Abnormal arginine metabolism is associated with prognosis in patients of gastric cancer

Serum metabolic profiling analysis of chronic gastritis and gastric cancer by untargeted metabolomics

Chronic gastritis (CG), particularly when associated with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, is a significant precursor to gastric cancer (GC), a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The persistent inflammation in CG, driven by factors such as H. pylori, induces oxidative stress and DNA damage in gastric epithelial cells, which can lead to malignant transformation. Atrophic gastritis, a form of CG, can be categorized into autoimmune and H. pylori-associated types, both of which increase the risk of GC development, particularly when compounded by external factors like smoking and dietary habits. This manuscript explores the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying CG and its progression to GC, highlighting the critical role of metabolomics in advancing our understanding of these processes. Metabolomics, the comprehensive study of metabolites, offers a novel approach to identifying biomarkers that could facilitate early detection and improve the accuracy of GC diagnosis and prognosis. The analysis of metabolic alterations, particularly in glucose, lipid, and amino acid metabolism, reveals distinct biochemical pathways associated with the progression from benign gastritis to malignancy. Integrating metabolomic profiling with traditional diagnostic methods can revolutionize GC management, enabling more personalized treatment strategies and improving clinical outcomes. However, significant challenges remain, including the need to validate biomarkers across diverse populations and standardize metabolomic techniques. Future research should address these challenges to fully realize the potential of metabolomics in early GC detection and treatment, ultimately aiming to reduce the global burden of this deadly disease.

Role of Metabolomics in Pathogenesis and Prompt Diagnosis of Gastric Cancer Metastasis-A Systematic Review

INTRODUCTION

Gastric cancer is the fourth most frequently diagnosed form of cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. The aim of this review is to identify individual metabolic biomarkers and their association with accurate diagnostic values, which can predict gastric cancer metastasis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

After searching the keywords, 83 articles were found over a period of 13 years. One was eliminated because it was not written in English, and two were published outside the selected period. Seven scientific papers were qualified for this investigation after eliminating duplicates, non-related articles, systematic reviews, and restricted access studies.

RESULTS

New metabolic biomarkers with predictive value for gastric cancer metastasis and for elucidating metabolic pathways of the metastatic process have been found. The pathogenic processes can be outlined as follows: pro-oxidant capacity, T-cell inactivation, cell cycle arrest, energy production and mitochondrial enzyme impairment, cell viability and pro-apoptotic effect, enhanced degradation of collagen extracellular matrix, migration, invasion, structural protein synthesis, and tumoral angiogenesis.

CONCLUSION

Metabolic biomarkers have been recognized as independent risk factors in the molecular process of gastric cancer metastasis, with good diagnostic and prognostic value.

The putative role of ferroptosis in gastric cancer: a review

Ferroptosis is a unique cell death modality triggered by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, with cysteine metabolism and glutathione-dependent antioxidant defence responses as the primary triggering mechanisms. Ferroptosis is an independent tumour suppression mechanism and has been implicated in various disorders. In tumourigenesis, ferroptosis plays a dual role in promoting and inhibiting tumours. P53, NFE2L2, BAP1, HIF, and other tumour suppressor genes regulate ferroptosis, releasing damage-associated molecular patterns or lipid metabolites to influence cellular immune responses. Ferroptosis is also involved in tumour suppression and metabolism. The combination of amino acid, lipid, and iron metabolism is involved in the initiation and execution of ferroptosis, and metabolic regulatory mechanisms also play roles in malignancies. Most investigations into ferroptosis in gastric cancer are concentrated on predictive models, not the underlying processes. This review investigates the underlying mechanisms of ferroptosis, tumour suppressor genes, and the tumour microenvironment.

Amino acids and risk of colon adenocarcinoma: a Mendelian randomization study

BACKGROUND

The existence of amino acid metabolic reprogramming in tumor cells is well established. However, the potential correlation between blood amino acids and the risk of colon adenocarcinoma remains largely unexplored.

METHODS

We utilized Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to examine the association between 20 amino acids in the blood and the risk of colon adenocarcinoma. Additionally, reverse MR analysis was employed to identify the presence of reverse causality. A two-step MR analysis was conducted to ascertain the potential mediating effect. Lastly, the alanine detection data from colon adenocarcinoma patients in our hospital were utilized to investigate the differences in alanine levels among healthy individuals and patients with colon cancer, as well as among patients with different stages and locations of colon cancer. Furthermore, a Kaplan-Meier curve was employed to examine the correlation between alanine and overall survival, followed by the implementation of COX univariate analysis.

