Association Between Serum Vitamins and the Risk of Alzheimer's Disease in Chinese Population.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic and fatal neurodegenerative disease; accumulating evidence suggests that vitamin deficiency is associated with the risk of AD. However, studies attempting to elucidate the relationship between vitamins and AD varied widely. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum vitamin levels and AD in a cohort of the Chinese population. METHODS: A total of 368 AD patients and 574 healthy controls were recruited in this study; serum vitamin A, B1, B6, B9, B12, C, D, and E were measured in all participants. RESULTS: Compared with the controls, vitamin B2, B9, B12, D, and E were significantly reduced in AD patients. Lower levels of vitamin B2, B9, B12, D, and E were associated with the risk of AD. After adjusting for age and gender, low levels of vitamin B2, B9, and B12 were still related to the risk of AD. In addition, a negative correlation was determined between vitamin E concentration and Activity of Daily Living Scale score while no significant association was found between serum vitamins and age at onset, disease duration, Mini-Mental State Examination, and Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire score. CONCLUSION: We conclude that lower vitamin B2, B9, B12, D, and E might be associated with the risk of AD, especially vitamin B2, B9, and B12. And lower vitamin E might be related to severe ability impairment of daily activities.

Influence of Tumor Immune Infiltration on Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapeutic Efficacy: A Computational Retrospective Study.

The tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) is likely an important determinant of sensitivity to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment. However, a comprehensive analysis covering the complexity and diversity of the TIME and its influence on ICI therapeutic efficacy is still lacking. Data from 782 samples from 10 ICI clinical trials were collected. To infer the infiltration of 22 subsets of immune cells, CIBERSORTx was applied to the bulk tumor transcriptomes. The associations between each cell fraction and the response to ICI treatment, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated, modeling cellular proportions as quartiles. Activity of the interferon-γ pathway, the cytolytic activity score and the MHC score were associated with good prognosis in melanoma. Of the immune cells investigated, M1 macrophages, activated memory CD4+ T cells, T follicular helper (Tfh) cells and CD8+ T cells correlated with response and prolonged PFS and OS, while resting memory CD4+ T cells was associated with unfavorable prognosis in melanoma and urothelial cancer. Consensus clustering revealed four immune subgroups with distinct responses to ICI therapy and survival patterns. The cluster with high proportions of infiltrated CD8+ T cells, activated memory CD4+ T cells, and Tfh cells and low levels of resting memory CD4+ T cells exhibited a higher tumor mutation burden and neoantigen load in melanoma and conferred a higher probability of response and improved survival. Local systemic immune cellular differences were associated with outcomes after ICI therapy. Further investigations of the tumor-infiltrating cellular immune response will lay the foundation for achieving durable efficacy.

Nitrogen-containing flavonoid and their analogs with diverse B-ring in acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition.

In this study, a series of new flavones (2-phenyl-chromone), 2-naphthyl chromone, 2-anthryl-chromone, or 2-biphenyl-chromone derivatives containing 6 or 7-substituted tertiary amine side chain were designed, synthesized, and evaluated in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibition. The results indicated that the alteration of aromatic ring connecting to chromone scaffold brings about a significant impact on biological activity. Compared with flavones, the inhibitory activity of 2-naphthyl chromone, 2-anthryl-chromone derivatives against AChE significantly decreased, while that of 2-biphenyl chromone derivatives with 7-substituted tertiary amine side chain is better than relative flavones derivatives. For all new synthesized compounds, the position of tertiary amine side chain obviously influenced the activity of inhibiting AChE. The results above provide great worthy information for the further development of new AChE inhibitors. Among the newly synthesized compounds, compound 5a is potent in AChE inhibition (IC50 = 1.29 ± 0.10 µmol/L) with high selectivity for AChE over BChE (selectivity ratio: 27.96). An enzyme kinetic study of compound 5a suggests that it produces a mixed-type inhibitory effect against AChE.

