Low expression of Aldo-keto reductase 1B10 is a novel independent prognostic indicator for nasopharyngeal carcinoma

The pan-cancer landscape of aldo-keto reductase1B10 reveals that its expression is diminished in gastric cancer

Introduction

Aldo-keto reductase 1B10 (AKR1B10) is a multifunctional enzyme, which is important in cancer development and progression, but the landscape of AKR1B10 in pan-cancers and in tumor microenvironment is unclear.

Method

This study integrated the sequencing data of 33 cancer types, including gastric cancer, from TCGA project to explored the expression pattern and genetic and epigenetic alterations of AKR1B10. The association of AKR1B10 expression with clinical progression of cancers was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier analysis; the potential role of AKR1B10 in tumor microenvironment (TME) and immune-related gene expression were analyzed by PURITY, ESTIMATE, TIMER and CIBERSORT algorithms. The expression of AKR1B10 and immune cell markers in gastric cancer were evaluated with multiplex immunofluorescence staining.

Result

Results indicated that AKR1B10 was highly expressed in the gastrointestinal tract in health donors, but the expression of AKR1B10 was significantly changed in most of cancer types, which may be ascribed to DNA methylation in its promoter. The AKR1B10 expression in cancers and its value in disease progression was bidirectional and functionally enriched in metabolism in pan-cancers. In tumor microenvironment, AKR1B10 was significantly correlated with immune cell infiltrations and immune gene expression. In the stomach, along with the diminishing of AKR1B10 expression, CD68+ macrophage increased and CD19+ B cell decreased in gastric cancer.

Discussion

These data indicates that AKR1B10 may be an important factor in the development and progression and a potential therapeutic target for multiple cancers, but plays as a protector in the gastric tissues.

Creating an interactive database for nasopharyngeal carcinoma management: applying machine learning to evaluate metastasis and survival

Objective

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients frequently present with distant metastasis (DM), which is typically associated with poor prognosis. This study aims to develop and apply machine learning models to predict DM, overall survival (OS), and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in NPC patients to provide optimal tools for improved predictive accuracy and performance.

Methods

We retrieved over 8,000 NPC patient samples with associated clinical information from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Utilizing two methods for handling missing values-imputation or deletion-we created various cohorts: DM-all, DM-slim, OS-all, OS-slim, CSS-all, and CSS-slim. Five machine learning models were deployed for the binary classification task of DM, and their performance was evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC). For the survival prediction tasks of OS and CSS, we constructed 45 combinations using nine survival machine learning algorithms. The Concordance Index (C-index), 5-year AUC, and Brier score assessed model accuracy. Patients were stratified into two risk groups for survival analysis, and the survival curves were presented.

Results

This study examines the relationships between clinical factors and survival in NPC patients. The analysis, visualized through forest plots, indicates that demographic and clinical variables like gender, marital status, tumor grade, and stage significantly affect metastatic risks and survival. Specifically, factors such as advanced stages increase metastasis and survival risks, while enhanced treatments improve survival rates. In the cohort for DM prediction, results revealed that the random forest model was the most effective, with an AUC of 0.687. In contrast, when predicting overall survival (OS), the random survival forest (RSF) model consistently showed superior performance with the highest mean C-index of 0.802, a 5-year AUC of 0.857, and a Brier score of 0.167. Similarly, for cancer-specific survival (CSS) prediction, the RSF model demonstrated a mean C-index of 0.822, a 5-year AUC of 0.884, and a Brier score of 0.165. An online Shiny server was developed to allow the models to be used freely and efficiently via http://npcml.shinyapps.io/NPCpre.

Conclusion

This study successfully established an online tool by machine learning models for NPC metastasis and survival prediction, providing valuable references for clinicians.

Nicotinate-curcumin improves NASH by inhibiting the AKR1B10/ACCα-mediated triglyceride synthesis

BACKGROUND

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a prevalent chronic liver condition. However, the potential therapeutic benefits and underlying mechanism of nicotinate-curcumin (NC) in the treatment of NASH remain uncertain.

