Diseases Research Lab, Department of Biochemistry, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Dhanvantari Nagar, Puducherry, 605006, India
| | - Biju Pottakat
- Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Pondicherry, 605006, India
| | - Balasubramaniyan Vairappan
- Liver Diseases Research Lab, Department of Biochemistry, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Dhanvantari Nagar, Puducherry, 605006, India.
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Wei X, Chen Y, Huang W. Ginsenoside Rg1 ameliorates liver fibrosis via suppressing epithelial to mesenchymal transition and reactive oxygen species production in vitro and in vivo. Biofactors 2018; 44:327-335. [PMID: 29761840 DOI: 10.1002/biof.1432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2018] [Revised: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Liver fibrosis remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality with a complicated etiology and notorious complications, but there is a lack of efficacious therapeutics. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) has a central role in the course of liver fibrosis, and thus, prevention of the development of EMT may control and even reverse liver fibrosis. This study aimed to examine the beneficial effect of ginsenoside Rg1, a phrenological active component isolated from Ginseng, and interrogate the mechanism in vitro and in vivo, with a focus on transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/Smad and Nrf2-mediated signaling pathways. We employed a TGF-β-induced EMT model in HSC-T6 cells and CCl4 -induced liver fibrosis in animal. We found that ginsenoside Rg1 significantly reduced cell proliferation and reversed transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-induced EMT in HSC-T6 cells; and ginsenoside Rg1 induced cell apoptosis, Ginsenoside Rg1 decreased the cellular level of collagen I and III in HSC-T6 cells, indicating the amelioration of fibrosis. We showed that ginsenoside Rg1 reduced cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). We also observed similar beneficial effects of ginsenoside Rg1 in vivo. The data showed that ginsenoside Rg1 decreased the level of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, and collage type IV (IV-C), hyaluronic acid, and laminin in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver fibrotic model. Mechanistically, we showed that ginsenoside Rg1 tuned down the TGF-β/Smad and stimulated Nrf-2 nuclear translocation, which could explain the beneficial effects. In aggregate, our results demonstrate that ginsenoside Rg1 exhibits a protective effect on liver fibrosis via suppressing EMT and cellular ROS level. © 2018 BioFactors, 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Wei
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Yongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yatang Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenxiang Huang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
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Pogribny IP, Dreval K, Kindrat I, Melnyk S, Jimenez L, de Conti A, Tryndyak V, Pogribna M, Ortega JF, James SJ, Rusyn I, Beland FA. Epigenetically mediated inhibition of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase and the associated dysregulation of 1-carbon metabolism in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma. FASEB J 2018; 32:1591-1601. [PMID: 29127188 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201700866r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The substantial rise in the prevalence of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), an advanced form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and the strong association between NASH and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma indicate the urgent need for a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms. In the present study, by using the Stelic animal model of NASH and NASH-derived liver carcinogenesis, we investigated the role of the folate-dependent 1-carbon metabolism in the pathogenesis of NASH. We demonstrated that advanced NASH and NASH-related liver carcinogenesis are characterized by a significant dysregulation of 1-carbon homeostasis, with diminished expression of key 1-carbon metabolism genes, especially a marked inhibition of the S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase ( Ahcy) gene and an increased level of S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine (SAH). The reduction in Ahcy expression was associated with gene-specific cytosine DNA hypermethylation and enrichment of the gene promoter by trimethylated histone H3 lysine 27 and deacetylated histone H4 lysine 16, 2 main transcription-inhibiting markers. These results indicate that epigenetically mediated inhibition of Ahcy expression may be a driving force in causing SAH elevation and subsequent downstream disturbances in transsulfuration and transmethylation pathways during the development and progression of NASH.-Pogribny, I. P., Dreval, K., Kindrat, I., Melnyk, S., Jimenez, L., de Conti, A., Tryndyak, V., Pogribna, M., Ortega, J. F., James, S. J., Rusyn, I., Beland, F. A. Epigenetically mediated inhibition of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase and the associated dysregulation of 1-carbon metabolism in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor P Pogribny
