ANGPTL3 affects the metastatic potential and the susceptibility of ovarian cancer cells to natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity.

High metastatic potential and resistance to immunotherapy lead to poor survival in patients with ovarian cancer. Angiopoietin-like protein 3 is aberrantly expressed and exerts diverse roles in the progression of several cancers. However, its function in ovarian cancer is unknown. Here, decreased expression of angiopoietin-like protein 3 was observed in ovarian cancer tissues and cells. Moreover, patients with high expression of angiopoietin-like protein 3 had longer overall survival and progression-free survival, indicating a good prognosis for patients. Furthermore, angiopoietin-like protein 3 overexpression inhibited ovarian cancer cell proliferation. Concomitantly, high invasion and the occurrence of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of cancer cells were restrained after angiopoietin-like protein 3 elevation. Up-regulation of angiopoietin-like protein 3 expression further increased interleukin 2-treated natural killer cell activation by increasing CD69 expression and production of interferon gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha when natural killer cells were co-cultured with ovarian cancer cells. Importantly, angiopoietin-like protein 3 overexpression enhanced natural killer cell-evoked cytotoxicity and apoptosis of cancer cells, indicating the pro-tumor killing ability of angiopoietin-like protein 3 for natural killer cells. Mechanistically, angiopoietin-like protein 3 elevation inhibited activation of the Janus Kinase/Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signaling in ovarian cancer cells by inhibiting protein expression of phospho-Janus Kinase 2, phospho-Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, downstream matrix metallopeptidase 2 and programmed cell death 1. Moreover, blocking the Janus Kinase/Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 pathway via their inhibitor Stattic restrained ovarian cancer cell proliferation, invasion, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and promoted natural killer cell killing to ovarian cancer cells. Thus, these findings reveal that angiopoietin-like protein 3 may act as an anti-oncogenic regulator to inhibit the metastatic potential and enhance the susceptibility of ovarian cancer cells to natural killer cell-mediated killing. Consequently, angiopoietin-like protein 3 may regulate metastatic potential and immune escape from natural killer cells, indicating a promising therapeutic strategy for ovarian cancer.

Pore Structure and Gas Content Characteristics of Lower Jurassic Continental Shale Reservoirs in Northeast Sichuan, China.

The Jurassic shale in the northeastern Sichuan Basin is one of the main target intervals for continental shale gas exploitation. Research on the pore structure and gas-bearing properties of shales is the key issue in target interval optimization. Through core observation, geochemistry, bulk minerals, scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption, and isothermal adsorption experiments, various lithofacies with different pore structure characteristics were clarified. In addition, the factors that control gas-bearing properties were discussed, and a continental shale gas enrichment model was finally established. The results show that the Jurassic continental shale in the northeastern Sichuan Basin can be classified into six lithofacies. Organic pores, intergranular pores, interlayer pores in clay minerals, intercrystalline pores in pyrite framboids, and dissolution pores can be observed in shale samples. Pore structures varied in different shale lithofacies. The contact angle of shales is commonly less than 45°, leading to complex wettability of pores in the shales. Free gas content is mainly controlled by the organic matter (OM) content and the brittleness in the Jurassic shale. The adsorbed gas content is mainly controlled by the OM content, clay mineral type, and water saturation of the shales. The enrichment mode of the Lower Jurassic continental shale gas in the northeastern Sichuan Basin is established. Paleoenvironments control the formation of organic-rich shales in the center part of lakes. The "baffle" layer helps the confinement and high pressure, and the complex syncline controls the preservation, forming the enrichment pattern of the complex syncline-central baffle layer.

Esthetics Effect and the Modified Placement of Robotic-Assisted Single-Site Laparoscopic Gynecologic Surgery by Common Robotic Instruments and LAGIS Single-Site Port.

OBJECTIVES: The accuracy of robotic surgery has been recognized by many doctors, but traditional robotic surgery requires 4-5 puncture holes in the operating area. With the popularization and application of single port laparoscopic surgery, the aesthetic of abdominal incision of robotic surgery has been challenged. How to use the single-site platform to complete robot operation is a new field worthy of our exploration. Here we introduce a kind of technology innovation of robot-assisted single-site laparoscopic surgery through common robotic equipment and LAGIS single-site port. METHODS: From November 2018 to March 2019, 20 patients with cervical cancer or endometrial cancer admitted to the minimally invasive gynecological group were included. Single-hole robotic surgery was successfully performed in all 20 patients, with no additional assisted puncture and no conversion to laparotomy. The operation time of patients, intraoperative bleeding volume and hospitalization time were recorded and compared. Besides, the Intraoperative complications were observed and analyzed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: By comparison, we can find that the effect of this innovative single-hole robotic surgery is significantly better than that of traditional single-hole laparoscopy.

