Targeting Toll-like receptor 4 with CLI-095 (TAK-242) enhances the antimetastatic effect of the estrogen receptor antagonist fulvestrant on non-small cell lung cancer

PURPOSE

Estrogen plays a critical role in the invasiveness and metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) through estrogen receptor β (ERβ). However, the antimetastatic effect of the ERβ antagonist fulvestrant was still limited in NSCLC patients. Recently, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling was implicated in NSCLC metastasis. Our present study aimed to evaluate the synergistic antimetastatic effect of a combination of fulvestrant and the TLR4-specific inhibitor CLI-095 (TAK-242) on human NSCLC cells.

METHODS

The expression levels of ERβ and TLR4 were detected by immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis of 180 primary NSCLC and 30 corresponding metastatic lymph node samples. The association between ERβ and TLR4 expression was analyzed. The aggressiveness of NSCLC cells treated with fulvestrant, CLI-095 or the drug combination and formation status of their invadopodia, invasion-associated structures, were investigated. The protein levels in NSCLC cells in different groups were determined by Western blot and immunofluorescence analyses.

RESULTS

Here, a positive correlation between ERβ and TLR4 expression was observed in both primary NSCLC tissue (Spearman's Rho correlation coefficient = 0.411, p < 0.001) and metastatic lymph node tissue (Spearman's Rho correlation coefficient = 0.374, p = 0.009). The protein levels of ERβ in NSCLC cell lines were decreased by fulvestrant, and this suppressive effect was significantly enhanced when fulvestrant was combined with CLI-095 (p < 0.05). Both the migration and invasion of NSCLC cells were suppressed by fulvestrant or CLI-095 alone, and the combination of fulvestrant + CLI-095 showed the strongest inhibitory effect (p < 0.05). In addition, the results demonstrated that CLI-095 also helped fulvestrant restrict the formation and function of invadopodia in NSCLC cells (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, our study results suggested that CLI-095 enhances the antimetastatic effect of fulvestrant on NSCLC and provided support for further investigation of the antitumor activity of combined therapy with antiestrogen and anti-TLR4 agents in the clinic.

[Clinical analysis of seven cases of H1N1 influenza-associated encephalopathy in children]

Objective: To investigate the clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of H1N1 influenza A-associated encephalopathy (IAE) in children. Methods: The clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electroencephalography (EEG) examinations and treatments of seven children with H1N1 IAE hospitalized in Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center from December 2018 to January 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Five of the seven children with H1N1 IAE were female. The age at admission was 4 years and 5 months (range 7 months-9 years). Neurological symptoms occurred simultaneously or early (0-3 days) after the flu-like symptom appeared. The main clinical manifestations of neurological symptoms were seizures (repeated seizures in five cases and status convulsion in two cases, including one case of unexpected fever and repeated seizures in a nine-year old girl) accompanied with altered consciousness (drowsiness in five cases and coma in two cases). Cranial MRI in three cases displayed multifocal lesions, mainly in the bilateral thalamus, brainstem and cerebellar hemisphere. MRI also showed reversible splenial lesion in the corpus callusumin in three cases. EEG tracings were characterized by diffuse slow wave activity in four cases, and status epilepticus was monitored in one case. All the 7 cases were treated with oral oseltamivir. Three cases were treated with pulsed methylprednisolone and intravenous immunoglobulin. One case was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin alone and all the patients received oral oseltamivir. All the patients survived, with three patients had minor neurological sequelae at discharge. Conclusions: The main clinical manifestations of H1N1 IAE are seizures and altered consciousness. Cranial MRI combined with EEG is helpful for early diagnosis. Intravenous immunoglobulin and (or) methylprednisolone should be considered for severe cases.

