Nudix hydrolase 1 is a prognostic biomarker in hepatocellular carcinoma.

We investigated the prognostic significance of Nudix hydrolase 1 (NUDT1) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). NUDT1 mRNA and protein levels were significantly higher in HCC tissues than normal liver tissues. The level of NUDT1 expression correlated with tumor grade, stage, size, differentiation, degree of vascular invasion, overall survival (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS) in HCC patients. Multivariate analysis showed that NUDT1 expression was an independent prognostic factor for OS and DFS in HCC patients. We constructed a prognostic nomogram with NUDT1 expression, AFP levels, vascular invasion, Child-Pugh classification, age, sex, AJCC staging, and tumor differentiation as variables. This nomogram was highly accurate in predicting the 5-year OS of HCC patients (c-index= 0.709; AUC= 0.740). NUDT1 silencing in HCC cells significantly reduced their survival, colony formation, migration, and invasiveness. Gene set enrichment analysis showed that biological pathways related to cell cycle, fatty acid metabolism, bile acid and bile salt metabolism, and PLK1 signaling were associated with NUDT1, as were the gene ontology terms "DNA binding transcription activator activity," "RNA polymerase II," "nuclear division," and "transmembrane transporter activity." Our study thus demonstrates that NUDT1 is a prognostic biomarker with therapeutic potential in HCC patients.

Endoscopic stricturotomy in the treatment of anastomotic strictures in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and non-IBD patients.

BACKGROUNDS: Endoscopic stricturotomy (ESt) has been shown to be effective in treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-associated anastomotic strictures. However, the outcome of ESt in benign, non-IBD conditions has not been described. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of ESt in the management of IBD and non-IBD-associated strictures. METHODS: Data of all consecutive IBD and non-IBD patients with benign anastomotic strictures treated with ESt from 2009 to 2016 were extracted. The primary outcomes were surgery-free survival and procedure-related complications. RESULTS: A total of 49 IBD and 15 non-IBD patients were included in this study. The IBD group included 25 patients with Crohn's disease and 24 with ulcerative colitis and ileal pouches. Underlying diseases in the non-IBD group included colorectal cancer (n = 7), diverticulitis (n = 5), large bowel prolapse (n = 2), and constipation (n = 1). Immediate technical success was achieved in all patients in both groups. Bleeding complications occurred on five occasions (4.7% per procedure) in the IBD group, while no complication occurred in the non-IBD group (P = 0.20). Stricture improvement on follow-up endoscopy was found in 10 (20.4%) and 5 (33.3%) patients in the IBD and non-IBD groups, respectively (P = 0.32). Six (12.2%) patients in the IBD group and four (26.7%) patients in the non-IBD group eventually required stricture-related surgery (P = 0.23). IBD patients appeared to have a higher tendency for maintaining surgery-free after the procedure than non-IBD patients (P = 0.08). CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic stricturotomy was shown to have comparable outcomes, though non-IBD patients seem to have a higher need for subsequent surgery but a lower complication rate than IBD patients.

Post-index procedural gain in body mass index is associated with recurrent ileal pouch sinus after endoscopic or surgical therapy.

