Multiplex profiling of developmental cis-regulatory elements with quantitative single-cell expression reporters.

The inability to scalably and precisely measure the activity of developmental cis-regulatory elements (CREs) in multicellular systems is a bottleneck in genomics. Here we develop a dual RNA cassette that decouples the detection and quantification tasks inherent to multiplex single-cell reporter assays. The resulting measurement of reporter expression is accurate over multiple orders of magnitude, with a precision approaching the limit set by Poisson counting noise. Together with RNA barcode stabilization via circularization, these scalable single-cell quantitative expression reporters provide high-contrast readouts, analogous to classic in situ assays but entirely from sequencing. Screening >200 regions of accessible chromatin in a multicellular in vitro model of early mammalian development, we identify 13 (8 previously uncharacterized) autonomous and cell-type-specific developmental CREs. We further demonstrate that chimeric CRE pairs generate cognate two-cell-type activity profiles and assess gain- and loss-of-function multicellular expression phenotypes from CRE variants with perturbed transcription factor binding sites. Single-cell quantitative expression reporters can be applied in developmental and multicellular systems to quantitatively characterize native, perturbed and synthetic CREs at scale, with high sensitivity and at single-cell resolution.

Chromatin context-dependent regulation and epigenetic manipulation of prime editing.

We set out to exhaustively characterize the impact of the cis-chromatin environment on prime editing, a precise genome engineering tool. Using a highly sensitive method for mapping the genomic locations of randomly integrated reporters, we discover massive position effects, exemplified by editing efficiencies ranging from ∼0% to 94% for an identical target site and edit. Position effects on prime editing efficiency are well predicted by chromatin marks, e.g., positively by H3K79me2 and negatively by H3K9me3. Next, we developed a multiplex perturbational framework to assess the interaction of trans-acting factors with the cis-chromatin environment on editing outcomes. Applying this framework to DNA repair factors, we identify HLTF as a context-dependent repressor of prime editing. Finally, several lines of evidence suggest that active transcriptional elongation enhances prime editing. Consistent with this, we show we can robustly decrease or increase the efficiency of prime editing by preceding it with CRISPR-mediated silencing or activation, respectively.

Glandular Odontogenic Cyst: A Case Report and Literature Review

The glandular odontogenic cyst (GOC) is a pathological entity that most commonly develops in the anterior region of the mandible and can emulate other lesions, including other cysts, odontogenic tumors, and even malignant lesions of glandular origin. Therefore, the aim of this manuscript is to report a new case of GOC treated conservatively and to discuss its clinical, radiological, histopathological, and therapeutic aspects.

El quiste odontogénico glandular (QOG) es una entidad patológica que se desarrolla con mayor frecuencia en la región anterior de la mandíbula y que puede mimetizar otras lesiones incluyendo otros quistes, tumores odontogénicos y hasta lesiones malignas de origen glandular. Por lo tanto, el objetivo del presente manuscrito es reportar un nuevo caso de QOG tratado de forma conservadora y discutir sus aspectos clínicos, imagenológicos, anatomopatológicos y terapéuticos.

Chromatin context-dependent regulation and epigenetic manipulation of prime editing.

Prime editing is a powerful means of introducing precise changes to specific locations in mammalian genomes. However, the widely varying efficiency of prime editing across target sites of interest has limited its adoption in the context of both basic research and clinical settings. Here, we set out to exhaustively characterize the impact of the cis- chromatin environment on prime editing efficiency. Using a newly developed and highly sensitive method for mapping the genomic locations of a randomly integrated "sensor", we identify specific epigenetic features that strongly correlate with the highly variable efficiency of prime editing across different genomic locations. Next, to assess the interaction of trans -acting factors with the cis -chromatin environment, we develop and apply a pooled genetic screening approach with which the impact of knocking down various DNA repair factors on prime editing efficiency can be stratified by cis -chromatin context. Finally, we demonstrate that we can dramatically modulate the efficiency of prime editing through epigenome editing, i.e. altering chromatin state in a locus-specific manner in order to increase or decrease the efficiency of prime editing at a target site. Looking forward, we envision that the insights and tools described here will broaden the range of both basic research and therapeutic contexts in which prime editing is useful.

