Lung tumorigenesis induced by human vascular endothelial growth factor (hVEGF)-A165 overexpression in transgenic mice and amelioration of tumor formation by miR-16

Current knowledge on therapeutic, diagnostic, and prognostics applications of exosomes in multiple myeloma: Opportunities and challenges

Interactions between the plasma cells and the BM microenvironment of Multiple myeloma (MM) take place through factors such as exosomes. Many studies have confirmed the role of exosomes in these interactions. By carrying proteins, cytokines, lipids, microRNAs, etc. as their cargo, exosomes can regulate the interactions between MM plasma cells and neighboring cells and participate in the signaling between cancer cells and the environment. It has been shown that MM-derived exosomes can induce angiogenesis, enhance osteoblast activity, confer drug resistance, and have immunosuppressive properties. Abnormal cargos in endosomes originating from MM patients, can be used as a cancer biomarker to detect or screen early prognosis in MM patients. The native nanostructure of exosomes, in addition to their biocompatibility, stability, and safety, make them excellent candidates for therapeutic, drug delivery, and immunomodulatory applications against MM. On the other hand, exosomes derived from dendritic cells (DC) may be used as vaccines against MM. Thanks to the development of new 'omics' approaches, we anticipate to hear more about exosomes in fight against MM. In the present review, we described the most current knowledge on the role of exosomes in MM pathogenesis and their potential role as novel biomarkers and therapeutic tools in MM.

Bone marrow adipocytes and lung cancer bone metastasis: unraveling the role of adipokines in the tumor microenvironment

Bone is a common site of metastasis for lung cancer. The "seed and soil" hypothesis suggests that the bone marrow microenvironment ("soil") may provide a conducive survival environment for metastasizing tumor cells ("seeds"). The bone marrow microenvironment, comprising a complex array of cells, includes bone marrow adipocytes (BMAs), which constitute about 70% of the adult bone marrow volume and may play a significant role in tumor bone metastasis. BMAs can directly provide energy for tumor cells, promoting their proliferation and migration. Furthermore, BMAs participate in the tumor microenvironment's osteogenesis regulation, osteoclast(OC) regulation, and immune response through the secretion of adipokines, cytokines, and inflammatory factors. However, the precise mechanisms of BMAs in lung cancer bone metastasis remain largely unclear. This review primarily explores the role of BMAs and their secreted adipokines (leptin, adiponectin, Nesfatin-1, Resistin, chemerin, visfatin) in lung cancer bone metastasis, aiming to provide new insights into the mechanisms and clinical treatment of lung cancer bone metastasis.

MiRNAs in Lung Cancer: Diagnostic, Prognostic, and Therapeutic Potential

Lung cancer is the dominant emerging factor in cancer-related mortality around the globe. Therapeutic interventions for lung cancer are not up to par, mainly due to reoccurrence/relapse, chemoresistance, and late diagnosis. People are currently interested in miRNAs, which are small double-stranded (20–24 ribonucleotides) structures that regulate molecular targets (tumor suppressors, oncogenes) involved in tumorigeneses such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis, and angiogenesis via post-transcriptional regulation of mRNA. Many studies suggest the emerging role of miRNAs in lung cancer diagnostics, prognostics, and therapeutics. Therefore, it is necessary to intensely explore the miRNOME expression of lung tumors and the development of anti-cancer strategies. The current review focuses on the therapeutic, diagnostic, and prognostic potential of numerous miRNAs in lung cancer.

Non-small cell lung cancer with iris metastasis controlled with osimertinib and monthly intravitreal bevacizumab

Purpose

Iris metastases from lung cancer occur rarely. Current treatment options such as surgical iridectomy or radiotherapy are invasive and can potentially lead to negative side effects. Other less invasive alternatives include chemotherapy and intracameral bevacizumab.

