TGF-β1 increases cellular invasion of colorectal neuroendocrine carcinoma cell line through partial epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a pivotal role in cancer progression and metastasis in many types of malignancies, including colorectal cancer. Although the importance of EMT is also considered in colorectal neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC), its regulatory mechanisms have not been elucidated. We recently established a human colorectal NEC cell line, SS-2. In this study, we aimed to clarify whether these cells were sensitive to transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) and whether EMT could be induced through TGF-β1/Smad signaling, with the corresponding NEC cell-specific changes in invasiveness. In SS-2 cells, activation of TGF-β1 signaling, as indicated by phosphorylation of Smad2/3, was dose-dependent, demonstrating that SS-2 cells were responsive to TGF-β1. Analysis of EMT markers showed that mRNA levels changed with TGF-β1 treatment and that E-cadherin, an EMT marker, was expressed in cell-cell junctions even after TGF-β1 treatment. Invasion assays showed that TGF-β1-treated SS-2 cells invaded more rapidly than non-treated cells, and these cells demonstrated increased metalloproteinase activity and cell adhesion. Among integrins involved in cell-to-matrix adhesion, α2-integrin was exclusively upregulated in TGF-β1-treated SS-2 cells, but not in other colon cancer cell lines, and adhesion and invasion were inhibited by an anti-α2-integrin blocking antibody. Our findings suggest that α2-integrin may represent a novel therapeutic target for the metastasis of colorectal NEC cells.

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NEC cell line SS-2 is responsive to TGF-β1.

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TGF-β1 stimulation induces partial EMT, maintaining E-cadherin in SS-2 cells.

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TGF-β1-treated SS-2 cells exhibit increase in metalloproteinase activity and cell adhesion.

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α2-integrin is exclusively upregulated in TGF-β1-treated SS-2 cells.

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Use of anti-α2-integrin blocking antibody inhibits enhanced adhesion and invasion.

Subchronic neurotoxicity of diazinon in albino mice: Impact of oxidative stress, AChE activity, and gene expression disturbances in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus on mood, spatial learning, and memory function

Diazinon (DZN) with prominent neurotoxic effects perturbs CNS function via multiple mechanisms. This investigation intends to explore mood, spatial learning, and memory dysfunction, acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activity, and neurodegeneration-related gene expression in the cortex and hippocampus regions of mice exposed to DZN for 63 consecutive days (subchronic exposure). Adult male albino mice were orally given sublethal DZN (DZNL = 0.1 mg/kg, DZNM = 1 mg/kg and DZNH = 10 mg/kg). All mice in the DZNH group died within 3 weeks postexposure. DZNL and DZNM caused body and brain weight loss (p < 0.05). Completing 9 weeks of DZN exposure, a marked decline in AChE activity and oxidative stress level was indicated in both brain regions (p < 0.05). Also, synaptophysin, vesicular acetylcholine transferase, and glutamate decarboxylase gene expressions were affected in both brain regions (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the present study revealed that DZN administration increased anxiety and depressive-like behaviors (p < 0.0001). Spatial learning and short- and long-memory were severely affected by DZNL and DZNM treatments (p < 0.0001). Taken together, subchronic exposure to low and medium doses of DZN can cause AChE inhibition, oxidative damage, and neurotransmitter disturbances in brain cells and induce neurodegeneration. These changes would impair mood, spatial learning, and memory function.

Withania somnifera root extract inhibits fatty acid synthesis in prostate cancer cells

Prior research argues for a role of increased de novo fatty acid synthesis in pathogenesis of prostate adenocarcinoma, which remains a leading cause of cancer-associated mortality in American men. A safe and effective inhibitor of fatty acid synthesis is still a clinically unmet need. Herein, we investigated the effect of ethanol extract of Withania somnifera root (WRE) standardized for one of its components (withaferin A) on fatty acid synthesis using LNCaP and 22Rv1 human prostate cancer cells. Withania somnifera is a medicinal plant used in the Ayurvedic medicine practiced in India. Western blotting and confocal microscopy revealed a statistically significant decrease in protein levels of key fatty acid metabolism enzymes including ATP citrate lyase (ACLY), acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1), fatty acid synthase (FASN), and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A) in WRE-treated cells compared with solvent control. The mRNA levels of ACLY, ACC1, FASN, and CPT1A were also lower in WRE-treated cells in comparison with control. Consequently, WRE treatment resulted in a significant decrease in intracellular levels of acetyl-CoA, total free fatty acids, and neutral lipid droplets in both LNCaP and 22Rv1 cells. WRE exhibited greater potency for fatty acid synthesis inhibition at equimolar concentration than cerulenin and etomoxir. Exposure to WRE results in downregulation of c-Myc and p-Akt(S473) proteins in 22Rv1 cell line. However, overexpression of only c-Myc conferred protection against clonogenic cell survival and lipogenesis inhibition by WRE. In conclusion, these results indicate that WRE is a novel inhibitor of fatty acid synthesis in human prostate cancer cells.

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Withania somnifera is a medicinal plant used in alternative medicine (Ayurvedic medicine) system practiced in India.

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Withania somnifera root extract exhibits a variety of pharmacological effects including anticancer activity.

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The present study reveals that Withania somnifera root extract is a potent inhibitor of lipogenesis in prostate cancer cells.

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Inhibition of lipogenesis seems to be a useful biomarker of anticancer efficacy of Withania somnifera in prostate cancer.

PDL1 expression is an independent prognostic factor in localized GIST

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are the most frequently occurring digestive sarcomas. The prognosis of localized GIST is heterogeneous, notably for patients with an Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) intermediate or high risk of relapse. Despite imatinib effectiveness, it is crucial to develop therapies able to overcome the resistance mechanisms. The immune system represents an attractive prognostic and therapeutic target. The Programmed cell Death 1 (PD1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PDL1) pathway is a key inhibitor of the immune response; recently, anti-PD1 and anti-PDL1 drugs showed very promising results in patients with solid tumors. However, PDL1 expression has never been studied in GIST. Our objective was to analyze PDL1 expression in a large series of clinical samples. We analyzed mRNA expression data of 139 operated imatinib-untreated localized GIST profiled using DNA microarrays and searched for correlations with histoclinical features including postoperative metastatic relapse. PDL1 expression was heterogeneous across tumors and was higher in AFIP low-risk than in high-risk samples, and in samples without than with metastatic relapse. PDL1 expression was associated with immunity-related parameters such as T-cell-specific and CD8⁺ T-cell-specific gene expression signatures and probabilities of activation of interferon α (IFNα), IFNγ, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) pathways, suggesting positive correlation with a cytotoxic T-cell response. In multivariate analysis, the PDL1-low group was associated with a higher metastatic risk independently of the AFIP classification and the KIT mutational status. In conclusion, PDL1 expression refines the prediction of metastatic relapse in localized GIST and might improve our ability to better tailor adjuvant imatinib. In the metastatic setting, PDL1 expression might guide the use of PDL1 inhibitors, alone or associated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors.