Clinicopathological features of gastric alpha-fetoprotein-producing adenocarcinoma with SWI/SNF complex deletion / 中华病理学杂志

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features and treatment of gastric alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)-producing adenocarcinoma with SWI/SNF complex deletion. Methods: Four cases of gastric AFP-producing adenocarcinoma with SWI/SNF complex deletion diagnosed in Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University from January 2021 to December 2022 were collected, and their histomorphological characteristics, immunohistochemical (IHC), in situ hybridization of Epstein-Barr virus-encoded RNA (EBER), next-generation sequencing results, clinicopathological features and treatment were summarized, and literature review was conducted. Results: Among the 4 patients, there were three males and one female. They presented with abdominal pain, belching and melena. Serum AFP was significantly elevated in three patients, and endoscopy showed ulcerative lesions. Microscopically, the tumor cells showed mainly diffuse flaky or nest-like growth and typical characteristics of hepatoid adenocarcinoma. In two cases there were adenoid growth, and the tumor cells in these areas possessed clear cytoplasm, suggesting enteroblastic differentiation. The tumor cell nuclei were pleomorphic with large nucleoli and brisk mitoses. The IHC results showed that the tumor cells expressed AFP, GPC3 and SALL4, and there was retained expression of broad-spectrum keratin (CKpan) and E-cadherin. IHC detection of SWI/SNF complex subunits, namely INI1 (SMARCB1), BRG1 (SMARCA4), BRM (SMARCA2), ARID1A protein was performed. In all four cases the hepatoid adenocarcinoma region and enteroblastic differentiation region showed SMARCA2 deletion, and one case with enteroblastic differentiation also showed ARID1A deletion. SMARCB1 and SMARCA4 deletions were not seen. All the four cases were diffusely positive for p53 protein, and the Ki-67 proliferation index was 80%-90%. There were no mismatch repair deletion detected; one cases showed HER2 was strongly positive (3+), and EBER was negative. None of the four cases had mutations in the SWI/SNF complex-related subunits detected by next-generation sequencing. Among the four patients, two underwent palliative surgery due to distant metastasis at the time of surgery, two underwent radical resection. Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy was given to three patients. Conclusions: AFP-producing adenocarcinoma is a rare subtype of gastric cancer, which can be combined with SWI/SNF complex deletion, and the pathomorphological manifestations are different from the classical SWI/SNF complex deletion of undifferentiated carcinoma with rhabdoid phenotype.

Aspectos histológicos, genéticos y moleculares de las lesiones preneoplásicas de la mucosa gástrica / Histological, genetic and molecular aspects of preneoplastic lesions of the gastric mucosa

Siendo el cáncer gástrico la 3ª causa de muerte por cáncer en Chile, y existiendo estrategias de tamizaje consistentes en pesquisa de lesiones preneoplásicas de la mucosa gástrica, es relevante conocer los aspectos genéticos y moleculares que puedan ser aplicados, en la optimización de dichas estrategias a grupos de mayor riesgo. El objetivo de este manuscrito fue revisar la evidencia actual en los aspectos señalados, y de la inmunohistoquímica de 4 marcadores (p53, CDX2, MUC2 y S100A9) en la mucosa gástrica normal y en las lesiones preneoplásicas de la misma.

SUMMARY: Since gastric cancer is the 3rd leading cause of death from cancer in Chile, and there are screening strategies consisting of screening for preneoplastic lesions of the gastric mucosa, it is important to know certain genetic and molecular aspects that can be applied in optimizing these strategies for higher risk groups. The aim of this manuscript was to review the current evidence on the aforementioned aspects, and on the immunohistochemistry of 4 markers (p53, CDX2, MUC2 and S100A9) in normal gastric mucosa and in its preneoplastic lesions.

Xiaotan Sanjie recipe, a compound Chinese herbal medicine, inhibits gastric cancer metastasis by regulating GnT-V-mediated E-cadherin glycosylation / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE@#Xiaotan Sanjie recipe (XTSJ), a Chinese herbal compound medicine, exerts a significant inhibitory effect on gastric cancer (GC) metastasis. This work investigated the mechanism underlying the XTSJ-mediated inhibition of GC metastasis.@*METHODS@#The effect of XTSJ on GC metastasis and the associated mechanism were investigated in vitro, using GC cell lines, and in vivo, using a GC mouse model, by focusing on the expression of Glc-N-Ac-transferase V (GnT-V; encoded by MGAT5).@*RESULTS@#The migration and invasion ability of GC cells decreased significantly after XTSJ administration, which confirmed the efficacy of XTSJ in treating GC in vitro. XTSJ increased the accumulation of E-cadherin at junctions between GC cells, which was reversed by MGAT5 overexpression. XTSJ administration and MGAT5 knockdown alleviated the structural abnormality of the cell-cell junctions, while MGAT5 overexpression had the opposite effect. MGAT5 knockdown and XTSJ treatment also significantly increased the accumulation of proteins associated with the E-cadherin-mediated adherens junction complex. Furthermore, the expression of MGAT5 was significantly lower in the lungs of BGC-823-MGAT5 + XTSJ mice than in those of BGC-823-MGAT5 + solvent mice, indicating that the ability of gastric tumors to metastasize to the lung was decreased in vivo following XTSJ treatment.@*CONCLUSION@#XTSJ prevented GC metastasis by inhibiting the GnT-V-mediated E-cadherin glycosylation and promoting the E-cadherin accumulation at cell-cell junctions. Please cite this article as: Huang N, He HW, He YY, Gu W, Xu MJ, Liu L. Xiaotan Sanjie recipe, a compound Chinese herbal medicine, inhibits gastric cancer metastasis by regulating GnT-V-mediated E-cadherin glycosylation. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(6): 561-574.