Correction: miR-377 induces senescence in human skin fibroblasts by targeting DNA methyltransferase 1.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Hsa_circ_0001946 Inhibits Lung Cancer Progression and Mediates Cisplatin Sensitivity in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer via the Nucleotide Excision Repair Signaling Pathway.

Background: Despite great advances in the diagnosis and treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), early diagnosis remains a challenge because patients usually have advanced lung cancer at the time they are diagnosed. The limited efficacy of conventional chemotherapy is another major problem in the treatment of NSCLC. Based on a published set of sequencing data, we find that hsa_circ_0001946 is a circRNA molecule with a significantly different expression level in three cell lines (human normal lung fibroblasts cell line MRC-5, human NSCLC cell line A549, cisplatin-resistant cell line A549/DDP), NSCLC tissues and paired adjacent normal tissues. We believe that hsa_circ_0001946 may have an effect on the progression of NSCLC and its sensitivity to cisplatin. Methods: We focused on investigating the circular RNA, hsa_circ_0001946. RNA interference of hsa_circ_0001946 was carried out in A549 cell lines to determine the effect of reduced hsa_circ_0001946 expression on lung cancer progression and was analyzed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), 5-ethynyl-20-deoxyuridine, clone formation, Hoechst, wound healing, and transwell assays. The nucleotide excision repair (NER) signaling pathway was identified by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Moreover, cellular responses to cisplatin were assessed through CCK-8 and flow cytometry assays. Western blot analysis and host-cell reactivation assay were used to determine the effect of hsa_circ_0001946 on NER signaling. Results: In this study, we found that the reduced expression of hsa_circ_0001946 promoted the viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells, as well as inhibition of cell apoptosis. Our findings suggest that hsa_circ_0001946 can affect the sensitivity of NSCLC cells to the chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin via modulation of the NER signaling pathway. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated the role of hsa_circ_0001946 in NSCLC pathogenesis, development, and chemosensitivity, and suggests that hsa_circ_0001946 may serve as a novel biomarker for the diagnosis and prediction of platinum-based chemosensitivity in patients with NSCLC.

Structure-activity study of fluorine or chlorine-substituted cinnamic acid derivatives with tertiary amine side chain in acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition.

In this study, a series of new fluorine or chlorine-substituted cinnamic acid derivatives that contain tertiary amine side chain were designed, synthesized, and evaluated in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibition. The results show that almost all the derivatives containing tertiary amine side chain (compounds 4a-9d) exhibit moderate or potent activity in AChE inhibition. By contrast, their parent compounds (compounds 3a-3f) in the absence of tertiary amine moitery exhibit poor inhibitory activity against AChE. For the compounds containing pyrroline or piperidine side chain, the bioactivity in AChE inhibition is much intense than those containing N,N-diethylamino side chain. The chlorine or fluorine substituted position produces a significant effect on the bioactivity and selectivity in AChE inhibition. Most of the compounds that contain para-substituted fluorine or chlorine exhibit potent activity against AChE and poor activity against BChE, while ortho-substituted analogs show the opposite effect. It is worth noticing that the compounds containing N,N-diethylamino side chain are exceptions to this pattern. Among the newly synthesized compounds, compounds 6d are the most potent in AChE inhibition (IC50 = 1.11 ± 0.08 µmol/L) with high selectivity for AChE over BChE (selectivity ratio: 46.58). An enzyme kinetic study of compounds 6d suggests it produces a mixed-type inhibitory effect in AChE.

Polymorphisms in IGF2/H19 gene locus are associated with platinum-based chemotherapeutic response in Chinese patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.

