Comparison of clinical outcome between day 5 and day 6 single blastocyst transfers in cycles undergoing preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy

OBJECTIVE

In vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment has gradually adopted the practice of culturing embryos until the blastocyst stage on the D5 or D6 as the standard approach. PGT-A is commonly used in vitro fertilization (IVF). This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of frozen embryo transfers (FETs) using single blastocyst transfers (SBTs) on the fifth (D5) or sixth (D6) day of development in cycles that underwent preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The patients who had at least one euploid or mosaic blastocyst of good quality determined by PGT-A results and received single embryo transfer (SET) cycles were included in the study. In this study, the live birth rate (LBR) and neonatal outcomes were compared after the transfer of single biopsied D5 and D6 blastocysts in frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles.

RESULTS

A total of 527 frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer (FET) cycles (8449 biopsied embryos were analyzed). No significant difference in the implantation rate (IR), clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), and live birth rate (LBR) between the transfers of D5 and D6 blastocysts. Birth weight was the only perinatal outcome that showed a significant difference between the D5 and D6 groups.

CONCLUSION

The study confirmed that the transfer of a single euploid or mosaic blastocyst, regardless of whether it was on the fifth (D5) or sixth (D6) day of development, can lead to promising clinical results.

[The effect of extended depth of focus contact lenses on the accommodation of presbyopic eyes]

Objective: To evaluate the effect of extended depth of focus contact lenses on the accommodation of presbyopic eyes. Methods: It was a double-blind randomized controlled trial. Thirty eyes of 30 emmetropic volunteers (15 males, 15 females) who were staff or family members of Hainan Eye Hospital, aged (49.6±4.5) years, were selected. Non-dominant eyes were fitted with soft contact lenses with an extended depth of field. The subjects and examiners were double-blind. Visual acuities of the subjects were examined at 5 m, 40 cm and 60 cm distance before and after the contact lens wear. Meanwhile, the monocular accommodative amplitude, monocular accommodative facility (±1.00 D), accommodative response, binocular positive/negative relative accommodation and accommodation convergence/accommodation at 40 cm distance were measured. The data were analyzed by paired t test and Wilcoxon signed rank test before and after the contact lens wear, and a P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Before and after the contact lens wear, the visual acuity at 40 cm was 4.59±0.14 and 4.69±0.10, and the difference was statistically significant (t=4.16, P<0.01). The visual acuity at 60 cm was 4.74±0.10 and 4.74±0.12, and the difference had no statistical significance (t=0.626, P>0.05). The distance visual acuity was 5.00±0.06 and 4.96±0.06, and the difference was statistically significant (t=3.89, P<0.01). The monocular accommodative amplitude was significantly improved from (3.26±0.26) D to (4.00±0.51) D (t=7.59, P<0.01). The monocular accommodative facility was also significantly improved from (2.67±1.60) cyc/min to (3.53±1.87) cyc/min (t=2.17, P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the positive and negative relative accommodation (t=1.90, 0.66; P>0.05). The accommodation convergence/accommodation and adjustment lag had no statistical significance (Z=0.83, 0.11; P>0.05). Conclusion: Wearing contact lenses with an extended depth of field can improve the near vision and accommodation of presbyopes (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2021, 57:292-296).

Investigation of the molecular mechanism underlying the inhibitory activities of ethanol extract of Bombyx mori pupa-incubated Cordyceps militaris fruiting bodies toward allergic rhinitis

Cordyceps militaris has been widely studied for its various pharmacological activities such as antitumor, anti-inflammation, and immune regulation. The binding of an allergen to IgE-sensitized mast cells in nasal mucosa triggers allergic rhinitis. We found that oral administration of 300 mg/kg of the ethanol extract prepared from silkworm pupa-cultivated Cordyceps militaris fruiting bodies significantly alleviated the symptoms of ovalbumin-induced allergic rhinitis in mice, including sneeze/scratch, mast cell activation, eosinophil infiltration, and Syk activation. The treatment of ethanol extract significantly suppressed the release of β-hexosaminidase (a degranulation marker) and mRNA expression levels of various cytokines, including IL-3, IL-10, and IL-13 in activated RBL2H3 cells. The ethanol extract and β-sitostenone, which was purified from the extract, could respectively reduce the Ca2+ ion mobilization in activated RBL-2H3 cells. Furthermore, results collected from western immunoblotting demonstrated that ethanol extract significantly retarded Ca2+ ion mobilization-initiated signaling cascade, which provoked the expression of various allergic cytokines. Also, the extract incubation interfered with P38 as well as NF-kB activation and Nrf-2 translocation. Our study suggested that ethanol extract possessed some natural constituents which could inhibit immediate degranulation and de novo synthesis of allergic cytokines via inhibition of Ca2+ ion mobilization in mast cells in the nasal mucosa of allergic rhinitis mice.

Early postpartum biofeedback assisted pelvic floor muscle training in primiparous women with second degree perineal laceration: Effect on sexual function and lower urinary tract symptoms

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the short-term effect of routine early postpartum electromyographic biofeedback assisted pelvic floor muscle training on sexual function and lower urinary tract symptoms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From December 2016 to November 2017, primiparous women with vaginal delivery, who experienced non-extended second-degree perineal laceration were invited to participate. Seventy-five participants were assigned into a pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) group or control group. Women in the PFMT group received supervised biofeedback-assisted pelvic floor muscle training at the 1st week and 4th week postpartum. Exercises were performed at home with the same protocol until 6 weeks postpartum. The Pelvic Organ Prolapse Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire (PISQ-12) and the Urinary Distress Inventory short form questionnaire (UDI-6) were used to evaluate sexual function and lower urinary tract symptoms respectively at immediate postpartum, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months postpartum.

RESULTS

Forty-five women (23 in PFMT group,22 in control group) completed all questionnaires at 6 months postpartum. For overall sexual function and the three sexual functional domains, no statistically significant difference was found in PISQ scores from baseline to 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months postpartum between the PFMT and control groups. For postpartum lower urinary tract symptoms, all symptoms gradually improved over time for both groups without a statistically significant difference between groups.

CONCLUSION

Our study showed that supervised biofeedback-assisted pelvic floor muscle training started routinely at one week postpartum did not provide additional improvement in postpartum sexual function and lower urinary tract symptoms.

Proteomic Profile of Sorafenib Resistance in Hepatocellular Carcinoma; GRP78 Expression Is Associated With Inferior Response to Sorafenib

BACKGROUND/AIM

The outcome of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains poor and therapeutic options, including sorafenib, the first anti-cancer drug proved to prolong survival in patients with advanced HCC, are limited. However, no clinically useful predictive biomarker for sorafenib has been reported.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We exploited two-dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry to find de-regulated proteins by using conditioning of a sorafenib-resistant HCC cell line, Huh7. Tumor samples from 60 patients with HCC treated with sorafenib were analyzed and correlated with survival outcome.

RESULTS

Comparative proteomics indicated three proteins including, 78 kDa glucose related protein (GRP78), 14-3-3ε, and heat shock protein 90β (HSP90β). The three proteins were over-expressed in sorafenib-resistant Huh7 cells. In HCC tumor samples from patients treated with sorafenib, 73% of tumor samples had a high expression of GRP78, 18% had high 14-3-3ε expression and 85% had high HSP90β expression. Among these, GRP78 was associated with the shortest progression-free survival of HCC patients treated with sorafenib.

CONCLUSION

GRP78 can be a predictive biomarker in HCC patients treated with sorafenib. Strategies designed to inhibit the GRP78-related pathway may overcome sorafenib resistance.

