Licochalcone A induces endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated apoptosis of endometrial cancer cells via upregulation of GRP78 expression

Licochalcone A (LicA), a natural compound extracted from licorice root, has been shown to exert a variety of anticancer activities. Whether LicA has such effects on endometrial cancer (EMC) is unclear. This study aims to investigate the antitumor effects of LicA on EMC. Our results show that LicA significantly reduced the viability and induced apoptosis of EMC cells and EMC-7 cells from EMC patients. LicA was also found to induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, leading to increased expression of ER-related proteins (GRP78/PERK/IRE1α/CHOP) in EMC cell lines. Suppression of GRP78 expression in human EMC cells treated with LicA significantly attenuated the effects of LicA, resulting in reduced ER-stress mediated cell apoptosis and decreased expression of ER- and apoptosis-related proteins. Our findings demonstrate that LicA induces apoptosis in EMC cells through the GRP78-mediated ER-stress pathway, emphasizing the potential of LicA as an anticancer therapy for EMC.

Magnolin targeting of the JNK/Sp1/MMP15 signaling axis suppresses cervical cancer microenvironment and metastasis via microbiota modulation

Magnolin (MGL), a compound derived from the magnolia plant, has inhibitory effects on tumor cell invasion and growth. His study aims to explore the antitumor effect and underlying molecular mechanism of MGL against human cervical cancer. We found that MGL inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasiveness of cervical cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. The underlying mechanism was shown to involve MGL-induced inhibition of JNK/Sp1-mediated MMP15 transcription and translation. Overexpression of JNK/Sp1 resulted in significant restoration of MMP15 expression and the migration and invasion capabilities of MGL-treated cervical cancer cells. MGL modulated the cervical cancer microenvironment by inhibiting cell metastasis via targeting IL-10/IL-10 receptor B (IL-10RB) expression, thereby attenuating JNK/Sp1-mediated MMP15 expression. Analysis of the gut microbiota of mice fed MGL revealed a significant augmentation in Lachnospiraceae bacteria, known for their production of sodium butyrate. In vivo experiments also demonstrated synergistic inhibition of cervical cancer cell metastasis by MGL and sodium butyrate co-administration. Our study provides pioneering evidence of a novel mechanism by which MGL inhibits tumor growth and metastasis through the IL-10/IL-10RB targeting of the JNK/Sp1/MMP15 axis in human cervical cancer cells.

Continence Is Not Affected after Sling Revision with Transvaginal Tape Elongation for Post-Sling Voiding Dysfunction

Voiding dysfunction (VD) after sling operation is not uncommon. Sling revisions by incision/excision are usually effective; however, they may result in recurrent stress urinary incontinence (SUI). We aimed to evaluate continence status after an innovative sling revision procedure that preserves the integrity of the sling. Patients who underwent either a single-incision (AJUST) or a trans-obturator (TVT-O) mid-urethral sling were studied. Transvaginal tape elongation (i.e., sling midline incision and mesh interposition) was performed on patients with post-sling VD. Factors that may affect recurrent SUI were investigated by statistical analyses. Of 119 patients, 90 (75.6%) (45 AJUST and 45 TVT-O) were available for long-term (median 9; 8-10 years) follow-up. A significantly higher rate (17.2% vs. 3.3%, p = 0.014) of VD was noted after AJUST (N = 10) than after TVT-O (N = 2). After sling revision, four (33%) of the 12 cases reported recurrent SUI, which was not significantly different (p = 1.000) from the rate (37%, 29/78) of patients who did not undergo sling revision. Further statistical analyses revealed no significant predisposing factors affecting the recurrence of SUI. Surgical continence did not seem to be affected by having had sling revision with transvaginal tape elongation for post-sling VD.

Melatonin acts synergistically with pazopanib against renal cell carcinoma cells through p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase-mediated mitochondrial and autophagic apoptosis

BACKGROUND

Mounting evidence indicates that melatonin has possible activity against different tumors. Pazopanib is an anticancer drug used to treat renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This study tested the anticancer activity of melatonin combined with pazopanib on RCC cells and explored the underlying mechanistic pathways of its action.

METHODS

The 786-O and A-498 human RCC cell lines were used as cell models. Cell viability and tumorigenesis were detected with the MTT and colony formation assays, respectively. Apoptosis and autophagy were assessed using TUNEL, annexin V/propidium iodide, and acridine orange staining with flow cytometry. The expression of cellular signaling proteins was investigated with western blotting. The in vivo growth of tumors derived from RCC cells was evaluated using a xenograft mouse model.

RESULTS

Together, melatonin and pazopanib reduced cell viability and colony formation and promoted the apoptosis of RCC cells. Furthermore, the combination of melatonin and pazopanib triggered more mitochondrial, caspase-mediated, and LC3-II-mediated autophagic apoptosis than melatonin or pazopanib alone. The combination also induced higher activation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) in the promotion of autophagy and apoptosis by RCC cells than melatonin or pazopanib alone. Finally, tumor xenograft experiments confirmed that melatonin and pazopanib cooperatively inhibited RCC growth in vivo and predicted a possible interaction between melatonin/pazopanib and LC3-II.

CONCLUSION

The combination of melatonin and pazopanib inhibits the growth of RCC cells by inducing p38MAPK-mediated mitochondrial and autophagic apoptosis. Therefore, melatonin might be a potential adjuvant that could act synergistically with pazopanib for RCC treatment.

Induction of immunogenic cell death effect of licoricidin in cervical cancer cells by enhancing endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated high mobility group box 1 expression

Licoricidin (LCD) is an activity compound of the roots of Glycyrrhiza uralensis, which has therapeutic efficacy, including anti-virus, anti-cancer, and enhanced immunity in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Herein, this study aimed to clarify the effect of LCD on cervical cancer cells. In the present study, we found that LCD significantly inhibited cell viability via inducing cell apoptosis and companies with cleaved-PARP protein expression and caspase-3/-9 activity. Cell viability was markedly reversed these effects by pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK treatment. Furthermore, we showed that LCD-induced ER (endoplasmic reticulum) stress triggers upregulating the protein level of GRP78 (Bip), CHOP, and IRE1α, and subsequently confirmed the mRNA level by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. In addition, LCD exhibited the release of danger-associated molecular patterns from cervical cancer cells, such as the release of high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), secretion of ATP, and exposure of calreticulin (CRT) on the cell surface, which led to immunogenic cell death (ICD). These results provide a novel foundation that LCD induces ICD via triggering ER stress in human cervical cancer cells. LCD might be an ICD inducer of immunotherapy in progressive cervical cancer.

Inhibitory Effects of Ursolic Acid on the Stemness and Progression of Human Breast Cancer Cells by Modulating Argonaute-2

The stemness and metastasis of cancer cells are crucial features in determining cancer progression. Argonaute-2 (AGO2) overexpression was reported to be associated with microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis, supporting the self-renewal and differentiation characteristics of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Ursolic acid (UA), a triterpene compound, has multiple biological functions, including anticancer activity. In this study, we find that UA inhibits the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines using the CCK-8 assay. UA induced a significant decrease in the fraction of CSC in which it was examined by changes in the expression of stemness biomarkers, including the Nanog and Oct4 genes. UA altered invasion and migration capacities by significant decreases in the levels of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) proteins of slug and vimentin. Furthermore, the co-reduction in oncogenic miRNA levels (miR-9 and miR-221) was a result of the down-modulation in AGO2 in breast cancer cells in vitro. Mechanically, UA increases PTEN expression to inactivate the FAK/PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and the decreased level of c-Myc in quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot imaging analyses. Our current understanding of the anticancer potential of UA in interrupting between EMT programming and the state of CSC suggests that UA can contribute to improvements in the clinical practice of breast cancer.

