Compatibility and aerosol characteristics of beclomethasone mixed with N-acetylcysteine.

Mixing different kind inhalation medications for simultaneous inhalation is widely used in the treatment of chronic respiratory diseases, and it can minimize the administration time and improve patient adherence. To our knowledge, it is unclear whether beclomethasone (BDP, Clenil®) can bemixed with acetylcysteine (NAC, Fluimucil®), because the in vitro physico-chemical compatibility and aerosol characteristics of the mixture are unknown. In this study, we investigated physical compatibility, including the appearance, pH, osmotic pressure and chemical stability, as well as aerosol characteristics, including particle size corresponding to 10%/50%/90% of the cumulative percentage of total particle volume (X10/X50/X90), volume median droplet diameter (VMD), mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD), fine particle fraction (FPF), fine particle dose (FPD) and geometric standard deviation (GSD), delivery rate, and total delivery of the above solutions. After mixing, there were no significant changes in visual appearance, pH, osmolality and drug content of the mixtures at room temperature for 12 h. The FDP of BDP in the mixture decreased by 16.49%, whereas the NAC increased by 10.85%. The delivery rates of BDP and NAC in the mixture decreased by 66.05% and 45.54%, and total delivery increased by 13.20% and 25.29%, respectively. However, the MMAD, FPF, particle size and GSD of the mixture were almost unchanged. We demonstrated that these admixtures are physico-chemically compatible but that coadministration of beclomethasone with acetylcysteine can markedly affect output and aerosol characteristics.

DDB1 regulates the activation-induced apoptosis of T cells via downregulating the expression of histone methyltransferase SETD7.

The damaged DNA-binding protein 1 (DDB1) enhances the survival and maintenance of multipotent cells through promoting the Cullin 4 E3 ligase complex-dependent ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of downstream substrates. Naive T cells could be activated and differentiated into effector and memory T cells by exogenous stimulatory molecules, which are essential in immune response and inflammation. However, possible regulation and molecular mechanisms of DDB1 in T-cell activation-induced apoptosis were largely unknown. Here, in this study, we uncovered that DDB1 could downregulate the expression of histone methyltransferase SETD7 through decreasing its mRNA level and then regulated activation-induced apoptosis of T-cell line Jurkat cells. Furthermore, RNA-sequencing assay on activated Jurkat cells confirmed that the SETD7 attenuated the activation of Jurkat cells. Our study revealed the non-enzymatic functions of DDB1 on the activation-induced apoptosis of T cells.

IL7R Is Correlated With Immune Cell Infiltration in the Tumor Microenvironment of Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Tumor microenvironment plays an important role in the development, progression, and prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma. Exploring new biomarkers based on the immune microenvironment of lung adenocarcinoma can effectively predict the prognosis and provide effective clinical treatment. In this study, we used the ESTIMATE algorithm to score the immune and stromal components in lung adenocarcinoma data downloaded from the TCGA database. The result showed that the immune/stromal score was associated with clinical features and prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma patients. Interleukin-7 receptor (IL7R) is an important prognostic biomarker identified by intersection analysis of protein-protein interaction networks and Cox regression survival analysis. According to TCGA and Oncomine database analysis, IL7R expression in adenocarcinoma tissues was significantly lower than that in normal lung tissues and was further verified in clinical tissue samples. Survival analysis showed IL7R was an independent prognostic factor of lung adenocarcinoma. IL7R expression was positively correlated with the overall survival and progression-free survival of lung adenocarcinoma patients and negatively correlated with tumor size. Our results suggest that IL7R inhibits tumor growth by regulating the proportion of immune infiltrating cells in the tumor immune microenvironment. IL7R could be a beneficial prognostic marker in patients with lung adenocarcinoma and has great potential in immune therapy.

The polymorphic terminal-loop of pre-miR-1307 binding with MBNL1 contributes to colorectal carcinogenesis via interference with Dicer1 recruitment.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies in the world. Studies have demonstrated that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in microRNA genes (miRSNPs) are involved in the occurrence of cancers. However, the relationship between the miRSNPs within the terminal-loops of microRNA precursors and the development of CRC is still largely unknown. In this study, we found that a miRSNP rs7911488 T>C in the terminal-loop of pre-miR-1307 was significantly associated with the occurrence of CRC. The C allele of rs7911488 is more prevalent in CRC patients than in healthy controls (P < 0.001), and this C allele prevalence is related to low level of miR-1307 expression. A RNA-binding protein MBNL1 binds with a 'UGCUGC' motif in the terminal-loop of the C-allelic pre-miR-1307 and blocks Dicer processing, resulting in downregulation of miR-1307 expression. Consequently, the antiapoptosis protein Bcl2, which is a direct target of miR-1307, is overexpressed in CRC. Furthermore, MBNL1 participates in processing of both C-allelic and T-allelic pre-miR-1307. In summary, our results show that rs7911488 C-allelic pre-miR-1307 binds to MBNL1 and infers with Dicer processing, leading to reduced miR-1307 and increased Bcl2 expression, thus representing an important process in the initiation of CRC.

