A twofold interpenetrated two-dimensional zinc(II) coordination polymer for the highly sensitive detection of nitrofurantoin in aqueous medium.

A novel ZnII coordination polymer, namely, poly[{µ2-bis[4-(2-methyl-1H-imidazol-1-yl)phenyl]methanone-κ2N3:N3'}(µ2-5-bromobenzene-1,3-dicarboxylato-κ2O1:O3)zinc(II)], [Zn(C8H3BrO4)(C21H18N4O)]n or [Zn(Br-BDC)(MIPMO)]n, (I), has been synthesized by the solvothermal method using 5-bromoisophthalic acid (Br-H2BDC), bis[4-(2-methyl-1H-imidazol-1-yl)phenyl]methanone (MIPMO) and Zn(NO3)2·6H2O. Structure analysis showed that compound (I) displays twofold parallel interwoven sql nets. Fluorescence experiments confirmed that the compound can sensitively and selectively detect nitrofurantoin (NFT) in aqueous medium. In addition, the possible fluorescence quenching mechanisms of compound (I) toward NFT are investigated.

[Effects of Continuous Annual Crop Rotation and Fallow on Soil Aggregate Stability and Organic Carbon].

In order to explore the effects of continuous annual crop rotation and fallow on aggregate stability and organic carbon content in red soil, the red soil in sloping farmland was taken as the research object, and the water-stable aggregates and organic carbon content were determined using the wet sieve method and potassium dichromate-concentrated sulfuric acid external heating method, respectively. The changes in soil aggregate stability and organic carbon content under the four treatments of maize-vetch-maize rotation (M-V-M), maize-pea-maize rotation (M-P-M), maize-fallow-maize (M-F-M), and annual fallow (F-F-F) from 2020 to 2022 and the relationships between them were analyzed. The results showed that in 2021 and 2022, the contents of > 2 mm aggregates treated with F-F-F, M-V-M, and M-P-M were significantly increased by 67.01%-100.92%, 29.71%-33.67%, and 29.68%-38.07%, respectively, compared with that treated with M-F-M. In 2021 and 2022, the stability parameters of F-F-F and M-V-M were significantly higher than those of M-F-M (P < 0.05). The content of > 2 mm aggregates, geometric mean diameter (GMD), and mean weight diameter (MWD) under the M-V-M treatment and R0.25 (> 0.25 mm aggregate contents), MWD and > 2 mm aggregate contents under the F-F-F treatment increased with the increase in fallow years, whereas the content of 1-2 mm and < 0.25 mm under the F-F-F treatment decreased with the increase in fallow years. Both green manure rotation and fallow treatment could increase the SOC content, and the SOC content of F-F-F and M-V-M treatment increased with the extension in age. Correlation analysis showed that SOC content was significantly positively correlated with R0.25 and GMD under all treatments. R0.25 and GMD under the F-F-F treatment and GMD and MWD under M-V-M were significantly positively correlated with SOC content. The results showed that continuous annual crop rotation and fallow was beneficial to improve the content of soil macro-aggregates, aggregate stability, and SOC content, which could provide theoretical basis for the implementation of reasonable continuous annual crop rotation and fallow patterns and soil erosion control in red soil areas of sloping farmland in southern China.

Ti3C2Tx MXene Liquid Crystal: Access to Create Background-Free and Easy-Made Alignment Medium.

The formation of lyotropic liquid crystals (LCs) in two-dimensional (2D) colloidal dispersions enables the production of mesoscopic/macroscopic ordered materials from nanoscale building blocks. In contrast to graphene oxide (GO) LCs, the practical applications of MXene LCs are less exploited. This study bridges the gap by utilizing a simple and versatile fabrication method to prepare Ti3C2Tx MXene LC that can be applied as a background-free alignment medium for the residual dipolar coupling (RDC) measurement of organic molecules. Ti3C2Tx LC displays the size- and concentration-dependent alignment degree. Ti3C2Tx nanoflakes with an average size of around 600 nm can provide the quadrupolar 2H splitting of 71 Hz at a concentration of 50 mg/mL and show excellent fluidity at such a high concentration. Compared with other alignment media, Ti3C2Tx LC exhibits the features of no-background and narrow line broadening, which actualizes the acquirement of clean and high-quality NMR spectra for the accurate RDC extraction. Notably, the alignment of LCs is determined to be maintainable in the redispersed solution after freeze-drying, providing the great convenience for the preparation of alignment Ti3C2Tx media, long-term sample preservation, and quantitative evaluation of alignment degree. Meanwhile, the alignment LC media for RDC measurement can be established in other MXenes such as Ti2CTx and Ti3CNTx. Collectively, our findings demonstrate the potential of creating various alignment media from the fascinating MXene family.