Timosaponin AIII Inhibits Migration and Invasion Abilities in Human Cervical Cancer Cells through Inactivation of p38 MAPK-Mediated uPA Expression In Vitro and In Vivo

Cervical cancer is one of the most common gynecologic cancers globally that require novel approaches. Timosaponin AIII (TSAIII) is a steroidal saponin that displays beneficial effects in antitumor activities. However, the effect of TSAIII on human cervical cancer remains unknown. In this study, we found that TSAIII showed no influence on cell viability, cytotoxicity, cell cycle distribution and apoptosis induction in human cervical cancer cells. TSAIII was revealed to have a significant inhibitory effect on cell migration and invasion through the downregulation of invasion-related uPA expression and p38 MAPK activation in both human cervical cancer cells and cervical cancer stem cells (CCSCs), indicating that the p38 MAPK-uPA axis mediated the TSAIII-inhibited capacity of cellular migration and invasion. In a synergistic inhibition assay, a TSAIII plus p38 siRNA cotreatment revealed a greater inhibition of uPA expression, migration and invasion in human cervical cancer cells. In an immunodeficient mouse model, TSAIII significantly inhibited lung metastases from human cervical cancer SiHa cells without TSAIII-induced toxicity. These findings first revealed the inhibitory effects of TSAIII on the progression of human cervical cancer through its downregulation of p38 MAPK-uPA axis activation. Therefore, TSAIII might provide a potential strategy for auxiliary therapy in human cervical cancer.

Improved symptoms and signs of refractory interstitial cystitis in women after intravesical Nanofat plus platelet-rich plasma grafting: A pilot study

Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is characterized by bladder pain accompanied by irritative urinary symptoms, and typical cystoscopic and histological features. In this pilot study, we assessed the impact of lesion-targeted bladder injection therapy using a biocellular regenerative medicine on patients with refractory IC/BPS. The medicine, which was an autologous emulsified fat (Nanofat) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) combination, was prepared intraoperatively. Six patients (aged 40-54 years), who completed a standard protocol of four consecutive treatments at 3-month intervals, were followed up at 6 months postoperatively. All patients (100%) reported marked (+3; +3 ~ -3) improvement of their overall bladder conditions. Mean bladder pain (from 8.2 to 1.7; range: 0 ~ 10), IC-related symptoms (from 18.5 to 5.7; range: 0 ~ 20), and bother (from 14.8 to 3.8; range: 0 ~ 16) improved significantly (p < 0.01). The normalization of bladder mucosal morphology with treatments was remarkable under cystoscopic examination, and no significant adverse events were found. The cultured mesenchymal stem cells from Nanofat samples of the six patients were verified in vitro. Our preliminary results suggest novel intravesical therapy with autologous Nanofat plus PRP grafting is safe and effective for refractory IC/BPS. Surgical efficacy might be attributed to an in vivo tissue engineering process.

Angelol-A exerts anti-metastatic and anti-angiogenic effects on human cervical carcinoma cells by modulating the phosphorylated-ERK/miR-29a-3p that targets the MMP2/VEGFA axis

AIMS

Angelol-A (Ang-A), a kind of coumarins, is isolated from the roots of Angelica pubescens f. biserrata. However, AA exerts antitumor effects and molecular mechanism on cervical cancer cells is unknown.

MAIN METHODS

Cell viability was determined using the MTT assay, and the cell cycle phase was assessed by PI staining with flow cytometry. Ang-A-treated cells with/without Antago-miR-29a-3p (miR-29a-3p inhibitor) or U0126 (MEK inhibitor) were assessed for the expression of miR-29a-3p, in vitro migration/invasion, and angiogenesis using qRT-PCR, a chemotaxis assay, and tube formation assay, respectively. The expression of mitogen-activated protein kinases/MMP2/MMP9/VEGFA was determined by western blot analysis with applicable antibodies.

KEY FINDINGS

Ang-A significantly inhibited MMP2 and VEGFA expression, cell migration, and invasive motility in human cervical cancer cells. Conditioned medium inhibited tube formation in HUVECs. Ang-A principally inhibited invasive motility and angiogenesis by upregulating the expression of miR-29a-3p that targets the VEGFA-3' UTR. The role of miR-29a-3p was confirmed using Antago-miR-29a-3p, which reversed the Ang-A-inhibited expression of MMP2 and VEGFA, invasive motility, and angiogenesis in human cervical cancer cells. The ERK pathway was implicated in mediating the metastatic and angiogenic action of Ang-A. Combined treatment with Ang-A treated and U0126 exerted a synergistic inhibitory effect on the expression of MMP2 and VEGFA and the metastatic and angiogenic properties of human cervical cancer cells.

SIGNIFICANCE

These findings are the first to indicate that in human cervical cancer cells, Ang-A exerts anti-metastatic and anti-angiogenic effects via targeting the miR-29a-3p/MMP2/VEGFA axis, mediated through the ERK pathway.

Modulating the ERK1/2-MMP1 Axis through Corosolic Acid Inhibits Metastasis of Human Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells

Corosolic acid (CA; 2α-hydroxyursolic acid) is a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid with antioxidant, antitumour and antimetastatic activities against various tumour cells during tumourigenesis. However, CA’s antitumour effect and functional roles on human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells are utterly unknown. In this study, our results demonstrated that CA significantly exerted an inhibitory effect on matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)1 expression, cell migration and invasion without influencing cell growth or the cell cycle of human OSCC cells. The critical role of MMP1 was confirmed using the GEPIA database and showed that patients have a high expression of MMP1 and have a shorter overall survival rate, confirmed on the Kaplan–Meier curve assay. In the synergistic inhibitory analysis, CA and siMMP1 co-treatment showed a synergically inhibitory influence on MMP1 expression and invasion of human OSCC cells. The ERK1/2 pathway plays an essential role in mediating tumour progression. We found that CA significantly inhibits the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 dose-dependently. The ERK1/2 pathway played an essential role in the CA-mediated downregulation of MMP1 expression and in invasive motility in human OSCC cells. These findings first demonstrated the inhibitory effects of CA on OSCC cells’ progression through inhibition of the ERK1/2–MMP1 axis. Therefore, CA might represent a novel strategy for treating OSCC.

MTA2 silencing attenuates the metastatic potential of cervical cancer cells by inhibiting AP1-mediated MMP12 expression via the ASK1/MEK3/p38/YB1 axis

Metastasis-associated protein 2 (MTA2) is a transcription factor that is highly associated with matrix metalloproteinase 12 (MMP12). Thus, we hypothesized that MTA2 may regulate MMP12 expression and is involved in cervical cancer metastasis. Results showed that MTA2 and MMP12 were highly expressed in cervical cancer cells, and MTA2 knockdown reduced MMP12 expression and inhibited the metastasis of cervical cancer cells in xenograft mice. MMP12 knockdown did not influence the viability of cervical cancer cells but clearly inhibited cell migration and invasion both in vitro and in vivo. MMP12 was highly expressed in cervical tumor tissues and correlated with the poor survival rate of patients with cervical cancer. Further investigations revealed that p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38), mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 3 (MEK3), and apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) were involved in MMP12 downregulation in response to MTA2 knockdown. Results also demonstrated that p38-mediated Y-box binding protein1 (YB1) phosphorylation disrupted the binding of AP1 (c-Fos/c-Jun) to the MMP12 promoter, thereby inhibiting MMP12 expression and the metastatic potential of cervical cancer cells. Collectively, targeting both MTA2 and MMP12 may be a promising strategy for the treatment of cervical cancer.