Observations

An 81 year-old female with metastatic non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma to the iris in the right eye was treated with daily oral osimertinib 80mg, an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), for her systemic lung cancer. In addition, 8 monthly intravitreal bevacizumab (1.25mg/0.05 cc) injections were given. The iris tumor demonstrated complete regression by the third cycle of osimertinib. Following 21 months of osimertinib and 8 bevacizumab injections, the tumor remained regressed. Subsequent iris biopsy confirmed complete tumor regression.

Conclusions and Importance

In this case, osimertinib and monthly intravitreal bevacizumab controlled iris metastasis due to non-small cell lung cancer. Osimertinib can be beneficial for patients with EGFR-positive lung cancer for both ocular and systemic control.

Circulating Serum MiRNA-8074 as a Novel Prognostic Biomarker for Multiple Myeloma

MiRNA-8074 is a molecule with the potential to regulate the expression of key genes related to the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma (MM), i.e., TP53, MYC, MAPK1, and KIAA. We analyzed the predictive and prognostic value of miRNA-8074 expression in MM patients. In total, 105 newly diagnosed MM patients treated with thalidomide (n = 27), bortezomib (n = 41) and bortezomib with thalidomide (n = 37) were studied. For miRNA analysis, the column method and the Real-Time PCR technique with specific TaqMan Fast Advanced Master Mix and TaqMan probes were used. Factors that were associated with a significant reduction in progression-free survival (PFS) included: ECOG > 1, ISS stage III, low hemoglobin, thrombocytopenia, hypoalbuminemia, abnormal renal function, elevated creatinine, GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m², elevated LDH, del(17p), t(11;14), the use of a single drug regimen (thalidomide or bortezomib) and high miRNA-8074 expression (HR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.16–3.49; p = 0.0233). In addition to the known prognostic factors, such as ECOG > 1, Durie–Salmon stage III, diagnosis of light chain disease or non-secreting MM, renal failure, hypoalbuminemia, hypercalcemia, high β2-microglobulin, elevated LDH, and t(14;16), a high expression of miRNA-8074 was significantly associated with a higher risk of death (HR = 4.12, 95% CI: 2.20–7.70; p = 0.0009). In summary, miRNA-8074 may be a useful diagnostic tool to assess the prognosis in MM patients.

Additive Antiproliferative and Antiangiogenic Effects of Metformin and Pemetrexed in a Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Xenograft Model

Lung cancer is heterogeneous and challenging to cope with once it has progressed. Chemotherapy is the first step once no active driver mutation has been discovered. Non-antitumor drugs have been found to be beneficial when used as adjuvants to chemotherapy. In this study, the additive effect and mechanism of metformin combined with pemetrexed in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells were elucidated. Three NSCLC cell lines, A549, H1975, and HCC827, were used to analyze tumor cell proliferation, colony formation and the cell cycle in vitro when exposed to metformin alone, pemetrexed alone or their combination. We found that combination treatment in three cell lines exerted antiproliferative effects through cell cycle arrest in the S phase. An ex vivo chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay was used to examine the antiangiogenic effect of metformin combined with pemetrexed on vascular structure formation. We further created an A549 orthotopic xenograft model with an in vivo imaging system (IVIS) and explored the associated indicators involved in the tumorigenic process. The in vitro results showed that the combination of metformin and pemetrexed exhibited an antiproliferative effect in reducing cell viability and colony formation, the downregulation of cyclin D1 and A2 and the upregulation of CDKN1B, which are involved in the G1/S phase. For antiangiogenic effects, the combination therapy inhibited the vascular structure, as proven by the CAM assay. We elucidated that combination therapy could target VEGFA and Endoglin by RT-qPCR, ELISA and histopathological findings in an A549 orthotopic NSCLC xenograft model. Our research demonstrated the additive antiproliferative and antiangiogenic effects of the combination of metformin with pemetrexed in NSCLC and could be applied to clinical lung cancer therapy.

miR-17-3p promotes the proliferation of multiple myeloma cells by downregulating P21 expression through LMLN inhibition

