Therapeutic Potential of Bacteroides fragilis SNBF-1 as a Next-Generation Probiotic: In Vitro Efficacy in Lipid and Carbohydrate Metabolism and Antioxidant Activity.

This study explores the potential of aerotolerant Bacteroides fragilis (B. fragilis) strains as next-generation probiotics (NGPs), focusing on their adaptability in the gastrointestinal environment, safety profile, and probiotic functions. From 23 healthy infant fecal samples, we successfully isolated 56 beneficial B. fragilis strains. Notably, the SNBF-1 strain demonstrated superior cholesterol removal efficiency in HepG2 cells, outshining all other strains by achieving a remarkable reduction in cholesterol by 55.38 ± 2.26%. Comprehensive genotype and phenotype analyses were conducted, including sugar utilization and antibiotic sensitivity tests, leading to the development of an optimized growth medium for SNBF-1. SNBF-1 also demonstrated robust and consistent antioxidant activity, particularly in cell-free extracts, as evidenced by an average oxygen radical absorbance capacity value of 1.061 and a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging ability of 94.53 ± 7.31%. The regulation of carbohydrate metabolism by SNBF-1 was assessed in the insulin-resistant HepG2 cell line. In enzyme inhibition assays, SNBF-1 showed significant α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition, with rates of 87.04 ± 2.03% and 37.82 ± 1.36%, respectively. Furthermore, the cell-free supernatant (CFS) of SNBF-1 enhanced glucose consumption and glycogen synthesis in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells, indicating improved cellular energy metabolism. This was consistent with the observation that the CFS of SNBF-1 increased the proliferation of HepG2 cells by 123.77 ± 0.82% compared to that of the control. Overall, this research significantly enhances our understanding of NGPs and their potential therapeutic applications in modulating the gut microbiome.

Development of a 2 µm Solid-State Laser for Lidar in the Past Decade.

The 2 µm wavelength belongs to the eye-safe band and has a wide range of applications in the fields of lidar, biomedicine, and materials processing. With the rapid development of military, wind power, sensing, and other industries, new requirements for 2 µm solid-state laser light sources have emerged, especially in the field of lidar. This paper focuses on the research progress of 2 µm solid-state lasers for lidar over the past decade. The technology and performance of 2 µm pulsed single longitudinal mode solid-state lasers, 2 µm seed solid-state lasers, and 2 µm high power solid-state lasers are, respectively, summarized and analyzed. This paper also introduces the properties of gain media commonly used in the 2 µm band, the construction method of new bonded crystals, and the fabrication method of saturable absorbers. Finally, the future prospects of 2 µm solid-state lasers for lidar are presented.

Development of Laser Processing Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Plastic.

Due to its exceptional advantages, such as high specific strength, high specific modulus, and good fatigue resistance, carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) is frequently utilized in aerospace, aviation, automotive, rail transportation, and other areas. Composite components typically need to be joined and integrated. In the equipment manufacturing industry, the most used methods for processing composite components are cutting, drilling, and surface treatment. The quality of CFRP is significantly impacted by traditional mechanical processing, causing flaws like delamination, burrs, and tears. Laser processing technology has emerged as a crucial method for processing CFRP for its high quality, non-contact, simple control, and automation features. The most recent research on the laser processing of CFRP is presented in this paper, supporting scientists and engineers who work in the field in using this unconventional manufacturing technique. This paper gives a general overview of the key features of laser processing technology and the numerous machining techniques available. The concepts and benefits of laser processing technology are discussed in terms of the material properties, mode of operation, and laser characteristics, as well as the methods to achieve high efficiency, low damage, and high precision. This paper reviews the research development of laser processing of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, and a summary of the factors affecting the quality of CFRP laser processing. Therefore, the research content of this article can be used as a theoretical basis for reducing thermal damage and improving the processing quality of laser-processed composite materials, while, on this basis, we analyze the development trend of CFRP laser processing technology.

Sulforaphane attenuates glycoprotein VI-mediated platelet mitochondrial dysfunction through up-regulating the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo.

