Blue light-emitting diodes induce autophagy in colon cancer cells by Opsin 3.

BACKGROUND: Light emitting-diodes (LED) have various effects on living organisms and recent studies have shown the efficacy of visible light irradiation from LED for anticancer therapies. However, the mechanism of LED's effects on cancer cells remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of LED on colon cancer cell lines and the role of photoreceptor Opsin 3 (Opn3) on LED irradiation in vitro. METHODS: Human colon cancer cells (HT-29 or HCT-116) were seeded onto laboratory dishes and irradiated with 465-nm LED at 30 mW/cm2 for 30 minutes. Cell Counting Kit-8 was used to measure cell viability, and apoptosis and caspase 3/8 expression were evaluated by AnnexinV/PI and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), respectively. Autophagy and expression of LC-3 and beclin-1 were also evaluated by autophagy assays, RT-PCR and Western blotting. We further tested Opn3 knockdown by Opn3 siRNA and the Gi/o G-protein inhibitor NF023 in these assays. RESULTS: Viability of HT-29 and HCT-116 cells was lower in 465-nm LED-irradiated cultures than in control cultures. LC-3 and beclin-1 expressions were significantly higher in LED-irradiated cultures, and autophagosomes were detected in irradiated cells. The reductive effect of cancer cell viability following blue LED irradiation was reversed by Opn3 knockdown or NF023 treatment. Furthermore, increased LC-3 and beclin-1 expression that resulted from blue LED irradiation was suppressed by Opn3 knockdown or NF023 treatment. CONCLUSION: Blue LED irradiation suppressed the growth of colon cancer cells and Opn3 may play an important role as a photoreceptor.

Maximum Diameter and Number of Tumors as a New Prognostic Indicator of Colorectal Liver Metastases.

BACKGROUND: Surgical resection is currently considered the only potentially curative option as a treatment strategy of colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). However, the criteria for selection of resectable CRLM are not clear. The aim of this study was to confirm a new prognostic indicator of CRLM after hepatic resection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred thirty nine patients who underwent initial surgical resection from 1994 to 2015 were investigated retrospectively. Prognostic factors of overall survival including the product of maximum diameter and number of metastases (MDN) were analyzed. RESULTS: Primary tumor differentiation, vessel invasion, lymph node (LN) metastasis, non-optimally resectable metastases, H score, grade of liver metastases, resection with non-curative intent and MDN were found to be prognostic factors of overall survival (OS). In multivariate analyses of clinicopathological features associated with OS, MDN and non-curative intent were independent prognostic factors. Patients with MDN ≥30 had shown significantly poorer prognosis than patients with MDN <30 in OS and relapse-free survival (RFS). CONCLUSION: MDN ≥30 is an independent prognostic factor of survival in patients with CRLM and optimal surgical criterion of hepatectomy for CRLM.

Loss of Fbxw7 expression is a predictor of recurrence in colorectal liver metastasis.

BACKGROUND: Fbxw7 is a tumor suppressor through ubiquitination and degradation of multiple oncoproteins. Loss of Fbxw7 is frequently observed in various human cancers. In this study, we examined the role of Fbxw7 expression in colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) and its mechanism. METHODS: Fifty-six patients with CRLM who undergo curative resection were enrolled. Fbxw7 in tumor tissue was determined by immunohistochemistry. Patients were divided into two groups, the Fbxw7 high and low groups. Clinicopathological factors including miR-223 expression were compared between the high (n = 32) and low Fbxw7 groups (n = 24). RESULTS: Fbxw7 expression in tumor tissues was significantly lower than that in normal tissues. The disease-free survival in the low Fbxw7 group was significantly worse than that in the high Fbxw7 group, and 3 years disease-free survival of the low and high Fbxw7 groups were 12.5% and 47.0%, respectively (P = 0.023). On multivariate analysis, loss of Fbxw7 was detected as one of the independent risk factors for recurrence of CRLM (hazard ratio: 2.390, P = 0.017). Likewise, Fbxw7 expression inversely correlated to miR-223 expression (P = 0.017). CONCLUSION: Loss of Fbxw7 in tumor tissues could be a reliable predictor of recurrence after hepatectomy in patients with CRLM, and miR-223 might be a possible regulator of Fbxw7.

Accurate Estimation of Functional Liver Volume Using Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI Compared to MDCT/99mTc-SPECT Fusion Imaging.

BACKGROUND/AIM: We assessed the utility of dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with gadoxetate-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine penta-aceticpenta-acetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA) (EOB-MRI) for estimating functional liver volume compared to 99mTc-galactosyl albumin single-photon-emission computed tomography (99mTc-GSA SPECT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Regional functional liver volume (left lateral, medial, right anterior, right posterior) of 58 hepatectomized patients was assessed using EOB-MRI and 99mTc-GSA SPECT, and compared to the actual liver volume with MDCT-3D volumetry. RESULTS: 99mTc-GSA SPECT found a significantly lower functional volume of the left lateral section than the actual volume found by MDCT-3D volumetry (p=0.003) and EOB-MRI (p<0.001). Functional liver volume of right anterior section found with 99mTc-GSA SPECT was significantly higher than that found by MDCT-3D volumetry (p=0.04), despite no differences in asialoglycoprotein receptor 1 (ASGR1) or ATP-dependent organic anion transporting polypeptide 1 (OATP) expression between the left lateral and right anterior sections. CONCLUSION: 99mTc-GSA SPECT might underestimate the function of the left lobe and overestimate that of the right lobe. Therefore, EOB-MRI could be better for estimating the true regional functional liver reserve.