A functional variant at miR-132-3p, miR-212-3p, and miR-361-5p binding site in CD80 gene alters susceptibility to gastric cancer in a Chinese Han population.

A number of single-nucleotide polymorphisms within the 3'-UTR of genes have been shown to relate to the occurrence of cancers. In this study, by using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length analysis method, we determined an SNP rs1599795 in the 3'-UTR of CD80 gene in 183 gastric cancer patients and 348 healthy controls. Statistical analysis results showed that SNP rs1599795 genotypes were significantly correlated with the risk of gastric cancer. Compared with the AA homozygotes, the TA heterozygotes were significantly more prevalent in the patients (OR 1.44, 95 % CI 0.98-2.11) with a larger tumor size (P = 0.001), deeper infiltration (P = 1.5 × 10(-5)), higher possibility of lymph node metastasis (P = 0.003), and more in the late stage (TNM stage III and IV; P = 0.003); the TT homozygotes had larger tumor size (P = 0.001) and lower degree of differentiation (P = 2.2 × 10(-4)). Dual-luciferase reporter assays showed that miR-132-3p, miR-212-3p, and miR-361-5p inhibited the expression of CD80 through binding with the CD80 3'-UTR, and this inhibitory role of miR-132-3p, miR-212-3p, and miR-361-5p was impacted by rs1599795. Our findings have shown that the SNP rs1599795 in CD80 3'-UTR, through disrupting the regulatory role of miR-132-3p, miR-212-3p, and miR-361-5p in CD80 expression, contributed to the occurrence of gastric cancer.

MiR-20b, -21, and -130b inhibit PTEN expression resulting in B7-H1 over-expression in advanced colorectal cancer.

Co-inhibitor B7-H1 expresses in various cancers and contributes to cancer immune evasion by inhibiting T cell activation and proliferation, yet the regulatory mechanisms for B7-H1 over-expression in cancers remain largely unknown. Here, the expression of B7-H1 and PTEN proteins were firstly detected by using immunohistochemistry method. B7-H1 immunoreactivities were found in 54.5% (55/101) of the colorectal cancer tissues with no expression in the normal tissues, and the PTEN protein immunoreactivities were observed in 51.5% (52/101) of the colorectal cancer tissues and 72.3% (73/101) of the normal tissues. Statistical analysis results indicated that the B7-H1 expression was negatively correlated to the PTEN expression in colorectal cancer (p=0.001). Then the expressions of microRNAs (miRNAs) in six pairs of colorectal cancer and normal tissues were determined by miRNA array, and 30 up-regulated miRNAs were found in the colorectal cancer tissues. Finally, the impact of these up-regulated miRNAs on PTEN expression was tested by using dual-luciferase reporter assay system, from which the results indicated that miR-20b, -21, and -130b were involved in suppression of PTEN expression. These findings suggest that miR-20b, -21, and -130b, up-regulated in colorectal cancer, through inhibiting the expression of PTEN, result in B7-H1 over-expression in colorectal cancer.

A functional variant at miR-24 binding site in B7-H2 alters susceptibility to gastric cancer in a Chinese Han population.

A number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the 3'-UTR of genes have been proved to be contributed to the risk of cancers. Here, we determined an SNP rs4819388 in the 3'-UTR of B7-H2 gene in 183 gastric cancer patients and 348 healthy controls by using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Statistical analysis results showed that the rs4819388 genotypes were significantly related to the occurrence of gastric cancer. Compared with the GG homozygotes, the GA heterozygotes were significantly more prevalent in the patients (OR=1.60, 95%CI=1.08-2.37). In addition, the A allelic frequencies were significantly higher than that of the G allele in the patients with lymphatic metastasis (p=0.034) and/or advanced TNM stage (p=0.032). Dual-luciferase reporter assays showed that miR-24 inhibited the expression of B7-H2 through binding with the B7-H2 3'-UTR, and this inhibitory role of miR-24 was impacted by rs4819388. Our findings suggest that the SNP rs4819388 in B7-H2 3'-UTR, through disrupting the regulatory role of miR-24 on B7-H2 expression, contributes to the occurrence of gastric cancer.