The novel GATA1-interacting protein HES6 is an essential transcriptional cofactor for human erythropoiesis.

Normal erythropoiesis requires the precise regulation of gene expression patterns, and transcription cofactors play a vital role in this process. Deregulation of cofactors has emerged as a key mechanism contributing to erythroid disorders. Through gene expression profiling, we found HES6 as an abundant cofactor expressed at gene level during human erythropoiesis. HES6 physically interacted with GATA1 and influenced the interaction of GATA1 with FOG1. Knockdown of HES6 impaired human erythropoiesis by decreasing GATA1 expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and RNA sequencing revealed a rich set of HES6- and GATA1-co-regulated genes involved in erythroid-related pathways. We also discovered a positive feedback loop composed of HES6, GATA1 and STAT1 in the regulation of erythropoiesis. Notably, erythropoietin (EPO) stimulation led to up-regulation of these loop components. Increased expression levels of loop components were observed in CD34+ cells of polycythemia vera patients. Interference by either HES6 knockdown or inhibition of STAT1 activity suppressed proliferation of erythroid cells with the JAK2V617F mutation. We further explored the impact of HES6 on polycythemia vera phenotypes in mice. The identification of the HES6-GATA1 regulatory loop and its regulation by EPO provides novel insights into human erythropoiesis regulated by EPO/EPOR and a potential therapeutic target for the management of polycythemia vera.

Diverse functions of TRIB3 in cancers and its potential as a therapeutic target.

Currently, cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, and potential targeted drugs and molecular pathways for cancer development and progression have been a hot research topic worldwide. In recent years, the importance of kinase superfamily in diseases has been well demonstrated by studies on various molecular mechanisms of kinases and successful application of their inhibitors in diseases. Pseudokinases are members of kinase superfamily, which have been increasingly documented to play a crucial role in cancers year after year. As a member of pseudokinases, tribbles homolog 3 (TRIB3) also exerts diverse functions in different cancers through different interacting proteins and molecular pathways, especially in tumor immunity, stemness, drug resistance, metabolism and autophagy. In addition, peptide drugs targeting TRIB3 have high specificity in preclinical studies, which shows great promise for TRIB3 application in diseases including cancers. In this review, we dissect diverse functions played by TRIB3 in different cancers, describing the underlying mechanisms in detail. Notably, inhibitors and agonists currently available for TRIB3 are discussed, indicating potential for TRIB3 as a therapeutic target.

Function of serine/arginine-rich splicing factors in hematopoiesis and hematopoietic malignancies.

The serine/arginine-rich splicing factors (SRSFs) play an important role in regulating the alternative splicing of precursor RNA (pre-RNA). During this procedure, introns are removed from the pre-RNA, while the exons are accurately joined together to produce mature mRNA. In addition, SRSFs also involved in DNA replication and transcription, mRNA stability and nuclear export, and protein translation. It is reported that SRSFs participate in hematopoiesis, development, and other important biological process. They are also associated with the development of several diseases, particularly cancers. While the basic physiological functions and the important roles of SRSFs in solid cancer have been extensively reviewed, a comprehensive summary of their significant functions in normal hematopoiesis and hematopoietic malignancies is currently absent. Hence, this review presents a summary of their roles in normal hematopoiesis and hematopoietic malignancies.

Low-Energy Ion Implantation and Deep-Mesa Si-Avalanche Photodiodes with Improved Fabrication Process.