Multiple myeloma (MM), a hematological malignancy, has a poor prognosis and requires an invasive procedure. Reports have implicated miRNAs in the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of hematological malignancies. In our study, we evaluated the expression profiles of miR-17-3p in plasma and bone marrow mononuclear cells of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and MM patients and healthy subjects. The results showed that the plasma and mononuclear cell expression levels of miR-17-3p in MM patients were higher than those in MGUS patients and normal controls. In addition, the expression of miR-17-3p was positively correlated with diagnostic indexes, such as marrow plasma cell abundance and serum M protein level, and positively correlated with the International Staging System stage of the disease. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis suggested that miR-17-3p might be a diagnostic index of MM. Moreover, miR-17-3p regulated cell proliferation, apoptosis and the cell cycle through P21 in MM cell lines and promoted MM tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, we predicted and verified LMLN as a functional downstream target gene of miR-17-3p. Negatively regulated by miR-17-3p, LMLN inhibits MM cell growth, exerting a tumor suppressive function through P21. Taken together, our data identify miR-17-3p as a promising diagnostic biomarker for MM in the clinic and unveil a new miR-17-3p-LMLN-P21 axis in MM progression.

MiRNAs with prognostic significance in multiple myeloma: A systemic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a clonal plasma cell malignancy associated with hypercalcemia, bone lesions, and renal failure. The prognostic significance of the mutation of miRNAs, one kind of small noncoding RNA molecules that can modulate gene expression, should be confirmed in non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL). This study aimed to identify the prognostic value of miRNAs in patients with MM.

METHODS

A meta-analysis was performed to estimate the pooled hazard ratios and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals for the associations between levels of miRNA expression (predictive factors) and outcomes in patients with MM. We systematically searched the PubMed, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases (final search conducted January 1, 2018) to identify eligible studies. Eligible studies were included by certain inclusion and exclusion criteria, whose quality was assessed by Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.

RESULTS

After performing the literature search and review, 10 relevant studies, including 1214 cases, were identified. The results of our meta-analysis revealed that upregulated miR-92a level and downregulated miR-16, miR-25, miR-744, miR-15a, let-7e, and miR-19b expression were associated with poor prognosis in MM.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified miRNAs could serve as potential prognostic biomarkers in MM. Given the limited research available, the clinical application of these findings has yet to be verified.

A phase II multicenter randomized controlled trial to compare standard chemoradiation with or without recombinant human endostatin injection (Endostar) therapy for the treatment of locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: Long-term outcomes update

PURPOSE

This study aimed to observe the feasibility and safety of addition of recombinant human endostatin injection to standard chemoradiation for the locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Current follow-up results updated long-term efficacy and late toxicity of the trial.

METHODS

Between July 2012 and December 2013, we enrolled 114 patients that are older than 18 years with stage Ⅲ-Ⅳb nasopharyngeal carcinoma from 3 centers in Guizhou, China. Fifty six patients who received standard chemoradiation combined with recombinant human endostatin injection (Endostar) were included in the study group. Another 58 patients were randomly assigned to the control group without using Endostar. Patients in both groups received the same 2 cycles of induction chemotherapy (Docetaxel 75 mg/m², cisplatin 80 mg/m²), followed by 2 cycles of concurrent intensity-modulated radiation therapy with cisplatin (DDP; 80 mg/m² on days 1 and 22). The patients in the experimental group received 2 cycles Endostar (7.5 mg/m² d8-d21 during induction chemotherapy and d1-d14 during concurrent chemoradiation).

RESULTS

There were no significant differences of toxicities between the 2 groups. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy compliance between the 2 groups was similar. No hemorrhage and coagulation dysfunction in the experimental group were observed. There was a median follow-up of 67.1 months. Comparing the short-time effect of 3 months to the completion of chemoradiotherapy, there was a little higher objective response rate in the experimental group. Compared with the control group, the experimental group improved in the complete remission rate of cervical lymph node metastasis (91.1% vs 72.4%, χ² = 3.897, P = 0.048). However, there was no significant difference in the curative effect of nasopharyngeal lesions between the 2 groups. (78.6% vs 74.1%, χ² = 0.310, P = 0.578). The 5-year overall survival, progression-free of survival, metastasis-free survival, and locoregional failure-free survival rates in the 2 groups were 69.6%, 67.8%, 78.75, and 83.0%, respectively, for the experimental group, these rates were 73.2%, 80.1%, 81.7%, and 91.0%, respectively, and for the control group, no significant difference was found (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients show good tolerance and compliance with a manageable toxicity profile to the regimen of chemoradiation plus Endostar. There was a little higher objective response rate in the study group. A phase 3 randomized study is needed to substantiate our findings.

