Endogenous Coriobacteriaceae enriched by a high-fat diet promotes colorectal tumorigenesis through the CPT1A-ERK axis.

A high-fat diet (HFD) may be linked to an increased colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. Stem cell proliferation and adipokine release under inflammatory and obese conditions are the main factors regulating CRC progression. Furthermore, alterations in intestinal flora have been linked to tumorigenesis and tumour progression. However, whether a HFD can promote CRC occurrence by altering intestinal flora remains unclear. The objective of this study was to identify bacterial strains enriched by a HFD and investigate the association and mechanism by which a HFD and bacterial enrichment promote CRC occurrence and development. In this study, the intestinal microbiota of mice was assessed using 16S rRNA and metagenomic sequencing. Serum metabolites of HFD-fed mice were assessed using tandem liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. CRC cell lines and organoids were co-cultured with Coriobacteriaceae to evaluate the effect of these bacteria on the CPT1A-ERK signalling pathway. We found that Coriobacteriaceae were enriched in the colons of HFD-fed mice. An endogenous Coriobacteriaceae strain, designated as Cori.ST1911, was successfully isolated and cultured from the stools of HFD-fed mice, and the tumorigenic potential of Cori.ST1911 in CRC was validated in several CRC mouse models. Furthermore, Cori.ST1911 increased acylcarnitine levels by activating CPT1A, demonstrating the involvement of the CPT1A-ERK axis. We also found that the endogenous Lactobacillus strain La.mu730 can interfere with Cori.ST1911 colonisation and restore gut barrier function. In conclusion, we identified a novel endogenous intestinal Coriobacteriaceae, Cori.ST1911, which might lead to a new gut microbiota intervention strategy for the prevention and treatment of CRC.

Ferroptosis signaling promotes the release of misfolded proteins via exosomes to rescue ER stress in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Dysfunction of the ubiquitin‒proteasome system can induce sustained endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and subsequent cell death. However, malignant cells have evolved multiple mechanisms to evade sustained ERS. Therefore, identification of the mechanisms through which tumor cells develop resistance to ERS is important for the therapeutic exploitation of these cells for drug-resistant tumors. Herein, we found that proteasome inhibitors could induce ERS, activate ferroptosis signaling, and thereby induce the adaptive tolerance of tumor cells to ERS. Mechanistically, the activation of ferroptosis signaling was found to promote the formation and secretion of exosomes containing misfolded and unfolded proteins, which resulted in rescuing ERS and promoting tumor cell survival. The inhibition of ferroptosis signaling synergized with bortezomib, a clinically used proteasome inhibitor, to suppress the viability of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo. The present findings reveal that ERS resistance can be driven by an ERS-ferroptosis signaling-exosome pathway and have important clinical implications for intracellular signaling, ER homeostasis and drug-resistant cancer therapy.

Major roles of the circadian clock in cancer.

Circadian rhythms are natural rhythms that widely exist in all creatures, and regulate the processes and physiological functions of various biochemical reactions. The circadian clock is critical for cancer occurrence and progression. Its function is regulated by metabolic activities, and the expression and transcription of various genes. This review summarizes the composition of the circadian clock; the biological basis for its function; its relationship with, and mechanisms in, cancer; its various functions in different cancers; the effects of anti-tumor treatment; and potential therapeutic targets. Research in this area is expected to advance understanding of circadian locomotor output cycles kaput (CLOCK) and brain and muscle ARNT-like protein 1 (BMAL1) in tumor diseases, and contribute to the development of new anti-tumor treatment strategies.

Therapeutic Efficacy of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells With Different Delivery Route and Dosages in Rat Models of Spinal Cord Injury.