Association of Serine/Threonine Phosphoprotein Phosphatase 4C Expression With Prognosis of Gastric Cancer / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To investigate the expression level of serine/threonine phosphoprotein phosphatase 4C(PPP4C)in gastric cancer,and analyze its relationship with prognosis and the underlying regulatory mechanism.Methods The clinical data of 104 gastric cancer patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College between January 2012 and August 2016 were collected.Immunohistochemical staining was employed to determine the expression levels of PPP4C and Ki-67 in the gastric cancer tissue.The gastric cancer cell lines BGC823 and HGC27 were cultured and transfected with the vector for PPP4C knockdown,the vector for PPP4C overexpression,and the lentiviral vector(control),respectively.The effects of PPP4C on the cell cycle and proliferation were analyzed and the possible regulatory mechanisms were explored.Results PPP4C was highly expressed in gastric cancer(P<0.001),and its expression promoted malignant progression of the tumor(all P<0.01).Univariate and Cox multivariate analysis clarified that high expression of PPP4C was an independent risk factor affecting the 5-year survival rate of gastric cancer patients(P=0.003).Gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes enrichment analysis suggested that PPP4C may be involved in the cell cycle.The correlation analysis showed that the expression of PPP4C was positively correlated with that of Ki-67 in gastric cancer(P<0.001).The up-regulation of PPP4C expression increased the proportion of tumor cells in the S phase,alleviated the G2/M phase arrest,and promoted the proliferation of gastric cancer cells and the expression of cyclin D1 and cyclin-dependent kinase 6(CDK6)(all P<0.05).The down-regulation of PPP4C decreased the proportion of gastric cancer cells in the S phase,promoted G2/M phase arrest,and inhibited cell proliferation and the expression of cyclin D1,CDK6,and p53(all P<0.05).p53 inhibitors promoted the proliferation of BGC823 and HGC27 cells in the PPP4C knockdown group(P<0.001,P<0.001),while p53 activators inhibited the proliferation of BGC823 and HGC27 cells in the PPP4C overexpression group(P<0.001,P=0.002).Conclusions PPP4C is highly expressed in gastric cancer and affects the prognosis of the patients.It may increase the proportion of gastric cancer cells in the S phase and alleviate the G2/M phase arrest by inhibiting p53 signaling,thereby promoting cell proliferation.

