HMGCR as a promising molecular target for therapeutic intervention in aortic aneurisms: a mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Despite the exploration of the connections between serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and aneurisms in epidemiological studies, causality remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the causal impact of LDL-C-lowering targets (HMGCR, PCSK9, NPC1L1, CETP, APOB, and LDLR) on various forms of aneurisms using Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis. METHODS: Two genetic instruments acted as proxies for exposure to LDL-C-lowering drugs: expression quantitative trait loci of drug target genes and genetic variants linked to LDL-C near drug target genes. Summary-data-based MR (SMR), inverse-variance-weighted MR (IVW-MR), and multivariable MR (MVMR) methods were employed to compute the effect estimates. RESULTS: The SMR analysis revealed substantial associations between increased HMGCR expression and a heightened risk of aortic aneurism (odds ratio [OR] = 1.603, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.209-2.124), thoracic aortic aneurism (OR = 1.666, 95% CI = 1.122-2.475), and abdominal aortic aneurism (OR = 1.910, 95% CI = 1.278-2.856). Likewise, IVW-MR analysis demonstrated positive correlations between HMGCR-mediated LDL-C and aortic aneurism (OR = 2.228, 95% CI = 1.702-2.918), thoracic aortic aneurism (OR = 1.751, 95% CI = 1.191-2.575), abdominal aortic aneurism (OR = 4.784, 95% CI = 3.257-7.028), and cerebral aneurism (OR = 1.993, 95% CI = 1.277-3.110). Furthermore, in the MVMR analysis, accounting for body mass index, smoking, and hypertension, a significant positive relationship was established between HMGCR-mediated LDL-C levels and the development of aortic aneurisms, encompassing both thoracic and abdominal subtypes. Similarly, consistent positive associations were observed for PCSK9 and CETP genes, as well as PCSK9-mediated and CETP-mediated LDL-C levels, with the occurrence of aortic aneurism and abdominal aortic aneurism. Nonetheless, the evidence for potential associations between APOB, NPC1L1 and LDLR with specific subtypes of aortic aneurisms lacked consistent support from both SMR and IVW-MR analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Our MR analysis offered compelling evidence of a plausible causal link between HMGCR and an increased risk of aortic aneurism, encompassing both thoracic and abdominal types. These groundbreaking findings further bolster the case for the deployment of HMGCR inhibitors in the treatment of aortic aneurisms, including both thoracic and abdominal variants.

Platelet-derived growth factor subunit-B mediating the effect of dickkopf-1 on acute myocardial infarction risk: a two-step Mendelian randomization study.

Previous studies have indicated a potential connection between plasma levels of Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) and platelet-derived growth factor subunit-B (PDGF-B) with the development of atherosclerosis. However, the causal relationship between DKK1, PDGF-B, and the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is yet to be established. To address this research gap, we conducted Mendelian randomization (MR) and mediation analyses to investigate the potential mediating role of PDGF-B in the association between DKK1 and AMI risk. Summary statistics for DKK1 (n = 3,301) and PDGF-B (n = 21,758) were obtained from the GWAS meta-analyses conducted by Sun et al. and Folkersen et al., respectively. Data on AMI cases (n = 3,927) and controls (n = 333,272) were retrieved from the UK Biobank study. Our findings revealed that genetic predisposition to DKK1 (odds ratio [OR]: 1.00208; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00056-1.00361; P = 0.0072) and PDGF-B (OR: 1.00358; 95% CI: 1.00136-1.00581; P = 0.0015) was associated with an increased risk of AMI. Additionally, genetic predisposition to DKK1 (OR: 1.38389; 95% CI: 1.07066-1.78875; P = 0.0131) was linked to higher PDGF-B levels. Furthermore, our MR mediation analysis revealed that PDGF-B partially mediated the association between DKK1 and AMI risk, with 55.8% of the effect of genetically predicted DKK1 being mediated through genetically predicted PDGF-B. These findings suggest that genetic predisposition to DKK1 is positively correlated with the risk of AMI, and that PDGF-B partially mediates this association. Therefore, DKK1 and PDGF-B may serve as promising targets for the prevention and treatment of AMI.