Serum and urinary SOD3 in patients with type 2 diabetes: comparison with early chronic kidney disease patients and association with development of diabetic nephropathy

Extracellular superoxide dismutase 3 (SOD3), one member of the antioxidant defense system and a superoxide scavenger, has been noted to be downregulated in the kidneys of diabetic mice and is characterized by a heparin-binding domain that can anchor the protein to the endothelium and extracellular matrix. The association of the serum and urinary SOD3 levels with diabetic nephropathy in different stages has never been evaluated. It remains unclear how urinary SOD3 changes in different renal diseases. We recruited 98 Taiwanese patients with type 2 diabetes and 10 patients with early chronic kidney disease (CKD) into this study. Biochemical analyses were performed, including evaluation of the serum SOD3, urinary SOD3, urinary albumin, urinary vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and urinary angiotensinogen (ANG). The Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test was used to compare various parameters among the three groups of patients: early CKD, diabetes alone, and diabetes with CKD. Results showed that lower serum and urinary SOD3 levels were observed in the group of patients with diabetes alone. Higher serum and urinary SOD3 levels were observed in the group of patients with diabetes and CKD, which had higher albuminuria and serum creatinine levels. The serum SOD3 levels were significantly positively correlated with renal function, according to the serum creatinine level. The urinary levels of SOD3 were significantly correlated with other urinary biomarkers such as urinary ANG and VEGF. Furthermore, albuminuria can positively predict the serum SOD3 level for the ratio of urinary albumin to urinary creatinine (ACR) >1,190.769 mg/g and the urinary SOD3 level for ACR ≥300 mg/g.

Addition of bevacizumab to systemic therapy for locally advanced and metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Radiotherapy is a vital treatment option for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Concurrent cisplatin-based radiochemotherapy with or without adjuvant chemotherapy had acquired good clinical effects with good local control rates. However, a number of patients present with metastasis following systemic regimens or initial diagnosis of locally advanced NPC, which cause difficulty for subsequent therapy. Therefore, there is an urgent requirement to discover novel targeted therapies. The present report describes one case of a patient with NPC and multiple metastases. The patient was treated with systemic therapy in combination with bevacizumab, palliative radiotherapy and chemotherapy following treatment with cetuximab and concurrent chemoradiotherapy in 2015. Following the addition of bevacizumab, metastases were reduced or disappeared after >2 months, and the duration of progression-free survival was 7 months. Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody that targets VEGF, and it is associated with angiogenesis, which causes the growth, invasion and progression of tumors. In previous studies, bevacizumab has been approved for the treatment of several types of malignant cancer and it has been able to effectively improve prognosis. In the present review, the effect of adding bevacizumab to systemic therapy for the treatment of NPC was analyzed, with a particular focus on advanced and metastatic diseases. A growing number of phase I/II clinical trials involving bevacizumab for NPC have been conducted with clinical outcomes showing improved rates of overall survival and progression-free survival as well as improvements in the quality of life of patients. However, severe or deadly toxicities can also result from combination treatment with bevacizumab. In the future, bevacizumab may become a common addition to systemic therapy for the treatment of locally advanced and metastatic NPC.