Forkhead Box M1 Regulates the Proliferation,Invasion,and Drug Resistance of Gastric Cancer Cells via circ_NOTCH1 / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To investigate the impacts of forkhead box M1(FOXM1)on the proliferation,invasion,and drug resistance of gastric cancer cells by regulating the circular RNA circ_NOTCH1.Methods Western blotting and real-time quantitative PCR were performed to determine the expression of FOXM1 protein and circ_NOTCH1,respectively,in the gastric cancer tissue,para-carcinoma tissue,human normal gastric mucosa epithelial cell line GES-1 and gastric cancer cell lines MGC-803,HGC-27,and BGC-823.BGC-823 cells were classified into the following groups:control,short hairpin RNA FOXM1(sh-FOXM1)and negative control(sh-NC),small interfering RNA circ_NOTCH1(si-circ_NOTCH1)and negative control(si-NC),and sh-FOXM1+circ_NOTCH1 overexpression plasmid(sh-FOXM1+pcDNA-circ_NOTCH1)and sh-FOXM1+negative control(sh-FOXM1+pcDNA).CCK-8 assay and clone formation assay were employed to measure the cell proliferation,and Transwell assay to measure cell invasion.After treatment with 1.0 mg/L adriamycin for 48 h,the cell resistance in each group was analyzed.Western blotting was employed to determine the expression levels of FOXM1,proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA),Bax,multi-drug resistance-associated protein 1(MRP1),and multi-drug resistance gene 1(MDR1).RNA pull-down and RNA immunoprecipitation were employed to examine the binding of circ_NOTCH1 to FOXM1 protein.Results Compared with those in the para-carcinoma tissue,the expression levels of FOXM1 protein and circ_NOTCH1 in the gastric cancer tissue were up-regulated(all P<0.001).Compared with GES-1 cells,MGC-803,HGC-27,and BGC-823 cells showed up-regulated expression levels of FOXM1 protein and circ_NOTCH1(all P<0.001).Compared with the control group and sh-NC group,the sh-FOXM1 group with down-regulated expression of FOXM1 protein and circ_NOTCH1 showed decreased optical density value,clone formation rate,cell invasion number,and cell viability,down-regulated expression of PCNA,MRP1,and MDR1,and up-regulated expression of Bax protein in BGC-823 cells(all P<0.001).Compared with the control group and the si-NC group,the si-circ_NOTCH1 group with down-regulated expression of circ_NOTCH1 showed decreased optical density value,clone formation rate,cell invasion number,and cell viability,down-regulated expression of PCNA,MRP1,and MDR1,and up-regulated expression of Bax protein in BGC-823 cells(all P<0.001).Compared with sh-FOXM1 group and sh-FOXM1+pcDNA group,the sh-FOXM1+pcDNA-circ_NOTCH1 group with up-regulated expression of circ_NOTCH1 showed increased optical density value,clone formation rate,cell invasion number,and cell viability,up-regulated expression of PCNA,MRP1,and MDR1,and down-regulated expression of Bax protein(all P<0.001).FOXM1 protein was able to interact with circ_NOTCH1.Conclusion Interference with FOXM1 may inhibit the proliferation,invasion,and drug resistance of gastric cancer cells by silencing circ_NOTCH1 expression.

An Investigation of the Effects of B7-H4 Gene rs10754339 and miR-125a Gene rs12976445 on Cancer Susceptibility / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effects of the B7-H4 gene rs10754339 and miR-125a gene rs12976445 on cancer susceptibility through a case-control study and meta-analysis.@*METHODS@#A total of 1,490 cancer patients (lung/gastric/liver/: 550/460/480) and 800 controls were recruited in this case-control study. The meta-analysis was performed by pooling the data from previous related studies and the present study.@*RESULTS@#The results of this study showed that in the Hubei Han Chinese population, the rs10754339 gene was significantly associated with the risk of lung and gastric cancer but not liver cancer, and the rs12976445 gene was significantly associated with the risk of lung cancer but not liver or gastric cancer. The meta-analysis results indicated that rs10754339 and rs12976445 contributed to cancer susceptibility in the Chinese population and also revealed a significant association between rs10754339 and breast cancer risk, as well as between rs12976445 and lung cancer risk.@*CONCLUSION@#The B7-H4 gene rs10754339 and miR-125a gene rs12976445 may be the potential genetic markers for cancer susceptibility in the Chinese population, which should be validated in future studies with larger sample sizes in other ethnic populations.

Mechanism of Astragali Radix-Curcumae Rhizoma in treating gastric cancer based on network pharmacology and experimental verification / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to investigate the mechanism of Astragali Radix-Curcumae Rhizoma(HQEZ) in the treatment of gastric cancer based on network pharmacology. Further, the SGC7901 cell model of gastric cancer was employed to validate the efficacy and key targets of the herb pair. Firstly, the CCK-8 assay was employed to evaluate the direct effect of HQEZ on the proliferation of gastric cancer SGC7901 cells. Then, network pharmacology methods were employed to investigate the active ingredients, key targets, and key signaling pathways involved in the treatment of gastric cancer with HQEZ. The results showed that HQEZ contained 18 potential active ingredients, such as quercetin, naringenin, and curcumin. The results of gene ontology(GO) functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment suggested that the main targets of HQEZ in treating gastric cancer were involved in the regulation of protein serine/threonine kinase activity, activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK) activity, cysteine-type endopeptidase activity, and negative regulation of protein serine/threonine kinase activity. The hypoxia-inducible factor-1(HIF-1) signaling pathway, ATP-binding cassette(ABC) transporters, cytochrome P450-mediated metabolism of xenobiotics, p53 signaling pathway, and cell apoptosis were key signaling pathways of HQEZ in treating gastric cancer. The cell experiments demonstrated that HQEZ significantly downregulated the expression of ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 1(ABCB1), epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR), phosphorylated serine/threonine kinase(p-AKT), hypoxia inducible factor 1 subunit alpha(HIF1A), B-cell lymphoma 2(BCL2), breast cancer susceptibility protein 1(BRCA1), DNA polymerase theta(POLH), ribonucleotide reductase M1(RRM1), and excision repair cross-complementation group 1(ERCC1), and upregulated the expression of tumor protein P53(TP53) and cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase(CAPS3). Finally, a multivariate COX regression model was adopted to study the relationship between gene expression and clinical information data of gastric cancer patients in the TCGA database, which demonstrated that the key targets of HQEZ were associated with the poor prognosis in gastric cancer patients. Further feature selection using the LASSO algorithm showed that EGFR, HIF1A, TP53, POLH, RRM1, and ERCC1 were closely associated with the survival of gastric can-cer patients. In conclusion, HQEZ regulates the expression of genes involved in DNA repair, survival, and apoptosis in gastric cancer cells via multiple targets and pathways, assisting the treatment of gastric cancer.