Investigating the causal effect of Dickkopf-1 on coronary artery disease and ischemic stroke: a Mendelian randomization study.

Epidemiological investigations have indicated a correlation between elevated plasma levels of Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK1) and the presence of atherosclerosis. However, the exact causal relationship of DKK1 with the development of coronary artery disease (CAD) and ischemic stroke (IS) remains unclear. To address this gap, our study aimed to explore their causal association using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach. We obtained summary statistics from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) meta-analyses conducted by Folkersen et al. and Nikpay et al., which included data from 21,758 individuals for DKK1 and 42,096 cases of CAD. Additionally, we obtained data from the FinnGen biobank analysis round 5, which included 10,551 cases of IS. Eight MR methods were employed to estimate causal effects and detect directional pleiotropy. Our findings demonstrated that genetic liability to DKK1 was associated with increased risks of CAD (odds ratio [OR]: 1.087; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.024-1.154; P = 0.006) and IS (OR: 1.096; 95% CI: 1.004-1.195; P = 0.039). These results establish a causal link between genetic liability to DKK1 and elevated risks of CAD and IS. Consequently, DKK1 may represent a promising therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of CAD and IS.

CXCR4 protects bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells against hypoxia through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

The present study aimed to investigate the regulatory mechanism of chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 4 (CXCR4) on endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway under hypoxic conditions. Mononuclear cells were isolated from the bone marrow (BM) of young Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (BM-EPCs) were characterized by using Dil-labeled acetylated low-density lipoprotein (Dil-ac-LDL) and fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled UEA (FITC-UEA-1). Phenotype identification of BM-EPCs was based on red cytoplasm and green cytomembrane. Flow cytometry was employed to examine the markers CD14, CD34, and KDR. Expression level of the EPC-specific surface marker CD14 was found to be negative, while the expression level of CD34 and KDR was positive. In addition, CXCR4 was stably overexpressed in BM-EPCs after transfection with adenovirus-CXCR4. Cell proliferation, migration and apoptosis abilities were measured through the application of CCK-8, followed by Transwell and flow cytometry assays. The expression level of CXCR4, PI3K and Akt was determined by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting assays. Functional experiments demonstrated that hypoxia inhibited BM-EPC proliferation and migration, while accelerating BM-EPC apoptosis. Additionally, CXCR4 was found to promote proliferation and migration, and suppress apoptosis in BM-EPCs with or without hypoxia treatment. Evidence also demonstrated that CXCR4 markedly upregulated the expression levels of PI3K and Akt. Furthermore, PI3K inhibitor (LY294002) and CXCR4 inhibitor (AMD3100) effectively inhibited the proliferation, migration and resistance to apoptosis of CXCR4-mediated BM-EPCs under hypoxic conditions.

Proteomics and ultrastructural analysis of Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) larval peritrophic matrix.

BACKGROUND: The black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) has significant economic potential. The larvae can be used in financially viable waste management systems, as they are voracious feeders able to efficiently convert low-quality waste into valuable biomass. However, most studies on H. illucens in recent decades have focused on optimizing their breeding and bioconversion conditions, while information on their biology is limited. METHODS: About 200 fifth instar well-fed larvae were sacrificed in this work. The liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy were employed in this study to perform a proteomic and ultrastructural analysis of the peritrophic matrix (PM) of H. illucens larvae. RESULTS: A total of 565 proteins were identified in the PM samples of H. illucen, of which 177 proteins were predicted to contain signal peptides, bioinformatics analysis and manual curation determined 88 proteins may be associated with the PM, with functions in digestion, immunity, PM modulation, and others. The ultrastructure of the H. illucens larval PM observed by scanning electron microscopy shows a unique diamond-shaped chitin grid texture. CONCLUSIONS: It is the first and most comprehensive proteomics research about the PM of H. illucens larvae to date. All the proteins identified in this work has been discussed in details, except several unnamed or uncharacterized proteins, which should not be ignored and need further study. A comparison of the ultrastructure between H. illucens larval PM and those of other insects as observed by SEM indicates that the PM displays diverse textures on an ultra-micro scale and we suscept a unique diamond-shaped chitin grid texture may help H. illucens larval to hold more food. This work deepens our understanding of the molecular architecture and ultrastructure of the H. illucens larval PM.