Multiplex, single-cell CRISPRa screening for cell type specific regulatory elements.

CRISPR-based gene activation (CRISPRa) is a promising therapeutic approach for gene therapy, upregulating gene expression by targeting promoters or enhancers in a tissue/cell-type specific manner. Here, we describe an experimental framework that combines highly multiplexed perturbations with single-cell RNA sequencing (sc-RNA-seq) to identify cell-type-specific, CRISPRa-responsive cis- regulatory elements and the gene(s) they regulate. Random combinations of many gRNAs are introduced to each of many cells, which are then profiled and partitioned into test and control groups to test for effect(s) of CRISPRa perturbations of both enhancers and promoters on the expression of neighboring genes. Applying this method to candidate cis- regulatory elements in both K562 cells and iPSC-derived excitatory neurons, we identify gRNAs capable of specifically and potently upregulating target genes, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) risk genes. A consistent pattern is that the responsiveness of individual enhancers to CRISPRa is restricted by cell type, implying a dependency on either chromatin landscape and/or additional trans- acting factors for successful gene activation. The approach outlined here may facilitate large-scale screens for gRNAs that activate therapeutically relevant genes in a cell type-specific manner.

The continuum of Drosophila embryonic development at single-cell resolution.

Drosophila melanogaster is a powerful, long-standing model for metazoan development and gene regulation. We profiled chromatin accessibility in almost 1 million and gene expression in half a million nuclei from overlapping windows spanning the entirety of embryogenesis. Leveraging developmental asynchronicity within embryo collections, we applied deep neural networks to infer the age of each nucleus, resulting in continuous, multimodal views of molecular and cellular transitions in absolute time. We identify cell lineages; infer their developmental relationships; and link dynamic changes in enhancer usage, transcription factor (TF) expression, and the accessibility of TFs' cognate motifs. With these data, the dynamics of enhancer usage and gene expression can be explored within and across lineages at the scale of minutes, including for precise transitions like zygotic genome activation.

Oral Mucosal Melanoma: A Case Report and Literature Review

ABSTRACT: Oral mucosal melanoma is an unusual and aggressive malignant tumor that mainly affects the palate of men aged between 50 and 60 years. We present a literature review focusing on the etiopathogenesis and the clinicopathologic features of this entity. In addition, we reported a rare case of an oral mucosal melanoma arising in the left cheek of a 60-yea r- old man. Computed tomography scan revealed infiltration of the tumor to other anatomic structures including the maxillary sinus, the zygomatic bone and the pterygoid processes. Based on its extension, the lesion was considered inoperable and treatment with three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy was proposed but the patient only attended to the first session and died from cancer progression 6 months after the diagnosis. This paper reinforces the importance of inclusion of this malignant tumor in the differential diagnosis of pigmented lesions of the oral mucosa.

RESUMEN: El melanoma de la mucosa oral es un tumor maligno inusual y agresivo que afecta principalmente al paladar de hombres de entre 50 y 60 años. Presentamos una revisión bibliográfica centrada en la etiopatogenia y las características clínico-patológicas de esta entidad. Además, reportamos un caso raro de melanoma de la mucosa oral que surgió en la mejilla izquierda de un hombre de 60 años. La tomografía computarizada reveló la infiltración del tumor a otras estructuras anatómicas, incluido el seno maxilar, el hueso cigomático y los procesos pterigoideos. En base a su extensión, la lesión se consideró inoperable y se propuso tratamiento con radioterapia conformada tridimensional pero el paciente solo asistió a la primera sesión y falleció por progresión del cáncer 6 meses después del diagnóstico. Este trabajo refuerza la importancia de la inclusión de este tumor maligno en el diagnóstico diferencial de las lesiones pigmentadas de la mucosa oral.