BACKGROUND: Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis has become the standard surgical procedure for patients with ulcerative colitis who require colectomy. Presacral sinus is a common complication after the surgery. Pouch sinus results from chronic anastomotic or suture line leak. An excessive gain in body mass index (BMI) has been shown to be associated with poor pouch outcome. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether an increase in BMI was associated with recurrences of chronic pouch sinus after endoscopic or surgical treatment. METHODS: All consecutive ulcerative colitis patients with an ileal pouch sinus successfully treated with either endoscopic sinusotomy or redo surgery from 2006 to 2016 were identified from our IRB approved, prospectively maintained Pouch Registry. An excessive gain in BMI was defined as an increase in BMI ≥ 10% from the baseline of the initial endoscopic or surgical treatment. The primary outcome was sinus recurrence after initial complete healing. RESULTS: This study included a total of 171 patients. Sinus recurrence was seen in 48 (28.1%) patients. A higher rate of recurrence of sinus was found in patients with BMI gain (≥ 10%) (22.9% vs. 8.9%, p = 0.01). However, the recurrence-free survival in Kaplan-Meier analysis between the BMI gain and non-BMI gain groups was not statistically significant (p = 0.10). In multivariate analysis, excessive BMI gain [odds ratio (OR) 3.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0-9.0)] and Crohn's disease of the pouch (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.0-8.1) were independently associated with sinus recurrence. The healing rate of recurrent sinus after subsequent endoscopic or surgical treatment was comparable between those who had an excessive increase in BMI and those who maintained a relatively stable weight (63.6% vs. 70.3%, p = 0.81). However, the recurrent presacral sinus-related pouch failure rate was numerically higher in patients with an excessive BMI gain (36.4% vs. 16.2%, p = 0.31). CONCLUSIONS: An excessive gain in BMI after initial successful pouch sinus treatment is associated with an increased risk for sinus recurrence. Weight control may help decrease the risk for recurrence of pouch sinus.

Bone marrow-derived CXCR4-overexpressing MSCs display increased homing to intestine and ameliorate colitis-associated tumorigenesis in mice.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Increasing interest has developed in the therapeutic potential of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and IBD-induced cancer. However, whether MSCs have the ability to suppress or promote tumor development remains controversial. The stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1)/C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) axis is well known to play a critical role in the homing of MSCs. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the role of CXCR4-overexpressing MSCs on the tumorigenesis of IBD. METHODS: MSCs were transduced with lentiviral vector carrying either CXCR4 or green fluorescent protein (GFP). Chemotaxis and invasion assays were used to detect CXCR4 expression. A mouse model of colitis-associated tumorigenesis was established using azoxymethane and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). The mice were divided into three groups and then injected with phosphate buffer saline (PBS), MSC-GFP or MSC-CXCR4. RESULTS: Compared with the mice injected with MSC-GFP, the mice injected with MSC-CXCR4 showed relieved weight loss, longer colons, lower tumor numbers and decreased tumor load; expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines decreased, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) phosphorylation level in colon tissue was down-regulated. CONCLUSION: CXCR4-overexpressing MSCs exhibited effective anti-tumor function, which may be associated with enhanced homing to inflamed intestinal tissues.

Engulfment and Cell Motility Protein 1 Protects Against DSS-induced Colonic Injury in Mice via Rac1 Activation.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Mucosal healing is an emerging therapeutic goal that could result in clinical remission of inflammatory bowel disease [IBD]. We sought to determine the role of engulfment and cell motility protein 1 [ELMO1] in wound healing in vitro and in vivo and to investigate the underlying pathways. METHODS: RNA transcriptome sequencing was performed to detect the expression profiles of mRNA between inflamed tissues and corresponding non-inflamed tissues of IBD patients, followed by Gene Expression Omnibus [GEO] datasets and western blot analysis. The effects of ELMO1 overexpression or knockdown on cell migration and proliferation were determined. The dependence of these effects on Rac1 was assessed using a Rac1 inhibitor [NSC23766] and a Rac1 pull-down assay. We identified the underlying pathways involved by Gene Ontology [GO] analysis. A dextran sulphate sodium [DSS]-induced colitis model was established to evaluate the role of ELMO1 in colonic mucosal healing. RESULTS: ELMO1 was upregulated in inflamed tissues compared with corresponding non-inflamed tissues. ELMO1 overexpression increased cell migration in a Rac1-dependent manner. Depletion of ELMO1, or NSC23766 administration, abolished this effect. GO analysis revealed that ELMO1 overexpression preferentially affected pathways involved in cytoskeletal regulation and wound healing, which was demonstrated by enhanced F-actin staining and increased numbers of extending lamellipodia in cells overexpressing ELMO1. In DSS-induced colitis, systemic delivery of pSin-EF2-ELMO1-Pur attenuated colonic inflammation and promoted recovery from colonic injury. The protective effect of ELMO1 was dependent on Rac1 activation. CONCLUSIONS: ELMO1 protects against DSS-induced colonic injury in mice through its effect on epithelial migration via Rac1 activation.