METHODS

A rat model of NASH induced by a high-fat and high-fructose diet was treated with nicotinate-curcumin (NC, 20, 40 mg·kg- 1), curcumin (Cur, 40 mg·kg- 1) and metformin (Met, 50 mg·kg- 1) for a duration of 4 weeks. The interaction between NASH, Cur and Aldo-Keto reductase family 1 member B10 (AKR1B10) was filter and analyzed using network pharmacology. The interaction of Cur, NC and AKR1B10 was analyzed using molecular docking techniques, and the binding energy of Cur and NC with AKR1B10 was compared. HepG2 cells were induced by Ox-LDL (25 µg·ml- 1, 24 h) in high glucose medium. NC (20µM, 40µM), Cur (40µM) Met (150µM) and epalrestat (Epa, 75µM) were administered individually. The activities of ALT, AST, ALP and the levels of LDL, HDL, TG, TC and FFA in serum were quantified using a chemiluminescence assay. Based on the changes in the above indicators, score according to NAS standards. The activities of Acetyl-CoA and Malonyl-CoA were measured using an ELISA assay. And the expression and cellular localization of AKR1B10 and Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCα) in HepG2 cells were detected by Western blotting and immunofluorescence.

RESULTS

The results of the animal experiments demonstrated that NASH rat model induced by a high-fat and high-fructose diet exhibited pronounced dysfunction in liver function and lipid metabolism. Additionally, there was a significant increase in serum levels of FFA and TG, as well as elevated expression of AKR1B10 and ACCα, and heightened activity of Acetyl-CoA and Malonyl-CoA in liver tissue. The administration of NC showed to enhance liver function in rats with NASH, leading to reductions in ALT, AST and ALP levels, and decrease in blood lipid and significant inhibition of FFA and TG synthesis in the liver. Network pharmacological analysis identified AKR1B10 and ACCα as potential targets for NASH treatment. Molecular docking studies revealed that both Cur and NC are capable of binding to AKR1B10, with NC exhibiting a stronger binding energy to AKR1B10. Western blot analysis demonstrated an upregulation in the expression of AKR1B10 and ACCα in the liver tissue of NASH rats, accompanied by elevated Acetyl-CoA and Malonyl-CoA activity, and increased levels of FFA and TG. The results of the HepG2 cell experiments induced by Ox-LDL suggest that NC significantly inhibited the expression and co-localization of AKR1B10 and ACCα, while also reduced levels of TC and LDL-C and increased level of HDL-C. These effects are accompanied by a decrease in the activities of ACCα and Malonyl-CoA, and levels of FFA and TG. Furthermore, the impact of NC appears to be more pronounced compared to Cur.

CONCLUSION

NC could effectively treat NASH and improve liver function and lipid metabolism disorder. The mechanism of NC is related to the inhibition of AKR1B10/ACCα pathway and FFA/TG synthesis of liver.

Cancer to Cataracts: The Mechanistic Impact of Aldo-Keto Reductases in Chronic Diseases

Aldo-keto reductases (AKRs) are a superfamily of promiscuous enzymes that have been chiseled by evolution to act as catalysts for numerous regulatory pathways in humans. However, they have not lost their promiscuity in the process, essentially making them a double-edged sword. The superfamily is involved in multiple metabolic pathways and are linked to chronic diseases such as cataracts, diabetes, and various cancers. Unlike other detoxifying enzymes such as cytochrome P450s (CYP450s), short-chain dehydrogenases (SDRs), and medium-chain dehydrogenases (MDRs), that participate in essential pathways, AKRs are more widely distributed and have members with interchangeable functions. Moreover, their promiscuity is ubiquitous across all species and participates in the resistance of pathogenic microbes. Moreover, the introduction of synthetic substrates, such as synthetic molecules and processed foods, results in unwanted "toxification" due to enzyme promiscuity, leading to chronic diseases.

Diagnostic value of aldo‑keto reductase family 1 member B10 in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B10 (AKR1B10) is a potential marker of several types of cancer; however, the role of AKR1B10 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains unclear. In the present study, AKR1B10 RNA-seq data and clinical information were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) database to evaluate the role of AKR1B10 in HNSCC. There was no statistically significant difference in the expression of AKR1B10 between HNSCC tissues and adjacent normal tissues, and high AKR1B10 expression was not associated with poor overall survival according to the public database. The present study further examined the role of AKR1B10 in patients with NPC using data obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Analysis of the GSE53819 and GSE61218 datasets showed that the there were no significant differences in the expression levels of AKR1B10 between NPC tissues and normal tissues. However, analysis of the GSE103611 dataset indicated that AKR1B10 may be associated with distance metastasis following radical treatment in NPC. Finally, serum samples from patients with NPC and healthy controls were collected and analyzed. The results revealed that AKR1B10 levels were significantly increased in samples from patients with NPC compared with those from healthy controls, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.909. In conclusion, unlike tissue AKR1B10 expression, serum AKR1B10 levels may be a promising biomarker for the diagnosis of NPC.

