Expression of survivin and Bcl-2 in the normal human endometrium

Potential Mechanisms of Guizhi Fuling Wan in Treating Endometriosis: An Analysis Based on TCMSP and DisGeNET Databases

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Guizhi Fuling Wan (GFW), is a traditional Chinese herbal formula that consists of Cinnamomi Ramulus (Guizhi), Poria Cocos(Schw.) Wolf. (Fuling), Persicae Semen (Taoren), Radix Paeoniae Rubra (Chishao), and Cortex Moutan (Mudanpi). This formula has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 1800 years to treat disorders caused by stagnation of circulation and qi (air).

AIM OF THE STUDY

Based on pre-clinical and clinical studies, this review aimed to reveal the potential mechanisms of GFW in inhibiting endometriosis. The enhancement of therapeutic effects of western medications on endometriosis by GFW was also shown.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A bibliographic assessment of publications on "Guizhi Fuling Wan" and "endometriosis" indexed in PubMed, Science Direct, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) was conducted. Five pre-clinical studies and 13 clinical studies were selected for this review. Moreover, the targeted molecules of each herb were first extracted from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) Database and Analysis Platform followed by obtaining the endometriosis-related genes from DisGeNET. Subsequently, pathway and gene ontology analyses using David Bioinformatics Resources explored the potential mechanisms of therapeutic effects of GFW in treating endometriosis.

RESULTS

Pre-clinical and clinical studies showed that GFW might inhibit the growth of endometriotic lesion through the modulation of immunity, apoptosis-regulating molecules, and angiogenesis-associated factors, while enhancing the therapeutic effects of western medications in treating endometriosis. Furthermore, pathway and gene ontology analyses demonstrated that GFW might attenuate the disease primarily by affecting AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications (hsa04933) as well as pathways involved in Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus infection (hsa05167), human cytomegalovirus infection (has05163), and fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis (hsa05418). These pathways were all involved in the regulation of inflammation, angiogenesis, and apoptosis and commonly affected by all herbs.

CONCLUSIONS

The current review revealed that endometriosis is highly associated with aberrant inflammatory, angiogenic, and apoptotic activities. The therapeutic effects of GFW on endometriosis are likely to act through regulating these activities.

VEPH1 suppresses the progression of gastric cancer by regulating the Hippo-YAP signalling pathway

BACKGROUND

Ventricular zone-expressed PH domain-containing protein homologue 1 (VEPH1) is a recently discovered intracellular adaptor protein that plays an important role in human development. It has been reported that VEPH1 is closely related to the process of cellular malignancy, but its role in gastric cancer has not been elucidated. This study investigated the expression and function of VEPH1 in human gastric cancer (GC).

METHODS

We performed qRT‒PCR, Western blotting, and immunostaining assays in GC tissue samples to evaluate VEPH1 expression. Functional experiments were used to measure the malignancy of GC cells. A subcutaneous tumorigenesis model and peritoneal graft tumour model were established in BALB/c mice to determine tumour growth and metastasis in vivo.

RESULTS

VEPH1 expression is decreased in GC and correlates with the overall survival rates of GC patients. VEPH1 inhibits GC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and suppresses tumour growth and metastasis in vivo. VEPH1 regulates the function of GC cells by inhibiting the Hippo-YAP signalling pathway, and YAP/TAZ inhibitor-1 treatment reverses the VEPH1 knockdown-mediated increase in the proliferation, migration and invasion of GC cells in vitro. Loss of VEPH1 is associated with increased YAP activity and accelerated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in GC.

CONCLUSION

VEPH1 inhibited GC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and in vivo and exerted its antitumour effects by inhibiting the Hippo-YAP signalling pathway and EMT process in GC.

Effect of sunitinib against Echinococcus multilocularis through inhibition of VEGFA-induced angiogenesis

BACKGROUND

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a lethal zoonosis caused by the fox tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis. The disease is difficult to treat, and an effective therapeutic drug is urgently needed. Echinococcus multilocularis-associated angiogenesis is required by the parasite for growth and metastasis; however, whether antiangiogenic therapy is effective for treating AE is unclear.

METHODS

The in vivo efficacy of sunitinib malate (SU11248) was evaluated in mice by secondary infection with E. multilocularis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were used to evaluate treatment effects on serum IL-4 and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) levels after SU11248 treatment. Gross morphological observations and immunohistochemical staining were used to evaluate the impact of SU11248 on angiogenesis and the expression of pro-angiogenic factors VEGFA and VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2) in the metacestode tissues. Furthermore, the anthelmintic effects of SU11248 were tested on E. multilocularis metacestodes in vitro. The effect of SU11248 on the expression of VEGFA, VEGFR2, and phosphorylated VEGFR2 (p-VEGFR2) in liver cells infected with protoscoleces in vitro was detected by western blotting, reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The influence of SU11248 on endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) proliferation and migration was determined using CCK8 and transwell assays.

RESULTS

In vivo, SU11248 treatment markedly reduced neovascular lesion formation and substantially inhibited E. multilocularis metacestode growth in mice. Further, it exhibited high anti-hydatid activity as efficiently as albendazole (ABZ), and the treatment resulted in reduced protoscolex development. In addition, VEGFA, VEGFR2, and p-VEGFR2 expression was significantly decreased in the metacestode tissues after SU11248 treatment. However, no effect of SU11248 on serum IL-4 levels was observed. In vitro, SU11248 exhibited some anthelmintic effects and damaged the cellular structure in the germinal layer of metacestodes at concentrations below those generally considered acceptable for treatment (0.12-0.5 μM). Western blotting, RT-qPCR, and ELISA showed that in co-cultured systems, only p-VEGFR2 levels tended to decrease with increasing SU11248 concentrations. Furthermore, SU11248 was less toxic to Reuber rat hepatoma (RH) cells and metacestodes than to EPCs, and 0.1 μM SU11248 completely inhibited EPC migration to the supernatants of liver cell and protoscolex co-cultures.

CONCLUSIONS

SU11248 is a potential candidate drug for the treatment of AE, which predominantly inhibits parasite-induced angiogenesis. Host-targeted anti-angiogenesis treatment strategies constitute a new avenue for the treatment of AE.

Expression and Prognostic Value of Lgr5 in Patients with Recurrent Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Background

As a cancer stem cells (CSCs) surface marker, Lgr5 plays an important role in the signal transduction of cancer cells and is a potential biomarker for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. However, the expression and prognostic value of Lgr5 in recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (rNPC) remains ambiguous.

Materials

We used RNA sequencing to screen differentially expressed mRNAs in eleven specimens of rNPC tissues and five fresh adjacent normal tissue samples and the CSC marker, Lgr5, was identified. The expression level of Lgr5 in rNPC samples was also detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot assay. The chi-square test was used to analyze the relationship between the clinicopathological variables and the immunostaining of Lgr5. The Log-rank method was used for prognosis analysis. The Cox regression model was used for univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results

Significantly elevated expression of Lgr5 in the rNPC tissues was observed compared to the normal tissues using RNA sequencing, Western blot and immunohistochemistry. The expression of Lgr5 was significantly correlated with the T stage (P=0.014). High Lgr5 expression (P=0.007), tumor necrosis (P=0.013) and WHO type II (P=0.043) in rNPC patients exhibited worse overall survival (OS). Lgr5 expression was proved to be an independent risk factor for OS (P=0.035) in multivariate analyses, and had promising predictive value for survival and recurrence in rNPC patients (area under the ROC curve: 0.711 and 0.665, P=0.017 and 0.028, respectively).

Conclusion

Lgr5 as a CSC marker is a promising therapeutic target and could be employed to predict the survival prognosis of rNPC patients.

Expression of DDB1 is associated with subtypes of epithelial ovarian cancer and predicts clinical outcomes

BACKGROUND

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynaecological malignancy. Damage specific DNA-binding protein 1 (DDB1) functions in nucleotide-excision repair and has been reported to be involved in cancer development. In this study, we aimed to determine the expression levels of DDB1 and their association with the clinical outcomes of patients with ovarian cancer.