LncRNA PVT1 promotes the progression of ovarian cancer by activating TGF-ß pathway via miR-148a-3p/AGO1 axis.

Ovarian cancer is a lethal gynaecologic malignancy with poor diagnosis and prognosis. The long non-coding RNA plasmacytoma variant translocation1 (PVT1) and argonaute 1 (AGO1) are associated with carcinogenesis and chemoresistance; however, the relationship between PVT1 and AGO1 and the downstream mechanisms in ovarian cancer remains poorly known. PVT1 and AGO1 expression was assessed through RT-qPCR and Western blotting in both human tissues and cell lines. The viability and proliferation of ovarian cancer cells were determined by CCK-8 assay and TUNEL assay in vitro and immunohistochemistry in vivo. Cell invasion and migration were investigated through transwell and wound-healing assays. The roles and mechanisms of AGO1 on cell functions were further probed via gain- and loss-of-function analysis. We reveal that PVT1 expression was significantly increased in ovarian cancer tissues which is associated with advanced FIGO stage, lymph-node metastasis, poor survival rate, and high expression of AGO1. PVT1 or AGO1 knockdown significantly reduced the cell viability and increased the cell apoptosis and inhibited ovarian tumour growth and proliferation. Furthermore, we discovered that PVT1 up-regulated the expression of AGO1 and thus regulated the transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) pathway to promote ovarian cancer progression through sponging miR-148a-3p. Additionally, the activation of ERK1/2, smad2 and smad4 is observed to be related to the PVT1/miR-148a-3p/AGO1/TGF-ß pathway-induced cascades. Taken together, the present study reveals that PVT1/miR-148a/AGO1 axis plays an important role in the progression of ovarian cancer and emphasize the potential as a target of value for ovarian cancer therapy.

Stress Hormones: Emerging Targets in Gynecological Cancers.

In the past decade, several discoveries have documented the existence of innervation in ovarian cancer and cervical cancer. Notably, various neurotransmitters released by the activation of the sympathetic nervous system can promote the proliferation and metastasis of tumor cells and regulate immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. Therefore, a better understanding of the mechanisms involving neurotransmitters in the occurrence and development of gynecological cancers will be beneficial for exploring the feasibility of using inexpensive ß-blockers and dopamine agonists in the clinical treatment of gynecological cancers. Additionally, this article provides some new insights into targeting tumor innervation and neurotransmitters in the tumor microenvironment.

Mechanism of hydrogen on cervical cancer suppression revealed by high­throughput RNA sequencing.

Cervical cancer is considered one of the diseases with the highest mortality among women and with limited treatment options. Hydrogen (H2) inhalation has been reported to have a variety of tumor­suppressive effects, but the exact mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, HeLa cervical cancer cells and HaCaT keratinocytes treated with H2, and a HeLa xenograft mouse model subjected to H2 inhalation were established. TUNEL, Cell Counting Kit­8 and Ki67 staining assays were used to detect cell apoptosis and proliferation. Oxidative stress was determined according to the levels of reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase. Tumor growth was recorded every 3 days, and the excised tumors were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. High­throughput RNA sequencing and subsequent Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis were performed in HeLa­treated and un­treated HeLa cells. The expression of hypoxia­inducible factor (HIF)­1α and NF­κB p65 was verified by western blotting, immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription­quantitative PCR. The results revealed an increased apoptosis rate, and reduced cell proliferation and oxidative stress in H2­treated HeLa cells but not in HaCaT cells. Similarly, decreased tumor growth and cell proliferation, and enhanced cell apoptosis were observed in H2­treated HeLa tumors. RNA sequencing and GO analysis suggest that downregulated HIF1A (HIF­1α mRNA) and RelA (NF­κB p65) levels, and reduced NF­κB signaling were associated with the antitumor effect of H2. Finally, decreased HIF­1α and NF­κB p65 expression both at the transcriptional and translational levels were observed in H2­treated HeLa cells and in HeLa­derived tumors. In conclusion, the present study reveals a novel mechanism of H2 against cervical cancer, which may serve as a potential therapeutic target in clinical practice.