Platelet mitochondrial dysfunction is crucial for platelet activation, atherosclerosis and thrombosis. Sulforaphane (SFN) is a dietary isothiocyanate enriched in cruciferous vegetables and possesses multiple health benefits including cardiovascular protection. This study aims to investigate whether and how SFN modulates platelet mitochondrial dysfunction and hyperactivity in vitro and in vivo. Using a series of platelet functional assays in human platelets in vitro, we found that SFN at physiological concentrations attenuated oxidative stress-dependent platelet mitochondrial dysfunction (loss of mitochondrial membrane potential), apoptosis (cytochrome c release, caspase 3 activation and phosphatidylserine exposure) and activation induced by glycoprotein VI (GPVI) agonists (e.g., collagen and convulxin). Moreover, 12-week supplementation of SFN-enriched broccoli sprout extract (BSE, 0.06% diet) in C57BL/6J mice also attenuated GPVI-induced platelet mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis and hyperreactivity in vivo. Mechanistically, these inhibitory effects of SFN treatment and BSE supplementation were mainly mediated by up-regulating the cAMP/PKA pathway though decreasing phosphodiesterase 3A (PDE3A) activity. Thus, through modulating the PDE3A/cAMP/PKA signaling pathway, and attenuating platelet mitochondrial dysfunction and hyperreactivity, SFN may be a potent cardioprotective agent.

The LHT Gene Family in Rice: Molecular Characterization, Transport Functions and Expression Analysis.

Amino acid transporters (AATs) are integral membrane proteins and play important roles in plant growth and development as well as environmental responses. In contrast to the amino acid permease (AAP) subfamily, functional studies of the lysine and histidine transporter (LHT) subfamily have not been made in rice. In the current study, six LHT genes were found in the rice genome. To further investigate the functions of these genes, analyses were performed regarding gene and protein structures, chromosomal locations, evolutionary relationships, cis-acting elements of promoters, gene expression, and yeast complementation. We found that the six OsLHT genes are distributed on 4 out of the 12 chromosomes and that the six OsLHT genes were grouped into two clusters based on the phylogenetic analysis. Protein structure analyses showed that each OsLHT protein has 11 helical transmembrane domains. Yeast complementation assays showed that these OsLHT genes have conserved transport substrates within each cluster. The four members from cluster 1 showed broad amino acid selectivity, while OsLHT5 and OsLHT6 may transport other substrates besides amino acids. Additionally, quantitative real-time PCR analysis of the six OsLHT genes revealed that they have different expression patterns at different developmental stages and in different tissues. It also revealed that some OsLHT genes were responsive to PEG, NaCl and cold treatments, indicating their critical roles in abiotic stress response. Our results will be useful for further characterizing the crucial biological functions of rice LHT genes.

Establishment and validation of a nomogram for predicting the surgical difficulty of lateral retroperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy.

Background: Lateral retroperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LRLA) is widely performed for the resection of adrenal disorders, but when larger and more malignant lesions are involved, the difficulty of LRLA increases. We aimed to develop and evaluate a predictive model for the surgical difficulty of LRLA. Methods: A retrospective, observational, single-center study was performed involving all consecutive cases of unilateral RLA for adrenal disease from 2012.01 to 2021.12. Cases were randomly divided into training and validation cohorts (split ratio =7:3), then the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was applied to reduce data dimension and select predictors. Multivariate logistic regression followed to develop the prediction nomogram for the surgical difficulty of LRLA. Finally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve plot and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to evaluate the nomogram's discrimination, calibration, and clinical usefulness, respectively. Results: A total of 621 cases were enrolled with a median age of 53 years and a median tumor diameter of 1.7 cm. After LASSO regression analysis, surgeon's experience, tumor diameter, resection procedure, histological type, patient's sex and body mass index (BMI) were identified to establish the nomogram. The model displayed good discrimination with area under the curve (AUC) in both the training cohort (0.754, 95% CI: 0.701-0.806) and validation cohort (0.742, 95% CI: 0.646-0.838). Additionally, excellent calibration curves were revealed for surgical difficulty evaluation in both the training cohort (P=0.999) and validation cohort (P=0.444). DCA results indicated the prediction model was clinically useful. Conclusions: Our novel and effective predictive model can be used to assess the individual surgical difficulty of LRLA. By stratifying patients at risk of having a difficult LRLA for adrenal disease, the model could contribute to improvements in perioperative strategy and therapy.

