HNRNPC mediates lymphatic metastasis of cervical cancer through m6A-dependent alternative splicing of FOXM1.

Cervical cancer (CCa) patients with lymph node (LN) metastasis face poor prognoses and have limited treatment options. Aberrant N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification of RNAs are known to promote tumor metastasis, but their role in CCa remains unclear. Our study reveals that HNRNPC, an alternative splicing (AS) factor and m6A reader, increases tumor-related variants through m6A-dependent manner, thereby promoting lymphatic metastasis in CCa. We found that HNRNPC overexpression correlates with lymphatic metastasis and poorer prognoses in CCa patients. Functionally, knocking down HNRNPC markedly inhibited the migration and invasion of several CCa cell lines, while supplementing HNRNPC restored the malignant phenotypes of these cells. Mechanistically, HNRNPC regulates exon skipping of FOXM1 by binding to its m6A-modified motif. Mutating the m6A site on FOXM1 weakened the interaction between HNRNPC and FOXM1 pre-RNA, leading to a reduction in the metastasis-related FOXM1-S variant. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that m6A-dependent alternative splicing mediated by HNRNPC is essential for lymphatic metastasis in CCa, potentially providing novel clinical markers and therapeutic strategies for patients with advanced CCa.

Predicting tall-cell subtype of papillary thyroid carcinomas independently with preoperative multimodal ultrasound.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the differences between tall-cell subtype of papillary thyroid carcinoma (TCPTC) and classical papillary thyroid carcinoma (cPTC) using multimodal ultrasound, and identify independent risk factors for TCPTC to compensate the deficiency of preoperative cytological and molecular diagnosis on PTC subtypes. METHODS: Forty-six TCPTC patients and 92 cPTC patients were included. Each patient received grey-scale ultrasound, colour Dopplor flow imaging (CDFI) and shear-wave elastography (SWE) preoperatively. Clinicopathologic information, grey-scale ultrasound features, CDFI features and SWE features of 98 lesions were compared using univariate analysis to find out predictors of TCPTC, based on which, a predictive model was built to differentiate TCPTC from cPTC and validated with 40 patients. RESULTS: Univariate and multivariate analyses identified that extra-thyroidal extension (odds ratio [OR], 15.12; 95% CI, 2.26-115.44), aspect ratio (≥0.91) (OR, 29.34; 95% CI, 1.29-26.23), and maximum diameter ≥14.6 mm (OR, 20.79; 95% CI, 3.87-111.47) were the independent risk factors for TCPTC. Logistic regression equation: P = 1/1+ExpΣ[-5.099 + 3.004 × (if size ≥14.6 mm) + 2.957 × (if aspect ratio ≥ 0.91) + 2.819 × (if extra-thyroidal extension). The prediction model had a good discrimination performance for TCPTC: the area under the receiver-operator-characteristic curve, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.928, 0.848, and 0.954 in cohort 1, and the corresponding values in cohort 2 were 0.943, 0.923, and 0.926, respectively. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound has the potential for differential diagnosis of TCPTC from cPTC. A prediction model based on ultrasound characteristics (extra-thyroidal extension, aspect ratio ≥0.91, and maximum diameter ≥14.6 mm) was useful in predicting TCPTC. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: Multimodal ultrasound prediction of TCPTC was a supplement to preoperative cytological diagnosis and molecular diagnosis of PTC subtypes.

Ganoderma lucidum-Derived Meroterpenoids Show Anti-Inflammatory Activity In Vitro.

