Targeting the ZNF-148/miR-335/SOD2 signaling cascade triggers oxidative stress-mediated pyroptosis and suppresses breast cancer progression.

BACKGROUND: The implication of zinc finger protein 148 (ZNF-148) in pathophysiology of most human cancers has been reported; however, the biological functions of ZNF-148 in breast cancer remain unclear. This study sought to elucidate the potential molecular mechanism of ZNF-148 on breast cancer pathology. METHODS: ZNF148 expression was tested in breast cancer tissues and cells. Then, cells were transfected with ZNF-148 overexpression or downregulation vector, and the cell proliferation, pyroptosis, apoptosis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were analyzed by MTT, western blot, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence staining, respectively. Tumor-bearing nude mouse was used to evaluate tumorigenesis of ZNF-148. Mechanisms underpinning ZNF-148 were examined using bioinformatics and luciferase assays. RESULTS: We found that ZNF-148 was upregulated in breast cancer tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of ZNF-148 suppressed malignant phenotypes, including cell proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and tumorigenesis in vitro and in vivo, while ZNF-148 overexpression had the opposite effects. Further experiments showed that ZNF-148 deficiency promoted ROS production and triggered both apoptotic and pyroptotic cell death, which were restored by cotreating cells with ROS scavengers. A luciferase reporter assay revealed that miR-335 was the downstream target of ZNF-148 and that overexpressed ZNF-148 increased superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) expression by sponging miR-335. In parallel, both miR-335 downregulation and SOD2 overexpression abrogated the antitumor effects of ZNF-148 deficiency on proliferation and pyroptosis in breast cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated that ZNF-148 promotes breast cancer progression by triggering miR-335/SOD2/ROS-mediated pyroptotic cell death and aid the identification of potential therapeutic targets for breast cancer.

Comparison of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy by Blue Dye Conjunction With Indocyanine Green or Radioisotope in Early-Stage Breast Cancer: A Prospective Single-Center Observational Study.

Background: Although radioisotope (RI) combined with blue dye (BD) is the standard technique for sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy in breast cancer, the use of RI is limited at some institutions due to the specific equipment needed. Indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence detection has been developed as a potential substitute for RI method. However, reports on the sensitivity of ICG and RI techniques in detecting SLN are inconsistent; hence, the present study was designed to compare the clinical efficacy between the combined method of ICG + BD (ICG-B) and RI + BD (RI-B). Methods: A prospective observational study was performed that identified 138 breast cancer patients who had undergone lymphatic mapping and SLN biopsy with ICG-B or RI-B. The SLN detection rate, positive SLN counts, and lymph node metastasis between the 2 groups were compared. Results: A total of 71 patients were recruited in the ICG-B group, while 67 were recruited in the RI-B group. The SLN detection rate was 100% in both the ICG-B and RI-B groups. Lymph node metastasis was found in 13 patients using ICG-B and in 12 patients using the RI-B technique (18.31% vs 17.91%, respectively; P = .61). No significant differences were observed in the positive SLN counts (3.12 ± 2.01 vs 3.33 ± 2.24, P = .37) between the 2 groups. Conclusions: Indocyanine green combined with BD has an equal efficacy compared with RI plus BD when performing an axillary SLN biopsy in breast cancer. The ICG plus BD procedure is a promising alternative to traditional standard mapping methods.

The Controlled Compound Layer of Ni-Coated Nitrided Pure Iron.

In order not to sacrifice nitrided layer thickness and reduce brittle compound layer thickness, Ni-coated pretreatment was carried out with electrodeposition on a pure iron surface, followed by gas nitriding. The brittle compound layer thickness of duplex surface treated samples was reduced, and the nitrided layer thickness increased to 320 µm. The microhardness was 4 times harder, and the wear loss was reduced by 68% compared with the original material. The results indicate that Ni-coated pretreatment could effectively improve microhardness and wear resistance and realize the controlled microstructure of a brittle compound layer of pure iron without compromising nitrided layer thickness. Ni coating plays an important role in ammonia adsorption and decomposition, and in the transfer of active nitrogen atoms during nitriding.

Facile synthesis of ternary flexible silica aerogels with coarsened skeleton for oil-water separation.

Ternary flexible silica aerogels were synthesized using a facile sol-gel process without solvent exchange and surface modification using dimethyldiethoxysilane (DEDMS), methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) via ambient pressure drying. The skeleton morphology of the aerogels was precisely controlled by the DEDMS/TEOS molar ratio (D). The effect of the morphology of the aerogel skeleton on the mechanical properties and the adsorption capacity was investigated. As the D increased, the morphology of the aerogel skeleton gradually changed from a fragment structure to a coarsened structure, and finally to a chain-like structure. The prepared coarsened structure aerogel exhibited a low density of 0.095 g cm-3, a compressible amount reaching up to 78.2%, a Young's modulus as low as 14 kPa, a superhydrophobicity with a contact angle of 154.8° and an excellent adsorption capacity of 8.7-15.4 g g-1. Furthermore, the outstanding recycling ability and corrosion resistance made the aerogels suitable for oil-water separation in corrosive environments.