Correlation of IL-6 and JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway with prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients

IL-6 is reported to be the main upstream activator, instead of the downstream target of JAK2/STAT3. This study is intended to explore the correlation of IL-6 and JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway with clinicopathological features and prognosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). First, NPC tissues and normal nasopharyngeal epithelial tissues were obtained from 117 NPC patients. Next, we detected expression levels of IL-6 in serum and those of STAT3, p-STAT3, JAK2, p-JAK2 and CyclinD1 in tissues. A follow-up was conducted in all the patients and the survival was analyzed. To verify the correlation of IL-6 and JAK2/STAT3 pathway, CNE-1 and SUNE1 NPC cells were interpreted with IL-6 and JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway inhibitor AG490 to detect cell viability, migration and invasion. We observed thatIL-6 increased in serum of NPC patients. The expressions of IL-6, STAT3, p-STAT3, JAK2, p-JAK2 and CyclinD1 in NPC tissues were higher and correlated with TNM stage and lymph node metastasis (LNM). Survival rates were reduced in patients with positive expressions of IL-6, STAT3, p-STAT3, JAK2, p-JAK2 and CyclinD1. LNM and positive expressions of IL-6 and p-STAT3 were risk factors for poor prognosis of NPC. Besides, recombinant human IL-6 promoted cell proliferation, invasion and migration while AG490 inhibited cell proliferation, invasion and migration in CNE-1 and SUNE1 NPC cells. The results demonstrated that increased IL-6 expression and the activated JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway had effects on prognosis and reduced the survival time in NPC patients, which provide a potential target for the treatment of NPC.

The Role of AKR1B10 in Physiology and Pathophysiology

AKR1B10 is a human nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-dependent reductase belonging to the aldo-keto reductase (AKR) 1B subfamily. It catalyzes the reduction of aldehydes, some ketones and quinones, and interacts with acetyl-CoA carboxylase and heat shock protein 90α. The enzyme is highly expressed in epithelial cells of the stomach and intestine, but down-regulated in gastrointestinal cancers and inflammatory bowel diseases. In contrast, AKR1B10 expression is low in other tissues, where the enzyme is upregulated in cancers, as well as in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and several skin diseases. In addition, the enzyme's expression is elevated in cancer cells resistant to clinical anti-cancer drugs. Thus, growing evidence supports AKR1B10 as a potential target for diagnosing and treating these diseases. Herein, we reviewed the literature on the roles of AKR1B10 in a healthy gastrointestinal tract, the development and progression of cancers and acquired chemoresistance, in addition to its gene regulation, functions, and inhibitors.

AKR1B10 confers resistance to radiotherapy via FFA/TLR4/NF-κB axis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one kind of human head and neck cancers with high incidence in Southern China, Southeast Asia and North Africa. In spite of great innovations in radiation and chemotherapy treatments, the 5-year survival rate is not satisfactory. One of the main reasons is resistance to radiotherapy which leads to therapy failure and recurrence of NPC. The mechanism underlying remains to be fully elucidated. Aldo-keto reductase B10 (AKR1B10) plays a role in the formation and development of carcinomas. However, its role in resistance to radiotherapy of NPC is not clear. In this research, the relationships between AKR1B10 expression and the treatment effect of NPC patients, NPC cell survival, cell apoptosis, and DNA damage repair, as well as the effect and mechanism of AKR1B10 expression on NPC radioresistance were explored. A total of 58 paraffin tissues of NPC patients received radiotherapy were collected including 30 patients with radiosensitivity and 28 patients with radioresistance. The relationships between AKR1B10 expression and the treatment effect as well as clinical characteristics were analyzed by immuno-histochemical experiments, and the roles of AKR1B10 in cell survival, apoptosis and DNA damage repair were detected using the AKR1B10 overexpressed cell models. Furthermore the mechanism of AKR1B10 in NPC radioresistance was explored. Finally, the radioresistance effect of AKR1B10 expression was evaluated by the tumor xenograft model of nude mice and the method of radiotherapy. The results showed AKR1B10 expression level was correlated with radiotherapy resistance, and AKR1B10 overexpression promoted proliferation of NPC cells, reduced apoptosis and decreased cellular DNA damage after radiotherapy. The probable molecular mechanism is that AKR1B10 expression activated FFA/TLR4/NF-κB axis in NPC cells. This was validated by using the TLR4 inhibitor TAK242 to treat NPC cells with AKR1B10 expression, which reduced the phosphorylation of NF-κB. This study suggests that AKR1B10 can induce radiotherapy resistance and promote cell survival via FFA/TLR4/NF-κB axis in NPC, which may provide a novel target to fight against radiotherapy resistance of NPC.