AIM: The present study aimed to assess the association between IGF2/H19 genetic variants and susceptibility to platinum-based chemotherapy in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). METHODS: A total of 43 platinum-resistant (PR) and 138 platinum-sensitive (PS) EOC patients were recruited in our study. 21 polymorphisms in IGF2/H19 locus were genotyped by Sequenom MassARRAY assay. RESULTS: The frequencies of GG genotype in both rs3842761(C/G) and rs4244809(A/G) were significantly lower in PR group compared with those in PS group (9.76 vs 23.36%, p = 0.049; 9.76 vs 26.09%, p = 0.045; respectively). Compared with the AA genotype, rs4244809 GG genotype was associated with significantly reduced risk of platinum resistance (adjusted OR: 0.30; 95% CI: 0.10-0.91; p = 0.033). Further stratified analyses revealed that the SNPs of rs3842761 and rs4244809 were greatly related to PR risk in FIGO stage III-IV (rs3842761GG/CC+CG: adjusted OR: 0.15; 95% CI: 0.02-1.21; rs4244809 GG/AA+AG: adjusted OR: 0.24; 95% CI: 0.07-0.84; respectively) and serous adenocarcinoma subgroups (rs3842761 GG/CC+CG: adjusted OR: 0.21; 95% CI: 0.05-0.94; rs4244809 GG/AA+AG: adjusted OR: 0.19; 95% CI: 0.04-0.5; respectively), while rs7924316 polymorphism was associated with reduced risk of PR in serous adenocarcinoma subgroup as analyzed by a recessive model (rs7924316 GG/TT+TG: adjusted OR: 0.22; 95% CI: 0.05-0.98). In addition, both TCT haplotypes of rs3741206/rs3842761/rs7924316 and TC haplotype of rs3741206/rs3842761 were associated with elevated risk of PR (for the TCT haplotype of rs3741206/rs3842761/rs7924316: p = 0.049; OR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.00-2.87; for the TC haplotype of rs3741206/rs3842761: p = 0.044; OR: 1.71; 95% CI: 1.01-2.88). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that polymorphisms in IGF2/H19 gene locus are associated with PR risk in EOC.

Genetic labeling reveals temporal and spatial expression pattern of D2 dopamine receptor in rat forebrain.

The D2 dopamine receptor (Drd2) is implicated in several brain disorders such as schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, and drug addiction. Drd2 is also the primary target of both antipsychotics and Parkinson's disease medications. Although the expression pattern of Drd2 is relatively well known in mouse brain, the temporal and spatial distribution of Drd2 is lesser clear in rat brain due to the lack of Drd2 reporter rat lines. Here, we used CRISPR/Cas9 techniques to generate two knockin rat lines: Drd2::Cre and Rosa26::loxp-stop-loxp-tdTomato. By crossing these two lines, we produced Drd2 reporter rats expressing the fluorescence protein tdTomato under the control of the endogenous Drd2 promoter. Using fluorescence imaging and unbiased stereology, we revealed the cellular expression pattern of Drd2 in adult and postnatal rat forebrain. Strikingly, the Drd2 expression pattern differs between Drd2 reporter rats and Drd2 reporter mice generated by BAC transgene in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. These results provide fundamental information needed for the study of Drd2 function in rat forebrain. The Drd2::Cre rats generated here may represent a useful tool to study the function of neuronal populations expressing Drd2.

Gene-gene and gene-environment interaction data for platinum-based chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer.

Gene-gene (GXG) and gene-environment (GXE) interactions play important roles in pharmacogenetics study. Simultaneously incorporating multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and clinical factors is needed to explore the association of their interactions with drug response and toxicity phenotypes. We genotyped 504 SNPs in a total of 490 Chinese non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, and the correlation of GXG and GXE interactions with platinum-based chemotherapeutic efficacy and safety were analyzed. In this data descriptor, we shared our data set which could help others to reuse them. All kinds of file types needed for GXG and GXE analysis were supplied. The process of genotyping and data analysis was also introduced step by step.

Delayed cognitive deficits can be alleviated by calcium antagonist nimodipine by downregulation of apoptosis following whole brain radiotherapy.

