Integration of scRNA and bulk RNA-sequence to construct the 5-gene molecular prognostic model based on the heterogeneity of thyroid carcinoma endothelial cell.

Thyroid cancer (TC) is a kind of cancer with high heterogeneity, which leads to significant difference in prognosis. The prognostic molecular processes are not well understood. Cancer cells and tumor microenvironment (TME) cells jointly determine the heterogeneity. However, quite a little attention was paid to cells in the TME in the past years. In this study, we not only reveal that endothelial cells (ECs) are strongly associated with the progress of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) using single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) data downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and WGCNA, but also screen 5 crucial genes of ECs: CLDN5, ABCG2, NOTCH4, PLAT, and TMEM47. Furthermore, the 5-gene molecular prognostic model is constructed, which can predict how well a patient will do on PD-L1 blockade immunotherapy for TC and evaluate prognosis. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis demonstrates that PLAT is decreased in TC and the increase of PLAT can restrain the migratory capacity of TC cells. Meanwhile, in TC cells, PLAT suppresses VEGFa/VEGFR2-mediated human umbilical vascular endothelial cell (HUVEC) proliferation and tube formation. Totally, we construct the 5-gene molecular prognostic model from the perspective of EC and provide a new idea for immunotherapy of TC.

Proteomics Analysis of Polyphyllin D-Treated Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells Reveal the Anticancer Mechanisms of Polyphyllin D.

Polyphyllin D (PD), one of the important steroid saponins in traditional medicinal herb Paris polyphylla, has been demonstrated to have anticancer activity both in vitro and in vivo. However, the mechanisms through which PD exerts its anticancer effects in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remain unclear. Our study was presented to evaluate the anticancer effect and the potential mechanisms of PD in two TNBC cell lines, BT-549 and MDA-MB-231. Through comprehensively comparing the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) data of PD-treated and untreated BT-549 and MDA-MB-231 cells, we found that PD could induce apoptosis of TNBC cells by activating oxidative phosphorylation pathway in BT-549 cells, as well as inhibiting spliceosome function alteration in MDA-MB-231 cells. These results suggested that the mechanisms underlying the pro-apoptotic effect of PD on TNBC may be cell type-specificity-dependent. Moreover, we found that nodal modulator 2/3 (NOMO2/3) were downregulated both in PD-treated BT-549 and MDA-MB-231 cells, suggesting that NOMO2/3 may be the potential target of PD. Verification experiments revealed that PD deceased NOMO2/3 expression at protein level, rather than mRNA level. Whether NOMO2/3 are the upstream modulators of oxidative phosphorylation pathway and spliceosome needs further validation. In conclusion, a comprehensive proteomics study was performed on PD-treated or untreated TNBC cells, revealing the anticancer mechanisms of PD.

Circular forms of dedicator of cytokinesis 1 promotes breast cancer progression by derepressing never in mitosis related kinase 2 via sponging miR-128-3p.

The conjecture of breast cancer is uncertain because of its explosive growth and the complicated molecular mechanisms. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are regulatory RNA sequences present in the genome and their regulatory mechanism involves the sponging of microRNAs (miRNAs). In this study, we explored the regulation between circular forms of dedicator of cytokinesis 1 (circDOCK1) (hsa_circ_0007142) and miR-128-3p, and its implication on the pathogenesis of breast cancer modulated by never in mitosis (NIMA) related kinase 2 (NEK2). We revealed an increase in circDOCK1 and NEK2 expression, and a decrease in miR-128-3p expression in breast cancer tissues and cell lines. Bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation indicated a positive correlation between circDOCK1 and NEK2 expression but a negative correlation was recorded between miR-128-3p and circDOCK1 or NEK2, respectively. Furthermore, inhibition of circDOCK1 expression was followed by an increase in miR-128-3p and a decrease in NEK2 levels in vitro and in vivo. The luciferase assay concluded that miR-128-3p was a direct target of circDOCK1 while NEK2 was the direct target of miR-128-3p. Furthermore, circDOCK1 inhibition hindered breast cancer development by repressing NEK2 and thus promoting the increased expression of miR-128-3p both in vitro and in vivo. We therefore conclude that circDOCK1 promotes breast cancer progression by targeting miR-128-3p-mediated downregulation of NEK2 and that the circDOCK1/hsa-miR-128-3p/NEK2 axis may be a novel therapeutic target for breast cancer treatment.

