NOS2 and COX2 Provide Key Spatial Targets that Determine Outcome in ER- Breast Cancer

Estrogen receptor-negative (ER-) breast cancer is an aggressive breast cancer subtype with limited therapeutic options. Upregulated expression of both inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2) and cyclo-oxygenase (COX2) in breast tumors predicts poor clinical outcomes. Signaling molecules released by these enzymes activate oncogenic pathways, driving cancer stemness, metastasis, and immune suppression. The influence of tumor NOS2/COX2 expression on the landscape of immune markers using multiplex fluorescence imaging of 21 ER- breast tumors were stratified for survival. A powerful relationship between tumor NOS2/COX2 expression and distinct CD8+ T cell phenotypes was observed at 5 years post-diagnosis. These results were confirmed in a validation cohort using gene expression data showing that ratios of NOS2 to CD8 and COX2 to CD8 are strongly associated with poor outcomes in high NOS2/COX2-expressing tumors. Importantly, multiplex imaging identified distinct CD8+ T cell phenotypes relative to tumor NOS2/COX2 expression in Deceased vs Alive patient tumors at 5-year survival. CD8+NOS2-COX2- phenotypes defined fully inflamed tumors with significantly elevated CD8+ T cell infiltration in Alive tumors expressing low NOS2/COX2. In contrast, two distinct phenotypes including inflamed CD8+NOS2+COX2+ regions with stroma-restricted CD8+ T cells and CD8-NOS2-COX2+ immune desert regions with abated CD8+ T cell penetration, were significantly elevated in Deceased tumors with high NOS2/COX2 expression. These results were supported by applying an unsupervised nonlinear dimensionality-reduction technique, UMAP, correlating specific spatial CD8/NOS2/COX2 expression patterns with patient survival. Moreover, spatial analysis of the CD44v6 and EpCAM cancer stem cell (CSC) markers within the CD8/NOS2/COX2 expression landscape revealed positive correlations between EpCAM and inflamed stroma-restricted CD8+NOS2+COX2+ phenotypes at the tumor/stroma interface in deceased patients. Also, positive correlations between CD44v6 and COX2 were identified in immune desert regions in deceased patients. Furthermore, migrating tumor cells were shown to occur only in the CD8-NOS2+COX2+ regions, identifying a metastatic hot spot. Taken together, this study shows the strength of spatial localization analyses of the CD8/NOS2/COX2 landscape, how it shapes the tumor immune microenvironment and the selection of aggressive tumor phenotypes in distinct regions that lead to poor clinical outcomes. This technique could be beneficial for describing tumor niches with increased aggressiveness that may respond to clinically available NOS2/COX2 inhibitors or immune-modulatory agents.

Interferon-gamma is Quintessential for NOS2 and COX2 Expression in ER - Breast Tumors that Lead to Poor Outcome

A strong correlation between NOS2 and COX2 tumor expression and poor clinical outcomes in ER-breast cancer has been established. However, mechanisms of tumor induction of these enzymes are unclear. Analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) revealed correlations between NOS2 and COX2 expression and Th1 cytokines. Herein, single cell RNAseq analysis of TNBC cells shows potent NOS2 and COX2 induction by IFNγ combined with IL1β or TNFα. Given that IFNγ is secreted by cytolytic lymphocytes, which improve clinical outcomes, this role of IFNγpresents a dichotomy. To explore this conundrum, tumor NOS2, COX2, and CD8 ⁺ T cells were spatially analyzed in aggressive ER-, TNBC, and HER2+ breast tumors. High expression and clustering of NOS2-expressing tumor cells occurred at the tumor/stroma interface in the presence of stroma-restricted CD8 ⁺ T cells. High expression and clustering of COX2-expressing tumor cells extended into immune desert regions in the tumor core where CD8 ⁺ T cell penetration was limited or absent. Moreover, high NOS2-expressing tumor cells were proximal to areas with increased satellitosis suggestive of cell clusters with a higher metastatic potential. Further in vitro experiments revealed that IFNγ+IL1β/TNFα increased elongation and migration of treated tumor cells. This spatial analysis of the tumor microenvironment provides important insight of distinct neighborhoods where stroma-restricted CD8 ⁺ T cells exist proximal to NOS2-expressing tumor niches that could have increased metastatic potential.