Ganoderma lucidum, known as the "herb of spiritual potency", is used for the treatment and prevention of various diseases, but the responsible constituents for its therapeutic effects are largely unknown. For the purpose of obtaining insight into the chemical and biological profiling of meroterpenoids in G. lucidum, various chromatographic approaches were utilized for the title fungus. As a result, six undescribed meroterpenoids, chizhienes A-F (1-6), containing two pairs of enantiomers (4 and 5), were isolated. Their structures were identified using spectroscopic and computational methods. In addition, the anti-inflammatory activities of all the isolates were evaluated by Western blot analysis in LPS-induced macrophage cells (RAW264.7), showing that 1 and 3 could dose dependently inhibit iNOS but not COX-2 expression. Further, 1 and 3 were found to inhibit nitric oxide (NO) production using the Greiss reagent test. The current study will aid in enriching the structural and biological diversity of Ganoderma-derived meroterpenoids.

A multiparametric clinic-ultrasomics nomogram for predicting extremity soft-tissue tumor malignancy: a combined retrospective and prospective bicentric study.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed at building and testing a multiparametric clinic-ultrasomics nomogram for prediction of malignant extremity soft-tissue tumors (ESTTs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This combined retrospective and prospective bicentric study assessed the performance of the multiparametric clinic-ultrasomics nomogram to predict the malignancy of ESTTs, when compared with a conventional clinic-radiologic nomogram. A dataset of grayscale ultrasound (US), color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI), and elastography images for 209 ESTTs were retrospectively enrolled from one hospital, and divided into the training and validation cohorts. A multiparametric ultrasomics signature was built based on multimodal ultrasomic features extracted from the grayscale US, CDFI, and elastography images of ESTTs in the training cohort. Another conventional radiologic score was built based on multimodal US features as interpreted by two experienced radiologists. Two nomograms that integrated clinical risk factors and the multiparameter ultrasomics signature or conventional radiologic score were respectively developed. Performance of the two nomograms was validated in the retrospective validation cohort, and tested in a prospective dataset of 51 ESTTs from the second hospital. RESULTS: The multiparametric ultrasomics signature was built based on seven grayscale ultrasomic features, three CDFI ultrasomic features, and one elastography ultrasomic feature. The conventional radiologic score was built based on five multimodal US characteristics. Predictive performance of the multiparametric clinic-ultrasomics nomogram was superior to that of the conventional clinic-radiologic nomogram in the training (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] 0.970 vs. 0.890, p = 0.006), validation (AUC: 0.946 vs. 0.828, p = 0.047) and test (AUC: 0.934 vs. 0.842, p = 0.040) cohorts, respectively. Decision curve analysis of combined training, validation and test cohorts revealed that the multiparametric clinic-ultrasomics nomogram had a higher overall net benefit than the conventional clinic-radiologic model. CONCLUSION: The multiparametric clinic-ultrasomics nomogram can accurately predict the malignancy of ESTTs.

Predicting malignancy in thyroid nodules based on conventional ultrasound and elastography: the value of predictive models in a multi-center study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to establish predictive models based on features of Conventional Ultrasound (CUS) and elastography in a multi-center study to determine appropriate preoperative diagnosis of malignancy in thyroid nodules with different risk stratification based on 2017 Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System by the American College of Radiology (ACR TI-RADS) guidelines. METHODS: Five hundred forty-eight thyroid nodules from three centers pathologically confirmed by the cytology or histology were retrospectively enrolled in the study, which were examined by CUS and elastography before fine needle aspiration (FNA) and surgery. Characteristics of CUS of thyroid nodules were reviewed according to 2017 ACR TI-RADS. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to develop the prediction models based on the different risk stratification of CUS features and elastography which were statistically significant. Values of predictive models were evaluated regarding the discrimination and calibration. RESULTS: Binary logistic regression showed that patients' age, taller-than-wider, lobulated or irregular boundary, extra-thyroid extension, microcalcification and the elastic parameter of Virtual touch tissue imaging quantification (VTIQ) max were independent predictors for thyroid malignancy (p < 0.05) in the ACR model and showed the area under the curve (AUC) in training (0.912) and validation cohort (internal and external: 0.877 vs 0.935). Predictive models showed predictors in ACR TR4 and TR5 for malignancy and diagnostic performance of AUC in training, internal and external validation cohort respectively: the VTIQ max (p < 0.001) with AUC of 0.809 vs 0.842 vs 0.705 and the age, taller than wide, VTIQ max variables with AUC of 0.859 vs 0.830 vs 0.906 in validation cohort. All predictive models have better calibration capabilities (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Predictive models combined CUS and elastography features would aid clinicians to make appropriate preoperative diagnosis of thyroid nodules among different risk stratification. The elastography parameter of VTIQ max has the priority in distinguishing thyroid malignancy with moderately suspicious (ACR TR4).