Systematic reconstruction of cellular trajectories across mouse embryogenesis.

Mammalian embryogenesis is characterized by rapid cellular proliferation and diversification. Within a few weeks, a single-cell zygote gives rise to millions of cells expressing a panoply of molecular programs. Although intensively studied, a comprehensive delineation of the major cellular trajectories that comprise mammalian development in vivo remains elusive. Here, we set out to integrate several single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets that collectively span mouse gastrulation and organogenesis, supplemented with new profiling of ~150,000 nuclei from approximately embryonic day 8.5 (E8.5) embryos staged in one-somite increments. Overall, we define cell states at each of 19 successive stages spanning E3.5 to E13.5 and heuristically connect them to their pseudoancestors and pseudodescendants. Although constructed through automated procedures, the resulting directed acyclic graph (TOME (trajectories of mammalian embryogenesis)) is largely consistent with our contemporary understanding of mammalian development. We leverage TOME to systematically nominate transcription factors (TFs) as candidate regulators of each cell type's specification, as well as 'cell-type homologs' across vertebrate evolution.

Beta adrenergic receptor activation inhibits oral cancer migration and invasiveness.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to verify ß2-AR expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (SCC-9 and SCC-25), and to investigate the role of this receptor in migration and invasion of these neoplastic cells. DESIGN: SCC-9 and SCC-25 cells were investigated for gene and protein expression of ß2-AR. Cell migration and invasion were analyzed by wound healing assay and transwell invasion camera system. Different concentrations (0.1, 1 and 10 µM) of norepinephrine were used to stimulate, and 1 µM propranolol was used to block the beta-adrenergic receptors on cancer cells. Differences in median values of SCC-9 and SCC-25 and ß2-AR protein expression were analyzed by Friedman test and in case of significant differences; pairwise comparisons were performed using Bonferroni correction. RESULTS: The results showed that the ß2-AR gene and protein expression were observed in both oral cancer cell lines. The concentration of 10 µM of norepinephrine significantly inhibited (p ≤ 0.05) migration of SCC-9 and SCC-25 cell lines. Furthermore, there was a significant reduction (p ≤ 0.05) in the effect of norepinephrine on cell migration when the ß2-AR was inhibited by propranolol. The blockade by propranolol showed a tendency to reverse the effect of norepinephrine on the invasiveness of SCC-9 and SCC-25. CONCLUSIONS: The use of beta-adrenergic receptor agonists could become an adjuvant therapeutic target in the treatment of this malignancy.

Ancient Rome: A genetic crossroads of Europe and the Mediterranean.

Ancient Rome was the capital of an empire of ~70 million inhabitants, but little is known about the genetics of ancient Romans. Here we present 127 genomes from 29 archaeological sites in and around Rome, spanning the past 12,000 years. We observe two major prehistoric ancestry transitions: one with the introduction of farming and another prior to the Iron Age. By the founding of Rome, the genetic composition of the region approximated that of modern Mediterranean populations. During the Imperial period, Rome's population received net immigration from the Near East, followed by an increase in genetic contributions from Europe. These ancestry shifts mirrored the geopolitical affiliations of Rome and were accompanied by marked interindividual diversity, reflecting gene flow from across the Mediterranean, Europe, and North Africa.

Landscape of stimulation-responsive chromatin across diverse human immune cells.

A hallmark of the immune system is the interplay among specialized cell types transitioning between resting and stimulated states. The gene regulatory landscape of this dynamic system has not been fully characterized in human cells. Here we collected assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing (ATAC-seq) and RNA sequencing data under resting and stimulated conditions for up to 32 immune cell populations. Stimulation caused widespread chromatin remodeling, including response elements shared between stimulated B and T cells. Furthermore, several autoimmune traits showed significant heritability in stimulation-responsive elements from distinct cell types, highlighting the importance of these cell states in autoimmunity. Allele-specific read mapping identified variants that alter chromatin accessibility in particular conditions, allowing us to observe evidence of function for a candidate causal variant that is undetected by existing large-scale studies in resting cells. Our results provide a resource of chromatin dynamics and highlight the need to characterize the effects of genetic variation in stimulated cells.

