Developmental 6:2 FTCA exposure impairs renal development in chicken embryos via IGF signaling.

6:2 fluorotelomer carboxylic acid (6:2 FTCA) is a perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) substitute, which is supposedly less accumulative and toxic than PFOA. However, 6:2 FTCA is structurally similar to PFOA, and there had already been reports about its toxicities comparable to PFOA. The aim of the current study is to assess potential effects of developmental exposure to 6:2 FTCA on the development of kidney in chicken embryo and to investigate underlying mechanism. Fertile chicken eggs were exposed to 1.25 mg/kg, 2.5 mg/kg or 5 mg/kg doses of 6:2 FTCA, or 2 mg/kg PFOA, then incubated to hatch. Serum and kidney of hatchling chickens were collected. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cre) levels were measured with commercially available kits. Morphology of kidney was assessed with histopathology. To further reveal molecular mechanism of observed endpoints, IGF signaling molecules were assessed in the kidney samples with qRT-PCR, results indicated that IGFBP3 is a potentially crucial molecule. Lentiviruses overexpressing or silencing IGFBP3 were designed and applied to enhance/suppress the expression of IGFBP3 in developing chicken embryo for further verification of its role in the observed effects. Disrupted nephron formation, in the manifestation of decreased glomeruli number/area and increased serum BUN/Cre levels, was observed in the animals developmentally exposed to 6:2 FTCA. Correspondingly, IGF signaling molecules (IGF1, IGF1R and IGFBP3) were affected by 6:2 FTCA exposure. Meanwhile, overexpression of IGFBP3 effectively alleviated such changes, while silencing of IGFBP3 mimicked observed effects. In conclusion, developmental exposure to 6:2 FTCA is associated with disrupted chicken embryo renal development, in which IGFBP3 seems to be a remarkable contributor, suggesting potential health risks for human and other species. Further risk assessments and mechanistic works are necessary.

Peimine inhibits the growth and motility of prostate cancer cells and induces apoptosis by disruption of intracellular calcium homeostasis through Ca2+ /CaMKII/JNK pathway.

Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in man. Peimine (PM) is a bioactive substance isolated from Fritillaria. Previous studies have shown that PM could inhibit the occurrence of a variety of cancers. However, the roles of PM in PC and its related mechanism have not been elucidated. Calcium (Ca2+ ) is an important intracellular messenger involved in a variety of cell processes. In this study, we found that the appropriate doses of PM (2.5, 5, and 10 µM) significantly inhibited the growth of PC cells (DU-145, LNCap, and PC-3), but has no significant effect on normal prostate cells (RWPE-1). In addition, PM treatment inhibited the invasion and migration of PC-3 cells and blocked the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process. These effects were exhibited a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the current results also showed that PM treatment significantly increased the Ca2+ concentration, the increased Ca2+ promoted the phosphorylation of Ca2+ /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), further inhibited the growth and invasion of PC-3 cells, and induced its apoptosis. Ca2+ chelator BAPTA-AM (1 µM) could counteract the increase of intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Similarly, JNK pathway inhibitor SP600125 (10 µM) also inhibited cell growth and invasion and induced apoptosis. In addition, experiments in nude mice showed that PM inhibited tumor formation through Ca2+ /CaMKII/JNK signaling pathway. In conclusion, our results show that PM inhibits the growth and motility of prostate cancer cells and induces apoptosis by disruption of intracellular calcium homeostasis through Ca2+ /CaMKII/JNK pathway.

miR-146a down-regulation alleviates H2O2-induced cytotoxicity of PC12 cells by regulating MCL1/JAK/STAT pathway : miR-146a down-regulation relieves H2O2-induced PC12 cells cytotoxicity by MCL1/JAK/STAT.