Added value of shear-wave elastography in the prediction of extracapsular extension and seminal vesicle invasion before radical prostatectomy.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the value of transrectal shear-wave elastography (SWE) in combination with multivariable tools for predicting adverse pathological features before radical prostatectomy (RP). Preoperative clinicopathological variables, multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mp-MRI) manifestations, and the maximum elastic value of the prostate (Emax) on SWE were retrospectively collected. The accuracy of SWE for predicting adverse pathological features was evaluated based on postoperative pathology, and parameters with statistical significance were selected. The diagnostic performance of various models, including preoperative clinicopathological variables (model 1), preoperative clinicopathological variables + mp-MRI (model 2), and preoperative clinicopathological variables + mp-MRI + SWE (model 3), was evaluated with area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) analysis. Emax was significantly higher in prostate cancer with extracapsular extension (ECE) or seminal vesicle invasion (SVI) with both P < 0.001. The optimal cutoff Emax values for ECE and SVI were 60.45 kPa and 81.55 kPa, respectively. Inclusion of mp-MRI and SWE improved discrimination by clinical models for ECE (model 2 vs model 1, P = 0.031; model 3 vs model 1, P = 0.002; model 3 vs model 2, P = 0.018) and SVI (model 2 vs model 1, P = 0.147; model 3 vs model 1, P = 0.037; model 3 vs model 2, P = 0.134). SWE is valuable for identifying patients at high risk of adverse pathology.

Knockdown of tankyrase 1 inhibits the progression of gastric adenocarcinoma via regulating human telomerase reverse transcriptase and telomeric repeat binding factor 1.

Background: Gastric cancer is one of the most lethal cancers. Aberrant expression levels of genes are frequently associated with cell immortalization and the occurrence of tumors. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of tankyrase 1 (TANK1) in gastric adenocarcinoma and clarify the underlying mechanism. Methods: The messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of TANK1, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (h-TERT), and telomeric repeat binding factor 1 (TRF1) in clinical specimens and SGC-7901 cells were measured via real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays were utilized to observe the cell apoptosis as well as Ki67 and h-TERT expression in tumor-bearing models. The effects of TANK1 antisense oligonucleotides (TANK1 ASODN) on viability and apoptosis of SGC 7901 cells were evaluated by cell counting kit-8 and flow cytometry analysis. Results: We found that TANK1 and h-TERT were both increased in gastric adenocarcinoma, while TRF1 was decreased. Tumor-bearing models demonstrated that TANK1 ASODN appeared to be effective in inhibiting tumor growth and decreasing the expression of h-TERT. Additionally, TANK1 ASODN inhibited the viability and promoted apoptosis of SGC-7901 cells. Moreover, the mRNA levels of h-TERT and TRF1 were modulated by TANK1 ASODN. Conclusions: This study revealed that TANK1 ASODN inhibits the proliferation and induced the apoptosis of gastric adenocarcinoma cells via manipulating the expression levels of h-TERT and TRF1.

miR-149 contributes to resistance of 5-FU in gastric cancer via targeting TREM2 and regulating ß-catenin pathway.