Recent studies have shown that the use of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) may be a promising strategy for treating spinal cord injury (SCI). This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of human umbilical cord-derived MSCs (hUC-MSCs) with different administration routes and dosages on SCI rats. Following T10-spinal cord contusion in Sprague-Dawley rats (N = 60), three different dosages of hUC-MSCs were intrathecally injected into rats (SCI-ITH) after 24 h. Intravenous injection of hUC-MSCs (SCI-i.v.) and methylprednisolone reagent (SCI-PC) were used as positive controls (N = 10/group). A SCI control group without treatment and a sham operation group were injected with Multiple Electrolyte Injection solution. The locomotor function was assessed by Basso Beattie Bresnahan (BBB) rating score, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), histopathology, and immunofluorescence. ELISA was conducted to further analyze the nerve injury and inflammation in the rat SCI model. Following SCI, BBB scores were significantly lower in the SCI groups compared with the sham operation group, but all the treated groups showed the recovery of hind-limb motor function, and rats receiving the high-dose intrathecal injection of hUC-MSCs (SCI-ITH-H) showed improved outcomes compared with rats in hUC-MSCs i.v. and positive control groups. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed significant edema and spinal cord lesion in the SCI groups, and significant recovery was observed in the medium and high-dose hUC-MSCs ITH groups. Histopathological staining showed that the necrotic area in spinal cord tissue was significantly reduced in the hUC-MSCs ITH-H group, and the immunofluorescence staining confirmed the neuroprotection effect of hUC-MSCs infused on SCI rats. The increase of inflammatory cytokines was repressed in hUC-MSCs ITH-H group. Our results confirmed that hUC-MSC administered via intrathecal injection has dose-dependent neuroprotection effect in SCI rats.

What role does pyroptosis play in cancer?

BACKGROUND: Pyroptosis has been attracting much attention recently. We have briefly compared its differences and similarities with other programmed deaths and the process of its study. With further exploration of the caspase family, including caspase-1/3/4/5/8/11, new insights into the molecular pathways of action of pyroptosis have been gained. It is also closely related to the development of many cancers, which at the same time provides us with new ideas for the treatment of cancer. SCOPE OF REVIEW: We describe what is known regarding the impact of pyroptosis on anticancer immunity and give insight into the potential of harnessing pyroptosis as a tool and applying it to novel or existing anticancer strategies. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS: Pyroptosis, a caspase-dependent cell death, causes pore formation, cell swelling, rupture of the plasma membrane, and release of all intracellular contents. The role of pyroptosis in cancer is an extremely complex issue. There is growing evidence that tumor pyroptosis has anti-tumor and pro-tumor roles. It should be discussed in different cancer periods according to the characteristics of cancer occurrence and development. In cancer treatment, pyroptosis provides us with some potential new targets. For the existing drugs, the study of pyroptosis also helps us make better use of existing drugs for anticancer treatment. Immunotherapy is a hot research direction in the field of cancer treatment.

Screening of Proliferation-Related Genes and Pathological Changes in Thiram-Induced Tibial Dyschondroplasia.

Materials and Methods: Three hundred sixty (n = 360) broiler chickens were equally divided into control (C) and thiram (T) groups. Furthermore, the C and T groups were dividedinto 8-, 9-, 11-, and 13-day-old chickens. Results: Clinically, it was observed that broiler chickens of group T had abnormal posture, gait, and lameness, and histopathological results revealed dead and abnormal chondrocytes of T group on day 6. Real-time qPCR results showed that HDAC1, MTA1, H4, and PCNA genes were significantly expressed (P < 0.05). HDAC1 was upregulated on days 1, 2, 4, and 6 (P < 0.01); MTA1 was upregulated on days 1 and 2 (P < 0.01); H4 was upregulated on days 2 and 4 (P < 0.01), and PCNA was downregulated on days 1, 2, and 4 (P < 0.01). Furthermore, IHC results of HDAC1 protein were significantly (P < 0.01) expressed in proliferative zone of day 1 and hypertrophic zone of day 6. MTA1 protein was significantly (P < 0.01) expressed on days 1, 2, and 6 in all zones, except prehypertrophic zone of day 2. Conclusion: In conclusion, the mRNA expressions of HDAC1, MTA1, H4, and PCNA were differentially expressed in the chondrocytes of thiram-induced TD chickens. HDAC1 and MTA1 protein expression found involved and responsible in the abnormal chondrocytes' proliferation of broiler chicken.