miR-300 regulates the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting the FAK/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Several microRNAs (miRNAs) have been closely correlated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the involvement of miR-300 in the development of HCC remains unknown. This study elucidated the potential molecular mechanisms of miR-300 in the modulation of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and invasion of HCC. The expression levels of miR-300 in HCC cells and clinical samples were detected by quantitative real-time PCR and in situ hybridization. The in vitro function of miR-300 in HCC was evaluated using a migration/invasion assay. Quantitative real-time PCR, western blotting, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry were used to validate the roles of miR-300 and FAK/PI3K/AKT in EMT progression. A dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to confirm the target gene. miR-300 was down-regulated in HCC and significantly correlated with a poor prognosis in HCC patients. The down-regulation of miR-300 increased the invasiveness of the HCC cells, and promoted the EMT in both HCC tissues and HCC cells. In contrast, up-regulation of miR-300 led to the opposite results. Ectopic overexpression of miR-300 reversed TGF-ß1-induced EMT in SMMC-7721 cells, and according to a dual-luciferase reporter assay and rescue assay, miR-300 inhibits the EMT-mediated migration and invasion of HCC cells via the targeted modulation of FAK and the downstream PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. miR-300 targeting modulates FAK, and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway inhibits the EMT and suppresses the migration and invasion of HCC cells. Thus, miR-300 represents a promising therapeutic target for HCC.

The ileal FGF15/19 to hepatic FGFR4 axis regulates liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy in mice

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) has been considered to modulate liver regeneration (LR) after partial hepatectomy (PH) at the tissue level. Previous studies have demonstrated that FGF15 and FGF19 induce the activation of its receptor, FGF receptor 4 (FGFR4), which can promote hepatocellular carcinoma progression and regulate liver lipid metabolism. In this study, we aimed to explore the role of the ileal FGF15/19- hepatic FGFR4 axis in the LR after PH. Male C57BL/6 mice aged 8-12 weeks were partially hepatectomized and assessed for expression of ileal FGF15/19 to hepatic FGFR4 signaling. We used recombinant human FGF19 protein and a small interfering RNA (siRNA) of FGFR4 to regulate expression of the FGF15/19-FGFR4 axis in vitro and in vivo. The proliferation and cell cycle of hepatocytes, the expression levels of FGF15/19-FGFR4 downstream molecules, liver recovery, and lipid metabolism were assessed. We found that both ileal and serum FGF15 expression were upregulated and hepatic FGFR4 was activated after PH in mice. FGF15/19 promoted cell cycle progression, enhanced proliferation, and reduced hepatic lipid accumulation of hepatocytes both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the proliferative effect and lipid regulatory properties of FGF15/19 were dependent on FGFR4 in hepatocytes. In addition, ileal FGF15/19-hepatic FGFR4 transduction during hepatocyte proliferation was regulated by extracellular regulated protein kinase (ERK) 1/2. In conclusion, the ileal FGF15/19 to hepatic FGFR4 axis is activated and promotes LR after PH in mice, supporting the potential of ileal FGF15/19 to hepatic FGFR4 axis-targeted therapy to enhance LR after PH

Low expression of c-Myc protein predicts poor outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after resection.

BACKGROUND: Embryonic Liver Fodrin (ELF) is an adaptor protein of transforming growth factor (TGF-ß) signaling cascade. Disruption of ELF results in mislocalization of Smad3 and Smad4, leading to compromised TGF-ß signaling. c-Myc is an important oncogenic transcription factor, and the disruption of TGF-ß signaling promotes c-Myc-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) carcinogenesis. However, the prognostic significance of c-Myc in HCC is less understood METHODS: The expression of c-Myc protein and mRNA were measured by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and qRT- PCR, respectively. IHC was performed to detect TGF-ß1 and ELF expression in HCC tissues. Their relationship with clinicopathological factors and overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) were examined. RESULTS: The expression of c-Myc protein and mRNA in HCC tissues were significantly higher in HCC area than those in normal liver tissues. However, the expression were low compared with those adjacent to HCC area. c-Myc protein was independently predictive of DFS and OS, and it was negatively correlated with tumor size (P = 0.031), tumor number (P = 0.038), and recurrence (P = 0.001). Low c-Myc expression was associated with short-term recurrence and poor prognosis. The predictive value of c-Myc combined with TGF-ß1 or/and ELF was higher than that of any other single marker. Low c-Myc, high TGF-ß1 or/and low ELF expression was associated with the worst DFS and OS. CONCLUSIONS: Low expression of c-Myc protein predicts poor outcomes in patients with HCC with hepatectomy. The combination of the expression of c-Myc, TGF-ß1, and ELF can be used to accurately predict outcomes of patients with HCC.

