microRNA-29a regulates liver tumor-initiating cells expansion via Bcl-2 pathway.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) participate in tumorigenesis, progression, recurrence and drug resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, few miRNAs have been identified and entered clinical practice. Herein, we report that miR-29a is downregulated in tumor-initiating cells (T-ICs) and has an important function in liver T-ICs. Functional studies revealed that miR-29a knockdown promotes liver T-ICs self-renewal and tumorigenesis. Conversely, a forced miR-29a expression inhibits liver T-ICs self-renewal and tumorigenesis. Mechanistically, we find that miR-29a downregulates Bcl-2 via binding its mRNA 3'UTR in liver T-ICs. The correlation between miR-29a and Bcl-2 is validated in human HCC tissues. Furthermore, the miR-29a expression determines the responses of hepatoma cells to sorafenib treatment. Analysis of patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) further demonstrated that the miR-29a high patients are more sensitive to sorafenib treatment. In conclusion, our findings revealed the crucial role of the miR-29a in liver T-ICs expansion and sorafenib response, rendering miR-29a as an optimal target for the prevention and intervention of HCC.

Inhibition of allogeneic islet graft rejection by VISTA-conjugated liposome.

The Ig superfamily member V-domain Ig-containing suppressor of T-cell activation (VISTA) is a negative regulator with broad-spectrum activities and has reported that blockade of VISTA or combination with other negative checkpoint receptors sufficiently break tumor tolerance. However, it remains unclear whether VISTA could induce allogeneic T-cell hyporesponsiveness and inhibit allograft rejection. Here we found VISTA treatment significantly inhibited lymphocyte proliferation and activation in allogeneic MLR assay through impairing SYK-VAV pathway. Interestingly, though neither VISTA protein nor VISTA-Fc fusion protein administration exerted satisfactory immunosuppressive effect on allograft survival due to their short half-life in circulation, this problem was solved by conjugating VISTA protein on liposome by biotin-streptavidin system, which markedly prolonged its circulating half-life to 60 h. With islet transplant model, administration of VISTA-conjugated liposome could markedly prolong allograft survival by inhibition of SYK-VAV pathway, thus maintained the normal blood glucose level of recipients during treatment period. The results indicate VISTA is a promising therapeutic target to treat allograft rejection of islet transplantation.

MiR-942-3p Promotes the Proliferation and Invasion of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells by Targeting MBL2.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a subgroup of small noncoding RNAs, play critical roles in tumor growth and metastasis. Accumulating evidence shows that the dysregulation of miRNAs is associated with the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the molecular mechanism by which miR-942-3p contributes to HCC remains undocumented. The association between miR-942-3p expression and the clinicopathological characteristics in HCC patients was analyzed by The Cancer Genome Atlas data set. The targets of miR-942-3p were identified by bioinformatic analysis and dual luciferase report assay. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and Transwell assays were performed to assess the functional role of miR-942-3p in HCC cells. Consequently, we found that miR-942-3p expression level was elevated in HCC tissues and cell lines as compared with the normal tissues and was associated with the pathological stage and tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage, acting as an independent prognostic factor of poor survival in patients with HCC. Ectopic expression of miR-942-3p enhanced the proliferation and invasive potential of HCC cells, but inhibition of miR-942-3p expression had the opposite effects. Mannose-binding lectin 2 (MBL2) was further identified as a direct target of miR-942-3p and possessed a negative correlation with miR-942-3p expression and unfavorable survival in patients with HCC. Restoration of MBL2 inhibited the progression of HCC cells and attenuated the tumor-promoting effects induced by miR-942-3p. In conclusion, miR-942-3p may act as an oncogenic factor in HCC cells by targeting MBL2 and provide a potential marker for patients with HCC.