[Wind Field Influences on the Spatial Distribution of Cyanobacterial Blooms and Nutrients in Meiliang Bay of Lake Taihu, China]

Wind field is a very important physical factor controlling the formation of cyanobacteria blooms. A surface particle tracking drift experiment was carried out to study the influence of wind field on the surface current in Meiliang Bay of Lake Taihu during the algal bloom season. For this, chlorophyll-a, nitrogen, phosphorus, the permanganate index, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and dissolved oxygen (DO) were measured in surface, middle, and bottom waters of the Meiliang Bay during the cyanobacteria bloom period to test how wind field affects the temporal and spatial distribution of cyanobacterial blooms and biomass stock in the water column. The results showed that the average drift velocities of surface particles were 3.0 cm·s^-1 and 5.0 cm·s^-1 when wind speed averaged 1.9 m·s^-1 and 2.3 m·s^-1, respectively. The wind field determined the spatial distribution of cyanobacterial blooms in surface waters and led to a high spatial heterogeneity of cyanobacterial blooms. The spatial redistribution of cyanobacterial blooms exerted an important influence on water quality indexes such as particulate nitrogen, phosphorus, organic matter, and dissolved oxygen. The concentrations of particulate nitrogen, phosphorus, the permanganate index, and chlorophyll-a showed a similar vertical distribution pattern. Cyanobacterial blooms were less influenced by the distribution of dissolved nitrogen and dissolved organic carbon from external pollution, while long-term legacy loading played a more important role. This meant that the spatial distributions of dissolved nitrogen and dissolved organic carbon were different from that of chlorophyll-a. Because the redistribution of cyanobacterial blooms, as affected by wind fields, has a complex effect on the dissolved oxygen in the water column, the dissolved oxygen concentration decreased with depth, which may affect the release of soluble nutrients from the sediment. The cyanobacterial biomass stock in the surface water was estimated according to the survey of high-density sites. The dry matter of cyanobacteria in the surface 20 cm of Meiliang Bay was approximately 396 tons on the day of sampling. The results from the present study indicated that the factors influencing cyanobacterial blooms should be considered in sampling methods and the analysis of lake water quality due to the significant influence of wind fields on bloom drift. The collection of cyanobacteria has limited effect on the removal of the algal bloom biomass in whole lake, only being effective at prevention of the event of black spots in lake shore.

Involvement of endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene variants in the aggressiveness of uterine cervical cancer

To date, few studies explore the involvement of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene variants in uterine cervical cancer. Therefore, we conducted this study to assess the clinical implication of eNOS in cervical carcinogenesis, clinicopathological characteristics and patient survival. One hundred and seventeen patients with cervical invasive cancer and 95 with preinvasive lesions and 330 control women were consecutively enrolled. Real time polymerase chain reaction was used to examine the genotypic distributions of eNOS single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs1799983 (894G>T) at the exon 7 region and rs2070744 (-786T>C) at the promoter region. Our results indicated no significant associations among genotypic distributions of eNOS SNPs and patients with cervical invasive cancer and those with preinvasive lesions as well as normal controls. However, cervical cancer patients with genotypes TC/CC in eNOS SNP rs2070744 carried less risk of advanced stage [odds ratios (OR) = 0.30, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.09-0.97, p=0.036], parametrium invasion (OR=0.16, 95% CI=0.02-0.75, p=0.009) and pelvic lymph node metastasis (OR=0.12, 95% CI=0.01-0.89, p=0.016). In conclusion, although eNOS SNPs rs2070744 and rs1799983 do not display significant associations with cervical carcinogenesis and patient survival, cervical cancer patients with genotypes TC/CC in rs2070744 carry less risk of advanced stage, parametrium invasion and pelvic lymph node metastasis in Taiwan.

Paper-based immunosensor utilizing dielectrophoretic trapping of microprobes for quantitative and label free detection using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

In this study, we have developed a novel paper based immunoassay for the quantitative detection of immunoreactions using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Paper provides an attractive platform for fabrication of simple, low cost, and portable diagnostic devices as it allows passive liquid transport, is biocompatible, and has tunable properties such as hydrophilicity, flexibility, permeability, and reactivity. We have used screen-printing to fabricate interdigitated electrodes (finger width and gap of 200 μm) on the paper substrate, while UV-lithography enables patterning of the paper into hydrophobic/hydrophilic regions. As a proof of concept, we have used this immunosensor to detect the immune response of Human Serum Albumin (HSA) antibody-antigen complex formation. To enable efficient immobilization of HSA antibodies, we have utilized dielectrophoresis to trap microprobes (MPs) on the electrode surface. The microprobes consist of an alumina nanoparticle core with a well-adhered polyaniline outer coating to which the HSA antibodies are conjugated in an oriented manner via covalent chemistry. The efficacy of the impedance-based immunosensor is compared when MPs are immobilized specifically on the electrode surface using dielectrophoresis (DEP) as opposed to being dropped and immobilized via physical absorption on the entire sensing area. Results show that a more reproducible and sensitive response is observed when DEP is utilized to trap the microprobes. Furthermore, the normalized impedance variation during immunosensing shows a linear dependence on the concentration of HSA with an observed limit of detection of 50 μg/ml, which is lower than conventionally used paper based urine dipsticks used for urinary protein detection. Thus, we have developed a low cost paper based immunoassay platform that can be used for the quantitative point of care detection of a wide range of immunoreactions.

Butyrate ameliorated-NLRC3 protects the intestinal barrier in a GPR43-dependent manner

BACKGROUND

Intestinal barrier dysfunctions are related to dysbacteriosis and chronic gut inflammation in type 2 diabetes. Although there is emerging evidence that the chronic gut inflammatory response is stimulated by nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors (NLRs), the relationship and precise mechanism between NLRC3 and the colonic epithelial barrier remains largely elusive.

METHODS

We investigated the function and mechanism of NLRC3 in the colonic tissues of diabetic mice and colonic epithelial cell lines. The regulatory mechanism between NLRC3, butyrate and tight junctions was elucidated via a transepithelial electrical resistance measurement, transmission electron microscopy, RNA interference and western blotting.

RESULTS

In this study, we found that NLRC3 expression was decreased in the colonic tissues of diabetic mice. NLRC3 over-expression ameliorated colonic epithelial barrier integrity and up-regulated tight junction proteins in colonic epithelial cells. Knockdown of TRAF6 diminished NLRC3-induced ZO-1/occludin expression. In addition, we demonstrated that butyrate could stimulate NLRC3 expression in both diabetic mice and colonic epithelial cells. GPR43 on colonic epithelial cells is involved in the activation of NLRC3 induced by butyrate.

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrated that NLCR3 could ameliorate colonic epithelial barrier integrity in diabetes mellitus in a TRAF6-dependent manner, and NLCR3 was stimulated by butyrate via binding GPR43 on colonic epithelial cells.

Uncovering the Molecular Mechanism of Anti-Allergic Activity of Silkworm Pupa-Grown Cordyceps militaris Fruit Body

Cordyceps militaris has been widely used as an herbal drug and tonic food in East Asia and has also been recently studied in the West because of its various pharmacological activities such as antitumoral, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. In this study, we examined the molecular mechanism underlying the anti-allergic activity of ethanol extract prepared from silkworm pupa-cultivated Cordyceps militaris fruit bodies in activated mast cells. Our results showed that ethanol extract treatment significantly inhibited the release of [Formula: see text]-hexosaminidase (a degranulation marker) and mRNA levels of tumor necrosis factor-[Formula: see text] as well as interleukin-4 in RBL-2H3 cells. The cells were sensitized with 2,4-dinitrophenol specific IgE and then stimulated with human serum albumin conjugated with 2,4-dinitrophenol. Oral administration of 300[Formula: see text]mg/kg ethanol extract significantly ameliorated IgE-induced allergic reaction in mice with passive cutaneous anaphylaxis. Western immunoblotting results demonstrated that ethanol extract incubation significantly inhibited Syk/PI3K/MEKK4/JNK/c-jun biochemical cascade in activated RBL-2H3 cells, which activated the expression of various allergic cytokines. In addition, it suppressed Erk activation and PLC[Formula: see text] evocation, which would respectively evoke the synthesis of lipid mediators and Ca[Formula: see text] mobilization to induce degranulation in stimulated RBL-2H3 cells. A compound, identified as [Formula: see text]-sitostenone, was shown to inhibit [Formula: see text]–hexosaminidase secretion from activated mast cells. Our study demonstrated that ethanol extract contained the ingredients, which could inhibit immediate degranulation and de novo synthesis of allergic lipid mediators and cytokines in activated mast cells.

Sox9 transcriptionally regulates Wnt signaling in intestinal epithelial stem cells in hypomethylated crypts in the diabetic state

Background

Distinctive structures called crypts harbor intestinal epithelial stem cells (IESCs) which generate progenitor and terminally differentiated cells in the intestinal epithelium. Mammalian IESCs and their daughter cells require the participation of DNA methylation and the transcription factor Sox9 for proliferation and differentiation. However, the association between Sox9 and DNA methylation in this process remains elusive.