Anti-fibrogenic Potential of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in Treating Fibrosis in Crohn's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal fibrosis is a major complication of CD and may result in stricture formation leading to intestinal obstruction. MSCs play multiple roles in active CD and fibrosis-associated diseases. AIMS: This study was designed to investigate the role of MSCs in CD-associated intestinal fibrosis. METHODS: Intestinal fibrosis was induced over 7 weeks of enema with increasing doses of TNBS and assessed by Masson's trichrome staining. Transcriptome sequencing and gene set enrichment analysis were conducted to reveal the transcriptome changes among groups at the mRNA level. Immunofluorescence assays were used to validate the role of EMT in intestinal fibrosis. Quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry analyses were performed to clarify the association between the anti-fibrogenic properties of MSCs and the immune microenvironment. Western blotting was used to verify the potential signaling pathways. RESULTS: Fibrotic tissue accumulation and inflammatory cell infiltration were detected in the colon tissue after TNBS induction treatment. Prophylactic MSCs treatment inhibited colon shortening, while therapeutic treatment decreased colon weight. Prophylactic treatment with MSCs inhibited the accumulation of fibrotic tissue, the expression of fibrotic proteins and EMT. Therapeutic MSCs treatment reversed the established intestinal fibrosis and reduced EMT. The secretion of the fibrogenic factors IL-1beta, IL-6 and IL-13 was down-regulated after both MSCs treatment approaches, while IL-10, an anti-fibrogenic factor, was up-regulated. Both MSCs therapies inhibited the expression of TGF-beta and the phosphorylation of Smad2 and Smad3 after TNBS induction. CONCLUSION: MSCs exert anti-fibrogenic activity against CD-associated fibrosis by regulating the inflammatory environment, inhibiting the TGF-beta/Smad signaling pathway and ameliorating EMT.

The ileal FGF15/19 to hepatic FGFR4 axis regulates liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy in mice.

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) has been considered to modulate liver regeneration (LR) after partial hepatectomy (PH) at the tissue level. Previous studies have demonstrated that FGF15 and FGF19 induce the activation of its receptor, FGF receptor 4 (FGFR4), which can promote hepatocellular carcinoma progression and regulate liver lipid metabolism. In this study, we aimed to explore the role of the ileal FGF15/19- hepatic FGFR4 axis in the LR after PH. Male C57BL/6 mice aged 8-12 weeks were partially hepatectomized and assessed for expression of ileal FGF15/19 to hepatic FGFR4 signaling. We used recombinant human FGF19 protein and a small interfering RNA (siRNA) of FGFR4 to regulate expression of the FGF15/19-FGFR4 axis in vitro and in vivo. The proliferation and cell cycle of hepatocytes, the expression levels of FGF15/19-FGFR4 downstream molecules, liver recovery, and lipid metabolism were assessed. We found that both ileal and serum FGF15 expression were upregulated and hepatic FGFR4 was activated after PH in mice. FGF15/19 promoted cell cycle progression, enhanced proliferation, and reduced hepatic lipid accumulation of hepatocytes both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the proliferative effect and lipid regulatory properties of FGF15/19 were dependent on FGFR4 in hepatocytes. In addition, ileal FGF15/19-hepatic FGFR4 transduction during hepatocyte proliferation was regulated by extracellular regulated protein kinase (ERK) 1/2. In conclusion, the ileal FGF15/19 to hepatic FGFR4 axis is activated and promotes LR after PH in mice, supporting the potential of ileal FGF15/19 to hepatic FGFR4 axis-targeted therapy to enhance LR after PH.