Differences in the Sexual Function and Sexual Healthcare Needs of Pregnant Women Who Underwent in Vitro Fertilization and Women Who Conceived Naturally at Each Trimester: A Prospective Cohort Study

Introduction

Infertility may negatively impact sexual function. Women with fertility problems usually prioritize treatment for infertility, but their sexual function in each trimester of pregnancy is poorly researched.

Aim

To compare the sexual function and sexual healthcare needs of women who underwent successful in vitro fertilization (IVF group) and women who conceived naturally (CN group) during each trimester.

Methods

Longitudinal prospective cohort study was conducted from August 2016 to July 2018. The IVF group (n = 100) was recruited from a leading reproductive treatment center; the CN group (n = 100), at the prenatal clinic of a medical center in central Taiwan. Questionnaires were mailed to women in the 10th–11th gestational week; 70 women in the IVF group and 75 in the CN group completed all 3 questionnaires, during the 10th–11th, 20th–21st, and 30th–31st gestational weeks.

Main Outcome Measures

Female Sexual Function Index and Nursing Intervention on Sexual Healthcare needs were compared between groups in each trimester.

Results

Most participants reported sexual dysfunction concerns during pregnancy. In the first trimester, the Female Sexual Function Index score was significantly lower in the IVF group than in the CN group (18.13 ± 6.27 vs 20.34 ± 5.87, respectively; P < .05). Sexual healthcare needs at the permission level were significantly lower in the IVF group than in the CN group (10.78 ± 2.41 vs 11.79 ± 2.67, respectively; P < .05).

Conclusion

The IVF group had lower sexual function in the first trimester than the CN group. Sexual function improved in the second trimester in the IVF group but decreased throughout pregnancy in the CN group. The CN group had a greater need for sexual healthcare nursing intervention at the permission level than the IVF group.

Huang C-Y, Liou C-F, Lu Y-C, et al. Differences in the Sexual Function and Sexual Healthcare Needs of Pregnant Women Who Underwent In Vitro Fertilization and Women Who Conceived Naturally at Each Trimester: A Prospective Cohort Study. Sex Med 2020;8:709–717.

Silencing PROK2 Inhibits Invasion of Human Cervical Cancer Cells by Targeting MMP15 Expression

Cervical cancer is the second most frequent type of gynecologic cancer worldwide. Prokineticin 2 (PROK2) is reported to be involved in tumor progression in some malignant tumors. However, the role of PROK2 in the development of cervical cancer remains unknown. Our results indicate that PROK2 is overexpressed in the human cervical cancer. Cervical cancer patients with high PROK2 expression have a shorter overall survival rate (OS) and disease-free survival rate (DFS). PROK2 acts as a potential biomarker for predicting OS and DFS of cervical cancer patients. We further show that PROK2 is important factor for oncogenic migration and invasion in human cervical cancer cells. Knockdown PROK2 significantly inhibited cell migration, invasion, and MMP15 protein expression in HeLa cells. High expression of MMP15 is confirmed in the human cervical cancer, is significantly associated with the shorter overall survival rate (OS) and is correlated with PROK2 expression. Overexpression of PROK2 using PROK2 plasmid significantly reverses the function of knockdown PROK2, and further upregulates MMP15 expression, migration and invasion of human cervical cancer cells. In conclusion, our findings are the first to demonstrate the role of PROK2 as a novel and potential biomarker for clinical use, and reveal the oncogenic functions of PROK2 as therapeutic target for cervical cancer.

Transcriptional Suppression of miR-7 by MTA2 Induces Sp1-Mediated KLK10 Expression and Metastasis of Cervical Cancer

MTA2 is involved in tumor proliferation and metastasis. However, the role of MTA2 in cervical cancer thus far has not been identified. In this study, we report that elevated expression of MTA2 negatively correlates with Kallikrein-10 (KLK10) expression and poor prognosis of cervical cancer patients. Knockdown of MTA2 substantially inhibited tumor cell migration and invasion, and it enhanced KLK10 expression of the cervical cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Functionally, shMTA2-mediated suppression of cell mobility was significantly restored by knockdown of KLK10. We also found that Sp1 (transcription factor specificity protein 1) is critical for shMTA2-induced transcriptional upregulation of KLK10 and subsequent biological functions. Furthermore, we found that the expression of miR-7 is elevated by MTA2 silencing and then by direct inhibition of Sp1 expression. Knockdown of Sp1 additively enhanced KLK10 expression in MTA2-knocked down cervical cancer cells, suggesting that the miR-7/Sp1 axis acts as an effector of MTA2 to impact KLK10 levels and mobility of cervical cancer cells. Taken together, our findings provide new insights into the physiological relationship between MTA2 and KLK10 via regulating the miR-7/Sp1 axis, and they provide a potential therapeutic target in cervical cancer.

β-Mangostin inhibits the metastatic power of cervical cancer cells attributing to suppression of JNK2/AP-1/Snail cascade

β-Mangostin is a natural mangostin with potent anticancer activity against various cancers. In this study, we further explored the anticancer activity of β-mangostin on cervical cancer cells. β-Mangostin did not affect cell viability and cell cycle distribution in HeLa and SiHa cells; however, it dose-dependently inhibited the migration and invasion of both the human cervical cancer cell lines. In addition, we observed that β-mangostin suppressed the expression of integrin αV and β3 and the downstream focal adhesion kinase/Src signaling. We also found that Snail was involved in the β-mangostin inhibited cell migration and invasion of HeLa cell. Then, our findings showed that β-mangostin reduced both nuclear translocation and messenger RNA expression of AP-1 and demonstrated that AP-1 could target to the Snail promoter and induce Snail expression. Kinase cascade analysis and reporter assay showed that JNK2 was involved in the inhibition of AP-1/Snail axis by β-mangostin in HeLa cells. These results indicate that β-mangostin can inhibit the mobility and invasiveness of cervical cancer cells, which may attribute to the suppression of both integrin/Src signaling and JNK2-mediated AP-1/Snail axis. This suggests that β-mangostin has potential antimetastatic potential against cervical cancer cells.