Downregulated microRNA-330 suppresses left ventricular remodeling via the TGF-ß1/Smad3 signaling pathway by targeting SRY in mice with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury.

microRNAs (miRs) are essential in the development of heart failure. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of microRNA-330 (miR-330) on left ventricular remodeling via the TGF-ß1/Smad3 signaling pathway by targeting the sex-determining region Y (SRY) in mice with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI). Differentially expressed gene (DEG) in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (IR) was screened out and the miR that targeted the DEG was also predicted and verified. A model of MIRI was established to detect the expression of miR-330, SRY, transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß1), and Sekelsky mothers against dpp3 (Smad3). To further investigate the role of miR-330 in MIRI with the involvement of SRY and TGF-ß1/Smad3 signaling pathway, the modeled mice were treated with different mimic, inhibitor, or small interfering RNA (siRNA) to observe the changes of the related gene expression, as well as the myocardial infarction size and volume of myocardial collagen. SRY was screened out and verified as a target gene of miR-330. The MIRI mice showed enlarged myocardial infarction size, increased volume of myocardial collagen, increased expression of miR-330, TGF-ß1 and Smad3, while decreased the expression of SRY. The MIRI mice treated with miR-330 inhibitor showed decreased myocardial infarction size, the volume of myocardial collagen, and expression of TGF-ß1 and Smad3 but promoted expression of SRY. Our findings demonstrated that downregulated miR-330 could suppress left ventricular remodeling to inhibit the activation of the TGF-ß1/Smad3 signaling pathway via negatively targeting of SRY in mice with MIRI. This can be a potential target in the strategy to attenuate patient suffering.

The impacts of different embolization techniques on splenic artery embolization for blunt splenic injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Splenic artery embolization (SAE) has been an effective adjunct to the Non-operative management (NOM) for blunt splenic injury (BSI). However, the optimal embolization techniques are still inconclusive. To further understand the roles of different embolization locations and embolic materials in SAE, we conducted this system review and meta-analyses. METHODS: Clinical studies related to SAE for adult patients were researched in electronic databases, included PubMed, Embase, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar Search (between October 1991 and March 2013), and relevant information was extracted. To eliminate the heterogeneity, a sensitivity analysis was conducted on two reduced study sets. Then, the pooled outcomes were compared and the quality assessments were performed using Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). The SAE success rate, incidences of life-threatening complications of different embolization techniques were compared by χ2 test in 1st study set. Associations between different embolization techniques and clinical outcomes were evaluated by fixed-effects model in 2nd study set. RESULTS: Twenty-three studies were included in 1st study set. And then, 13 of them were excluded, because lack of the necessary details of SAE. The remaining 10 studies comprised 2nd study set, and quality assessments were performed using NOS. In 1st set, the primary success rate is 90.1% and the incidence of life-threatening complications is 20.4%, though the cases which required surgical intervention are very few (6.4%). For different embolization locations, there was no obvious association between primary success rate and embolization location in both 1st and 2nd study sets (P > 0.05). But in 2nd study set, it indicated that proximal embolization reduced severe complications and complications needed surgical management. As for the embolic materials, the success rate between coil and gelfoam is not significant. However, coil is associated with a lower risk of life-threatening complications, as well as less complications requiring surgical management. CONCLUSIONS: Different embolization techniques affect the clinical outcomes of SAE. The proximal embolization is the best option due to the less life-threatening complications. For commonly embolic material, coil is superior to gelfoam for fewer severe complications and less further surgery management.

Thrombin-loaded alginate-calcium microspheres: A novel hemostatic embolic material for transcatheter arterial embolization.

Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) is the best non-laparotomy choice for solid visceral organs rupture and bleeding nowadays. In our previous study, a new biodegradable macromolecule material thrombin-loaded alginate-calcium microsphere (TACM) was prepared and its characteristics were investigated preliminarily. In this study, we further investigated the biocompatibility of TACMs, as well as physical characteristic, application method and effect of TACMs with thrombus (embolic agent). The in vivo results attested that TACMs were non-irritating and non-genotoxic with desired biocompatibility, although brought about a slight and temporary inflammation. Application research showed that the function of thrombin was inhibited by common contrast agents, and it was impracticable to add contrast agents in TACMs with thrombus for tracing under X-rays in TAE. Then, a novel delivery method was developed. In addition, stress resistance test indicated that the TACMs with thrombus was significantly stronger than single autologous thrombus, the optimized ratio of TACMs to whole blood was 2:3 for forming mixed thrombus. Finally, large animal experiment revealed that the novel embolic agent - TACMs mixed thrombus was effective and safe in treating hemorrhage of solid abdominal viscera by TAE.

Feasibility study of emergency intervention for vascular injury outside the hospital.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive surgery in the field of traumatic vascular injury diagnosis and treatment has achieved good results. This study was designed to determine whether pre-hospital emergency intervention is feasible for vascular injury in a field intervention cabin under the condition of war or a disaster site. METHODS: Different types of animal experiments of vascular injury intervention were performed in a field intervention cabin. Treatment capacity was evaluated by data collection, including duration of surgery, clinical evaluation, image clarity, and equipment handling. Environmental adaptability and mobility were evaluated by maneuverability and long-distance mobility. RESULTS: A total of 56 surgeries (7 types) were performed in the field intervention cabin. Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) had good imaging performance. A total of 4800 km of long-distance mobility was performed, and all the equipment operated normally without any equipment failure. We participated in the medical service maneuver twice. The cabin unfolded and worked properly. There was no equipment damage during the medical service maneuver. CONCLUSIONS: Use of a field intervention cabin under the conditions of war or disaster is feasible for pre-hospital emergency intervention of vascular injury.

Comprehensive Assessment of the Association between FCGRs polymorphisms and the risk of systemic lupus erythematosus: Evidence from a Meta-Analysis.

We performed a meta analysis to assess the relationship of FCGRs polymorphisms with the risk of SLE. Thirty-five articles (including up to 5741 cases and 6530 controls) were recruited for meta-analysis. The strongest association was observed between FCGR2B rs1050501 and SLE under the recessive genotypic model of C allele in the overall population (CC vs CT/TT, OR = 1.754, 95%CI: 1.422-2.165, P = 1.61 × 10(-7)) and in Asian population (CC vs CT/TT, OR = 1.784, 95%CI; 1.408-2.261, P = 1.67 × 10(-6)). We also found that FCGR3A rs396991 were significant association with the susceptibility to SLE in overall population in recessive model of T allele (TT vs TG/GG, OR = 1.263, 95%CI: 1.123-1.421, P = 9.62 × 10(-5)). The results also showed that significant association between FCGR2A rs1801274 and SLE under the allelic model in the overall population (OR = 0.879 per A allele, 95%CI: 0.819-0.943, P = 3.31 × 10(-4)). The meta-analysis indicated that FCGR3B copy number polymorphism NA1·NA2 was modestly associated with SLE in overall population (OR = 0.851 per NA1, 95%CI: 0.772-0.938, P = 1.2 × 10(-3)). We concluded that FCGR2B rs1050501 C allele and FCGR3A rs396991 T allele might contribute to susceptibility and development of SLE, and were under recessive association model. While, FCGR2A rs1801274 A allele and FCGR3B NA1 were associated with SLE and reduced the risk of SLE.

Effects of internal iliac artery embolization on systemic inflammatory response syndrome in dogs with simulated-pelvic-fracture combined with massive bleeding.