METHODS

Tissue arrays were performed on 54 epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) samples. Immunohistochemistry was performed to determine DDB1 expression. DDB1 expression levels among different EOC subtypes were analysed via one-way analysis of variance using SPSS Statistics 19.0. Correlation between DDB1 expression and chemotherapy course/progression-free survival (PFS) of patients was determined via Kaplan-Meier survival analysis using GraphPad Prism 5. Moreover, knockdown of DDB1 in ovarian cancer cells ES2 and OVCAR3 was used to preliminarily validate the role of DDB1.

RESULTS

DDB1 was detected in the cytoplasm, especially in the nucleus, of all subtypes of EOC. However, DDB1 expression levels were significantly different between clear cell carcinoma and low-grade serous carcinoma (P = 0.022) and clear cell carcinoma and endometrioid cancer (P = 0.016). In addition, DDB1 expression was not significantly correlated with chemotherapy course (P = 0.433) or PFS (P = 0.566). High expression levels of DDB1 were correlated with significantly worse overall survival (P = 0.017) in patients with EOC. In addition, DDB1 knockdown in ovarian cancer cells decreased their proliferation in vitro.

CONCLUSION

Our results revealed that DDB1 expression is heterogeneous in ovarian cancer, suggesting its use as a potential biomarker for poor survival in ovarian cancer.

The prognostic value of DAAM2 in lower grade glioma, liver cancer, and breast cancer

PURPOSE

Dishevelled-associated activator of morphogenesis 2 (DAAM2) is a formin protein and has a potential role in the tumor metastasis. The prognostic value of DAAM2 in pan-cancer is investigated in this study.

METHODS

TCGA and GTEx database were downloaded to perform bioinformatics analysis and ROC curves. Then we explored protein-protein interaction and GO-KEGG enrichment to figure out the protein pathways associated with DAAM2 and studied DAAM2-related immune infiltration and methylation. Fifteen pairs of BRCA clinical samples were enrolled to determine the expression and distribution of DAAM2 in BRCA sections by immunohistochemistry. Finally, BRCA cells were transfected with siRNA targeting DAAM2 and subsequently subject to cell proliferation, migration, and invasion assays.

RESULTS

DAAM2 was closely related to the diagnosis and clinical characteristics of lower grade glioma (LGG), liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC), and breast cancer (BRCA). Survival curve analysis demonstrated DAAM2 served as a potential prognostic indicator of LGG and LIHC (P = 0.0029 and P = 0.025, respectively). DAAM2 was mainly participated in signaling pathways mediating cytoskeleton regulation and tumor development. The correlation of DAAM2 with tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) and methylation levels was conducive to the prediction of novel biomarkers of pan-carcinoma. DAAM2 was highly expressed in BRCA tissues than that in paracancerous tissues. The proliferation, invasion, and migration of BRCA cells were inhibited by DAAM2 siRNA.

CONCLUSION

DAAM2 had a specific value in foretelling the prognosis of LGG, LIHC, and BRCA. High expression level of DAAM2 has longer survival rates in LGG and LIHC. The knockdown of DAAM2 retards the proliferation, invasion, and migration of BRCA cells. This study provides a novel sight of DAAM2 into the exploration of a potential biomarker in pan-cancer.

SMYD Family Members Serve as Potential Prognostic Markers and Correlate with Immune Infiltrates in Gastric Cancer

Background

The SMYD family comprises a group of genes encoding lysine methyltransferases, which are closely related to tumorigenesis. However, a systematic understanding of their role in gastric cancer (GC) is lacking.

Methods

Using databases and tools such as the Cancer Genome Atlas, Human Protein Atlas, Kaplan-Meier Plotter, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis, and Metascape, we comprehensively analyzed differences in SMYD expression and its prognostic value as well as the association of SMYDs with immune cell infiltration, tumor mutational burden (TMB), and microsatellite instability (MSI). We conducted functional enrichment analysis and explored a competing endogenous RNA mechanism regulating SMYD mRNA and protein levels in patients with GC.

Results

In GC, the expression of SMYD2/3/4/5 mRNA was significantly upregulated, as opposed to that of SMYD1 mRNA, which was significantly downregulated. The protein levels of SMYDs were consistent with mRNA levels. SMYD1/2/4/5 was negatively correlated with overall survival; SMYD1/2/3/5 was negatively correlated with progression-free survival. Our SMYD-based signature and nomogram model may be useful for inferring the prognosis of GC. All SMYDs were closely associated with the infiltration of six immune cell types: uncharacterized, CD8⁺ T, CD4⁺ T, macrophage, endothelial, and B cells. TMB was significantly negatively correlated with SMYD1 expression, while a significant positive correlation was observed with SMYD2/5. Furthermore, MSI was significantly positively correlated with SMYD2/5 expression. Long non-coding RNAs, such as chr22-38_28785274-29006793.1, XLOC_002309, and CTD-2008N3.1, were suggested to regulate SMYD expression by sponging multiple microRNAs.

Conclusion

SMYDs are differentially expressed in GC and are thus potential prognostic markers. SMYD expression is closely related to immune infiltration, TMB, and MSI, all of which are closely related to the response to targeted immune therapy.

The effects of mifepristone on the structure of human decidua and chorion and Bax and Bcl-2 expression at early stage of pregnancy

Background

As a progesterone receptor antagonist, mifepristone combined with misoprostol is widely used to terminate early pregnancy in clinical practice. It has also been reported that mifepristone may cause cell death in decidual cells and result in hemorrhage of the decidua and insufficient blood supply. However, little is known about the histological effects of mifepristone on human decidua and chorion.

Methods

Histological and subcellular structural changes of decidua and chorionic villi from women taking mifepristone at early pregnancy times were examined by Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and transmission Electron microscope. The expression of apoptosis-related proteins Bax/Bcl-2 was examined by immunohistochemistry.

Results

After 48 h of mifepristone administration, the decidua tissue and chorionic villus structures were altered in women within 39–49 days of gestation and displayed varying degrees of degeneration and necrosis-like features. Apoptotic events were observed in the decidua and chorionic villi of early pregnancy, and mifepristone treatment significantly increases the number of apoptotic cells. The increased apoptotic events were concomitant with the increased expression of Bax and decreased expression of Bcl-2.

Conclusion

This study provides evidence that mifepristone induces histological and subcellular changes in decidua and chorionic villi. Mifepristone modulates the relative ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 and the increased apoptosis contributes to the pregnancy termination at early stage of pregnancy.

Alpha Protein Kinase 2 Promotes Esophageal Cancer via Integrin Alpha 11

Background

As a common disease around the world, esophageal cancer (EC) primarily includes two subclasses: esophageal adenocarcinoma and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Mortality has been rising over the years; hence, exploring the mechanism of EC development has become critical. Among the alpha protein kinases, alpha protein kinase 2 (ALPK2) presumably has a connection with EC, but it has never been revealed before.

Methods

In this study, IHC analysis was used for ALPK2 expression quantification in ES tissues. TE-1 and Eca-109, which are both human EC cell lines, were used for in vitro analysis of cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and colony formation.

Results

ALPK2 was found to have an abundant expression within EC tissues (P < 0.001), as well as in the two selected human EC cell lines (P < 0.05). The data showed that ALPK2 depletion suppressed EC cell proliferation, migration, and colony formation, meanwhile stimulating apoptosis (P < 0.001). The in vivo experiments also displayed inhibitory effects caused by ALPK2 depletion on EC tumorigenesis (P < 0.001). It was further validated that ALPK2 depletion made the phosphorylation of Akt and mTOR, as well as CDK6 and PIK3CA levels downregulated (P < 0.001). Mechanistically, we identified integrin alpha 11 (ITGA11) as a downstream gene of ALPK2 regulating EC. More importantly, we found that ITGA11 elevation promoted cell proliferation and migration and rescued the suppression effects caused by ALPK2 depletion (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

ALPK2 promotes esophageal cancer via integrin its downstream gene alpha 11; ALPK2 can potentially act as a target for the treatment of EC.