Autophagic sequestration of SQSTM1 disrupts the aggresome formation of ubiquitinated proteins during proteasome inhibition.

Aggresome formation is a protective cellular response to counteract proteasome dysfunction by sequestering misfolded proteins and reducing proteotoxic stress. Autophagic degradation of the protein aggregates is considered to be a key compensating mechanism for balancing proteostasis. However, the precise role of autophagy in proteasome inhibition-induced aggresome biogenesis remains unclear. Herein, we demonstrate that in the early stage of proteasome inhibition, the maturation of the autophagosome is suppressed, which facilitates aggresome formation of misfolded proteins. Proteasome inhibition-induced phosphorylation of SQSTM1 T269/S272 inhibits its autophagic receptor activity and promotes aggresome formation of misfolded proteins. Inhibiting SQSTM1 T269/S272 phosphorylation using Doramapimod aggravates proteasome inhibitor-mediated cell damage and tumor suppression. Taken together, our data reveal a negative effect of autophagy on aggresome biogenesis and cell damage upon proteasome inhibition. Our study suggests a novel therapeutic intervention for proteasome inhibitor-mediated tumor treatment.

A robust immune-related lncRNA signature for the prognosis of human colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most prevalent malignant cancers worldwide. Immune-related long non-coding RNAs (IRlncRNAs) are proved to be essential in the development and progression of carcinoma. The purpose of the present study was to develop and validate a prognostic IRlncRNA signature for CRC patients. METHODS: Gene expression profiles of CRC samples were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Immune-related genes were obtained from the ImmPort database and were used to identify IRlncRNA by correlation analysis. Through LASSO Cox regression analyses, a prognostic signature was constructed. Functional enrichment analysis was performed by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). TIMER2.0 web server and tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) algorithm were employed to analyze the association between our model and tumor-infiltrating immune cells and immunotherapy response. The expression levels of IRlncRNAs in cell lines were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). RESULTS: A 9-IRlncRNA signature was developed by a LASSO Cox proportional regression model. Based on the signature, CRC patients were divided into high- and low-risk groups with different prognoses. GSEA results indicated that patients in high-risk group were associated with cancer-related pathways. In addition, patients in low-risk group were found to have more infiltration of anti-tumor immune cells and might show a favorable response to immunotherapy. Finally, the result of qPCR revealed that most IRlncRNAs were differently expressed between normal and tumor cell lines. CONCLUSION: The constructed 9-IRlncRNA signature has potential to predict the prognosis of CRC patients and may be helpful to guide personalized immunotherapy.

Identification and characterization of inhibitory nanobody against p38δ.

p38δ is a member of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) family that displays cell- and tissue-specific expression patterns. Recent studies demonstrate that p38δ is centrally involved in several pathologic events, such as diabetes, neurodegeneration diseases, inflammatory diseases, and cancer, and suggest that it may be a potential target for diagnosis and therapy of specific diseases. A nanobody is a new type of antibody that exhibits high antigen-binding activity, solubility, stability, and easy production. This study utilized phage display to isolate nanobodies specifically against p38δ from a fully synthetic nanobody library. Two of them, nanobodies Nb13-6 and Nb13-1, display high binding activity to p38δ, less cross-reactivity with other p38 MAPKs, and high thermal and pH stabilities. Modeling and docking analysis indicated that Nb13-6 is mostly linked to the activation loop of p38δ. Furthermore, detailed studies revealed that Nb13-6 inhibited the protein kinase activity of p38δ and the growth of cancer cells. Therefore, this study provides p38δ-specific nanobodies that are promisingly exploited for diagnosing and treating p38δ-associated diseases.

PKM2 compensates for proteasome dysfunction by mediating the formation of the CHIP-HSP70-BAG3 complex and the aggregation of ubiquitinated proteins.

