1
|
Han Y, Akhtar J, Liu G, Li C, Wang G. Early warning and diagnosis of liver cancer based on dynamic network biomarker and deep learning. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:3478-3489. [PMID: 38213892 PMCID: PMC10782000 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Early detection of complex diseases like hepatocellular carcinoma remains challenging due to their network-driven pathology. Dynamic network biomarkers (DNB) based on monitoring changes in molecular correlations may enable earlier predictions. However, DNB analysis often overlooks disease heterogeneity. Methods We integrated DNB analysis with graph convolutional neural networks (GCN) to identify critical transitions during hepatocellular carcinoma development in a mouse model. A DNB-GCN model was constructed using transcriptomic data and gene expression levels as node features. Results DNB analysis identified a critical transition point at 7 weeks of age despite histological examinations being unable to detect cancerous changes at that time point. The DNB-GCN model achieved 100% accuracy in classifying healthy and cancerous mice, and was able to accurately predict the health status of newly introduced mice. Conclusion The integration of DNB analysis and GCN demonstrates potential for the early detection of complex diseases by capturing network structures and molecular features that conventional biomarker discovery methods overlook. The approach warrants further development and validation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yukun Han
- Institute of Modern Biology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Computational Science and Material Design, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Javed Akhtar
- Biomedical Science and Engineering, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
- Center for Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Computational Science and Material Design, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Guozhen Liu
- Biomedical Science and Engineering, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Chenzhong Li
- Biomedical Science and Engineering, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Guanyu Wang
- Biomedical Science and Engineering, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
- Center for Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Computational Science and Material Design, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer related mortality with a 10 year survival rate of merely 22-35%. Tumorigenesis frequently occurs in patients with chronic liver disease where continued liver cell damage, compensatory proliferation and inflammation provide the basis for tumor initiation, promotion and progression. Animal models of HCC are particularly useful to better understand molecular events underlying liver tumorigenesis. To this end, chemical carcinogenesis protocols based on the injection of genotoxic compounds such as diethylnitrosamine (DEN) are widely used to model liver tumorigenesis in rodents. DEN injection into 2 week old mice is sufficient to cause liver tumorigenesis after 8-10 months. When injected into older mice, DEN has to be combined with administration of tumor promoting agents such as phenobarbital or feeding high fat diet. Such protocols allow to dissect the different steps of tumor formation (i.e., tumor initiation and promotion) experimentally and to model liver pathologies in mice which frequently lead to HCC in human patients such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Here, we review several established chemical carcinogenesis protocols based on DEN injection into mice and discuss their advantages as well as potential limitations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Schulien
- Department of Medicine II, Medical Center-University of Freiburg and Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Peter Hasselblatt
- Department of Medicine II, Medical Center-University of Freiburg and Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Mo'men YS, Hussein RM, Kandeil MA. A novel chemoprotective effect of tiopronin against diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in rats: Role of ASK1/P38 MAPK-P53 signalling cascade. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 2019; 47:322-332. [PMID: 31663622 DOI: 10.1111/1440-1681.13204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Oxidative stress contributes significantly to HCC pathogenesis. In this study, we investigated the possible chemoprotective effect of the thiol group-containing compound, tiopronin, against HCC induced chemically by diethylnitrosamine (DENA) in rats. In addition, we elucidated the possible underlying molecular mechanism. Adult male Wistar rats were divided into: Control group, DENA-treated group and tiopronin + DENA-treated group. Liver function tests (ALT, AST, ALP, albumin, total and direct bilirubin) as well as alpha fetoprotein (AFP) concentration were measured in the sera of samples. Oxidative stress biomarkers such as malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, catalase and glutathione peroxidase were measured in the liver tissue homogenates. Determination of the phosphorylated apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (phospho-ASK1), phospho-P38 and phospho-P53 proteins by western blotting, caspase 3 by immunofluorescence in addition to histopathological examination of the liver tissues were performed. Our results showed that tiopronin prevented the DENA-induced elevation of the liver function enzymes and AFP. It also preserved the activities of antioxidant enzymes as well as providing protection from the appearance of HCC histopathological features. Interestingly, tiopronin significantly decreased the expression level of phospho-ASK1, phospho-P38 and phospho-P53, caspase 3 in the liver tissues. These novel findings suggested that tiopronin is an antioxidant drug with a chemoprotective effect against DENA-induced HCC through maintaining the normal activity of ASK1/ P38 MAPK/ P53 signalling pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yomna S Mo'men
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| | - Rasha M Hussein
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt.,Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, College of Pharmacy, Mutah University, Al-Karak, Jordan
| | - Mohamed A Kandeil
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Chicken egg fetal liver DNA and histopathologic effects of structurally diverse carcinogens and non-carcinogens. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 69:533-546. [DOI: 10.1016/j.etp.2017.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Revised: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
|
6
|
Tolba R, Kraus T, Liedtke C, Schwarz M, Weiskirchen R. Diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced carcinogenic liver injury in mice. Lab Anim 2015; 49:59-69. [DOI: 10.1177/0023677215570086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/30/2023]
Abstract