Comprehensive analysis of PPPCs family reveals the clinical significance of PPP1CA and PPP4C in breast cancer

The phosphoprotein phosphatase catalytic subunit (PPPCs) family has been shown to play an important role in the development and progression of various malignancies, but its expression patterns and biological functions in breast cancer (BC) remain unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the clinical significance and biological functions of the PPPCs family to understand its possible significance in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of breast cancer. We comprehensively investigated the expression levels, diagnostic accuracy, prognostic outcomes, biological functions and effects on immune cell infiltration of the PPPCs family in breast cancer using online databases. Except for PPP1CB, PPP1CC, PPP5C and PPEF1, the mRNA expression levels of the PPPCs family in breast cancer tissues were significantly different from those in paracancerous tissues. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were associated with the clinicopathological parameters and prognosis of breast cancer. The DEGs were mainly associated with the WNT signaling pathway, antigen presentation and DNA repair. In addition, the DEGs significantly affected the infiltration of immune cells in breast cancer tissues. Among the PPPCs family, PPP1CA and PPP4C played a prominent role in the progression of breast cancer, and inhibition of PPP1CA and PPP4C expression by siRNA can significantly inhibit breast cancer cells proliferation and migration. In conclusion, the PPPCs family, especially PPP1CA and PPP4C, could be used as new biomarkers to improve diagnostic accuracy, predict prognosis and novel targets for the treatment of breast cancer.

LCN2 Is a Potential Biomarker for Radioresistance and Recurrence in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Background

Radioresistance-induced local failure, which can result in residual or recurrent tumors, remains one of the major causes of treatment failure in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Lipocalin 2 (LCN2) is known to play important roles in cancer initiation, progression, and treatment responses. However, its role in the radioresistance of NPC remains unclear.

Methods

Microarray data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) was screened for candidate biomarkers relating to the radioresistance of NPC. The expression of LCN2 in NPC cell lines was verified by quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blotting. The effects of knockdown or overexpression of LCN2 on NPC radiosensitivity were examined using a soft agar colony formation assay and a γH2AX assay. LCN2 expression in NPC specimens was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Survival outcomes were analyzed. A possible correlation between LCN2 and hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1A) was examined by western blotting and a tissue microarray.

Results

LCN2 was highly expressed in the radioresistant NPC cell line CNE2R. Knocking down LCN2 enhanced the radiosensitivity of NPC cells by impairing their ability to repair DNA damage or proliferate, while ectopic expression of LCN2 conferred additional radioresistance to NPC cells. Immunohistochemical analysis of 100 NPC specimens revealed that LCN2 expression was significantly upregulated in radioresistant NPC tissues and was associated with NPC recurrence. Furthermore, a significant correlation between the expression of LCN2 and HIF-1A was detected.

Conclusion

LCN2 is associated with radioresistance and recurrence in NPC and may facilitate the development of a radioresistant phenotype through interacting with HIF-1A. Our data indicate that LCN2 is a promising target for predicting and overcoming radioresistance in NPC.

EEF1A2 interacts with HSP90AB1 to promote lung adenocarcinoma metastasis via enhancing TGF-β/SMAD signalling

BACKGROUND

Eukaryotic protein translation elongation factor 1α2 (EEF1A2) is an oncogene that promotes the progression of breast and pancreatic cancer. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the oncogenic function of EEF1A2 in the metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).

METHODS

Immunohistochemistry and western blot were used to study EEF1A2 expression levels in LUAD tissues and cells, respectively. The role of EEF1A2 in LUAD progression were investigated in vitro and in vivo. We identified potential EEF1A2-binding proteins by liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry (LC-MS)/MS. Protein-protein interactions were determined by immunofluorescence and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP).

RESULTS

In this study, we report that EEF1A2 mediates the epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT), to promote the metastasis of LUAD cells in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, EEF1A2 interacts with HSP90AB1 to increase TGFβ Receptor (TβR)-I, and TβRII expression, followed by enhanced SMAD3 and pSMAD3 expression and nuclear localisation, which promotes the EMT of LUAD cells. Overexpression of EEF1A2 in cancer tissues is associated with poor prognosis and short survival of patients with LUAD.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings underscore the molecular functions of EEF1A2 in LUAD metastasis and indicate that EEF1A2 represents a promising target in the treatment of aggressive LUAD.

Glycolysis-Based Genes Are Potential Biomarkers in Thyroid Cancer

While increased glycolysis has been identified as a cancer marker and attracted much attention in thyroid cancer (THCA), the prognostic role of it remains to be further elucidated. Here we aimed to determine a specific glycolysis-associated risk model to predict THCA patients' survival. We also explored the interaction between this signature and tumor immune microenvironment and performed drug screening to identify specific drugs targeting the glycolysis-associated signature. Six genes (CHST6, POM121C, PPFIA4, STC1, TGFBI, and FBP2) comprised the specific model, which was an independent prognostic indicator in THCA patients determined by univariate, LASSO and multivariate Cox regression analyses. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis confirmed the excellent clinical performance of the prognostic signature. According to the specific gene signature, patients were categorized into high- and low-risk subgroups. The high-risk group was characterized by decreased immune score and elevated tumor purity, as well as worser survival prognosis compared to the low-risk group. We also validated the expression of these genes in clinical samples and in-vitro experiments. Lastly, we identified potential drugs targeting the glycolysis-associated signature. The derived glycolysis-related signature is an independent prognostic biomarker for THCA patients and might be used as an efficacy of biomarker for drug-sensitivity prediction.

BIRC5/Survivin Expression as a Non-Invasive Biomarker of Endometriosis

The etiology of endometriosis is highly complex, and although it is a benign disease, it has several biological behaviors similar to malignant lesions, including cell invasion, neo-angiogenesis, and decreased apoptosis. Survivin is a protein encoded by the BIRC5 gene that plays a role in cell division by inhibiting apoptosis and regulating the process of mitosis in embryonic and cancer cells. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the expression of BIRC5 in samples of peripheral blood of women with and without endometriosis. This study comprised of 40 women with endometriosis and 10 healthy women as controls. Peripheral blood samples were collected in the three phases of the menstrual cycle (follicular, ovulatory, and luteal). The expression of the BIRC5 gene was evaluated by RT-qPCR using the TaqMan methodology. The BIRC5 expression was significantly higher in all phases of the menstrual cycle in women with endometriosis, regardless of the disease stage. The accuracy of BIRC5 expression in the peripheral blood for the diagnosis endometriosis presented AUC of 0.887 (p < 0.001), with 97.2% of sensitivity and specificity of 65.5% considering the overall endometriosis group. Regarding the minimal/mild endometriosis group, the AUC presented a value of 0.925 (p < 0.001), with 100% of sensitivity and 79.3% of specificity, whereas in the moderate/severe endometriosis group the AUC was 0.868 (p < 0.001), with a sensitivity of 95.8% and specificity of 65.5%. These findings suggest that the expression of BIRC5 may be a potential noninvasive biomarker for the diagnosis of endometriosis.