lncRNA SNHG8 Promotes the Tumorigenesis and Metastasis by Sponging miR-149-5p and Predicts Tumor Recurrence in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are aberrantly expressed in multiple malignant tumors involved in tumor growth and metastasis. Accumulating data show that small nucleolar RNA host gene (SNHG) 1/12/20 plays a key role in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the molecular mechanisms by which SNHG8 contributes to HCC remain elusive and merit exploration. METHODS: The association between SNHG8 expression and the clinicopathological characteristics and prognoses in HCC patients was analysed by using qRT-PCR analysis and the data from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Cell growth and metastatic potential were determined by MTT, colony formation, Transwell assays, and the mouse xenograft tumor model and lung metastasis model. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers were detected by western blot analysis. The binding capacity of SNHG8 with miRNAs was evidenced by bioinformatic analysis and a luciferase reporter assay. In addition, the rescue experiments were performed based on co-transfection with sh-SNHG8 and a miR-149 inhibitor in HCC cells. RESULTS: The expression levels of lncRNA SNHG8 were dramatically increased in HCC tissues and cell lines as compared with the adjacent normal tissues, and SNHG8 expression was an independent prognostic factor of tumor recurrence in HCC patients. Furthermore, knockdown of SNHG8 inhibited cell proliferation, invasion, and lung metastasis in vitro and in vivo, whereas overexpression of SNHG8 reversed these effects. SNHG8 acted as a sponge of miR-149 and counteracted the tumor suppressive effects of mi R-149 in HCC cells. Expression of phosphatase, Mg2+/Mn2+ dependent 1F, a target of R-149, displayed a negative correlation with miR-149 expression but a positive correlation with SNHG8 expression in HCC specimens. CONCLUSION: As lncRNA SNHG8 may promote HCC tumorigenesis and metastasis by sponging miR-149, it is a potential candidate marker and therapeutic target for HCC.

MicroRNA-500a Promotes the Progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Post-Transcriptionally Targeting BID.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common human malignant diseases in the world, and the mechanisms underlying HCC carcinogenesis and progression need further investigation. MicroRNAs play important roles in the development of cancer, and miR-500a is suggested to be deregulated in some types of cancer. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of miR-500a in HCC remain unknown. METHODS: The expression of miR-500a in HCC was analyzed in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and examined in 33 pairs of HCC tissues and matched nontumor tissues. The correlation between miR-500a expression and prognosis of HCC patients was analyzed from the survival data in TCGA. The mechanism of miR-500a upregulation in HCC was detected using chromatin immunoprecipitation-quantitative real-time PCR. The roles of miR-500a in HCC development were examined using a cell counting kit-8 assay in vitro and growth of transplanted tumors in nude mice in vivo. Apoptosis of HCC was detected using Annexin V/propidium iodide staining. The expression of BH3-interacting death agonist (BID) protein was examined using western blot analysis. RESULTS: miR-500a expression was upregulated in HCC tissues, and high miR-500a expression was significantly correlated with the poor prognosis of HCC patients. Histone modifications in the promoter region of miR-500a may be responsible for its increased expression. Inhibition of miR-500a in HCC cell lines significantly promoted apoptosis, as well as inhibiting the proliferation of HCC cells and growth of transplanted tumors in nude mice. miR-500a directly targeted the 3' untranslated region of BID mRNA, and inhibition of miR-500a-promoted apoptosis was almost completely abolished by the administration of ABT-199 via the BID-mitochondria pathway. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that histone modifications in the promoter region of miR-500a may be responsible for the increased expression of miR-500a in HCC, which promotes cancer progression by targeting BID, indicating that miR-500a may be a potential prognostic predictor and therapeutic target for HCC patients.

Hepatic IFIT3 predicts interferon-α therapeutic response in patients of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Adjuvant interferon-α (IFN-α) therapy is used to control certain types of cancer in clinics. For hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), IFN-α therapy is effective in only a subgroup of patients; therefore, identifying biomarkers to predict the response to IFN-α therapy is of high significance and clinical utility. As the induced IFN-stimulated gene expression following IFN-α treatment plays pivotal roles in IFN-α effects, we screened IFN-stimulated gene expression in HCC tissues and found that several IFN-stimulated genes were significantly decreased in HCC. Interestingly, expression of IFN-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats (IFIT) family members, including IFIT1, IFIT2, IFIT3, and IFIT5, was decreased in HCC tissues. We further analyzed the expression of IFIT family members in HCC and their roles in patients' responses to IFN-α therapy in two independent randomized controlled IFN-α therapy clinical trials of HCC patients. We found that higher expression of IFIT3, but not other IFITs, in HCC tissues predicts better response to IFN-α therapy, suggesting that IFIT3 may be a useful predictor of the response to IFN-α therapy in HCC patients. Mechanistically, IFIT3 enhanced the antitumor effects of IFN-α by promoting IFN-α effector responses both in vitro and in vivo. IFIT3 could bind signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) and STAT2 to enhance STAT1-STAT2 heterodimerization and nuclear translocation upon IFN-α treatment, thus promoting IFN-α effector signaling. CONCLUSION: Higher IFIT3 expression in HCC tissues predicts better response to IFN-α therapy in HCC patients; IFIT3 promotes IFN-α effector responses and therapeutic effects by strengthening IFN-α effector signaling in HCC. (Hepatology 2017;66:152-166).