Opposing roles of the aldo-keto reductases AKR1B1 and AKR1B10 in colorectal cancer

PURPOSE

Aldo-keto reductases (including AKR1B1 and AKR1B10) constitute a family of oxidoreductases that have been implicated in the pathophysiology of diabetes and cancer, including colorectal cancer (CRC). Available data indicate that, despite their similarities in structure and enzymatic functions, their roles in CRC may be divergent. Here, we aimed to determine the expression and functional implications of AKR1B1 and AKR1B10 in CRC.

METHODS

AKR1B1 and AKR1B10 gene expression levels were analyzed using publicly available microarray data and ex vivo CRC-derived cDNA samples. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) RNA-seq data and The Cancer Proteome Atlas (TCPA) proteome data were analyzed to determine the effect of high and low AKR1B1 and AKR1B10 expression levels in CRC patients. Proliferation, cell cycle progression, cellular motility, adhesion and inflammation were determined in CRC-derived cell lines in which these genes were either exogenously overexpressed or silenced.

RESULTS

We found that the expression of AKR1B1 was unaltered, whereas that of AKR1B10 was decreased in primary CRCs. GSEA revealed that, while high AKR1B1 expression was associated with increased cell cycle progression, cellular motility and inflammation, high AKR1B10 expression was associated with a weak inflammatory phenotype. Functional studies carried out in CRC-derived cell lines confirmed these data. Microarray data analysis indicated that high expression levels of AKR1B1 and AKR1B10 were significantly associated with shorter and longer disease-free survival rates, respectively. A combined gene expression signature of AKR1B10 (low) and AKR1B1 (high) showed a better prognostic stratification of CRC patients independent of confounding factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite their similarities, the expression levels and functions of AKR1B1 and AKR1B10 are highly divergent in CRC, and they may have prognostic implications.

STAR and AKR1B10 are down-regulated in high-grade endometrial cancer

Endometrial cancer is the most frequent gynecological malignancy in the developed world. The majority of cases are estrogen dependent, and are associated with diminished protective effects of progesterone. Endometrial cancer is also related to enhanced inflammation and decreased differentiation. In our previous studies, we examined the expression of genes involved in estrogen and progesterone actions in inflammation and tumor differentiation, in tissue samples from endometrial cancer and adjacent control endometrium. The aims of the current study were to examine correlations between gene expression and several demographic characteristics, and to evaluate changes in gene expression with regard to histopathological and clinical characteristics of 51 patients. We studied correlations and differences in expression of 38 genes involved in five pathophysiological processes: (i) estrogen-stimulated proliferation; (ii) estrogen-dependent carcinogenesis; (iii) diminished biosynthesis of progesterone: (iv) enhanced formation of progesterone metabolites; and (v) increased inflammation and decreased differentiation. Spearman correlation coefficient analysis shows that expression of PAQR7 correlates with age, expression of SRD5A1, AKR1B1 and AKR1B10 correlate with body mass, while expression of SRD5A1 and AKR1B10 correlate with body mass index. When patients with endometrial cancer were stratified based on menopausal status, histological grade, myometrial invasion, lymphovascular invasion, and FIGO stage, Mann-Whitney U tests revealed significantly decreased expression of STAR (4.4-fold; adjusted p=0.009) and AKR1B10 (9-fold; adjusted p=0.003) in high grade versus low grade tumors. Lower levels of STAR might lead to decreased de-novo steroid hormone synthesis and tumor differentiation, and lower levels of AKR1B10 to diminished elimination of toxic electrophilic carbonyl compounds in high-grade endometrial cancer. These data thus reveal the potential of STAR and AKR1B10 as prognostic biomarkers, which calls for further validation at the protein level.

Expression of AKR1B10 as an independent marker for poor prognosis in human oral squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B10 (AKR1B10) is implicated in xenobiotic detoxification and has disparate functions in tumorigenesis that are dependent on the cell types. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinicopathological significance of AKR1B10 as a prognostic marker for oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs).

METHODS

AKR1B10 protein expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in 77 patients with OSCC.

RESULTS

The AKR1B10 labeling score for OSCCs (1.16 ± 1.14) was significantly higher than that for normal oral mucosa (0.10 ± 0.23; p < .0001). High expression of AKR1B10 significantly correlated with large tumor size (p = .041), advanced TNM classification (p = .037), and patient's areca quid chewing habit (p = .025). Multivariate analysis revealed that high AKR1B10 labeling score >1.16 (hazard ratio, 3.647; p = .001) significantly correlated with mortality.

CONCLUSION

AKR1B10 overexpression is an independent poor prognostic biomarker for OSCC. AKR1B10 inhibitors may be promising in clinical trials against OSCC. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 1327-1332, 2017.