Increased number of forkhead box P3+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes correlates with high preoperative albumin level and better survival in patients with stage II or III colorectal cancer.

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) that test positive for forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) and elevated preoperative serum albumin levels have been positively associated with survival in colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to investigate correlations among FOXP3+ TILs, preoperative serum albumin, overall survival, and other clinicopathological features of CRC patients. Surgical specimens from 340 stage II-III CRC patients were stained immunohistochemically for the presence of FOXP3+ TILs. Serum albumin levels were determined using an automatic biochemistry analyzer. Associations between various clinicopathological features and patient survival were analyzed via a Cox proportional hazards regression model. The correlation between FOXP3+ TILs and preoperative serum albumin was assessed using Pearson's correlation analysis. Survival curves were constructed by the Kaplan-Meier method. A high FOXP3+ TIL density (>15/five high-power fields), elevated preoperative serum albumin (≥35 g/L), and proximal colon carcinoma were significantly associated with better survival, and high FOXP3+ TIL number and elevated preoperative serum albumin were independent predictors of better survival. The correlation between the number of FOXP3+ TILs and preoperative serum albumin level was significant but neither of these correlated with gender, age, tumor size, tumor differentiation, mucinous tumor, T4 stage, postoperative chemotherapy, or tumor location. Our findings suggest that increased FOXP3+ TILs and high preoperative serum albumin levels are independent prognostic markers for improved survival in CRC patients. Furthermore, the number of FOXP3+ TILs correlates with preoperative serum albumin levels in these patients.

Protective effect of cytosolic phospholipase A2 inhibition against inflammation and degeneration by promoting regulatory T cells in rats with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) is the rate-limiting enzyme that initiates the production of various inflammatory mediators. Previous studies have shown that inhibiting cPLA2 exerts a neuroprotective effect on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) by ameliorating the severity of the disease and influencing Th1 and Th17 responses. However, it remains unclear whether treatment with a cPLA2 inhibitor will influence the regulatory T cells (Tregs) that play a critical role in maintaining immune homeostasis and preventing autoimmune diseases. In this study, the cPLA2 inhibitor AX059 reduced the onset and progression of EAE in Lewis rats. In addition, this effect was accompanied by activation of Tregs and alterations in the expression of their various cytokines. The study therefore demonstrated that Tregs are involved in the immunomodulatory effect mediated by cPLA2 inhibition. These findings may have clinical application in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

Novel lncRNA-prader willi/angelman region RNA, SNRPN neighbour (PWARSN) aggravates tubular epithelial cell pyroptosis by regulating TXNIP via dual way in diabetic kidney disease.

OBJECTIVES: Elevated thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP)-induced pyroptosis contributes to the pathology of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). However, the molecular mechanisms in dysregulated TXNIP in DKD remain largely unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Transcriptomic analysis identified a novel long noncoding RNA-Prader Willi/Angelman region RNA, SNRPN neighbour (PWARSN)-which was highly expressed in a proximal tubular epithelial cell (PTEC) under high glucose conditions. We focused on revealing the functions of PWARSN in regulating TXNIP-mediated pyroptosis in PTECs by targeting PWARSN expression via lentivirus-mediated overexpression and CRISPR-Cas9-based knockout in vitro and overexpressing PWARSN in the renal cortex by AAV-9 targeted injection in vivo. A number of molecular techniques disclosed the mechanisms of PWARSN in regulating TXNIP induced-pyroptosis in DKD. RESULTS: TXNIP-NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and PTEC pyroptosis were activated in the renal tubules of patients with DKD and in diabetic mice. Then we explored that PWARSN enhanced TXNIP-driven PTECs pyroptosis in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, cytoplasmic PWARSN sponged miR-372-3p to promote TXNIP expression. Moreover, nuclear PWARSN interacted and facilitated RNA binding motif protein X-linked (RBMX) degradation through ubiquitination, resulting in the initiation of TXNIP transcription by reducing H3K9me3-enrichment at the TXNIP promoter. Further analysis indicated that PWARSN might be a potential biomarker for DKD. CONCLUSIONS: These findings illustrate distinct dual molecular mechanisms for PWARSN-modulated TXNIP and PTECs pyroptosis in DKD, presenting PWARSN as a promising therapeutic target for DKD.