A novel pyroptosis related genes signature for predicting prognosis and estimating tumor immune microenvironment in lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: Pyroptosis is a newly found form of programmed cell death, accompanied by inflammatory response as well as immune response. Here, the specific function and prognosis predictive of pyroptosis-related genes (PRGs) were systematically explored in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Methods: The gene expression data and corresponding clinical information of LUAD patients were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and the expression level of PRGs was identified between normal and tumor tissues. Furthermore, univariate Cox proportional hazards regression was conducted to filter the PRGs related to overall survival, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was subsequent employed to establish the PRGs risk model. Besides, the correlation of risk score with patients' clinical features, tumor mutational burden (TMB) as well as tumor microenvironment (TME) was also investigated. Results: A total of 5 PRGs (NLRC4, NLRP1, NLRP3, NOD1, PLCG1, and BAK1) was used to establish the risk prognostic model. According the median value of risk score, all the patients were classified into low- and high-risk score group. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicted that the LUAD patients in low-risk group exhibited a better survival outcome compared the patients in high-risk group (P<0.001). After adjusting for age, gender, and clinical stage, the risk score was also considered as and independent risk factor affecting the overall survival of LUAD patients (HR =2.949, 95% CI: 1.762-4.937). Moreover, low-risk score group exhibited a higher Immune score and lower Tumor purity compared with high-risk score group. ssGSEA results proved that the enrichment scores of most immune cells and immune related signal pathway in low-risk score group was significant higher than that in high-risk score group. In addition, the PRGs risk score was also positive correlated with TMB in LUAD tissues. Conclusions: In this study, a novel prognostic model based on PRGs was constructed and used to predict the survival outcome of LUAD patients. In addition, the PRGs risk signature was also associated with TMB and anti-tumor immune environment. The induction of pyroptosis inside tumors might be considered a potential strategy in cancer treatments.

Identification of a pyroptosis related gene signature for predicting prognosis and estimating tumor immune microenvironment in bladder cancer.

Background: Recently, there are growing evidence indicated that pyroptosis play a critical role in the incidence of many diseases. Here, we aimed to identify the specific function and prognosis predictive of pyroptosis-related genes (PRGs) in bladder cancer (BLCA) patients. Methods: The gene expression and corresponding clinical data of BLCA patients were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and the expression level of PRGs was identified between normal and tumor tissues. Furthermore, univariate Cox regression was conducted to filter the PRGs related to overall survival, and LASSO Cox regression was subsequently conducted to establish the PRGs risk model. Besides, the correlation of risk score with patients' clinical features, tumor mutational burden (TMB) as well as tumor microenvironment (TME) was also investigated. Results: A total of 6 PRGs was used to establish the risk prognostic model. According the median value of risk score, the patients were classified into low- and high-risk subgroup. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that the BLCA patients in low-risk group exhibited a better survival prognosis compared with high-risk group. More important, after adjusting for age, gender, tumor grade, and clinical stage, the risk score resulted as an independent factor affecting the clinical prognosis of BLCA patients. In addition, the PRGs risk signature was also correlated with immune cell infiltration, TMB and TME. Conclusions: The present study offered a novel PRGs risk model to access the clinical prognosis of BLCA and provided new insight for future study to improve overall survival and responses to cancer therapy targeting pyroptosis.

Electrokinetic behavior of bullet-shaped nanopores modified by functional groups: Influence of finite thickness of modified layer.

We examined theoretically the electrokinetic behavior of a bullet-shaped nanopore modified by a functional layer, focusing on the influence of its thickness. The nanopore contains both fixed surface charge coming from the original bare surface, and space fixed charge from the modified layer. The results of numerical simulation reveal that the presence of this layer is crucial to the electrokinetic behavior of the nanopore. In particular, its softness is capable of influencing ionic profiles through electroosmotic flow (EOF). Unlike a conical nanopore where its surface normal vector is constant, that of the present bullet-shaped nanopore varies along the pore axis, thereby affecting the degree of EOF, which in turn, can make the ionic profile inside the modified layer more uniform. This is crucial to the applications of the nanopore, for example, in mimicking biological membranes and sensing metal ions.