A Comparative Analysis of Robotic Single-Site Surgery and Laparoendoscopic Single-Site Surgery as Therapeutic Options for Stage IB1 Cervical Squamous Carcinoma.

PURPOSE: To compare perioperative outcomes between robotic single-site surgical technique and conventional laparoendoscopic single-site surgical technique. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study involving 67 patients who received robotic single-site surgery or laparoendoscopic single-site surgery for the treatment of stage IB1 cervical squamous carcinoma. The robotic single-site radical hysterectomy technique combined with pelvic lymph node dissections were performed in 32 patients while the laparoendoscopic single-site radical hysterectomy technique combined with pelvic lymph node dissections were performed in 35 patients. RESULTS: The enrolled patients had been diagnosed with stage IB1 cervical squamous carcinoma. The perioperative outcomes were mean age (51.63±8.32 years in the lymph node dissection (RSS group) and 53.14±8.14 years in the lymph node dissection (LESS group), p=0.453); BMIs (23.76±2.72 in the RSS group and 23.46±2.28 in the LESS group, p=0.629); shorter operative times (223.56±15.43 min in the RSS group and 248.61±20.89 min in the LESS group, p<0.01) and less estimated blood loss (217.25±16.77 mL in the RSS group and 294.74±24.00 mL in the LESS group, p<0.01). None of the study participants exhibited postoperative pain. There were no statistically significant differences in the length of hospital stay (p=0.865), perioperative complications (p=0.602), duration of closure and removal of catheter (p=0.518) as well as in pathological diagnoses between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Robotic single-site surgery can be used in the treatment of early stage cervical cancer as it exhibits acceptable operative times and perioperative outcomes. This surgical technique is feasible and safe.

Roles of metformin-mediated girdin expression in metastasis of epithelial ovarian cancer.

Antimetastatic effect of Metformin has been documented in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Presently, we investigated the regulatory mechanism of Metformin in EOC metastasis. First, Girdin was significantly enhanced in EOC tumorous tissues and cell lines. Seconded, knockdown of Girdin significantly suppressed EOC cell viability, migration, and invasion, while upregulation of Girdin produced the opposite effects in vitro and facilitated lung metastasis in EOC cell xenograft in vivo. In addition, we confirmed that the inhibitory effect of Metformin on Girdin expression. Mechanistically, the oncogenic effects of Girdin could be reversed by LY294002 (an AKT pathway inhibitor) and Metformin. These results suggested that Metformin attenuated EOC metastasis through Girdin and targeting Girdin may be a promising therapeutic strategy for EOC in the future.

Identification of two molecular subtypes of dysregulated immune lncRNAs in ovarian cancer.

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) has increasingly been identified as a key regulator in pathologies such as cancer. Multiple platforms were used for comprehensive analysis of ovarian cancer to identify molecular subgroups. However, lncRNA and its role in mapping the ovarian cancer subpopulation are still largely unknown. RNA-sequencing and clinical characteristics of ovarian cancer were acquired from The Cancer Genome Atlas database (TCGA). A total of 52 lncRNAs were identified as aberrant immune lncRNAs specific to ovarian cancer. We redefined two different molecular subtypes, C1(188) and C2(184 samples), in "iClusterPlus" R package, among which C2 grouped ovarian cancer samples have higher survival probability and longer median survival time (P <0.05) with activated IFN-gamma response, Wound Healing and Cytotoxic lymphocytes signal; 456 differentially expressed genes were acquired in C1 and C2 subtypes using limma (3.40.6) package, among which 419 were up-regulated and 37 were down-regulated, in TCGA dataset. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional enrichment analysis revealed that these genes were actively involved in ECM-receptor interaction, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway interaction KEGG pathway. Compared with the existing immune subtype, the Cluster2 sample showed a substantial increase in the proportion of the existing C2 immune subtype, accounting for 81.37%, which was associated with good prognosis. Our C1 subtype contains only 56.49% of the existing immune C1 and C4, which also explains the poor prognosis of C1. Furthermore, 52 immune-related lncRNAs were used to divide the TCGA-endometrial cancer and cervical cancer samples into two categories, and C2 had a good prognosis. The differentially expressed genes were highly correlated with immune-cell-related pathways. Based on lncRNA, two molecular subtypes of ovarian cancer were identified and had significant prognostic differences and immunological characteristics.