Praeruptorin B Mitigates the Metastatic Ability of Human Renal Carcinoma Cells through Targeting CTSC and CTSV Expression

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common adult kidney cancer, and accounts for 85% of all cases of kidney cancers worldwide. Praeruptorin B (Pra-B) is a bioactive constituent of Peucedanum praeruptorum Dunn and exhibits several pharmacological activities, including potent antitumor effects. However, the anti-RCC effects of Pra-B and their underlying mechanisms are unclear; therefore, we explored the effects of Pra-B on RCC cells in this study. We found that Pra-B nonsignificantly influenced the cell viability of human RCC cell lines 786-O and ACHN at a dose of less than 30 μM for 24 h treatment. Further study revealed that Pra-B potently inhibited the migration and invasion of 786-O and ACHN cells, as well as downregulated the mRNA and protein expression of cathepsin C (CTSC) and cathepsin V (CTSV) of 786-O and ACHN cells. Mechanistically, Pra-B also reduced the protein levels of phospho (p)-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), p-mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK), and p-extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) in RCC cells. In addition, Pra-B treatment inhibited the effect of EGF on the upregulation of EGFR–MEK–ERK, CTSC and CTSV expression, cellular migration, and invasion of 786-O cells. Our findings are the first to demonstrate that Pra-B can reduce the migration and invasion ability of human RCC cells through suppressing the EGFR-MEK-ERK signaling pathway and subsequently downregulating CTSC and CTSV. This evidence suggests that Pra-B can be developed as an effective antimetastatic agent for the treatment of RCC.

α-Mangostin attenuates stemness and enhances cisplatin-induced cell death in cervical cancer stem-like cells through induction of mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) exhibit specific characteristics including decontrolled self-renewal, tumor-initiating, promoting, and metastatic potential, abnormal stemness signaling, and chemotherapy resistance. Thus, targeting CSC is becoming an emerging cancer treatment. α-Mangostin has been shown to have potent and multiple anticancer activities. Accordingly, we hypothesized that α-mangostin may diminish the stemness and proliferation of CSC-like cervical cancer cells. In our results, comparing to the parent cells, CSC-like SiHa and HeLa cells highly expressed CSC marker Sox2, Oct4, Nanog, CK-17, and CD49f. α-Mangostin significantly reduced the cell viability, sphere-forming ability, and expression of the CSC stemness makers of CSC-like cervical cancer cells. Further investigation showed that α-mangostin induced mitochondrial depolarization and mitochondrial apoptosis signaling, including upregulation of Bax, downregulation of Mcl-1 and Bcl-2, and activation of caspase-9/3. Moreover, α-mangostin synergically enhanced the cytotoxicity of cisplatin on CSC-like SiHa cells by promoting mitochondrial apoptosis and inhibiting the expression of CSC markers. Consistent with in vitro findings, in vivo tumor growth assay revealed that α-mangostin administration significantly inhibited the growth of inoculated CSC-like SiHa cells and synergically enhanced the antitumor effect of cisplatin. Our findings indicate that α-mangostin can reduce the stemness and proliferation of CSC-like SiHa and HeLa cells and promote the cytotoxicity of cisplatin, which may attribute to the mitochondrial apoptosis activation. Thus, it suggests that α-mangostin may have clinical potential to improve chemotherapy for cervical cancer by targeting cervical CSC.

Alpha-mangostin induces apoptosis through activation of reactive oxygen species and ASK1/p38 signaling pathway in cervical cancer cells

Alpha-mangostin, a natural xanthonoid, has been reported to possess the anti-cancer property in various types of human cancer. However, its effects and mechanism of α-mangostin in cervical cancer remain unclear. We found that α-mangostin effectively inhibited cell viability, resulted in loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), release of cytochrome C, increase of Bax, decrease of Bcl-2, and activation of caspase-9/caspase-3 cascade in cervical cancer cells. Alpha-mangostin elevated the contents of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to activate p38. Disrupting ASK1/p38 signaling pathway by a specific inhibitor of p38, or by the siRNAs against ASK1, MKK3/6, or p38, significantly abolished α-mangostin-induced cell death and apoptotic responses. Moreover, α-mangostin also repressed tumor growth in accordance with increased levels of p-ASK1, p-p38, cleaved-PARP and cleaved-caspase-3 in the tumor mass from the mouse xenograft model of cervical cancer. In the current study, we provided first evidence to demonstrate that dietary antioxidant α-mangostin could inhibit the tumor growth of cervical cancer cells through enhancing ROS amounts to activate ASK1/p38 signaling pathway and damage the integrity of mitochondria and thereby induction of apoptosis in cervical cancer cells.

Protodioscin Induces Apoptosis Through ROS-Mediated Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress via the JNK/p38 Activation Pathways in Human Cervical Cancer Cells

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Protodioscin (PD) is a steroidal saponin with anti-cancer effects on a number of cancer cells, but the anti-tumor effects and mechanism of action of PD on human cervical cancer cells is unclear.

METHODS

We determined cell viability using the MTT assay. Cell death, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress were measured on a flow cytometry. Caspase activation, ER stress, and MMP-dependent apoptosis proteins in cervical cancer cells in response to PD were determined by Western blot analysis. The ability of ATF4 binding to ChIP promoter was measured using the ChIP assay.

RESULTS

We demonstrated that PD inhibits cell viability, causes a loss of mitochondrial function, and induces apoptosis, as evidenced by up-regulation of caspase-8, -3, -9, -PARP, and Bax activation, and down-regulation of Bcl-2 expression. PD was shown to induce ROS and the ER stress pathway, including GRP78, p-eIF-2α, ATF4, and CHOP. Pre-treatment with NAC, a ROS production inhibitor, significantly reduced ER stress and apoptosis-related proteins induced by PD. Transfection of GRP78/CHOP-siRNA effectively inhibited PD-induced ER stress-dependent apoptosis. Moreover, treatment with PD significantly increased p38 and JNK activation. Co-administration of a JNK inhibitor (SP600125) or p38 inhibitor (SB203580) abolished cell death and ER stress effects during PD treatment. In addition, PD induced the expression of nuclear ATF4 and CHOP, as well as the binding ability of ATF4 to the CHOP promoter.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that PD is a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of human cervical cancer.

The Association of Flap Endonuclease 1 Genotypes with the Susceptibility of Endometriosis

BACKGROUND/AIM

Flap endonuclease 1 (FEN1), a protein with multiple functions in genome stability maintenance, is important in cancer prevention. The two functional germline variants of FEN1, rs174538 and rs4246215, regarding cancer susceptibility have been reported in lung, breast, liver, esophageal, gastric, colorectal cancer, glioma and leukemia, but not endometriosis. In this study, we firstly aimed at evaluating the contribution of FEN1 genotypes to endometriosis risk in a representative Taiwan population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In total, 153 patients with endometriosis and 636 non-cancer healthy controls were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methodology.

RESULTS

The genotypes of FEN1 rs174538, but not those of rs4246215, were differently distributed between the endometriosis and control groups. In detail, the AA of FEN1 rs174538 genotypes were significantly less frequently found among endometriosis patients than among controls (odds ratio [OR]=0.43, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.24-0.78, p=0.0125). The A allele at FEN1 rs174538 was also significantly less frequent among cases than controls (OR=0.65, 95%CI=0.50-0.86, p=0.0021). As for age of first menarche, those with first menarche at the age >12.8 carrying the FEN1 rs174538 AA genotype conferred lower OR of 0.29 (95%CI=0.11-0.78, p=0.0381) for endometriosis. Regarding the full pregnancy status, those without having had a full-term pregnancy carrying the FEN1 rs174538 AA genotype were of lower risk (ORs=0.12, 95%CI=0.03-0.53, p=0.0050).

CONCLUSION

The FEN1 rs174538 A allele is a novel protective biomarker for endometriosis and this genotype may have interactions with age- and hormone-related factors on the development of endometriosis.

