Targeting kinesin family member 21B by miR-132-3p represses cell proliferation, migration and invasion in gastric cancer

Recently, kinesin family member 21B (KIF21B) has been reported to be an oncogene in non-small cell lung cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the functional role of KIF21B and related molecular mechanisms in gastric cancer (GC) remain largely uncovered. In this study, online bioinformatics analysis showed that KIF21B was overexpression in GC and predicted poor prognosis. Consistently, we found that the protein expression of KIF21B was upregulated in GC tissues compared with adjacent tissues by immunohistochemistry. Knockdown of KIF21B significantly suppressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion in GC cell lines (AGS and SNU-5) using Cell counting kit‑8 (CCK-8) assay, colony formation and transwell assay. KIF21B was confirmed as the target of miR-132-3p in GC cells by luciferase reporter assay. Moreover, miR-132-3p was down-regulated and KIF21B expression was upregulated in GC tissues. Overexpression of KIF21B reversed the miR-132-3p-mediated suppressive effects on GC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Furthermore, miR-132-3p overexpression downregulated the protein levels of Wnt1, c-Myc, β-catenin, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and N-cadherin, and upregulated E-cadherin expression in GC cells, which were all alleviated after KIF21B overexpression. In conclusion, our findings indicate that down-regulation of KIF21B by miR-132-3p suppresses cellular functions in GC, which might be linked to reduced Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

Molecular Characteristics, Clinical Implication, and Cancer Immunity Interactions of Pyroptosis-Related Genes in Breast Cancer

Objective: Pyroptosis represents an emerging inflammatory form of programmed cell death. Herein, specific functions and clinical implications of pyroptosis-related genes were systematically characterized in breast cancer.

Methods: Expression, somatic mutation and copy number variation of 33 pyroptosis-related genes were assessed in breast cancer from TCGA dataset. Their interactions, biological functions and prognostic values were then observed. By stepwise Cox regression analysis, a pyroptosis-related gene signature was generated. The predictive efficacy in survival was examined by survival analyses, ROCs, univariate and multivariate analyses and subgroup analyses. Associations between risk score (RS) and cancer immunity cycle, HLA, immune cell infiltrations, and immune checkpoints were analyzed.

Results: Most of pyroptosis-related genes were abnormally expressed in breast cancer. CASP8, NLRC4, NLRP3, NLRP2, PLCG1, NLRP1, NLRP7, SCAF11, GSDMC, and NOD1 occurred somatic mutations as well as most of them had high frequency of CNV. There were closely interactions between them. These genes were distinctly enriched in immune-related processes. A three-gene signature was generated, containing IL-18, GSDMC, and TIRAP. High RS predicted poorer overall survival, progression, and recurrence. After verification, this RS was an independent and sensitive predictive index. This RS was negatively correlated to cancer immunity cycle. Also, low RS was characterized by high HLA, immune cell infiltrations and immune checkpoints. A nomogram including age and RS was generated for accurately predicting 5-, 8-, and 10-year survival probabilities.

Conclusion: Pyroptosis-related genes exert key roles in cancer immunity and might be applied as a prognostic factor of breast cancer.

Abate Cytochrome C induced apoptosome to protect donor liver against ischemia reperfusion injury on rat liver transplantation model

OBJECTIVE

Aim of this study is to protect donor liver against ischemia-reperfusion injury by abating Cytochrome C induced apoptosome on rat model.

METHODS

A total of 25 clean SD inbred male rats were used in this research. The rats in ischemia-reperfusion injury group (I/R group, n=5) were under liver transplantation operation; rats in dichloroacetate diisopropylamine group (DADA group, n=5) were treated DADA before liver transplantation; control group (Ctrl group, n=5); other 10 rats were used to offer donor livers.

RESULTS

In DADA therapy group, Cytochrome C expression in donor hepatocellular cytoplasm was detected lower than that in I/R group. And the Cytochrome C induced apoptosome was also decreased in according to the lower expressions of Apaf-1 and Caspase3. Low level of cleaved PARP expression revealed less apoptosis in liver tissue. The morphology of donor liver mitochondria in DADA group was observed to be slightly edema but less than I/R group after operation 12 h. The liver function indexes of ALT and AST in serum were tested, and the results in DADA group showed it is significantly lower than I/R group after operation 12 h. The inflammation indexes of IL-6 and TNF-α expressions in DADA group were significantly lower than that in I/R group after operation 24 h.

CONCLUSION

The dichloroacetate diisopropylamine treatment could protect the hepatocellular mitochondria in case of the spillage of Cytochrome C induced apoptosome, and protect the liver against ischemia-reperfusion injury. Thus, it may be a method to promote the recovery of donor liver function after transplantation.

Laparoscopic management of perforated Meckel's diverticulum in adults

OBJECTIVE

To determine the role of laparoscopy in diagnosis and surgical treatment of perforated Meckel's diverticulum (MD) in adults.

METHODS

Between July 2003 and July 2011, fifteen patients were seen with perforated MD. Eleven were male and four were female. The median age was 38 years (range, 21-68). All patients presented with a sudden onset of pain. Among them 9 had a past medical history of bloody stools and /or chronic recurrent abdominal pain. 2 were preoperatively diagnosed with perforated MD confirmly and 4 suspiciously, 9 with perforated acute appendicitis. All 15 patients underwent exploratory laparoscopy.

RESULTS

4 patients with broad-base(≧ 2 cm) and 2 patients with narrow-base(<2 cm) whose perforative site was near the base underwent laparoscopically assisted extracorporal bowel segment resection, the other 9 patients with narrow-base(<2 cm) underwent laparoscopically intraabdominal wedge resection of the MD. No intraoperative or postoperative complications occurred. The median hospital stay was 4 days (range, 2-7 days). The histopathologic studies showed heterotopic gastric mucosa (HGM) in 10 cases (66.7%). All patients recovered uneventfully.

CONCLUSION

To patients with sudden abdomen pain mimic acute appendicitis accompanied by a past medical history of bloody stools and/or chronic recurrent abdominal pain, proferated MD should be kept in mind as a differential diagnosis. Laparoscopy is a safe and effective surgical modality for diagnosis of proferated MD and has a therapeutic role that results in an excellent cosmetic result.

Expression of glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 is associated with invasion and postoperative liver metastasis in colon cancer

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the expression of glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1(Gli-1) in colon cancer and its association with clinicopathological parameters and postoperative liver metastasis.

METHODS

Expression of Gli-1 was detected by immunohistochemistry in paraffin-embedded specimens of 96 cases of colon cancer. Relationship between Gli-1 expression and clinicopathological parameters, postoperative liver metastasis were analyzed.

RESULTS

Gli-1 protein expression was significantly increased in colon cancer tissues compared to normal colon tissues (P=0.037). Gli-1 expression in colon tissues was increased in patients with lymph node metastases (P=0.022) and higher T stages (P=0.030). Postoperative live metastasis-free survival period was significantly longer in low Gli-1 expression group than that of high Gli-1 expression group (48.22±10.03 months vs 20.46±6.32 months, P=0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that Gli-1 expression level is an independent prognostic factor for postoperative live metastasis-free survival.

CONCLUSION

Colon cancer is associated with an upregulation of Gli-1 protein expression in colon tissues. In patients with colon cancer, Gli-1 expression level is closely related to lymph node metastases, T stages and postoperative live metastasis-free survival periods, indicative of a possible role of Gli-1 expression in colon cancer progression.