- Division of Biochemical Toxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, Jefferson, Arkansas, USA
| | - Kostiantyn Dreval
- Division of Biochemical Toxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, Jefferson, Arkansas, USA
| | - Iryna Kindrat
- Division of Biochemical Toxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, Jefferson, Arkansas, USA
| | - Stepan Melnyk
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Leandro Jimenez
- Molecular Oncology Center, Hospital Sirio-Libanes, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Aline de Conti
- Division of Biochemical Toxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, Jefferson, Arkansas, USA
| | - Volodymyr Tryndyak
- Division of Biochemical Toxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, Jefferson, Arkansas, USA
| | - Marta Pogribna
- Division of Biochemical Toxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, Jefferson, Arkansas, USA
| | - Juliana Festa Ortega
- Division of Biochemical Toxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, Jefferson, Arkansas, USA.,Department of Food and Experimental Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - S Jill James
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Ivan Rusyn
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Frederick A Beland
- Division of Biochemical Toxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, Jefferson, Arkansas, USA
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Seniutkin O, Furuya S, Luo YS, Cichocki JA, Fukushima H, Kato Y, Sugimoto H, Matsumoto T, Uehara T, Rusyn I. Effects of pirfenidone in acute and sub-chronic liver fibrosis, and an initiation-promotion cancer model in the mouse. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2017; 339:1-9. [PMID: 29197520 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2017.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2017] [Revised: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Liver fibrosis results from chronic tissue damage and excessive regeneration with accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins; it is a precursor of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Liver fibrosis treatments are primarily directed at inflammation, with few options to combat fibrogenesis. Pirfenidone is a drug approved for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and this study was focused on anti-fibrotic and anti-cancer potential of pirfenidone in the liver of male B6C3F1/J mice. In a dose-finding study, mice were treated with CCl4 (0.2ml/kg ip, 2×wk for 4weeks) while on a pirfenidone-containing (0-600mg/kg) diet. Pirfenidone at doses of 300 and 600mg/kg had significant anti-fibrotic (collagen) and anti-inflammatory (serum transaminases and "ballooning" hepatocyte) effects. In a sub-chronic study (14weeks), mice received CCl4 while on pirfenidone (300mg/kg) diet. Pirfenidone significantly reduced collagen deposition, but had little effect of inflammation and injury. In an initiation-promotion cancer study with N-nitrosodiethylamine and CCl4, pirfenidone (300mg/kg) did not affect incidence, size, or multiplicity of liver tumors. Overall, we conclude that while pirfenidone exhibits strong anti-fibrotic effects in early stage liver fibrosis, it is less effective in advanced liver fibrosis and was not protective in an initiation-promotion liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleksii Seniutkin
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Shinji Furuya
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Yu-Syuan Luo
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Joseph A Cichocki
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Hisataka Fukushima
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Yuki Kato
- Pharmaceutical Research Division, Shionogi & Co., Ltd., 3-1-1, Futaba-cho, Toyonaka, Osaka 561-0825, Japan
| | - Hiromi Sugimoto
- Pharmaceutical Research Division, Shionogi & Co., Ltd., 3-1-1, Futaba-cho, Toyonaka, Osaka 561-0825, Japan
| | - Tomoko Matsumoto
- Analysis Support Department, Shionogi Techno Advance Research Co., Ltd., 3-1-1, Futaba-cho, Toyonaka, Osaka 561-0825, Japan
| | - Takeki Uehara
- Project Management Department, Shionogi & Co., Ltd., 12F Hankyu Terminal Bldg., 1-4, Shibata 1-chome, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-0012, Japan
| | - Ivan Rusyn
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