Novel murine model for delayed wound healing using a biological wound dressing with Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms.

Bacterial biofilms impair healing in 60% of chronic skin wounds. Various animal models (mice, rats, rabbits, and pigs) have been developed to replicate biofilm infected wounds in vivo. We developed a sustained wound infection model by applying preformed Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms on a wound dressing to full-thickness murine skin wounds. We bathed a commercially available wound dressing in P. aeruginosa for 48 h, allowing a biofilm to establish on the dressing prior to application to the wound. Dressings were removed from the wounds after 3 days at which time the wound beds contained ∼108 bacterial cells per gram tissue. Significant numbers of P. aeruginosa persisted within the skin wounds for up to 21 days. Un-inoculated wounds reached closure between 9 and 12 days. In contrast, biofilm-inoculated wounds achieved closure between 18 and 21 days. Histologic analysis confirmed decreased re-epithelialization and collagen deposition, coupled with increased inflammation, in the biofilm-inoculated wounds compared to un-inoculated controls. This novel model of delayed healing and persistent infection of full-thickness murine skin wounds may provide a robust in vivo system in which to test novel treatments to prevent wound infection by bacterial biofilms.

Impact of regulatory variation across human iPSCs and differentiated cells.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are an essential tool for studying cellular differentiation and cell types that are otherwise difficult to access. We investigated the use of iPSCs and iPSC-derived cells to study the impact of genetic variation on gene regulation across different cell types and as models for studies of complex disease. To do so, we established a panel of iPSCs from 58 well-studied Yoruba lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs); 14 of these lines were further differentiated into cardiomyocytes. We characterized regulatory variation across individuals and cell types by measuring gene expression levels, chromatin accessibility, and DNA methylation. Our analysis focused on a comparison of inter-individual regulatory variation across cell types. While most cell-type-specific regulatory quantitative trait loci (QTLs) lie in chromatin that is open only in the affected cell types, we found that 20% of cell-type-specific regulatory QTLs are in shared open chromatin. This observation motivated us to develop a deep neural network to predict open chromatin regions from DNA sequence alone. Using this approach, we were able to use the sequences of segregating haplotypes to predict the effects of common SNPs on cell-type-specific chromatin accessibility.

Inferring Relevant Cell Types for Complex Traits by Using Single-Cell Gene Expression.

Previous studies have prioritized trait-relevant cell types by looking for an enrichment of genome-wide association study (GWAS) signal within functional regions. However, these studies are limited in cell resolution by the lack of functional annotations from difficult-to-characterize or rare cell populations. Measurement of single-cell gene expression has become a popular method for characterizing novel cell types, and yet limited work has linked single-cell RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to phenotypes of interest. To address this deficiency, we present RolyPoly, a regression-based polygenic model that can prioritize trait-relevant cell types and genes from GWAS summary statistics and gene expression data. RolyPoly is designed to use expression data from either bulk tissue or single-cell RNA-seq. In this study, we demonstrated RolyPoly's accuracy through simulation and validated previously known tissue-trait associations. We discovered a significant association between microglia and late-onset Alzheimer disease and an association between schizophrenia and oligodendrocytes and replicating fetal cortical cells. Additionally, RolyPoly computes a trait-relevance score for each gene to reflect the importance of expression specific to a cell type. We found that differentially expressed genes in the prefrontal cortex of individuals with Alzheimer disease were significantly enriched with genes ranked highly by RolyPoly gene scores. Overall, our method represents a powerful framework for understanding the effect of common variants on cell types contributing to complex traits.