Docetaxel-resistant triple-negative breast cancer cell-derived exosomal lncRNA LINC00667 reduces the chemosensitivity of breast cancer cells to docetaxel via targeting miR-200b-3p/Bcl-2 axis.

Development of docetaxel (TXT) resistance is a major obstacle for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) treatment. Additionally, chemoresistant cell-derived exosomes were able to change the chemo-response of chemosensitive recipient cells via transportation of lncRNAs. It has been shown that lncRNA LINC00667 level was significantly elevated in breast cancer tissues. Therefore, we explored whether LINC00667 level is increased in TXT-resistant TNBC cell-derived exosomes. In addition, whether exosomal LINC00667 derived from TXT-resistant TNBC cell could affect TXT sensitivity in TXT-sensitive TNBC cells was investigated as well. In the present study, exosomes were isolated from the TXT-resistant TNBC cells and from TXT-sensitive TNBC cells. Next, the level of LINC00667 in the isolated exosomes was detected with RT-qPCR. We found that LINC00667 expression was obviously elevated in TXT-resistant TNBC cell-derived exosomes compared to that in TXT-sensitive TNBC cell-derived exosomes. In addition, LINC00667 could be transferred from TXT-resistant TNBC cells to TNBC cells via exosomes. Moreover, TXT-resistant TNBC cell secreted exosomal LINC00667 markedly reduced the sensitivity of TNBC cells to TXT via upregulation of Bcl-2. Meanwhile, downregulation of LINC00667 notably enhanced the sensitivity of TXT-resistant TNBC cells to TXT through downregulation of Bcl-2. Additionally, LINC00667 was considered to be a ceRNA to sponge miR-200b-3p, thereby elevating Bcl-2 expression. Collectively, TXT-resistant TNBC cell-derived exosomal LINC00667 could decrease the chemosensitivity of TNBC cells to TXT via regulating miR-200b-3p/Bcl-2 axis. These findings suggested that LINC00667 might serve as a promising target for enhancing sensitivity of TNBC cells to TXT therapy.

Hypoxia induces docetaxel resistance in triple-negative breast cancer via the HIF-1α/miR-494/Survivin signaling pathway.

Cytotoxic chemotherapy is the major strategy to prevent and reduce triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) progression and metastasis. Hypoxia increases chemoresistance and is associated with a poor prognosis for patients with cancer. Based on accumulating evidence, microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in acquired drug resistance. However, the role of miRNAs in hypoxia-induced TNBC drug resistance remains to be clarified. Here, we found that hypoxia induced TNBC docetaxel resistance by decreasing the miR-494 level. Modulating miR-494 expression altered the sensitivity of TNBC cells to DTX under hypoxic conditions. Furthermore, we identified Survivin as a direct miR-494 target. Hypoxia upregulated survivin expression. In a clinical study, the HIF-1α/miR-494/Survivin signaling pathway was also active in primary human TNBC, and miR-494 expression negatively correlated with HIF-1α and survivin expression. Finally, in a xenograft model, both miR-494 overexpression and the HIF-1α inhibitor PX-478 increased the sensitivity of TNBC to DTX by suppressing the HIF-1α/miR-494/Survivin signaling pathway in vivo. In conclusion, treatments targeting the HIF-1α/miR-494/Survivin signaling pathway potentially reverse hypoxia-induced drug resistance in TNBC.

Jumonji-C domain-containing protein 5 suppresses proliferation and aerobic glycolysis in pancreatic cancer cells in a c-Myc-dependent manner.