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Song Y, Liu C, Liu X, Trottier J, Beaudoin M, Zhang L, Pope C, Peng G, Barbier O, Zhong X, Li L, Wang L. H19 promotes cholestatic liver fibrosis by preventing ZEB1-mediated inhibition of epithelial cell adhesion molecule. Hepatology 2017; 66:1183-1196. [PMID: 28407375 PMCID: PMC5605402 DOI: 10.1002/hep.29209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Revised: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Based on our recent finding that disruption of bile acid (BA) homeostasis in mice results in the induction of hepatic long noncoding RNA H19 expression, we sought to elucidate the role of H19 in cholestatic liver fibrosis. Hepatic overexpression of H19RNA augmented bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced liver fibrosis, which was accompanied by the elevation of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, bilirubin, and BA levels. Multiple genes related to liver fibrosis, inflammation, and biliary hyperplasia were increased in H19-BDL versus null-BDL mice, whereas genes in BA synthesis were decreased. Livers and spleens of H19-BDL mice showed significant enrichment of CD3+γδ+, interleukin-4, and interleukin-17 producing CD4+ and CD8+ immune cell populations. H19 down-regulated hepatic zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) but up-regulated epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) and SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 9 expression. Mechanistically, ZEB1 repressed EpCAM promoter activity and gene transcription. H19RNA impeded ZEB1's inhibitory action by interacting with ZEB1 protein to prevent its binding to the EpCAM promoter. Hepatic overexpression of ZEB1 or knockdown of EpCAM diminished H19-induced fibrosis; the latter was also prevented in H19-/- mice. H19RNA was markedly induced by bile acids in mouse small cholangiocytes and to a lesser extent in mouse large cholangiocytes. The up-regulation of H19RNA and EpCAM correlated positively with the down-regulation of ZEB1 in primary sclerosing cholangitis and primary biliary cirrhosis liver specimens. CONCLUSION The activation of hepatic H19RNA promoted cholestatic liver fibrosis in mice through the ZEB1/EpCAM signaling pathway. (Hepatology 2017;66:1183-1196).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongfeng Song
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, and Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269,Department of Endocrinology and metabolism, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, China
| | - Chune Liu
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, and Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269
| | - Xia Liu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Allergy & Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63104
| | - Jocelyn Trottier
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, CHU-Québec Research Centre and Faculty of Pharmacy, Laval University, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Michele Beaudoin
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, and Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, and Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269
| | - Chad Pope
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269
| | - Guangyong Peng
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Allergy & Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63104
| | - Olivier Barbier
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, CHU-Québec Research Centre and Faculty of Pharmacy, Laval University, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Xiaobo Zhong
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269
| | - Linheng Li
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, and Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269,Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Digestive Diseases, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520,Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT 06516,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China,Correspondence: Li Wang, Ph.D., 75 North Eagleville Rd., U3156, Storrs, CT 06269. ; Tel: 860-486-0857; Fax: 860-486-3303
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48
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Ratna A, Mandrekar P. Alcohol and Cancer: Mechanisms and Therapies. Biomolecules 2017; 7:E61. [PMID: 28805741 PMCID: PMC5618242 DOI: 10.3390/biom7030061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Revised: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Several scientific and clinical studies have shown an association between chronic alcohol consumption and the occurrence of cancer in humans. The mechanism for alcohol-induced carcinogenesis has not been fully understood, although plausible events include genotoxic effects of acetaldehyde, cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1)-mediated generation of reactive oxygen species, aberrant metabolism of folate and retinoids, increased estrogen, and genetic polymorphisms. Here, we summarize the impact of alcohol drinking on the risk of cancer development and potential underlying molecular mechanisms. The interactions between alcohol abuse, anti-tumor immune response, tumor growth, and metastasis are complex. However, multiple studies have linked the immunosuppressive effects of alcohol with tumor progression and metastasis. The influence of alcohol on the host immune system and the development of possible effective immunotherapy for cancer in alcoholics are also discussed here. The conclusive biological effects of alcohol on tumor progression and malignancy have not been investigated extensively using an animal model that mimics the human disease. This review provides insights into cancer pathogenesis in alcoholics, alcohol and immune interactions in different cancers, and scope and future of targeted immunotherapeutic modalities in patients with alcohol abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuradha Ratna