Radiation therapy is important for the comprehensive treatment of intracranial tumors. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of delayed cognitive dysfunction are not well-defined and effective treatments or prevention measures remain insufficient. In the present study, 60 adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups, which included a control, whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) (single dose of 30 Gy of WBRT) and nimodipine (single dose of 30 Gy of WBRT followed by nimodipine injection intraperitoneally) groups. The rats were sacrificed 7 days or 3 months following irradiation. At 3 months, the Morris water maze test was used to assess spatial learning and memory function in rats. The results demonstrated that the WBRT group demonstrated a significantly impaired cognitive performance, decreased numbers of hippocampal Cornu Ammonis (CA)1 neurons and upregulated expression of caspase-3 in the dentate gyrus compared with those in the control and nimodipine groups. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis demonstrated that the WBRT group exhibited increased ratio of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)-associated X protein (Bax)/Bcl-2 compared with that in control and nimodipine groups on day 7 following irradiation. However, the WBRT group exhibited decreased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) compared with that in control and nimodipine groups at 3 months following brain irradiation. The levels of growth-associated protein 43 and amyloid precursor protein between the nimodipine group and WBRT group were not statistically significant. The present study demonstrated that neuron apoptosis may lead to delayed cognitive deficits in the hippocampus, in response to radiotherapy. The cognitive impairment may be alleviated in response to a calcium antagonist nimodipine. The molecular mechanisms involved in nimodipine-mediated protection against cognitive decline may involve the regulation of Bax/Bcl-2 and BDNF in the hippocampus.

miR-377 induces senescence in human skin fibroblasts by targeting DNA methyltransferase 1.

Skin aging is a complicated physiological process and epigenetic feature, including microRNA-mediated regulation and DNA methylation, have been shown to contribute to this process. DNA methylation is regulated by DNA methyltransferase, of which DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) is the most abundantly known. But evidence supporting its role in skin aging remains scarce, and no report regards its specifical upstream-regulating molecules in the process of skin aging so far. Here, we found that DNMT1 expression was markedly higher in young human skin fibroblasts (HSFs) than that in passage-aged HSFs, and DNMT1 knockdown significantly induced the senescence phenotype in young HSFs. We predicted the upstream miRNAs which could regulate DNMT1 with miRNA databases and found miR-377 had high homology with a sequence in the 3'-UTR of human DNMT1 mRNA. We confirmed that miR-377 was a potential regulator of DNMT1 by luciferase reporter assays. miR-377 expression in passage-aged HSFs was markedly higher than that in the young HSFs. miR-377 overexpression promoted senescence in young HSFs, and inhibition of miR-377 reduced senescence in passage-aged HSFs. Moreover, these functions were mediated by targeting DNMT1. Microfluidic PCR and next-generation bisulfite sequencing of 24 senescent-associated genes' promoters revealed alterations of the promoter methylation levels of FoxD3, p53, and UTF1 in HSFs treated with miR-377 mimics or inhibitors. We also verified that the miR-377-mediated changes in p53 expression could be reversed by regulation of DNMT1 in HSFs. Similarly, there was a negative correlation between miR-377 and DNMT1 expression in young and photoaged HSFs, HSFs, or skin tissues from UV-unexposed areas of different aged donors. Our results highlight a novel role for miR-377-DNMT1-p53 axis in HSF senescence. These findings shed new light on the mechanisms of skin aging and identify future opportunities for its therapeutic prevention.

DNA Methylation Status of PAX1 and ZNF582 in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Hypermethylation of specific gene promoters is an important mechanism of carcinogenesis. A high frequency of promoter methylation of PAX1 and ZNF582 genes has been detected in cervical cancer. In the present study, we investigated the methylation status of PAX1 and ZNF582 genes in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) tissues. Tumor and paracancerous tissues were obtained from 14 ESCC patients. Genomic DNA was extracted from both tumor and paracancerous tissues, and the concentration of DNA were determined. DNA methylation analysis of PAX1 and ZNF582 genes was carried out using quantitative methylation-specific PCR. To assess the diagnostic performance of the two methylated genes for cancer detection, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated. Sensitivities and specificities were tested at cut-offs obtained from the ROC curves. The methylation levels of both PAX1 and ZNF582 genes were significantly higher in tumor tissues compared to non-tumor paracancerous tissues. The methylation rates of PAX1 and ZNF582 in ESCC tumor and paracancerous tissues were 100% and 21.4% (p = 0.006), 85.7% and 0% (p < 0.001), respectively. The sensitivities and specificities of PAX1 and ZNF582 methylation for the detection of cancer were 100% and 85.7%, and 78.6% and 100%, respectively. The DNA methylation levels and frequencies of PAX1 and ZNF582 genes were markedly higher in ESCC tumor tissues compared to those in paracancerous tissues. Moreover, the conclusions were verified by using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets. DNA methylation status of these two genes showed a relatively good sensitivity and specificity for the detection of ESCC tumors. This data suggests that DNA methylation testing holds a great promise for ESCC screening and warrants further prospective population-based studies.