Usability of Wearable Devices With a Novel Cardiac Force Index for Estimating the Dynamic Cardiac Function: Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Long-distance running can be a form of stress to the heart. Technological improvements combined with the public's gradual turn toward mobile health (mHealth), self-health, and exercise effectiveness have resulted in the widespread use of wearable exercise products. The monitoring of dynamic cardiac function changes during running and running performance should be further studied. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the relationship between dynamic cardiac function changes and finish time for 3000-meter runs. Using a wearable device based on a novel cardiac force index (CFI), we explored potential correlations among 3000-meter runners with stronger and weaker cardiac functions during running. METHODS: This study used the American product BioHarness 3.0 (Zephyr Technology Corporation), which can measure basic physiological parameters including heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, maximum oxygen consumption, and activity. We investigated the correlations among new physiological parameters, including CFI = weight * activity / heart rate, cardiac force ratio (CFR) = CFI of running / CFI of walking, and finish times for 3000-meter runs. RESULTS: The results showed that waist circumference, smoking, and CFI were the significant factors for qualifying in the 3000-meter run. The prediction model was as follows: ln (3000 meters running performance pass probability / fail results probability) = -2.702 - 0.096 × [waist circumference] - 1.827 × [smoke] + 0.020 × [ACi7]. If smoking and the ACi7 were controlled, contestants with a larger waist circumference tended to fail the qualification based on the formula above. If waist circumference and ACi7 were controlled, smokers tended to fail more often than nonsmokers. Finally, we investigated a new calculation method for monitoring cardiac status during exercise that uses the CFI of walking for the runner as a reference to obtain the ratio between the cardiac force of exercise and that of walking (CFR) to provide a standard for determining if the heart is capable of exercise. A relationship is documented between the CFR and the performance of 3000-meter runs in a healthy 22-year-old person. During the running period, data are obtained while participant slowly runs 3000 meters, and the relationship between the CFR and time is plotted. The runner's CFR varies with changes in activity. Since the runner's acceleration increases, the CFR quickly increases to an explosive peak, indicating the runner's explosive power. At this period, the CFI revealed a 3-fold increase (CFR=3) in a strong heart. After a time lapse, the CFR is approximately 2.5 during an endurance period until finishing the 3000-meter run. Similar correlation is found in a runner with a weak heart, with the CFR at the beginning period being 4 and approximately 2.5 thereafter. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the study results suggested that measuring the real-time CFR changes could be used in a prediction model for 3000-meter running performance.

Enabling large-scale genome editing at repetitive elements by reducing DNA nicking.

To extend the frontier of genome editing and enable editing of repetitive elements of mammalian genomes, we made use of a set of dead-Cas9 base editor (dBE) variants that allow editing at tens of thousands of loci per cell by overcoming the cell death associated with DNA double-strand breaks and single-strand breaks. We used a set of gRNAs targeting repetitive elements-ranging in target copy number from about 32 to 161 000 per cell. dBEs enabled survival after large-scale base editing, allowing targeted mutations at up to ∼13 200 and ∼12 200 loci in 293T and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), respectively, three orders of magnitude greater than previously recorded. These dBEs can overcome current on-target mutation and toxicity barriers that prevent cell survival after large-scale genome engineering.

Estimating the thermodynamic equilibrium constants of metal oxide particles through a general electrophoresis model.

We propose an efficient and convenient procedure for estimating the thermodynamic equilibrium constants of the surface dissociation/association reactions of metal oxide particles through electrophoresis measurements and a general electrophoresis model, which takes account of essentially all the relevant factors. These constants are usually estimated experimentally through a tedious potentiometric acid-base titration procedure. In addition, since several assumptions need be made in applying this procedure, the results obtained can be unreliable, especially when the difference between the equilibrium constant of the dissociation reaction and that of the association reaction is small. Another merit of the procedure proposed is that the site density of the surface dissociation/associations functional groups need not be known in advance so that it becomes much more convenient and efficient than previous procedures. The applicability of the present procedure is examined by applying it to the cases of SiO2 and TiO2 nanoparticles dispersed in an aqueous NaCl solution.