Since the avalanche phenomenon was first found in bulk materials, avalanche photodiodes (APDs) have been exclusively investigated. Among the many devices that have been developed, silicon APDs stand out because of their low cost, performance stability, and compatibility with CMOS. However, the increasing industrial needs pose challenges for the fabrication cycle time and fabrication cost. In this work, we proposed an improved fabrication process for ultra-deep mesa-structured silicon APDs for photodetection in the visible and near-infrared wavelengths with improved performance and reduced costs. The improved process reduced the complexity through significantly reduced photolithography steps, e.g., half of the steps of the existing process. Additionally, single ion implantation was performed under low energy (lower than 30 keV) to further reduce the fabrication costs. Based on the improved ultra-concise process, a deep-mesa silicon APD with a 140 V breakdown voltage was obtained. The device exhibited a low capacitance of 500 fF, the measured rise time was 2.7 ns, and the reverse bias voltage was 55 V. Moreover, a high responsivity of 103 A/W@870 nm at 120 V was achieved, as well as a low dark current of 1 nA at punch-through voltage and a maximum gain exceeding 1000.

Tislelizumab with gemcitabine and oxaliplatin in patients with relapsed or refractory classic Hodgkin lymphoma: a multicenter phase II trial.

Although classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) is highly curable with current treatment paradigms, therapy fails in 10-25% of patients. This prospective multicenter phase II study attempted to investigate the efficacy and safety of the combination of tislelizumab with gemcitabine and oxaliplatin (T-GemOx) in relapsed or refractory cHL. Participants received six to eight courses of gemcitabine (1 g/m2 on day 1) and oxaliplatin (100 mg/m2 on day 1) combined with tislelizumab (200 mg on day 2) at 21-day intervals, followed by tislelizumab maintenance (every 2 months for 2 years). The main outcome measure was the best complete remission rate. As of August 2022, a total of 30 patients had been consecutively enrolled and given induction therapy. The best overall response rate and complete remission rate were 100% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 88.4-100%) and 96.7% (95% CI: 82.8-99.9%), respectively. The median duration of follow-up after initiation of T-GemOx was 15.8 months. The 12-month progression-free survival rate without autologous stem cell transplant was 96% (95% CI: 74.8-99.4%). There were 122 adverse events recorded, of which 93.4% were grade 1 or 2. Thrombocytopenia (10%) and anemia (6.7%) were the most common grade 3 or 4 adverse events. Overall, T-GemOx demonstrated promising antitumor activity with manageable toxicities as a salvage treatment for relapsed or refractory cHL. A longer follow-up duration is required to determine whether maintenance therapy with tislelizumab rather than transplantation can be curative following such a highly active regimen. This trial was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trials Registry (http://www.chictr.org.cn) on June 1, 2020, identifier ChiCTR2000033441.

Chidamide works synergistically with Dasatinib by inducing cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in acute myeloid leukemia cells.

This research aimed to explore whether Chidamide works synergistically with Dasatinib in the therapy of Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and the potential molecular mechanism. The inhibition rate of the Dasatinib and Chidamide combination was significantly better than that of the single-drug application for HL-60 cells. The combination of Dasatinib and Chidamide significantly enhanced the Abnormal histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitory activity of Chidamide in Kasumi-1 and HL-60 cells. In the combined group, the proportion of S phase was significantly decreased, and the proportions of G2/M phase were significantly increased. The inhibitory rate of CD34+ CD38- HL-60 cells or Kasumi-1 cells was elevated when the cells were disposed with both Chidamide and Dasatinib. Dasatinib and Chidamide had synergistic antitumor effect. The combination with Dasatinib enhanced the HDAC inhibitory activity of Chidamide, promoted cell apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest of AML cells, and enhanced the inhibition of leukemia stem cell proliferation.

CC1007, a small molecular compound, suppresses multiple myeloma via upregulation of Nur77.