Protein aggregation and degradation via autophagy (aggrephagy) are major strategies adopted by cells to remove misfolded polypeptides when there is proteasome dysfunction. The functional protein complex consisting of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), cochaperone ubiquitin ligase carboxyl-terminal of Hsp70/Hsp90 interacting protein (CHIP), and co-chaperone Bcl-2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) has been associated with the activation of protein aggregation. However, data on the mechanisms of action of the complex in the protein degradation remains scant. Here, we report that upon proteasome stress, the M2 isoform of pyruvate kinase (PKM2) promotes the aggregation of ubiquitinated proteins and its knockout or knockdown aggravates the sensitivity of cells to proteasome inhibitors. Besides, following proteasome inhibition, PKM2 promotes the interaction of BAG3 with CHIP and HSP70. Interestingly, re-expression of loss-of-function mutants in PKM2-knockout cells showed that the regulatory function of PKM2 in this progress does not depend on the activity of glycolytic enzymes or protein kinases. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that PKM2 mediates the formation of the CHIP-HSP70-BAG3 protein complex and promotes the aggregation of ubiquitinated misfolded proteins, thus compensating for proteasome stress in cells.

Ursodeoxycholic acid suppresses the malignant progression of colorectal cancer through TGR5-YAP axis.

The Hippo/YAP pathway plays an important role in the development of cancers. Previous studies have reported that bile acids can activate YAP (Yes Associated Protein) to promote tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is a long-established old drug used for cholestasis treatment. So far, the effect of UDCA on YAP signaling in colorectal cancer (CRC) is not well defined. This study means to explore relationship of UDCA and YAP in CRC. UDCA suppressed YAP signaling by activating the membrane G-protein-coupled bile acid receptor (TGR5). TGR5 mainly regulated cAMP/PKA signaling pathway to inhibit RhoA activity, thereby suppressing YAP signaling. Moreover, the restoration of YAP expression alleviated the inhibitory effect of UDCA on CRC cell proliferation. In AOM/DSS-induced CRC model, UDCA inhibited tumor growth in a concentration-dependent manner and decreased expression of YAP and Ki67. UDCA plays a distinguished role in regulating YAP signaling and CRC growth from the primary bile acids and partial secondary bile acids, demonstrating the importance of maintaining normal intestinal bile acid metabolism in cancer patients. It also presents a potential therapeutic intervention for CRC.

The role of 5-HT metabolism in cancer.

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) metabolism has long been linked to tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Numerous studies have shown the functions of 5-HT and its metabolites in the regulation of tumor biological processes like cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis, tumor angiogenesis and immunomodulatory through multi-step complex mechanisms. Reprogramming of 5-HT metabolism has been revealed in various tumors paving way for development of drugs that target enzymes, metabolites or receptors involved in 5-HT metabolic pathway. However, information on the role of 5-HT metabolism in cancer is scanty. This review briefly describes the main metabolic routes of 5-HT, the role of 5-HT metabolism in cancer and systematically summarizes the most recent advances in 5-HT metabolism-targeted cancer therapy.