Two new isolated Zn-ε-Keggin clusters modified by conjugated organic ligands with decent electrocatalytic and third-order NLO properties.

Two new bifunctional isolated hybrid compounds, [ε-PMoV8MoVI4O37(OH)3Zn4][iql]4·6H2O (1) and [ε-PMoV8MoVI4O38(OH)2Zn4][bipy]3[(CH3COO)(bipy)2Zn]·2H2O (2) (where iql = isoquinoline and bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine), based on Zn-ε-Keggin were successfully synthesized by self-assembly under hydrothermal conditions. It is interesting to note that acetate in 2 acted as a linker connecting the ε-Keggin anion with the one Zn atom (Zn5) and enabled the ε-Keggin anion to coordinate with more bipy ligands, culminating with a larger isolated system, which is the first reported isolated cluster of Zn5PMo12. Meanwhile, compounds 1-2 show great electrochemical behaviors and excellent electrocatalytic activity for the degradation of NaNO2. In addition, compound 2 displays better third-order NLO performance than 1 due to the presence of more conjugated rings, with a TPA cross section (σ) of 1819 GM, which suggests that compound 2 has the potential to function as a bifunctional material with tremendous prospects.

A novel three-dimensional zinc(II) coordination polymer based on 3,3'-{[1,3-phenylenebis(methylene)]bis(oxy)}dibenzoic acid and 1,4-bis(pyridin-4-yl)benzene: synthesis, crystal structure and photocatalytic properties.

A novel three-dimensional (3D) ZnII coordination polymer, namely, poly[[[1,4-bis(pyridin-4-yl)benzene](µ3-3,3'-{[1,3-phenylenebis(methylene)]bis(oxy)}dibenzoato)zinc(II)] 1,4-bis(pyridin-4-yl)benzene], {[Zn(C22H16O6)(C16H12N2)]·C16H12N2}n or {[Zn(PMBD)(DPB)]·DPB}n, 1, where H2PMBD is 3,3'-{[1,3-phenylenebis(methylene)]bis(oxy)}dibenzoic acid and DPB is 1,4-bis(pyridin-4-yl)benzene, has been synthesized by self-assembly using zinc nitrate, a semi-rigid dicarboxylic acid and a nitrogen-containing ligand. The single-crystal X-ray structure determination indicates that 1 possesses an intriguing 3D architecture with a 4-connected uninodal cds topology, which is constructed from dinuclear {Zn2} clusters and V-shaped PMBD2- linkers. Compound 1 exhibits excellent photocatalytic activity on the degradation of the organic dyes Rhodamine B (RhB), Rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) and Methyl Red (MR).

Bioinformatics Analysis and RNA-Sequencing of SCAMP3 Expression and Correlated Gene Regulation in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Secretory Carrier Membrane Proteins 3 (SCAMP3) is a transmembrane protein that affects intracellular trafficking, protein sorting and vesicle formation. Overexpression of SCAMP3 correlates with poorly differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the expression and corresponding gene regulation of SCAMP3 in HCC remain unclear. METHODS: Bioinformatics analyses of clinical parameters and survival data were conducted to predict the prognostic value of SCAMP3 in HCC. RNA sequencing and real-time PCR were conducted to confirm the SCAMP3 expression in HCC tissue. Expression was analyzed using OncomineTM and UALCAN, while SCAMP3 alterations and survival analysis were identified by cBioPortal. Differential gene expression with SCAMP3 was analyzed by LinkedOmics and GEPIA. The target networks of enzymes and co-transcriptional factors were identified using Gene enrichment analysis. Expression of SCAMP3 in HCC tissue was detected by RNA-sequencing and Western-blotting. RESULTS: Based on bioinformatics analysis and detection of mRNA expression, SCAMP3 was over-expressed in numerous tumors, especially in HCC. SCAMP3 level was positively correlated with disease stages and tumor grades and negatively correlated with patient survival. Furthermore, functional network analysis indicated that SCAMP3 regulated metabolic process and DNA replication through oxidative phosphorylation and chromatin remodeling or Ribosome. SCAMP3 regulated a number of gene expressions including PPAP2B, SNRK, ARID4A, PRCC, VPS72 via protein binding and proteasome, which may affect cell adhesion, proliferation, transcription, cell cycle and metabolism. Further, Real-time PCR and Western-blotting showed that the SCAMP3 level was increased in HCC tissue. CONCLUSION: The present data analysis efficiently reveals information about SCAMP3 expression and correlated function in HCC, laying a foundation for further study of SCAMP3 in the tumor.