Combined liver-kidney perfusion enhances protective effects of normothermic perfusion on liver grafts from donation after cardiac death.

It has been shown that combined liver-kidney normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) is able to better maintain the circuit's biochemical milieu. Nevertheless, whether the combined perfusion is superior to liver perfusion alone in protecting livers from donation after circulatory death (DCD) is unclear. We aimed to test the hypothesis and explored the mechanisms. Livers from 15 DCD pig donors were subjected to either static cold storage (group A), liver-alone NMP (group B), or combined liver-kidney NMP (group C). Livers were preserved for 6 hours and reperfused ex vivo for 2 hours to simulate transplantation or were transplanted in situ. During perfusion, group C showed an improved acid-base and biochemical environment in the circuit over group B. After reperfusion, the architecture of the liver grafts was best preserved in group C, followed by group B, then group A, as shown by the histology and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling staining of both hepatocytes and biliary epithelium. Ki-67 staining showed substantial hepatocyte proliferation and biliary epithelial regeneration after perfusion in group B and group C. Group C produced more bile in the reperfusion phase than those in group A and group B, with more physiological bile composition and less severe biliary epithelium injury. Von Willebrand factor-positive endothelial cells and E-selectin expression decreased in both group B and group C. Combined liver-kidney NMP not only produced more adenosine triphosphate, protected the nitric oxide signaling pathway, but also diminished oxidative stress (high mobility group box-1 protein and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxy guanosine levels) and inflammatory cytokine (IL6 and IL8) release when compared with liver-alone NMP and CS. In addition, the 7-day survival rate of liver transplant recipients was higher in group C than that in groups A and B. In conclusion, combined liver-kidney NMP can better protect DCD livers from warm ischemia and reperfusion injury probably by maintaining the stability of the internal environment and by abolishing oxidative stress injury. Liver Transplantation 24 67-79 2018 AASLD.

miR-17-5p suppresses cell proliferation and invasion by targeting ETV1 in triple-negative breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the malignancy with the worst outcome among all breast cancer subtypes. We reported that ETV1 is a significant oncogene in TNBC tumourigenesis. Consequently, investigating the critical regulatory microRNAs (miRNAs) of ETV1 may be beneficial for TNBC targeted therapy. METHODS: We performed in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) to detect the location of miR-17-5p and ETV1 in TNBC patient samples, respectively. miR-17-5p expression in TNBC tissues and cell lines was assessed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). ETV1 expression was evaluated by qRT-PCR, western blotting and IHC. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation, Transwell and wound closure assays were utilized to determine the TNBC cell proliferation and migration capabilities. In vivo tumour metastatic assays were performed in a zebra fish model. RESULTS: The abundance of miR-17-5p was significantly decreased in TNBC cell lines and clinical TNBC tissues. The miR-17-5p expression levels were closely correlated with tumour size (P < 0.05) and TNM stage (P < 0.05). By contrast, the expression of ETV1 was significantly up-regulated in TNBC cell lines and tissues. There is an inverse correlation between the expression status of miR-17-5p and ETV1 (r = -0.28, P = 3.88 × 10-3). Luciferase reporter assay confirmed that ETV1 was a direct target of miR-17-5p. Forced expression of miR-17-5p in MDA-MB-231 or BT549 cells significantly decreased ETV1 expression and suppressed cell proliferation, migration in vitro and tumour metastasis in vivo. However, rescuing the expression of ETV1 in the presence of miR-17-5p significantly recovered the cell phenotype. High miR-17-5p expression was associated with a significantly favourable prognosis, in either the ETV1-positive or ETV1-negative groups (log-rank test, P < 0.001; P < 0.001). Both univariate and multivariate analyses showed that miR-17-5p and ETV1 were independent risk factors in the prognosis of TNBC patient. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that miR-17-5p acts as a tumour suppressor in TNBC by targeting ETV1, and a low-abundance of miR-17-5p may be involved in the pathogenesis of TNBC. These findings indicate that miR-17-5p may be a therapeutic target for TNBC.