Methods

The DNA methylation of small intestinal epithelial crypts in db/db mice was detected via combining methylated DNA immunoprecipitation with microarray hybridization. DNA methylation of Sox9 promoter in crypts and IESCs was validated using bisulfite sequence analysis. The target sequence of the transcription factor Sox9 in IESCs was investigated via chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) combined with deep sequencing (ChIP-seq).

Results

Increased Sox9 expression is accompanied by the loss of methylation in its promoter in IESCs. Sox9 targets the enhancers of the Wnt signaling pathway-related genes. Sox9 predominantly acts as a transcriptional activator at proximal enhancers of Wnt4, Tab2, Sox4, and Fzd8, but also functions as a potential transcriptional inhibitor at a distant enhancer of Cdk1. Lack of Sox9 transcriptional activation in specific repressors of the Wnt signaling pathway leads to the loss of intrinsic inhibitory action and ultimately produces overactivation of this pathway in db/db mice.

Conclusions

Our study sheds light on the connections among DNA methylation, transcription factor modulation, and Wnt signaling in IESCs in the diabetic state. Hypomethylation in the Sox9 promoter is correlated to increased Sox9 expression in db/db IESCs. Although there is increased expression of Sox9 in db/db IESCs, the loss of Sox9 transcriptional activation in specific repressors of the Wnt signaling pathway might result in abnormalities in this pathway.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13287-017-0507-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Role of galectin-1 in urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma cell invasion through the JNK pathway

Human galectin-1 is a member of the galectin family, proteins with conserved carbohydrate-recognition domains that bind galactoside. Galectin-1 is highly expressed in various tumors and participates in various oncogenic processes. However, detailed descriptions of the function of galectin-1 in urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma have not been reported. Our previous cohort investigation showed that galectin-1 is associated with tumor invasiveness and is a possible independent prognostic marker of urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma. The present study aimed to clarify the relevance of galectin-1 expression level to tumor progression and invasion. In order to decipher a mechanism for the contribution of galectin-1 to the malignant behavior of urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma, two bladder cancer cell lines (T24 and J82) were established with knockdown of galectin-1 expression by shRNA. Bladder cancer cells with LGALS1 gene silencing showed reduced cell proliferation, lower invasive capability, and lower clonogenicity. Extensive signaling pathway studies indicated that galectin-1 participated in bladder cancer cell invasion by mediating the activity of MMP9 through the Ras-Rac1-MEKK4-JNK-AP1 signaling pathway. Our functional analyses of galectin-1 in urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma provided novel insights into the critical role of galectin-1 in tumor progression and invasion. These results revealed that silencing the galectin-1-mediated MAPK signaling pathway presented a novel strategy for bladder cancer therapy.

CEBPD amplification and overexpression in urothelial carcinoma: a driver of tumor metastasis indicating adverse prognosis

The molecular aberrations responsible for the progression of urothelial carcinoma (UC) remain largely obscure. To search candidate driver oncogenes in UC, we performed array-based genomic hybridization (aCGH) on 40 UBUC samples. Amplification of 8q11.21 was preferentially identified in patients who developed disease-specific death (53.8%) and distal metastasis (50.0%) but was barely detected in non-eventful cases (3.7% and 0%, respectively). In order to quantify the expression of candidate genes harbored in 8q11.21, laser-capture microdissection coupled with RT-PCR was performed on 32 of the 40 cases submitted to aCGH. With this, we identified CEBPD mRNA expression as most significantly associated with gains of 8q11.21, suggesting amplification-driven expression. By performing CEBPD-specific FISH and immunohistochemistry on 295 UBUCs, we confirmed CEBPD amplification (21.3%) and overexpression (29.8%) were strongly related to each other (p<0.001). Moreover, both were associated with adverse clinicopathologic features and worse outcomes. Furthermore, the clinical significance of CEBPD expression was also confirmed in an independent cohort comprised of 340 UCs from the upper urinary tract. Interestingly, CEBPD knockdown suppressed cell proliferation, migration and, most significantly, cell invasion ability in UC cells. The latter phenotype is attributed to downregulation of MMP2 as identified by RT2 Profiler PCR array. Moreover, expression of CEBPD significantly enhanced MMP2 expression and transcriptional activation by directly binding to its promoter region, as confirmed by promoter reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Conclusively, CEBPD amplification is a mechanism driving increased mRNA and protein expression that confers aggressiveness in UC through MMP2-mediated cell invasiveness.

CSF2 Overexpression Is Associated with STAT5 Phosphorylation and Poor Prognosis in Patients with Urothelial Carcinoma

Background: Urothelial carcinoma (UC) commonly occurs in the urinary bladder (UB) and rarely in upper the upper urinary tract (UT). Its molecular pathogenesis, however, remains obscure. Though the constitutive phosphorylation of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 5 (STAT5) is an important part of carcinogenesis generally, researchers have not systematically investigated this process specifically in relation to UC. The present study addresses this gap. Through data mining a published transcriptomic database of UBUCs (GSE32894), it identified Colony Stimulating Factor 2 (CSF2) as the stepwise upregulated gene of much significance among those related to the positive regulation of tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT5 (GO:0042523). Since the phosphorylation of STAT5, a key process in the development of UC, is closely associated with CSF2, we then examine CSF2 transcript and protein expression, justifying their association with clinicopathological features and survival in our well-established cohort of patients with UC.

Design: Laser capture microdissection in conjunction with real-time qRT-PCR are used to detect CSF2 transcript levels in 24 UBUCs and 6 non-tumor urothelium samples. We then used the H-score method to evaluate the immunohistochemistry in order to determine CSF2 protein expression in 296 UBUCs and 340 UTUCs, respectively. After correlating protein expression status with key clinicopathological features, the prognostic significance of CSF2 protein expression was determined for disease-specific survival (DSS) and metastasis-free survival (MeFS).

Results: We exclusively detected the CSF2 transcript, which was stepwise upregulated in tumor lesions (p=0.010). In both groups of UC we found overexpression of CSF2 significantly related to incremental pT status (UTUC, p=0.011; UBUC, p<0.001), as well as with perineural invasion (UTUC, p=0.002; UBUC, p=0.001). Univariate analysis found a close correlation between CSF2 overexpression and unfavorable prognosis for both DSS (UTUC, p=0.0001; UBUC, p<0.0001) and MeFS (UTUC, p=0.0001; UBUC, p=0.0002). High expression of CSF2 still remained prognostically for DSS (UTUC, p=0.015; UBUC, p=0.004) and MeFS (UTUC, p=0.008; UBUC, p=0.027) in multivariate comparison.

Conclusion: Our data showed that overexpression of CSF2 was inferred in advanced disease status and poor clinical outcomes for both UTUC and UBUC patients, suggesting that CSF2 may serve as an important prognosticator and a potential therapeutic target of UC.

SPOCK1 Overexpression Confers a Poor Prognosis in Urothelial Carcinoma

Purpose:The majority deaths of cancer patients are related to metastasis, thus genes associated with cell motility interest us. SPOCK1 was elected by data mining and serial evaluation. In addition, SPOCK1 has been reported to be highly expressed in different human cancers and been related to adverse outcomes. Therefore, we validate its prognostic significance in urothelial carcinoma (UC).

Materials and Methods:Real-time RT-PCR assay was used to detect SPOCK1 transcript level in 27 urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) and 27 urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma (UBUC) samples. Immunohistochemistry evaluated by H-score determined SPOCK1 expressions in 340 UTUCs and 295 UBUCs. The transcript and protein expression were correlated with clinicopathological features. Further evaluations of the prognostic significance of SPOCK1 for disease-specific survival (DSS) and metastasis-free survival (MeFS) were analyzed.

Results:The expressions of SPOCK1 in UC were higher than those in normal urothelium by immunohistochemistry. The statistical analysis of clinicopathologic characteristics and immunohistochemistry showed that the higher expression of SPOCK1 was correlated to pT status (P<0.001), lymph node metastasis (UTUC, P=0.006; UBUC, P=0.033), higher histological grade (UTUC, P<0.001; UBUC, P<0.001), vascular invasion (UTUC, P<0.001; UBUC, P<0.001), perineurial invasion (UTUC, P<0.001; UBUC, P=0.001) and frequent mitosis (UTUC, P<0.001; UBUC, P=0.001). The prognosis of SPOCK1 of UC showed high SPOCK1 expression had significantly worse DSS and MeFS.

