Hydrogen-Assisted Crack Growth in the Heat-Affected Zone of X80 Steels during in Situ Hydrogen Charging.

Herein, the hydrogen embrittlement of a heat-affected zone (HAZ) was examined using slow strain rate tension in situ hydrogen charging. The influence of hydrogen on the crack path of the HAZ sample surfaces was determined using electron back scatter diffraction analysis. The hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility of the base metal and the HAZ samples increased with increasing current density. The HAZ samples have lower resistance to hydrogen embrittlement than the base metal samples in the same current density. Brittle circumferential cracks located at the HAZ sample surfaces were perpendicular to the loading direction, and the crack propagation path indicated that five or more cracks may join together to form a longer crack. The fracture morphologies were found to be a mixture of intergranular and transgranular fractures. Hydrogen blisters were observed on the HAZ sample surfaces after conducting tensile tests at a current density of 40 mA/cm2, leading to a fracture in the elastic deformation stage.

E platinum, a newly synthesized platinum compound, induces apoptosis through ROS-triggered ER stress in gastric carcinoma cells.

Gastric cancer (GC) is still one of the leading causes of death in cancer-related diseases. In this study, we aimed to investigate the antitumor effect of E Platinum, a newly platinum-based chemotherapeutic agent bearing the basic structure of Oxaliplatin, in a variety of gastric carcinoma cells and the underlying mechanisms. We demonstrated that E Platinum significantly induced apoptosis in gastric cancer cells via mitochondrial apoptotic pathway as a result of increased reactive oxygen species (ROS). We also found that E Platinum enhanced Ca2+ flux out from the endoplasmic reticulum by increasing the protein expression of IP3R type 1 (IP3R1) and decreasing the expression of ERp44. Dysfunction of Ca2+ homeostasis in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) leads to accumulation of unfolded proteins and ER stress. Mechanically, E Platinum increased ER stress associated protein expression such as GRP78, p-PERK, p-eIF2α, ATF4, and CHOP. However, knocking down CHOP reversed E Platinum-induced apoptosis by blocking mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Furthermore, 10 mg/kg of E Platinum significantly suppressed BGC-823 tumor growth in vivo without toxicity, which correlated with induction of apoptosis and expression of ER stress related proteins in tumor tissues. Taken together, E Platinum inhibited tumor growth and induced apoptosis by ROS-mediated ER stress activation both in vitro and in vivo. Our study indicated that E Platinum may be a potential and effective treatment for gastric cancer in clinical. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Snail1-dependent p53 repression regulates expansion and activity of tumour-initiating cells in breast cancer.

The zinc-finger transcription factor Snail1 is inappropriately expressed in breast cancer and associated with poor prognosis. While interrogating human databases, we uncovered marked decreases in relapse-free survival of breast cancer patients expressing high Snail1 levels in tandem with wild-type, but not mutant, p53. Using a Snail1 conditional knockout model of mouse breast cancer that maintains wild-type p53, we find that Snail1 plays an essential role in tumour progression by controlling the expansion and activity of tumour-initiating cells in preneoplastic glands and established tumours, whereas it is not required for normal mammary development. Growth and survival of preneoplastic as well as neoplastic mammary epithelial cells is dependent on the formation of a Snail1/HDAC1/p53 tri-molecular complex that deacetylates active p53, thereby promoting its proteasomal degradation. Our findings identify Snail1 as a molecular bypass that suppresses the anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects exerted by wild-type p53 in breast cancer.

Wogonin inhibits multiple myeloma-stimulated angiogenesis via c-Myc/VHL/HIF-1α signaling axis.

Angiogenesis is associated with the progression of multiple myeloma (MM). Wogonin is an active mono-flavonoid with remarkable antitumor activity. However, its impact on MM-stimulated angiogenesis remains largely unknown. Here, we demonstrated that wogonin decreased expression and secretion of pro-angiogenic factors in MM cells via c-Myc/HIF-1α signaling axis, reducing MM-stimulated angiogenesis and MM cell proliferation in vivo. Overexpression of c-Myc in MM cells disrupted the balance between VHL SUMOylation and ubiquitination, and thus inhibited proteasome-mediated HIF-1α degradation. Impaired function of VHL ubiquitination complex in c-Myc-overexpressing cells was fully reversed by wogonin treatment via increasing HIF-1α-VHL interaction and promoting HIF-1α degradation. Collectively, our in vitro and in vivo studies reveal for the first time that wogonin represses MM-stimulated angiogenesis and tumor progression via c-Myc/VHL/HIF-1α signaling axis.