MicroRNA-194: a novel regulator of glucagon-like peptide-1 synthesis in intestinal L cells.

In the status of obesity, the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) level usually declines and results in metabolic syndrome. This study aimed to investigate the intracellular mechanism of GLP-1 synthesis in L cells from the perspective of microRNA (miRNA). In the present study, we found that GLP-1 level was down-regulated in the plasma and ileum tissues of obese mice, while the ileac miR-194 expression was up-regulated. In vitro experiments indicated that miR-194 overexpression down-regulated GLP-1 level, mRNA levels of proglucagon gene (gcg) and prohormone convertase 1/3 gene (pcsk1), and the nuclear protein level of beta-catenin (ß-catenin). Further investigation confirmed that ß-catenin could promote gcg transcription through binding to transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2). miR-194 suppressed gcg mRNA level via negatively regulating TCF7L2 expression. What's more, forkhead box a1 (Foxa1) could bind to the promoter of pcsk1 and enhanced its transcription. miR-194 suppressed pcsk1 transcription through targeting Foxa1. Besides, the interference of miR-194 reduced palmitate (PA)-induced cell apoptosis and the anti-apoptosis effect of miR-194 inhibitor was abolished by TCF7L2 knockdown. Finally, in HFD-induced obese mice, the silence of miR-194 significantly elevated GLP-1 level and improved the metabolic symptoms caused by GLP-1 deficiency. To sum up, our study found that miR-194 suppressed GLP-1 synthesis in L cells via inhibiting TCF7L2-mediated gcg transcription and Foxa1-mediated pcsk1 transcription. Meanwhile, miR-194 took part in the PA-induced apoptosis of L cells.

[Effects of Various Combinations of Fertilizer, Soil Moisture, and Temperature on Nitrogen Mineralization and Soluble Organic Nitrogen in Agricultural Soil].

An 84-day laboratory incubation experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different fertilizers (urea; manure), moisture conditions (60%, 75% and 90% water holding capacity) and temperatures (15, 25 and 35℃) on nitrogen mineralization. The experiment included 3 treatments:①CK, unfertilized control; ② Ur, adding urea at N 120 mg·kg-1; 3 UM, adding urea and manure (equal to adding N 120 mg·kg-1). Total inorganic nitrogen and soluble organic nitrogen (SON) were determined at different times throughout the experiment. The results showed that soil temperature and fertilization type had significant impacts on the net mineralization rates, cumulative mineralization, and the potentially mineralizable nitrogen (N0) (P<0.01). In addition, the soil net N mineralization rates and cumulative mineralization significantly (P<0.05) increased by 1.46-8.17 and 2.00-8.15 times, respectively, when fertilizers were added into soils. The soil net N mineralization rates and cumulative mineralization increased with the increase of temperature. Compared with CK treatment, Ur and UM treatments could significantly increase the content of soil soluble organic nitrogen(SON). There was a significant negative correlation between the content of SON and cumulative mineralization. It indicated that SON was involved in soil nitrogen mineralization as a non-negligible component. Increasing the temperature could significantly increase the mineralization rate and mineralization intensity of SON in soil, but the water content had no significant influence on the SON of the soils. Moreover, the authors found that fertilization treatment worked significantly in decreasing the Q10 value for soil N mineralization compared with CK treatment. Further, the Q10 value was significantly lowest in UM treatment(Q10=1.01). The results showed that the application of organic manure significantly reduced the sensitivity of the rate of nitrogen mineralization to temperature changes, which was beneficial in slowing down the release rate of mineral nitrogen under high temperatures and improving the nitrogen utilization efficiency of crops.

Highly stable aluminum-based metal-organic frameworks as biosensing platforms for assessment of food safety.