Conclusions:The investigation demonstrated that the higher expression of SPOCK1 correlates with a poor prognosis in UC.

Necdin Overexpression Predicts Poor Prognosis in Patients with Urothelial Carcinomas of the Upper Urinary Tract and Urinary Bladder

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Oncogenesis is a multistep process, resulting from the accumulations of multiple mutations. Of these mutations, self-sufficiency in growth signals, i.e., disruption of cell growth regulation, is the first episode. Nonetheless, the genes associated with cell growth dysregulation have seldom been systematically evaluated in either urothelial carcinomas of upper urinary tract (UTUC) or urothelial carcinomas of urinary baldder (UBUC). By data mining a published transcriptomic dataset of UBUCs (GSE31684), we identified the NDN gene as one of the most significant of those associated with the regulation of cell growth and found this gene is associated with advanced tumor status and metastatic disease (GO:0001558). Accordingly, we analyzed NDN transcript and protein expression with their clinicopathological significance.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We used real time RT-PCR to detect NDN transcript levels in 27 UTUCs and 27 UBUCs, respectively. Immunohistochemical study was performed to determine NDN protein (a.k.a. Necdin) expression evaluated by H-score method in 340 UTUCs and 295 UBUCs. NDN expression was further correlated with clinicopathological features and disease-specific survival (DSS) and metastasis-free survival (MeFS).

RESULTS

NDN transcriptional level was significantly higher in UCs of both sites with stepwise more advanced pT statuses. Through immunohistochemistry, we found NDN protein expression was significantly associated with adverse clinicopathological parameters, e.g., advanced pT status, nodal metastasis, high grade histological patterns, and frequent mitotses (all P<0.05). In univariate analysis, NDN overexpression not only predicted worse DSS and MeFS in both the UTUC and UBUC groups, it also served as an independent prognostic factor for DSS and MeFS in multivariate analysis (all P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

NDN may play an important role in tumor progression in UC and could serve as a prognostic biomarker and a potential novel therapeutic target in UC.

Immunosensor for the ultrasensitive and quantitative detection of bladder cancer in point of care testing

An ultrasensitive and real-time impedance based immunosensor has been fabricated for the quantitative detection of Galectin-1 (Gal-1) protein, a biomarker for the onset of multiple oncological conditions, especially bladder cancer. The chip consists of a gold annular interdigitated microelectrode array (3×3 format with a sensing area of 200µm) patterned using standard microfabrication processes, with the ability to electrically address each electrode individually. To improve sensitivity and immobilization efficiency, we have utilized nanoprobes (Gal-1 antibodies conjugated to alumina nanoparticles through silane modification) that are trapped on the microelectrode surface using programmable dielectrophoretic manipulations. The limit of detection of the immunosensor for Gal-1 protein is 0.0078mg/ml of T24 (Grade III) cell lysate in phosphate buffered saline, artificial urine and human urine samples. The normalized impedance variations show a linear dependence on the concentration of cell lysate present while specificity is demonstrated by comparing the immunosensor response for two different grades of bladder cancer cell lysates. We have also designed a portable impedance analyzing device to connect the immunosensor for regular checkup in point of care testing with the ability to transfer data over the internet using a personal computer. We believe that this diagnostic system would allow for improved public health monitoring and aid in early cancer diagnosis.

Lab on a chip for multiplexed immunoassays to detect bladder cancer using multifunctional dielectrophoretic manipulations

A multiplexed immunosensor has been developed for the detection of specific biomarkers Galectin-1 (Gal-1) and Lactate Dehydrogenase B (LDH-B) present in different grades of bladder cancer cell lysates. In order to immobilize nanoprobes with different antibodies on a single chip we employed three-step programmable dielectrophoretic manipulations for focusing, guiding and trapping to enhance the fluorescent response and reduce the interference between the two antibody arrays. The chip consisted of a patterned indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode for sensing and a middle fish bone shaped gold electrode for focusing and guiding. Using ITO electrodes for the sensing area can effectively eliminate the background noise of fluorescence response as compared to metal electrodes. It was also observed that the three step manipulation increased fluorescence response after immunosensing by about 4.6 times as compared to utilizing DEP for just trapping the nanoprobes. Two different-grade bladder cancer cell lysates (grade I: RT4 and grade III: T24) were individually analyzed for detecting the protein expression levels of Gal-1 and LDH-B. The fluorescence intensity observed for Gal-1 is higher than that of LDH-B in the T24 cell lysate; however the response observed in RT4 is higher for LDH-B as compared to Gal-1. Thus we can effectively identify the different grades of bladder cancer cells. In addition, the platform for DEP manipulation developed in this study can enable real time detection of multiple analytes on a single chip and provide more practical benefits for clinical diagnosis.

Puerarin inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in human glioblastoma cell lines

Puerarin has been widely used in clinical treatment and experiment research and is considered to exert an anticancer effect recently. The present study investigated the anticancer activity of puerarin in U251 and U87 human glioblastoma cells. The cells were treated with puerarin at various concentrations for different times. Cell viability and cell proliferation were detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining respectively. Cell cycle and apoptosis were measured separately with PI staining and Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining method by flow cytometry. DNA damage of glioblastoma cells caused by puerarin exposure was evaluated by γ-H2AX foci detection, and the expressions of p-AKT, caspase-3 and apoptosis-related proteins were detected by Western blotting after puerarin treatment. Cell viability and proliferation of glioblastoma cells treated with puerarin were significantly lower than that of the control group; the apoptosis rate increased obviously compared to the control group. Puerarin significantly decreased the proportion at G1 phase of cell cycling accompanied by increased populations at the S and G2/M phases in both cell lines. At the same time, DNA damage level of puerarin treated cells was significantly higher than that in the control cells. Moreover, puerarin treatment suppressed the expression of p-Akt and Bcl-2 and promoted the expression of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 in U251 cells. These findings indicate that puerarin exerts antitumor effects both in U251 and U87 cells.

CDCA5 overexpression is an indicator of poor prognosis in patients with urothelial carcinomas of the upper urinary tract and urinary bladder

AIMS

Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is the most common tumor involving upper urinary tract (UTUC) and urinary bladder (UBUC) whose molecular survival determinants remains obscured. By computerizing a public transcriptomic database of UBUCs (GSE32894), we identified cell division cycle associated 5 (CDCA5) as the most significantly upregulated gene among those associated with G1-S transition of the mitotic cell cycle (GO:0000082). We therefore analyzed the clinicoptaological significance of CDCA5 expression in our well-characterized UC cohort.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Quantigene assay was used to detect CDCA5 transcript levels in 36 UTUCs and 30 UBUCs. We used immunohistochemistry evaluated by H-scores to determine CDCA5 protein expression in 295 UBUCs and 340 UTUCs, respectively. CDCA5 expression was further correlated with clinicopathological features and disease-specific survival (DSS) and metastasis-free survival (MeFS). For both groups of UCs, increments of CDCA5 transcript levels were associated with higher pT status, CDCA5 protein overexpression was also significantly associated with advanced pT status, nodal metastasis, high histological grade, vascular invasion, and frequent mitoses. CDCA5 overexpression was predictive for worse DSS and MeFS in univariate and multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

CDCA5 overexpression is associated with advanced clinical features of UC, suggesting its potential value as a prognostic biomarker and a novel therapeutic target.

FGF7 Over Expression is an Independent Prognosticator in Patients with Urothelial Carcinoma of the Upper Urinary Tract and Bladder

PURPOSE

Urothelial carcinoma of the bladder and upper tract is the most common tumor type in the urinary tract but its molecular pathogenesis and survival determinants remain obscure. By data mining a published transcriptomic database of bladder urothelial carcinoma (GSE31684) we identified FGF7 as the most significant gene up-regulated during urothelial carcinoma progression. We then used our well characterized urothelial carcinoma cohort to analyze FGF7 transcript and protein expression, and its clinicopathological significance.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay to determine the FGF7 transcript level in 30 fresh samples each of upper tract and bladder urothelial carcinoma. Immunohistochemistry evaluated by H-score was used to determine FGF7 protein expression in 340 upper tract and 295 bladder urothelial carcinomas. Transcript and protein expression were correlated with clinicopathological features. We further evaluated the prognostic significance of FGF7 protein expression for disease specific and metastasis-free survival.