Construction and evaluation of the functional polygenic risk score for gastric cancer in a prospective cohort of the European population / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#A polygenic risk score (PRS) derived from 112 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for gastric cancer has been reported in Chinese populations (PRS-112). However, its performance in other populations is unknown. A functional PRS (fPRS) using functional SNPs (fSNPs) may improve the generalizability of the PRS across populations with distinct ethnicities.@*METHODS@#We performed functional annotations on SNPs in strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) with the 112 previously reported SNPs to identify fSNPs that affect protein-coding or transcriptional regulation. Subsequently, we constructed an fPRS based on the fSNPs by using the LDpred2-infinitesimal model and then analyzed the performance of the PRS-112 and fPRS in the risk prediction of gastric cancer in 457,521 European participants of the UK Biobank cohort. Finally, the performance of the fPRS in combination with lifestyle factors were evaluated in predicting the risk of gastric cancer.@*RESULTS@#During 4,582,045 person-years of follow-up with a total of 623 incident gastric cancer cases, we found no significant association between the PRS-112 and gastric cancer risk in the European population (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.00 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.93-1.09], P = 0.846). We identified 125 fSNPs, including seven deleterious protein-coding SNPs and 118 regulatory non-coding SNPs, and used them to construct the fPRS-125. Our result showed that the fPRS-125 was significantly associated with gastric cancer risk (HR = 1.11 [95% CI, 1.03-1.20], P = 0.009). Compared to participants with a low fPRS-125 (bottom quintile), those with a high fPRS-125 (top quintile) had a higher risk of incident gastric cancer (HR = 1.43 [95% CI, 1.12-1.84], P = 0.005). Moreover, we observed that participants with both an unfavorable lifestyle and a high genetic risk had the highest risk of incident gastric cancer (HR = 4.99 [95% CI, 1.55-16.10], P = 0.007) compared to those with both a favorable lifestyle and a low genetic risk.@*CONCLUSION@#These results indicate that the fPRS-125 derived from fSNPs may act as an indicator to measure the genetic risk of gastric cancer in the European population.

H19 recruited N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) reader YTHDF1 to promote SCARB1 translation and facilitate angiogenesis in gastric cancer / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Angiogenesis is described as a complex process in which new microvessels sprout from endothelial cells of existing vasculature. This study aimed to determine whether long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) H19 induced the angiogenesis of gastric cancer (GC) and its possible mechanism.@*METHODS@#Gene expression level was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. Cell counting kit-8, transwell, 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), colony formation assay, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) angiogenesis assay as well as Matrigel plug assay were conducted to study the proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis of GC in vitro and in vivo . The binding protein of H19 was found by RNA pull-down and RNA Immunoprecipitation (RIP). High-throughput sequencing was performed and next Gene Ontology (GO) as well as Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis was conducted to analyze the genes that are under H19 regulation. Methylated RIP (me-RIP) assay was used to investigate the sites and abundance among target mRNA. The transcription factor acted as upstream of H19 was determined through chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and luciferase assay.@*RESULTS@#In this study, we found that hypoxia-induced factor (HIF)-1α could bind to the promoter region of H19, leading to H19 overexpression. High expression of H19 was correlated with angiogenesis in GC, and H19 knocking down could inhibit cell proliferation, migration and angiogenesis. Mechanistically, the oncogenic role of H19 was achieved by binding with the N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) reader YTH domain-containing family protein 1 (YTHDF1), which could recognize the m 6 A site on the 3'-untransated regions (3'-UTR) of scavenger receptor class B member 1 (SCARB1) mRNA, resulting in over-translation of SCARB1 and thus promoting the proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis of GC cells.@*CONCLUSION@#HIF-1α induced overexpression of H19 via binding with the promoter of H19, and H19 promoted GC cells proliferation, migration and angiogenesis through YTHDF1/SCARB1, which might be a beneficial target for antiangiogenic therapy for GC.