Excessive intraoperative blood loss independently predicts recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have investigated the effect of intraoperative blood loss (IBL) on recurrence of tumors. However, the independent effect of IBL on oncological outcome after liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. METHODS: A total of 479 patients who underwent LT for HCC from January 2001 to December 2012 at our institution were enrolled in this retrospective study. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression methods were used to assess the recurrence rate, as well as its risk factors. Stratified analysis was performed to further examine the effect of IBL on HCC recurrence according to different characteristics of tumors. We also investigated the independent risk factors for excessive IBL using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 28 months (range, 1-131 months). Kaplan-Meier analysis with the log-rank test according to IBL at per liter intervals showed that IBL > 4 L was significantly associated with a higher recurrence rate (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified that IBL > 4 L (P < 0.001; hazard ratio [HR] = 2.32, 95 % confidence interval [CI] = 1.60-3.36) was an independent risk factor for post-LT HCC recurrence, as well as age < 60 years, exceeding Milan criteria, α-fetoprotein levels > 400 ng/mL, and micro- and macrovascular invasion. IBL > 4 L (P < 0.001; HR = 2.45, 95 % CI = 1.64-3.66) was also independently associated with early (within 1 year) recurrence after LT. Furthermore, a significant correlation between IBL > 4 L and vascular invasion (P = 0.019) was found. IBL > 4 L was independently associated with HCC recurrence for patients with vascular invasion, but not for patients without vascular invasion. Finally, we found that the presence of ascites, model for end-stage liver disease score, and operation time were independent risk factors for IBL > 4 L. CONCLUSIONS: Excessive IBL is an independent predictor of HCC recurrence after LT, especially in patients with vascular invasion.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: pathogenesis and models.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a complex disease characterized by a massive accumulation of lipids in the liver, with a continuous progression of simple steatosis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome; it is a severe public health risk and is currently the most common liver disease of the world. In addition to the fatty infiltration of the liver in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients, the field of liver transplantation faces similar obstacles. NAFLD and NASH primarily involve lipotoxicity, inflammation, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance. However, the precise mechanisms and treatments remain unclear. Therapeutic approaches encompass exercise, weight control, as well as treatments targeting antioxidants and anti-inflammatory pathways. The role of animal models in research has become crucial as a key tool to explore the molecular mechanisms and potential treatments for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Here, we summarized the current understanding of the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and discussed animal models commonly used in recent years.

Dichotomous roles of ADAR1 in liver hepatocellular carcinoma and kidney renal cell carcinoma: Unraveling the complex tumor microenvironment and prognostic significance.

BACKGROUND: Adenosine deaminase acting on RNA 1 (ADAR1) is an RNA-editing enzyme that significantly impacts cancer progression and various biological processes. The expression of ADAR1 mRNA has been examined in multiple cancer types using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, revealing distinct patterns in kidney chromophobe (KICH), kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma (KIRP), and liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) compared to normal controls. However, the reasons for these differential expressions remain unclear. METHODS: In this study, we performed RT-PCR and western blotting (WB) to validate ADAR1 expression patterns in clinical tissue samples. Survival analysis and immune microenvironment analysis (including immune score and stromal score) were conducted using TCGA data to determine the specific cell types associated with ADAR1, as well as the key genes in those cell types. The relationship between ADAR1 and specific cell types' key genes was verified by immunohistochemistry (IHC), using clinical liver and kidney cancer samples. RESULTS: Our validation analysis revealed that ADAR1 expression was downregulated in KICH, KIRC, and KIRP, while upregulated in LIHC compared to normal tissues. Notably, a significant correlation was found between ADAR1 mRNA expression and patient prognosis, particularly in KIRC, KIRP, and LIHC. Interestingly, we observed a positive correlation between ADAR1 expression and stromal scores in KIRC, whereas a negative correlation was observed in LIHC. Cell type analysis highlighted distinct relationships between ADAR1 expression and the two stromal cell types, blood endothelial cells (BECs) and lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs), and further determined the signature gene claudin-5 (CLDN5), in KIRC and LIHC. Moreover, ADAR1 was inversely related with CLDN5 in KIRC (n = 26) and LIHC (n = 30) samples, verified via IHC. CONCLUSIONS: ADAR1 plays contrasting roles in LIHC and KIRC, associated with the enrichment of BECs and LECs within tumors. This study sheds light on the significant roles of stromal cells within the complex tumor microenvironment (TME) and provides new insights for future research in tumor immunotherapy and precision medicine.