Drug resistance remains the unresolved obstacle for gastric cancer (GC) treatment. Recently more and more studies have shown that microRNAs are involved in cancer resistance and could apply to drug resistance therapy in tumors. The relationship between miR-149 and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) resistance in GC remains unclear. Here we detected miR-149 expression in 5-FU resistance tumor tissues and cell lines, and found that miR-149 expression is upregulated in AGS/5-FU cells compared with AGS cells. Further experiments indicated that overexpression of miR-149 can alleviate 5-FU-induced apoptosis and proliferation inhibition by targeting TREM2. It was also confirmed that TREM2 regulated 5-FU resistance through ß-catenin pathway. Generally speaking, our results indicated that miR-149 contributes to resistance of 5-FU in gastric cancer via targeting TREM2 and regulating ß-catenin pathway.

Structurally diverse terpenoids with neuroprotective activities from the resins of Populus euphratica.

Five new terpenoids including one new abietane diterpenoid (1), one new aromadendrane diterpenoid (6), two new norsesquiterpenoids (8 and 9), and a new cembrane-derived diterpenoid (12), together with seven known compounds were isolated from Populus euphratica resins. The structures of these new compounds, including their absolute configurations, were characterized by spectroscopic and computational methods. All the compounds except 8 were test for their neuroprotective activities. The result revealed that compounds 1, 7, and 10-12 display neuroprotective activities in glutamate-induced SH-SY5Y cells in a concentration-dependent manner.

Correction to: Suppressive effects of plumbagin on invasion and migration of breast cancer cells via the inhibition of STAT3 signaling and down-regulation of inflammatory cytokine expressions.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.4248/BR201304007.].

[Efficacy of recombinant human thrombopoietin combined with high-dose dexamethasone in the treatment of refractory immune thrombocytopenia in children].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacy and safety of recombinant human thrombopoietin (rhTPO) combined with high-dose dexamethasone (DXM) in the treatment of children with refractory immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). METHODS: Fifty-eight ITP children who had failed first-line therapy were randomly divided into two groups: DXM treatment (n=27) and rhTPO + DXM treatment (n=31). The DXM treatment group received two continuous cycles of DXM treatment; in each cycle, patients received high-dose DXM (0.6 mg/kg daily) by intravenous drip for 4 days every 28 days. The rhTPO group received subcutaneous injection of rhTPO (300 U/kg daily) for 14 days additional to DXM treatment. The overall response rate (marked response rate + slight response rate) and adverse reactions were evaluated after 3, 7, and 14 days and 1, 2, and 3 months of treatment. RESULTS: After 7 and 14 days and 1 month of treatment, the rhTPO + DXM treatment group had a significantly higher marked response rate and a significantly higher overall response rate than the DXM treatment group (P<0.05). After 2 months of treatment, the rhTPO + DXM treatment group had a significantly higher overall response rate than the DXM group (P<0.05). One patient in the DXM treatment group had liver damage during the first week of treatment. There was no hypertension, fever, rash, allergy, or weakness in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: rhTPO combined with high-dose DXM is an effective and safe approach for treating refractory ITP.

Gas-phase alkyl and N-alkylamino cation affinities of anionic alpha-oxygen nucleophiles (H n XO-; X = N, P, As, O, S, Se, F, Cl, Br; n = 0-2): a theoretical G2(+)M study.

In this work, we studied anionic alpha-oxygen nucleophiles in which there was an atom of with one or more unshared lone-pair electrons from groups 15-17 and periods 2-4 of the periodic table positioned adjacent to the negative attacking-oxygen (i.e., H n XO-; X = N, P, As, O, S, Se, F, Cl, Br; n = 0-2); these nucleophiles were termed "alpha-agents." Specifically, we investigated the gas-phase simple alkyl cation affinities (ACAs) and the simple N-alkylamino cation affinities (NAAMCAs) of these alpha-agents theoretically via the modified G2(+)M method. Our calculations indicate that the O-C bond of CH3OXH n is somewhat similar to that of iPrOXH n (n = 0, 1, 2; X = N, P, As, O, S, Se, F, Cl, Br). Also, steric repulsion is an important influence on these cation affinities. It appears that the kinetic gas-phase alpha effect in the SN2 reactions of interest cannot be explained by the thermodynamic proton affinity or the affinity (SuA) of the anionic or neutral nucleophile (Nu) for the substrate cation, as the gas-phase ACA (NAAMCA) was found to be linearly correlated with the PA for the alpha-agents, similar to the previously reported linear correlation of the gas-phase ACA (NAAMCA) with the PA for normal nucleophiles.