RESULTS

An increased FGF7 transcript level was associated with higher pT stage in upper tract and bladder urothelial carcinoma (p = 0.003 and <0.001, respectively). In the upper tract and bladder carcinoma groups FGF7 protein over expression was also significantly associated with advanced pT status (each p <0.001), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.002 and <0.001), high histological grade (p = 0.019 and <0.001), vascular invasion (each p <0.001), perineural invasion (p = 0.002 and 0.021) and frequent mitoses (p = 0.002 and 0.042, respectively). FGF7 over expression predicted dismal disease specific and metastasis-free survival on univariate and multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study shows that FGF7 over expression is associated with advanced clinical features in patients with upper tract and bladder urothelial carcinoma, justifying its potential prognostic value for urothelial carcinoma.

Galectin-1 dysregulation independently predicts disease specific survival in bladder urothelial carcinoma

PURPOSE

Galectin-1 is highly expressed in various tumors and participates in various oncogenic processes. Our previous proteomics investigation demonstrated that galectin-1 is up-regulated in high compared to nonhigh grade lesions. Thus, in the current cohort study we clarified the correlation of galectin-1 over expression with various clinicopathological features and prognosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We selected 185 cases of consecutively treated primary localized bladder urothelial carcinoma for study. Transurethral resection of bladder tumor was performed in all patients followed by radical cystectomy in those with T2 to T4 tumors. Pathological slides were examined to determine cytoplasmic galectin-1 immuno-expression and correlate galectin-1 dysregulation with various clinicopathological factors and disease specific survival.

RESULTS

Positive galectin-1 immuno-expression in tumors was significantly linked to pT status (p = 0.0295), histological grade (p = 0.037), vascular invasion (p = 0.0287) and nodal status (p = 0.0012). Galectin-1 over expression in tumors significantly predicted disease specific survival at the univariate (p = 0.0002) and multivariate levels (p = 0.03, HR 2.438, 95% CI 1.090-5.451). In situ hybridization indicated that the LGALS1 gene was amplified in 43 specimens in an independent cohort of 56 snap frozen tumor specimens. Association analysis showed that an increased LGALS1 mRNA level was linked to bladder urothelial carcinoma invasiveness (p = 0.016) and LGALS1 gene amplification was significantly associated the amount of GAL-1 protein in tumors (p <0.0001). On the univariate level gene amplification was also closely linked to disease specific survival (p = 0.0006).

CONCLUSIONS

These results reveal that galectin-1 over expression is a possible independent factor for bladder cancer prognosis.

Overexpression of REG4 confers an independent negative prognosticator in rectal cancers receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) followed by surgery is the standard treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer. Through data mining from published transcriptomic database, we identified Regenerating Gene Type IV (REG4) as the most significantly associated gene with resistance to CCRT. This study examined the prognostic impact of REG4 expression in patients with rectal cancer receiving neoadjuvant CCRT.

METHODS

REG4 immunohistochemistry was retrospectively assessed for pre-treatment biopsy specimens from 172 rectal cancer patients who received neoadjuvant CCRT followed by surgery without initial distant metastasis. The results were correlated with the clinicopathological variables, disease-specific survival (DSS), local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), as well as γ-H2AX expression in post-treatment tumor samples.

RESULTS

High expression of REG4 was associated with advanced pre-treatment nodal status (P = 0.026), advanced post-treatment tumor status (P = 0.006), advanced post-treatment nodal status (P = 0.001), advanced post-treatment tumor stage (P < 0.001), and inferior tumor regression grade (P = 0.001). Of note, high expression of REG4 emerged as an adverse prognosticator for DSS (P = 0.0004), LRFS (P = 0.0009), and MeFS (P = 0.0254). After multivariate comparisons, it remained independently prognostic for worse DSS (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.731; P = 0.025) and LRFS (HR = 2.676; P = 0.029). High expression of REG4 was also negatively associated with γ-H2AX expression (P < 0.0001, r = -0.708).

CONCLUSIONS

High expression of REG4 is associated with poor therapeutic response, adverse outcome and an aggressive phenotype in rectal cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant CCRT, justifying REG4 is a surrogate marker to predict CCRT resistance.

Overexpression of CPS1 is an independent negative prognosticator in rectal cancers receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy

Locally advanced rectal cancers are currently treated with neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) followed by surgery, but stratification of risk and final outcomes remain suboptimal. In view of the fact that glutamine metabolism is usually altered in cancer, we profiled and validated the significance of genes involved in this pathway in rectal cancers treated with CCRT. From a published transcriptome of rectal cancers (GSE35452), we focused on glutamine metabolic process-related genes (GO:0006541) and found upregulation of carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) gene most significantly predicted poor response to CCRT. We evaluated the expression levels of CPS1 using immunohistochemistry to analyze tumor specimens obtained during colonoscopy from 172 rectal cancer patients. Expression levels of CPS1 were further correlated with major clinicopathological features and survivals in this validation cohort. To further confirm CPS1 expression levels, Western blotting was performed for human colon epithelial primary cell (HCoEpiC) and four human colon cancer cells, including HT29, SW480, LoVo, and SW620. CPS1 overexpression was significantly related to advanced posttreatment tumor (T3, T4; P = 0.006) and nodal status (N1, N2; P < 0.001), and inferior tumor regression grade (P = 0.004). In survival analyses, CPS1 overexpression was significantly associated with shorter disease-specific survival (DSS) and metastasis-free survival (MeFS). Furthermore, using multivariate analysis, it was also independently predictive of worse DSS (P = 0.021, hazard ratio = 2.762) and MeFS (P = 0.004, hazard ratio = 3.897). CPS1 protein expression, as detected by Western blotting, is more abundant in colon cancer cells than nonneoplastic HCoEpiC. Overexpression of CPS1 is associated with poor therapeutic response and adverse outcomes among rectal cancer patients receiving CCRT, justifying the potential theranostic value of CPS1 for such patients.

MicroRNA-16 inhibits glioma cell growth and invasion through suppression of BCL2 and the nuclear factor-κB1/MMP9 signaling pathway

Recent studies have identified a class of small non-coding RNA molecules, named microRNA (miRNA), that is dysregulated in malignant brain glioblastoma. Substantial data have indicated that miRNA-16 (miR-16) plays a significant role in tumors of various origins. This miRNA has been linked to various aspects of carcinogenesis, including cell apoptosis and migration. However, the molecular functions of miR-16 in gliomagenesis are largely unknown. We have shown that the expression of miR-16 in human brain glioma tissues was lower than in non-cancerous brain tissues, and that the expression of miR-16 decreased with increasing degrees of malignancy. Our data suggest that the expression of miR-16 and nuclear factor (NF)-κB1 was negatively correlated with glioma levels. MicroRNA-16 decreased glioma malignancy by downregulating NF-κB1 and MMP9, and led to suppressed invasiveness of human glioma cell lines SHG44, U87, and U373. Our results also indicated that upregulation of miR-16 promoted apoptosis by suppressing BCL2 expression. Finally, the upregulation of miR-16 in a nude mice model of human glioma resulted in significant suppression of glioma growth and invasiveness. Taken together, our experiments have validated the important role of miR-16 as a tumor suppressor gene in glioma growth and invasiveness, and revealed a novel mechanism of miR-16-mediated regulation in glioma growth and invasiveness through inhibition of BCL2 and the NF-κB1/MMP-9 signaling pathway. Therefore, our experiments suggest the possible future use of miR-16 as a therapeutic target in gliomas.

Suppression of urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma cell by the ethanol extract of pomegranate fruit through cell cycle arrest and apoptosis

Background

Pomegranate possesses many medicinal properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammation and antitumor. It has been extensively used as a folk medicine by many cultures. Pomegranate fruit has been shown to have the inhibitory efficacy against prostate cancer and lung cancer in vitro and in vivo. It can be exploited in chemoprevention and chemotherapy of prostate cancer. In this study we examined the anti-cancer efficacy of pomegranate fruit grown in Taiwan against urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma (UBUC) and its mechanism of action.

Methods

Edible portion of Taiwanese pomegranate was extracted using ethanol and the anti-cancer effectiveness of ethanol extract was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Flow cytometry and western immunoblotting were exploited to uncover the molecular pathways underlying anti-UBUC activity of Taiwanese pomegranate ethanol extract.