Despite the importance of metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells, the molecular mechanism regulating the tumor metabolic shift is still poorly understood. Deregulation of Jumonji-C domain-containing protein 5 (JMJD5) has been associated with multiple facets of biological processes in cancer cells. However, the role of JMJD5 in pancreatic cancer cells has seldom been discussed and requires further investigation. In the present study, by silencing or overexpressing JMJD5 in pancreatic cancer cells, we examined the impact of JMJD5 on cell proliferation and glucose metabolism. Using a dual luciferase assay, we assessed the effect of JMJD5 on the transcriptional activity of the c-Myc target gene. Analyzing The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Gene Expression Omnibus datasets revealed that low JMJD5 expression was associated with poor prognosis in patients with pancreatic cancer. JMJD5 loss promoted pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and induced a cellular metabolic shift from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis. In addition, in vivo experiments confirmed that ectopic JMJD5 expression inhibited cancer cell growth and the expression of glycolytic enzymes, such as lactate dehydrogenase and phosphoglycerate kinase 1. Moreover, JMJD5 negatively regulated c-Myc expression, the main regulator of cancer metabolism, leading to decreased c-Myc-targeted gene expression. Overall, the present study indicated that decreased JMJD5 expression promoted cell proliferation and glycolytic metabolism in pancreatic cancer cells in a c-Myc-dependent manner.

Polyphyllin D induces apoptosis and protective autophagy in breast cancer cells through JNK1-Bcl-2 pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Polyphyllin D (PD), an active component from rhizome of Paris polyphylla Sm, root and rhizome, shows a strong anti-cancer activity in several cancers. However, whether autophagy is involved in PD-induced cell death in breast cancer cells and its molecular mechanism has not yet been elucidated. AIM OF THE STUDY: To explore the anti-tumor effects of PD in breast cancer and the underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PD was isolated from P. polyphylla Sm and confirmed by HPLC and NMR. The role of PD in cell viability, apoptosis, autophagy in breast cancer cells were determined. RESULTS: PD shows significant anti-tumor activity by inhibit cell proliferation and induce caspase-dependent apoptosis in breast cancer cells. Moreover, PD treatment could induce autophagy by activation of JNK1/Bcl-2 pathway. Importantly, blocking of autophagy by using autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) dramatically increase PD-induced apoptosis as evidence by the increased percentage of apoptotic cell death. The anti-tumor effects of PD also investigated in vivo. The results showed that the combinatory treatment of PD with autophagy inhibitor significantly promote PD-induced apoptosis. CONCLUSION: PD could induce caspase-dependent apoptosis and cyto-protectvie autophagy by activation of JNK1/Bcl-2 pathway in breast cancer cells. Combination with an autophagy inhibitor significantly enhance cytotoxic effect of PD and this combination may be a promising candidate for breast cancer therapy.

Downregulation of PDGF-D Inhibits Proliferation and Invasion in Breast Cancer MDA-MB-231 Cells.

BACKGROUND: The platelet derived growth factor-D (PDGF-D) plays an important role in breast tumor aggressiveness. However, limited study has investigated the effect of silencing PDGF-D on the biological function of breast cancer. The purpose of this study is to clarify the potential value of PDGF-D as a target for breast cancer treatment. METHODS: Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blot were used to detect PDGF-D expression in 5 different breast cancer cells. The lentiviral vector was usd to silence PDGF-D in MDA-MB-231 cells. Then, Methyl Thiazolyl Tetrazolium was used to detect cell viability, 5-Ethynyl-2'- deoxyuridine and a soft agar assay were used to detect cell proliferation and clonality. Additionally, cell apoptosis after PDGF-D knockdown was measured by Annexin V/ Prodium Iodide staining, and cell migration was detected by trans-well assay. Survival rate and tumor size were measured by nude mice transplantation. RESULTS: The MDA-MB-231 and SK-BR-3 cell lines showed higher PDGF-D expression than the MCF7 cell lines (P<.05). After the PDGF-D gene was silenced, the growth and colony forming abilitys ignificantly decreased (P<.05) together with the induction of apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells (P<.05). Moreover, MDA-MB-231 cells with PDGF-D silencing showed significantly diminished aggressive migration and invasion potential compared to other cells (P<.05). In vivo experiments also indicated that PDGF-D silencing inhibited tumor growth and improved the survival rate of tumor-bearing mice. CONCLUSION: Downregulation of PDGF-D had dramatic effects on breast cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration, which indicates that it plays an important role in breast cancer development and progression.

Astragalus IV Undermines Multi-Drug Resistance and Glycolysis of MDA-MB-231/ADR Cell Line by Depressing hsa_circ_0001982-miR-206/miR-613 Axis.