MicroRNA-326 aggravates acute lung injury in septic shock by mediating the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Our previous studies have demonstrated that the activation of the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway contributes to the development of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) as well as an inflammatory reaction, and its inhibition may provide future therapeutic values. Thereby, this study aims to explore the effects of miR-326 on inflammatory response and ALI in mice with septic shock via the NF-κB signaling pathway. The study included normal mice and LPS-induced mouse models of septic shock with ALI. Modeled mice were transfected with the blank plasmid, miR-326 mimic, miR-326 inhibitor, si-BCL2A1 and miR-326 inhibitor + si-BCL2A1. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), airway pressure (AP), heart rate (HR) and lung wet dry (W/D) ratio were determined. Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, IL-1ß, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were detected using ELISA. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot analysis were performed to detect the miR-326 expression and expression levels of BCL2A1, related genes of inflammatory response and the NF-κB signaling pathway in lung tissues. Cell viability and apoptosis were measured using the CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Compared to the ALI models and those transfected with blank plasmid, the up-regulated miR-326 expression and silenced BCL2A1 lead to decreased levels of MAP, increased AP, HR and lung W/D, increased serum levels of IL-6, IL-10, IL-1ß and TNF-α, increased expressions of IL-6, IL-1ß, TNF-α, NF-κB p65 (p-NF-κB p65), and iNOS with decreased expressions of BCL2A1s as well as inhibition of cell viability and enhanced cell apoptosis; the down-regulated miR-326 expression reversed the aforementioned situation. MiR-326 targeting the BCL2A1 gene activated the NF-κB signaling pathway, resulting in aggravated inflammatory response and lung injury of septic shock with ALI in mice.

Spin-orbit torque magnetometry by wide-field magneto-optical Kerr effect.

Magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) is an efficient approach to probe surface magnetization in thin film samples. Here we present a wide-field MOKE technique that adopts a Köhler illumination scheme to characterize the current-induced damping-like spin-orbit torque (DL-SOT) in micron-sized and unpatterned magnetic heterostructures with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Through a current-induced hysteresis loop shift analysis, we quantify the DL-SOT efficiency of a Ta-based heterostructure with bar-shaped geometry, Hall-cross geometry, and unpatterned geometry to be |ξ DL | ≈ 0.08. The proposed wide-field MOKE approach therefore provides an instant and direct characterization of DL-SOT, without the need of any further interpretation on electrical signals.

SiRNA directed against NF­κB inhibits mononuclear macrophage cells releasing proinflammatory cytokines in vitro.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a condition of acute respiratory failure, characterized by diffuse pulmonary infiltrates and severe hypoxemia. During ALI, the acute phase of inflammation induces the recruitment of activated inflammatory cells, including macrophages and lymphocytes, to the damaged lesions. Nuclear factor (NF)­κB is a key protein in many signal transduction pathways, over­activation of which is followed by an approach of inflammation cells and release of pre­inflammation cytokines. The aim of the present study was to explore the effect of NF­κB P65 siRNA retroviruses on the activation of NF­κB signaling pathway and release of pro­inflammatory cytokines in THP­1 cells. In the present study, reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT­qPCR) and western blotting were used to detect the NF­κB p65 mRNA and protein expression at different times in THP­1 cells infected by p65 siRNA retroviruses. The results revealed that p65 siRNA retroviruses could significantly inhibit the expression levels of NF­κB p65 mRNA and protein at different times. In addition, to further investigate the effect of p65 siRNA retroviruses on the pro­inflammatory cytokines release stimulated by LPS, the expression of IL­1ß in THP­1 cells and TNF­α in THP­1/M cells was also detected using RT­qPCR and ELISA. As a result, the level of released proinflammatory cytokine interleukin­1ß and tumor necrosis factor­α stimulated was significantly inhibited at different times infected by p65 siRNA retroviruses, while increased at different times infected by siControl retroviruses in THP­1 and THP­1/M cells stimulated by LPS. In summary, the present study demonstrated that p65 siRNA retroviruses could suppress the activation of NF­κB signal pathway and release of pro­inflammatory cytokines in THP­1 cells which provided a clinically plausible method to inhibit the inflammation for ALI/ARDS utilizing RNA interference technology.

Corynoline attenuates LPS-induced acute lung injury in mice by activating Nrf2.