Correlation of Beta-2 Adrenergic Receptor Expression in Tumor-Free Surgical Margin and at the Invasive Front of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Background. The beta-2 adrenergic receptor is expressed by neoplastic cells and is correlated with a wide spectrum of tumor cell mechanisms including proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, migration, and metastasis. Objectives. The present study aimed to analyze the expression of the beta-2 adrenergic receptor (ß2-AR) in tumor-free surgical margins of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) and at the invasive front. Sixty-two patients diagnosed with OSCC, confirmed by biopsy, were selected for the study. The clinicopathological data and clinical follow-up were obtained from medical records and their association with ß2-AR expression was verified by the chi-square test or Fischer's exact test. To verify the correlation of ß2-AR expression in tumor-free surgical margins and at the invasive front of OSCCs, Pearson's correlation coefficient test was applied. Results. The expression of ß2-AR presented a statistically significant correlation between the tumor-free surgical margins and the invasive front of OSCC (r = 0.383; p = 0.002). The immunohistochemical distribution of ß2-AR at the invasive front of OSCC was also statistically significant associated with alcohol (p = 0.038), simultaneous alcohol and tobacco consumption (p = 0.010), and T stage (p = 0.014). Conclusions. The correlation of ß2-AR expression in OSCC and tumor-free surgical margins suggests a role of this receptor in tumor progression and its expression in normal oral epithelium seems to be constitutive.

Correlation of Beta-2 Adrenergic Receptor Expression inTumor-Free Surgical Margin and at the Invasive Front ofOral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background. The beta-2 adrenergic receptor is expressed by neoplastic cells and is correlated with a wide spectrum of tumor cell mechanisms including proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, migration, and metastasis. Objectives. The present study aimed to analyze the expression of the beta-2 adrenergic receptor (ß2-AR) in tumor-free surgical margins of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) and at the invasive front. Sixty-two patients diagnosed with OSCC, confirmed by biopsy, were selected for the study. The clinicopathological data and clinical follow-up were obtained from medical records and their association with ß2-AR expression was verified by the chi-square test or Fischer's exact test. To verify the correlation of ß2-AR expression in tumor-free surgical margins and at the invasive front of OSCCs, Pearson's correlation coefficient test was applied. Results. The expression of ß2-AR presented a statistically significant correlation between the tumor-free surgical margins and the invasive front of OSCC (r = 0.383; p = 0.002). The immunohistochemical distribution of ß2-AR at the invasive front of OSCC was also statistically significant associated with alcohol (p = 0.038), simultaneous alcohol and tobacco consumption (p = 0.010), and T stage (p = 0.014). Conclusions. The correlation of ß2-AR expression in OSCC and tumor-free surgical margins suggests a role of this receptor in tumor progression and its expression in normal oral epithelium seems to be constitutive

Inhibition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation on wound dressings.

Chronic nonhealing skin wounds often contain bacterial biofilms that prevent normal wound healing and closure and present challenges to the use of conventional wound dressings. We investigated inhibition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation, a common pathogen of chronic skin wounds, on a commercially available biological wound dressing. Building on prior reports, we examined whether the amino acid tryptophan would inhibit P. aeruginosa biofilm formation on the three-dimensional surface of the biological dressing. Bacterial biomass and biofilm polysaccharides were quantified using crystal violet staining or an enzyme linked lectin, respectively. Bacterial cells and biofilm matrix adherent to the wound dressing were visualized through scanning electron microscopy. D-/L-tryptophan inhibited P. aeruginosa biofilm formation on the wound dressing in a dose dependent manner and was not directly cytotoxic to immortalized human keratinocytes although there was some reduction in cellular metabolism or enzymatic activity. More importantly, D-/L-tryptophan did not impair wound healing in a splinted skin wound murine model. Furthermore, wound closure was improved when D-/L-tryptophan treated wound dressing with P. aeruginosa biofilms were compared with untreated dressings. These findings indicate that tryptophan may prove useful for integration into wound dressings to inhibit biofilm formation and promote wound healing.