A novel osteoporosis model with ascorbic acid deficiency in Akr1A1 gene knockout mice

The AKR1A1 protein is a member of the aldo-keto reductase superfamily that is responsible for the conversion of D-glucuronate to L-gulonate in the ascorbic acid (vitamin C) synthesis pathway. In a pCAG-eGFP transgenic mouse line that was produced by pronuclear microinjection, the integration of the transgene resulted in a 30-kb genomic DNA deletion, including the Akr1A1 gene, and thus caused the knockout (KO) of the Akr1A1 gene and targeting of the eGFP gene. The Akr1A1 KO mice (Akr1A1eGFP/eGFP) exhibited insufficient serum ascorbic acid levels, abnormal bone development and osteoporosis. Using micro-CT analysis, the results showed that the microarchitecture of the 12-week-old Akr1A1eGFP/eGFP mouse femur was shorter in length and exhibited less cortical bone thickness, enlargement of the bone marrow cavity and a complete loss of the trabecular bone in the distal femur. The femoral head and neck of the proximal femur also showed a severe loss of bone mass. Based on the decreased levels of serum osteocalcin and osteoblast activity in the Akr1A1eGFP/eGFP mice, the osteoporosis might be caused by impaired bone formation. In addition, administration of ascorbic acid to the Akr1A1eGFP/eGFP mice significantly prevented the condition of osteoporotic femurs and increased bone formation. Therefore, through ascorbic acid administration, the Akr1A1 KO mice exhibited controllable osteoporosis and may serve as a novel model for osteoporotic research.

Downregulation of miRNA-15a and miRNA-16 promote tumor proliferation in multiple myeloma by increasing CABIN1 expression

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignant disorder characterized by the neoplastic growth of plasma cells in the bone marrow. MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) modulate key regulatory cell pathways via their influence on target genes, and may serve a crucial function in tumorigenesis. Previous studies have indicated that the downregulation of miR-15a and miR-16 contributes to MM pathogenesis. However, the functional mechanisms of miR-15a and miR-16 in MM remain unclear. In the present study, potential target sites for miR-15a and miR-16 were identified on the calcineurin-binding protein 1 (CABIN1) mRNA sequence from analyses of previously published crosslinking, ligation and sequencing of hybrids data. Again-of-function study was also performed, which determined that miR-15a/16 directly targeted CABIN1 mRNA and negatively regulated the expression of CABIN1 at the mRNA and protein level in MM cells. A cell proliferation assay demonstrated that the upregulation of miR-15a and miR-16 inhibited the proliferation of MM cells via targeting CABIN1. miR-15a and miR-16 were significantly decreased in MM specimens, compared with in normal specimens, whereas CABIN1 mRNA levels were significantly higher in MM samples compared with in normal samples. CABIN1 mRNA levels were negatively correlated with miR-15a and miR-16 expression levels in MM tissues, as determined using Pearson's correlation coefficient analysis. The results of the present study indicate that the downregulation of miR-15a and miR-16 promotes tumor proliferation in MM by increasing CABIN1 expression. The present study may aid elucidation of the functions of miR-15a and miR-16 and their function in MM carcinogenesis.

Decreased microRNA-181a and -16 expression levels in the labial salivary glands of Sjögren syndrome patients

Sjögren syndrome (SS) is characterized by dysfunction of the exocrine glands, particularly the salivary and lacrimal glands. Thus, labial salivary gland biopsy is useful method for diagnosing SS. The aim of the present study was to investigate the microRNA (miRNA or miR) profile of labial salivary glands obtained from SS patients and to examine the correlation of miR-181a and -16 levels with the pathological grade in SS. miRNA expression in labial salivary gland tissues was profiled in 3 female patients with primary SS and 3 female patients with non-SS sicca syndrome using microarray analysis. In addition, a literature search and miRNA target gene prediction were performed to collect miRNAs involved in SS pathogenesis. Subsequent to integrating all database results, miR-181a and -16 were identified to be associated with the Ro/SS-associated antigen A and La/SS-associated antigen B during SS pathogenesis. Therefore, these miRNAs were selected for further verification in labial salivary gland tissues of 28 patients with SS and 18 non-SS sicca syndrome control individuals by quantitative reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Compared with the control group, 76 miRNAs were upregulated and 51 were downregulated in the labial salivary gland of SS patients according to microarray results. In particular, miR-181a and -16 expression levels in the labial salivary gland of SS patients were decreased in comparison with those in the controls. Furthermore, the decreased expression levels of these miRNAs were associated with the labial salivary pathological focus scores. In conclusion, the present study examined the miRNA profiles in the labial salivary glands of SS patients and detected decreased miR-181a and -16 expression levels compared with the control individuals. Finally, the decreased levels of miR-181a and -16 were associated with the salivary gland pathological focus scores, suggesting that miR-181a and -16 may serve a role in the pathogenesis of SS.