Fractionation of carbon and hydrogen isotopes of TSR-altered gas products under closed system pyrolysis.

Thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR) is common in marine carbonate gas reservoirs, leading to complicated isotope characteristics of TSR-altered gas. This study aims to better understand how TSR affects the geochemical and isotopic compositions of alkanes in pyrolysis products. Pyrolysis of TSR were conducted with crude oil, nonane (C9) and methylnaphthalene (MN) in the presence of MgSO4 solution at temperatures of 350 °C, 360 °C, and 370 °C for different durations of 4-219 h in a closed system. Results show that carbon and hydrogen isotope compositions of alkane gas resulting from TSR (pyrolysis with crude oil and MgSO4) became heavier with increasing carbon number, i.e., δ13C1 < δ13C2 < δ13C3 and δ2H-C1 < δ2H-C2 < δ2H-C3. Compared with the δ13C1, δ13C2 and δ13C3 increased in a much wider range as heating continued. Carbon and hydrogen isotopes of alkane gas produced by TSR became heavier with increasing gas souring index. Values for δ13C1-δ13C2 and δ2H-C1- δ2H-C2 typically decreased as oil and C9 underwent thermal cracking. Comparative experiments using C9 in the presence of MgSO4 produced partially reversed carbon isotope series (δ13C1 > δ13C2), which, for the first time, confirmed the ability of TSR to cause isotopic reversal from pyrolysis. The residual heavy alkanes gradually became 13C-enriched during TSR, which increased δ13C2 values and changed the partially reversed isotope sequence to a positive sequence (δ13C1 < δ13C2). The discovery of a partial reversal of the carbon isotope series of alkane gases through pyrolysis will further deepen the understanding of TSR-altered natural gas.

Glycogen phosphorylase B promotes ovarian cancer progression via Wnt/ß-catenin signaling and is regulated by miR-133a-3p.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer is one of the most common gynecologic cancers with high morbidity and mortality in women. Glycogen metabolism plays a critical role in cancer development and glycogen phosphorylase B (PYGB) has reported to be involved in various tumors. Here, we explored the role of PYGB in ovarian cancer. METHODS: PYGB mRNA expression were examined in ovarian cancer tissue and also analyzed using the dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas cohort. Correlations between PYGB expression and prognosis of ovarian cancer patients were analyzed. PYGB was silenced to evaluate the ovarian cell proliferation, invasion and migration in vitro and tumorigenesis in vivo. MiR-133a-3p targeting PYGB was identified using online tools and confirmed with luciferase reporter experiment. MiR-133a-3p overexpression using miRNA mimics was conducted to evaluate its function on ovarian cancer cells. RESULTS: We showed that PYGB was upregulated in ovarian cancer tissue and high level of PYGB expression is markedly correlated with poor prognosis of ovarian cancer patients. PYGB knockdown significantly suppressed ovarian cancer cell proliferation, invasion and migration. Xenograft tumor formation further demonstrated that knockdown PYGB inhibited ovarian tumor development. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that PYGB regulated Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway in ovarian cancer cells. Mechanistically, miR-133a-3p directly bound to 3'-untranslated region of PYGB and overexpression miR-133a-3p suppressed proliferation, invasion and migration in ovarian cancer cells. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that miR-133a-3p/PYGB/Wnt-ß-catenin axis plays a critical role in human ovarian cancer, which might serve as a promising therapeutic target of ovarian cancer treatment in the future.

Long non-coding RNA H19 mediates ovarian cancer cell cisplatin-resistance and migration during EMT.