Expression of anti-apoptotic protein survivin in human endometrial carcinoma: Clinical and pathological associations as a separate factor and in combination with concomitant PTEN and p53 expression

Endometrial carcinoma is one of the most common types of gynecological cancer. A total of 99 cases of primary endometrial carcinoma were investigated for survivin expression by immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, the association between concomitant survivin, PTEN and p53 expression, and clinicopathological parameters was examined. Immunopositivity for survivin was identified in 88% of cases. Concomitant survivin, PTEN and p53 expression (staining scores and intensity) was observed in 60% of endometrial adenocarcinomas. A significant association was identified between the sum of staining intensity and scores of survivin immunopositive cells, and patient age (P=0.028), histological grade (P<0.001), clinical stage (P=0.018) and fallopian tube and/or ovarian invasion (P=0.039). A negative tendency for correlation was observed between surivin and PTEN immunostaining scores (P=0.062; ρ=−0.238). Specimens with high scores of survivin expression tended to show decreased scores of PTEN immunostaining, and vice versa. However, in circumstances with an increased co-expression of survivin and PTEN, a statistically significant association with histological types was observed (P=0.020). A statistically significant positive correlation was identified between survivin and p53 sum co-expression (P=0.008; ρ=0.300). Furthermore, a significant association was identified between survivin and p53 concomitant sum expression and age of patients (P=0.001), histological type (P=0.020), clinical stage (P=0.037), histological differentiation (P=0.001) and presence of fallopian tube and/or ovarian invasion (P=0.026). The present findings suggested that survivin may be an indicator of unfavorable outcome in older patients with endometrial carcinoma, in specific circumstances that are dependent on different concomitant genetic alterations and different combinations of molecular signaling pathways. Increased expression levels of survivin and PTEN may serve a role in the development of more aggressive endometrial carcinoma during their interaction. In addition, protein expression levels of survivin and p53 are positively correlated and may share a common molecular pathway to promote endometrial carcinogenesis. These findings provided evidence that survivin and p53 combined may be useful markers for the prediction of tumor behavior and prognosis.

BIRC5 Expression is Regulated in Uterine Epithelium During the Estrous Cycle

Baculoviral inhibitor of apoptosis repeat-containing 5 (Birc5), also known as survivin, is a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family of proteins and regulates the size of tissues through cell division control. The uterus is the most dynamically sized organ among tissues during the estrous cycle. Although Birc5 is expressed in some terminally differentiated cells, the regulation of its expression in the uterus remains unknown. We investigated the regulation of Birc5 expression in the mouse uterus. RT-PCR analysis showed that Birc5 was expressed in various tissues, including the uterus; the expression level of Birc5 was significantly higher at the diestrus stage. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting analysis revealed that Birc5 was more active in luminal and glandular epithelium than in endometrial stroma. In ovariectomized mice, Birc5 expression in the uterus was gradually increased by estrogen treatment; however, progesterone injection decreased its expression. Estrogen-induced Birc5 expression was blocked by treatment with estrogen receptor antagonist, ICI 182, 780 and progesterone-reduced Birc5 expression was inhibited by the progesterone receptor antagonist RU486. These results suggest that Birc5 expression is dynamically regulated by a combination of estrogen and progesterone via their receptor-mediated signaling.

Melatonin modulates airway smooth muscle cell phenotype by targeting the STAT3/Akt/GSK-3β pathway in experimental asthma

Among the troika of clinicopathologic features of asthma, airway remodelling has gained sufficient attention for its contribution to progressive airway narrowing. Much effort has been directed at the management of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs), but few attempts have proven to prevent the progression of remodelling. Recently, accumulating data have shown the anti-inflammatory/anti-proliferative potency of melatonin (a crucial neurohormone involved in many physiological and pathological processes) in diverse cells. However, no evidence has confirmed its effect on ASMCs. The present study investigates the benefits of melatonin in asthma, with an emphasis on airway remodelling. The results indicated that melatonin significantly attenuated airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), inflammation and remodelling in a house dust mite (HDM) model. Melatonin markedly alleviated goblet cell hyperplasia/metaplasia, collagen deposition and airway smooth muscle hyperplasia/hypertrophy, implying the achievement of remodelling remission. The data obtained in vitro further revealed that melatonin notably inhibited ASMCs proliferation, VEGF synthesis and cell migration induced by PDGF, which might depend on STAT3 signalling. Moreover, melatonin remarkably relieved ASMCs contraction and reversed ASMCs phenotype switching induced by TGF-β, probably via the Akt/GSK-3β pathway. Altogether, our findings illustrated for the first time that melatonin improves asthmatic airway remodelling by balancing the phenotypic proportions of ASMCs, thus highlighting a novel purpose for melatonin as a potent option for the management of asthma.

The role of survivin in the pathogenesis of endometriosis

INTRODUCTION

Endometriosis is a common, estrogen-dependent condition, defined as the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside of the uterus, associated with often chronic and inflammatory reaction. The association of endometriosis with cancer is unclear, although endometriosis and cancer present some molecular similarities. Survinin, encoded by the BIRC5 gene, is a protein that controls cell division, inhibits apoptosis and promotes angiogenesis. Here we aimed to summarize and to discuss the main findings of studies that addressed the involvement of survivin in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

We conducted a comprehensive retrieval from electronic databases, included the MEDLINE, EMBASE, with no restrictions to time span. We used the search terms endometriosis and survivin or BIRC5 and collected all relevant studies to explore the association between endometriosis and surviving expression.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

A total of 21 studies included in the systematic review, comprising sample collected from 1263 women with endometriosis. Results showed the involvement of more than 60 genes and proteins evaluated in eutopic, ectopic, endometrial and ovarian endometriosis, as well as in several gynecological conditions compared to healthy controls.

CONCLUSIONS

The studies provided the basis for the involvement of survivin in the pathogenesis of the disease by several and independent pathways.

lncRNA/mRNA profiling of endometriosis rat uterine tissues during the implantation window

Endometriosis is associated with changes in long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and mRNA expression, but the exact changes during the implantation window are unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the lncRNA and mRNA expression profiles in the uterus of rats with endometriosis during the implantation window. A total of 35 non-pregnant female rats were randomized to the endometriosis (n=13), adipose tissue control (n=8) and blank control (n=14) groups. On the 5th day of pregnancy, the rats were sacrificed to obtain uterine tissues. lncRNA and mRNA were analyzed using gene chips. A total of five differentially expressed lncRNA and four mRNA were validated by reverse transcription-quantitative (RT-q)PCR. Immunohistochemistry and western blotting were used to determine the expression of the ADAM metal-lopeptidase with thrombospondin type 1 motif 7 (Adamts7), tumor protein p53 (Tp53), distal-less homeobox 3 (Dlx3) and pyrimidinergic receptor P2Y6 (P2ry6) proteins. There were 115 upregulated lncRNAs, 51 downregulated lncRNAs, 97 upregulated mRNAs and 85 downregulated mRNAs in the endometriosis group. RT-qPCR confirmed the trends for five lncRNAs and four mRNAs (Adamts7, Tp53, Dlx3 and P2ry6). The relative protein expression levels of Adamts7, P2ry6, Dlx3 and TP53 were significantly different in the endometriosis group (P<0.05 vs. controls). Bioinformatics predicted the co-expression relationship of the selected five lncRNA and four mRNA. Gene ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes predicted that Adamts7, P2ry6, Dlx3 and TP53 were involved in endometriosis-related inflammation and reproductive pathways. In conclusion, the changes in the expression of lncRNAs, mRNAs and proteins (Adamts7, P2ry6, Dlx3 and TP53) may possibly affect endometrial receptivity in rats with endometriosis during the implantation window, probably resulting in implantation failure of the embryo.