Astrocyte-derived phosphatidic acid promotes dendritic branching.

Astrocytes play critical roles in neural circuit formation and function. Recent studies have revealed several secreted and contact-mediated signals from astrocytes which are essential for neurite outgrowth and synapse formation. However, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of dendritic branching by astrocytes remain elusive. Phospholipase D1 (PLD1), which catalyzes the hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine (PC) to generate phosphatidic acid (PA) and choline, has been implicated in the regulation of neurite outgrowth. Here we showed that knockdown of PLD1 selectively in astrocytes reduced dendritic branching of neurons in neuron-glia mixed culture. Further studies from sandwich-like cocultures and astrocyte conditioned medium suggested that astrocyte PLD1 regulated dendritic branching through secreted signals. We later demonstrated that PA was the key mediator for astrocyte PLD1 to regulate dendritic branching. Moreover, PA itself was sufficient to promote dendritic branching of neurons. Lastly, we showed that PA could activate protein kinase A (PKA) in neurons and promote dendritic branching through PKA signaling. Taken together, our results demonstrate that astrocyte PLD1 and its lipid product PA are essential regulators of dendritic branching in neurons. These results may provide new insight into mechanisms underlying how astrocytes regulate dendrite growth of neurons.

Oridonin inhibits the proliferation of human osteosarcoma cells by suppressing Wnt/ß-catenin signaling.

It has been reported that oridonin (ORI) can inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in various types of cancer cell lines. However, the exact mechanism for this function remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the proliferation inhibitory effect of ORI on human osteosarcoma (OS) 143B cells and dissected the possible molecular mechanism(s) underlying this effect. We demonstrated that ORI can inhibit proliferation, induce apoptosis and arrest the cell cycle in 143B cells. Using luciferase reporter assay, we found that the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling was inhibited in 143B cells by ORI. Accordingly, the total protein levels and nuclear translocation of ß-catenin were reduced by ORI treatment. ORI increased glycogen synthase kinase 3ß (GSK3ß) activity and upregulated Dickkopf-1 (Dkk-1) expression. We found that Dkk-1 overexpression or ß-catenin knockdown can potentiate the proliferation inhibitory effect of ORI in 143B cells, while ß-catenin overexpression attenuated this effect. Using the xenograft tumor model of human OS, we demonstrated that ORI effectively inhibited the growth of tumors. Histological examination showed that ORI inhibited cancer cell proliferation, decreased the expression of PNCA and ß-catenin. Our findings suggest that ORI can inhibit 143B OS cell proliferation by downregulating Wnt/ß-catenin signal transduction, which may be mediated by upregulating the Dkk-1 expression and/or enhancing the function of GSK3ß. Therefore, ORI can be potentially used as an effective adjuvant agent for the clinical management of OS.

The PTEN/PI3K/Akt and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathways are involved in the inhibitory effect of resveratrol on human colon cancer cell proliferation.