OBJECTIVE: (1) to investigate the expression of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) H19 in OVCAR3 and cisplatin-resistant OVCAR3/DDP cells; (2) to explore the effects of lncRNA H19 on cisplatin-resistance in ovarian cancer (OC) cells; (3) to determine the roles of lncRNA H19 on OC cell migration and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related factors. METHODS: The human ovarian cancer OVCAR3 cell line was obtained from ATCC; the cisplatin-resistant OVCAR3/DDP cell line was induced from OVCAR3 cells through a progressive cisplatin concentration; OVCAR3 cells that overexpress lncRNA H19 and OVCAR3/DDP cells that silence the lncRNA H19 expression were established by the transfection of a recombinant lentivirus. A cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was used to determine the cell viability of OVCAR3 and OVCAR3/DDP. A reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) demonstrated the expressions of lncRNA H19, E-cadherin, twist, slug, and snail mRNA in OVCAR3 and OVCAR3/DDP cells. A Transwell assay was used to investigate the migration of OVCAR3 and OVCAR3/DDP cells. The expressions of E-cadherin, twist, slug, and snail proteins were determined by Western blot. RESULTS: The cisplatin-resistant OVCAR3/DPP cells were successfully established. The level of lncRNA H19 in the OVCAR3/DDP cells was significantly elevated compared with the OVCAR3 cells (P < 0.05). The overexpression of lncRNA in the OVCAR3 cells improved the cisplatin-resistance, and the inhibition of lncRNA H19 expression in OVCAR3/DDP cells eliminated the cisplatin resistance. Furthermore, the migration ability and the expressions of the EMT positive regulator, twist, slug, snail mRNA, and protein in OVCAR3/DDP were dramatically up-regulated compared with the OVCAR3 group, and the expressions of the EMT negative regulator, E-cadherin mRNA, and protein were decreased compared with the OVCAR3 group, suggesting an increase of migration and EMT ability was observed in the OVCAR3/DDP cells. A gain of lncRNA expression in the OVCAR3 cells promoted migration and EMT-related activity; the loss of lncRNA H19 expression eliminated the enhanced ability of migration and EMT in the OVCAR3/DDP cells. CONCLUSIONS: LncRNA H19 is responsible for the cisplatin-resistance, migration, and MET regulation in OVCAR3 cells.

Blocking activity of the HPV18 virus in cervical cancer cells using the CRISPR/Cas9 system.

OBJECTIVE: Specific sgRNA-sequences targeting oncogenes E6 and E7 in HPV18 were designed using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. These sgRNAs knocked out E6 and E7 expressions and were used to study their effects on the proliferation and cell cycle of the cervical cancer HeLa cell line. METHODS: Lentivirus vectors targeting E6 and E7 oncogenes were constructed and transfected into HeLa cells. mRNA and protein expression levels of E6 and E7 were measured by RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. The cell cycle was detected by flow cytometry. A colony formation assay was applied to evaluate the proliferation capacity of the HeLa cells. RESULTS: Three E6 Cas9-sgRNA vectors targeting E6 and three E7 Cas9-sgRNA vectors targeting E7 genes were constructed and transfected into HeLa cells, respectively. RT-PCR results showed that all three E6 and E7 sgRNAs inhibited the expressions of E6 or E7 mRNA, respectively, when compared with the control groups. The inhibition ratios of the three groups of E6-sgRNAs were 28%, 85%, and 19%; the E7-sgRNAs were 86%, 25%, and 27%, respectively (P<0.05), with E6-sgRNA2 and E7-sgRNA1 having the greatest inhibitory effects. Western blot results showed that, compared with the control group, the protein expressions of E6 and E7 in the sgRNAs transfected group were also decreased, and E6-sgRNA2 and E7-sgRNA1 had the most inhibitory effects on E6 and E7 proteins. Flow cytometry results showed that the number of cells in G1/G0 was increased by 14.2% in the E6-sgRNA2 transfection group, and by 7.1% in the E7-sgRNA1 transfection group. Colony formation assay results showed that after transfection of E6 or E7 sgRNA plasmids, the HeLa cell colony was reduced significantly compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The CRISPR/Cas9 system targeting HPV18 E6 or E7 genes effectively blocked the transcription and expression of oncogenes E6 or E7 in HeLa cells, which resulted in cell cycle arrest and reduced cell proliferation.

Integrating SANS and fluid-invasion methods to characterize pore structure of typical American shale oil reservoirs.

An integration of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), low-pressure N2 physisorption (LPNP), and mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP) methods was employed to study the pore structure of four oil shale samples from leading Niobrara, Wolfcamp, Bakken, and Utica Formations in USA. Porosity values obtained from SANS are higher than those from two fluid-invasion methods, due to the ability of neutrons to probe pore spaces inaccessible to N2 and mercury. However, SANS and LPNP methods exhibit a similar pore-size distribution, and both methods (in measuring total pore volume) show different results of porosity and pore-size distribution obtained from the MICP method (quantifying pore throats). Multi-scale (five pore-diameter intervals) inaccessible porosity to N2 was determined using SANS and LPNP data. Overall, a large value of inaccessible porosity occurs at pore diameters <10 nm, which we attribute to low connectivity of organic matter-hosted and clay-associated pores in these shales. While each method probes a unique aspect of complex pore structure of shale, the discrepancy between pore structure results from different methods is explained with respect to their difference in measurable ranges of pore diameter, pore space, pore type, sample size and associated pore connectivity, as well as theoretical base and interpretation.