Integrative analyses of transcriptome sequencing identify novel functional lncRNAs in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have a critical role in cancer initiation and progression, and thus may mediate oncogenic or tumor suppressing effects, as well as be a new class of cancer therapeutic targets. We performed high-throughput sequencing of RNA (RNA-seq) to investigate the expression level of lncRNAs and protein-coding genes in 30 esophageal samples, comprised of 15 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) samples and their 15 paired non-tumor tissues. We further developed an integrative bioinformatics method, denoted URW-LPE, to identify key functional lncRNAs that regulate expression of downstream protein-coding genes in ESCC. A number of known onco-lncRNA and many putative novel ones were effectively identified by URW-LPE. Importantly, we identified lncRNA625 as a novel regulator of ESCC cell proliferation, invasion and migration. ESCC patients with high lncRNA625 expression had significantly shorter survival time than those with low expression. LncRNA625 also showed specific prognostic value for patients with metastatic ESCC. Finally, we identified E1A-binding protein p300 (EP300) as a downstream executor of lncRNA625-induced transcriptional responses. These findings establish a catalog of novel cancer-associated functional lncRNAs, which will promote our understanding of lncRNA-mediated regulation in this malignancy.

Novel methylene blue staining technique for localizing small esophageal leiomyomas during thoracoscopic enucleation

The treatment of choice for leiomyoma, the most common benign esophageal tumor, is thoracoscopic enucleation. One of the most difficult aspects of thoracoscopic enucleation is the precise localization of small tumors (≤1.5 cm) and tumors without external protrusion. No simple, feasible solutions to this problem are available. We developed a novel methylene blue staining technique to localize small esophageal leiomyomas and evaluated the feasibility of our technique. Between January 2013 and July 2014, eight patients with small esophageal leiomyomas (≤1.5 cm) underwent thoracoscopic enucleation in Tongji Hospital. Preoperative endoscopic ultrasonography was performed in all patients. The leiomyomas were located in the middle (n = 5) and lower (n = 3) thirds of the esophagus. We preoperatively injected 0.5-1.0 mL methylene blue in the submucosa adjacent to the tumors under standard gastroscope guidance. The entire staining process took about 10 minutes. Staining was successful in all patients. The unstained tumor was exposed after the blue-stained mediastinal pleura, and overlying muscle were incised longitudinally. All procedures were successfully completed without conversion to open surgery. No abnormalities were detected in the esophageal mucosa. The median operating time was 60 minutes (range, 40-90 minutes). Postoperative histopathology confirmed leiomyoma in all patients. The median postoperative hospital stay was 6 days (range, 5-7 days). No major complications, such as esophageal leakage or esophageal diverticulum, occurred. Endoscopic methylene blue staining is safe and feasible for localizing small esophageal leiomyomas during thoracoscopic enucleation. This method will enable precise and easy enucleation.

Low-intensity degenerate four-wave mixing at the cesium D1 resonance in thin cells

We observed low-intensity cw degenerate four-wave mixing at the D1 resonance in a 10-microm-thick cesium-vapor cell. Normal population depletion caused by optical pumping is alleviated by frequent atom-wall collisions. The reflectivity at the D1 resonance is approximately equal in magnitude to that observed at the D2 cycling transition under similar conditions.

Optical correlator that uses cesium vapor

We obtain the correlation pattern between two amplitude-modulated input images of 36 and 280 random black and white pixels, using the standard degenerate four-wave-mixing geometry of 852-nm optical beams in a 1-mm-thick cesium-vapor cell. The total optical input power is 3.2 mW to obtain 0.4 nW of power in the correlation pattern. We verified that the buildup time of the four-wave-mixing signal is ~30 ns. Using the random patterns, we analyze the performance of the cesium optical correlator in terms of the number of pixels that can be processed and the number of photons per pixel used. We show how to scale our experimental results for the efficiency of the cesium correlator to images containing a larger number of pixels.

High-pressure apparatus for dielectric measurements in high frequency

The present article describes an experimental apparatus for the measurement of low-loss dielectric material under conditions of high pressures (maximum pressure 1500 bars) and high frequencies (1-15 MHz.) The measurements of these losses are based on the classical method of the Q-meter with a general Radio type 1690-A sample holder, located in a high-pressure bomb. All the manual operations made on the holder during the measurements are controlled by dc motors. The first results have shown that the dielectric losses of polyethylene (PE) vary with the pressure. This apparatus will later be used in the measurement of the dielectric losses of the insulating materials used for submarine telecommunication cables.