Expression and association of IL-21, FBXL20 and tumour suppressor gene PTEN in laryngeal cancer

Differential abundance of microRNAs in seminal plasma extracellular vesicles (EVs) in Sahiwal cattle bull related to male fertility

Sahiwal cattle, known for their high milk yield, are propagated through artificial insemination (AI) using male germplasm, largely contingent on semen quality. Spermatozoa, produced in the testes, carry genetic information and molecular signals essential for successful fertilization. Seminal plasma, in addition to sperm, contains nano-sized lipid-bound extracellular vesicles (SP-EVs) that carry key biomolecules, including fertility-related miRNAs, which are essential for bull fertility. The current study focused on miRNA profiling of SP-EVs from high-fertile (HF) and low-fertile (LF) Sahiwal bulls. SP-EVs were isolated using size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). Western blotting detected the EV-specific protein markers TSG101 and CD63. The DLS analysis showed SP-EV sizes of 170-180 nm in HF and 130-140 nm in LF samples. The NTA revealed particle concentrations of 5.76 × 1010 to 5.86 × 1011 particles/mL in HF and 5.31 × 1010 to 2.70 × 1011 particles/mL in LF groups, with no significant differences in size and concentration between HF and LF. High-throughput miRNA sequencing identified 310 miRNAs in SP-EVs from both groups, with 61 upregulated and 119 downregulated in HF bull. Further analysis identified 41 miRNAs with significant fold changes and p-values, including bta-miR-1246, bta-miR-195, bta-miR-339b, and bta-miR-199b, which were analyzed for target gene prediction. Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway analyses indicated that these miRNAs target genes involved in transcription regulation, ubiquitin-dependent endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) pathways, and signalling pathways. Functional exploration revealed that these genes play roles in spermatogenesis, motility, acrosome reactions, and inflammatory responses. qPCR analysis showed that bta-miR-195 had 80% higher expression in HF spermatozoa compared to LF, suggesting its association with fertility status (p < 0.05). In conclusion, this study elucidates the miRNA cargoes in SP-EVs as indicators of Sahiwal bull fertility, highlighting bta-miR-195 as a potential fertility factor among the various miRNAs identified.

Identification of a two metastasis-related prognostic signature in the process of predicting the survival of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Metastasis is a major cause of treatment failure and poor outcomes in cancer patients. The data used in the current study was downloaded from TCGA and GEO databases. Differentially expressed metastasis-related genes were identified and the biological functions were implemented. Kaplan-Meier analysis univariate, and, multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to identify robust prognostic biomarkers, followed by construction of the risk model and nomogram. Gene set enrichment analysis was performed to identify pathways enriched in low- and high-risk groups. POLR2J3 and MYH11 were treated as prognostic biomarkers in LSCC and the risk model was constructed. Receiver operating characteristic curves revealed the good performance of the risk model. A nomogram with high accuracy was constructed, as evidenced by calibration and decision curves. Moreover, we found that the expressions of POLR2J3 and MYH11 was significantly higher in metastasis tissues compared with those in non-metastasis tissues by RT-qPCR and IHC. Our study identified novel metastasis-related prognostic biomarkers in LSCC and constructed a unique nomogram for predicting the prognosis of LSCC patients. Moreover, we explored the related mechanisms of metastasis-related genes in regulating LSCC.

F-Box and Leucine-Rich Repeat Protein 20 (FBXL20), Negatively Regulated by microRNA (miR)-195-5p, Accelerates the Malignant Progression of Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the most common cancers among women, characterized by various histological subtypes. Here, we aimed to investigate the biological function of F-box and leucine-rich repeat protein 20 (FBXL20) in the malignant phenotype of OC cells and its related mechanism. The expression of FBXL20 in OC tissue and normal tissue samples was analyzed through the GEPIA database. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blot were employed to detect the expression of miR-195-5p and FBXL20 in OC tissues and cell lines. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) experiment and flow cytometry were applied to detect cell proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis. Bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter gene experiments were adopted to predict and validate the targeting relationship between miR-195-5p and FBXL20 mRNA 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR). Correlation between the expressions of miR-195-5p and FBXL20 mRNA was analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis. FBXL20 expression was upregulated in OC, and its high expression level was significantly associated with higher International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage and poor tumor differentiation. Functionally, overexpression of FBXL20 promoted proliferation, inhibited apoptosis and accelerated the cell cycle in OC cells in comparison to control group, and knockdown of FBXL20 exerted the opposite effects. Mechanistically, miR-195-5p directly targeted FBXL20 and negatively regulated its expression. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that miR-195-5p was negatively correlated with FBXL20 mRNA expression. In addition, overexpression of miR-195-5p reversed the above biological functions of FBXL20 in OC cells. FBXL20, negatively regulated by miR-195-5p, accelerates the proliferation and cell cycle progression of OC cells, and inhibits cell apoptosis, which might act as a prospective prognostic biomarker and a promising therapeutic target for OC.

Adenovirus-mediated overexpression of interleukin-21 regulates the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma in vitro

Interleukin-21 (IL-21) is an important cytokine that is currently being investigated for its potential use in tumor immunotherapy in the future. In tumor cells, IL-21 stimulates the immune response by increasing the cytotoxic activity of natural killer cells, B cells and CD8⁺ T cells, which in turn induces the apoptosis of tumor cells. The therapeutic effects of IL-21 have been investigated in several types of disease and numerous clinical trials are in progress. The aim of the present study was to determine the role of IL-21 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in vitro. IL-21 expression was detected in OSCC tissues via RT-qPCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry analyses. The results demonstrated that IL-21 protein expression decreased in OSCC tissues. IL-21 was overexpressed using adenovirus in CAL-27 cells. The Cell Counting Kit-8 assay demonstrated that overexpression of IL-21 inhibited cell proliferation. Furthermore, overexpression of IL-21 inhibited cell migration, detected by the wound healing assay, and promoted cell apoptosis, detected by TUNEL staining and flow cytometry analysis. The results demonstrated that overexpression of IL-21 inhibited activation of the JNK signaling pathway. In conclusion, the findings of the present study suggest that IL-21 may function as a potent antitumor agent in OSCC.