Hsa_circ_0000670 promoted the progression of gastric cancer through the miR-515-5p/SIX1 molecular axis / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective: To explore whether hsa_circ_0000670 promotes the progression of gastric cancer by regulating the miR-515-5p/SIX1 molecular axis. Methods: The gastric cancer and adjacent normal tissues of 35 gastric cancer patients admitted to Rugao Hospital Affiliated to Nantong University from 2014 to 2015 were collected. The expression levels of circ_0000670, miR-515-5p and Sine oculis homeobox 1 (SIX1) in gastric cancer tissues and cells were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot. The correlations between circ_0000670 and miR-515-5p, miR-515-5p and SIX1, circ_0000670 and SIX1 were analyzed by the Pearson method. Patients were divided into low circ_0000670 expression group (17 cases) and high circ_0000670 expression group (18 cases) based on the median of circ_0000670 expression level, and Kaplan-Meier was used to analyze the 5-year survival of patients. Cell proliferation was assessed via clone formation assay. Cell cycle and apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry. Wound healing and Transwell assays were used to detect cell migration and invasion ability. The targeting relationship between miR-515-5p and circ_0000670 or SIX1 was confirmed by the dual luciferase reporter assay. Nude mice were injected into HGC-27 cells transfected with sh-NC or sh-circ_0000670, and the volume and weight of the transplanted tumor were measured, also, the levels of circ_0000670, miR-515-5p and SIX1 in the transplanted tumor tissue were detected. Results: The expression levels of circ_0000670 and SIX1 in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines were significantly increased (P<0.05), while the expression levels of miR-515-5p were significantly decreased (P<0.05). The survival rate of patients in the low circ_0000670 expression group (82.4%) was significantly higher than that in the high circ_0000670 expression group (28.7%, P=0.034). Circ_0000670 was negatively correlated with miR-515-5p (r=-0.846, P<0.001), and miR-515-5p was negatively correlated with SIX1 (r=-0.615, P<0.001), but circ_0000670 was positively correlated with SIX1 (r=0.814, P<0.001). Transfection of si-circ_0000670 or miR-515-5p mimic could significantly reduce the number of clone-forming cells, migration distance, migration and invasion cells (P<0.05), and increase the ratio of G(0)/G(1) phase cells, apoptosis rate and the protein level of E-cadherin (P<0.05), decreased the proportion of S-phase cells and the protein level of Vimentin (P<0.05). The dual luciferase report assay confirmed that circ_0000670 could target miR-515-5p, and miR-515-5p could bind to SIX1. Co-transfection of si-circ_0000670 and miR-515-5p inhibitor could significantly attenuate the effects of si-circ_0000670 on cell proliferation, migration, invasion, cell cycle and apoptosis (P<0.05). Co-transfection of miR-515-5p mimic and pcDNA-SIX1 could significantly reduce the effects of miR-515-5p mimic on cell proliferation, migration, invasion, cell cycle and apoptosis (P<0.05). Compared with the sh-NC group [volume=(596.20±125.46) mm(3) and weight=(538.00±114.39) g], the volume and weight of transplanted tumors in the sh-circ_0000670 group [volume=(299.20±47.58) mm 3 and weight=(289.80±48.73 g)] were significantly reduced (P<0.05), the expression levels of circ_0000670 and SIX1 were significantly reduced (P<0.05), and the expression level of miR-515-5p was significantly increased (P<0.05). Conclusion: Knockdown of circ_0000670 could inhibit cell proliferation, migration, invasion of gastric cancer cells, induce cell cycle arrest in G(0)/G(1) phase and promote cell apoptosis by regulating the miR-515-5p/SIX1 axis.

Genetic variation of YWHAE gene-"Switch" of disease control / 中南大学学报(医学版)

YWHAE gene is located on chromosome 17p13.3, and its product 14-3-3epsilon protein belongs to 14-3-3 protein family. As a molecular scaffold, YWHAE participates in biological processes such as cell adhesion, cell cycle regulation, signal transduction and malignant transformation, and is closely related to many diseases. Overexpression of YWHAE in breast cancer can increase the ability of proliferation, migration and invasion of breast cancer cells. In gastric cancer, YWHAE acts as a negative regulator of MYC and CDC25B, which reduces their expression and inhibits the proliferation, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer cells, and enhances YWHAE-mediated transactivation of NF-κB through CagA. In colorectal cancer, YWHAE lncRNA, as a sponge molecule of miR-323a-3p and miR-532-5p, can compete for endogenous RNA through direct interaction with miR-323a-3p and miR-532-5p, thus up-regulating K-RAS/ERK/1/2 and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways and promoting the cell cycle progression of the colorectal cancer. YWHAE not only mediates tumorigenesis as a competitive endogenous RNA, but also affects gene expression through chromosome variation. For example, the FAM22B-YWHAE fusion gene caused by t(10; 17) (q22; p13) may be associated with the development of endometrial stromal sarcoma. At the same time, the fusion transcript of YWHAE and NUTM2B/E may also lead to the occurrence of endometrial stromal sarcoma. To understand the relationship between YWHAE, NUTM2A, and NUTM2B gene rearrangement/fusion and malignant tumor, YWHAE-FAM22 fusion gene/translocation and tumor, YWHAE gene polymorphism and mental illness, as well as the relationship between 17p13.3 region change and disease occurrence. It provides new idea and basis for understanding the effect of YWHAE gene molecular mechanism and genetic variation on the disease progression, and for the targeted for the diseases.