miR-338-3p inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Down-regulation of the miRNA miR-338-3p correlates with the invasive ability of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. However, it is currently unclear whether down-regulation of miR-338-3p induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which may be the underlying mechanism governing HCC invasion. Here, we demonstrate that restoration of miR-338-3p expression via transfection of a miR-338-3p mimic reversed EMT and inhibited the motility and invasiveness of HCC cells. Conversely, silencing of endogenous miR-338-3p expression with a miR-338-3p-specific inhibitor induced EMT and enhanced HCC cell motility. Additionally, Snail1 (an upstream regulatory protein of EMT) and Gli1 (a key transcription factor in the sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling pathway) expression was up-regulated in cells treated with the miR-338-3p inhibitor and down-regulated by the miR-338-3p mimic. Further analyses demonstrated that miR-338-3p inhibitor-induced EMT in HCC cells was blocked by treatment with a small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting Snail1, that the SHH signaling pathway was required for both miR-338-3p inhibitor-induced EMT and up-regulation of Snail1, and that miR-338-3p targeted a sequence within the 3'-untranslated region of N-cadherin mRNA. Notably, miR-338-3p expression was significantly down-regulated in HCC samples from patients with metastases and was associated with poor metastasis-free survival rates. Lastly, correlations between the expression levels of miR-338-3p and E-cadherin, Smoothened (SMO), Gli1, Snail1, N-cadherin, and vimentin were confirmed in HCC xenograft tumors and HCC patient specimens. Our findings suggest that miR-338-3p suppresses EMT and metastasis via both inhibition of the SHH/Gli1 pathway and direct binding of N-cadherin. miR-338-3p is a potential therapeutic target for metastatic HCC.

MicroRNA-129-5p inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma cell metastasis and invasion via targeting ETS1.

MiR-129-5p is deregulated in various human cancers and has been associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. However, the underlying mechanisms of miR-129-5p involvement in the development and progression of HCC and the effects of miR-129-5p deregulation on the clinical characteristics observed in HCC patients remain poorly understood. We therefore investigated the correlation between low miR-129-5p expression and vascular invasion, intrahepatic metastasis, and poor patient survival. Ectopic restoration of miR-129-5p expression in HCC cells suppressed cellular migration and invasion and the expression of v-ets erythroblastosis virus E26 oncogene homolog 1 (ETS1), while inhibition of endogenous miR-129-5p caused an increase in these parameters. We identified the ETS1 gene as a novel direct target of miR-129-5p. SiRNA-mediated ETS1 knockdown rescued the effects of anti-miR-129-5p inhibitor in HCC cell lines, while the effects of miR-129-5p overexpression were partially phenocopied in the knockdown model. In addition, miR-129-5p levels inversely correlated with those of ETS1 in HCC cells and tissues. Taken together, our findings indicate an important role for miR-129-5p in the molecular etiology of invasive HCC and suggest that miR-129-5p could have potential therapeutic applications in HCC.

Zipper-interacting protein kinase promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition, invasion and metastasis through AKT and NF-kB signaling and is associated with metastasis and poor prognosis in gastric cancer patients.

Zipper-interacting Protein Kinase (ZIPK) belongs to the death-associated protein kinase family. ZIPK has been characterized as a tumor suppressor in various tumors, including gastric cancer. On the other hand, ZIPK also promotes cell survival. In this study, both in vitro and in vivo assays indicated that ZIPK promoted cell growth, proliferation, migration, invasion, tumor formation and metastasis in nude mice. ZIPK induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) with increasing expression of ß-catenin, mesenchymal markers, Snail and Slug, and with decreasing expression of E-cadherin. Furthermore, ZIPK activated the AKT/IκB/NF-κB pathway, which can promote EMT and metastasis. Additionally, ZIPK expression was detected in human primary gastric cancer and their matched metastatic lymph node samples by immunohistochemistry. Increased expression of ZIPK in lymph node metastases was significantly associated with stage VI and abdominal organ invasion. Survival analysis revealed that patients with increased ZIPK expression in metastatic lymph nodes had poor disease-specific survival. Taken together, our study reveals that ZIPK is a pro-oncogenic factor, which promotes cancer metastasis.