Oxidative stress and miRNAs have been confirmed to play an important role in neurological diseases. The study aimed to explore the underlying effect and mechanisms of miR-146a in H2O2-induced injury of PC12 cells. Here, PC12 cells were stimulated with 200 µM of H2O2 to construct oxidative injury model. Cell injury was evaluated on the basis of the changes in cell viability, migration, invasion, apoptosis, and DNA damage. Results revealed that miR-146a expression was up-regulated in H2O2-induced PC12 cells. Functional analysis showed that down-regulation of miR-146a alleviated H2O2-induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells. Dual-luciferase reporter and western blot assay verified that MCL1 was a direct target gene of miR-146a. Moreover, anti-miR-146a-mediated suppression on cell cytotoxicity was abated following MCL1 knockdown in H2O2-induced PC12 cells. Furthermore, MCL1 activated JAK/STAT signaling pathway and MCL1 overexpression attenuated H2O2-induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells by JAK/STAT signaling pathway. In conclusion, this study suggested that suppression of miR-146a abated H2O2-induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells via regulating MCL1/JAK/STAT pathway.

Long noncoding RNA MAGI2-AS3 inhibits bladder cancer progression through MAGI2/PTEN/epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) axis.

BACKGROUND: Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) are critical regulators of tumor progression. OBJECTIVE: To determine how the lncRNA membrane associated guanylate kinase, WW and PDZ domain-containing 2 (MAG12) antisense RNA 3 (MAGI2-AS3) and the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) gene function in regulating bladder cancer (Bca) progression. METHODS: Total RNA from 80 Bca tissues and 30 paired para-cancerous tissues from patients was sequentially extracted, quantified, purified, and reverse transcribed using RT-PCR. A library was constructed and sequenced. Four Bca cell lines and a normal urothelial cell line were transfected with lentiviral plasmids, and cell migration and invasion were assayed in vitro. An orthotopic mouse model of Bca was created for in vivo studies. RESULTS: MAGI2-AS3 expression was significantly downregulated in Bca, compared with normal tissues, and negatively associated with tumor stage and a poor prognosis. MAGI2-AS3 and its sense RNA MAGI2 showed significant and positive correlation. The expression of MAGI2 and its downstream gene, PTEN, increased in Bca cells overexpressing MAGI2-AS3, and interference by MAGI2 expression reversed the migration and invasion inhibited by MAGI2-AS3 overexpression. CONCLUSION: MAGI2-AS3 overexpression inhibited Bca cell progression by regulating the MAGI2/PTEN/epithelial-mesenchymal transition, offering novel insights into the mechanism of Bca progression.

Pooled analysis of the efficacy and safety of adjunctive alpha-blocker therapy before ureteroscopy in the management of ureteral stones.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of adjunctive alpha-blocker therapy before ureteroscopy in the management of ureteral stones. METHODS: The databases MEDLINE®, EMBASE and The Cochrane Controlled Trail Register of Controlled Trials were searched between January 1980 and June 2019 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that referred to the use of alpha-blockers as adjunctive therapy before ureteroscopy for the treatment of ureteral stones. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used for dichotomous outcomes; and mean difference (MD) with 95% CIs were used to report continuous outcomes. RESULTS: The analysis included five RCTs with a total of 557 patients. Compared with placebo, patients that received adjunctive alpha-blockers had significantly higher successful access to the stone (OR 5.44; 95% CI 2.99, 9.88), a significantly higher stone-free rate at the end of week 4 (OR 3.75; 95% CI 2.20, 6.39), significantly less requirement for balloon dilatation (OR 0.26; 95% CI 0.15, 0.44) and a significantly lower risk of complications (OR 0.25; 95% CI 0.15, 0.42). There was no significant difference in the operation time between the two groups (MD -3.33; 95% CI -7.03, 0.37). CONCLUSIONS: Adjunctive alpha-blocker therapy administered before ureteroscopy was effective in the management of ureteral stones with a lower risk of complications than placebo treatment.