Casp8 acts through A20 to inhibit PD-L1 expression: The mechanism and its implication in immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy targeting the PD-L1/PD-1 pathway is a novel type of clinical cancer treatment, but only small subsets of patients can benefit from it because of multiple factors. PD-L1/PD-1 expression is a biomarker for predicting the efficacy of anti-PD-L1/PD-1 therapy, which highlights the importance of understanding the regulatory mechanisms of PD-L1 expression in cancer cells. Casp8 is an apical caspase protease involved in mediating cell apoptosis, but it also has multiple nonapoptotic functions. Casp8 mutations are associated with increased risks of cancer, and low expression of Casp8 is closely connected with poor prognosis in patients with cancer. In addition, mutations of Casp8 in lymphocytes also lead to human immunodeficiency, thereby causing dysfunction of the innate immune system, but the roles of Casp8 in antitumor immunity remain unclear. Here, we found that knocking down Casp8 in mouse melanoma cells promoted tumor progression in an immune system-dependent manner. Mechanistically, Casp8 induced PD-L1 degradation by upregulating TNFAIP3 (A20) expression, a ubiquitin-editing enzyme that results in PD-L1 ubiquitination. In addition, compared with Casp8fl/fl mice, mice with conditional deletion of Casp8 in natural killer (NK) cells (Ncr1iCre/+ Casp8fl/fl mice) showed a decreased frequency of IFN-γ+ and CD107a+ NK cells but an increased frequency of PD-1+ and CTLA-4+ NK cells. Melanoma cells with Casp8 knocked down exhibited sensitivity to anti-PD-1 or anti-CTLA-4 antibody treatments, particularly in Ncr1iCre/+Casp8fl/fl mice. Together, the results indicate that Casp8 induces PD-L1 degradation by upregulating A20 expression and that decreased Casp8 expression is a potential biomarker for predicting the sensitivity to anti-PD-L1/PD-1 immunotherapy.

Targeting SERT promotes tryptophan metabolism: mechanisms and implications in colon cancer treatment.

BACKGROUND: Serotonin signaling has been associated with tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Targeting the serotonin transporter to block serotonin cellular uptake confers antineoplastic effects in various tumors, including colon cancer. However, the antineoplastic mechanism of serotonin transporter inhibition and serotonin metabolism alterations in the absence of serotonin transporter have not been elucidated, especially in colon cancer, which might limit anti-tumor effects associating with targeting serotonin transporter. METHODS: The promotion in the uptake and catabolism of extracellular tryptophan and targeting serotonin transporter was detected by using quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, western blotting and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Western blotting Immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence was utilized to research the serotonylation of mTOR by serotonin and serotonin transporter inhibition. The primary mouse model, homograft model and tissue microarry was used to explore the tryptophan pathway in colon cancer. The cell viability assay, western blotting, xenograft and primary colon cancer mouse model were used to identify whether the combination of sertraline and tryptophan restriction had a synergistic effect. RESULTS: Targeting serotonin transporter through genetic ablation or pharmacological inhibition in vitro and in vivo induced a compensatory effect by promoting the uptake and catabolism of extracellular tryptophan in colon cancer. Mechanistically, targeting serotonin transporter suppressed mTOR serotonylation, leading to mTOR inactivation and increased tryptophan uptake. In turn, this process promoted serotonin biosynthesis and oncogenic metabolite kynurenine production through enhanced tryptophan catabolism. Tryptophan deprivation, or blocking its uptake by using trametinib, a MEK inhibitor, can sensitize colon cancer to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: The present study elucidated a novel feedback mechanism involved in the regulation of serotonin homeostasis and suggested innovative strategies for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors-based treatment of colon cancer.

Effects of different concentrations of mesenchymal stem cells treatment on LPS-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome rat model.

PURPOSE: This study was prospectively designed to investigate the effects of different concentrations of mesenchymal stem cells treatment on respiratory mechanics, oxygenation, hemodynamics and inflammatory response in LPS-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) rat model. Methods: One hundred and twenty six LPS-induced ARDS model rats (weighted 200-220 g) were randomly divided into three groups: 1) Control group (N = 42); 2) low-dose hUC-MSC treatment group (MSC group 1, 1x107 cell/kg, N = 42); 3) high-dose hUC-MSC treatment group (MSC group 2, 2x107 cell/kg, N = 42), sham operation group as healthy group (N = 15). The rats were observed closely for 24 hours after hUC-MSC treatment, and the survival rate was calculated. At 24 hours, all rats were tested for hemodynamics, blood gas analysis, heart, lung, liver and kidney functions, inflammatory factors detection in blood samples and broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF). The lung tissue of the rats was collected for HE staining analysis. Results: After LPS injection, ARDS was obvious in all LPS-infused rat groups, consistent with severe acute lung injury and high death rate. However, compared with the control group, a single intravenous injection hUC-MSC at dose of 1 × 107 cells/kg (low dose group) and 2 × 107 cells/kg (high dose group) reduced the mortality of rats with LPS-induced ARDS, as well as improving the lung function, increased the arterial oxygen pressure, improved the heart function, and reduced the levels of inflammatory factors including IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α. In addition, the high dose MSC group showed better lung injury therapeutic effects than the low dose MSC group. Data from this study demonstrated that injection of hUC-MSC had a significant therapeutic effect in treating the rat model of LPS-induced ARDS and multiple organ function injury.