BACKGROUND: Pelvic fracture combined with massive bleeding (PFCMB) is a complex issue in clinical practice. Currently, the use of angiography and embolization for the treatment of PFCMB obtains good results. The aim of this study is to observe the effects of early internal iliac artery embolization on the SIRS in dogs with simulated-pelvic-fracture combined with massive bleeding. METHODS: Twenty adult dogs were randomly divided into an embolization group (EG) and a control group (CG). For the two groups, heart rate, respiratory rate and body temperature and other physiological variables were measured, and IL-6, TNF-α and arterial blood gas levels were monitored. These variables were assayed every 30 min until death in the CG, while dogs in the EG underwent arterial angiography after 60 min of modeling. The internal iliac artery was embolized on the injured side. RESULTS: The average time to SIRS in the CG was 3.56 h, occurring at a rate of 90 % (9/10) within 24 h, with a mortality rate of 50 % (5/10); the average time to SIRS for the EG was 5.33 h, occurring at a rate of 30 % (3/10) within 24 h, with a mortality rate of 10 % (1/10). When SIRS occurred in the EG, the mean plasma IL-6 level was 52.66 ± 7.38 pg/ml and the TNF-α level was 11.45 ± 2.72 ng/ml, showing a significant difference with those of the CG (P < 0.05). In the two groups, the respiratory rate and leukocyte levels were higher at each monitored time after modeling than those before modeling; the mean arterial pressure, levels of hemoglobin and oxygen partial pressure were significantly lower at each time point after modeling than those before modeling except for the mean arterial pressure at 0 h in EG; the platelet levels at 4 and 8 h were higher than those before modeling; and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). In the EG, the mean arterial pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate and hemoglobin levels at 2 , 4 and 8 h were lower than those at 0 h; the levels of leukocytes, platelets and carbon dioxide partial pressure at 4 and 8 h after modeling were higher than those at 0 h, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); in the CG after modeling, the mean arterial pressure, levels of hemoglobin and carbon dioxide partial pressure at 2, 4 and 8 h were lower than those at 0 h; the levels of heart rate and leukocytes were higher than those before modeling; the respiratory rate and platelet levels at 4 and 8 h were higher than those at 0 h; and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The levels of the mean arterial pressure and hemoglobin at 4 and 8 h and the pH values at 8 h after modeling in the EG were significantly higher than those in the CG, while the heart rate and respiratory rate at 4 and 8 h were significantly lower than those in the CG. The pH values at 8 h after modeling were significantly lower than those of the other monitored times in the CG (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The two groups had elevated levels of alkaline phosphatase after injury induction. CONCLUSION: Through the use of an on-spot interventional treatment cabin, early internal iliac artery embolization can control bleeding associated with pelvic fractures, delay the occurrence of SIRS, and improve the success rate of the treatment of pelvic fracture combined with bleeding.

Ethnicity-stratified analysis of the association between IL-18 polymorphisms and systemic lupus erythematosus in a European population: a meta-analysis.

We performed a meta-analysis to identify the association between polymorphisms in the promoter of interleukin-18 (IL-18) and susceptibility for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) . Genotype data for three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs rs360719, rs1946518, and rs187238) in the IL-18 promoter were extracted from 20 studies of three different ethnicities (European, Asian, and South American). Data from each ethnicity group and their combinations were analyzed. We found distinct evidence of an association between rs360719 and SLE (P = 0.001) in the European/South American group [odds ratio (OR) 1.31 per C allele, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11-1.53]. Stratification analysis by ethnicity showed a significant association between rs360719 and SLE in the European population (OR 1.33 per C allele, 95% CI 1.11-1.61, P = 0.003) and a lesser effect in the same direction in the South American population (OR 1.18). A significant association was also identified between rs1946518 and SLE in the European population (OR 1.16 per A allele, 95% CI 1.03-1.30, P = 0.017), although there was no association in the Asian or the combined European/Asian population. We also examined genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from an Asian subpopulation (Chinese) for the association between rs1946518 and SLE, but found no association (P = 0.83). The third SNP, rs187238, was not significantly associated with SLE in any of the populations examined. In summary, this study identified a significant association between SLE and two SNPs within the IL-18 gene promoter region (rs360719 and rs1946518) in a European population, but not in populations of Asian origin.