Two unique immunosensors made of aluminum-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), namely, 515- and 516-MOFs, with 4,4',4''-nitrilotribenzoic acid (H3NTB) were successfully obtained to efficiently assess food safety. The as-prepared 515- and 516-MOFs exhibited superior thermal and physicochemical stability, high electrochemical activity, and good biocompatibility. Among these immunosensors, 516-MOF showed a preferable biosensing ability toward analytes determined by electrochemical techniques. The developed 516-MOF-based electrochemical biosensor not only demonstrated high sensitivity with low detection limits of 0.70 and 0.40pgmL-1 toward vomitoxin and salbutamol, respectively, but also showed good selectivity in the presence of other interferences. Therefore, with the advantages of high sensitivity, good selectivity, and simple operation, this new strategy is believed to exhibit great potential for simple and convenient detection of poisonous and harmful residues in food.

Overexpression of focal adhesion kinase correlates with increased lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis in non-small-cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate whether focal adhesion kinase (FAK) overexpression correlates with lymph node metastases and prognosis. METHODS: The protein expression of FAK was investigated in 153 paraffin-embedded tissues by immunohistochemical analysis and then correlated with various clinicopathologic parameters. FAK mRNA level was detected with quantitative RT-PCR in 57 NSCLC frozen tissues and 20 normal matched tissues. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry showed FAK overexpression was significantly associated with positive lymph node metastasis and more advanced disease stage of NSCLCs and adenocarcinoma subtype; real-time PCR also indicated a statistically significant correlation between increased FAK mRNA level and the presence of nodal metastases. Moreover, in survival analysis, FAK overexpression was significantly associated with worse overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: FAK overexpression is a promising pathological factor to predict aggressive behavior and prognosis in patients with NSCLC, particularly in the adenocarcinoma subtype.

Long CAG repeat sequence and protein expression of androgen receptor considered as prognostic indicators in male breast carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The androgen receptor (AR) expression and the CAG repeat length within the AR gene appear to be involved in the carcinogenesis of male breast carcinoma (MBC). Although phenotypic differences have been observed between MBC and normal control group in AR gene, there is lack of correlation analysis between AR expression and CAG repeat length in MBC. The purpose of the study was to investigate the prognostic value of CAG repeat lengths and AR protein expression. METHODS: 81 tumor tissues were used for immunostaining for AR expression and CAG repeat length determination and 80 normal controls were analyzed with CAG repeat length in AR gene. The CAG repeat length and AR expression were analyzed in relation to clinicopathological factors and prognostic indicators. RESULTS: AR gene in many MBCs has long CAG repeat sequence compared with that in control group (P = 0.001) and controls are more likely to exhibit short CAG repeat sequence than MBCs. There was statistically significant difference in long CAG repeat sequence between AR status for MBC patients (P = 0.004). The presence of long CAG repeat sequence and AR-positive expression were associated with shorter survival of MBC patients (CAG repeat: P = 0.050 for 5y-OS; P = 0.035 for 5y-DFS AR status: P = 0.048 for 5y-OS; P = 0.029 for 5y-DFS, respectively). CONCLUSION: The CAG repeat length within the AR gene might be one useful molecular biomarker to identify males at increased risk of breast cancer development. The presence of long CAG repeat sequence and AR protein expression were in relation to survival of MBC patients. The CAG repeat length and AR expression were two independent prognostic indicators in MBC patients.

Inhibition of survivin expression and mechanisms of reversing drug-resistance of human lung adenocarcinoma cells by siRNA.