GIT1 protects traumatically injured spinal cord by prompting microvascular endothelial cells to clear myelin debris.

The clearance of myelin debris is a critical step in the functional recovery following spinal cord injury (SCI). As phagocytes do, microvascular endothelial cells (MECs) participate in myelin debris clearance at the injury site within one week. Our group has verified that G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 interacting protein-1 (GIT1) is essential in autophagy and angiogenesis, both of which are tightly related to the uptake and degradation of myelin debris by MECs. Here, we analyzed the performance and mechanism of GIT1 in myelin debris clearance after SCI. The SCI contusion model was established and in vitro MECs were treated with myelin debris. Better recovery from traumatic SCI was observed in the GIT1 WT mice than in the GIT1 KO mice. More importantly, we found that GIT1 prompted MECs to clear myelin debris and further enhanced MECs angiogenesis in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, GIT1-mediated autophagy contributed to the clearance of myelin debris by MECs. In this study, we demonstrated that GIT1 may prompt MECs to clear myelin debris via autophagy and further stimulate MECs angiogenesis via upregulating VEGF. Our results indicate that GITI may serve as a promising target for accelerating myelin debris clearance and improving SCI recovery.

Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription signaling pathway-related genes STAT3, SOCS3 and their role in thiram induced tibial dyschondroplasia chickens.

Pathogenicity of tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) in broiler chickens is not detected yet. Janus Kinase/Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling pathway-related genes were investigated in thiram induced TD chickens. Real-time qPCR and immunohistochemical (IHC) technique were used to observe the expression changes of STAT3 and SOSC3 gene on days 1, 2, 4, 6 after feeding 100 mg·kg-1 thiram. Morphological, pathological, and histological results of this study suggested that chondrocyte cells were observed more damaged on day 6 than day 1, 2, and 4. Therefore, Lameness and damaged chondrocytes gradually increased from day 1 to 6. The mRNA expression level of STAT3 was observed insignificant (P > 0.05) in thiram induced TD chickens' group of day 1. However, on days 2, 4, and 6, the expression was significant (P < 0.05). SOCS3 increased in thiram group on days 1, 2 and 6, decreased on day 4 (P < 0.05). The p-STAT3 and SOCS3 protein's protein localization was evaluated in the control and thiram-induced TD broiler chickens through IHC, suggesting that SOSC3 protein was observed significantly higher on days 1, 2, and 6 and down-regulated on day 4. p-STAT3 protein on thiram induced group was observed significantly upregulated on days 4 and 6. In conclusion, the differential expression of STAT3 and SOCS3 showed that the JAK-STAT signaling pathway might play an important role in regulating an abnormal proliferation, differentiation, or apoptosis of chondrocytes in TD at an early stage.

Calculus Bovis Sativus Improves Bile Acid Homeostasis via Farnesoid X Receptor-Mediated Signaling in Rats With Estrogen-Induced Cholestasis.