miR-93 promotes cell proliferation in gliomas through activation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

The PI3K/Akt signaling pathway is frequently activated in various human cancer types and plays essential roles in development and progression of cancers. Multiple regulators, such as phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and PH domain leucine rich repeat protein phosphatases (PHLPP), have also found to be involved in suppression of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. However, how suppressive effects mediated by these regulators are concomitantly disrupted in cancers, which display constitutively activated PI3K/Akt signaling, remains puzzling. In the present study, we reported that the expression of miR-93 was markedly upregulated in glioma cell lines and clinical glioma tissues. Statistical analysis revealed that miR-93 levels significantly correlated with clinicopathologic grade and overall survival in gliomas. Furthermore, we found that overexpressing miR-93 promoted, but inhibition of miR-93 reduced, glioma cell proliferation and cell-cycle progression. We demonstrated that miR-93 activated PI3K/Akt signaling through directly suppressing PTEN, PHLPP2 and FOXO3 expression via targeting their 3'UTRs. Therefore, our results suggest that miR-93 might play an important role in glioma progression and uncover a novel mechanism for constitutive PI3K/Akt activation in gliomas.

The prognostic value of combined TGF-ß1 and ELF in hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Tumor suppression of Transforming Growth Factor (TGF-ß) signaling pathway requires an adaptor protein, Embryonic Liver Fodrin (ELF). Disruption of ELF expression resulted in miscolocalization of Smad3 and Smad4, then disruption of TGF-ß signaling. However, the prognostic significance of ELF for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) hasn't been clarified. This study aimed to investigate whether measuring both TGF-ß1 and ELF provides a more powerful predictor for HCC prognosis than either marker alone. METHODS: TGF-ß1 and ELF protein were detected by immunohistochemistry. The relationship between TGF-ß1/ELF expression and patients' clinicopathologic factors was analyzed. The association between TGF-ß1/ELF expression and disease-free survival and overall survival was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier curves, the log-rank test, and Multivariate Cox regression analyses. RESULTS: The expression of TGF-ß1 in HCC tissues was significantly higher than that in normal liver tissues. Conversely, the expression of ELF in HCC tissues declined markedly. ELF protein was correlated with HBsAg, tumor size, tumor number, TNM and recurrence. Data also indicated a significant negative correlation between ELF and TGF-ß1. Patients with high TGF-ß1 expression or/and low ELF expression appeared to have a poor postoperative disease-free survival and overall survival compared with those with low TGF-ß1 expression or/and high ELF expression. Furthermore, the predictive range of ELF combined with TGF-ß1 was more sensitive than that of either one alone. CONCLUSIONS: TGF-ß1 and ELF protein are potential and reliable biomarkers for predicting prognosis in HCC patients after hepatic resection. Our current study has demonstrated that the prognostic accuracy of testing can be enhanced by their combination.

Involvement of MicroRNA-133a in the Development of Arteriosclerosis Obliterans of the Lower Extremities via RhoA Targeting.

AIM: RhoA is a critical factor in regulating the proliferation and migration of arterial smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) in patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO). RhoA is modulated by microRNA-133a (miR-133a) in cardiac myocytes and bronchial smooth muscle cells. However, the relationship between miR-133a and RhoA with respect to the onset of ASO in the lower extremities is uncertain. METHODS: We employed in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) to detect the location of miR-133a and RhoA in ASO clinical samples, respectively. 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), Transwell and wound closure assays were utilized to determine the features of human ASMC (HASMC) proliferation and migration. The expression of miR-133a in the HASMCs was assessed using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), while that of RhoA was examined via qRT-PCR and Western blotting. RESULTS: We found miR-133a and RhoA to be primarily located in the ASMCs of ASO. miR-133a was significantly downregulated in the ASO tissues and proliferating HASMCs. In contrast, RhoA was upregulated in the ASO samples. The proliferation and migration of HASMCs was markedly promoted by the downregulation of miR-133a and inhibited by the upregulation of miR-133a. The Luciferase assay confirmed that RhoA was a direct target of miR-133a. The upregulation of miR-133a in the HASMCs decreased the RhoA expression at the protein level. Inversely, the downregulation of miR-133a increased the RhoA protein expression. Of note, the overexpression of RhoA in the HASMCs attenuated the anti-proliferative and anti-migratory effects of miR-133a. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that miR-133a regulates the functions of HASMCs by targeting RhoA and may be involved in the pathogenesis of ASO. These findings may lead to the development of potential therapeutic targets for ASO of the lower extremities.