Survivin modulatory role in autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases

Baculoviral IAP repeat containing 5 (BIRC5) gene encodes the important protein as survivin, a multifunctional protein, which is involved in cellular and molecular networks, progression of cell cycle, homeostasis, developmental morphogenesis, and apoptosis. The proximal BIRC5 promoter possesses specific binding sites for key transcription factors such as nuclear factor κB and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3. Upregulation of survivin exacerbates the autoimmune diseases (AIDs) including multiple sclerosis and myasthenia gravis by reducing the activity threshold of survivin-specific cytotoxic T cells. DNA damage along with upregulation or downregulation of survivin have been demonstrated in initiation and pathogenesis of cancers and AIDs. However, detailed mechanism of survivin function in pathogenesis of AIDs is not well understood. This review focuses on the structure, specificity, regulation, and function of survivin in physiologic conditions and pathogenesis of AIDs.

aPKCι promotes gallbladder cancer tumorigenesis and gemcitabine resistance by competing with Nrf2 for binding to Keap1

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a highly malignant bile duct cancer with poor prognosis characterized by its insensitivity to chemotherapy. Emerging evidence indicates that cytoprotective antioxidation is involved in drug resistance of various cancers; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain obscure. Here, we demonstrated that atypical protein kinase Cι (aPKCι) mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) inhibition in a kinase-independent manner, which played a crucial role in tumorigenesis and chemoresistance. Mechanistically, we found that aPKCι facilitated nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) accumulation, nuclear translocation and activated its target genes by competing with Nrf2 for binding to Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) through a highly conserved DLL motif. In addition, the aPKCι-Keap1 interaction was required for antioxidant effect, cell growth and gemcitabine resistance in GBC. Importantly, we further confirmed that aPKCι was frequently upregulated and correlated with poor prognosis in patients with GBC. Collectively, our findings suggested that aPKCι positively modulated the Keap1-Nrf2 pathway to enhance GBC growth and gemcitabine resistance, implying that the aPKCι-Keap1-Nrf2 axis may be a potential approach to overcome the drug resistance for the treatment of GBC.

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aPKCι inhibits ROS in a kinase-independent manner.

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aPKCι competes with Nrf2 for binding to Keap1 via a DLL motif.

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The aPKCι-Keap1 interaction promotes cell growth and gemcitabine resistance.

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Upregulation of aPKCι was linked to poor prognosis in patients with GBC.

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aPKCι-Keap1-Nrf2 axis may be a potential therapeutic target for GBC.

Downregulation of ASPP2 promotes gallbladder cancer metastasis and macrophage recruitment via aPKC-ι/GLI1 pathway

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a highly malignant bile duct cancer with poor prognosis due to early invasion and metastasis. However, the molecular mechanisms through which GBC cells interact with the tumor microenvironment (TME) remain poorly understood. Here, we examined the role of the tumor suppressor apoptosis-stimulating of p53 protein 2 (ASPP2) in regulating GBC invasion and metastasis and macrophage recruitment. The clinicopathological significance of ASPP2 expression was measured by immunohistochemical analysis in 72 patients with GBC. Lentivirus-mediated knockdown or overexpression of ASPP2 was used to investigate the biological functions and molecular mechanisms of ASPP2 in GBC cells. Our data showed that downregulation of ASPP2 in patients with GBC was linked to poor prognosis. Knockdown of ASPP2 induced epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in GBC cells and influenced the TME. Mechanistically, we further confirmed that ASPP2 affected the expression and protein binding between atypical protein kinase C (aPKC)-ι and glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (GLI1). ASPP2 also induced C−C motif chemokine ligand (CCL) 2, CCL5, and tumor necrosis factor-α secretion by cancer cells, thereby promoting macrophage recruitment. The latter also induced EMT-like changes in GBC. Furthermore, ASPP2 deficiency regulated GLI1 transcriptional activity via the noncanonical Hedgehog (Hh) pathway and aPKC-ι/GLI1 signaling loop and promoted GLI1 nuclear localization and binding to the promoters of target genes. Our findings revealed that downregulation of ASPP2 promoted GBC invasion and metastasis through the aPKC-ι/GLI1 pathway and enhanced macrophage recruitment. Thus, ASPP2/aPKC-ι/GLI1 pathway may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of GBC.

The possible association between AQP9 in the intestinal epithelium and acute liver injury‑induced intestinal epithelium damage

The present study aimed to investigate the expression and function of aquaporin (AQP)9 in the intestinal tract of acute liver injury rat models. A total of 20 Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: Normal control (NC) group and acute liver injury groups (24, 48 and 72 h). Acute liver injury rat models were established using D-amino galactose, and the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (Tbil) and albumin were determined using an automatic biochemical analyzer. Proteins levels of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) in rat intestinal mucosa were investigated via immunohistochemistry. Pathological features were observed using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. MLCK, AQP9 and claudin-1 protein expression levels were detected via western blotting. Levels of ALT and AST in acute liver injury rats were revealed to steadily increase between 24 and 48 h time intervals, reaching a peak level at 48 h. Furthermore, TBil levels increased significantly until 72 h. Levels of ALT were revealed to significantly increase until the 48 h time interval, and then steadily decreased until the 72 h time interval. The acute liver injury 72 h group exhibited the greatest levels of MLCK expression among the three acute liver injury groups; however, all three acute liver injury groups exhibited enhanced levels of MLCK expression compared with the NC group. Protein levels of AQP9 and claudin-1 were enhanced in the NC group compared with the three acute liver injury groups. H&E staining demonstrated that terminal ileum mucosal layer tissues obtained from the acute liver injury rats exhibited visible neutrophil infiltration. Furthermore, the results revealed that levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10 serum cytokines were significantly increased in the acute liver injury groups. In addition, AQP9 protein expression was suppressed in acute liver injury rats, which induced pathological alterations in terminal ileum tissues may be associated with changes of claudin-1 and MLCK protein levels.

Cell-free DNA derived from cancer cells facilitates tumor malignancy through Toll-like receptor 9 signaling-triggered interleukin-8 secretion in colorectal cancer

Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has become a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for colorectal cancer (CRC). In non-cancerous diseases, it has been confirmed that cfDNA can be recognized by Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9), leading to a significant biological change. Nevertheless, the biological significance of cfDNA and its relationship with TLR9 in tumor malignancy is still unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the biological role of cfDNA in colorectal cancer (CRC). The expression of TLR9 was measured in different CRC cell lines and cancerous samples by RT-PCR or immunohistochemistry, which showed that high expression of TLR9 was significantly correlated with the tumor metastasis, advanced TNM stage and poor prognosis of patients. Then, cfDNA was obtained from fluorouracil (5FU)-induced apoptotic cancer cells in vitro and transfection techniques were used to transfect siRNA and cDNA plasmid for TLR9. Cancer cells were stimulated using isolated cfDNA fragments, and results showed that cfDNA could promote colorectal cancer cell proliferation via TLR9. Meanwhile, we demonstrated that the cfDNA binding to TLR9 could facilitate cell migration and invasion. Finally, we demonstrated that cfDNA initiated downstream TLR9-MyD88 signaling and induced robust release of chemokine interleukin 8 (IL-8), which helped to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these phenomena. Our data suggest that cancer cell-derived cfDNA contributes to cancer progression through activation of TLR9-MyD88 signaling and IL-8 secretion in CRC. These findings provide a novel perspective for understanding of tumor progression and provoke a potential therapeutic target for CRC treatment.

Antiapoptotic Molecule Survivin in Transplantation: Helpful or Harmful?

Survivin, an antiapoptotic molecule from inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family, is most known for its implication in cancer as there are some efforts to apply it for diagnostic as well as therapeutic purposes in oncology. On the other hand, it could be a useful molecule to be positively targeted when trying to save tissue and promote cells viability. Since protecting the allograft from ischemia reperfusion injury and inflammation-induced damage is a considerable objective in transplantation, it is reasonable to take advantage from antiapoptotic agents like survivin in order to achieve this goal. However, survivin's potential ability to induce malignancies makes some concerns about its use in clinic. The other barrier is this molecule's involvement in lymphocytes development and proliferation which might increase the risk of graft rejection due to adaptive immune system overactivation. In this review we summarize the few studies carried out about survivin's effect on graft survival and probable advantages and disadvantages of its overexpression in transplantation.

