Optimized protocol for DNA/RNA co-extraction from adults of Dirofilaria immitis

Transporter gene expression and Wolbachia quantification in adults of Dirofilaria immitis treated in vitro with ivermectin or moxidectin alone or in combination with doxycycline for 12 hours

Due to their marked larvicidal activity, macrocyclic lactones (MLs) are used for the prevention of heartworm disease ( Dirofilaria immitis) in dogs. They have also been shown to eliminate adult parasites after long-term administration, with a so-called "slow-kill" effect. In addition, recent studies have established that a combination of doxycycline, which eliminates the endosymbiont Wolbachia, and MLs has superior adulticide effects when compared to MLs alone. It has been hypothesized that the apparent synergism between doxycycline/MLs may be due to interaction with drug efflux transport proteins. The aim of the present study was to evaluate gene expression of several transport proteins in D. immitis adults treated in vitro either with doxycycline alone, ivermectin alone, moxidectin alone, or a combination of ivermectin or moxidectin with doxycycline for 12h. Quantitative PCR analysis showed a sex-dependent response to treatments. In female worms, Dim-pgp-10, Dim-haf-1 and Dim-haf-5 were upregulated compared to controls with doxycycline alone and when combined with ivermectin. Moxidectin did not induce any changes in gene expression. In males, moxidectin administered alone induced a slight increase in Dim-pgp-10, Dim-pgp-11and Di-avr-14, while ivermectin in combination with doxycycline produced significant upregulation of the ML receptor Di-avr-14. These results suggest possible synergism between the two drug classes and different susceptibility of males vs. females to adulticide effects.

Telocytes promote hepatocellular carcinoma by activating the ERK signaling pathway and miR-942-3p/MMP9 axis

In China, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is considered a malignant tumor with poor prognosis, frequent metastasis, and a high relapse rate. Telocytes (TCs) participate in tumorigenic, invasive, and migratory processes by secreting functional proteins and transmitting cell-to-cell information, but their functions in HCC are still unknown. TC counts and MMP9 expression in liver cancer tissues were measured using immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and RT-PCR. Primary TCs from liver para-cancer tissues were cultured in vitro. To verify the role of TCs in HCC, a metastatic cancer animal model was established using three types of liver cancer cell lines in vivo. TCs promoted HCC cell metastasis by MMP9 expression in vitro and in vivo. Platelet-derived growth factor-alpha (PDGF-α), secreted by HCC cells, activated the Ras/ERK signaling pathway in TCs, thereby increasing MMP9 expression; Moreover, miR-942-3p suppressed MMP9 expression in TCs. Our results reveal the role of TCs in HCC and the mechanisms by which they elicit their effects, and they may serve as novel prognostic markers for HCC.