Ziyin Huatan Recipe, a Chinese herbal compound, inhibits migration and invasion of gastric cancer by upregulating RUNX3 expression / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVES@#Ziyin Huatan Recipe (ZYHT), a traditional Chinese medicine comprised of Lilii Bulbus, Pinelliae Rhizoma, and Hedyotis Diffusa, has shown promise in treating gastric cancer (GC). However, its potential mechanism has not yet been clearly addressed. This study aimed to predict targets and molecular mechanisms of ZYHT in treating GC by network pharmacology analysis and to explore the role of ZYHT in GC both in vitro and in vivo.@*METHODS@#Targets and molecular mechanisms of ZYHT were predicted via network pharmacology analysis. The effects of ZYHT on the expression of metastasis-associated targets were further validated by Western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. To explore the specific molecular mechanisms of the effects of ZYHT on migration and invasion, the runt-related transcription factor 3 (RUNX3) gene was knocked out by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas9, and lentiviral vectors were transfected into SGC-7901 cells. Then lung metastasis model of GC in nude mice was established to explore the anti-metastasis effect of ZYHT. Western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to explore the impact of ZYHT on the expression of metastasis-related proteins with or without RUNX3 gene.@*RESULTS@#The network pharmacology analysis showed that ZYHT might inhibit focal adhesion, migration, invasion and metastasis of GC. ZYHT inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of GC cells in vitro via regulating the expression of metastasis-associated targets. Knocking out RUNX3 almost completely reversed the cell phenotypes (migration and invasion) and protein expression levels elicited by ZYHT. In vivo studies showed that ZYHT inhibited the metastasis of GC cells to the lung and prolonged the survival time of the nude mice. Knocking out RUNX3 partly reversed the metastasis of GC cells to the lung and the protein expression levels elicited by ZYHT.@*CONCLUSION@#ZYHT can effectively inhibit the invasion and migration of GC in vitro and in vivo, and its molecular mechanism may relate to the upregulation of RUNX3 expression.

Kang-Ai Injection Inhibits Gastric Cancer Cells Proliferation through IL-6/STAT3 Pathway / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the mechanisms underlying the proliferative inhibition of Chinese herbal medicine Kang-Ai injection (KAI) in gastric cancer cells.@*METHODS@#Gastric cancer cell lines MGC803 and BGC823 were treated by 0, 0.3%, 1%, 3% and 10% KAI for 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively. The cell proliferation was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The apoptosis and cell cycle were evaluated by flow cytometry. Interleukin (IL)-6 mRNA and protein expression levels were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. The protein expression levels of cyclin A, cyclin E, cyclin B1, cyclin D1, p21, retinoblastoma (RB), protein kinase B (AKT), extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK), signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 1 and STAT3 were detected by Western blot.@*RESULTS@#KAI inhibited the proliferation of MGC803 and BGC823 gastric cancer cells in dose- and time-dependent manner. After treated with KAI for 48 h, the proportion of G1 phase was increased, expression level of cyclin D1 and phosphorylation-RB were down-regulated, whereas the expression of p21 was up-regulated (all P<0.01). Furthermore, 48-h treatment with KAI decreased the phosphorylation level of STAT3, inhibited the mRNA and protein expressions of IL-6 (all P<0.01). IL-6 at dose of 10 ng/mL significantly attenuated the proliferative effect of both 3% and 10% KAI, and recovered KAI-inhibited STAT3 phosphorylation and cyclin D1 expression level (all P<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#KAI exerted an anti-proliferative function by inhibiting IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway followed by the induction of G1 phase arrest in gastric cancer cells.

RUNX3 regulates trastuzumab resistance of gastric cancer cells: a metabolomic analysis based on UPLC-Q Exactive Focus Orbitrap mass spectrometry / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the role of Runt-related transcription factor 3 (RUNX3) in metabolic regulation of trastuzumab-resistant gastric cancer cells and investigate the mechanism of RUNX3 knockdown-mediated reversal of trastuzumab resistance.@*METHODS@#We performed a metabolomic analysis of trastuzumab-resistant gastric cancer cells (NCI N87R) and RUNX3 knockdown cells (NCI N87R/RUNX3) using ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled with Q Exactive Focus Orbitrap mass spectrometry (MS). Multivariate combined with univariate analyses and MS/MS ion spectrums were used to screen the differential variables. MetaboAnalyst 5.0 database was employed for pathway enrichment analysis. Differential metabolites-genes regulatory relationships were constructed based on OmicsNet database. The changes in GSH/GSSG and NADPH/NADP ratios in NCI N87R/RUNX3 cells were measured using detection kits.@*RESULTS@#The metabolic profile of NCI N87R cells was significantly altered after RUNX3 knockdown, with 81 differential metabolites identified to contribute significantly to the classification, among which 43 metabolites were increased and 38 were decreased (P < 0.01). In NCI N87R cells, RUNX3 knockdown resulted in noticeable alterations in 8 pathways involving glutamine metabolism, glycolysis, glycerophospholipid, nicotinate-nicotinamide and glutathione metabolism, causing also significant reduction of intracellular GSH/GSSG and NADPH/NADP ratios (P < 0.01). The differential metabolites-genes network revealed a regulatory relationship between the metabolic molecules and genes.@*CONCLUSION@#RUNX3 reverses trastuzumab resistance in gastric cancer cells by regulating energy metabolism and oxidation-reduction homeostasis and may serve as a potential therapeutic target for trastuzumab-resistant gastric cancer.