RESULTS

The results of our study indicate that there is an inverse correlation between alanine and the risk of colon adenocarcinoma. Additionally, we found no significant evidence to support a causal relationship between colon adenocarcinoma and alanine. Furthermore, our analysis revealed that alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and blood glucose do not act as mediators in this causal pathway. Moreover, individuals diagnosed with colon adenocarcinoma exhibited a significant decrease in alanine levels, particularly in cases of stage IV colon adenocarcinoma with distant metastasis. Additionally, elevated alanine levels were associated with improved overall survival rates among colon adenocarcinoma patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study indicate that alanine exhibits protective characteristics against the onset of colon adenocarcinoma and may play a role in promoting a more favorable disease prognosis. Consequently, dietary interventions aimed at increasing alanine intake may serve as a potential strategy for the prevention and treatment of colon adenocarcinoma.

Esophageal cancer-related gene 4 inhibits gastric cancer growth and metastasis by upregulating Krüppel-like factor 2 expression

Background

There are a large number of people suffering from gastric cancer (GC) worldwide, so the study of biomarkers for GC is urgently needed. This study aimed to investigate the role of esophageal cancer-related gene 4 (ECRG4) in the growth, metastasis, and prognosis of GC and the possible underlying mechanism.

Methods

The expression of ECRG4 was detected in GC tissues by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Western blot, and immunohistochemistry. The relationships between ECRG4 expression and clinicopathological parameters of patients with GC were statistically analyzed, and Kaplan-Meier prognosis and survival curves of the patients were plotted. ECRG4 was overexpressed in the human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line (AGS) and human GC cell line 27 (HGC27), and the in vivo effects of ECRG4 overexpression on the growth, invasion, and metastasis of GC were analyzed and verified in nude mice. To identify the downstream transcription factors potentially regulated by ECRG4, ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequencing and differential gene expression analysis were performed on ECRG4-overexpressing cells. Quantitative PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression of the downstream transcription factors targeted by ECRG4 in GC.

Results

The ECRG4 mRNA and protein expression levels were low in GC tissues and were associated with a poor prognosis. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses showed that patients with low ECRG4 expression had worse prognosis and survival. Overexpression of ECRG4 inhibited the proliferation, metastasis, and invasion of GC cells. RNA sequencing analysis showed that overexpression of ECRG4 induced the upregulation of Krüppel-like factor 2.

Conclusions

Our findings show that ECRG4 promotes GC progression via Krüppel-like factor 2 signaling and highlight ECRG4 as a potential GC biomarker and therapeutic target.

Targeted metabolomic profiles of serum amino acids and acylcarnitines related to gastric cancer

Background

Early diagnosis and treatment are imperative for improving survival in gastric cancer (GC). This work aimed to assess the ability of human serum amino acid and acylcarnitine profiles in distinguishing GC cases from atrophic gastritis (AG) and control superficial gastritis (SG) patients.

Methods

Sixty-nine GC, seventy-four AG and seventy-two SG control patients treated from May 2018 to May 2019 in Gansu Provincial Hospitalwere included. The levels of 42 serum metabolites in the GC, AG and SG groups were detected by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Then, orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and the Kruskal-Wallis H test were used to identify a metabolomic signature among the three groups. Metabolites with highest significance were examined for further validation. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was carried out for evaluating diagnostic utility.

Results

The metabolomic analysis found adipylcarnitine (C6DC), 3-hydroxy-hexadecanoylcarnitine (C16OH), hexanoylcarnitine (C6), free carnitine (C0) and arginine (ARG) were differentially expressed (all VIP >1) and could distinguish GC patients from AG and SG cases. In comparison with the AG and SG groups, GC cases had significantly higher C6DC, C16OH, C6, C0 and ARG amounts. Jointly quantitating these five metabolites had specificity and sensitivity in GC diagnosis of 98.55% and 99.32%, respectively, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.9977.

Conclusion

This study indicates C6DC, C16OH, C6, C0 and ARG could effectively differentiate GC cases from AG and SG patients, and may jointly serve as a valuable circulating multi-marker panel for GC detection.

Exploring the Role of Metabolites in Cancer and the Associated Nerve Crosstalk

Since Otto Warburg's first report on the increased uptake of glucose and lactate release by cancer cells, dysregulated metabolism has been acknowledged as a hallmark of cancer that promotes proliferation and metastasis. Over the last century, studies have shown that cancer metabolism is complex, and by-products of glucose and glutamine catabolism induce a cascade of both pro- and antitumorigenic processes. Some vitamins, which have traditionally been praised for preventing and inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells, have also been proven to cause cancer progression in a dose-dependent manner. Importantly, recent findings have shown that the nervous system is a key player in tumor growth and metastasis via perineural invasion and tumor innervation. However, the link between cancer-nerve crosstalk and tumor metabolism remains unclear. Here, we discuss the roles of relatively underappreciated metabolites in cancer-nerve crosstalk, including lactate, vitamins, and amino acids, and propose the investigation of nutrients in cancer-nerve crosstalk based on their tumorigenicity and neuroregulatory capabilities. Continued research into the metabolic regulation of cancer-nerve crosstalk will provide a more comprehensive understanding of tumor mechanisms and may lead to the identification of potential targets for future cancer therapies.