Multifunctional Polymolybdate-Based Metal-Organic Framework as an Efficient Catalyst for the CO2 Cycloaddition and as the Anode of a Lithium-Ion Battery.

A three-dimensional polymolybdate-based metal-organic framework (POMOF) consisting of Zn-ε-Keggin unit and organic linker, {[PMo8VMo4VIO37(OH)3Zn4][BPE]2}·[BPE] (1), was successfully obtained by the hydrothermal method. Compound 1 is composed of Zn-ε-Keggin units and BPE ligands, featuring a fascinating 5-fold interpenetrating framework with dia topology. The catalytic performance of compound 1 was investigated, and experiments showed that 1 could effectively facilitate the cycloaddition reaction of CO2 with epoxides as Lewis acid heterogeneous catalyst. Moreover, compound 1 also was studied as LIBs anode material, and it showed reversible capacity of 546 mA h g-1 at 100th cycle.

Two Lanthanide Metal⁻Organic Frameworks Based on Semi-Rigid T-Shaped Tricarboxylate Ligand: Syntheses, Structures, and Properties.

By using a semi-rigid tripodal ligand 5-(4-carboxybenzyloxy)isophthalic acid (H3L) and lanthanide metal ions (Nd3+, Tb3+), two novel lanthanide metal-organic frameworks, namely, {[Nd2L2(DMF)4] DMF}n (1), and {TbL(DMF)(H2O)}n (2), were synthesized under mild solvothermal conditions and structurally characterized by X-ray single crystal diffraction. Compounds 1 and 2 are isostructural, in which L3- ligands linked dinuclear lanthanide metal-carboxylate units to form non-interpenetrated 3D network with (3,6)-connected topology. Luminescent investigations reveal that compound 1 displays the near-infrared emission at room temperature, and compound 2 can be employed as selective probe for Cr2O72- anion in aqueous solution based on luminescence quenching. Moreover, compound 2 exhibits catalytic activity for cyclo-addition of CO2 and epoxides under relatively mild conditions.

1.6 µm dissipative soliton fiber laser mode-locked by cesium lead halide perovskite quantum dots.

We demonstrate a stable, picosecond fiber laser mode-locked by cesium lead halide perovskite quantum dots (CsPbBr3-QDs). The saturable absorber is produced by depositing the CsPbBr3-QDs nanocrystals onto the endface of a fiber ferrule through light pressure. A balanced two-detector measurement shows that it has a modulation depth of 2.5% and a saturation power of 17.29 MW/cm2. After incorporating the fabricated device into an Er3+-doped fiber ring cavity with a net normal dispersion of 0.238 ps2, we obtain stable dissipative soliton with a pulse duration of 14.4 ps and a center wavelength at 1600 nm together with an edge-to-dege bandwidth of 4.5 nm. The linear chirped phase can be compensated by 25 m single mode fiber, resulting into a compressed pulse duration of 1.046 ps. This experimental works proves that such CsPbBr3-QDs materials are effective choice for ultrafast laser operating with devious mode-locking states.

Identification of microRNA signature in the progression of gestational trophoblastic disease.

Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) encompasses a range of trophoblast-derived disorders. The most common type of GTD is hydatidiform mole (HM). Some of HMs can further develop into malignant gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN). Aberrant expression of microRNA (miRNA) is widely reported to be involved in the initiation and progression of cancers. MiRNA expression profile also has been proved to be the useful signature for diagnosis, staging, prognosis, and response to chemotherapy. Till now, the profile of miRNA in the progression of GTD has not been determined. In this study, a total of 34 GTN and 60 complete HMs (CHM) trophoblastic tissues were collected. By miRNA array screening and qRT-PCR validating, six miRNAs, including miR-370-3p, -371a-5p, -518a-3p, -519d-3p, -520a-3p, and -934, were identified to be differentially expressed in GTN vs. CHM. Functional analyses further proved that miR-371a-5p and miR-518a-3p promoted proliferation, migration, and invasion of choriocarcinoma cells. Moreover, we demonstrated that miR-371a-5p was negatively related to protein levels of its predictive target genes BCCIP, SOX2, and BNIP3L, while miR-518a-3p was negatively related to MST1 and EFNA4. For the first time, we proved that miR-371a-5p and miR-518a-3p directly targeted to 3'-UTR regions of BCCIP and MST1, respectively. Additionally, we found that miR-371a-5p and miR-518a-3p regulated diverse pathways related to tumorigenesis and metastasis in choriocarcinoma cells. The results presented here may offer new clues to the progression of GTD and may provide diagnostic biomarkers for GTN.

Decreased PGF may contribute to trophoblast dysfunction in fetal growth restriction.

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) threatens perinatal health and is correlated with increased incidence of fetal original adult diseases. Most cases of FGR were idiopathic, which were supposed to be associated with placental abnormality. Decreased circulating placental growth factor (PGF) was recognized as an indication of placental deficiency in FGR. In this study, the epigenetic regulation of PGF in FGR placentas and the involvement of PGF in modulation of trophoblast activity were investigated. The expression level of PGF in placental tissues was determined by RT-qPCR, immunohistochemistry and ELISA. DNA methylation profile of PGF gene was analyzed by bisulfite sequencing. Trophoblastic cell lines were treated with ZM-306416, an inhibitor of PGF receptor FLT1, to observe the effect of PGF/FLT1 signaling on cell proliferation and migration. We demonstrated that PGF was downregulated in placentas from FGR pregnancies compared with normal controls. The villous expression of PGF was positively correlated with placental and fetal weight. The CpG island inside PGF promoter was hypomethylated without obvious difference in both normal and FGR placentas. However, the higher DNA methylation at another CpG island downstream exon 7 of PGF was demonstrated in FGR placentas. Additionally, we found FLT1 was expressed in trophoblast cells. Inhibition of PGF/FLT1 signaling by a selective inhibitor impaired trophoblast proliferation and migration. In conclusion, our data suggested that the PGF expression was dysregulated, and disrupted PGF/FLT1 signaling in trophoblast might contribute to placenta dysfunction in FGR. Thus, our results support the significant role of PGF in the pathogenesis of FGR.

Glycidyl Fatty Acid Esters in Refined Edible Oils: A Review on Formation, Occurrence, Analysis, and Elimination Methods.

Glycidyl fatty acid esters (GEs), one of the main contaminants in processed oils, are mainly formed during the deodorization step in the refining process of edible oils and therefore occur in almost all refined edible oils. GEs are potential carcinogens, due to the fact that they readily hydrolyze into the free form glycidol in the gastrointestinal tract, which has been found to induce tumors in various rat tissues. Furthermore, glycidol has already been identified as a "possible human carcinogen'' (group 2A) by the Intl. Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Therefore, significant effort has been devoted to inhibit and eliminate the formation of GEs. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive summary on the following topics: (i) GE occurrence data for different edible oils and oil-based food products, (ii) precursors of GEs, (iii) factors influencing the formation of GEs, (iv) potential reaction mechanisms involving the leaving group and reaction intermediates, and (v) analytical methods, including the indirect and direct methods. More importantly, the various elimination methods for GEs in refined edible oils are being reviewed with focus on 3 aspects: (i) inhibition and removal of reactants, (ii) modification of reactive conditions, and (iii) elimination of GE products.

Liver receptor homologue-1 and steroidogenic factor-1 expression in cultured granulosa cells from patients with endometriosis: A preliminary study.