Systemic Nos2 Depletion and Cox inhibition limits TNBC disease progression and alters lymphoid cell spatial orientation and density

Antitumor immune polarization is a key predictor of clinical outcomes to cancer therapy. An emerging concept influencing clinical outcome involves the spatial location of CD8+ T cells, within the tumor. Our earlier work demonstrated immunosuppressive effects of NOS2 and COX2 tumor expression. Here, we show that NOS2/COX2 levels influence both the polarization and spatial location of lymphoid cells including CD8+ T cells. Importantly, elevated tumor NOS2/COX2 correlated with exclusion of CD8+ T cells from the tumor epithelium. In contrast, tumors expressing low NOS2/COX2 had increased CD8+ T cell penetration into the tumor epithelium. Consistent with a causative relationship between these observations, pharmacological inhibition of COX2 with indomethacin dramatically reduced tumor growth of the 4T1 model of TNBC in both WT and Nos2- mice. This regimen led to complete tumor regression in ∼20-25% of tumor-bearing Nos2- mice, and these animals were resistant to tumor rechallenge. Th1 cytokines were elevated in the blood of treated mice and intratumoral CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were higher in mice that received indomethacin when compared to control untreated mice. Multiplex immunofluorescence imaging confirmed our phenotyping results and demonstrated that targeted Nos2/Cox2 blockade improved CD8+ T cell penetration into the 4T1 tumor core. These findings are consistent with our observations in low NOS2/COX2 expressing breast tumors proving that COX2 activity is responsible for limiting the spatial distribution of effector T cells in TNBC. Together these results suggest that clinically available NSAID's may provide a cost-effective, novel immunotherapeutic approach for treatment of aggressive tumors including triple negative breast cancer.

Long-term use of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei N1115 from early life alleviates high-fat-diet-induced obesity and dysmetabolism in mice

Obesity has become one of the most serious public health problems worldwide, and an increasing number of studies indicate that the gut microbiota can affect host metabolism. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate whether long-term use of probiotics can alleviate host obesity and metabolism by altering gut microbiota. The high-fat diet (HFD) starting from weaned period led to higher levels of visceral fat and a significantly heavier liver in male mice. Moreover, HFD resulted in disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism, changes in insulin-resistance indices (IR), and an increase in serum insulin and leptin in mice. Of note, 15 weeks use of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei N1115 decreased visceral fat, liver weight, serum levels of insulin and leptin, and IR and alleviated lipid dysmetabolism. HFD resulted in a significant increase in the relative abundance of Bilophila, Lachnoclostridium, and Blautia and may decrease the faecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels in mice; in turn, treatment with the potential probiotic strain L. paracasei N1115 protected mice from these negative effects. HFD significant impaired the physiology of the host especially in male mice and dramatically changed the composition of host gut microbiota. However, the use of potential probiotic strain, such as L. paracasei N1115, may prevent these impairments due to HFD via effecting the host gut microbiota and SCFA.

Dysbiosis of intestinal microbiota in early life aggravates high-fat diet induced dysmetabolism in adult mice

BACKGROUND

Accumulating evidence have shown that the intestinal microbiota plays an important role in prevention of host obesity and metabolism disorders. Recent studies also demonstrate that early life is the key time for the colonization of intestinal microbes in host. However, there are few studies focusing on possible association between intestinal microbiota in the early life and metabolism in adulthood. Therefore the present study was conducted to examine whether the short term antibiotic and/or probiotic exposure in early life could affect intestinal microbes and their possible long term effects on host metabolism.

RESULTS

A high-fat diet resulted in glucose and lipid metabolism disorders with higher levels of visceral fat rate, insulin-resistance indices, and leptin. Exposure to ceftriaxone in early life aggravated the negative influences of a high-fat diet on mouse physiology. Orally fed TMC3115 protected mice, especially those who had received treatment throughout the whole study, from damage due to a high-fat diet, such as increases in levels of fasting blood glucose and serum levels of insulin, leptin, and IR indices. Exposure to ceftriaxone during the first 2 weeks of life was linked to dysbiosis of the fecal microbiota with a significant decrease in the species richness and diversity. However, the influence of orally fed ceftriaxone on the fecal microbiota was limited to 12 weeks after the termination of treatment. Of note, at week 12 there were still some differences in the composition of intestinal microbiota between mice provided with high fat diet and antibiotic exposure and those only fed a high fat diet.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicated that exposure to antibiotics, such as ceftriaxone, in early life may aggravate the negative influences of a high-fat diet on the physiology of the host animal. These results also suggest that the crosstalk between the host and their intestinal microbiota in early life may be more important than that in adulthood, even though the same intestinal microbes are present in adulthood.