[The Relationship Among Physical Activity During the Third Trimester, Maternal Pre-Pregnancy Body Mass Index, Gestational Weight Gain, and Pregnancy Outcomes]

BACKGROUND

Most pregnant women tend to reduce physical activities during pregnancy because they are uncertain of the amount of moderate-level physical activity they should do. As the influence of physical activity during the third trimester remains unclear, it is important to clarify the pregnancy outcomes of physical activity during pregnancy and weight management among Taiwanese women.

PURPOSE

To examine the potential association between physical activity during the third trimester of pregnancy and the birth weight or delivery mode of the baby in order to see whether weight gain during pregnancy affects birth weight and delivery mode and to estimate the associations between pre-pregnancy body mass index and birth weight.

METHODS

A prospective study was performed. Data were collected from 123 pregnant women, all between 28 and 40-weeks gestation, at a medical center in central Taiwan. The Chinese version of the 'pregnancy physical activity questionnaire' was used to collect data. Birth weight, delivery data, and the last weight measurement before delivery were retrieved from the medical records or via a postpartum telephone interview.

RESULTS

The results revealed that the amount of weight gained during pregnancy was a significant predictor of birth weight. Birth weight was not associated with pre-pregnancy body mass index or with physical activity and intensity of activity during the third trimester. Results provide no consistent evidence for an association between weight gain during pregnancy and the mode of delivery. Although no association was identified between total physical activity and delivery mode, the intensity of activity made a difference, with moderate-intensity activity of pregnant women increased 1 MET-hour/week. Thus, the odds of vaginal delivery over caesarean section increased by 1.017 times (COR = 1.014; p < .05; AOR = 1.017; p < .05).

CONCLUSIONS / IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The findings of the present study indicate that weight gain during pregnancy and moderate-intensity activity are both associated with birth weight and delivery mode. These findings provide evidence that health counseling during pregnancy as well as offering physical activity guidance may be done using a more empirical research base.

Licochalcone A induces autophagy through PI3K/Akt/mTOR inactivation and autophagy suppression enhances Licochalcone A-induced apoptosis of human cervical cancer cells

The use of dietary bioactive compounds in chemoprevention can potentially reverse, suppress, or even prevent cancer progression. However, the effects of licochalcone A (LicA) on apoptosis and autophagy in cervical cancer cells have not yet been clearly elucidated. In this study, LicA treatment was found to significantly induce the apoptotic and autophagic capacities of cervical cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. MTT assay results showed dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity in four cervical cancer cell lines treated with LicA. We found that LicA induced mitochondria-dependent apoptosis in SiHa cells, with decreasing Bcl-2 expression. LicA also induced autophagy effects were examined by identifying accumulation of Atg5, Atg7, Atg12 and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3)-II. Treatment with autophagy-specific inhibitors (3-methyladenine and bafilomycin A1) enhanced LicA-induced apoptosis. In addition, we suggested the inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of mTOR pathway by LicA. Furthermore, the inhibition of PI3K/Akt by LY294002/si-Akt or of mTOR by rapamycin augmented LicA-induced apoptosis and autophagy. Finally, the in vivo mice bearing a SiHa xenograft, LicA dosed at 10 or 20 mg/kg significantly inhibited tumor growth. Our findings demonstrate the chemotherapeutic potential of LicA for treatment of human cervical cancer.

Knockdown of Pentraxin 3 suppresses tumorigenicity and metastasis of human cervical cancer cells

Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) as an inflammatory molecule has been shown to be involved in immune response, inflammation, and cancer. However, the effects of PTX3 on the biological features of cervical cancer cells in vitro and in vivo have not been delineated. Immunohistochemical staining showed that increased PTX3 expression was significantly associated with tumor grade (P < 0.011) and differentiation (P < 0.019). Knocking down PTX3 with lentivirus-mediated small hairpin RNA (shRNA) in cervical cancer cell lines resulted in inhibited cell viability, diminished colony-forming ability, and induced cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase of the cell cycle, along with downregulated expression of cyclin B1, cdc2, and cdc25c, and upregulated expression of p-cdc2, p-cdc25c, p21, and p27. Furthermore, knockdown of PTX3 significantly decreased the potential of migration and invasion of cervical cancer cells by inhibiting matrix metalloproteidase-2 (MMP-2), MMP-9, and urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA). Moreover, in vivo functional studies showed PTX3-knockdown in mice suppressed tumorigenicity and lung metastatic potential. Conversely, overexpression of PTX3 enhanced proliferation and invasion both in vitro and in vivo. Our results demonstrated that PTX3 contributes to tumorigenesis and metastasis of human cervical cancer cells. Further studies are warranted to demonstrate PTX3 as a novel therapeutic biomarker for human cervical cancer.

Contribution of X-Ray Repair Complementing Defective Repair in Chinese Hamster Cells 3 (XRCC3) Genotype to Leiomyoma Risk

AIM

The present study aimed at investigating whether X-ray repair cross complementing protein 3 (XRCC3) genotype may serve as a useful marker for detecting leiomyoma and predicting risk.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 640 women (166 patients with leiomyoma and 474 healthy controls) were examined for their XRCC3 rs1799794, rs45603942, rs861530, rs3212057, rs1799796, rs861539, rs28903081 genotype. The distributions of genotypic and allelic frequencies between the two groups were compared.

RESULTS

The results showed that the CT and TT genotypes of XRCC3 rs861539 were associated with increased leiomyoma risk (odds ratio=2.19, 95% confidence interval=1.23-3.90; odds ratio=3.72, 95% confidence interval=1.23-11.26, respectively). On allelic frequency analysis, we found a significant difference in the distribution of the T allelic frequency of the XRCC3 rs861539 (p=5.88 × 10(-5)). None of the other six single nucleotide polymorphisms were associated with altered leiomyoma susceptibility.

CONCLUSION

The T allele (CT and TT genotypes) of XRCC3 rs861539 contributes to increased risk of leiomyoma among Taiwanese women and may serve as a early detection and predictive marker.

The role of apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease DNA repair gene in endometriosis

BACKGROUND/AIM

The altered cellular repair capacity plays a critical role in genomic instability and carcinogenesis. We aimed at evaluating the contribution of the polymorphic variant in apurinic/apyriminidinic endonuclease (APEX1) gene to its mRNA and protein levels and the risk of endometriosis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In the current case-control study, 153 endometriosis patients and 636 non-endometriosis controls were recruited. APEX1 Asp(148)Glu (rs1130409) genotyping was conducted by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). At the same time, twenty eight endometriosis tissue samples with different genotypes were examined regarding their expression levels of APEX1 mRNA and protein by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR) and western blotting, respectively.

RESULTS

Compared with wild-type TT genotype, TG and GG genotypes of APEX1 Asp(148)Glu had a risk of endometriosis of 0.93- and 0.87-fold. The results from in vivo transcriptional (RNA) and translational (protein) level analysis revealed that the APEX1 mRNA and protein were of similar levels among the endometriosis tissues of people carrying TT, TG, or GG genotypes. There was no joint effect of APEX1 Asp(148)Glu genotype with menarche, pregnancy, smoking or alcohol drinking lifestyles on endometriosis risk.

CONCLUSION

The APEX1 Asp(148)Glu genotype correlates well with its mRNA and protein expression among endometriosis patients and may not serve as a sensitive marker for prediction of endometriosis risk in Taiwan.