AIM: The expression of aromatase (via CYP19 and the CYP19 PII promoter) and the orphan nuclear receptor family members, liver receptor homologue-1 (LRH-1) and steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1) in cultured luteinized granulosa cells from women with endometriosis were investigated. METHODS: Luteinized granulosa cells from patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (16 patients with endometriosis and 28 controls) were examined for messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression of CYP19, CYP19 PII, LRH-1 and SF-1, determined by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Student's t-test, the Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman's rank correlation were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The number of high quality embryos in the endometriosis group was significantly lower than in the control group. The mRNA expression levels of CYP19, CYP19 PII, LRH-1 and SF-1 in granulosa-lutein cells were decreased in women with endometriosis compared to the control group. The simultaneous down-regulation expression of LRH-1, SF-1 and CYP19 PII in endometriotic granulosa cells indicated their positive correlation. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate aberrant expressions of SF-1 and LRH-1 in endometriotic granulosa-lutein cells. This finding may be helpful in understanding infertility associated with endometriosis and reduced P450 aromatase activity in endometriotic granulosa cells.

KDM4B and KDM4A promote endometrial cancer progression by regulating androgen receptor, c-myc, and p27kip1.

Epidemiological evidence suggests that elevated androgen levels and genetic variation related to the androgen receptor (AR) increase the risk of endometrial cancer (EC). However, the role of AR in EC is poorly understood. We report that two members of the histone demethylase KDM4 family act as major regulators of AR transcriptional activityin EC. In the MFE-296 cell line, KDM4B and AR upregulate c-myc expression, while in AN3CA cells KDM4A and AR downregulate p27kip1. Additionally, KDM4B expression is positively correlated with AR expression in EC cell lines with high baseline AR expression, while KDM4A and AR expression are positively correlated in low-AR cell lines. In clinical specimens, both KDM4B and KDM4A expression are significantly higher in EC tissues than that in normal endometrium. Finally, patients with alterations in AR, KDM4B, KDM4A, and c-myc have poor overall and disease-free survival rates. Together, these findings demonstrate that KDM4B and KDM4A promote EC progression by regulating AR activity.

Twist induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition in cervical carcinogenesis by regulating the TGF-ß/Smad3 signaling pathway.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is associated with the metastasis and poor prognosis of cervical cancer. However, the underlying mechanisms are poorly defined. In the present study, we investigated whether Twist plays a direct role in human cervical cancer using immunohistochemical and western blot analyses. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that Twist is highly expressed in cervical cancer, which correlates with poor tumor pathological differentiation or lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). Depletion of Twist by stable shRNA-mediated knockdown decreased the migratory ability of cancer cell lines in vitro. Suppression or overexpression of Twist also resulted in an altered expression of the molecular mediators of EMT. Furthermore, exogenous TGF-ß promoted EMT by upregulating the expression of Twist through the TGF-ß/Smad3 pathway, and this effect was eliminated by Twist depletion in cancer cells as demonstrated in the in vitro study. The use of in vivo models revealed a decreased tumor proliferation potential in Twist-depleted cancer cells. The results suggested a novel function for Twist in the promotion of EMT via TGF-ß/Smad3 signaling pathway. Thus, Twist constitutes a potential therapeutic target in human cervical cancer.

Is gestational hypertension protective against perinatal mortality in twin pregnancies?

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy-induced or gestational hypertension is a common pregnancy complication. Paradoxically, gestational hypertension has been associated with a protective effect against perinatal mortality in twin pregnancies in analytic models (logistic regression) without accounting for survival time. Whether this effect is real remains uncertain. This study aimed to validate the impact of gestational hypertension on perinatal mortality in twin pregnancies using a survival analysis approach. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of 278,821 twin pregnancies, using the U.S. 1995-2000 matched multiple birth dataset (the largest dataset available for multiple births). Cox proportional hazard models were applied to estimate the adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) of perinatal death (stillbirth and neonatal death) comparing gestational hypertensive vs. non-hypertensive pregnancies controlling for maternal characteristics and twin cluster-level dependence. RESULTS: Comparing births in gestational hypertensive vs. non-hypertensive twin pregnancies, perinatal mortality rates were significantly lower (1.20% vs. 3.38%), so were neonatal mortality (0.72% vs. 2.30%) and stillbirth (0.48% vs. 1.10%) rates. The aHRs (95% confidence intervals) were 0.34 (0.31-0.38) for perinatal death, 0.31 (0.27-0.34) for neonatal death, and 0.45 (0.38-0.53) for stillbirth, respectively. The protective effect of gestational hypertension against perinatal death became weaker over advancing gestational age; the aHRs in very preterm (<32 weeks), mild preterm (32-36 weeks) and term (37+ weeks) births were 0.29, 0.48 and 0.76, respectively. The largest risk reductions in neonatal mortality were observed for infections and immaturity-related conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Gestational hypertension appears to be beneficial for fetal survival in twin pregnancies, especially in those ending more prematurely or for deaths due to infections and immaturity-related conditions. Prospective studies are required to rule out the possibility of unmeasured confounders.