MicroRNAs expression pattern related to mast cell activation and angiogenesis in paraffin-embedded salivary gland tumors

The aim of this study was evaluate the expression profile of microRNAs related to mast cells activation and angiogenesis in salivary glands tumors.

METHOD

We have analyzed the expression of miR-9, miR-16, miR-17, miR-132, miR-195 and miR-221 by real-time RT-PCR, in 11 adenoid cystic carcinomas, 9 mucoepidermoid carcinomas and 11 pleomorphic adenomas. Immunohistochemical investigation was performed to detect mast cells tryptase and CD-34 for microvessels biomarkers. miR-16, miR-17, miR-132, miR-195 and miR-221 showed a decreased expression, whereas miR-9 showed an increased expression in most cases compared to normal tissues. However, in all tumors studied only miR-9 showed a statistical significant negative correlation with microvessel density (p=0.001). It was observed a higher density of mast cells in mucoepidermoid carcinomas (10.55 cells/mm2) when compared to adenoid cystic carcinomas (6.27 cells/mm2) and between mucoepidermoid carcinomas and pleomorphic adenomas (5.97células/mm2). miR-17, miR-132, miR-195 and miR-221 seem to play an important role as tumor suppressor in salivary gland tumors. In addition, the significant correlation between mast cell and microvessel density contributes to the growth and pathogenesis of these tumors and they may become strong therapeutic targets in the future.

Using Dual Fluorescence Reporting Genes to Establish an In Vivo Imaging Model of Orthotopic Lung Adenocarcinoma in Mice

PURPOSE

Lung adenocarcinoma is characterized by a poor prognosis and high mortality worldwide. In this study, we purposed to use the live imaging techniques and a reporter gene that generates highly penetrative near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence to establish a preclinical animal model that allows in vivo monitoring of lung cancer development and provides a non-invasive tool for the research on lung cancer pathogenesis and therapeutic efficacy.

PROCEDURES

A human lung adenocarcinoma cell line (A549), which stably expressed the dual fluorescence reporting gene (pCAG-iRFP-2A-Venus), was used to generate subcutaneous or orthotopic lung cancer in nude mice. Cancer development was evaluated by live imaging via the NIR fluorescent signals from iRFP, and the signals were verified ex vivo by the green fluorescence of Venus from the gross lung. The tumor-bearing mice received miR-16 nucleic acid therapy by intranasal administration to demonstrate therapeutic efficacy in this live imaging system.

RESULTS

For the subcutaneous xenografts, the detection of iRFP fluorescent signals revealed delicate changes occurring during tumor growth that are not distinguishable by conventional methods of tumor measurement. For the orthotopic xenografts, the positive correlation between the in vivo iRFP signal from mice chests and the ex vivo green fluorescent signal from gross lung tumors and the results of the suppressed tumorigenesis by miR-16 treatment indicated that lung tumor size can be accurately quantified by the emission of NIR fluorescence. In addition, orthotopic lung tumor localization can be accurately visualized using iRFP fluorescence tomography in vivo, thus revealing the trafficking of lung tumor cells.

CONCLUSIONS

We introduced a novel dual fluorescence lung cancer model that provides a non-invasive option for preclinical research via the use of NIR fluorescence in live imaging of lung.