Migração e invasão do câncer de boca via ativação de receptor beta 2 adrenérgico por mediador do estresse / Cell migration and invasion of oral cancer via activation of beta 2 adrenergic receptor by stress mediator

A ativação do receptor beta 2 adrenérgico (β2-AR), pelos mediadores químicos do estresse, pode induzir efeitos estimuladores ou inibidores na migração e invasão celular, dependendo do tipo de tumor maligno. A importância deste receptor na evolução do câncer de boca não está totalmente esclarecida. O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar a expressão do β2-AR em linhagens de carcinomas espinocelular de boca (SCC-9 e SCC-25), e investigar o papel da ativação deste receptor pela norepinefrina e de seu bloqueio por um antagonista na migração e invasão destas células neoplásicas. As células SCC-9 e SCC-25 foram investigadas quanto à expressão gênica e proteica do β2-AR, respectivamente, pelo RT-qPCR e pelo Western blot. A migração e a invasão celular foram analisadas pelo ensaio de cicatrização de feridas e pelo sistema de câmeras de invasão Transwell, respectivamente. Diferentes concentrações (0,1; 1 e 10μM) de norepinefrina foram utilizadas para estimular e 1μM de propranolol foi empregado para bloquear os receptores beta adrenérgicos nas células neoplásicas. As diferenças das médias obtidas nos experimentos de invasão e migração de SCC-9 e SCC-25 e da expressão proteica do β2-AR, foram comparadas pelo teste t de Student com nível de significância de 5%. Os resultados mostraram que a expressão gênica e proteica do β2-AR foi verificada em ambas as linhagens de câncer de boca. A concentração de 10μM de norepinefrina inibiu, significativamente (p≤0,05), a migração e invasão celular de SCC-9 e SCC-25, sendo este efeito mais acentuado nas células SCC-25. Além disso, houve uma redução significativa (p≤0,05) do efeito da norepinefrina na migração celular quando os β2-AR foram inibidos pelo propranolol. Adicionalmente, o bloqueio dos β-ARs pelo propranolol reverteu parcialmente o efeito da norepinefrina na capacidade invasiva de SCC-9 e SCC-25. Estes resultados comprovam que a norepinefrina, via ativação do β2-AR, reduziu a migração e a invasão das...

The activation of beta 2 adrenergic receptor (β2-AR), by chemical mediators of stress, can induce stimulatory or inhibitory effects on cell migration and invasion, depending on the type of malignancy. The importance of this receptor in the oral cancer outcome is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to verify β2- AR expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (SCC-9 and SCC-25), and to investigate the role of activation of this receptor by norepinephrine and its blockade by an antagonist in migration and invasion of these neoplastic cells. SCC-9 and SCC-25 cells were investigated for gene and protein expression of β2-AR, respectively, by RT-qPCR and Western blot. The cell migration and invasion were analyzed by wound healing assay and Transwell invasion camera system, respectively. Different concentrations (0.1, 1 and 10μM) of norepinephrine were used to stimulate and 1μM propranolol was used to block the beta adrenergic receptors on cancer cells. Differences in mean values of the invasion and migration assays of SCC-9 and SCC-25 and β2-AR protein expression were compared by the Student t test with 5% significance level. The results showed that β2-AR gene and protein expression was verified in both oral cancer cell lines. The concentration of 10μM of norepinephrine inhibited significantly (p≤0.05), cell migration and invasion of SCC-9 and SCC-25, being the most pronounced effect in SCC-25 cells. Furthermore, there was a significant reduction (p≤0.05) of norepinephrine effect on cell migration when the β2-AR was inhibited by propranolol. In addition, blockade of β-ARs by propranolol partially reversed the effect of norepinephrine on the invasiveness of SCC-9 and SCC-25. These results show that norepinephrine via β2-AR activation, reduced the migration and invasion of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells and, therefore, the use of beta-adrenergic receptors agonists could become an adjuvant therapeutic target in the treatment of this malignancy...