Metformin in combination with cisplatin inhibits cell viability and induces apoptosis of human ovarian cancer cells by inactivating ERK 1/2.

Metformin protects against insulin resistance by restoring insulin sensitivity and may also possess anticancer activity. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of metformin alone or combined with cisplatin (DDP) on the cell viability and apoptosis of HO-8910 human ovarian cancer cells, and to investigate metformin as a potential novel therapeutic for treating ovarian cancer. The viability of HO-8910 cells was assessed using a cell proliferation and cytotoxicity assay following treatment with different concentrations of metformin (0.01, 0.5, 1, 5 and 10 mM) and/or 5 µM of DDP. Flow cytometry was performed to examine cell apoptosis, and western blotting was used to measure the expression of extracellular signal-related kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) phosphorylated (p)-ERK1/2, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X (Bax) and caspase-3. The resultsof the present study revealed that metformin reduced the viability of HO-8910 cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner and induced cell apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner. Metformin combined with DDP evidently inhibited cell viability and induced apoptosis. In addition, ERK1/2 and genes associated with apoptosis regulation, such as VEGF, VEGFR2, Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-3, exhibited differential expression in the HO-8910 cells. The present study demonstrated that expression of p-ERK1/2, VEGF, VEGFR2 and Bcl-2 was downregulated by treatment with increasing concentrations of metformin, whereas expression of Bax and caspase-3 was evidently upregulated. Taken together, these data demonstrate that metformin in combination with DDP reduces cell viability and induces apoptosis of human ovarian cancer cells.

Desmocollin 3 mediates follicle stimulating hormone-induced ovarian epithelial cancer cell proliferation by activating the EGFR/Akt signaling pathway.

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is associated with the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer. We sought to explore whether desmocollin 3 (Dsc3) mediates FSH-induced ovarian epithelial cancer cell proliferation and whether the EGFR/Akt signaling pathway may be involved in this process. Dsc3 positivity in ovarian tissue specimens from 72 patients was assessed by immunohistochemistry. The positive expression rates of Dsc3 were similar in ovarian cancer tissues (24/31:77.4%) and borderline ovarian tumor tissues (18/22:81.8%) (P>0.05), but were significantly higher in these cancerous tissues than in benign ovarian cyst tissues (3/19:15.8%) (P<0.05). Consistently, the expression of Dsc3 in four out of five ovarian cancer cells (HO8910, Skov3ip, Skov and Hey cells, but not ES-2 and in borderline ovarian MCV152 tumor cells was higher than in the immortalized ovarian epithelial cell line, Moody. FSH up-regulated the expression of Dsc3 and EGFR in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, a converse relationship between the expression of Dsc3, EFGR and PI3K/Akt signaling was elucidated using RNA interference and PI3K/Akt inhibitor in the absence and presence of FSH. A role for these proteins in FSH-induced cell proliferation was verified, highlighting their interdependence in mediating ovarian cancer cell function. These results suggest that Dsc3 can mediate FSH-induced ovarian cancer cell proliferation by activating the EGFR/Akt signaling pathway.

Long noncoding RNA-EBIC promotes tumor cell invasion by binding to EZH2 and repressing E-cadherin in cervical cancer.

In recent years, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been demonstrated to play key roles in tumorgenesis. However, the contributions of lncRNAs to cervical cancer (CC) remain largely unknown. In this study, differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs in cervical cancer and paired peritumoral tissues were detected by transcriptome microarray analysis. We found 708 probe sets of lncRNAs increased and 836 probe sets decreased in CC tissues, while 1288 mRNA differential probe sets increased and 901 mRNA probe sets decreased. The results were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Then, we found a specific differentially expressed lncRNA can physically bind to enhancer of zeste homolog2 (EZH2) by using RNA immunoprecipitation. We termed it as EZH2-binding lncRNA in cervical cancer [lncRNA-EBIC]. Wound healing assays and Matrigel invasion assays were used to determine the function of this lncRNA by silencing it. We observed that the migration and invasion of cervical cancer cells in vitro were inhibited upon suppression of lncRNA-EBIC by siRNA. We also found that the association between lncRNA-EBIC and EZH2 was required for the repression of E-cadherin, which was a key molecular in the metastasis of cervical cancer. Conclusion: These results demonstrated that lncRNA-EBIC was an oncogenic lncRNA, which could promote tumor cell invasion in CC by binding to EZH2 and inhibiting E-cadherin expression.