Can radical parametrectomy be omitted in occult cervical cancer after extrafascial hysterectomy?

BACKGROUND: Occult invasive cervical cancer discovered after simple hysterectomy is not common, radical parametrectomy (RP) is a preferred option for young women. However, the morbidity of RP was high. The aim of our study is to assess the incidence of parametrial involvement in patients who underwent radical parametrectomy for occult cervical cancer or radical hysterectomy for early-stage cervical cancer and to suggest an algorithm for the triage of patients with occult cervical cancer to avoid RP. METHODS: A total of 13 patients with occult cervical cancer who had undergone RP with an upper vaginectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy were included in this retrospective study. Data on the clinicopathologic characteristics of the cases were collected. The published literature was also reviewed, and low risk factors for parametrial involvement in early-stage cervical cancer were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 13 patients, 9 had a stage IB1 lesion, and 4 had a stage IA2 lesion. There were four patients with grade 1 disease, seven with grade 2 disease, and two with grade 3 disease. The median age of the entire patients was 41 years. The most common indication for extrafascial hysterectomy was cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 3. Three patients had visible lesions measuring 10-30 mm, in diameter and ten patients had cervical stromal invasions with depths ranging from 4 to 9 mm; only one patient had more than 50% stromal invasion, and four patients had lymph-vascular space invasion (LVSI). Perioperative complications included intraoperative bowel injury, blood transfusion, vesico-vaginal fistula, and ileus (1 case for each). Postoperative pathologic examination results did not show residual disease or parametrial involvement. One patient with positive lymph nodes received concurrent radiation therapy. Only one patient experienced recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative complications following RP were common, whereas the incidence of parametrial involvement was very low among selected early-stage cervical cancer patients. Based on these results, we thought that patients with very low-risk parametrial involvement(tumor size ≤ 2 cm, no LVSI, less than 50% stromal invasion, negative lymph nodes) may benefit from omitting RP. Further prospective data are warranted.

Downregulation of MACC1 inhibits invasion, migration and proliferation, attenuates cisplatin resistance and induces apoptosis in tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression and function of metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) and its relationship with the expression of extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) (CD147). Levels of MACC1 and EMMPRIN expression were analyzed in 65 paraffin­embedded tissue specimens of TSCC and in the adjacent non-cancerous tissues using immunohistochemistry (IHC). MACC1 expression was highly associated with lymphatic metastasis and EMMPRIN expression. Overexpression of MACC1 was significantly correlated with poor overall patient survival. A small interfering RNA (siRNA) was delivered into TSCCA cells to downregulate MACC1 expression. The CCK-8 assay showed that TSCCA cell proliferation was markedly reduced and that cisplatin resistance was attenuated. The suppression of MACC1 promoted the apoptosis of the TSCCA cell line. A Transwell experiment demonstrated that the migration and invasion abilities of the TSCCA cells were extremely downregulated. An ELISA experiment and western blotting revealed that the secretion of urokinase-type plasminogen activator system (uPA) in the supernatant of the culture medium and uPA expression were significantly reduced. Experiments revealed that the secretion of metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) in the supernatant of the culture medium and MMP2 expression were not affected. MACC1 may serve as a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for TSCC.

Characterization of polyethylene glycol-polyethyleneimine as a vector for alpha-synuclein siRNA delivery to PC12 cells for Parkinson's disease.