Coagulation Factor X Regulated by CASC2c Recruited Macrophages and Induced M2 Polarization in Glioblastoma Multiforme

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) constitute a major component of inflammatory cells in the glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) tumor microenvironment. TAMs have been implicated in GBM angiogenesis, invasion, local tumor recurrence, and immunosuppression. Coagulation factor X (FX) is a vitamin K-dependent plasma protein that plays a role in the regulation of blood coagulation. In this study, we first found that FX was highly expressed and positively correlated with TAM density in human GBM. FX exhibited a potent chemotactic capacity to recruit macrophages and promoted macrophages toward M2 subtype polarization, accelerating GBM growth. FX bound to extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK)1/2 and inhibited p-ERK1/2 in GBM cells. FX was secreted in the tumor microenvironment and increased the phosphorylation and activation of ERK1/2 and AKT in macrophages, which may have been responsible for the M2 subtype macrophage polarization. Moreover, although the lncRNA CASC2c has been verified to function as a miR-101 competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to promote miR-101 target genes in GBM cells, we first confirmed that CASC2c did not function as a miR-338-3p ceRNA to promote FX expression, and that FX was a target gene of miR-338-3p. CASC2c interacted with and reciprocally repressed miR-338-3p. Both CASC2c and miR-388-3p bound to FX and commonly inhibited its expression and secretion. CASC2c repressed M2 subtype macrophage polarization. Taken together, our findings revealed a novel mechanism highlighting CASC2c and FX as potential therapeutic targets to improve GBM patients by altering the GBM microenvironment.

Long-term prognostic implications and therapeutic target role of hexokinase II in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Tumor cells preferentially use anaerobic glycolysis rather than oxidative phosphorylation to generate energy. Hexokinase II (HK-II) is necessary for anaerobic glycolysis and displays aberrant expression in malignant cells. The current study aimed to evaluate the role of HK-II in the survival and biological function of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Our study demonstrated that high expression of HK-II was associated with poor survival outcomes in NPC patients. When using 3-BrOP (an HK-II inhibitor) to repress glycolysis, cell proliferation and invasion were attenuated, accompanied by the induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the G1 stage. Furthermore, 3-BrOP synergized with cisplatin (DDP) to induce NPC cell death. Collectively, we provided that the aberrant expression of HK-II was associated with the malignant phenotype of NPC. A combined treatment modality that targets glycolysis with DDP holds promise for the treatment of NPC patients.

A Prognostic Bio-Model Based on SQSTM1 and N-Stage Identifies Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients at High Risk of Metastasis for Additional Induction Chemotherapy

Purpose: Metastasis is one of the most important causes of treatment failure in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). In T4 or N2-3 patients at high-risk of metastasis, concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) is inadequate and additional induction chemotherapy (IC) is controversial. There is a critical need to develop a better patient stratification to efficiently identify patients at high-risk of metastasis for additional IC. Recently, Sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1)/p62, an autophagy adaptor protein, was identified as one of the metastasis-related proteins in NPC. However, the mechanism by which SQSTM1 is involved in NPC metastasis was not investigated.Experimental Design: The effect of SQSTM1 on cell migration and invasion was examined in vitro and in vivo SQSTM1 expression was analyzed in clinical NPC samples using IHC. Luciferase reporter analyses were conducted to identify the effects of SQSTM1 on NF-κB transcriptional activity. A prediction bio-model was constructed by Cox analysis. Retrospective and prospective randomized clinical data were adopted to build and test the model, respectively.Results: SQSTM1 mediated epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) through the NF-κB pathway to promote NPC metastasis. Inhibiting SQSTM1 enhanced sensitivity to cisplatin in NPC cells. In NPC patients, high SQSTM1 expression was associated with increased risk of distant metastasis. Furthermore, we propose a prognostic bio-model based on SQSTM1 and N-stage to predict NPC metastasis. Most importantly, our prospective randomized study suggested that IC is beneficial for NPC patients with high metastasis risk.Conclusions: The prognostic bio-model identifies NPC patients at high-risk of metastasis for additional IC. Clin Cancer Res; 24(3); 648-58. ©2017 AACR.

Endogenous Nampt upregulation is associated with diabetic nephropathy inflammatory-fibrosis through the NF-κB p65 and Sirt1 pathway; NMN alleviates diabetic nephropathy inflammatory-fibrosis by inhibiting endogenous Nampt

Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt) is a key enzyme in the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) biosynthetic pathway. Exogenous extra cellular Nampt has been reported to increase the synthesis of pro-fibrotic molecules in various types of renal cells. However, the role of endogenous Namptenzymatic activity in diabetic renal cells, particularly those associated with inflammation and fibrosis through the nuclear factor (NF)-κB p65 and sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) pathway is still unknown. In the present study, a possible mechanism by which endogenous Nampt upregulation affects the expression of pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic cytokines in vivo and in vitro, is reported. The present results demonstrate that the expression of vimentin and fibronectin was directly implicated in endogenous Nampt upregulation. The expression levels of Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1, NF-κB p65, forkhead box protein O1 and B-cell lymphoma 2-like protein 4 were also significantly increased at 96 h compared with control group (P<0.01) respectively in response to endogenous Nampt upregulation. Furthermore, the expression level of Sirt1 was significantly reduced (P<0.05), and the NAD and NADH levels, and the NAD/NADH ratio are significantly altered in STZ-induced diabetic rats (P<0.01). Treatment with FK866 and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) led to downregulation of vimentin and fibronectin, respectively. These results suggest a novel role of Nampt as a pro-inflammatory cytokine of mesangial fibrotic signaling. The Nampt-NF-κB p65 and Sirt1 signaling pathway serves a pivotal role in affecting the expression of fibrosis factors in diabetic nephropathy (DN) glomerular fibrosis processing. It is also suggested that prevention of endogenous Nampt upregulation may be critical in the treatment of DN pro-inflammatory fibrosis and NMN is likely to be a potential pharmacological agent for the treatment of resistant DN nephritic fibrosis.

All-trans retinoic acid suppresses malignant characteristics of CD133-positive thyroid cancer stem cells and induces apoptosis

Recently, diagnoses of radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RAI-R DTC) have become more common; prognosis is poor. It has been suggested that cancer stem cells account for radiotherapy resistance. By flow cytometry, different expression percents of CD133 and OCT4 in thyroid cancer cell lines were detected. By real-time quantitative PCR, different mRNA expression of CD133, OCT4, GLUT1, thyroglobulin (TG), thyroperoxidase (TPO) and sodium iodine symporter (NIS) was analyzed; the localization of CD133, OCT4, and NIS expression was examined using immunofluorescence confocal microscopy. Different expression of CD133, OCT4, and NIS in 21 human thyroid cancer and nodule tissues was investigated using immunohistochemistry. CD133-positive cells were isolated by magnetic sorting. Stronger colony formation ability of CD133-positive and weaker ability of CD133-negative cells in vivo were examined by colony formation. The effects of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) on CD133-positive cells in vivo were explored with Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation, apoptosis, cell cycle, and ethynyl deoxyuridine assays. The ARO cell line and RAI-R DTC tissue specimens had more CD133-positive cells. NIS expression was significantly lower in RAI-R DTC tissue compared to radioiodine-sensitive DTC (RAI-DTC) tissue and specimens from patients with thyroid nodule. ATRA inhibited the stem cell characteristics of CD133-positive cells and induced CD133-positive cell differentiation to CD133-negative cells, and promoted CD133-positive cell apoptosis.

Exo70 is an independent prognostic factor in colon cancer

Exo70, a key component of the Exocyst complex, plays important roles in human cancer progression beyond exocytosis. However, the expression of Exo70 and its prognostic value for patients with colon cancer has not been well investigated to date. In this study, we observed that the mRNA and protein levels of Exo70 were upregulated in 11 of 13 colon cancer tissues, compared with their normal counterparts, which was validated by immunohistochemical analysis in a tissue microarray containing 89 pairs of colon cancer tissues and the matched adjacent normal tissues. Statistical analysis revealed that Exo70 expression is positively correlated with tumor size, invasion depth, TNM stage and distant metastasis. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that colon cancer patients with higher Exo70 expression have a poorer clinical outcome than those with lower Exo70 expression. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that Exo70, age and distant metastasis were there independent prognostic factors for overall survival rate of colon cancer patients. Through gain- and loss of Exo70 in colon cancer cells, we found that Exo70 could enhance the migration ability of colon cancer cells. Taken together, our studies revealed that Exo70 might be a promising negative prognostic factor and a potential therapeutic target for colon cancer.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Fibroblast-like Synoviocyte Suppression Mediated by PTEN Involves Survivin Gene Silencing

Survivin is a proto-oncogene biomarker known for its anti-apoptotic and cell cycle regulating properties induced by the activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway. In the context of non-cancer pathology, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), survivin has emerged as a feature associated with severe joint damage and poor treatment response. Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) is a phosphatase antagonizing all classes of PI3K. The interplay between survivin oncogenic mechanisms and proliferation suppression networks in RA has remained largely elusive. This study investigated the effect of PTEN on survivin gene expression in rheumatiod arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocyte (RA-FLS). We showed for the first time that the suppression of RA-FLS was mediated by PTEN involving survivin silencing. Considering that survivin suppressants are currently available in clinical trials and clinical use, their effects in RA-FLS support a probably RA therapy to clinical practice.