Results

This study demonstrated that Taiwanese pomegranate fruit ethanol extract (PEE) could effectively restrict the proliferation of UBUC T24 and J82 cells. Cell cycle analyses indicated that the S phase arrest induced by PEE treatment might be caused by an increase in cyclin A protein level and a decrease in the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 1. The results of western immunoblotting demonstrated that PEE treatment could not only evoke the activation of pro-caspase-3, -8,-9 but also increase Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in T24 cells. The above observations implicated that PEE administration might trigger the apoptosis in T24 cells through death receptor signaling and mitochondrial damage pathway. Besides we found that PEE exposure to T24 cells could provoke intensive activation of procaspase-12 and enhance the expressions of CHOP and Bip, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress marker, suggesting that ER stress might be the cardinal apoptotic mechanism of PEE-induced inhibition of bladder cancer cell.

Conclusions

The analytical results of this study help to provide insight into the molecular mechanism of induced bladder cancer cell apoptosis by pomegranate and to develop novel mechanism-based chemopreventive strategy for bladder cancer.

Altered white adipose tissue protein profile in C57BL/6J mice displaying delipidative, inflammatory, and browning characteristics after bitter melon seed oil treatment

Objective

We have previously shown that bitter melon seed oil (BMSO), which is rich in cis-9, trans-11, trans-13 conjugated linolenic acid, is more potent than soybean oil in attenuating body fat deposition in high-fat diet-induced obese C57BL/6J mice. The aim of this study was to obtain a comprehensive insight into how white adipose tissue (WAT) is affected by BMSO administration and to explore the underlying mechanisms of the anti-adiposity effect of BMSO.

Methods and Results

A proteomic approach was used to identify proteins differentially expressed in the WAT of mice fed diets with or without BMSO for 11 wks. The WAT was also analyzed histologically for morphological changes. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (pH 4–7) revealed 32 spots showing a statistically significant difference (P<0.05) in intensity in BMSO-treated mice and 30 of these were shown to code for 23 proteins (15 increased and 8 decreased expression; >2-fold change). Combined with histological evidence of macrophage infiltration and brown adipocyte recruitment, the proteomic and immunoblotting data showed that the WAT in mice subjected to long-term high dose BMSO administration was characterized by reduced caveolae formation, increased ROS insult, tissue remodeling/repair, mitochondria uncoupling, and stabilization of the actin cytoskeleton, this last change being putatively related to an increased inflammatory response.

Conclusion

The anti-adiposity effect of BMSO is associated with WAT delipidation, inflammation, and browning. Some novel proteins participating in these processes were identified. In addition, the BMSO-mediated WAT browning may account for the increased inflammation without causing adverse metabolic effects.

UHRF2 mRNA expression is low in malignant glioma but silencing inhibits the growth of U251 glioma cells in vitro

UHRF2 is a member of the ubiquitin plant homeo domain RING finger family, which has been proven to be frequently up-regulated in colorectal cancer cells and play a role as an oncogene in breast cancer cells. However, the role of UHRF2 in glioma cells remains unclear. In this study, we performed real-time quantitative PCR on 32 pathologically confirmed glioma samples (grade I, 4 cases; grade II, 11 cases; grade III, 10 cases; and grade IV, 7 cases; according to the 2007 WHO classification system) and four glioma cell lines (A172, U251, U373, and U87). The expression of UHRF2 mRNA was significantly lower in the grade III and grade IV groups compared with the noncancerous brain tissue group, whereas its expression was high in A172, U251, and U373 glioma cell lines. An in vitro assay was performed to investigate the functions of UHRF2. Using a lentivirus-based RNA interference (RNAi) approach, we down-regulated UHRF2 expression in the U251 glioma cell line. This down- regulation led to the inhibition of cell proliferation, an increase in cell apoptosis, and a change of cell cycle distribution, in which S stage cells decreased and G2/M stage cells increased. Our results suggest that UHRF2 may be closely related to tumorigenesis and the development of gliomas.

IGFBP-5 overexpression as a poor prognostic factor in patients with urothelial carcinomas of upper urinary tracts and urinary bladder

BACKGROUND

Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is prevalent worldwide. Dysregulation of cell growth is a critical event of tumorigenesis and has not been assessed systemically in UC. We thus assessed the published transcriptome of urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma (UBUC) and identified insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-5 (IGFBP-5) as the most significantly upregulated gene associated with the regulation of cell growth. Moreover, validated by using public domain data set, IGFBP-5 expression also significantly predicted worse outcome. IGFBP-5 is one of the binding proteins that regulate insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and its significance has not been comprehensively evaluated in UCs.

METHODS

Using immunohistochemistry, we evaluated the IGFBP-5 expression status and its associations with clinicopathological features and survival in 340 cases of upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) and 295 cases of UBUC. Western blot analysis was used to evaluate IGFBP-5 protein expression in human urothelial cell (HUC) lines.

RESULTS

IGFBP-5 overexpression was significantly associated with advanced pT stage (p<0.001), high histological grade (UTUC, p<0.001; UBUC, p=0.035), lymph node metastasis (UTUC, p=0.006; UBUC, p=0.004), vascular invasion (UTUC, p<0.001; UBUC, p=0.003), perineural invasion (UTUC, p=0.034; UBUC, p=0.021) and frequent mitosis (UTUC, p<0.001; UBUC, p=0.023). IGFBP-5 overexpression also independently predicted poor disease-specific survival and metastasis-free survival in both groups of patients. Western blot analysis showed IGFBP-5 protein as overexpressed in human urothelial cancer cell lines and not in normal urothelial cancer cells.

CONCLUSIONS

IGFBP-5 plays an important role in tumour progression in UC. Its overexpression is associated with advanced tumour stage and conferred poorer clinical outcome.

HuR cytoplasmic expression is associated with increased cyclin A expression and poor outcome with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma

Background

HuR is an RNA-binding protein that post-transcriptionally modulates the expressions of various target genes implicated in carcinogenesis, such as CCNA2 encoding cyclin A. No prior study attempted to evaluate the significance of HuR expression in a large cohort with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinomas (UTUCs).

Methods

In total, 340 cases of primary localized UTUC without previous or concordant bladder carcinoma were selected. All of these patients received ureterectomy or radical nephroureterectomy with curative intents. Pathological slides were reviewed, and clinical findings were collected. Immunostaining for HuR and cyclin A was performed and evaluated by using H-score. The results of cytoplasmic HuR and nuclear cyclin A expressions were correlated with disease-specific survival (DSS), metastasis-free survival (MeFS), urinary bladder recurrence-free survival (UBRFS), and various clinicopathological factors.

Results

HuR cytoplasmic expression was significantly related to the pT status, lymph node metastasis, a higher histological grade, the pattern of invasion, vascular and perineurial invasion, and cyclin A expression (p = 0.005). Importantly, HuR cytoplasmic expression was strongly associated with a worse DSS (p < 0.0001), MeFS (p < 0.0001), and UBRFS (p = 0.0370) in the univariate analysis, and the first two results remained independently predictive of adverse outcomes (p = 0.038, relative risk [RR] = 1.996 for DSS; p = 0.027, RR = 1.880 for MeFS). Cyclin A nuclear expression was associated with a poor DSS (p = 0.0035) and MeFS (p = 0.0015) in the univariate analysis but was not prognosticatory in the multivariate analyses. High-risk patients (pT3 or pT4 with/without nodal metastasis) with high HuR cytoplasmic expression had better DSS if adjuvant chemotherapy was performed (p = 0.015).

Conclusions

HuR cytoplasmic expression was correlated with adverse phenotypes and cyclin A overexpression and also independently predictive of worse DSS and MeFS, suggesting its roles in tumorigenesis or carcinogenesis and potentiality as a prognostic marker of UTUC. High HuR cytoplasmic expression might identify patients more likely to be beneficial for adjuvant chemotherapy.

Rsf-1/HBXAP overexpression is independent of gene amplification and is associated with poor outcome in patients with urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma

BACKGROUNDS

Urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder (UCUB) is prevalent in developed countries. It often shows genetic instability and is associated with amplification (or gain) of various oncogenic genes or suppressive genes. Rsf-1, a subunit of ATP-dependent chromatin-remodelling complexes that mediates ATPase-dependent chromatin remodelling, confers tumour aggressiveness in certain carcinomas. The authors evaluate the Rsf-1 gene and expression status and its associations with clinicopathological features and survival in their UCUB collection.

