Silencing of KIF2C enhances the sensitivity of hepatocellular carcinoma cells to cisplatin through regulating the PI3K/AKT/MAPK signaling pathway.

In the treatment of unresectable advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cisplatin is administered transhepatic arterially for local treatment, but the clinical application of cisplatin drugs is frequently hindered by the emergence of drug resistance. Kinesin family member 2C( KIF2C ) has been shown as oncogene in a variety of tumors. Nevertheless, its effect on cisplatin sensitivity has yet to be ascertained. Herein, we aim to investigate the impact of the KIF2C gene on cisplatin sensitivity within HCC and the plausible underlying molecular mechanism. We examined the expression level of the KIF2C gene in HCC cells by real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR and Western blot analysis, and analyzed bioinformatically by The Gene Expression Omnibus database and The Cancer Genome Atlas database. The KIF2C gene was silenced using the small interfering RNA technology, and its effect on cisplatin drug sensitivity in HCC cells was evaluated by flow cytometry, cell proliferation, cell migration, and invasion assays. Our results indicated that KIF2C was highly expressed in HCC cells. KIF2C silencing inhibits HCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion, promotes apoptosis, and keeps the cell cycle in G2 phase. In addition, KIF2C silencing enhanced the sensitivity of HCC cells to cisplatin. KIF2C silencing down-regulates the expression levels of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (AKT) and mitogen-activated protein kinase 3 (MAPK3) proteins. In conclusion, KIF2C silencing amplifies the sensitivity of HCC cells to cisplatin by regulating the PI3K/AKT/MAPK signaling pathway. Consequently, targeting KIF2C shows great application potential as a strategy for enhancing the effectiveness of HCC treatment.

Chromium removal capability and photosynthetic characteristics of Cyperus alternifolius and Coix lacryma-jobi L. in vertical flow constructed wetland treated with hexavalent chromium bearing domestic sewage.

In this study, the chromium removal capability and photosynthetic capacity response of plants were investigated in vertical flow wetland microcosms (VFWM) treated with Cr(VI) bearing domestic sewage. Two plants, Cyperus alternifolius (C. alternifolius) and Coix lacryma-jobi L. (C. lacryma-jobi L.) grown in the VFWM enhanced the purification of Cr(VI) enriched domestic sewage. Cr concentration in the effluent fell below detection limit (<0.03 mg L-1), except for the C. alternifolius wetland treated with 40 mg L-1 Cr(VI). The biomasses of both plants species were increased at 10 and 20 mg L-1 Cr(VI) exposure but inhibited at 40 mg L-1 Cr(VI). The photosynthetic capacities of both plants were not affected at 10-40 mg L-1 Cr(VI) exposure during the days 20-60. However, they were inhibited significantly (P < 0.05) at 40 mg L-1 Cr(VI) exposure during days 80-100. These results demonstrated that a VFWM with C. alternifolius and/or C. lacryma-jobi L. was capable of maintaining its efficiency and recovering its vegetation. VFWM with C. alternifolius and/or C. lacryma-jobi L. was promising for purifying wastewater which contains low to medium concentrations of Cr(VI) (<20 mg L-1).