Colon cancer is one of the most common malignancies and the treatments for colon cancer have been developed substantially in the last decades, but there is still a great clinical need to explore new treatment regimens due to the undesirable prognosis. In this investigation, we demonstrated the anti-proliferative and apoptosis-inducing activities of resveratrol (Res) in human colon cancer cells, and the possible mechanisms underlying these effects. We used crystal violet staining, flow cytometry and western blotting to validate the anti-proliferative and apoptosis-inducing effects of Res on HCT116 cells. A xenograft tumor model was used to confirm the anti-proliferative effects of Res. We employed polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, recombinant adenovirus and luciferase reporter assay to explore the possible mechanism(s) of action. We found that Res inhibits significantly the proliferation and promotes apoptosis in HCT116 cells, as well as inhibits the xenograft tumor growth of colon cancer. Res upregulates the expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and decreases the phosphorylation of Akt1/2. The exogenous expression of PTEN inhibits the PI3K/Akt signal and promotes the anti-proliferative effects of Res in HCT116 cells, while knockdown of PTEN increases PI3K/Akt signal but reduces the anti-proliferative function of Res. The protein and mRNA expression of ß-catenin are all decreased by Res concentration-dependently. Thus, our findings strongly suggest that the anti-proliferative effects of Res in human colon cancer cells may be mediated by regulating separately the PTEN/PI3K/Akt and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling.

BMP9 and COX-2 form an important regulatory loop in BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can self-renew and differentiate into osteogenic, chondrogenic, adipogenic and myogenic lineages. It's reported that bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9) is one of the most potent osteogenic BMPs to initiate the commitment of MSCs to osteoblast lineage. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is critical for bone fracture healing and osteogenic differentiation in MSCs. However, the relationship between COX-2 and BMP9 in osteogenesis remains unknown. Herein, we investigate the role of COX-2 in BMP9-induced osteogenesis in MSCs. We demonstrate that COX-2 is up-regulated as a target of BMP9 in MSCs. Both COX-2 inhibitor (NS-398) and COX-2 knockdown siRNAs can effectively decrease alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities induced by BMP9 in MSCs. NS-398 also down-regulates BMP9-induced expression of osteopontin and osteocalcin, so does the matrix mineralization. The in vivo studies indicate that knockdown of COX-2 attenuates BMP9-induced ectopic bone formation. In perinatal limb culture assay, NS-398 is shown to reduce the hypertropic chondrocyte zone and ossification induced by BMP9. Mechanistically, knockdown of COX-2 significantly inhibits the BMP9 up-regulated expression of Runx2 and Dlx-5 in MSCs, which can be rescued by exogenous expression of COX-2. Furthermore, knockdown of COX-2 apparently reduces BMP9 induced BMPR-Smad reporter activity, the phosphorylation of Smad1/5/8, and the expression of Smad6 and Smad7 in MSCs. NS-398 blocks the expression of BMP9 mediated by BMP9 recombinant adenovirus. Taken together, our findings suggest that COX-2 plays an important role in BMP9 induced osteogenic differentiation in MSCs; BMP9 and COX-2 may form an important regulatory loop to orchestrate the osteogenic differentiation in MSCs.

Let-7c inhibits NSCLC cell proliferation by targeting HOXA1.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to explore mechanisms by which let-7c suppresses NSCLC cell proliferation. METHODS: The expression level of let-7c was quantified by qRT-PCR. A549 and H1299 cells were transfected with let-7c mimics to restore the expression of let-7c. The effects of let-7c were then assessed by cell proliferation, colony formation and cell cycle assay. Mouse experiments were used to confirm the effect of let-7c on tumorigenicity in vivo. Luciferase reporter assays and Western blotting were performed to identify target genes for let-7c. RESULTS: HOXA1 was identified as a novel target of let-7c. MTS, colony formation and flow cytometry assays demonstrated that forced expression of let-7c inhibited NSCLC cell proliferation by inducing G1 arrest in vitro, consistent with inhibitory effects induced by knockdown of HOXA1. Mouse experiments demonstrated that let-7c expression suppressed tumorigenesis. Furthermore, we found that let-7c could regulate the expression of HOXA1 downstream effectors CCND1, CDC25A and CDK2. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, these results demonstrate let-7c inhibits NSCLC cell proliferation and tumorigenesis by partial direct targeting of the HOXA1 pathway, which suggests that restoration of let-7c expression may thus offer a potential therapeutic intervention strategy for NSCLC.

Influence of ORM1 polymorphisms on the maintenance stable warfarin dosage.