The toxic properties of various nitrosamines in animals and humans are well established. The parenteral or oral administration of the smallest quantities of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) or dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) results in severe liver damage. Most prominent are intense neutrophilic infiltration, extensive centrilobular haemorrhagic necrosis, bile duct proliferation, fibrosis, and bridging necrosis that ends in hepatocarcinogenesis. Due to the robustness of the induced hepatic alterations, the application of DEN in rodents has become an attractive experimental model for studies aimed at understanding the pathogenetic alterations underlying the formation of liver cancer, which represents one of the most common malignancies in humans worldwide. However, several studies have shown that the hepatocarcinogenic effects of nitrosamines might vary with the genetic background of the animals, their sex, their age, and other factors that might impact the outcome of experimentation. We present general guidelines for working with DEN, and a detailed protocol that allows the establishment of highly reproducible liver cancer in mice. The outcome of liver injury after the application of DEN in mice, as estimated by the formation of cirrhosis and cancer, appears to be a suitable animal model for the analysis of some aspects and processes that promote the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma in humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Tolba
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science and Experimental Surgery, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - T Kraus
- Institute for Occupational and Social Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - C Liedtke
- Department of Internal Medicine III, RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - M Schwarz
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Toxicology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - R Weiskirchen
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry, RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany for the Transregional Collaborative Research Center ‘Organ Fibrosis: From Mechanisms of Injury to Modulation of Disease’ (SFB/TRR57)
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Hueper K, Elalfy M, Laenger F, Halter R, Rodt T, Galanski M, Borlak J. PET/CT imaging of c-Myc transgenic mice identifies the genotoxic N-nitroso-diethylamine as carcinogen in a short-term cancer bioassay. PLoS One 2012; 7:e30432. [PMID: 22319569 PMCID: PMC3271108 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0030432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2011] [Accepted: 12/20/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND More than 100,000 chemicals are in use but have not been tested for their safety. To overcome limitations in the cancer bioassay several alternative testing strategies are explored. The inability to monitor non-invasively onset and progression of disease limits, however, the value of current testing strategies. Here, we report the application of in vivo imaging to a c-Myc transgenic mouse model of liver cancer for the development of a short-term cancer bioassay. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS μCT and ¹⁸F-FDG μPET were used to detect and quantify tumor lesions after treatment with the genotoxic carcinogen NDEA, the tumor promoting agent BHT or the hepatotoxin paracetamol. Tumor growth was investigated between the ages of 4 to 8.5 months and contrast-enhanced μCT imaging detected liver lesions as well as metastatic spread with high sensitivity and accuracy as confirmed by histopathology. Significant differences in the onset of tumor growth, tumor load and glucose metabolism were observed when the NDEA treatment group was compared with any of the other treatment groups. NDEA treatment of c-Myc transgenic mice significantly accelerated tumor growth and caused metastatic spread of HCC in to lung but this treatment also induced primary lung cancer growth. In contrast, BHT and paracetamol did not promote hepatocarcinogenesis. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE The present study evidences the accuracy of in vivo imaging in defining tumor growth, tumor load, lesion number and metastatic spread. Consequently, the application of in vivo imaging techniques to transgenic animal models may possibly enable short-term cancer bioassays to significantly improve hazard identification and follow-up examinations of different organs by non-invasive methods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katja Hueper
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Mahmoud Elalfy
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, Fraunhofer Institute of Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, Hannover, Germany
| | - Florian Laenger
- Institute for Pathology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Roman Halter
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, Fraunhofer Institute of Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, Hannover, Germany
| | - Thomas Rodt
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Michael Galanski
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Juergen Borlak
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, Fraunhofer Institute of Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, Hannover, Germany
- Centre for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Moore SA, Xeniou O, Zeng ZT, Humphreys E, Burr S, Gottschalg E, Bingham SA, Shuker DEG. Optimizing immunoslot blot assays and application to low DNA adduct levels using an amplification approach. Anal Biochem 2010; 403:67-73. [PMID: 20399191 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2010.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2010] [Revised: 04/09/2010] [Accepted: 04/12/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Immunoslot blot assays have been used for the analysis of many DNA adducts, but problems are frequently encountered in achieving reproducible results. Each step of the assay was examined systematically, and it was found that the major problems are in the DNA fragmentation step and the use of the manifold apparatus. Optimization was performed on both the malondialdehyde-deoxyguanosine (M(1)dG) adduct and the O(6)-carboxymethyl-deoxyguanosine (O(6)CMdG) adduct to demonstrate the applicability to other DNA adducts. Blood samples from the European Prospective Investigation on Cancer (EPIC) study (n = 162) were analyzed for M(1)dG adducts, and the data showed no correlation with adduct levels in other tissues, indicating that the EPIC blood samples were not useful for studying M(1)dG adducts. Blood samples from a processed meat versus vegetarian diet intervention (n = 6) were analyzed for O(6)CMdG, and many were below the limit of detection. The reduction of background adduct levels in standard DNA was investigated using chemical and whole genome amplification approaches. The latter gave a sensitivity improvement of 2.6 adducts per 10(7) nucleotides for the analysis of O(6)CMdG. Subsequent reanalysis for O(6)CMdG showed a weakly significant increase in O(6)CMdG on the processed meat diet compared with the vegetarian diet, demonstrating that further studies are warranted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sharon A Moore
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|