Reactive oxygen species regulate FSH-induced expression of vascular endothelial growth factor via Nrf2 and HIF1α signaling in human epithelial ovarian cancer.

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and the FSH receptor contribute to tumor angiogenesis and are acknowledged risk factors for ovarian epithelial cancer (OEC). Accumulating evidence suggests that FSH can induce vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) expression. We previously demonstrated that FSH induces reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and activates Nrf2 signaling. This study was performed to investigate whether FSH induces VEGF expression via a ROS-mediated Nrf2 signaling pathway. In the current study, OET cells were treated with FSH; dichlorofluorescein staining was used to determine ROS generation, western blotting was used to quantify Nrf2 expression and VEGF expression was measured using an ELISA. Nrf2 and HIF1α were knocked down using siRNAs to investigate the role of the Nrf2 and HIF1α signaling pathways in FSH-induced VEGF expression. The chromatin immunoprecipitation assay (ChIP) was used to determine HIF1α binding to the VEGF promoter. Finally, it was found that FSH induced ROS production and activated Nrf2 signaling; elimination of ROS or knockdown of Nrf2 blocked FSH-induced VEGF expression. Knockdown of Nrf2 impaired HIF1α signaling activation. Blockage of the FSH-ROS-Nrf2-HIF1α signaling pathway attenuated FSH-induced binding of HIF1α to the VEGF promoter. Collectively, this study indicates that ROS and aberrant expression of Nrf2 play an important role in FSH-induced angiogenesis in OEC, and provides insight into the mechanisms of FSH-induced VEGF expression. Elimination of ROS or inhibition of Nrf2 may represent potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of ovarian cancer.

[Study on mRNA expression of the human novel gene NM23-H1B in ovarian tumor].

OBJECTIVE: To study the expression of the human novel gene NM23-H1B in ovarian cancer. METHODS: Forty-eight samples from patients with ovarian tumor at different clinical stages and 8 from normal ovaries were examined for NM23-H1B mRNA expression by using RT-PCR, northern blot and in situ hybridization. RESULTS: All samples expressed NM23-H1B mRNA through RT-PCR, while the level of expression in ovarian tumor was higher than that of normal ovary. The level of expression in early stage (stage I and II) cancer was higher than in advanced (stage III and IV) cancer. The results of northern blot showed that NM23-H1B was over expressed in ovarian cancer while low expressed in normal ovary or low malignant potential (LMP) ovarian cancer. In early stage carcinoma, the expression level was related with the differentiation of tumor cell. Well-differentiated cancer expressed NM23-H1B mRNA at comparatively higher level. The result of in situ hybridization showed that positive expression rate of NM23-H1B mRNA in ovarian cancer (100%, 40/40) was significantly higher than that in normal ovary (0/8) or LMP ovarian cancer (2/8). CONCLUSION: The novel gene NM23-H1B is related to ovarian cancer.

[In vitro experimental study of gene therapy for ovarian cancer with thymidine kinase gene of herpes simplex virus mediated by a non-viral GE7 delivery system].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate gene transfer efficiency of a novel target non-viral vector GE7 and effects of herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV(1)-tk)/ganciclovir (GCV) mediated by it in vitro. METHODS: The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) target gene delivery system GE7 was constructed. Human ovarian cancer cell line CAOV3 was transfected in vitro with beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) as reporter gene and HSV(1)-tk gene as therapeutic gene using this gene delivery system. By means of the assay of X-gal staining, Northern blotting, cell growth-inhibiting curve and so on, the transferring efficiency of exogenous genes and killing effects are observed. RESULTS: It showed that gene transfer efficiency is over 80%. When 10 mg/L GCV was put into ovarian cells transfected with HSV(1)-tk gene, 95% of cells were killed, and the apoptosis ratio reached up to 30. CONCLUSIONS: The GE7 gene delivery system is an effective and safe delivery system. GE7/HSV(1)-tk/GCV therapeutic gene system is appraising for ovarian cancer.