METHODS

Immunohistochemistry was used to assess the Rsf-1 expression profile in 295 UCUB specimens, and was found to correlate with clinicopathological data. Real-time RT-PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridisation were used to detect RSF-1 mRNA expression and gene dosage in 20 independent cases. Western blot analysis was used to evaluate Rsf-1 protein expression in human urothelial cell lines.

RESULTS

Rsf-1 overexpression was demonstrated in 101 cases (34.2%), and was significantly associated with advanced primary tumour (p<0.001), nodal metastasis (p=0.004), higher histological grades (p=0.001) and frequent mitoses (p<0.001). Moreover, it was predictive in disease-specific survival and metastasis-free survival in both univariate and multivariate analyses (p<0.0001 for both). Although RSF-1 gene amplification can be barely detected, its mRNA expression is significantly enhanced in tumours with higher primary tumour (p=0.041) and positive nodal statuses (p=0.010), respectively. Rsf-1 protein was abundant in invasive urothelial carcinoma cells but was not benign.

CONCLUSIONS

Overexpression of Rsf-1 is associated with higher tumour stage and poorer clinical outcome. The current study by the authors suggests gene amplification-independent mechanisms driving Rsf-1 overexpression during UCUB tumour progression.

Loss of lactate dehydrogenase B subunit expression is correlated with tumour progression and independently predicts inferior disease-specific survival in urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma

AIMS

In our previous studies, comparative proteomics demonstrated that lactate dehydrogenase B subunit (LDH-B) is down-regulated in high grade compared to non-high grade urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma (UBUC). However, this finding has not been validated by clinical cohort investigation. Therefore, in the present study, 269 primary localised UBUC specimens were examined for LDH-B expression to clarify the relevance of LDH-B expression level to UBUC progression.

METHODS

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was implemented to investigate LDH-B protein expression in 269 primary localised UBUC specimens and to evaluate the association with tumour progression and prognosis.

RESULTS

Our data demonstrated that dwindled LDH-B expression level was strongly associated with increment of primary tumour status (p < 0.0001), higher histological grade (p = 0.0024), and the presence of vascular (p = 0.0118) as well as perineurial (p = 0.0094) invasion, suggesting that LDH-B might be related to tumour progression. At the univariate level, low LDH-B expression is one of many parameters which significantly predicted both disease-specific survival (DSS) (p = 0.0001) and metastasis-free survival (MeFS) (p = 0.0024). In Cox multivariate regression model, higher pT status was the strongest independent prognosticator for both DSS (p = 0.0006) and MeFS (p = 0.0067) while low LDH-B expression remained prognostically significant for DSS (p = 0.0401).

CONCLUSION

The above results confirmed the prognostic roles of LDH-B in UBUC.

Annexin-I overexpression is associated with tumour progression and independently predicts inferior disease-specific and metastasis-free survival in urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma

AIMS

In our previous studies, comparative proteomics and immunohistochemistry (IHC) demonstrated that annexin-I (ANXA1) is up-regulated in high grade urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma (UBUC) as compared to non-high grade carcinomas. However, the small sample size prohibited further correlation of ANXA1 expression to tumour progression. Therefore, in the present study, 81 primary localised UBUC specimens of various grades and primary tumour (pT) status were examined for ANXA1 expression to further confirm the proteomics data and to clarify the relevance of ANXA1 expression level to the prognosis of UBUC.

METHODS

IHC was implemented to investigate ANXA1 protein expression in 81 primary localised UBUC specimens. The association of ANXA1 expression with tumour progression and prognosis was analysed.

RESULTS

Our data demonstrated that the ANXA1 expression level was strongly associated with an escalated pT status (p < 0.001) and a higher histological grade (p < 0.001), suggesting that ANXA1 might be related to tumour progression. Moreover, at the univariate level, ANXA1 overexpression, along with higher pT status and histological grade, significantly predicted disease-specific survival (DSS) and metastasis-free survival (MFS). More importantly, multivariate analyses revealed that the association of ANXA1 overexpression and prognosis remained significant for both DSS and MFS.

CONCLUSION

The above results reinforced the comparative proteomics results and confirmed the prognostic role of ANXA1 in UBUC.

Apoptotic effects of a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fraction of Antrodia camphorata mycelia are mediated by down-regulation of the expressions of four tumor-related genes in human non-small cell lung carcinoma A549 cell

AIM OF THE STUDY

Antrodia camphorata (niu-chang-chih) is a fungus native to Taiwan which is believed to be effective in preventing diseases. Recent reports demonstrate that Antrodia camphorata products induce the apoptosis of various kinds of tumor cells. In this study we determined the inhibitory effects of alcohol extract and individual fractions of alcohol extract on the proliferation of human non-small cell lung carcinoma A549 cell and clarified the mechanism underlying the anti-cancer activities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Alcohol extracts of Antrodia camphorata mycelia were prepared by the serial extraction with the solvents with increasing polarity and fractionated using HPLC. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay. Apoptosis detection was carried out by subG(1) analysis and annexin V/propidium iodide staining using flow cytometry. The impacts of HPLC fractions on the expression levels of apoptosis- and cancer-related proteins were evaluated by western blotting.

RESULTS

Three HPLC fractions, fractions 5-7, had robust inhibition of human A549 cells and among them fraction 6 (Fr-6) possessed the most potent effectiveness. Apoptotic assay showed that Fr-6-induced human A549 cell apoptosis by triggering the mitochondrial pathway and endothelium reticulum (ER) stress. Immunoblotting results demonstrated that Fr-6 possibly activated ER stress by lowering the expression level of calpain 1/2 small subunit and Fr-6-mediated decrease in cell proliferation might attribute to the suppressive effect on the Erk 1/2 pathway, which arose from Fr-6-derived low galectin-1 expression. Furthermore Fr-6 could diminish Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor alpha (RhoGDI-alpha) expression and subsequently activated c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway, which is linked to cell apoptosis. Fr-6 also could decrease the production level of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A, which is a potential cancer intervention target.

CONCLUSION

These results suggested that the anti-cancer activity of Antrodia camphorata might be due to multiple active metabolites, which work together to induce cell apoptosis via various pathways.

Proteomic investigation of the impact of oxygen on the protein profiles of hyaluronic acid-producing Streptococcus zooepidemicus

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a linear and negatively charged polysaccharide regularly used in medicine and cosmetics. Recently Streptococcus zooepidemicus has been exploited in the fermentation industry to produce HA. Many studies showed that higher amounts of HA were produced under aerobic condition compared to anaerobic conditions. To explore the effect of oxygen on the HA synthesis in S. zooepidemicus, 2-DE was used to compare the proteomes of aerobically and anaerobically fermented bacteria to identify proteins, which might be associated with the influence of oxygen on the HA synthesis. Totally nine pairs of 2-DE gels collected from three batches were compared and nine overexpressed proteins were observed in aerobically fermented bacteria. These proteins were identified by LC/tandem MS as dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase, UDP-acetyl-glucosamine pyrophosphoylase, dihydrolipoamide-S-acetyltransferase and acetoin dehydrogenase alpha and beta chains, respectively. These upregulated proteins were involved in acetoin dissimilation, the central carbon metabolism and the HA anabolic pathway, implicating that oxygen might augment the expression of genes that are involved in central energy metabolism, acetoin reutilization and HA biosynthesis to enhance the amount of acetyl-CoA as such that more acetyl-CoA can be diverged from the central carbon metabolism to replenish acetyl-CoA for the HA synthesis.

Body cooling causes normalization of cardiac protein expression and function in a rat heatstroke model

Cardiac dysfunction contributes to heatstroke genesis, which can be ameliorated by whole body cooling. A comparative analysis using two-dimensional in-gel electrophoresis of cardiac protein patterns is performed in rat controls, untreated heatstroke rats, and whole body cooling-treated heatstroke rats. After the onset of heatstroke, animals display hypotension and altered cardiac protein profiles, which can be reversed by whole body cooling. Thus, the proteomic mechanisms exerted by body cooling during heatstroke are elucidated by the current results.