Sex steroid hormone levels and reproductive development of eight-year-old children following in utero and environmental exposure to phthalates

In utero exposure to phthalates may adversely affect reproductive development in children due to the anti-androgenic properties of the pthalates. Accordingly, we aimed to determine the effects of in utero and environmental phthalate exposure on the reproductive development of eight-year-old children. We recruited 180 children in central Taiwan during November 2001 and followed them until August 2009 when all children became eight years old. Birth outcomes were collected. Bone age, hormone concentrations, and reproductive developmental stages were determined. Phthalate metabolite levels, including mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate [MEHP], mono-n-butyl phthalate [MnBP], and mono-benzyl phthalate [MBzP], were assessed. No significant gender differences were found in in utero phthalate exposure. Maternal urinary levels of phthalate metabolites did not correlate significantly with birth outcomes, physical characteristics, and reproductive hormones of the eight-year-old children. Regarding the urinary phthalate metabolite levels of the eight-year-old children, MEHP correlated significantly with serum progesterone levels. MEHP levels in girls correlated significantly with serum progesterone levels. MnBP correlated significantly with serum FSH in all children. In girls, MnBP correlated with serum FSH, and MBzP correlated with serum progesterone and FSH levels. Urinary phthalate metabolite levels did not correlate with female developmental stages or the development of female reproductive organs. Phthalate metabolites did not correlate with the physical characteristics and reproductive hormones in boys. Therefore, environmental exposure to phthalates, as determined by urinary phthalate metabolite levels of eight-year-old children, may affect reproductive hormone levels in children, indicating that further studies on the environmental health effects of phthalates are warranted.

Maternal arsenic exposure and DNA damage biomarkers, and the associations with birth outcomes in a general population from Taiwan

Inorganic arsenic (iAs) is an established transplacental agent known to affect fetal development in animal studies. However, iAs has not been adequately studied in the general population with respect to iAs exposure during pregnancy and its impact on the health status of newborns. The aims of this study were to 1) elucidate the association between arsenic exposure and oxidative/methylated DNA damage in pregnant women, and 2) determine the association with birth outcomes. A birth cohort study of 299 pregnant mother-newborn pairs was recruited during 2001-2002 in Taiwan. We collected maternal urine samples during the 3(rd) trimester for measuring iAs and its metabolites. We used high-performance liquid chromatography/inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS) for quantifications of the arsenic species. Liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS) was used to measure the 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) and N(7)-methylguanosine (N(7)-MeG) DNA damage biomarkers. Birth outcomes were collected to assess the associations with maternal arsenic exposure and the DNA damage biomarkers. Multiple regression analyses showed that maternal urinary iAs had positive associations with the methylated N(7)-MeG (beta = 0.35, p<0.001) and oxidative 8-oxodG (beta = 0.24, p<0.001) DNA damage biomarkers, and a decreased one-minute (1-min) Apgar score (beta = -0.23, p = 0.041). Maternal N(7)-MeG was also associated with a decreased 1-min Apgar score (beta = -0.25, p = 0.042). Mutual adjustment for iAs and N(7)-MeG showed an independent and significant prediction for a decreased 1-min Apgar score of iAs (beta = -0.28, p = 0.036). Maternal iAs exposure was associated with both maternal DNA damage and adverse newborn health. Maternal N(7)-MeG levels might be a novel biomarker for monitoring fetal health related to iAs.

Citric acid induces cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis of human immortalized keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT) via caspase- and mitochondrial-dependent signaling pathways

Citric acid is an alpha-hydroxyacid (AHA) widely used in cosmetic dermatology and skincare products. However, there is concern regarding its safety for the skin. In this study, we investigated the cytotoxic effects of citric acid on the human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT. HaCaT cells were treated with citric acid at 2.5-12.5 mM for different time periods. Cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis were investigated by 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride (DAPI) staining, flow cytometry, western blot and confocal microscopy. Citric acid not only inhibited proliferation of HaCaT cells in a dose-dependent manner, but also induced apoptosis and cell cycle-arrest at the G2/M phase (before 24 h) and S phase (after 24 h). Citric acid increased the level of Bcl-2-associated X protein (BAX) and reduced the levels of B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2), B-cell lymphoma-extra large (BCL-XL) and activated caspase-9 and caspase-3, which subsequently induced apoptosis via caspase-dependent and caspase-independent pathways. Citric acid also activated death receptors and increased the levels of caspase-8, activated BH3 interacting-domain death agonist (BID) protein, Apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), and Endonuclease G (EndoG). Therefore, citric acid induces apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway in the human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT. The study results suggest that citric acid is cytotoxic to HaCaT cells via induction of apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest in vitro.

Lipocalin-2 induces apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells through activation of mitochondria pathways

Lipocalin 2 (LCN2) is a secreted, iron-binding glycoprotein that is abnormally expressed in some malignant human cancers. However, the roles of LCN2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells are unknown. In this study, we suggested the LCN2 and LCN2R were weak detected in the HCC cell lines, LCN2 and LCN2R were found to be down-regulated in tumor tissues in 16 HCC patients. MTT, DAPI, TUNEL, and flow cytometry analyses revealed that LCN2 overexpression dramatically inhibited cell viability, induced apoptosis features of cell-cycle arrest in sub-G1 phase, in DNA fragmentation, and in condensation of chromatin in Huh-7 and SK-Hep-1 cells. Western blots were used to detect the activation of caspase, pro-apoptosis, and anti-apoptosis protein expression in overexpress-LCN2 HCC cells. LCN2-induced apoptosis was characterized by cleavage of caspase-9, -8, -3, and PARP protein, and a reduction in the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). Furthermore, LCN2 also enhanced the down-regulated Bcl-2 and up-regulated the expression of Bax. In addition, our experiments with caspase inhibitors LEHD-FMK and IETD-FMK prevent LCN2-induced apoptosis. We also demonstrated that treatment of overexpress-LCN2 HCC cells with the LCN2 neutralized antibody also significantly attenuated LCN2-induced cell apoptosis. These findings indicate that LCN2 overexpression can effectively induce apoptosis of HCC cells and may be used as a potent therapy against human HCC.

The joint effect of hOGG1 genotype and smoking habit on endometriosis in Taiwan

This study has two aims: [1] to evaluate the association between hOGG1 genotypic polymorphism and endometriosis risk, and [2] to investigate the joint effects of hOGG1 genotype and smoking habit on endometriosis susceptibility in Taiwan. For this purpose, the well-known polymorphic variants of hOGG1, codon 326, was genotyped and analyzed of its association with the risk of endometriosis. In total, 153 patients with endometriosis and 636 non-endometriosis healthy controls were recruited and genotyped. The methodology for genotyping is polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Pearson's Chi-square test was performed to compare the distributions of the genotypes between case and control groups. The results showed that the hOGG1 codon 326 genotypes were not differently distributed between the endometriosis and non-endometriosis control groups in both genotypic (P = 0.6212) and allelic (P = 0.4006) frequency analysis. We have further analyzed the genotypic-smoking joint effects on endometriosis risk and found an obvious interaction between hOGG1 codon 326 genotypes and smoking status. The hOGG1 codon 326 genotypes were increased in endometriosis risk only in the smoker groups (P = 0.0061), but not in the non-chewer group (P = 0.0648). Our results provide the evidence that the hOGG1 codon 326 genotype may have a joint effect with smoking on the development of endometriosis.

