Prognostic Implication of pAMPK Immunohistochemical Staining by Subcellular Location and Its Association with SMAD Protein Expression in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Molecular Mechanisms of Phthalate-Induced Hepatic Injury and Amelioration by Plant-Based Principles

Phthalates are the emerging environmental toxicants derived from phthalic acid and its constituents, which are moderately present in plastics and many personal care products. Phthalate exposure occurs through various environmental factors, including air, water, and soil, with absorption facilitated via ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact. Upon exposure, phthalates become bioavailable within the biological systems and undergo biotransformation and detoxification processes in the liver. The physicochemical properties of phthalates indicate their lipophilicity, environmental persistence, and bioaccumulation potential, influencing their absorption, distribution, and hepatic biotransformation. The prolonged exposure to phthalates adversely influences the biological redox system by altering the levels of the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, molecular signaling pathways, and causing hepatic pathogenesis. The strategies to combat phthalate-induced toxicity include avoiding exposure to these compounds and using plant-based bioactive molecules such as polyphenols, which possess therapeutic potential as antioxidants, suppress inflammatory cascades, prevent oxidative damage, and stabilize cellular integrity. This review presents a comprehensive and updated account of the chemical, biochemical, immunological, and toxicological properties of phthalates, along with novel plant-based therapeutic strategies to mitigate the phthalate-induced adverse effects on living systems.

Effects of dibutyl phthalate on lipid metabolism in liver and hepatocytes based on PPARα/SREBP-1c/FAS/GPAT/AMPK signal pathway

Phateacid esters (PAEs), such as dibutyl phthalate (DBP), have been widely used and human exposure results into serious toxic effects; such as the development of fatty liver disease. In the present study, SD rat models for in vivo study (normal and fatty liver model group) and hepatocytes for in vitro study (normal and abnormal lipid metabolism model group) were established to determine the effects of DBP on liver function and discover the possible mechanisms. Meanwhile, the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPARα) blocker, GW6471, with the Adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activator, AICAR, were applied in vitro study to clarify the role of PPARα/SREBP-1c/FAS/GPAT/AMPK signal pathway in the process. Results suggested that DBP could activate PPARα signaling pathway and affected the protein expression of SREBP, FAS and GPAT to cause hyperlipidemia and abnormal liver function. DBP also could inhibit the phosphorylation and activation of AMPK to inhibit the decomposition and metabolism of lipids. Interestingly, the effects of DBP could be alleviated by GW6471 and AICAR. Our experimental results provide reliable evidence that DBP exposure could further induce liver lipid metabolism disorder and other hepatic toxicity through PPARα/SREBP-1c/FAS/GPAT/AMPK signal pathway.

Oncogenic Long Noncoding RNA DARS-AS1 in Childhood Acute Myeloid Leukemia by Binding to microRNA-425

OBJECTIVE

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) represents a hematological cancer. The aim of the investigation was to probe the regulatory relevance of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) aspartyl-tRNA synthetase anti-sense 1 (DARS-AS1)/microRNA-425 (miR-425)/transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGFB1) to the development of AML.

METHODS

The DARS-AS1 expression in bone marrow tissues was first analyzed in healthy subjects and AML patients. Subsequently, AML cell lines with DARS-AS1 knockdown were constructed, followed by cell proliferation and apoptosis assays. Afterward, downstream miRNA of DARS-AS1 and target mRNA of the miRNA were analyzed by bioinformatics, and their binding relationships were verified. Functional rescue experiments were then implemented. Finally, activation of the Smad2/3 signaling in MV4-11 and BF-24 cells were detected by western blot.

RESULTS

DARS-AS1 was overexpressed in bone marrow tissues of AML patients and cells, and DARS-AS1 knockdown suppressed the proliferation of AML cells and induced apoptosis. DARS-AS1 bound to and negatively correlated with miR-425. Further results suggested that TGFB1 might be a target gene of miR-425 and could promote Smad2/3 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. Finally, DARS-AS1 depletion could diminish the tumor volume in vivo.

CONCLUSION

All in all, we highlighted here that DARS-AS1 enhanced the expression of TGFB1 through binding to miR-425 to modulate AML progression via the Smad2/3 pathway, which might perform as a therapeutic target for AML.

SMAD-6, -7 and -9 are potential molecular biomarkers for the prognosis in human lung cancer

SMADs, a family of proteins that function as signal transducers and transcriptional regulators to regulate various signaling pathways, including the transforming growth factor-β signaling pathway, are similar to the mothers against decapentaplegic family of genes and the sma gene family in Caenorhabditis elegans. SMADs generate context-dependent modulation by interacting with various sequence-specific transcription factors, such as E2F4/5, c-Fos, GATA3, YY1 and SRF, which have been found to serve a key role in lung carcinoma oncogenesis and progression. However, the prognostic values of the eight SMADs in lung cancer have not been fully understood. In the present study, the expression levels and survival data of SMADs in patients with lung carcinoma from the Oncomine, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis, Kaplan-Meier plotter and cBioPortal databases were downloaded and analyzed. It was found that the mRNA expression levels of SMAD-6, -7 and -9 were decreased in lung adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma compared with that in adjacent normal tissues, while there was no significant difference in SMADs 1-5. Survival analysis revealed that not only were low transcriptional levels of SMAD-6, -7 and -9 associated with low overall survival but they also had prognostic role for progression-free survival and post-progression survival (P<0.05) in patients with lung carcinoma. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that SMAD-6, -7 and -9 are potential biomarkers for the prognosis of patients with lung carcinoma.

TRIM33 Overexpression Inhibits the Progression of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma In Vivo and In Vitro

PURPOSE

To evaluate the expression of tripartite motif-containing 33 (TRIM33) in ccRCC tissues and explore the biological effect of TRIM33 on the progress of ccRCC.

METHOD

The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was used to examine the mRNA expression levels of TRIM33 in ccRCC tissues and its clinical relevance. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to evaluate its expression in ccRCC tissues obtained from our hospital. The correlation between TRIM33 expression and clinicopathological features of the patients was also investigated. The effects of TRIM33 on the proliferation of ccRCC cells were examined using the CCK-8 and colony formation assays. The effects of TRIM33 on the migration and invasion of ccRCC cells were explored through wound healing and transwell assays, along with the use of Wnt signaling pathway agonists in rescue experiments. Western blotting was used to explore the potential mechanism of TRIM33 in renal cancer cells. A xenograft model was used to explore the effect of TRIM33 on tumor growth.

RESULT

Bioinformatics analysis showed that TRIM33 mRNA expression in ccRCC tissues was downregulated, and low TRIM33 expression was related to poor prognosis in ccRCC patients. In agreement with this, low TRIM33 expression was detected in human ccRCC tissues. TRIM33 expression levels were correlated with clinical characteristics, including tumor size and Furman's grade. Furthermore, TRIM33 overexpression inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion of 786-O and ACHN cell lines. The rescue experiment showed that the originally inhibited migration and invasion capabilities were restored. TRIM33 overexpression reduced the expression levels of β-catenin, cyclin D1, and c-myc, and inhibited tumor growth in ccRCC cells in vivo.

CONCLUSION

TRIM33 exhibits an abnormally low expression in human ccRCC tissues. TRIM33 may serve as a potential therapeutic target and prognostic marker for ccRCC.

The Labyrinth of Renal Cell Carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) ranks in the top-ten list of malignancies both in males and females [...].