AIMS: Gene therapy targeting the SNCA gene yields promising results in the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). The most challenging issue of the RNAi gene therapy strategy is maintaining efficient delivery without inducing significant toxicity and other adverse effects. This study aimed to characterize polyethylene glycol-polyethyleneimine as a vector for alpha-synuclein siRNA delivery to PC12 cells for Parkinson's disease. METHODS: The characteristics of PEG-PEI/siSNCA were analyzed via gel retardation assay and assessments of particle size and zeta potential. MTT cytotoxicity assay and flow cytometry were used to detect cytotoxicity and transfection efficiency in PC12 cells. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was employed to examine the intracellular distribution of PEG-PEI/FITC-siSNCA after cellular uptake. RT-PCR and western blotting were used to measure SNCA expression. The MTT cytotoxicity assay was used to study the effect of PEG-PEI/siSNCA on cell viability. The protective effect of PEG-PEI/siSNCA on MPP+-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells was examined via flow cytometry and Hoechst staining. RESULTS: PEG-PEI/siSNCA complexes were well-developed; they exhibited appropriate particle sizes and zeta potentials at a mass ratio of 5:1. In vitro, PEG-PEI/siSNCA was associated with low cytotoxicity and high transfection efficiency. Complexes were capable of successfully delivering siSNCA into PC12 cells and releasing it from the endosome. Furthermore, PEG-PEI/siSNCA could effectively suppress SNCA mRNA expression and protected cells from death via apoptosis induced by MPP(+) . CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that PEG-PEI performs well as a vector for alpha-synuclein siRNA delivery into PC12 cells. Additionally, PEG-PEI/siSNCA complexes were suggested to be able to protect cells from death via apoptosis induced by MPP(+) . These findings suggest that PEG-PEI/siSNCA nanoparticles exhibit remarkable potential as a gene delivery system for Parkinson's disease.

Suppressive Effects of Plumbagin on Invasion and Migration of Breast Cancer Cells via the Inhibition of STAT3 Signaling and Down-regulation of Inflammatory Cytokine Expressions.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of plumbagin (PL), a naphthoquinone derived from the medicinal plant plumbago zeylanica, on the invasion and migration of human breast cancer cells. METHODS: Human breast cancer MDA-MB-231SArfp cells were treated with different concentrations of plumbagin for 24 h. The effects of plumbagin on the migration and invasion were observed by a transwell method. The expressions of IL-1α, IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, TGF-ß, TNFα, MMP-2 and MMP-9 mRNA in MDA-MB-231SArfp cells were detected using Real-Time PCR. MDA-MB-231SArfp cells were treated with plumbagin at different concentrations for 45 minutes. The activation of STAT3 was detected by western blot. Following this analysis, STAT3 in MDA-MB-231SArfp cells was knocked out using specific siRNA. mRNA levels of IL-1α, TGF-ß, MMP-2 and MMP-9 were then detected. Consequently, MDA-MB-231SArfp cells were injected intracardially into BALB/c nude mice to construct a breast cancer bone metastatic model. The mice were injected intraperitoneally with plumbagin. Non-invasive in vivo monitoring, X-ray imaging and histological staining were performed to investigate the effects of plumbagin on the invasion and migration of breast cancer cells in vivo. RESULTS: The in vitro results showed that plumbagin could suppress the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells and down-regulate mRNA expressions of IL-1α, TGF-ß, MMP-2 and MMP-9. Western blotting demonstrated that plumbagin inhibited the activation of STAT3 signaling in MDA-MB-231SArfp cells. The inactivation of STAT3 was found to have an inhibitory effect on the expressions of IL-1α, TGF-ß, MMP-2 and MMP-9. In vivo studies showed that plumbagin inhibited the metastasis of breast cancer cells and decreased osteolytic bone metastases, as well as the secretion of MMP-2 and MMP-9 by tumor cells at metastatic lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Plumbagin can suppress the invasion and migration of breast cancer cells via the inhibition of STAT3 signaling and by downregulation of IL-1α, TGF-ß, MMP-2 and MMP-9.