Serum miR-92a-3p as a New Potential Biomarker for Diagnosis of Kawasaki Disease with Coronary Artery Lesions

Recent studies have suggested that serum microRNAs (miRNAs) are novel biomarkers for many cardiovascular diseases, but their role in Kawasaki disease (KD) is still unclear. We demonstrated that serum miR-92a-3p levels were significantly higher in children with KD compared with children with fever and controls (both P < 0.05). When the disease recovered, miR-92a-3p levels returned to those of controls. Clinical and pathological data showed that high levels of miR-92a-3p were significantly associated with coronary artery lesions (CALs). Analysis of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that serum miR-92a-3p had a sensitivity of 81.8% and a specificity of 66.7% for distinguishing KD with CALs from KD without CALs. The area under the curve was 0.816 (P < 0.05, 95% CI 0.669-0.962). Therefore, the miRNA miR-92a-3p may be used as a potential biomarker for diagnosis of KD and KD with coronary artery lesions.

Simple and rapid determination of homozygous transgenic mice via in vivo fluorescence imaging

Setting up breeding programs for transgenic mouse strains require to distinguish homozygous from the heterozygous transgenic animals. The combinational use of the fluorescence reporter transgene and small animal in-vivo imaging system might allow us to rapidly and visually determine the transgenic mice homozygous for transgene(s) by the in vivo fluorescence imaging. RLG, RCLG or Rm17LG transgenic mice ubiquitously express red fluorescent protein (RFP). To identify homozygous RLG transgenic mice, whole-body fluorescence imaging for all of newborn F2-generation littermates produced by mating of RFP-positive heterozygous transgenic mice (F1-generation) derived from the same transgenic founder was performed. Subsequently, the immediate data analysis of the in vivo fluorescence imaging was carried out, which greatly facilitated us to rapidly and readily distinguish RLG transgenic individual(s) with strong fluorescence from the rest of F2-generation littermates, followed by further determining this/these RLG individual(s) showing strong fluorescence to be homozygous, as strongly confirmed by mouse mating. Additionally, homozygous RCLG or Rm17LG transgenic mice were also rapidly and precisely distinguished by the above-mentioned optical approach. This approach allowed us within the shortest time period to obtain 10, 8 and 2 transgenic mice homozygous for RLG, RCLG and Rm17LG transgene, respectively, as verified by mouse mating, indicating the practicality and reliability of this optical method. Taken together, our findings fully demonstrate that the in vivo fluorescence imaging offers a visual, rapid and reliable alternative method to the traditional approaches (i.e., mouse mating and real-time quantitative PCR) in identifying homozygous transgenic mice harboring fluorescence reporter transgene under the control of a ubiquitous promoter in the situation mentioned in this study.

Kefir peptides prevent high-fructose corn syrup-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in a murine model by modulation of inflammation and the JAK2 signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

In recent years, people have changed their eating habits, and high-fructose-containing bubble tea has become very popular. High-fructose intake has been suggested to be a key factor that induces non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Kefir, a fermented milk product composed of microbial symbionts, has demonstrated numerous biological activities, including antibacterial, antioxidant and immunostimulating effects. The present study aims to evaluate the effects of kefir peptides on high-fructose-induced hepatic steatosis and the possible molecular mechanism.

RESULTS

An animal model of 30% high-fructose-induced NAFLD in C57BL/6J mice was established. The experiment is divided into the following six groups: (1) normal: H₂O drinking water; (2) mock: H₂O+30% fructose; (3) KL: low-dose kefir peptides (50 mg kg^-1)+30% fructose; (4) KM: medium-dose kefir peptides (100 mg kg^-1)+30% fructose; (5) KH: high-dose kefir peptides (150 mg kg^-1)+30% fructose; and (6) CFM: commercial fermented milk (100 mg kg^-1)+30% fructose. The results show that kefir peptides improve fatty liver syndrome by decreasing body weight, serum alanine aminotransferase, triglycerides, insulin and hepatic triglycerides, cholesterol, and free fatty acids as well as the inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β) that had been elevated in fructose-induced NAFLD mice. In addition, kefir peptides markedly increased phosphorylation of AMPK to downregulate its targeted enzymes, ACC (acetyl-CoA carboxylase) and SREBP-1c (sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1), and inhibited de novo lipogenesis. Furthermore, kefir peptides activated JAK2 to stimulate STAT3 phosphorylation, which can translocate to the nucleus, and upregulated several genes, including the CPT1 (carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1) involved in fatty acid oxidation.