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
| | - Pranoti Mandrekar
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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Peritumoral EpCAM Is an Independent Prognostic Marker after Curative Resection of HBV-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma. DISEASE MARKERS 2017; 2017:8495326. [PMID: 28572700 PMCID: PMC5442434 DOI: 10.1155/2017/8495326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Revised: 02/12/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that the tumor microenvironment has a profound influence on tumor initiation and progression, opening a new avenue for studying tumor biology. Nonetheless, the prognostic values of the peritumoral expression of EpCAM and CD13 remain to be elucidated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. In this study, the expression of EpCAM and CD13 was assessed by immunohistochemistry in peritumoral liver hepatocytes from 106 hepatitis B virus- (HBV-) related HCC patients who had undergone curative hepatectomy. The peritumoral EpCAM-positive group had a significantly worse overall survival (OS) (p = 0.003) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) (p = 0.022) compared to the negative group. Peritumoral CD13-positive patients were also associated with poor OS (p = 0.038), while not significantly associated with RFS. The adjusted multivariate COX proportional hazard regression analysis suggested that only the positive expression of peritumoral EpCAM precisely predicted poor OS. Being peritumoral EpCAM positive was also significantly associated with a larger tumor size, liver cirrhosis, and more frequent vascular invasion; however, no statistically significant association was observed between CD13 and any clinicopathological features. Taken together, peritumoral EpCAM and CD13 expression was associated with a poor prognosis, but EpCAM may be a better prognostic marker than CD13 in HBV-related HCC patients. In the future, peritumoral EpCAM could be a good target for adjuvant therapy after curative hepatectomy.
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50
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Heery R, Finn SP, Cuffe S, Gray SG. Long Non-Coding RNAs: Key Regulators of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, Tumour Drug Resistance and Cancer Stem Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2017; 9:cancers9040038. [PMID: 28430163 PMCID: PMC5406713 DOI: 10.3390/cancers9040038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2017] [Revised: 04/14/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), the adoption by epithelial cells of a mesenchymal-like phenotype, is a process co-opted by carcinoma cells in order to initiate invasion and metastasis. In addition, it is becoming clear that is instrumental to both the development of drug resistance by tumour cells and in the generation and maintenance of cancer stem cells. EMT is thus a pivotal process during tumour progression and poses a major barrier to the successful treatment of cancer. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNA) often utilize epigenetic programs to regulate both gene expression and chromatin structure. One type of ncRNA, called long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), has become increasingly recognized as being both highly dysregulated in cancer and to play a variety of different roles in tumourigenesis. Indeed, over the last few years, lncRNAs have rapidly emerged as key regulators of EMT in cancer. In this review, we discuss the lncRNAs that have been associated with the EMT process in cancer and the variety of molecular mechanisms and signalling pathways through which they regulate EMT, and finally discuss how these EMT-regulating lncRNAs impact on both anti-cancer drug resistance and the cancer stem cell phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Heery
- Thoracic Oncology Research Group, Rm 2.09, Trinity Translational Medical Institute, St. James's Hospital, Dublin D08 W9RT, Ireland.
- Masters in Translational Oncology Program, Department of Surgery, Trinity College Dublin, Trinity Translational Medical Institute, St. James's Hospital, Dublin D08 W9RT, Ireland.
| | - Stephen P Finn
- Department of Histopathology & Morbid Anatomy, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin D08 RX0X, Ireland.
| | - Sinead Cuffe
- HOPE Directorate, St. James's Hospital, Dublin D08 RT2X, Ireland.
| | - Steven G Gray
- Thoracic Oncology Research Group, Rm 2.09, Trinity Translational Medical Institute, St. James's Hospital, Dublin D08 W9RT, Ireland.
- HOPE Directorate, St. James's Hospital, Dublin D08 RT2X, Ireland.
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin D02 R590, Ireland.
- Labmed Directorate, St. James's Hospital, Dublin D08 K0Y5, Ireland.
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