BACKGROUND: Allowing for the power of astragalus in improving cancer patients' response to chemotherapy, we endeavored to clarify if hsa_circ_0001982-centered miRNA axes participated in the impact of astragaloside IV on multi-drug resistance (MDR) of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). METHODS: TNBC patients were recruited into an Astragalus detoxification decoction (ADD) treatment group (N=62) and a non-ADD treatment group (N=78), according to whether they consumed ADD after chemotherapy or not. Furthermore, drug resistance of the MDA-MB-231/ADR cell line in response to gemcitabine (GEM), adriamycin (ADM), oxaliplatin (OXA), and cisplatin (DDP) was evaluated, and glycolytic potential of MDA-MB-231/ADR cells was determined after astragaloside IV treatment or si-hsa_circ_0001982/miR-206 inhibitor/miR-613 inhibitor transfection. RESULTS: TNBC patients receiving ADD adjuvant therapy after chemotherapy, with decreased serum level of hsa_circ_0001982 and increased serum level of miR-206/miR-613 as relative to non-ADD treatment group (P<0.05), were less likely to relapse than TNBC population not undergoing ADD treatment (P<0.05). In addition, GEM/ADM/OXA/DDP-resistance and glycolysis of MDA-MB-231/ADR cell line were debilitated after exposure to astragaloside IV or transfection by si-hsa_circ_0001982 (P<0.05). Nonetheless, miR-206/miR-613 inhibitor transfection reversed inhibitory effects of si-hsa_circ_0001982 and astragaloside IV on glycolysis and MDR of MDA-MB-231/ADR cell line (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Astragaloside IV undermined MDR and glycolysis of MDA-MB-231/ADR cell line by blocking hsa_circ_0001982-miR-206/miR-613 axis.

DCAF13 promotes triple-negative breast cancer metastasis by mediating DTX3 mRNA degradation.

DCAF13 is firstly identified as a substrate receptor of CUL4-DDB1 E3 ligase complex. This study disclosed that DCAF13 acted as a novel RNA binding protein (RBP) that contributed to triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) metastasis. Clinical data obtained from TCGA and our collection showed that DCAF13 was closely correlated with poor clinicopathological characteristics and overall survival, which indicated DCAF13 may serve as a diagnostic marker for TNBC metastasis. Functionally, DCAF13 overexpression or suppression was sufficient to enhance or decrease breast cancer cell migration and invasion. Mechanistically, DCAF13 functioned as an RBP by binding with the AU-rich element (ARE) of DTX3 mRNA 3'UTR to accelerate its degradation. Moreover, we identified that DTX3 promoted the ubiquitination and degradation of NOTCH4. Finally, increased DCAF13 expression led to post-transcriptional decay of DTX3 mRNA and consequently activated of NOTCH4 signaling pathway in TNBC. In conclusion, these results identified that DCAF13 as a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for TNBC treatment. Abbreviation: DCAF13: DDB1 and CUL4-associated factor 13; DDB1: DNA-binding protein 1; CUL4: Cullin 4; CRL4, Cullin-ring finger ligase 4; RBP: RNA binding protein; TNBC: triple-negative breast cancer; ARE: AU-rich element; DTX3: Deltex E3 ubiquitin ligase 3; HER2: human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; ER: estrogen receptor; PR: progesterone receptor; PTEN: phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10; EMT: epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

circFAT1(e2) Promotes Papillary Thyroid Cancer Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion via the miRNA-873/ZEB1 Axis.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play an extremely important regulatory role in the occurrence and development of various malignant tumors including papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). circFAT1(e2) is a new type of circRNA derived from exon 2 of the FAT1 gene, which is distributed in the cytoplasm and nucleus of PTC cells. However, so far, the role of circFAT1(e2) in PTC is still unclear. In this study, circFAT1(e2) was found to be highly expressed in PTC cell lines and tissues. circFAT1(e2) knockdown suppressed PTC cell growth, migration, and invasion. Also, circFAT1(e2) acted as a sponge for potential microRNAs (miRNAs) to modulate cancer progression. A potential miRNA target was discovered to be miR-873 which was targeted by circFAT1(e2) in PTC. The dual-luciferase assay conducted later also confirmed that there was indeed a direct interaction between circFAT1(e2) and miR-873. This study also confirmed that circFAT1(e2) inhibited the miR-873 expression and thus promoted the ZEB1 expression, thus affecting the proliferation, metastasis, and invasion of PTC cells. In conclusion, the results of this study indicated that circFAT1(e2) played a carcinogenic role by targeting the miR-873/ZEB1 axis to promote PTC invasion and metastasis, which might become a potential novel target for therapy of PTC.