Corynoline, isolated from Corydalis bungeana Turcz, has been reported to possess anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities. In this study, we aimed to explore the treatment effect of corynoline on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice. In the present study, the signaling pathways were measured by Western blot analysis. The levels of inflammatory cytokines were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Additionally, the effects of corynoline on LPS-induced myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity was examined. The results showed that corynoline markedly inhibited LPS-induced neutrophils influx, MPO activity, and inflammatory cytokines IL-1ß, TNF-α and IL-6 release. Corynoline also attenuated lung histopathological changes induced by LPS. Furthermore, corynoline inhibited LPS-induced NF-κB activation. In addition, corynoline up-regulated the expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 in a dose-dependent manner. The data suggest that corynoline has a treatment effect on LPS-induced ALI in mice by inhibiting inflammatory response.

Geraniin attenuates LPS-induced acute lung injury via inhibiting NF-κB and activating Nrf2 signaling pathways.

Geraniin, a typical ellagitannin isolated from Phyllanthusurinaria Linn, has been reported to have anti-inflammatory effect. The aim of the study is to investigate the therapeutic effects of geraniin on LPS-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice. The mice were intranasal adminisration of LPS for 12 h. Geraniin was intra-peritoneal injection 1 h after LPS treatment. The results showed that geraniin significantly attenuated LPS-induced pathological changes in the lung. Geraniin also inhibited LPS-induced macrophages and neutrophils infiltration in the lung. Geraniin significantly attenuated LPS-induced elevation of MPO level. LPS-induced TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1ß production were markedly suppressed by treatment of geraniin. Furthermore, geraniin inhibited NF-κB activation in LPS-induced ALI. In addition, geraniin was found to up-regulate the expression of Nrf2 and HO-1. In conclusion, these data suggested that geraniin had therapeutic effects in LPS-induced ALI by inhibiting NF-κB and activating Nrf2 signaling pathways.

Hippocampal awake replay in fear memory retrieval.

Hippocampal place cells are key to episodic memories. How these cells participate in memory retrieval remains unclear. After rats acquired a fear memory by receiving mild footshocks in a shock zone on a track, we analyzed place cells when the animals were placed on the track again and displayed an apparent memory retrieval behavior: avoidance of the shock zone. We found that place cells representing the shock zone were reactivated, despite the fact that the animals did not enter the shock zone. This reactivation occurred in ripple-associated awake replay of place cell sequences encoding the paths from the animal's current positions to the shock zone but not in place cell sequences within individual cycles of theta oscillation. The result reveals a specific place-cell pattern underlying inhibitory avoidance behavior and provides strong evidence for the involvement of awake replay in fear memory retrieval.

Short hairpin RNA directed against ß-catenin inhibits prostate cancer growth and invasion in vitro.

ß-catenin protein exhibits a dual function in epithelial cells, depending on its intracellular localization. At the plasma membrane, ß­catenin is an important constituent of adherens junctions. However, when the Wnt/ß­catenin signaling pathway is activated, ß­catenin translocates to the nucleus to promote specific gene expression. To investigate the functional activity and examine the role of the Wnt/ß­catenin signaling pathway in various human prostate cancer cells, indirect immunofluorescence was performed to detect the expression and distribution of ß­catenin in the following prostate cancer cell lines: PC­3, LNCaP, C4­2, IA8­ARCaP and IF11­ARCaP. A marked difference was observed in the expression and distribution of ß­catenin in different prostate cancer cell lines. ß­catenin was observed in the nuclei of IA8-ARCaP and IF11­ARCaP cell lines, whereas it was present on the membrane of LNCaP and C4­2 cell lines. There was a low expression of ß­catenin in the PC­3 cell line. Furthermore, short hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting human ß­catenin was constructed to investigate the effect of ß­catenin shRNA on the proliferation and invasive potency of prostate cancer cells. The IA8/ß­catenin(­) cell line exhibited a reduced potency for invasion and proliferation compared with the IA8 and IA8­shControl groups. The present study demonstrated that suppressing activity of Wnt/ß­catenin signal pathway via ß­catenin shRNA results in an inhibition of prostate cancer proliferation and invasion.