Immunoreactivity characterisation of the three structural regions of the human coronavirus OC43 nucleocapsid protein by Western blot: implications for the diagnosis of coronavirus infection

Previous studies have reported that a prokaryotic-expressed recombinant nucleocapsid protein (NP) is a suitable reagent for the epidemiological screening of coronavirus infection. In this study, soluble recombinant human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43) NP was produced to examine the antigenicity of the HCoV-OC43 NP of betacoronavirus. Using the purified recombinant NP as an antigen, a polyclonal antibody from rabbit serum with specificity for HCoV-OC43 NP was generated; this antibody reacts specifically with HCoV-OC43 NP and does not cross-react with other human CoV NPs (including those of SARS-CoV and HCoV-229E) by Western blot. Sera from 26 young adults, 17 middle-aged and elderly patients with respiratory infection, and 15 cord blood samples were also tested. Strong reactivity to the NPs of HCoV-OC43 was observed in 96%, 82%, and 93% of the serum samples from the young adults, respiratory patients, and cord blood samples, respectively. To identify the immunoreactivities of the three structural regions of the NP that are recognised by the rabbit polyclonal antibody and human serum, the antigenicities of three protein fragments, including the N-terminal domain (aa 1-173), the central-linker region (aa 174-300), and the C-terminal domain (aa 301-448), were evaluated by Western blot. The rabbit polyclonal antibody demonstrated greater immunoreactivity to the central-linker region and the C-terminal domain than to the N-terminal domain. Three different patterns for the immunoreactivities of the three structural regions of HCoV-OC43 NP were observed in human serum, suggesting variability in the immune responses that occur during HCoV-OC43 infection in humans. The central-linker region of the NP appeared to be the most highly immunoreactive region for all three patterns observed. The goal of this study was to offer insight into the design of diagnostic tools for HCoV infection.

Genetic polymorphism of urokinase-type plasminogen activator is interacting with plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 to raise risk of cervical neoplasia

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the impact of plasminogen activator (PA) system genes, including urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), uPA receptor (uPAR), and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) gene polymorphisms in patients with the cervical neoplasia.

METHODS

In total, 336 blood samples were collected from healthy women and 136 patients with cervical neoplasia to analyze the gene polymorphisms of representative PA system genes.

RESULTS

There was no significant association between cervical neoplasia cases and gene polymorphisms of uPA, uPAR and PAI-1 genes as well as to the carcinogenesis of cervical if the cervical neoplasia cases were stratified to HSILs and invasive cancer cases. However, we found a mutual interaction between uPA/PAI-1 genes, which women carrying the uPA/PAI-1 CC/4G4G allele had a 1.70-fold higher risk (OR = 1.70; 95% CI 1.04-2.79) of cervical neoplasia compared with those carrying the CC/4G5G allele.

CONCLUSIONS

Individuals with uPA/PAI-1 CC/4G5G allele were in high susceptibility for cervical neoplasia. The combined polymorphism of uPA/PAI-1 might diminish the ability of PAI-1 to inhibiting cervical cancer carcinogenesis when PAI-1 alone as the role of inhibitor.

The effect of in utero exposure to dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls on reproductive development in eight year-old children

We have previously reported on the effects of in utero exposure to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on thyroid function and growth hormone concentrations at birth and in two and five year-old children. Herein, we present our most recent follow-up examination findings for the same cohort of children at eight-years of age. A total of 56 children (23 boys, 33 girls) were examined. Bone age (BA), hormone concentrations, and indicators of reproductive development including Tanner, breast, genital, and armpit stages were assessed. Estradiol concentrations were significantly lower in children exposed to higher levels than median of PCDD/Fs+PCBs TEQ compared to the children exposed to levels lesser than median (P=0.003). Girls exposed to higher levels than median of indicator PCBs had a significantly greater proportion in genital stage 1 and shorter fundi and uteri lengths, as compared to those exposed to low levels (P=0.025 and P<0.05, respectively). There was a significant negative relationship between estradiol concentrations and PCDD/Fs+PCB exposure level (P=0.005). After adjusting for BA, there was a significant association between fundus length and indicator PCB exposure level (P=0.034). Exposure to both high levels of ΣPCDD/Fs+PCBs TEQ and high levels of total PCBs was associated with decreased fundus length (P=0.016) and uterus length (P=0.016). In utero exposure to high levels of PCDD/Fs and PCBs may result in lower estradiol concentrations in eight year-old children and impaired reproductive development in girls.

Dioscorea nipponica Makino inhibits migration and invasion of human oral cancer HSC-3 cells by transcriptional inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-2 through modulation of CREB and AP-1 activity

Oral cancer mortality has increased during the last decade due to the difficulties in treating related metastasis. Dioscorea nipponica Makino, a popular folk medicine, exerts anti-obesity and anti-inflammation properties. However, the effect of this folk medicine on metastasis of oral cancer has yet to be fully elucidated. The present study demonstrates that D. nipponica extracts (DNE), at a range of concentrations (0-50 μg/mL), concentration-dependently inhibited migration/invasion capacities of human oral cancer cells, HSC-3, without cytotoxic effects. The anti-migration effect of DNE was also observed in two other OSCC cell lines, Ca9-22 and Cal-27. Zymography, real time PCR, and Western blotting analyses revealed that DNE inhibited matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) enzyme activity, and RNA and protein expression. The inhibitory effects of DNE on MMP-2 proceeded by up-regulating tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2), as well as suppressing nuclear translocation and DNA binding activity of cAMP response element-binding (CREB) and activating protein-1 (AP-1) on the MMP-2 promoter in HSC-3 cells. In conclusion, DNE inhibited the invasion of oral cancer cells and may have potential use as a chemopreventive agent against oral cancer metastasis.

Tumor-associated carbonic anhydrase XII is linked to the growth of primary oral squamous cell carcinoma and its poor prognosis

The pattern of protein expression in tumors is under the influence of nutrient stress, hypoxia, and low pH, which determines the survival of neoplastic cells and the development of tumors. Carbonic anhydrase (CA) XII is a transmembrane enzyme that catalyzes the reversible hydration of cell-generated carbon dioxide into protons and bicarbonate. Hypoxic conditions activate its transcription and translation, and enhanced expression is often present in several types of tumors. However, CA XII expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and its correlation with patients' prognosis have not been investigated so far. In this study, we detected the expression of CA XII in 264 patients with OSCC using tissue microarrays (TMAs), and evaluated its correlation with clinicopathologic factors and disease prognosis. CA XII expression was present in 185/264 (70%) cases and was associated with more-advanced clinical stages (p=0.003), a larger tumor size (p<0.001), and postoperative recurrence (p=0.047), but was not associated with positive lymph node metastasis or distal metastasis. Importantly, CA XII expression was correlated with a poorer patient prognosis in a univariate (p=0.034, log-rank test) survival analysis. According to our results, the expression of CA XII in OSCC samples can predict the progression of OSCC and survival of OSCC patients.

Association of p53 and CDKN1A genotypes with endometriosis

BACKGROUND

The tumor suppressor p53 protein plays a critical role in different cellular processes in response to DNA damage and it is responsible for transcriptional induction of the p21 (CDKN1A/WAF1/CIP1) gene. Both p53 and p21 are thought to play major roles in the development of human malignancy. Polymorphic variants of p53 at codon 72, and CDKN1A at codon 31, have been found to be associated with cancer susceptibility, but few studies have investigated their effect on endometriosis risk.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this hospital-based case-control study, we investigated the association of p53 codon 72 and CDKN1A codon 31 polymorphisms with endometriosis susceptibility in a Taiwanese population. In total, 180 patients with endometriosis, and 330 age-matched controls in Central Taiwan were recruited and genotyped.