Hypermethylation of lncRNA MEG3 impairs chemosensitivity of breast cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Chemoresistance posed a barrier to successful treatment of breast cancer (BC), and lncRNA MEG3 has been documented to implicate in BC development. However, whether MEG3 methylation, which led to low MEG3 expression, was relevant to BC progression and chemoresistance remained uncertain. METHODS: In the aggregate, 374 pairs of tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues were collected from pathologically confirmed BC patients, and four BC cell lines, including MDA-MB-231, Bcap-37, MCF-7, and SK-BR-3, were purchased. Moreover, methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was adopted to evaluate the methylation status of BC tissues and cell lines, and chemo-tolerance of BC cell lines was assessed by performing MTT assay. Concurrently, transwell assay and scratch assay were carried out to estimate the migratory and invasive capability of BC cell lines. RESULTS: Methylated MEG3, lowly expressed MEG3, large tumor size (≥2 cm), advanced TNM grade and lymphatic metastasis were potentially symbolic of poor prognosis among BC patients (P < .05). Besides, MDA-MB-231 cell line exhibited the strongest resistance against paclitaxel, adriamycin, and vinorelbine (P < .05), while MCF-7 cell line seemed more sensitive against these drugs than any other BC cell line (P < .05). Furthermore, pcDNA3.1-MEG3 and 5-Aza-dC markedly sensitized MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cell lines against the drug treatments (P < .05). Simultaneously, proliferation and metastasis of the BC cell lines were slowed down under the force of pcDNA3.1-MEG3 and 5-Aza-dC (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Preventing methylation of MEG3 might matter in lessening BC chemoresistance, owing to its hindering proliferation and metastasis of BC cells.

Survival of pancreatic cancer patients is negatively correlated with age at diagnosis: a population-based retrospective study.

In this population-based retrospective study, we aimed to investigate the association between age at diagnosis and prognosis of pancreatic cancer (PC) patients using data from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and the End Results database. Different factors for stratification, like race, sex, year of diagnosis, pathological grade, American Joint Committee on Cancer stage, historic stage, and tumour location, were included to compare the survival rates of patients of different age groups, and the five-year survival rate was calculated. Multivariate analysis using Cox regression was performed to control for confounder bias, and the hazard ratio was calculated. In total, 126,066 patients were enrolled in this study. The five-year PC-specific survival of patients aged 20-40 years was almost three times that of patients aged >40 years. Stratified by race, sex, year of diagnosis, pathological grade, clinical stage, and tumour location, a descending trend of survival was observed with an increase in age. On multivariate analysis, the mortality risk of PC patients aged 40-80 years was twice that of patients aged <40 years; however, patients aged >80 years had a mortality risk three times that of patients aged <40 years. The survival rate of PC patients has improved in the last few decades. Age at diagnosis is a significant and negative prognostic factor for PC, and patients diagnosed at a relatively earlier stage had the best survival.

Circular RNA hsa_circ_0061825 (circ-TFF1) contributes to breast cancer progression through targeting miR-326/TFF1 signalling.

OBJECTIVES: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are RNA transcripts that belong to non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), whose implication in human cancers has been recently demonstrated. However, the specific role of multiple circRNAs in breast cancer remains unidentified. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Microarray analysis and bioinformatics analysis were applied to select circRNA and miRNA, respectively. The loop structure of circ-TFF1 was confirmed using RNase R treatment, divergent primer PCR and Sanger sequencing. qRT-PCR and Western blot were employed for gene expressions. In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to assess the function of circ-TFF1 in biological processes in breast cancer cells. FISH and subcellular separation indicated circ-TFF1 cellular distribution. Luciferase reporter and RIP assays and Pearson's correlation analysis were performed to evaluate relationships between genes. RESULTS: Circ-TFF1 and TFF1 were both upregulated and positively associated with each other in breast cancer. Knockdown of circ-TFF1 hindered breast cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT in vitro and controlled tumour growth in vivo. Circ-TFF1 acted as a ceRNA of TFF1 by sponging miR-326, and its contribution to breast cancer progression was mediated by miR-326/TFF1 axis. CONCLUSIONS: Circ-TFF1 is a facilitator in breast cancer relying on TFF1 by absorbing miR-326, providing a novel promising target for BC treatment.