Performance of genotype imputation for low frequency and rare variants from the 1000 genomes.

Genotype imputation is now routinely applied in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and meta-analyses. However, most of the imputations have been run using HapMap samples as reference, imputation of low frequency and rare variants (minor allele frequency (MAF) < 5%) are not systemically assessed. With the emergence of next-generation sequencing, large reference panels (such as the 1000 Genomes panel) are available to facilitate imputation of these variants. Therefore, in order to estimate the performance of low frequency and rare variants imputation, we imputed 153 individuals, each of whom had 3 different genotype array data including 317k, 610k and 1 million SNPs, to three different reference panels: the 1000 Genomes pilot March 2010 release (1KGpilot), the 1000 Genomes interim August 2010 release (1KGinterim), and the 1000 Genomes phase1 November 2010 and May 2011 release (1KGphase1) by using IMPUTE version 2. The differences between these three releases of the 1000 Genomes data are the sample size, ancestry diversity, number of variants and their frequency spectrum. We found that both reference panel and GWAS chip density affect the imputation of low frequency and rare variants. 1KGphase1 outperformed the other 2 panels, at higher concordance rate, higher proportion of well-imputed variants (info>0.4) and higher mean info score in each MAF bin. Similarly, 1M chip array outperformed 610K and 317K. However for very rare variants (MAF ≤ 0.3%), only 0-1% of the variants were well imputed. We conclude that the imputation of low frequency and rare variants improves with larger reference panels and higher density of genome-wide genotyping arrays. Yet, despite a large reference panel size and dense genotyping density, very rare variants remain difficult to impute.

Alginate-calcium microsphere loaded with thrombin: a new composite biomaterial for hemostatic embolization.

To date, transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) has become a standard treatment to control intracavitary bleeding as an alternative to surgery. Due to excellent biocompatibility and no residual in vivo, biodegradable materials are preferred in TAE. However, gelfoam is the only commercially available biodegradable embolic material used to treat blunt trauma of solid abdominal viscera until now, and controversial on its stability and reliability never stopped in the past five decades. In this study, a new biodegradable macromolecule material (thrombin-loaded alginate-calcium microspheres, TACMs) was prepared using electrostatic droplet techniques and a special method was developed for hemostatic embolization. Thrombin was successfully loaded into microspheres with high encapsulation efficiency and drug loading capacity. A burst release of TACMs was observed at early stage and sustained release later on, with the activity of thrombin preserved well. The strength of TACMs mixed thrombus, which was used as embolic agent, increased in a dose-dependent manner after TACMs were added. In addition, the TACMs were verified to be of no cytotoxicity and systemic toxicity, and biodegradable in vivo. Finally, the results of preliminary applications revealed that the TACMs could serve as an effective and promising embolic material for blunt trauma and hemorrhage of solid abdominal viscera.

MicroRNA-495 regulates the proliferation and apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells by targeting chemokine CCL2.

INTRODUCTION: Endothelium dysfunction plays a critical role in atherosclerosis. MicroRNAs are endogenous non-coding RNAs that suppress gene expression by binding to the 3' untranslated regions of target genes. MiR-495 can regulate the proliferation and apoptosis of cancer cells, however, the roles of miR-495 in endothelial cells (ECs) remain unclear. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the roles and mechanisms of miR-495 on ECs proliferation and apoptosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MiR-495 and CCL2 expressions were examined using quantitative RT-PCR, ELISA assay and western blot. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay were used to examine the regulatory relationship between miR-495 and CCL2. CCK8 assay, BrdU incorporation assay and flow cytometry were used to analyze the roles of miR-495 and CCL2 on the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The effects of miR-495 and CCL2 on HUVECs apoptosis were examined by tunnel staining and western blot. RESULTS: MiR-495 was down-regulated in patients with coronary artery disease compared with healthy controls. CCL2 was a novel target gene of miR-495. MiR-495 significantly promoted HUVECs proliferation by altering cell cycle distribution, and it also inhibited HUVECs apoptosis by affecting the expression of cleaved caspase 3. Effects of miR-495 on HUVECs proliferation and apoptosis were significantly reversed by overexpression of CCL2. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-495 could affect HUVECs proliferation and apoptosis by directly targeting CCL2. This is the first report to disclose the roles and mechanisms of miR-495 on HUVECs proliferation and apoptosis, which may provide a theoretical basis for clarifying the mechanisms of atherosclerosis.