URG4 overexpression is correlated with cervical cancer progression and poor prognosis in patients with early-stage cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: Upregulator of cell proliferation 4 (URG4) has been implicated in the oncogenesis of certain cancers. However, the correlation between URG4 expression and clinicopathological significance in human cancer remains unclear. Therefore, this study investigated its expression and clinicopathological significance in cervical cancer patients. METHODS: URG4 expression was examined using quantitative PCR (qPCR) and western blotting in normal cervical epithelial cells, cervical cancer cells, and eight matched pairs of cervical cancer tissues and adjacent noncancerous tissues from the same patient. In addition, immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to examine URG4 expression in paraffin-embedded tissues from 167 cervical cancer patients (FIGO stages Ib1-IIa2). Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate associations between URG4 expression and prognostic and diagnostic factors. RESULTS: URG4 was significantly upregulated in the cervical cancer cell lines and tissues compared with the normal cells and adjacent noncancerous cervical tissues. IHC revealed high URG4 expression in 59 out of the 167 (35.13%) cervical cancer specimens. Its expression was significantly correlated with clinical stage (P < 0.0001), tumour size (P = 0.012), T classification (P = 0.023), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.001) and vaginal involvement (P = 0.002). Patients with high URG4 expression, particularly those who received concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy (P < 0.0001), showed a shorter overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) compared to those with the low expression of this protein. Multivariate analysis revealed that URG4 expression is an independent prognostic factor for cervical cancer patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that elevated URG4 protein expression is associated with a poor outcome in patients with early-stage cervical cancer. URG4 may be a novel prognostic marker and therapeutic target for the treatment of cervical cancer.

Pathological characteristics of liver allografts from donation after brain death followed by cardiac death in pigs.

Donation after brain death followed by circulatory death (DBCD) is a unique practice in China. The aim of this study was to define the pathologic characteristics of DBCD liver allografts in a porcine model. Fifteen male pigs (25-30 kg) were allocated randomly into donation after brain death (DBD), donation after circulatory death (DCD) and DBCD groups. Brain death was induced by augmenting intracranial pressure. Circulatory death was induced by withdrawal of life support in DBCD group and by venous injection of 40 mL 10% potassium chloride in DCD group. The donor livers were perfused in situ and kept in cold storage for 4 h. Liver tissue and common bile duct samples were collected for hematoxylin and eosin staining, TUNEL testing and electron microscopic examination. Spot necrosis was found in hepatic parenchyma of DBD and DBCD groups, while a large area of necrosis was shown in DCD group. The apoptosis rate of hepatocytes in DBD [(0.56±0.30)%] and DBCD [(0.50 ± 0.11)%] groups was much lower than that in DCD group [(3.78±0.33)%] (P<0.05). And there was no significant difference between DBD group and DBCD group (P>0.05)). The structures of bile duct were intact in both DBD and DBCD groups, while the biliary epithelium was totally damaged in DCD group. Under electron microscope, the DBD hepatocytes were characterized by intact cell membrane, well-organized endoplasmic reticulum, mild mitochondria edema and abundant glycogens. Broken cell membrane, mild inflammatory cell infiltration and sinusoidal epithelium edema, as well as reduced glycogen volume, were found in the DBCD hepatocytes. The DCD hepatocytes had more profound cell organelle injury and much less glycogen storage. In conclusion, the preservation injury of DBCD liver allografts is much less severe than that of un-controlled DCD, but more severe than that of DBD liver allografts under electron microscope, which might reflect post-transplant liver function to some extent.