MicroRNA-99a inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma growth and correlates with prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

In our in-depth analysis carried out by the Illumina Solexa massive parallel signature sequencing, microRNA-99a (miR-99a) was found to be the sixth abundant microRNA in the miRNome of normal human liver but was markedly down-regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Compelling evidence has suggested the important roles of microRNAs in HCC development. However, the biological function of miR-99a deregulation in HCC remains unknown. In this study, we found that miR-99a was remarkably decreased in HCC tissues and cell lines. Importantly, lower miR-99a expression in HCC tissues significantly correlated with shorter survival of HCC patients, and miR-99a was identified to be an independent predictor for the prognosis of HCC patients. Furthermore, restoration of miR-99a dramatically suppressed HCC cell growth in vitro by inducing the G(1) phase cell cycle arrest. Intratumoral injection of cholesterol-conjugated miR-99a mimics significantly inhibited tumor growth and reduced the α-fetoprotein level in HCC-bearing nude mice. Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) were further characterized as the direct targets of miR-99a. Furthermore, protein levels of IGF-1R and mTOR were found to be inversely correlated with miR-99a expression in HCC tissues. miR-99a mimics inhibited IGF-1R and mTOR pathways and subsequently suppressed expression of cell cycle-related proteins, including cyclin D1 in HCC cells. Conclusively, miR-99a expression was frequently down-regulated in HCC tissues and correlates with the prognosis of HCC patients, thus proposing miR-99a as a prospective prognosis predictor of HCC. miR-99a suppresses HCC growth by inducing cell cycle arrest, suggesting miR-99a as potential tumor suppressor for HCC therapeutics.

A study about drug combination therapy of Schisandra sphenanthera extract and Rapamycin in healthy subjects.

To assess the effect of the drug combination of Schisandra sphenanthera extract (SchE) and Rapamycin (RAPA), 18 healthy subjects were given oral treatments of RAPA alone and with SchE. Pharmacokinetic investigations and indexes of hepatic and renal functions, as well as other indices of oral RAPA administration (2 mg), were performed both before and after the SchE treatment period. Whole-blood RAPA concentrations were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The research found that the mean whole-blood RAPA AUC(0-∞), C(max), and t(max) increased almost 2-, 2.1-, and 1.3-fold, respectively, and CL/F (-38.0%) decreased almost 1.6-fold in these subjects when RAPA was administered with SchE compared with oral RAPA administered alone. The results of this study proved that SchE can increase the oral bioavailability of RAPA and will add important information to the interaction area between drugs and herbal products.

Immunotherapy in liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma: Pros and cons.

Liver transplantation (LT) has emerged as a curative strategy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but contributes to a higher predisposition to HCC recurrence in the immunosuppression context, especially for tumors beyond the Milan criteria. Although immunotherapy has dramatically improved survival for immunocompetent patients and has become the standard of care for a variety of tumors, including HCC, it is mainly used outside the scope of organ transplantation owing to potentially fatal allograft rejection. Nevertheless, accumulative evidence has expanded the therapeutic paradigms of immunotherapy for HCC, from downstaging or bridging management in the pretransplant setting to the salvage or adjuvant strategy in the posttransplant setting. Generally, immunotherapy mainly includes immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), adoptive cell transfer (ACT) and vaccine therapy. ICIs, followed by ACT, have been most investigated in LT, with some promising results. Because of the complex tumor microenvironment and immunoreactivity when immunosuppressants are combined with immunotherapy, it is difficult to reach formulations for immunosuppressant adjustment and the optimal selection of immunotherapy as well as patients. In addition, the absence of effective biomarkers for identifying rejection and tumor response is still an unresolved barrier to successful clinical immunotherapy applications for LT. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the available evidence of immunotherapy used in LT that is specific to HCC. Moreover, we discuss clinically concerning issues regarding the concurrent goals of graft protection and antitumor response.

A Pan-Cancer Analysis of UBE2S in Tumorigenesis, Prognosis, Pathway, Immune Infiltration and Evasion, and Therapy Response from an Immune-Oncology Perspective.