Gambogic acid-induced degradation of mutant p53 is mediated by proteasome and related to CHIP.

As an oncoprotein, mutant p53 is a potential tumor-specific target for cancer therapy. Most mutated forms of the protein are largely accumulated in cancer cells due to their increased stability. In the present study, we demonstrate that mutant p53 protein stability is regulated by gambogic acid (GA). Following GA exposure, protein levels of mutant p53 decreased while the mRNA levels were not affected in MDA-MB-435 cells, which indicate that GA down-regulates mutant p53 at post-transcription level. Co-treatment with GA and cycloheximide, a protein synthesis inhibitor, induced a decrease of half-life of mutant p53 protein. These findings indicated that the reduction of mutant p53 by GA was due to the destabilization and degradation of the protein. Furthermore, inhibition of proteasome activity by MG132 blocked GA-induced down-regulation of mutant p53, causing mutant p53 accumulation in detergent-insoluble cellular fractions. Further studies revealed that mutant p53 was ubiquitinated and it was chaperones related ubiquitin ligase carboxy terminus of Hsp70-interacting protein (CHIP) rather than MDM2 involved in the degradation of mutant p53. In addition, GA prevented Hsp90/mutant p53 complex formation and enhanced interaction of mutant p53 with Hsp70. Depletion of CHIP stabilized mutant p53 in GA treated cells. In conclusion, mutant p53 may be down-regulated by GA through chaperones-assisted ubiquitin/proteasome degradation pathway in cancer cells.

DHF-18, a new synthetic flavonoid, induced a mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis of hepatocarcinoma cells in vivo and in vitro.

A new synthetic flavonoid DHF-18, synthesized with a piperazine substitution, has been recently found to show potent anti-tumor activities both in vivo and in vitro. In this study, we demonstrated that DHF-18 significantly inhibited tumor growth in mice inoculated with Heps hepatoma cells without evident toxicity. After the treatment of 40mg/kg DHF-18, the inhibitory rate of tumor weight was 53.69%. To investigate whether apoptosis induction contributed to the anti-tumor effects of DHF-18, DAPI (diamidino-phenyl-indole) staining and Annexin V/PI (Propidium iodide) double staining were performed in our tests. The data showed that DHF-18 could induce the apoptosis cell death in HepG2 cells. Moreover, the apparent increase of intracellular reactive oxygen species levels and the reduction of mitochondria ΔΨm were both observed in HepG2 cells after DHF-18 treatment. Meanwhile, the transposition of apoptotic inducing factor (AIF) from mitochondria to nuclei, the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria and the activation of caspase-3, -9 were also detected, indicating that DHF-18 may induce apoptosis through a mitochondrial-mediated pathway. Additionally, DHF-18 decreased the expression of Bcl-2 protein, whereas the levels of Bax and Bak were found to increase after DHF-18 treatment. Moreover, the activation of caspase-8, the increase of TNF-R1 (Tumor necrosis factor receptor) and Bid were found. Taken together, our results suggested that DHF-18 may induce HeG2 cells apoptosis through a mitochondrial-dependent and independent pathway.

Wogonin potentiates the antitumor effects of low dose 5-fluorouracil against gastric cancer through induction of apoptosis by down-regulation of NF-kappaB and regulation of its metabolism.

