Proteomic analysis of human epithelial ovarian cancer xenografts in immunodeficient mice exposed to chronic psychological stress

Mechanisms underlying the effects of stress on tumorigenesis and metastasis (Review)

Stress is one of the fundamental survival mechanisms in nature. Although chronic or long-lasting stress can be detrimental to health, acute or short-term stress can have health benefits. The aim of the present review was to address the complexity and significance of stress in tumorigenesis. The review covers an evaluation of previously used and reported experimental animal models of stress, as well as the effects of stress on the neuroendocrine system, immune function, gut microbiota, and inflammation and multidrug resistance, all of which are closely associated with cancer occurrence, progression and treatment. The review concludes that understanding the efficacy of stress management (prevention and rehabilitation) is crucial to the development of comprehensive and individualized strategies for cancer prevention and treatment.

Nerve growth factor and its receptors on onset and diagnosis of ovarian cancer

The effect of nerve growth factor (NGF) and its receptors on the onset and diagnosis of ovarian cancer was investigated. A total of 35 patients with ovarian tumor admitted in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from July 2014 to July 2015 were selected as study subjects and were divided into an observation group (including 21 patients with benign ovarian tumor, and 14 patients with malignant ovarian tumor), and a control group (21 healthy women). The quantity of expression of mRNA in NGF and its receptors (TrkA and p75NTR) was detected using fluorescent quantitative PCR. The protein expression of NGF, TrkA and p75NTR in different study samples was detected using ELISA and western blot analysis. The location of expression was determined using immunohistochemistry. The positive cell rate in different samples was analyzed. Compared with healthy women, the quantity of expression of mRNA in NGF, TrkA and p75NTR in patients with ovarian cancer was increased significantly. The results of ELISA showed that the quantity of protein expression of NGF, TrkA and p75NTR was 0.98±0.12, 1.23±0.14 and 0.76±0.07 µg/l in healthy women, and was 3.21±0.16, 5.28±0.25 and 2.97±0.13 µg/l, respectively, in women with ovarian tumor, and there were statistically significant differences (P<0.05), and the level of expression in patients with malignant ovarian tumor was significantly higher than that in patients with benign ovarian cancer. Western blot analysis also showed that the quantity of expression of NGF, TrkA and p75NTR gene in women with ovarian cancer was significantly higher than that in healthy women. Immunohistochemical results showed that the number of positive cells of NGF, TrkA and p75NTR gene in the tissue of patients with ovarian cancer (89.5, 93.4 and 82.5%, respectively) was significantly higher than those in healthy ovarian tissue (9.4, 10.3 and 7.9%, respectively). In conclusion, NGF and its receptor can contribute to the occurrence of ovarian cancer, and the onset condition of ovarian cancer can be diagnosed through the detection of high or low expression of NGF and its receptors.

From bench to bedside: discovery of ovarian cancer biomarkers using high-throughput technologies in the past decade

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy and survival of this disease has remained relatively unchanged over the past 30 years. A contributing factor to this has been the lack of reliable biomarkers for the clinical management of ovarian cancer. Rapid advances in high-throughput technologies over the past decade has allowed for new and exciting opportunities for biomarker discovery in the field of ovarian cancer, especially with respect to serum biomarkers that can be used for various clinical applications. This review highlights the major genomic and proteomic studies dedicated to ovarian cancer biomarker discovery over the past decade. An emphasis will be placed on the HE4, Risk of Malignancy Algorithm (ROMA) and OVA1™ serum-based tests/algorithms that have recently been approved by the US FDA as ovarian cancer biomarkers.

Dys-psychological Stress Effect on Expressions of P53 and NFκBp65 in Human Ovarian Carcinoma In Vivo

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the dys-psychological stress effect on the growth of subcutaneous xenotransplanted tumor in nude mice bearing human epithelium ovarian carcinoma, and the influence on P53 and NFκBp65 expressions.

METHODS

The subcutaneous tumor xenografts were established by implanting human epithelium ovarian carcinoma tissues into nude mice and the dys-psychological stress model was established with restraint. The mice were randomized into the following four treatment groups with each group six mice respectively: tumor group (group A), normal saline intraperitoneal injection; tumor with stress group (group B), normal saline intraperitoneal injection; tumor therapy group (group C), cisplatin intraperitoneal injection; and tumor therapy with stress group (group D), cisplatin intraperitoneal injection. The expressions of P53 and NFκBp65 in tumor tissues were determined by Western blotting.

RESULTS

The expressions of P53 and NFκBp65 in each restraint group were enhanced compared with the control groups (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

The dys-psychological stress may induce the high expressions of P53 and NFκBp65 proteins and further promote tumor growth.