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester alleviates asthma by regulating the airway microenvironment via the ROS-responsive MAPK/Akt pathway

In the pathophysiology of asthma, structural cell dysfunction and concomitant microenvironment changes in airways are crucial to pathological progression, which involves oxidative stress. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is an active anti-oxidative component obtained from propolis, and has been shown to have beneficial effects on several respiratory disorders, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. However, the impact of CAPE on asthma is not well understood. Therefore, this study investigated the advantages of using CAPE to treat asthma and demonstrated the roles of CAPE in the regulation of airway microenvironments. In ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized mice, CAPE treatments notably reduced airway hyperresponsiveness, attenuated extensive inflammatory cell infiltration and inhibited goblet cell hyperplasia and collagen deposition and fibrosis. In addition, CAPE improved the airway microenvironment in a dose-dependent manner by inhibiting OVA-induced increases in immunoglobulin E, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 and suppressing matrix metalloproteinase-9 and alpha-smooth muscle actin expression as well as malondialdehyde production. To determine the underlying mechanisms responsible for these effects, we used TNF-α-stimulated BECs and TGF-β1-challenged human ASMCs to explore the impacts of CAPE on pro-inflammatory proteins and ASMC proliferation. The results indicated that CAPE significantly limited the secretion of eotaxin-1, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, IL-8 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and dramatically inhibited the proliferation of ASMCs. These effects were shown to be associated with decreased reactive oxidant species (ROS) levels. The phosphorylation of Akt and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) caused by increased ROS was significantly decreased by CAPE, which implied a contribution of ROS-MAPK/Akt signaling to the attenuation of asthma. Our findings indicated for the first time that CAPE alleviates airway inflammation and remodeling in chronic asthma by balancing the airway microenvironment, which highlights a novel profile of CAPE as a potent agent for asthma management.

Molecular Mechanism of MicroRNA-200c Regulating Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β)/SMAD Family Member 3 (SMAD3) Pathway by Targeting Zinc Finger E-Box Binding Homeobox 1 (ZEB1) in Hypospadias in Rats

Background

The aim of this study was to explore effects of microRNA-200c regulating TGF-β/Smad3 pathway by targeting Zeb1 on the occurrence and development of hypospadias and to evaluate the relationship between microRNA-200c and occurrence of hypospadias.

Material/Methods

Pregnant rats with a gestational age of 12 days were allocated into 2 groups; one received gavage of DEHP-contained soybean oil (1 ml/day, 8 days; Group A) and the other had gavage of normal soybean oil (1 ml/day, 8 days; Group B). Baby rats with hypospadias from Group A were assigned to the model group (n=20) and healthy baby rats from Group B were assigned to the control group (n=20). Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis were performed to detect microRNA-200c, Zeb1, TGF-β, and Smad3 mRNA and protein expressions in the model group (n=20) and the control group (n=20). The relationship between microRNA-200c and Zeb1 was detected using a dual-luciferase reporter gene experiment. After the in vitro intervention experiment in fetal rat penises, Western blot was used to detect the expression of Zeb1, TGF-β, and Smad3.

Results

In the model group, microRNA-200c was expressed at a low level, and microRNA-200c expression in control group was 2.1 times higher than in the model group (P<0.05). When compared with the control group, mRNA expressions, protein expressions, and positive rates of Zeb1, TGF-β, and Smad3 were higher in the model group (all P<0.01). Luciferase gene report determined that Zeb1 is a target gene of microRNA-200c. The in vitro intervention experiment in fetal rat penises found that a high concentration of microRNA-200c inhibited hypospadias occurrence by suppressing the expression of Zeb1, TGF-β, and Smad3.

Conclusions

MicroRNA-200c was expressed in hypospadias penis tissues at low levels and was negatively correlated with Zeb1 expression. MicroRNA-200c up-regulated Zeb1 expression to regulate the TGF-β/Smad3 pathway, which led to the occurrence of hypospadias.

Morin Attenuates Ovalbumin-Induced Airway Inflammation by Modulating Oxidative Stress-Responsive MAPK Signaling

Asthma is one of the most common inflammatory diseases characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness, inflammation, and remodeling. Morin, an active ingredient obtained from Moraceae plants, has been demonstrated to have promising anti-inflammatory activities in a range of disorders. However, its impacts on pulmonary diseases, particularly on asthma, have not been clarified. This study was designed to investigate whether morin alleviates airway inflammation in chronic asthma with an emphasis on oxidative stress modulation. In vivo, ovalbumin- (OVA-) sensitized mice were administered with morin or dexamethasone before challenge. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissues were obtained to perform cell counts, histological analysis, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In vitro, human bronchial epithelial cells (BECs) were challenged by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). The supernatant was collected for the detection of the proinflammatory proteins, and the cells were collected for reactive oxygen species (ROS)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) evaluations. Severe inflammatory responses and remodeling were observed in the airways of the OVA-sensitized mice. Treatment with morin dramatically attenuated the extensive trafficking of inflammatory cells into the BALF and inhibited their infiltration around the respiratory tracts and vessels. Morin administration also significantly suppressed goblet cell hyperplasia and collagen deposition/fibrosis and dose-dependently inhibited the OVA-induced increases in IgE, TNF-α, interleukin- (IL-) 4, IL-13, matrix metalloproteinase-9, and malondialdehyde. In human BECs challenged by TNF-α, the levels of proteins such as eotaxin-1, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, IL-8 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1, were consistently significantly decreased by morin. Western blotting and the 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein assay revealed that the increases in intracellular ROS and MAPK phosphorylation were abolished by morin, implying that ROS/MAPK signaling contributes to the relief of airway inflammation. Our findings indicate for the first time that morin alleviates airway inflammation in chronic asthma, which probably occurs via the oxidative stress-responsive MAPK pathway, highlighting a novel profile of morin as a potent agent for asthma management.

Competitive inhibition of survivin using a cell-permeable recombinant protein induces cancer-specific apoptosis in colon cancer model

Endogenous survivin expression has been related with cancer survival, drug resistance, and metastasis. Therapies targeting survivin have been shown to significantly inhibit tumor growth and recurrence. We found out that a cell-permeable dominant negative survivin (SurR9-C84A, referred to as SR9) competitively inhibited endogenous survivin and blocked the cell cycle at the G1/S phase. Nanoencapsulation in mucoadhesive chitosan nanoparticles (CHNP) substantially increased the bioavailability and serum stability of SR9. The mechanism of nanoparticle uptake was studied extensively in vitro and in ex vivo models. Our results confirmed that CHNP-SR9 protected primary cells from autophagy and successfully induced tumor-specific apoptosis via both extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways. CHNP-SR9 significantly reduced the tumor spheroid size (three-dimensional model) by nearly 7-fold. Effects of SR9 and CHNP-SR9 were studied on 35 key molecules involved in the apoptotic pathway. Highly significant (4.26-fold, P≤0.005) reduction in tumor volume was observed using an in vivo mouse xenograft colon cancer model. It was also observed that net apoptotic (6.25-fold, P≤0.005) and necrotic indexes (3.5-fold, P≤0.05) were comparatively higher in CHNP-SR9 when compared to void CHNP and CHNP-SR9 internalized more in cancer stem cells (4.5-fold, P≤0.005). We concluded that nanoformulation of SR9 did not reduce its therapeutic potential; however, nanoformulation provided SR9 with enhanced stability and better bioavailability. Our study presents a highly tumor-specific protein-based cancer therapy that has several advantages over the normally used chemotherapeutics.