Estrogen affects cell growth and IGF-1 receptor expression in renal cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Both obesity and gender are important etiological factors in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) development, suggesting a pivotal role of sex hormone signaling pathway and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) family in RCC carcinogenesis. Here, we aimed to investigate the effect of estrogen on RCC growth and the possible interaction between estrogen/estrogen receptor (ER) signaling pathway and the IGF axis. METHODS: ER-α and ER-ß were detected in four human RCC cell lines. Cells were treated with 17ß-estradiol (E2), and cell proliferation was determined using the cell counting kit-8 assay. Using siRNA, ER-ß was downregulated in RCC cells and the effect of E2 on cell growth and IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) expression was examined. RESULTS: E2 inhibited 786-O cell but not A498 cell growth significantly. After the downregulation of ER-ß, E2 showed no obvious inhibitory role in 786-O cells. E2 stimulation increased the expression of IGF-1R in 786-O cells. Downregulation of ER-ß, as well as fulvestrant, attenuated the stimulatory effect of E2 on IGF-1R expression. CONCLUSION: Our results revealed that estrogen induced RCC growth inhibition via an ER-ß-dependent pathway. Estrogen also upregulated the expression of IGF-1R, suggesting a link between estrogen/ER and IGF axis.

Development of biocompatible and VEGF-targeted paclitaxel nanodrugs on albumin and graphene oxide dual-carrier for photothermal-triggered drug delivery in vitro and in vivo.

In this study, we performed the characterization and synthesis of biocompatible and targeted albumin and graphene oxide (GO) dual-carrier paclitaxel (PTX) nanoparticles for photothermal-triggered tumor therapy. PTX absorbed on GO nanosheets as cores were coated with human serum albumin (HSA), following surface conjugation with monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF; denoted as mAbVEGF) via polyethylene glycol linker to form targeted nanoparticles (PTX-GHP-VEGF). The spherical nanoparticles were 191±5 nm in size with good stability and biocompatibility. GO functioned as the first carrier and a near infrared absorber that can generate photothermal effects under 5-minute 808-nm laser irradiation to thermal trigger the release of PTX from the second carrier HSA nanoparticles. The mechanism of thermal-triggered drug release was also investigated preliminarily, in which the heat generated by GO induced swelling of PTX-GHP-VEGF nanoparticles which released the drugs. In vitro studies found that PTX-GHP-VEGF can efficiently target human SW-13 adrenocortical carcinoma cells as evaluated by confocal fluorescence microscopy as well as transmission electron microscopy, and showed an obvious thermal-triggered antitumor effect, mediated by apoptosis. Moreover, PTX-GHP-VEGF combined with near infrared irradiation showed specific tumor suppression effects with high survival rate after 100 days of treatment. PTX-GHP-VEGF also demonstrated high biosafety with no adverse effects on normal tissues and organs. These results highlight the remarkable potential of PTX-GHP-VEGF in photothermal controllable tumor treatment.

The combinatory effects of PPAR-γ agonist and survivin inhibition on the cancer stem-like phenotype and cell proliferation in bladder cancer cells.

Strategies for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) activation or survivin inhibition have potential for cancer therapy. However, whether the combination of these two approaches can be developed as a rational regimen with enhanced efficiency in the inhibition of tumor cells remains to be determined. In this study, the combinatory effect of PPAR-γ agonist and survivin inhibition on bladder cancer cells was investigated. T24 and 5637 cells were treated with 15d-PGJ(2) to determine whether 15d-PGJ(2) had an inhibitory effect. Cell viability and proliferation were analyzed and efficiency of survivin siRNAs was assessed using western blot analysis. The results showed that, in the human bladder cancer cell lines T24 and 5637, the natural PPAR-γ ligand 15d-PGJ(2) significantly decreased cell proliferation and loci formation. The increase in the proportion of apoptotic cells was observed in the cells 48 h after 15d-PGJ(2) treatment. Furthermore, 15d-PGJ(2) substantially inhibited the levels of stemness-related genes in these cells. The ability of sphere formation was markedly suppressed in the cells treated with 15d-PGJ(2). More importantly, the downregulation of survivin with siRNAs significantly enhanced the 15d-PGJ(2)-mediated induction of cell apoptosis and inhibition of sphere formation. Accordingly, we also found that survivin inhibition significantly enhanced 15d-PGJ(2)-induced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in bladder cancer cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that the combination of 15d-PGJ(2) and survivin inhibition play a potentially role in the therapeutical manipulation of bladder cancer.