Nitric Oxide Donor DETA/NO Inhibits the Growth of Endometrial Cancer Cells by Upregulating the Expression of RASSF1 and CDKN1A

Nitric oxide (NO) is implicated in several biological processes, including cancer progression. At low concentrations, it promotes cell survival and tumor progression, and at high concentrations it causes apoptosis and cell death. Until now, the impact of NO donors has not been investigated on human endometrial tumors. Four cancer cell lines were exposed to different concentrations of DETA/NO for 24 to 120 h. The effects of DETA/NO on cell proliferation and invasion were determined utilizing MTS and Boyden chamber assays, respectively. The DETA/NO induced a dose and time-dependent reduction in cell viability by the activation of caspase-3 and cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase that was associated with the attenuated expression of cyclin-D1 and D3. Furthermore, the reduction in the amount of CD133-expressing cancer stem-like cell subpopulation was observed following DETA/NO treatment of cells, which was associated with a decreased expression of stem cell markers and attenuation of cell invasiveness. To understand the mechanisms by which DETA/NO elicits anti-cancer effects, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was used to ascertain alterations in the transcriptomes of human endometrial cancer cells. RNA-seq analysis revealed that 14 of the top 21 differentially expressed genes were upregulated and seven were downregulated in endometrial cancer cells with DETA/NO. The genes that were upregulated in all four cell lines with DETA/NO were the tumor suppressors Ras association domain family 1 isoform A (RASSF1) and Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (CDKN1A). The expression patterns of these genes were confirmed by Western blotting. Taken together, the results provide the first evidence in support of the anti-cancer effects of DETA/NO in endometrial cancer.

Itaconic acid mediates crosstalk between macrophage metabolism and peritoneal tumors

Control of cellular metabolism is critical for efficient cell function, although little is known about the interplay between cell subset–specific metabolites in situ, especially in the tumor setting. Here, we determined how a macrophage-specific (Mϕ-specific) metabolite, itaconic acid, can regulate tumor progression in the peritoneum. We show that peritoneal tumors (B16 melanoma or ID8 ovarian carcinoma) elicited a fatty acid oxidation–mediated increase in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and glycolysis in peritoneal tissue–resident macrophages (pResMϕ). Unbiased metabolomics identified itaconic acid, the product of immune-responsive gene 1–mediated (Irg1-mediated) catabolism of mitochondrial cis-aconitate, among the most highly upregulated metabolites in pResMϕ of tumor-bearing mice. Administration of lentivirally encoded Irg1 shRNA significantly reduced peritoneal tumors. This resulted in reductions in OXPHOS and OXPHOS-driven production of ROS in pResMϕ and ROS-mediated MAPK activation in tumor cells. Our findings demonstrate that tumors profoundly alter pResMϕ metabolism, leading to the production of itaconic acid, which potentiates tumor growth. Monocytes isolated from ovarian carcinoma patients’ ascites fluid expressed significantly elevated levels of IRG1. Therefore, IRG1 in pResMϕ represents a potential therapeutic target for peritoneal tumors.

Oral administration of Bifidobacterium bifidum TMC3115 to neonatal mice may alleviate IgE-mediated allergic risk in adulthood

This study aimed to demonstrate whether exposure to bifidobacteria during early life influences immunity and alleviates the risk of immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergies in adulthood. BALB/c neonatal mice (n=54) were administered with a lyophilised cell preparation of Bifidobacterium bifidum TMC3115 (TMC3115) for 3 weeks. Following the intervention, the mice were immunised with intraperitoneal ovalbumin (OVA). The morphology and function of the intestinal epithelium were determined using histopathological examinations. Intestinal microbiota was detected using quantitative PCR and characterised using next-generation sequencing of 16S rRNA genes from faecal DNA. Caecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were measured using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Serum levels of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, and immunoglobulin E (IgE) and the percentage of splenic CD4+ T cells were examined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry, respectively. TMC3115 did not significantly affect body weight, and cause any severe systemic inflammation or other clinical symptoms among the neonatal or adult mice, although the crypt depths and Muc2-positive cells in some intestinal segments of neonatal mice were significantly lower than control. Oral TMC3115 administration significantly increased faecal microbial diversity, relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and caecal SCFAs production in neonatal mice. Following the intervention, neonatal mice treated with TMC3115 exhibited less increase in serum IgE levels induced by OVA in adults and significantly higher TNF-α and IL-10 levels than in control. Our findings indicate that the oral administration of bifidobacteria, particularly certain strains, such as TMC3115, during early life could alleviate the risk of IgE-mediated allergies in adult host animals. Modifications of intestinal microbiota, SCFAs metabolism and anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 production by bifidobacteria may at least in part be a key mechanism underlying the effect of bifidobacteria on the IgE-mediated immune sensitivity of hosts to attacks by allergens at both neonatal and adult stages.