Cross-talk among AFAP1-AS1, ACVR1 and microRNA-384 regulates the stemness of pancreatic cancer cells and tumorigenicity in nude mice.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer (PC) represents one of the most aggressive forms of cancer. The role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been highlighted in various malignancies including PC. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects associated with actin filament-associated protein 1 antisense RNA 1 (AFAP1-AS1) on the progression of PC and the underlying mechanism. METHODS: Microarray-based gene expression profiling of PC was performed to identify PC-related lncRNAs, after which the expression of AFAP1-AS1 and cancer stem cell (CSC) markers in PC tissues and cells were determined accordingly. The potential microRNA-384 (miR-384) capable of binding to AFAP1-AS1, in addition to its ability to regulate activin receptor A type I (ACVR1) were analyzed. In order to investigate the effect of the AFAP1-AS1/miR-384/ACVR1 axis on self-renewal ability, tumorigenicity, invasion, migration and stemness of PC cells, shRNA-AFAP1-AS1, miR-384 mimic and inhibitor were cloned into cells. RESULTS: High expression of AFAP1-AS1 and ACVR1 with low expression of miR-384 were detected in PC tissues. ACVR1 was determined to be down-regulated when miR-384 was overexpressed, while the inhibition of AFAP1-AS1 decreased its ability to binding competitively to miR-384, resulting in the down-regulation of ACVR1 and enhancing miR-384 expression, ultimately inhibiting the progression of PC. The knockdown of AFAP1-AS1 or overexpression of miR-384 was confirmed to impair PC cell self-renewal ability, tumorigenicity, invasion, migration and stemness. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, AFAP1-AS1 functions as an endogenous RNA by competitively binding to miR-384 to regulate ACVR1, thus conferring inhibitory effects on PC cell stemness and tumorigenicity.

Total flavonoid aglycones extract in Radix Scutellariae induces cross-regulation between autophagy and apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Radix Scutellariae (RS), the dried root of Scutellariae baicalensis Georgi, known as a herbal medicine in several Asian countries including China, has been widely used to treat inflammation, hypertension, cardiovascular disease as well as cancer. The total flavonoid aglycone extracted (TFAE) was extracted by ethyl acetate and this extraction methodology was optimized and obtained the protection of Chinese patents. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the underlying mechanism of the chemotherapeutic effects of TFAE in inducing autophagy and apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed CCK8 assays, AnnexinV-FITC/PI staining, flow cytometry assays, transmission electron microscopy, immunofluorescence analysis and Western blot to study the molecular mechanism of TFAE in inducing autophagy and apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: In vitro, TFAE exhibits significant anti-tumor activity against pancreatic cancer cell lines, especially for BxPC3 (IC50 = 6.5 µg mL-1). Moreover, TFAE induces apoptosis and autophagy as evidenced by the increased apoptosis or autophagy-related protein level, the increased the fraction of apoptotic cells and the punctuate patterns of LC3 II. Furthermore, TFAE induce autophagy through PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibition. Interestingly, pharmacological block autophagy by 3-MA enhanced TFAE-induced apoptosis, indicating that TFAE induced autophagy functions as a cytoprotective process against apoptosis. In vivo, 150 mg/kg TFAE inhibited the BxPC3 tumor growth in immune deficient mice with the inhibitory rate of 66.87% and induced both apoptosis and autophagy. CONCLUSION: TFAE have anti-tumor activity against pancreatic cancer and can induce apoptosis and autophagy through PI3K/Akt/mTOR signal pathway. TFAE might be a potential anticancer drug to be further developed for human pancreatic cancer therapy.

