The Role of VEGFA, COX2, HUR and CUGBP2 in Predicting the Response to Neoadjuvant Therapy in Rectal Cancer Patients

LncRNA RMRP aggravates LPS-induced HK-2 cell injury and AKI mice kidney injury by upregulating COX2 protein via targeting ELAVL1

OBJECTIVES

There is emerging evidence that long non-coding RNA component of mitochondrial RNA processing endoribonuclease (lncRNA RMRP) is involved in acute kidney injury (AKI) progression, but the specific mechanism of action still requires further investigation.

METHODS

The lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated HK-2 cells were transfected with pcDNA-RMRP or si-RMRP, or transfected with pcDNA-ELAV like RNA binding protein 1 (ELAVL1) or si-ELAVL1, and cell viability, apoptosis, inflammatory factor secretion and oxidative stress were detected. The LPS-treated HK-2 cells were transfected with si-RMRP alone or together with pcDNA-ELAVL1, and cell behaviors were examined. The LPS-treated HK-2 cells were transfected with si-ELAVL1 alone or together with pcDNA- cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2), and the cellular changes were observed. The LPS-treated HK-2 cells were transfected with si-RMRP alone or together with pcDNA-ELAVL1, or together with pcDNA-ELAVL1 and si-COX2, and cell behaviors were examined. A mouse model of AKI was constructed using male C57BL/6 mice by the method of cecal ligation and puncture and intraperitoneal injection of LPS to explore the effect of RMRP silencing on renal injury in vivo.

RESULTS

RMRP and ELAVL1 was upregulated in LPS-treated HK-2 cells, and RMRP or ELAVL1 overexpression inhibited cell viability and promoted cell apoptosis, inflammatory factor secretion and oxidative stress, and RMRP knockdown showed the opposite effects. ELAVL1 upregulated COX2 protein expression and overexpression of COX2 reversed the promoting effects of RMRP knockdown on cell viability, as well as the inhibitory effects on cell apoptosis, inflammatory factor secretion and oxidative stress. Mechanistic findings suggested that RMRP aggravates LPS induced cell injury by activating prostaglandin E (PGE)/janus kinase-2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway. We observed that knockdown of RMRP expression significantly alleviated renal tissue apoptosis, inflammatory factor secretion, and oxidative stress with AKI mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings may provide a new reference for the treatment of AKI.

Association between the ELAVL1 gene single nucleotide polymorphisms and the Genetic Susceptibility to cervical cancer by high resolution melting in a Tunisian population

BACKGROUND

Human papillomavirus is the major cause of cervical cancer, but only few cases develop into cancer. Nevertheless, HuR (ELAVL1) gene has been implicated in the oncogenesis of certain cancers. The correlation between ELAVL1 gene and the risk of cervical cancer remains unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of ELAVL1 gene polymorphisms (SNPs) in cervical cancer development in Tunisian women.

METHOD

ELAVL1 gene SNPs: ELAVL1 rs12983784 T > C, ELAVL1 rs14394 T > C, ELAVL1 rs74369359 G > T, ELAVL1 rs35986520 G > A, ELAVL1 rs10402477 C > T, ELAVL1 rs12985234 A > G and ELAVL1 rs2042920 T > G, were genotyped by High resolution melting (HRM). SNPStats software was used to perform linkage disequilibrium (LD) and haplotype analysis.

RESULTS

Comparing the cervical cancer patients with healthy control participants, the SNPs rs12983784 (P = 0.032), rs74369359 (p = < 10^- 3) and rs10402477 (P = 0.001) were associated with an increased cervical cancer risk. Contrary to the SNPs rs14394, rs7469359, rs35986520, rs12985234 and rs2042920 (p˃0.05). The haplotype analysis of the seven SNPs of ELAVL1 gene showed that there is no association between the different haplotypes and a possible risk of cervical cancer disease. Moreover, there was a significant Linkage disequilibrium between rs35986520 and rs2042920 (D'=0.9972) and between rs2042920 and rs10402477 (D'=0.9977).

CONCLUSION

Our results indicated that genetic variants in the ELAVL1 gene might be associated with susceptibility to cervical cancer in the Tunisian population.

Andrographolide and its derivatives: Current achievements and future perspectives

Natural product andrographolide isolated from the plant Andrographis paniculata shows a plethora of biological activities, including anti-tumor, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammation, anti-virus, anti-fibrosis, anti-obesity, immunomodulatory and hypoglycemic activities. Based on extensive chemical structural modifications, a series of andrographolide derivatives with improved bioavailability and druggability has been developed. Moreover, greater understanding of their mechanisms of action at the molecular and cellular level has been thoroughly investigated. In this review, we give an outlook for the therapeutical potential of andrographolide and its derivatives in diverse diseases and highlighted the drug design, pharmacokinetic and mechanistic studies for the past ten years, together with a brief overview of the pharmacological effects. Notably, we focused to provide a critical enlightenment of the area of andrographolide and its derivatives with the intent of indicating the future perspectives, challenges and limitations. We believe that this review paper will benefit drug discovery where andrographolide was used as a template, shed light on the identification of drug targets for andrographolide and its analogs, as well as increase our knowledge for using them for therapeutic application, including the treatment for various forms of cancers.

A panel of tumor biomarkers to predict complete pathological response to neo-adjuvant treatment in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer

Pathological complete response after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer patients is related to a favorable prognosis. The identification of early biomarkers predictive of pathological complete response would help optimize the multimodality management of the patients. A panel of 11 tumor-related proteins was investigated by immunohistochemistry in the pretreatment biopsy of a group of locally advanced rectal cancer patients to identify early biomarkers of pathological complete response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. A mono-institutional retrospective cohort of 95 stage II/III locally advanced rectal cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and surgery was selected based on clinical–pathological characteristics and the availability of a pretreatment tumor biopsy. Eleven selected protein marker expression (MLH1, GLUT1, Ki67, CA-IX, CXCR4, COX2, CXCL12, HIF1α, VEGF, CD44, and RAD51) was investigated. The optimal cutoff values were calculated by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Classification and regression tree analysis was performed to investigate the biomarker interaction. Patients presenting either Ki-67 or HIF1α or RAD51 below the cutoff value, or CXCR4 or COX2 above the cutoff value, were more likely to get a pathological complete response. Classification and regression tree analysis identified three groups of patients resulting from the combination of Ki-67 and CXCR4 expression. Patients with high expression of Ki-67 had the lowest chance to get a pathological complete response (18%), as compared to patients with low expression of both Ki-67 and CXCR4 (29%), and patients with low Ki-67 and high CXCR4 expression (70%). Pretreatment Ki-67, CXCR4, COX2, HIF1α, and RAD51 in tumor biopsies are associated with pathological complete response after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer. A combined evaluation of Ki-67 and CXCR4 would increase their predictive potential. If validated, their optimal cutoff could be used to select patients for a tailored multimodality treatment.