Association of miR-146a rs2910164 G/C polymorphism with its abnormal expression and risk of gastric cancer / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To assess the influence of rs2910164 G/C single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the miR-146a gene on its expression and susceptibility to gastric cancer.@*METHODS@#Fifty three gastric cancer patients and six gastric cancer cell lines were selected for determining the miR-146a expression by Taqman quantitative PCR. A model was constructed to assess the influence of miR-146a overexpression on the growth of AGS gastric cancer cells. A case-control study involving 417 gastric cancer patients and 420 cancer-free individuals was then conducted, and the allelic and genotypic frequencies of the rs2910164 G/C SNP were compared. The genotypes of all subjects were determined by using a Taqman allelic discrimination assay. A Taqman assay was also used to quantify mature and pri-miR-146a transcripts among 65 gastric cancer patients with known genotypes.@*RESULTS@#The expression of miR-146a was down-regulated among the 53 gastric cancer patients and six gastric cancer cell lines. Over-expression of miR-146a has suppressed the growth of gastric cancer by inhibiting the G1/S-phase transition of AGS cells. The case-control study showed that subjects with GC/CC genotypes had significantly lower risk for gastric cancer compared with those with GG genotype. In addition, miR-146a G/C SNP has significantly increased the level of mature miR-146a in those with GC/CC genotype compared with GG genotype.@*CONCLUSION@#Down-regulation of miR-146a may play an important role in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer. The rs2910164 polymorphism of the miR-146a gene may reduce the risk of gastric cancer by influencing the processing of mature miR-146a.

Molecular mechanism of Ganoderma against gastric cancer based on network pharmacology and experimental test / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to explore the molecular mechanism of Ganoderma against gastric cancer based on network pharmacology, molecular docking, and cell experiment. The active components and targets of Ganoderma were retrieved from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP), and gastric cancer-related targets from GeneCards and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man(OMIM). The protein-protein interaction(PPI) network of the common targets was constructed with STRING, followed by Gene Ontology(GO) term enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis of the common genes based on Bioconductor and R language. The medicinal-disease-component-target network and medicinal-disease-component-target-pathway network were established by Cytoscape. Molecular docking was performed between β-sitosterol(the key component in Ganoderma) and the top 15 targets in the PPI network. Cell experiment was performed to verify the findings. A total of 14 active components and 28 targets of Ganoderma were retrieved, and the medicinal and the disease shared 25 targets, including caspase-3(CASP3), caspase-8(CASP8), caspase-9(CASP9), and B-cell lymphoma-2(BCL2). The common targets involved 72 signaling pathways and apoptosis and p53 signaling pathway may play a crucial role in the effect of Ganoderma against gastric cancer. β-sitosterol had strong binding activity to the top 15 targets in the PPI network. The in vitro cell experiment demonstrated that β-sitosterol inhibited gastric cancer AGS cell proliferation by inducing cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in the S phase, which might be related to the regulation of the p53 pathway. This study shows the multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway characteristics of Ganoderma against gastric cancer, which lays a scientific basis for further research on the molecular mechanism.

NOD1 rs2075820 (p.E266K) polymorphism is associated with gastric cancer among individuals infected with cagPAI-positive H. pylori

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori is detected by pathogen recognition receptors including toll-like receptors (TLR) and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptors, eliciting an innate immune response against this bacteria. The aim of this study was to assess if polymorphisms of TLR2, TLR4, TLR5, NOD1 and NOD2 genes are associated with gastric cancer, in particular in individuals infected with H. pylori. RESULTS: A case-control study of 297 gastric cancer patients and 300 controls was performed to assess the association of 17 polymorphisms. Analyses performed under the allele model did not find association with gastric cancer. However, NOD1 rs2075820 (p.E266K) showed association with intestinal-type gastric cancer among H. pylori infected subjects (OR = 2.69, 95% CI 1.41-5.13, p = 0.0026). The association was not statistically significant in diffuse-type gastric cancer cases (OR = 1.26, 95% CI 0.63-2.52, p = 0.51). When the analyses were performed in patients carrying H. pylori strains harboring the cag pathogenicity island (cagPAI), we noticed significant association with NOD1 rs2075820 (OR = 4.90, 95% CI 1.80-3.36, p = 0.0019), in particular for intestinal-type gastric cancer cases (OR = 7.16, 95% CI 2.40-21.33, p = 4.1 × 10- 4) but not among diffuse-type gastric cancer cases (OR = 3.39, 95% CI 1.13-0.10, p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: NOD1 rs2075820 increases the risk of intestinal-type gastric cancer among individuals infected with H. pylori, particularly in those harboring the cagPAI.