Migração e invasão do câncer de boca via ativação de receptor beta 2 adrenérgico por mediador do estresse / Cell migration and invasion of oral cancer via activation of beta 2 adrenergic receptor by stress mediator

A ativação do receptor beta 2 adrenérgico (β2-AR), pelos mediadores químicos do estresse, pode induzir efeitos estimuladores ou inibidores na migração e invasão celular, dependendo do tipo de tumor maligno. A importância deste receptor na evolução do câncer de boca não está totalmente esclarecida. O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar a expressão do β2-AR em linhagens de carcinomas espinocelular de boca (SCC-9 e SCC-25), e investigar o papel da ativação deste receptor pela norepinefrina e de seu bloqueio por um antagonista na migração e invasão destas células neoplásicas. As células SCC-9 e SCC-25 foram investigadas quanto à expressão gênica e proteica do β2-AR, respectivamente, pelo RT-qPCR e pelo Western blot. A migração e a invasão celular foram analisadas pelo ensaio de cicatrização de feridas e pelo sistema de câmeras de invasão Transwell, respectivamente. Diferentes concentrações (0,1; 1 e 10μM) de norepinefrina foram utilizadas para estimular e 1μM de propranolol foi empregado para bloquear os receptores beta adrenérgicos nas células neoplásicas. As diferenças das médias obtidas nos experimentos de invasão e migração de SCC-9 e SCC-25 e da expressão proteica do β2-AR, foram comparadas pelo teste t de Student com nível de significância de 5%. Os resultados mostraram que a expressão gênica e proteica do β2-AR foi verificada em ambas as linhagens de câncer de boca. A concentração de 10μM de norepinefrina inibiu, significativamente (p≤0,05), a migração e invasão celular de SCC-9 e SCC-25, sendo este efeito mais acentuado nas células SCC-25. Além disso, houve uma redução significativa (p≤0,05) do efeito da norepinefrina na migração celular quando os β2-AR foram inibidos pelo propranolol. Adicionalmente, o bloqueio dos β-ARs pelo propranolol reverteu parcialmente o efeito da norepinefrina na capacidade invasiva de SCC-9 e SCC-25. Estes resultados comprovam que a norepinefrina, via ativação do β2-AR, reduziu a migração e a invasão das...

The activation of beta 2 adrenergic receptor (β2-AR), by chemical mediators of stress, can induce stimulatory or inhibitory effects on cell migration and invasion, depending on the type of malignancy. The importance of this receptor in the oral cancer outcome is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to verify β2- AR expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (SCC-9 and SCC-25), and to investigate the role of activation of this receptor by norepinephrine and its blockade by an antagonist in migration and invasion of these neoplastic cells. SCC-9 and SCC-25 cells were investigated for gene and protein expression of β2-AR, respectively, by RT-qPCR and Western blot. The cell migration and invasion were analyzed by wound healing assay and Transwell invasion camera system, respectively. Different concentrations (0.1, 1 and 10μM) of norepinephrine were used to stimulate and 1μM propranolol was used to block the beta adrenergic receptors on cancer cells. Differences in mean values of the invasion and migration assays of SCC-9 and SCC-25 and β2-AR protein expression were compared by the Student t test with 5% significance level. The results showed that β2-AR gene and protein expression was verified in both oral cancer cell lines. The concentration of 10μM of norepinephrine inhibited significantly (p≤0.05), cell migration and invasion of SCC-9 and SCC-25, being the most pronounced effect in SCC-25 cells. Furthermore, there was a significant reduction (p≤0.05) of norepinephrine effect on cell migration when the β2-AR was inhibited by propranolol. In addition, blockade of β-ARs by propranolol partially reversed the effect of norepinephrine on the invasiveness of SCC-9 and SCC-25. These results show that norepinephrine via β2-AR activation, reduced the migration and invasion of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells and, therefore, the use of beta-adrenergic receptors agonists could become an adjuvant therapeutic target in the treatment of this malignancy.