CONCLUSION

Our data have demonstrated that kefir peptides can improve the symptoms of NAFLD, including body weight, energy intake, inflammatory reaction and the formation of fatty liver by activating JAK2 signal transduction through the JAK2/STAT3 and JAK2/AMPK pathways in the high-fructose-induced fatty liver animal model. Therefore, kefir peptides may have the potential for clinical application for the prevention or treatment of clinical metabolic syndrome.

MicroRNA-15a/16-1 cluster located at chromosome 13q14 is down-regulated but displays different expression pattern and prognostic significance in multiple myeloma

MiRNA-15a/16-1 cluster located at chromosome 13q14 has been confirmed to regulate critical genes associated with cell proliferation, apoptosis and drug resistance in multiple myeloma (MM). However, little is known about their expression pattern and prognostic value in MM patients. In this study, we have analyzed the expression levels of miR-15a/16-1 in 117 MM patients (90 newly diagnosed, 11 relapsed and 16 remission patients) and 19 health donors (HDs) by quantitative real-time PCR. Our results indicated that the expression levels of miR-15a and 16-1 were down-regulated in newly diagnosed MM patients as compared to HDs (P = 0.025; P < 0.001) and independent of del(13q14). Downregulation of miR-15a was significantly associated with disease progression and poor prognosis while miR-16-1 seemed to be a good diagnostic marker to distinguish MM from HDs with area under the curve (AUC) of 0.864, sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 73%. Furthermore, patients with miR-15a < 2.35 (low expression group) had significantly shorter PFS (P < 0.001) and OS (P < 0.001). After adjustment of the established prognostic variables including del(13q), del(17p), amp(1q21) and high risk genetic abnormality, low miR-15a expression (<2.35) was still a powerful independent predictor for PFS (P = 0.008) and OS (P = 0.038). In addition, miR-15a combined with high β2-MG and high risk genetic abnormality can further identify the high-risk subpopulations. Therefore, our data suggest that the expression patterns of miR-15a/16-1 are different in MM patients, and miR-15a seems to be linked with disease progression and prognosis while miR-16-1 acts as a valuable diagnostic marker.

Methylation-silencing RCC1 expression is associated with tumorigenesis and depth of invasion in gastric cancer

INTRODUCTION

Regulator of chromosome condensation 1 (RCC1) is a critical cell cycle regulator. We firstly identified RCC1 gene hypermethylation in gastric tumor tissues using the differential methylation hybridization (DMH) microarray, but the role of RCC1 in the pathogenesis of gastric carcinoma is largely unknown.

METHODS

Three gastric cancer cell lines (AGS, MKN45, and TSGH9201) were used to analyze RCC1 gene methylation, mRNA and protein expressions. Furthermore, 85 pairs of matched human gastric carcinoma samples in a tissue microarray were used to analyze RCC1 expression by immunohistochemistry staining.

RESULTS

A differential methylation pattern was found in TSGH9201 (100%), MKN45 (87%), and AGS (62%) cell lines at the 9th CpG site of RCC1 exon 1. RCC1 mRNA and protein expressions in AGS cells were significantly higher than in TSGH9201 and MKN45 cell lines (P < 0.05). Tissue array data showed that RCC1 expression was detected in 21% (18/85) of gastric carcinoma tissues and in 80% (76/95) of adjacent non-tumor tissues. The expression of RCC1 in gastric carcinoma tissues was significantly lower than in adjacent non-tumor tissues (P < 0.001). Furthermore, an association between RCC1 expression and clinicopathological features showed that RCC1 expression was closely correlated with tumor differentiation and depth of invasion (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Our data indicate that RCC1 expression is frequently lost in poorly differentiated gastric cell lines and gastric carcinoma tissues. Loss of RCC1 expression is correlated with tumor differentiation and depth of invasion. These findings suggest that RCC1 may play a tumor suppressor role in gastric carcinoma.