Cholestatic diseases are characterized by toxic bile acid (BA) accumulation, and abnormal BA composition, which subsequently lead to liver injury. Biochemical synthetic Calculus Bovis Sativus (CBS) is derived from natural Calculus Bovis, a traditional Chinese medicine, which has been used to treat hepatic diseases for thousands of years. Although it has been shown that CBS administration to 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE)-induced cholestatic rats improves bile flow and liver injury, the involved underlying mechanism is largely unknown. In this study, we showed that CBS administration to EE-induced cholestatic rats significantly decreased serum and hepatic BA levels and reversed hepatic BA composition. DNA microarray analysis suggested that the critical pathways enriched by CBS treatment were bile secretion and primary BA synthesis. These findings led us to focus on the effects of CBS on regulating BA homeostasis, including BA transport, synthesis and metabolism. CBS enhanced hepatic BA secretion by inducing efflux transporter expression and inhibiting uptake transporter expression. Moreover, CBS reduced BA synthesis by repressing the expression of BA synthetic enzymes, CYP7A1 and CYP8B1, and increased BA metabolism by inducing the expression of metabolic enzymes, CYP3A2, CYP2B10, and SULT2A1. Mechanistic studies indicated that CBS increased protein expression and nuclear translocation of hepatic and intestinal farnesoid X receptor (FXR) to regulate the expression of these transporters and enzymes. We further demonstrated that beneficial effects of CBS administration on EE-induced cholestatic rats were significantly blocked by guggulsterone, a FXR antagonist. Therefore, CBS improved BA homeostasis through FXR-mediated signaling in estrogen-induced cholestatic rats. Together, these findings suggested that CBS might be a novel and potentially effective drug for the treatment of cholestasis.

The role of neuropeptide Y in the pathophysiology of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

With average life expectancy rising greatly, the incidence rate of arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) has significantly increased. The heart disease has now become the number one killer that threatens the global population health, the second is stroke. It will be of great significance to investigate the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of ASCVD in order to promote effective prevention and treatment. The neuropeptide Y (NPY) has now been discovered for more than thirty years and is widely distributed in the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral tissues. By combining with certain receptors, NPY performs a variety of physiological functions, including the regulation of food intake, cardiovascular effects, development, hormonal secretion, sexual behavior, biological rhythms, temperature and emotion. In ASCVD, increased peripheral NPY was involved in the pathophysiological process of atherosclerosis through affecting the vascular endothelial dysfunction, the formation of foam cells, the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells, the local inflammatory response of plaques and the activation and aggregation of platelets. Via central and/or the peripheral nervous system, increased NPY was associated with dyslipidemia, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, and smoking which are all risk factors for ASCVD. In this review, we summarize the role of neuropeptide Y in the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Role of CYP1A2 1F polymorphism in cancer risk: evidence from a meta-analysis of 46 case-control studies.

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence showed that the common polymorphism (CYP1A2 1F, rs762551 C→A) in the promoter region of the CYP1A2 gene might be associated with susceptibility to cancer in humans. But individually published results were inconclusive. The aim of this meta-analysis is to investigate the association between CYP1A2 1F polymorphism and cancer risk. METHODS: The Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science and Chinese BioMedical databases were searched for all articles published up to September 1st, 2012. Statistical analyses were performed using the STATA 12.0 software. RESULTS: Forty-six case-control studies were included with a total of 22,993 cancer cases and 28,420 healthy controls. Meta-analysis results showed that the A allele of CYP1A2 1F polymorphism was associated with a decreased cancer risk (odds ratio [OR]=0.92, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.87-0.98, P=0.013). In the subgroup analysis by cancer types, the A allele of CYP1A2 1F polymorphism may increase the risk of breast cancer (OR=1.05, 95% CI: 1.01-1.10, P=0.024), and is also associated with a decreased risk of ovarian cancer (OR=0.70, 95% CI: 0.54-0.89, P=0.004). However, similar results were not found in lung, colorectal, bladder, endometrial, pancreatic and gastric cancers. Further subgroup analysis by ethnicity also showed a significant association between the A allele of CYP1A2 1F polymorphism and a decreased cancer risk among Caucasian populations (OR=0.91, 95% CI: 0.84-0.98, P=0.014); but no significant associations were observed among Asian populations. CONCLUSIONS: Results from the current meta-analysis indicate that the A allele of CYP1A2 1F polymorphism may be associated with breast and ovarian cancer risk, especially among Caucasian populations.