Traditional Chinese medicines have been recognized as a new source of anticancer drugs or chemotherapy adjuvant to enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy and to ameliorate the side effects. Wogonin (WOG) has a potential for therapeutic use in the treatment of antitumor and chemoprophylaxis. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a key systemic chemotherapy drug and widely use in the treatment of solid tumors. In this study, we found that combination of WOG and 5-FU inhibited the viability of MGC-803 cells in a concentration-dependent manner and exhibited a synergistic anticancer effect (CI<1) when 5-FU was used at relatively low concentrations. The pro-apoptotic activity of two-drug combination was much stronger than single. Furthermore, WOG could decrease the mRNA levels of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), the metabolic enzymes of 5-FU. WOG could inhibit the NF-kappaB nuclear translocation and I-kappaB phosphorylation. Moreover, combined treatment caused significantly growth inhibition of human tumor xenografts. In addition, WOG markedly enhanced the antitumor activity of low dose 5-FU (i.p. 10mg/kg/day), however there is no toxicity and influence on diet consumption in experimental animals. Taken together, our data's showed that WOG increased 5-FU retention for a prolonged catabolism by modulating 5-FU metabolic enzymes and sensitized the MGC-803 cells to 5-FU induced apoptosis by inhibiting the NF-kappaB nuclear translocation. The anti-gastric cancer effect of two-drug combination was much stronger than that of WOG or 5-FU alone. These results may be relevant to design new clinical therapeutic strategies against gastric cancer in future.

Gambogic acid triggers DNA damage signaling that induces p53/p21(Waf1/CIP1) activation through the ATR-Chk1 pathway.

Gambogic acid (GA) has been wildly studied to show potent anti-tumor effects in vivo and in vitro. We have confirmed that GA stabilized and activated p53 through down-regulating the expression of MDM2 in variety of cancer cell lines. However, GA-induced p53 activation could be partially reversed by caffeine, a PI3k inhibitor. Therefore, questions of whether GA induces post-translational modifications of p53 and subsequent activation of p53; and if that is the case, which upstream signaling pathway(s) is (are) responsible for that are proposed. Here, the relationship between p53 activation and its post-translational modifications was investigated in the human cancer cell lines HepG2 and A549 in response to GA or adriamycin treatment. GA induces p53 phosphorylation at sites Ser15 and Ser20 in a concentration- or time-dependent way, which was a direct result of DNA damage, as gamma-HA2X foci and 'comet' DNA fragments were detected. GA induces p53 phosphorylation through activation of an ATM- and Rad3-related pathway, and GA-induced phosphorylation of Chk1 is also involved. Upon treatment with GA, ATR activation is clearly associated with p53 phosphorylation, as well as activation of its target gene p21(Waf/CIP1). Furthermore, we found the dephosphorylation of Cdk1 at Thr161 induced by GA was abrogated, followed by a remarkable disruption of G2/M arrest when the cells were pre-incubated with caffeine. Interestingly, the sensitivity to caffeine enhanced the cytotoxicity of GA as well. Taken together, these data showed an important role of the DNA damage response mediated by ATR-Chk1 in p53/p21(Waf/CIP1) activation and downstream G2/M arrest during GA treatment.

LYG-202, a new flavonoid with a piperazine substitution, shows antitumor effects in vivo and in vitro.

LYG-202 is a newly synthesized flavonoid with a piperazine substitution. We investigated the antitumor effect of LYG-202 in vivo and in vitro. We show that, LYG-202 significantly decreases tumor growth in mice inoculated with S180 sarcoma cells, compared with the control group. Meanwhile, the viabilities of various kinds of tumor cells were inhibited by LYG-202 with IC(50) values in the range of 4.80 to 27.70 microM. Then apoptosis induced by LYG-202 in HepG2 cells was characterized by DAPI staining and Annexin V/PI double staining and degradation of PARP was observed. Activation of the caspase cascade for both the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways was demonstrated, including caspase-8, -9, and -3. The results also showed that the expression of Bcl-2 protein decreased whereas that of Bax protein increased, leading to an increase of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Our results demonstrated that LYG-202 exhibited strong antitumor effect in vivo and in vitro, involving with apoptosis induction.