PURPOSE: ORM1 is a plasma drug binding protein. Its polymorphism rs17650 (S>F) has been reported to be an important factor affecting the binding ability and effect of antiretroviral protease inhibitors. The aim of this study was to determine whether the ORM1 rs17650 polymorphism also influences warfarin therapy. METHODS: A total of 191 Chinese patients with steady-dose warfarin therapy were enrolled in this study. The patients were studied for warfarin maintenance dose, the ORM1 rs17650 polymorphism, and two polymorphisms previously demonstrated to affect warfarin response [CYP2C9 rs1057910 (3) and VKORC1 rs7294 (-1639 G>A)]. RESULTS: Warfarin dose was partially correlated with the VKORC1 rs7294, CYP2C9 rs1057910 and ORM1 rs17650 polymorphisms. Patients carrying the wild-type of these three genes (n = 96) took a mean dose of 3.0 ± 1.1 mg warfarin, which was significantly higher than that taken by the 52 S patients (2.7 ± 0.7) and 11 S S patients (2.5 ± 0.6 mg) (p = 0.048). CONCLUSION: We identified ORM1 as another polymorphic gene affecting warfarin dose requirements. ORM1 S carriers require lower maintenance doses to achieve and maintain an optimal level of anticoagulation.

NAMPT -3186C/T polymorphism affects repaglinide response in Chinese patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

1. In the present study, we investigated the associations of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT)-3186 C/T and -948G/T polymorphisms with the risk of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and their impact on the efficacy of repaglinide in Chinese Han T2DM patients. 2. In all, 170 patients with T2DM and 129 healthy controls were genotyped for NAMPT-948G>T and -3186C>T polymorphisms. Thirty-five patients with different NAMPT -3186 C/T genotypes and the same organic anion-transporting polypeptide 1B1 (OATP1B1521) T/C genotype were randomly selected to undergo 8 weeks preprandial repaglinide treatment (1 mg, three times daily). Serum fasting plasma glucose (FPG), post-prandial plasma glucose (PPG), glycated haemoglobin (HbAlc), fasting serum insulin (FINS), post-prandial serum insulin (PINS), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (CHO), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) were determined before and after repaglinide treatment. 3. After repaglinide treatment for 8 consecutive weeks, there were significantly decreases in PFG, PPG, HbAlc, CHO and LDL-C, and increases in FINS, HDL-C and the HDL-C : LDL-C ratio, in T2DM patients. The elevated PINS value in patients with CT genotypes was significantly lower than that in patients with the CC and TT genotypes (P < 0.05) and there were significant differences in CHO between patients with the CT genotype and the CC or TT genotype (P < 0.05). 4. The data suggest that the NAMPT -3186C>T polymorphism is significantly associated with plasma levels of PINS and CHO in Chinese T2DM patients with repaglinide monotherapy.

The role of the DDAH-ADMA pathway in the protective effect of resveratrol analog BTM-0512 on gastric mucosal injury.

A recent study showed that resveratrol, a polyphenol found in many plant species, exerts dual effects on gastric mucosal injury. By using the model of ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury in the present study, we explored the effect of trans-3,5,4'-trimethoxystilbene (BTM-0512), a novel analog of resveratrol, on gastric mucosal injury and the possible underlying mechanisms. Gastric mucosal injury in the rat was induced by oral administration of acidified ethanol. The gastric tissues were collected for determination of the gastric ulcer index, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and nitric oxide (NO) contents, the activity of dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH) and superoxide anion (O2(-)) or hydroxyl radical (OH*) formation. The results showed that acute administration of ethanol significantly increased the gastric ulcer index concomitantly with the decrease in DDAH activity and NO content as well as the increase in ADMA content, effects that were reversed by pretreatment with BTM-0512 (100 mg/kg) or L-arginine (300 mg/kg). Administration of BTM-0512 did not show a significant effect on O2(-) or OH. formation. The results suggest that BTM-0512 could protect the gastric mucosa against ethanol-induced injury, which is mainly related to an increase in DDAH activity and subsequent decrease in ADMA content.