Identification and analysis of differential miRNAs in PK-15 cells after foot-and-mouth disease virus infection.

The alterations of MicroRNAs(miRNAs) in host cell after foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) infection is still obscure. To increase our understanding of the pathogenesis of FMDV at the post-transcriptional regulation level, Solexa high-throu MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role both in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression and host-virus interactions. Despite investigations of miRNA expression ghput sequencing and bioinformatic tools were used to identify differentially expressed miRNAs and analyze their functions during FMDV infection of PK-15 cells. Results indicated that 9,165,674 and 9,230,378 clean reads were obtained, with 172 known and 72 novel miRNAs differently expressed in infected and uninfected groups respectively. Some of differently expressed miRNAs were validated using stem-loop real-time quantitative RT-PCR. The GO annotation and KEGG pathway analysis for target genes revealed that differently expressed miRNAs were involved in immune response and cell death pathways.

[Clinical value of hCG ratio of blood in peritoneal cavity versus venous blood in diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy].

OBJECTIVE: To study the value of hCG ratio of blood in peritoneal cavity versus venous blood (RPhCG/VhCG) in diagnosis of early ectopic pregnancy (EP). METHODS: From Mar. 2009 to Oct. 2012, 268 cases with EP (EP group) and 53 women with intrauterine pregnancy with haemoperitoneum (hIUP) (hIUP group) from International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 6th People Hospital and Shanghai Jiangwan Hospital were enrolled in this prospective study. The HCG of all subjective were measured in blood in peritonea cavity and venous blood, then calculate the ratio of RPhCG/VhCG. Scatter point analysis and ROC were used to differentiate EP, determine threshold of hIUP and evaluate the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy in diagnosis EP preoperatively. RESULTS: The mean RPhCG/VhCG of EP group was 4.35, which was significantly higher than 0.81 in hIUP group (P < 0.01). Scatter point analysis showed that the threshold value of RPhCG/VhCG between ectopic pregnancy and hIUP was 1.0. The overall sensitivity of RPhCG/VhCG in the diagnosis of EP was 98%, the specificity was 100%, the positive predictive value was 100% and the negtive predictive value was 93%. CONCLUSION: RPhCG/VhCG > 1.0 could be used to diagnose and differentiate EP from hIUP accurately.

Silencing of Cathepsin B suppresses the proliferation and invasion of endometrial cancer.

The molecular mechanism involved in the metastasis of endometrial cancer (EC) remains unclear. The lysosomal cysteine protease Cathepsin B has been implicated in the progression of various human tumors. In the present study, we assessed the expression of Cathepsin B and its functions in EC. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine Cathepsin B expression in 76 paraffin-embedded endometrial tumor tissues. Lentiviral packing short hairpin RNA (shRNA) was transfected into HEC-1A cells to build a stable Cathepsin B knockdown cell line. The cellular levels of Cathepsin B mRNA and protein were detected by real-time PCR and western immunoblotting. The functions of Cathepsin B in EC cells were measured by MTT, migration and invasion assays. In additon, tumorigenicity assays were established in nude mice to study tumor growth in vivo. The results of our study showed that Cathepsin B was overexpressed in EC tissues compared with normal endometrium and endometrial atypical hyperplasia. Depletion of Cathepsin B in vitro inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Tumor formation assays confirmed that suppression of Cathepsin B inhibited the proliferation potential of HEC-1A cells in vivo, demonstrated by lower proliferation rates. These results suggest that Cathepsin B may act as an oncogene in EC, with the potential to provide a new therapeutic target for treating endometrial malignancy.