Expression of microRNA-122 and microRNA-22 in HBV-related liver cancer and the correlation with clinical features.

OBJECTIVE: MicroRNAs (miR) participate in cell proliferation, apoptosis and transformation, as they can regulate gene expression and intracellular signal transduction for various physiological processes. MiR-122 and miR-22 are known to be related with occurrence and progression of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular cancer (HCC). This study recruited HBV-related HCC patients, whose expression levels of miR-122 and miR-22 were determined to analyze the correlation with clinical and pathological indexes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: HBV-related HCC patients were enrolled, in parallel with patients suffering from benign liver disease and non-HBV-related HCC. Real-time PCR was employed to measure miR-122 and miR-22 expression levels. RESULTS: The relative expression levels of miR-122 and miR-22 in HBV-related HCC patients were 1.26 ± 2.73 and 5.49 ± 3.91, respectively, which were significantly lower than that in benign liver disease or non-HBV-related HCC patients (p < 0.05). No significant difference of serum miR-122 or miR-22 levels was found between benign liver disease and non-HBV-related HCC patients (p > 0.05). The miR-122 and miR-22 levels were negatively correlated with tumor size, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, pathological type, differentiation grade, liver cirrhosis, AFP and HBV DNA, all of which were independent risk factors (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: MiR-122 and miR-22 were downregulated in HBV-related HCC patients, and were related with tumor size, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, pathological type, differentiation grade, liver cirrhosis, AFP and HBV DNA.

Tricyclic Neovibsanin Scaffold (TCNS) as an Effective Antidepressant Agent.

Neovibsanin type natural products were found to display neurite outgrowth activity in PC12 cells. This suggests that such type of compounds could be promising candidates for the development of novel therapeutic agents to treat neurological diseases. In the present study rats after chronic mild stress (CMS) were treated with tricyclic neovibsanin scaffold (TCNS) to study its effect on depression. The results revealed that 15 mg/kg doses of TCNS reduced the duration of immobility in CMS model of depression. It led to a significant increase in neurite outgrowths which increased the synaptic and structural plasticity of neurons. Treatment with TCNS decreased the levels of MAO-A and caspase-3 expression both of which were found to be higher in CMS. TCNS also led to an increase in expression of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) in the hippocampus. These findings suggest that TCNS possesses antidepressant activity in CMS model of depression. Therefore the relief in depression by TCNS may be due to suppression of MAO-A expression and the apoptosis cascade by increased expression of Hsp70.