BACKGROUND: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy of plasma cells characterized by the production of monoclonal immunoglobulin protein. Despite significant advances in the treatment of MM, it remains an incurable disorder owing to its resistance to chemotherapy and refractory nature. Inhibitors of histone deacetylases (HDACIs) have been identified as promising therapeutic drugs for cancer treatment. At present, numerous HDACIs are under study for the treatment of MM in monotherapy or in conjunction with other agents. OBJECTIVES: In the present study, we investigated the anti-MM effect of CC1007, which was designed to indirectly inhibit class IIa HDACs by binding to myocyte enhancer factor-2 (MEF2) and blocking the targets regulated by the HDAC-MEF2 complex. DESIGN: The effect of CC1007 on human MM cell lines, namely U266 and MM1.S, and CD138+ cells collected from the bone marrow of patients with MM was evaluated. METHODS: The cells were subjected to growth-inhibition assay, apoptosis assay, cell cycle analysis, real-time PCR, western blotting, immunofluorescence, co-immunoprecipitation, ChIP assay, and siRNA transfection. Statistical differences were compared using two-tailed t tests or one-way analysis of variance followed by the Bonferroni post hoc test. RESULTS: CC1007 inhibited the proliferation of MM cell lines and primary MM cells and induced their apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Furthermore, CC1007 decreased the expression of MEF2C and HDAC7, thereby disturbing their interaction and promoting the overexpression of Nur77, a target of MEF2C. The overexpression of Nur77 and its translocation from the nucleus to the cytoplasm resulted in its binding to B-cell lymphoma 2 on the mitochondrial surface, thereby inducing the release of cytochrome C and activating the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Since CC1007 demonstrates remarkable anti-MM effect on MM cells, it may be a promising drug for the treatment of MM.

Immune checkpoint blockades in gynecological cancers: A review of clinical trials.

Advanced and recurrent gynecological cancers are associated with a poor prognosis and there is still a lack of effective treatments. Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy is an important element of cancer-targeted therapy and immunotherapy. The programed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) pathways are the two main targets of ICB. In this study, we provide a comprehensive review of clinical evidence concerning ICB therapy in gynecological cancers and discuss future implications. All clinical trials of ICB therapy in gynecological cancers were reviewed. We searched ClinicalTrials.gov to collect data from completed and ongoing clinical trials. The clinical evidence regarding the efficacy of ICB agents in gynecological cancers were discussed. Six phase III clinical trials have reported their results of primary outcomes, and a total of 25 phase II clinical trials have been completed. As revealed in phase III trials, pembrolizumab (a PD-1 antibody) improved the overall survival and progression-free survival in endometrial cancer patients with mismatch repair deficiency and cervical cancer patients with expressions of PD-L1. Based on these findings, pembrolizumab was approved by the Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency as a cancer medication used to treat certain patients with endometrial cancer or cervical cancer. Other PD-1 antibodies, including dostarlimab and cemiplimab, also showed antitumor efficacy in clinical trials. Dostarlimab treatment showed an encouraging response rate in endometrial cancer patients with mismatch repair deficiency. Cemiplimab treatment led to a longer overall survival and a lower risk of death than chemotherapy among patients with recurrent cervical cancer. Three completed phase III trials investigated anti-PD-L1 agents (atezolizumab and avelumab) in the treatment of ovarian cancer. The results were not encouraging. Other strategies of ICB therapy which had showed potential clinical benefit in the treatment of gynecological cancers in early-phase trials need to be further evaluated in late-stage trials. The antitumor efficacy of ICB therapy is promising, and the key to making further progress in the treatment of gynecological cancers is to identify more biomarkers and explore innovative combination treatments with other targeted therapies.

The association between endometriosis and risk of endometrial cancer and breast cancer: a meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Endometriosis (EMS) is confirmed pathophysiologically to be an estrogen-dependent disease, similar to endometrial hyperplasia/cancer and breast cancer. Epidemiological and biological data on endometriosis might explain links between endometriosis and these cancers. We sought to identify the differences in the risk of endometrial cancer and breast cancer between women with and women without endometriosis. METHODS: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and four Chinese databases (CNKI, VIP, WanFang, CBM) to identify relevant studies published online between January 2011 and March 2021. In our meta-analysis, we used the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) to evaluate the design and quality of all studies, and we calculated the pooled risk ratio (RR) using the random model. The Q test and I2 were used to evaluate the degree of heterogeneity of eligible studies. We used funnel plots and Begg's and Egger's tests to assess publication bias. RESULTS: Of the 1369 articles, we finally included 14 cohort studies and seven case-control studies. Data from large cohort and case-control studies indicate that women with endometriosis had an increased risk of both endometrial cancer [RR, 1.662; 95% CI, (1.148-2.407)] and breast cancer [RR, 1.082; 95% CI, (1.001-1.169)]. CONCLUSION: Endometriosis can increase the risk of endometrial cancer and breast cancer, and women with endometriosis are recommended to receive routine screening in long-term management.