RESULTS

We found a significant difference in the distribution of the p53 genotype, but not the CDKN1A genotype, between the endometriosis and control groups. Individuals with the C (Pro) allele at p53 codon 72 had a 1.6-fold increased odds ratio of endometriosis, and those with Arg/Pro and Pro/Pro genotypes for p53 codon 72 had a 1.84- and 2.74-fold (95% confidence interval=1.17-2.92 and 1.58-4.74) increased risk of endometriosis compared to those with Arg/Arg, respectively. The distribution of haplotype combinations of p53 codon 72 and CDKN1A codon 31 was statistically different in the endometriosis and control groups. The percentages of the three subgroups with p53 CC homozygote were all higher in the endometriosis group than in the control group.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that the C (Pro) allele of p53 codon 72 may be associated with the development of endometriosis, and could serve as a potential biomarker for early prediction of this disease.

The activation of matrix metalloproteinase-2 induced by protein kinase C alpha in decidualization

This study investigated the protein kinase C (PKC) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) in the development of deciduomata in pseudo-pregnant and pregnant rats. The results showed that the expression of MMP-2 was significantly increased from day 2 to day 5 in pseudo-pregnancy and from day 7 to day 9 in pregnancy. To further investigate the correlation between MMP-2 and protein kinase C alpha (PKC alpha), the expression of MMP-2 in the 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-treated organotypic culture of decidual tissue was determined. The results showed that the active form of MMP-2 was significantly increased in the TPA-treated cultures. Moreover, this response was inhibited by the PKC inhibitor H7, the PKC alpha specific inhibitor Gö-6976 and the translation inhibitor cycloheximide, but not by the transcription inhibitor actinomycin D or the replication inhibitor mitomycin C. In addition, TPA also reversed the MMP-2 expression after by progesterone pretreatment in the primary decidual cells. These findings indicate that PKC alpha may play an important role in the regulation of the MMP-2 expression during decidualization.

Immunochemical localization of protein kinase Calpha in the biopsies of human hepatocellular carcinoma

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the protein kinase C (PKC) alpha distribution in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The histoimmunopathologic technique was used to determine the localization and expression of PKCalpha in HCC biopsies. The HCC tissues were classified as cytosolic type (PKCalpha deposited in the cytoplasm in > 50% of cells) and membranous type for the remaining ones. There was a significant association of the membranous type with non-hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients. Moreover, the expression of PKCalpha in this type was significantly higher in HCC cells than that in the adjacent non-tumor liver cells. The result indicated that PKCalpha may play an important role in carcinogenesis of HCC patients with HBV infection and/or non-HCV infection.

Role of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase in Porphyromonas gingivalis-induced myocardial cell hypertrophy and apoptosis

Secreted factors present in the medium following growth of the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis cause increased cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and apoptosis, whereas secreted factors from Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Prevotella intermedia have no such effects. The purpose of this study was to clarify the role of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular-regulated protein kinase (ERK) pathways in P. gingivalis medium-induced H9c2 myocardial cell hypertrophy and apoptosis. Cellular morphology, DNA fragmentation, nuclear condensation, total mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular-regulated protein kinase-1 (ERK-1), total ERK-1 protein, and phosphorylated ERK-1 protein products in cultured H9c2 myocardial cells were measured by actin immunofluorescence, agarose gel electrophoresis, nuclear condensation, and western blotting following stimulation with P. gingivalis spent growth medium or pre-administration of U0126, a potent MEK-1/2 inhibitor. Components of P. gingivalis spent culture medium not only resulted in increased total MEK-1 and ERK-1 protein products, but also caused increased cellular size, DNA fragmentation, and nuclear condensation in H9c2 cells. These three parameters, and the phosphorylated ERK-1 protein products of H9c2 cells treated with P. gingivalis medium, were all significantly reduced after pre-administration of U0126. The results suggest that P. gingivalis-secreted factors may initiate MEK/ERK signal pathways and lead to myocardial cell hypertrophy and apoptosis.

The profile of cardiac cytochrome c oxidase (COX) expression in an accelerated cardiac-hypertrophy model

The contribution of the mitochondrial components, the main source of energy for the cardiac hypertrophic growth induced by pressure overload, is not well understood. In the present study, complete coarctation of abdominal aorta was used to induce the rapid development of cardiac hypertrophy in rats. One to two days after surgery, we observed significantly higher blood pressure and cardiac hypertrophy, which remained constantly high afterwards. We found an early increased level of cytochrome c oxidase (COX) mRNA determined by in-situ hybridization and dot blotting assays in the hypertrophied hearts, and a drop to the baseline 20 days after surgery. Similarly, mitochondrial COX protein level and enzyme activity increased and, however, dropped even lower than baseline 20 days following surgery. In addition, in natural hypertension-induced hypertrophic hearts in genetically hypertensive rats, the COX protein was significantly lower than in normotensive rats. Taken together, the lower efficiency of mitochondrial activity in the enlarged hearts of long-term complete coarcted rats or genetically hypertensive rats could be, at least partially, the cause of hypertensive cardiac disease. Additionally, the rapid complete coarctation-induced cardiac hypertrophy was accompanied by a disproportionate COX activity increase, which was suggested to maintain the cardiac energy-producing capacity in overloaded hearts.

Distribution of human chemokine (C-X3-C) receptor 1 (CX3CR1) gene polymorphisms and haplotypes of the CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) promoter in Chinese people, and the effects of CCR5 haplotypes on CCR5 expression

Two chemokine (C-X3-C) receptor 1 (CX3CR1) gene polymorphisms, V249I and T280M, and 10 CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) promoter haplotypes, P1-P10, have recently been reported to influence the progression of acquired immune-deficiency syndrome (AIDS). As these studies were performed mainly with Caucasian and African-American subjects, we determined the distribution of these alleles in Chinese people for the purpose of predicting possible clinical responses to the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) epidemics in countries with significant Chinese populations, as well as to establish their effects on the expression of surface CCR5. Ninety-six HIV-negative Chinese individuals in Taiwan were subjected to genotyping, and we thus determined that the allelic frequencies of CX3CR1V249I and T280M changes were 2.6% and 2.1%, respectively, which were lower than found in Caucasians (25.5% and 14.0%, respectively). Unlike the previous reports, we only detected CCR5P1 and P4 haplotypes in Taiwanese people, and the P1/P1, P1/P4 and P4/P4 genotype frequencies were 21.0%, 41.1% and 37.9%, respectively. The sequencing data confirmed the results of previous studies, showing that CCR5P1 exhibited a complete linkage disequilibrium with a polymorphic allele 59029A present in the CCR5 promoter. Furthermore, fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis revealed that, in the absence of the CCR2-64I mutation, individuals carrying CCR5P1 tended to express more surface CCR5 on monocytes and CD4+ cells. Therefore, this study not only reports the frequencies for the CX3CR1 and CCR5 promoter haplotypes in a Chinese population living in Taiwan, but also identifies a statistical link between the P1/P1 haplotype and the elevated CCR5 expression levels in the study group.