K-ras p21 expression and activity in lung and lung tumors

Although K-ras is mutated in many human and mouse lung adenocarcinomas, the function of K-ras p21 in lung is not known. We sought evidence for the prevalent hypothesis that K-ras p21 activates raf, which in turn passes the signal through the extracellular signal regulated kinases (Erks) to stimulate cell division, and that this pathway is upregulated when K-ras is mutated. Results from both mouse lung tumors and immortalized cultured E10 and C10 lung type II cells failed to substantiate this hypothesis. Lung tumors did not have more total K-ras p21 or K-ras p21 GTP than normal lung tissue, nor were high levels of these proteins found in tumors with mutant K-ras. Activated K-ras p21-GTP levels did not correlate with proliferating cell nuclear antigen. Special features of tumors with mutant K-ras included small size of carcinomas compared with carcinomas lacking this mutation, and correlation of proliferating cell nuclear antigen with raf-1. In nontransformed type II cells in culture, both total and activated K-ras p21 increased markedly at confluence but not after serum stimulation, whereas both Erk1/2 and the protein kinase Akt were rapidly activated by the serum treatment. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays of K-ras mRNA indicated an increase in confluent and especially in postconfluent cells. Together the findings indicate that normal K-ras p21 activity is associated with growth arrest of lung type II cells, and that the exact contribution of mutated K-ras p21 to tumor development remains to be discovered.

Huperzine-A in capsules and tablets for treating patients with Alzheimer disease

AIM

To compare the efficacy and safety between huperzine-A (Hup) in capsules and tablets for treating patients with Alzheimer disease (AD).

METHODS

Using multicenter, prospective, double-blind, double-mimic, parallel, positive controlled and randomized methods, 60 patients meeting with the NINCDS-ARDRA criteria of AD were divided into 2 equal groups. Patients in the capsule group received 4 capsules of Hup (each contains 50 micrograms) and 4 tablets of placebo (lactose and starch inside); while the tablet group received 4 tablets of Hup (each contains 50 micrograms) and 4 capsules of placebo, p.o., twice a day for 60 d. All the patients were evaluated with a lot of related ranting scales, and physiological and laboratory examination.

RESULTS

There were significant differences (P < 0.01) on all the psychological evaluations between 'before' and 'after' the 60-d trial of 2 groups, but there was no significant difference between 2 groups by group t test (P > 0.05). The changes of oxygen free radicals in 2 groups showed marked improvement. No severe side effect besides moderate to mild nausea was found in both groups.

CONCLUSION

There is equal efficacy and safety between Hup in capsule and tablet for treating patients with AD, and Hup can reduce the pathological changes of the oxygen free radicals in the plasma and erythrocytes of patients with AD.

Clinical significance of telomerase activation and telomeric restriction fragment (TRF) in cervical cancer

Telomerase activation was examined in 50 cases of cervical cancer, 27 normal cervix and five cervical cancer cell lines using the sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based TRAP (telomeric repeat amplification protocol) assay. Telomeric restriction fragment (TRF) length of these specimens was measured by Southern hybridisation. Telomerase activation was common in cervical cancers and was detected in 46/50 cases (92%). Telomerase activity was weak in normal cervix and was detected only in 2/27 cases (7.4%). Telomerase activity was detected in all stages of cervical cancer suggesting that it is an early event in cancer progression. The clinical significance of telomerase activation was analysed in 47 squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. High telomerase activity was more frequently detected in advanced diseases (100% in stage III and stage IV cervical cancers combined) compared with early diseases (68.6% in stage I and stage II cancers combined). The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.02). Telomerase activity was not statistically correlated with other clinical parameters examined. This is the first report of telomeric length in human cervical cancer. Both shortening and elongation of TRF length in cervical cancers was observed. Advanced cervical cancers tended to have a wider range of variation of TRF length compared with early disease and normal cervix. There was no obvious relationship between TRF length and the clinical parameters examined including clinical staging, differentiation status of tumour, human papilloma virus (HPV) infection, recurrence rate, tumour size and invasion depth. The clinical significance of TRF length appears to be limited in cervical cancers. Our results indicate that telomerase activity is closely associated with tumour cells and may be useful as a marker for detection of tumour cells in cervical biopsies.

