Overexpression of PKMYT1 indicates the poor prognosis and enhances proliferation and tumorigenesis in non-small cell lung cancer via activation of Notch signal pathway

OBJECTIVE

The protein kinase, membrane‑associated tyrosine/threonine 1 (PKMYT1) has been implicated as an important factor promoting the tumorigenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma and colorectal cancer. The current study was designed to explore the functional role of PKMYT1 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell behaviors and to investigate the possible molecular mechanisms.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The expression levels of PKMYT1 in NSCLC tissues and cell lines were determined by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). The clinical and prognostic significance of PKMYT1 in 153 cases of NSCLC was determined. We also evaluated the effects of KMYT1 on NSCLC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. Western blot was performed to assure whether PKMYT1 affected the Notch signal pathway and MET pathway.

RESULTS

We observed that PKMYT1 expression was significantly up-regulated in both NSCLC tissues and cell lines. Higher expression of PKMYT1 was associated with clinical stage and lymph nodes metastasis. Clinical survival assays demonstrated that patients with high PKMYT1 expression had a shorter overall survival time than those with low PKMYT1 expression. Moreover, the multivariate analysis confirmed that increased expression of PKMYT1 was an independent predictor of overall survival. Functionally, knockdown of PKMYT1 in the NSCLC cell lines A549 and H1299 suppressed NSCLC cells proliferation, invasion and migration, and promoted apoptosis. In addition, the down-regulation of PKMYT1 resulted in the inhibition of EMT in NSCLC cells. Further mechanistic studies revealed that when PKMYT1 was silenced, the expression levels of Notch1, p21, and Hes1 were respectively downregulated, suggesting that PKMYT1 could promote the activity of the Notch signal pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

PKMYT1 plays a significant role in NSCLC aggressiveness and clinical outcome, and may serve as a promising therapeutic target for this disease.

[Systematic evaluation of neuromuscular blocking agents on prognosis of patients with moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome]

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic impact of neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBA) on patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Method: Online search of MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, CBM and other Chinese databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of NMBA in patients with ARDS from January 1994 to June 2019 was done, and literature was selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The patients were divided into NMBA group and non-NMBA group according to whether NMBA was adopted or not. The prognostic indicators (ICU mortality, 28 d mortality, 90 d mortality) and NMBA-related complications (ICU acquired muscle weakness, barometric injury, pneumothorax) of the patients in the two groups were mainly analyzed. Meta-analysis of the data was performed using RevMan 5.0 software. Results: A total of 6 RCTs were included, and 1 502 patients were enrolled, including 761 in the NMBA group and 741 in the no-NMBA group. The 90-day mortality in the NMBA group and no-NMBA group were 38.8% and 42.6%, OR=0.87 (95%CI: 0.70-1.07, P=0.190); the 28-day mortality rates were 32.5% and 36.5%, OR=0.71 (95%CI: 0.45-1.11, P=0.130); ICU mortality rates were 31.8% and 43.8%, OR=0.60 (95%CI: 0.41-0.88, P=0.009). Conclusion: NMBA can reduce the ICU mortality of moderate to severe ARDS patients, but not reduce 28-day and 90-day mortality.

A new phenanthraquinone from the stems of Bauhinia variegata L

A new phenanthraquinone, named bauhinione (1), has been isolated from Bauhinia variegata L., and its structure has been elucidated as 2,7-dimethoxy-3-methyl-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene-1,4-dione on the basis of spectroscopic analysis.

[Studies on constituents of the leaves of Lindera aggregata (Sims) Kosterm]

OBJECTIVE

To study the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory constituents of the leaves of Lindera aggrega.

METHOD

Compounds were isolated by colum chromatography, and the structures were identified by spectroscopic methods.

RESULT

Six compounds were isolated and identified as mixture of 6-Acetyllindenanolide B-1 and B-2(I), dehydrolindestrenolide (II), hydroxylinderstrenolide (III), linderalactone (IV), kameofero (V), beta-sitosterol (VI).

CONCLUSION

These compounds were obtained from the leaves of Lindera aggregata for the first time.