Interactions of B-class complex proteins involved in tepal development in Phalaenopsis orchid

In our previous studies, we identified four DEFICIENS (DEF)-like genes and one GLOBOSA (GLO)-like gene involved in floral organ development in Phalaenopsis equestris. Revealing the DNA binding properties and protein-protein interactions of these floral homeotic MADS-box protein complexes (PeMADS) in orchids is crucial for the elucidation of the unique orchid floral morphogenesis. In this study, the interactome of B-class PeMADS proteins was assayed by the yeast two-hybrid system (Y2H) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down assays. Furthermore, the DNA binding activities of these proteins were assessed by using electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). All four DEF-like PeMADS proteins interacted individually with the GLO-like PeMADS6 in Y2H assay, yet with different strengths of interaction. Generally, the PeMADS3/PeMADS4 lineage interacted more strongly with PeMADS6 than the PeMADS2/PeMADS5 lineage did. In addition, independent homodimer formation for both PeMADS4 (DEF-like) and PeMADS6 (GLO-like) was detected. The protein-protein interactions between pairs of PeMADS proteins were further confirmed by using a GST pull-down assay. Furthermore, both the PeMADS4 homodimer and the PeMADS6 homodimer/homomultimer per se were able to bind to the MADS-box protein-binding motif CArG. The heterodimeric complexes PeMADS2-PeMADS6, PeMADS4-PeMADS6 and PeMADS5-PeMADS6 showed CArG binding activity. Taken together, these results suggest that various complexes formed among different combinations of the five B-class PeMADS proteins may increase the complexity of their regulatory functions and thus specify the molecular basis of whorl morphogenesis and combinatorial interactions of floral organ identity genes in orchids.

Proteomic analysis of pycnogenol effects in RAW 264.7 macrophage reveals induction of cathepsin D expression and enhancement of phagocytosis

Pycnogenol, polyphenolic compounds extracted from the pine bark, is beneficial for human health. To understand more of its effects, the present study is to explore the protein expression pattern induced by pycnogenol in RAW 264.7 cells. Global analysis using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis indicated that treatment with pycnogenol induces upregulation of four proteins, whose identities were revealed by mass spectrometry as cathepsin D, keratinocyte lipid-binding protein, proteasome subunit alpha type 1, and annexin IV. The pycnogenol effect displayed a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Unlike pycnogenol, N-acetyl cysteine and vitamin C had no effect on cathepsin D expression. Further studies showed that cathepsin D induction is correlated with an increase of lysosomal staining and enhancement of phagocytosis. These results reveal the novel effects of pycnogenol on protein expression and phagocytic functions and illustrate the advantage of proteomics-based strategy in unveiling the molecular basis of phytochemicals.

Proteome-based diagnostics and prognosis of bladder transitional cell carcinoma

More than 90% of bladder tumors are diagnosed as bladder transitional cell carcinoma and the majority of these lesions (70%) are diagnosed as superficial papillary lesions (stage pTa, T1). Recurrences are common to superficial tumors and few lesions will progress to a higher grade and/or stage and muscle invasion. Thus, diagnosing cancer at an early stage, predicting whether a tumor will recur and/or progress and identification of novel targets for cancer intervention, become the main focus of bladder cancer research. The purpose of this article is to briefly review what has been accomplished to date by using proteomic technology in order to develop a new strategy to resolve the problems of early detection, recurrence or therapeutic intervention.

Prohibitin in the pathogenesis of transitional cell bladder cancer

Our profiling experiment demonstrated that prohibitin 1 (PHB) was ubiquitously expressed in uroepithelial and urothelial carcinoma cell lines and exhibited a trend toward a positive relationship with tumor progression. The aim of this study was, therefore, to examine the potential role of PHB in multistage bladder carcinogenesis and predicting patient outcome. Immunohistochemical staining showed that PHB was overexpressed in 141 out of 167 cases (84.4%) of bladder cancer. This expression was positively related to met receptor overexpression (p = 0.04) and to multiple tumors (p = 0.05). Independent factors in predicting patient survival were multiple tumors (p = 0.002), muscle invasion (p = 0.003), and met overexpression (p = 0.05) in a multivariate analysis. Interestingly, patients with superficial bladder cancer overexpressing both PHB and met had a significantly lower recurrence-free survival rate than those not expressing PHB (p = 0.04). Taken together, our findings showed that PHB was activated at an early stage of carcinogenesis and that it may play a synergistic role with met in the progression of human bladder cancer. In addition, we demonstrated that genistein and justicidin A, natural chemoprevention agents, could suppress the expression of PHB in vitro. Thus, targeting PHB would be a useful approach for treating and preventing human bladder cancer.

Search for the tumor-related proteins of transition cell carcinoma in Taiwan by proteomic analysis

To better understand the carcinogenesis of bladder cancer in Taiwan, we utilized the proteomic approach to search for potential biomarkers of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). Analysis by 2-DE and MS/MS indicated that seven proteins are down-regulated and three proteins up-regulated in grade III samples as compared with those of grade II. Of these deregulated proteins, fatty acid binding proteins, annexin V, heat-shock protein 27, and lactate dehydrogenase have been shown to be associated with bladder cancer. Our studies also found altered expression of a group of proteins that have not been documented previously in bladder cancer, including annexin I, 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase, galectin-1, lysophospholipase and mitochondrial short-chain enoyl-coenzyme A hydratase 1 precursor. These results illustrate a pattern of differential protein expression between low- and high-grade tumors and it may be utilized as the molecular fingerprinting of a subset of bladder cancers. In addition, the present study provides a valuable resource in the study of pathological mechanisms in cancers of urothelial origin. The immunohistochemical staining of grade II and III TCC samples with antiserum to annexin I protein was utilized to confirm that the annexin I protein is up-regulated in grade III TCC.

Proteomic analysis of the effect ofAntrodia camphorata extract on human lung cancer A549 cell

Antrodia camphorata (niu-chang-chih) is a fungus native to Taiwan that is believed to be effective in preventing diseases. This study demonstrates that 0.2-2% v/v ethanol extracts of A. camphorata cultivated by solid-state fermentation (SACE) can effectively impede the proliferation of human non-small cell lung carcinoma A549 cells but not primary human fetal lung fibroblast MRC-5. The results of apoptotic analyses implicate that SACE might trigger the apoptosis in the A549 cells by inducing endoplasmic reticulum stress. Two-dimensional gel maps of non-treated and treated A549 cells were compared using PDQUEST analytical software to discover five statistically significant twofold or above-twofold differentially-expressed protein spots. The five protein spots that were significantly de-regulated were chosen for subsequent identification by high performance liquid chromatography electro-spray tandem mass spectrometry. The five proteins were later identified as human galectin-1, human eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A, human Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor alpha, human calcium-dependent protease small subunit and human annexin V. All five proteins were confirmed to be down-regulated by Western blotting. The analytical results of this study help to provide insight into the effect of SACE on the gene expression of the tumor cells.

Application of superparamagnetic nanoparticles in purification of plasmid DNA from bacterial cells

The aim of this study was to develop a simple and rapid method for purification of ultrapure supercoiled plasmid DNA with high yields from bacterial cultures. Nanosized superparamagnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4) were prepared by chemical precipitation method using Fe2+, Fe3+ salt, and ammonium hydroxide under a nitrogen atmosphere. The surface of Fe3O4 nanoparticles was modified by coating with the multivalent cationic agent, polyethylenimine (PEI). The nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy and superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer. The PEI-modified magnetic nanobeads were employed to simplify the purification of plasmid DNA from bacterial cells. We demonstrated a useful plasmid, pRSETB-EGFP, encoding the green fluorescent protein with T7 promoter, was amplified in DE3 strain of Escherichia coli. The loaded nanobeads are recovered by magnetically driven separation and regenerated by exposure to the elution buffer with optimal ionic strength (1.25 M) and pH (9.0). Up to approximately 35 microg of high-purity (A260/A280 ratio=1.87) plasmid DNA was isolated from 3ml of overnight bacterial culture. EGFP expression was detected by fluorescent microscopy in the transformed E. coli cells, indicating the biological activities of DNA fragments were retained after purified from magnetic nanobeads. The protocol, starting from the preparation of bacterial lysate and ending with purified plasmids takes less than 10 min. Thus, the separation and purification qualities of PEI-modified magnetic nanobeads as well as its ease of use surpass those of conventional anion-exchange resins.