Telomerase activation in human cancers

OBJECTIVE

To review the background of telomerase activation and the methodology involved in its determination, and the clinico-pathological significance of telomerase activation in human cancers.

DATA SOURCES

An English-language literature search using MEDLINE (1966-1997) and bibliographic reviews of textbooks and review articles.

RESULTS

Progressive shortening of telomeres was associated with continuous cell division in normal somatic cells. Telomerase was activated in most cancer cells and immortal germ cells to maintain their telomeric lengths. The occurrence and clinical pathological significance of telomerase activation was evaluated in various types of human cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Telomerase activation is a common event in human cancers and may be as a useful marker for malignant cells. Telomerase may also be a therapeutic target for cancer treatment.

Telomerase activation in nasopharyngeal carcinomas

Nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPC) are common in Hong Kong and southern China but rare in Western countries. Telomerase activation is common in human cancers but has not been reported previously in NPC. Telomerase activation in NPC was determined using the sensitive TRAP (telomerase rapid amplification protocol) assay in 45 nasopharyngeal biopsies (36 NPC, nine normal nasopharyngeal mucosae) in four xenografted NPC tumours established in nude mice and in five in vitro NPC cell lines. Telomerase activation is common in NPC and can be detected at high frequencies (85% in primary tumours and 100% in recurrent tumours). The frequency of telomerase activation was lowest in NPC biopsies without lymph node involvement (60%) compared with those with positive lymph node involvement (100%), and the difference is statistically significant (P < 0.05; Fisher exact test). All the xenografted NPC tumours and in vitro NPC cell lines were strongly positive for telomerase activity. Our results suggest that telomerase activation is common in NPC and it may be useful as a diagnostic marker in the detection of tumour cells in nasopharyngeal biopsies. The high frequency of telomerase activation in stage I NPC (80% positive) suggests that it is an early event in tumour progression.

The interaction of the neuromuscular effects between mivacurium and esmolol in rats

BACKGROUND

To study the neuromuscular interaction between mivacurium and esmolol, we compared the neuromuscular actions of the ED90 dose of mivacurium both in the absence and presence of esmolol infusion.

METHODS

Twelve rats were anesthetized with urethane. Train-of-four stimulation was applied every 12 s to the sciatic nerve, and the electromyogram (EMG) response of the anterior tibial muscle was measured.

RESULTS

The ED50 and ED90 of mivacurium in rats were 144 +/- 7.3 micrograms/kg and 197 +/- 7.7 micrograms/kg, respectively. The maximal EMG depression produced by ED50 of mivacurium decreased significantly with esmolol treatment from 88.2 +/- 2.7% to 83.1 +/- 2.6% after esmolol infusion (p < 0.05). The onset time for 75% EMG depression was much shorter for control (44 +/- 6.3 s) than that of esmolol treatment (78.2 +/- 2.4 s; p < 0.05). There was no difference between their duration.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study demonstrated that esmolol does not potentiate the neuromuscular effect of mivacurium but antagonize the maximal neuromuscular block and decrease its onset time in rats.

[Incidence of venous air embolism in parturients during cesarean section with regional anesthesia]

The purpose of the study is to probe the situation of venous air embolism (VAE) and the accompanying complications occurring in Chinese parturients in Taiwan during Cesarean section. Sixty ASA physical status class I-II parturients who were subjected to cesarean section under regional anesthesia were evaluated. The sensor of the Doppler device was placed on the anterior chest to detect the rumbles of air when it came to pass, and simultaneously the signs and symptoms following VAE were observed. Our results demonstrated that the usual or normal Doppler heart sound changed in 38 parturients out of 60 (63.3%), and the alteration occurred very often when the uterus was being incised (81.6%), or sutured (97.4%), and concurred strong correlation with such signs and symptoms such as chest tightness or precordial pain (78.9%), shortness of breath (60.5%), and change of heart rate or blood pressure (86.8%). The method of anesthesia (spinal or epidural block) did not have effect on the occurrence of VAE, but different surgical approaches and different positions in which the patients were posed during operation did apparently bring about VAE of variable degree. Besides, supplying of oxygen could mitigate the symptoms produced by VAE. Consequently, the application of Doppler monitor during Cesarean section can detect VAE earlier and more efficiently and thus provides information timely treatment.