Background: Ubiquitin conjugating enzyme E2S (UBE2S), a member of the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme family, is known to play a pivotal role in tumorigenesis and progression in some tumor types. However, whether UBE2S plays an irreplaceable role in the immune-oncology context of tumorigenesis, prognosis, pathogenesis, immune regulation, and therapeutic response through certain common molecular mechanisms remains to be defined. The present pan-cancer study was intended to decipher the landscape of UBE2S in pathologic, immunological, and therapeutic aspects across various cancers. Methods: Data used for UBE2S analysis were obtained from TCGA database. The pan-cancer analysis was mainly focused on the expression patterns, prognostic values, mutation landscapes, biological pathways, tumor microenvironment remodeling, and therapeutic resistance of UBE2S using multiple databases including cBioPortal, Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) database, Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA). External experimental validation was conducted to delineate the association of UBE2S with tumor phenotypes through assays of proliferation, colony formation, and migration. Data processing, statistical analysis, and plotting were performed using R software and GraphPad Prism software. Results: UBE2S was aberrantly expressed in almost all human cancers, and elevated UBE2S expression was unfavorably associated with the clinical pathological stage and prognosis. DNA methylation and RNA modification were significantly correlated with the UBE2S expression level. The results of enrichment analysis revealed that UBE2S positively regulated MYC, G2M cell cycle, and DNA repair pathways and negatively regulated adipogenesis, fatty acid metabolism, and heme metabolism. In addition, UBE2S exhibited a significantly positive correlation with myeloid-derived suppressor cell MDSC and Th2 subsets in almost all tumors analyzed. UBE2S could confer immune evasion via coexpressed immunoinhibitors and T cell exhaustion. Notably, a higher UBE2S expression indicated a higher level of stemness, TMB, MSI, and MMR deficiency and DNA methyltransferases, as well as chemotherapeutic resistance in various cancers. Notably, in vitro functional validation showed that UBE2S knockdown attenuated the phenotypes of proliferation, clonogenicity, and migration in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Conclusions: Our study provided meaningful clues to support UBE2S as an immune-oncogenic molecule and shed light on potential applications of UBE2S in cancer detection, prognostic prediction, and therapeutic response assessment.

A cellular senescence-related classifier based on a tumorigenesis- and immune infiltration-guided strategy can predict prognosis, immunotherapy response, and candidate drugs in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Cellular senescence plays an irreplaceable role in tumorigenesis, progression, and tumor microenvironment (TME) remodeling. However, to date, there is limited research delineating the landscape of cellular senescence in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and an improved understanding on the interaction of tumor-associated cellular senescence with HCC prognosis, TME, and response to immunotherapy is warrant. Methods: Tumorigenic and immune infiltration-associated senescence genes were determined by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and the Estimation of STromal and Immune cells in MAlignant Tumor tissues using Expression data (ESTIMATE) algorithm, and subsequently, a prognostic scoring model (named TIS) was constructed using multiple survival analysis algorithms to classify the senescence-related subtypes of HCC. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and gene set variation analysis (GSVA) were conducted to identify the distinct hallmark pathways between high- and low-risk subtypes. Additionally, we carried out correlation analyses for TIS and clinical traits, senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), immune infiltration and evasion, immune checkpoint factors, drug response, and immunotherapeutic efficacy. External experimental validation was conducted to delineate the association of CPEP3 (a TIS gene) with HCC phenotypes through assays of proliferation, colony formation, and invasion. Results: A five-gene TIS, composed of NET1, ATP6V0B, MMP1, GTDC1, and CPEB3, was constructed and validated using TCGA and ICGC datasets, respectively, and showed a highly robust and plausible signature for overall survival (OS) prediction of HCC in both training and validation cohorts. Patients in the TIS-high group were accompanied by worse OS, activation of carcinogenetic pathways, infiltration of immunosuppressive cells, exclusion of effector killing cells, overexpression of immunomodulatory genes and SASP, and unsatisfied response to immunotherapy. In response to anticancer drugs, patients in the TIS-high group exhibited enhanced susceptibility to several conventional chemotherapeutic agents (5-fluorouracil, docetaxel, doxorubicin, gemcitabine, and etoposide), as well as several inhibitors of pathways involved in cellular senescence (cell-cycle inhibitors, bromodomain and extraterminal domain family (BET) inhibitors, PI3K-AKT pathway inhibitors, and multikinase inhibitors). Additionally, four putative drugs (palbociclib, JAK3 inhibitor VI, floxuridine, and lestaurtinib) were identified as potential compounds for patients in the TIS-high group. Notably, in vitro functional validation showed that CPEB3 knockdown boosted the phenotypes of proliferation, clonogenicity, and invasion in HCC cells, whereas CPEB3 overexpression attenuated these phenotypes. Conclusions: Our study provides comprehensive clues demonstrating the role of novel TIS in predicting HCC prognosis, immunotherapeutic response, and candidate drugs. This work highlights the significance of tumorigenesis- and immune infiltration-related cellular senescence in cancer therapy.