The association between preoperative serum interleukin-6 levels and postoperative prognosis in patients with T2 gallbladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is closely associated with tumor progression. Whether it can predict postoperative prognosis of patients with T2 gallbladder cancer (GBC) remains controversial. METHODS: We retrospectively collected the medical records of 125 patients with T2 GBC. Then, we analyzed the association between preoperative serum IL-6 levels and postoperative survival by multivariate Cox analyses and Kaplan-Meier curves in exploratory subgroups. RESULTS: Predictive effects of serum IL-6 levels on overall survival were similar across most of the evaluated subgroups, except in different tumor location subgroups. The independent odds ratio (OR) of serum IL-6 levels was 2.57 (95%CI 1.73-3.82) in the hepatic side subgroup, while it was 1.15 (95%CI 0.68-1.93) in the peritoneal side subgroup (P = 0.014 for interaction). When we categorized serum IL-6 levels by median value (4.2 pg/mL), the 5-year survival rate of patients with high serum IL-6 levels was significantly higher in the hepatic side subgroup (58.5% vs 14.8%, P < 0.001), but no such difference was found in the peritoneal side subgroup (62.2% vs 67.6%, P = 0.722). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative serum IL-6 is significantly associated with prognostic implications in patients with hepatic side T2 GBC, not in those with peritoneal side tumors.

Proteasome inhibitor MG132 induces thyroid cancer cell apoptosis by modulating the activity of transcription factor FOXO3a.

Proteasome inhibitors are promising antitumor drugs with preferable cytotoxicity in malignant cells and have exhibited clinical efficiency in several hematologic malignancies. P53-dependent apoptosis has been reported to be a major mechanism underlying. However, apoptosis can also be found in cancer cells with mutant-type p53, suggesting the involvement of p53-independent mechanism. Tumor suppressor forkhead Box O3 is another substrate of proteasomal degradation, which also functions partially through inducing apoptosis. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of proteasome inhibition on the expression and activity of forkhead Box O3 in thyroid cancer cells. Using flow cytometry, western blot, immunofluorescence staining and quantitative RT-PCR assays, we assessed proteasome inhibitor MG132-induced apoptosis in thyroid cancer cells and its effect on the expression and activity of forkhead Box O3. The resulted showed that MG132 induced significant apoptosis, and caused the accumulation of p53 protein in both p53 wild-type and mutant-type thyroid cancer cell lines, whereas the proapoptotic targets of p53 were transcriptionally upregulated only in the p53 wild-type cells. Strikingly, upon MG132 administration, the accumulation and nuclear translocation of transcription factor forkhead Box O3 as well as transcriptional upregulation of its proapoptotic target genes were found in thyroid cancer cells regardless of p53 status. Cell apoptosis was enhanced by ectopic overexpression while attenuated by silencing of forkhead Box O3. Altogether, we demonstrated that proteasome inhibitor MG132 induces thyroid cancer cell apoptosis at least partially through modulating forkhead Box O3 activity.

Site-specific Hypermethylation of RUNX3 Predicts Poor Prognosis in Gastric Cancer.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Methylation status of RUNX3 remains largely unknown in gastric cancer (GC). The aim of this study was to prognostically evaluate the methylation level of CpG sites within RUNX3 promoter region in GC. METHODS: Using pyrosequencing, we quantitatively explored the methylation status of 8 CpG sites within RUNX3 promoter region for 76 gastric cancer and 24 normal gastric tissues. We then analyzed the association between methylation level of each CpG site and clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes in the cohort. RESULTS: Methylation of RUNX3 promoter was significantly higher in GC than normal subjects. Overall methylation level was closely associated with tumor invasion and TNM stage. Positive associations were found between hypermethylation of the following concerned sites and variables: site -1392, -1397, -1403, -1415 and tumor invasion, as well as TNM stage; site -1392 and lymph node metastasis along with number of lymph node metastases; site -1415 and cancer recurrence; site -1403, -1415 and cancer-related deaths. In multivariate analysis, tumor invasion was correlated with sites -1392 and -1397. Lymph node metastasis was associated with site -1392. Most importantly, methylation of site -1415 was associated with poor survival by using Cox survival regression. CONCLUSION: Analysis of RUNX3 gene promoter by quantitative pyrosequencing suggested methylation status of RUNX3 is different in normal and tumor tissues. RUNX3 methylation level is associated with GC, especially the methylation at site -1415 contributes to the poor prognosis in GC. Thus, RUNX3 methylation may serve as a valuable diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in GC.