Increased expression of interleukin-6 gene in gastritis and gastric cancer

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) induces an intense inflammatory response, mediated by proinflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-6 and its membrane receptor (IL-6R), which activates important signaling pathways in the development of gastric disease and cancer. We investigated the gene and protein expression of IL-6 and IL-6R and the influence of polymorphisms rs1800795, rs1800796, and rs1800797 on its gene expression together with H. pylori infection. Furthermore, an in-silico analysis was performed to support our results. Gastric biopsies were obtained from patients with gastric symptoms and patients with gastric cancer (GC) and were divided into groups (Control, Gastritis, and Cancer). H. pylori was detected by PCR. Real-time-qPCR was employed to determine gene expression, and western blot assay was used to analyze protein expression levels. PCR-RFLP was used to characterize IL-6 polymorphisms. Bioinformatics analyses were performed using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and GEO2R to screen out differentially expressed genes (DEGs). H. pylori was detected in 43.3% of the samples. Statistically significant differences were found for IL-6 (P=0.0001) and IL-6R (P=0.0005) genes among the three groups, regardless of the presence of H. pylori. Among patients with H. pylori infection, the IL-6 and IL-6R gene and protein expressions were significantly increased, highlighting IL-6 gene overexpression in patients with GC. No statistically significant differences were found for the rs1800795, rs1800796, and rs1800797 polymorphisms compared to IL-6 gene expression. The results indicated that the IL-6 polymorphisms do not influence its expression, but IL-6 and IL-6R expression seems to be altered by the presence of H. pylori.

Long non-coding RNA DLGAP1-AS1 promotes the progression of gastric cancer via miR-515-5p/MARK4 axis

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is an essential regulator of carcinogenesis and cancer progression. In the study, we explored the role of lncRNA DLGAP1-AS1 in gastric cancer (GC). qRT-PCR was carried out to detect DLGAP1-AS1 expression in GC tissues and cell lines. CCK-8 assay, EdU assay, and transwell experiments were employed to detect the malignant biological behaviors of GC cells with DLGAP1-AS1 knockdown or overexpression. Bioinformatics and dual-luciferase report assay were used to confirm the binding relationship between DLGAP1-AS1 and miR-515-5p. MARK4 expression was detected by western blot after DLGAP1-AS1/miR-515-5p was selectively regulated. DLGAP1-AS1 was up-regulated in GC tissues and cell lines, and its high expression was closely associated with larger tumor size, higher TNM stage, and lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, DLGAP1-AS1 overexpression enhanced cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and miR-515-5p could reverse these effects. DLGAP1-AS1 participated in the regulation of the MARK4 signaling pathway by targeting miR-515-5p. DLGAP1-AS1 promoted GC progression through miR-515-5p/MARK4 signaling pathway.

Overexpression of serum extracellular vesicle microRNA-215-5p is associated with early tumor recurrence and poor prognosis of gastric cancer

OBJECTIVES: Extracellular vesicle microRNAs (EV-miRNAs) have been demonstrated to be reliable candidate biomarkers for clinical applications. However, the clinical application potential of serum EV-miR-215-5p for gastric cancer (GC) remains poorly understood. The goal of our study was to determine the efficacy of serum EV-miR-215-5p in predicting the prognosis of GC. METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 118 patients with GC, 60 patients with benign gastric disease and BGD and 70 healthy controls. The relative levels of serum EV-miR-215-5p were measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). RESULTS: Compared to patients with BGD and normal controls, GC patients exhibited remarkably higher serum EV-miR-215-5p level, especially those with early tumor recurrence (ETR). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that serum EV-miR-215-5p was able to distinguish GC patients from BGD patients or healthy controls and GC patients with ETR from those without ETR. In addition, increased serum EV-miR-215-5p levels were notably correlated with invasive depth, TNM stage, and lymph node metastasis. Moreover, serum EV-miR-215-5p levels were greatly decreased after surgical treatment, but increased at the time of ETR. Survival analysis showed that patients with higher serum EV-miR-215-5p had shorter survival. Furthermore, serum EV-miR-215-5p was an independent risk factor for GC. CONCLUSIONS: Serum EV-miR-215-5p might be a novel biomarker for predicting ETR and prognosis of GC.