Influence of Three-Dimensional Visual Reconstruction Technology Combined with Virtual Surgical Planning of CTA Images on Precise Resection of Liver Cancer in Hepatobiliary Surgery.

Hepatobiliary malignancies, such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and biliary tract cancers, namely, gallbladder carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma, are linked to a high rate of morbidity and mortality, depending on the phase of the disease. The intricate hepatobiliary anatomy and the need for accurate peroperative management, especially in patients with advanced liver disease, make these tumors difficult to treat. Surgical resection is a notable therapy for hepatobiliary cancers. Unnecessary or excessive liver excision influences patient rehabilitation, normal liver function, and postoperative complications. Hepatobiliary operations must therefore include accurate liver removal. The present advancements in imaging technology are aimed at improving the diagnostic efficacy of liver injury even more. Three-dimensional visual reconstruction is becoming more important in the diagnosis as well as treatment of a variety of disorders. In this paper, we proposed a novel three-dimensional visual reconstruction technology using enhanced nonuniform rational basis spline (ENURBS) combined with virtual surgical planning of Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) images for precise liver cancer resection. The purpose of this project is to rebuild 2D CTA scan images of liver cancer into a 3D reconstructed model for efficient visualization and diagnosis of liver cancer and to prepare an effective preoperative surgical plan for precise liver excision based on a 3D recreated liver model. This method's performance is compared to that of 2D planning in terms of accuracy and time taken to complete the plan. It is concluded that our proposed technique outperforms the planning technique based on 2D images.

Hepatic Ischemia-reperfusion Injury in Mice was Alleviated by Rac1 Inhibition - More Than Just ROS-inhibition.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production has proven an effective way for alleviating oxidative stress during ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Moreover, inhibition of Rac1 could reduce ROS production and prevent oxidative stress injury. Previous studies have suggested a positive interactivation feedback loop between Rac1 and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α, the latter being up-regulated early during ischemia. The positive inter-activation between Rac1 and HIF-1α would aggravate ROS production, thereby promoting IRI. This study was designed to verify the effects of Rac1 inhibition on hepatic IRI both at animal and cellular levels and to explore the interaction between Rac1 and HIF-1α during hepatic IRI. METHODS: C57B/6 mice and AML-12 cells were used for the construction of hepatic IRI animal and cell models. Rac1 inhibition was achieved by NSC23766 (a specific Rac1 inhibitor). Lentiviral vectors were used for Rac1 knockdown. At designated time points, serum and liver tissues were collected from the mice and treated cells were collected for further analysis. RESULTS: NSC23766 treatment significantly alleviated the hepatic IRI in mice, manifesting as lower vacuolation score and less apoptosis cells, lower ROS and serum/liver alanine aminotransferase/aspartate aminotransferase levels, and fewer activated inflammatory cells. IRI of AML-12 was also alleviated by 50 µM NSC23766 or Rac1-knockdown, manifesting as reduced cell apoptosis, less extensive interruption of mitochondrial membrane potential, down-regulation of apoptosis, and effects on DNA damage-related proteins. Interestingly, Rac1 knockdown also down-regulated the expression level of HIF-1α. CONCLUSIONS: Our study supports a protective effect of Rac1 inhibition on hepatic IRI. Aside from the classic topics of reducing ROS production and oxidative stress, our study showed an interaction between Rac1 and HIF-1α signaling during hepatic IRI.

Complement C3 deficiency prevent against the onset of streptozotocin-induced autoimmune diabetes involving expansion of regulatory T cells.

Recent studies have demonstrated that complement contributes to the development of autoimmune diabetes. However, the mechanisms remain unknown. Herein, using a model of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes, we found the presence of immune tolerance to self islet in complement C3-deficient mice after STZ. Higher number of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) with characteristics of expressing Foxp3 was observed in C3-/- mice. These C3-/- Tregs exhibited enhanced suppressive capacity to effector cell proliferation. The central role of Tregs was further evidenced by that depleting these cells using anti-CD25 antibody dramatically abrogated the preventive effects of C3 deficiency on STZ-induced diabetes. Importantly, transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) was a key factor for Treg-mediated immune suppression as blocking TGF-ß activity reversed suppressive capacity of Tregs in vitro and diabetes-resistant effects of C3 deficiency in vivo. These findings suggest that resistance to overt diabetes in STZ-treated C3-/- mice involves a population of Tregs in TGF-ß-dependent manner.