Molecular interaction of Survivin and Piperine by computational docking analyses for neuroblastoma targeting

BACKGROUND

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a childhood cancer causing significant mortality in at least 1% children worldwide. NB is an embryonically derived tumor. The causative agents include genetic predisposition and dysregulated signaling cascades. Survivin is an important anti-apoptotic protein that is significantly up-regulated in NB. In this study, a naturally occurring ligand - Piperine was assessed for its interaction with Survivin protein.

PURPOSE

The study was undertaken in order to identify the experimental feasibility of Survivin inhibitor ligand Piperine as targeting treatment of NB.

METHODS

Protein sequences were retrieved and saved in PDB format. Similarly, the ligand data was processed using MGL (Molecular Graphics Laboratory) and chimera tools and saved in PDB format. Both protein and the ligand data were then uploaded to the docking server and docking parameters were set.

RESULTS

In-silico docking study of a protein ligand interaction resulted in -3.36 Kcal/mol free energy value for the ligand, with an involvement of 1 hydrogen bond, 7 hydrophobic interactions and 13 ionic interactions. The results were correlated with the existing free energy value of > -3 Kcal/mol which is established for a good inhibitor.

CONCLUSION

The molecular docking study for mice Survivin and Piperine shows good inhibitory interaction effect and can, therefore, be considered as a molecule against Survivin enhanced tumor condition including NB.

Bifunctional roles of survivin-ΔEx3 and survivin-2B for susceptibility to apoptosis in endometrial carcinomas

PURPOSE

Alternative splicing variants of survivin have different biological roles on cell kinetics. Here, we focused on the effects of different variants, including wild type (wt), survivin-ΔEx3, and survivin-2B, on apoptosis and cell proliferation in endometrial carcinomas (Em Cas).

METHODS

Expression of survivin-wt, survivin-ΔEx3, and survivin-2B with reference to cell death and proliferation was investigated, using Em Ca cell lines and its clinical tissues.

RESULTS

Ishikawa cells stably overexpressing either survivin-ΔEx3 (Surv-ΔEx3#34) or survivin-2B (Surv-2B#17) demonstrated considerably lower proliferative activity, along with up-regulation of p21waf1. After TNF-α treatment, Surv-ΔEx3#34 cells showed an increase in apoptotic cells, while the effects were relatively minor in Surv-2B#17 cells. In contrast, doxorubicin treatment resulted in increased apoptotic cells in Surv-2B#17 but not Surv-ΔEx3#34 cells, along with decreased expression of bcl-2 relative to bax. Control Ishikawa cells also showed relatively higher endogenous mRNA expression of survivin-ΔEx3 and survivin-2B during treatment of TNF-α and doxorubicin, respectively. In addition, exogenous overexpression of each survivin variant resulted in inhibition of other endogenous isoforms, indicating that the relative proportion may contribute to regulation of the splicing machinery. In clinical samples, level of survivin-ΔEx3 relative to either survivin-wt or survivin-2B was significantly higher in Em Cas than non-neoplastic lesions. Moreover, survivin-ΔEx3 and survivin-wt were positively correlated with apoptosis and cell proliferation, respectively, in Em Cas.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings provided evidence that the balance among expression level of survivin variants may contribute to modulation of cell kinetics in Em Ca cells.

Prognostic importance of survivin, Ki-67, and topoisomerase IIα in ovarian carcinoma

PURPOSE

Stage, tumor grade and histological subtype determine the clinical behavior in ovarian tumors. Some additional factors are related to tumor cell biology and are the useful predictors for identifying the patients with poor prognosis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prognostic significance of survivin, Ki-67 and Topoisomerase IIα (TOPO IIα) in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Seventy-three patients with EOC were included in this study. Survivin, Ki-67 and TOPO IIα expressions were studied by immunohistochemistry on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections. Nuclear staining for all antibodies was scored on a three-tiered system and more than 10 % staining was accepted as expression. The relationship between the expressions of survivin, Ki-67, TOPO IIα and clinicopathological parameters including age, stage, grade, platinum resistance and survival was evaluated.

RESULTS

Survivin, Ki-67 and TOPO IIα expressions were found in 20, 82 and 86 % of the tumors, respectively. Ki-67 and TOPO IIα expressions were found to be related to poor overall survival (p = 0.005, 0.004, respectively), while survivin expression was not associated with overall survival. There was no association between TOPO IIα and Ki-67 expressions and histological subtype, stage or grade. However, we found an important relationship between TOPO IIα expression and platinum resistance (p = 0.044). Platinum resistance was found to be an independent prognostic factor in EOC.

CONCLUSION

Ki-67 and TOPO IIα expressions were found to be related to poor overall survival, and TOPO IIα expression was found to be associated with platinum resistance.

The process of apoptosis in a holocrine gland as shown by the avian uropygial gland

This study was designed to elucidate the presence of apoptosis and the localization of apoptosis-related Bax and survivin proteins and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) within the chicken uropygial gland, a specialized holocrine secretory gland. In day-old chicks, survivin and Bax immunoreactivities were observed in the cell cytoplasm of the germinative and secretory layers of the luminal epithelium and tubules. During this period, the TUNEL reaction, an indication of apoptosis, was only sporadically positive in the tubules. From the 7th day to the 150th day of posthatching, survivin was detected in the cytoplasm of cells in the germinative layer and in the nuclei of some cells in the secretory layers of the gland. The germinative layer cells showed weak homogeneous cytoplasmic staining for Bax, whereas the cells of the secretory and intermediate layers of luminal epithelium and tubules exhibited granular cytoplasmic staining. After day 7, TUNEL-positive cells were observed in the secretory and degenerative layers of the luminal epithelium and central tubules. After day 12, some TUNEL-positive cells were also seen in the peripheral tubules. At all posthatch ages, the cytoplasm and nucleus of the germinative layers of luminal epithelium and tubules reacted with PCNA, whereas only a small number of cell nuclei in the secretory layers were immunopositive. These results support the theory that specific PCNA/Bax/survivin expression patterns could reflect particular cell differentiation states in the uropygial gland and that holocrine secretion in the gland is realized mainly by way of apoptosis.

Survivin promoter polymorphisms and autoantibodies in endometriosis

Expression of survivin, an inhibitor of apoptosis, is increased in endometriotic lesions and probably favors the survival of endometrial fragments in the peritoneal cavity. The aim of this study was to evaluate associations between survivin promoter polymorphisms and the risk of endometriosis, as well as to compare the immunoreactivity to survivin in sera of patients with and without endometriosis. We studied 149 women with endometriosis, 196 fertile women from the general population (control group A) and 47 women who had undergone diagnostic laparoscopy and had no evidence of endometriosis (control group B). There were no significant differences in the genotypic distribution of the survivin gene promoter region -241C/T, -235G/A and -31G/C single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) between endometriosis patients and the two control groups. In addition, also median anti-survivin autoantibody levels were similar among patients and controls (group B). However, anti-survivin antibody concentrations seemed to be influenced by cigarette smoking, being significantly lower in sera of actively smoking women compared to non-smokers (median OD: 0.019 vs. 0.155, respectively, P<0.001), and by the -235G/A SNP, as A allele carriers were significantly more frequent among women with a high antibody level (OD≥2.0) compared to those with lower concentrations (OD<2.0) (23.1% vs. 4.1%, respectively, P=0.008). Based on these results, we conclude that survivin promoter polymorphisms are not associated with susceptibility to endometriosis in the Estonian population, and though the expression of survivin is increased in endometriotic lesions, autoimmune reactivity against it is similar in women with and without the disease.