ThermomiR-377-3p-induced suppression of Cirbp expression is required for effective elimination of cancer cells and cancer stem-like cells by hyperthermia.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the development of adjunctive therapeutic hyperthermia for cancer therapy has received considerable attention. However, the mechanisms underlying hyperthermia resistance are still poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the roles of cold­inducible RNA binding protein (Cirbp) in regulating hyperthermia resistance and underlying mechanisms in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHODS: CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, tumor sphere formation assay, qRT-PCR, Western blot were employed to examine the effects of hyperthermia (HT), HT + oridonin(Ori) or HT + radiotherapy (RT) on the proliferation and stemness of NPC cells. RNA sequencing was applied to gain differentially expressed genes upon hyperthermia. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments were used to evaluate the effects of RNAi-mediated Cirbp silencing or Cirbp overexpression on the sensitivity or resistance of NPC cells and cancer stem-like cells to hyperthermia by CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, tumorsphere formation assay and apoptosis assay, and in subcutaneous xenograft animal model. miRNA transient transfection and luciferase reporter assay were used to demonstrate that Cirbp is a direct target of miR-377-3p. The phosphorylation levels of key members in ATM-Chk2 and ATR-Chk1 pathways were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: Our results firstly revealed that hyperthermia significantly attenuated the stemness of NPC cells, while combination treatment of hyperthermia and oridonin dramatically increased the killing effect on NPC cells and cancer stem cell (CSC)­like population. Moreover, hyperthermia substantially improved the sensitivity of radiation­resistant NPC cells and CSC­like cells to radiotherapy. Hyperthermia noticeably suppressed Cirbp expression in NPC cells and xenograft tumor tissues. Furthermore, Cirbp inhibition remarkably boosted anti­tumor­killing activity of hyperthermia against NPC cells and CSC­like cells, whereas ectopic expression of Cirbp compromised tumor­killing effect of hyperthermia on these cells, indicating that Cirbp overexpression induces hyperthermia resistance. ThermomiR-377-3p improved the sensitivity of NPC cells and CSC­like cells to hyperthermia in vitro by directly suppressing Cirbp expression. More importantly, our results displayed the significantly boosted sensitization of tumor xenografts to hyperthermia by Cirbp silencing in vivo, but ectopic expression of Cirbp almost completely counteracted hyperthermia-mediated tumor cell-killing effect against tumor xenografts in vivo. Mechanistically, Cirbp silencing-induced inhibition of DNA damage repair by inactivating ATM-Chk2 and ATR-Chk1 pathways, decrease in stemness and increase in cell death contributed to hyperthermic sensitization; conversely, Cirbp overexpression-induced promotion of DNA damage repair, increase in stemness and decrease in cell apoptosis contributed to hyperthermia resistance. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these findings reveal a previously unrecognized role for Cirbp in positively regulating hyperthermia resistance and suggest that thermomiR-377-3p and its target gene Cirbp represent promising targets for therapeutic hyperthermia.

Up-regulating of RASD1 and apoptosis of DU-145 human prostate cancer cells induced by formononetin in vitro.

Prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent malignant cancers in men. The isoflavone formononetin is a main active component of red clover plants. In the present study, we assessed the effect of formononetin on human prostate cancer DU-145 cells in vitro, and elucidated possible mechanisms. DU-145 cells were treated with different concentrations of formononetin and cell proliferation was assessed by MTT assay, cell apoptosis by Hoechst 33258 and flow cytometry, and protein levels of RASD1, Bcl-2 and Bax by Western blotting. The results showed that formononetin inhibited the proliferation of DU-145 cells in a dose-dependent manner. DU-145 cells treated with different concentrations of formononetin displayed obvious morphological changes of apoptosis under fluorescence microscopy. In addition, formononetin increased the proportion of early apoptotic DU-145 cells, down-regulated the protein levels of Bcl-2 and up-regulated those of RASD1 and Bax. The level of RASD1 reached its maximum at 48 h post-treatment, and rapidly decreased thereafter. Together, we present evidence that formononetin triggered cell apoptosis through the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway by up-regulating RASD1.

[Clinical research of early intervention of modified shuyu pill in vascular cognitive impairment no dementia].

OBJECTIVE: To observe early intervention effects of Modified Shuyu Pill (MSP) on vascular cognitive impairment no dementia (VCIND). METHODS: Totally 100 patients VCIND were randomly assigned to the treatment group (43 cases) and the control group (33 cases). On the basis of the treatment targeting risk factors of blood vessels, patients in the treatment group were treated by MSP, while those in the control group were treated by donepezil hydrochloride. The therapeutic course was 16 weeks. The neuropsychological scales [mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and Montreal cognitive assessment (MOCA) score] and Chinese medicine dementia syndromes scales were observed before and after treatment. RESULTS: The MMSE and MOCA score of the two groups increased when compared with the same group before treatment (P < 0.01). But there was no statistical difference in MMSE or MOCA score after treatment between the two groups (P > 0.05). The Chinese medicine dementia syndromes scales significantly decreased in the treatment group when compared with before treatment (P < 0.01). But there was no statistical difference in Chinese medicine dementia syndromes scales in the control group between before and after treatment (P > 0.05). There was statistical difference in Chinese medicine dementia syndromes scales after treatment between the two groups (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: MSP could effectively intervene the progress of VCIND.