BACKGROUND: Survivin, a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family, overexpresses in tumor cells and not expresses in terminally differentiated adult tissues. This study aimed to investigate the effects of survivin-specific siRNA on cell proliferation, apoptosis and chemosensitivity to cisplatin in vitro and in vivo and explore the mechanisms about decreasing expression of survivin in reversing cancer cells resistance to chemotherapeutic drug. METHODS: Survivin-specific siRNA was transfected into A549/DDP cells. The expression of survivin and lung resistance-related protein (LRP) mRNA levels were determined by RT-PCR, chemosensitivity of A549/DDP (cisplatin) cells to cisplatin was determined by MTT assay, and apoptosis and cell cycle were determined by flow cytometry (FCM). The protein expression levels of survivin, LRP, cyclin-D(1), caspase-3 and bcl-2 were determined by Western blotting analyses. The effect of survivin siRNA inhibition on tumor growth was studied in athymic nude mice in vivo. RESULTS: Survivin-specific siRNA efficiently down-regulated survivin expression. The cell cycle was arrested at G2/M phase, and apoptosis was obviously found. Inhibition of survivin expression could make the IC50 and drug-resistant index of cisplatin decrease, and enhance the cancer cells sensitivity to cisplatin. After transfection by survivin-specific siRNA, expression of LRP and cyclin-D1 were downregulated, caspase-3 expression was upregulated, bcl-2 expression had no obvious change. The animal experiment confirmed knockdown of survivin could inhibit the tumor growth. CONCLUSIONS: Survivin-specific siRNA can efficiently suppress the expression of survivin, increase apoptosis, inhibit cells proliferation and enhance the chemosensitivity to cisplatin in vitro and in vivo. Suppression of survivin expression helping to reverse drug-resistance may have relationship with downregulation of LRP and upregulation of caspase-3. Anti-tumor strategies based on the inhibition of survivin may be useful in targeting lung adenocarcinomas.

Evaluation of protein pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) and microvessel density (MVD) as prognostic indicators in breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Angiogenesis, which plays an important role in tumor growth and metastasis, is regulated by a balance between angiogenic stimulators and inhibitors. Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), a secreted glycoprotein is an important inhibitor of angiogenesis. Although the precise mechanisms by which PEDF exerts its actions remain poorly understood, there is growing evidence supporting the role of PEDF as a candidate antitumor agent. In this study, we investigated the role of PEDF in breast cancer. METHODS: We investigated the correlation of PEDF protein levels with cancer progression and prognosis in patients with invasive ductal breast cancer (IDC). We used immunohistochemistry in a cohort of 119 breast cancer patients to examine the expression of PEDF protein with an anti-PEDF antibody and to measure the microvessel density (MVD) with an anti-CD34 antibody. RESULTS: PEDF was an endogenous inhibitor of angiogenesis in endothelial cells. Decreased intratumoral expression of PEDF was associated with a higher microvessel density (MVD), a more metastatic phenotype, and poorer clinical outcome. PEDF was positive in 43.7% patients. Patients with low PEDF expression had a significantly higher MVD count when compared with patients with high PEDF expression. In univariate and multivariate analysis, PEDF was an independent prognostic factor. CONCLUSION: The inverse correlation between PEDF expression and MVD in human breast cancer suggests that low PEDF expression is associated with angiogenesis in breast cancer. PEDF expression is therefore a potentially useful prognostic marker for breast cancer.

Integrated assessment of potential value of erbB-2 amplification or expression status as novel therapy target in Chinese children and adolescents with osteosarcoma.

BACKGROUND: Targeted tumor therapies have been making rapid progress in recent years, and the erbB-2 oncogene is a suitable target. There was much discussion about the level of erbB-2 in osteosarcoma. The aim of this study was to investigate the erbB-2 amplification or expression status in osteosarcoma. METHODS: Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and DNA probes for erbB-2 and centromere 17 were used to examine the erbB-2 gene amplification status in 32 osteosarcoma samples, and expression of erbB-2 was analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: None of the 32 osteosarcomas was observed by FISH to have the erbB-2 gene amplified, and no distinguishable membrane staining was seen in any case yet, nevertheless, erbB-2 overexpression was present in 6 tumor samples by RT-PCR. CONCLUSIONS: The status of erbB-2 gene amplification and membrane overexpression is rare in osteosarcomas, and might suggest that the erbB-2 target agent should not be applied to osteosarcomas as single treatment.