Diagnosis and treatment of multiple myeloma in Hunan Province. / 湖南省多发性骨髓瘤诊治现状.

OBJECTIVES: There is less clinical data on multiple myeloma (MM) in China, and the aim of this study was to collect and analyze the clinical data of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) patients in Hunan Province during 1 year, to understand the real clinical features and treatment outcome for Hunan Province patients with MM, and to strengthen the understanding of the standardized diagnosis process and treatment plan of MM. METHODS: The clinical data of 529 patients with NDMM in 12 large-scale general hospitals in Hunan Province from January 1 to December 31, 2019 were collected and analyzed, including baseline data, treatment regimens, duration of treatment, and adverse reactions. The clinical characteristics, treatment, and safety of patients were analyzed by SPSS 21.0. RESULTS: Among the 529 NDMM patients, the age was 33-90 (median 64) years and the male-female ratio was 1.38꞉1. The clinical features ranged from high to low were as follows: Bone pain (77.7%), anemia (66.8%), renal insufficiency (40.6%), hypercalcemia (15.1%). Typing: IgG 46.5%, IgA 24.6%, IgD 2.6%, IgM 0.8%, light chain 15.7%, double clone 3.0%, no secretion 0.6%, absence 6.2%. Staging: Durie-Salmon stage I, II, and III were 4.5%, 10.6%, 77.3%, respectively, and 40 cases (7.6%) missed this data. International Staging System (ISS) stage I, II, and III were 10.4%, 24.4%, and 47.6%, respectively, and 93 cases (17.6%) were missing. Revised International Staging System (R-ISS) stage I, II, and III were 5.5%, 27.0%, 23.1%, respectively, and 235 cases (44.4%) missed this data. Among the 98 NDMM patients in the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Durie-Salmon (DS) stage missing 2.0%, ISS stage missing 12.3%, and R-ISS stage missing 12.3%.Treatment: Among the 529 patients,475 received treatment, the rate of treatment was 89.8%; 67.4% of the patients were able to complete four courses of chemotherapy at induction phase, 90.3% of the patients received proteasome inhibitor based combination chemotherapy regimen more than once, 67.2% received immunomodulator based regimen more than once, and 59.8% of the patients received proteasome inhibitor and immunomodulator based combination chemotherapy regimen more than once. Curative: Overall response rate (ORR) and high quality response rate (HQR) of the 4-course group were better than those of the 2-course group (ORR: 85% vs 65%, P=0.006; HQR: 68.3% vs 24.0%, P<0.001). The HQR of the standard chemotherapy group was better than that of the non-standard chemotherapy group (65.1% vs 48.2%, P=0.035). Adverse reactions during treatment included hematologic toxicity (17.5%), peripheral neuropathy (24.8%), gastrointestinal adverse events (23.8%), pulmonary infection (25.9%), herpes zoster (4.6%), and venous thrombotic events (1.7%). CONCLUSIONS: In 2019, the missed diagnosis rate of MM patients was high, the medium age of diagnosis was older, and the accuracy of patient diagnosis was not high. There is a great difference among medical centers, especially in the stage and risk stratified, nearly half of NDMM patients are not diagnosed with R-ISS stage; the lack of cytogenetic data needs to be supplemented by follow-up studies. A high proportion of patients with NDMM present with bone pain and anemia.Patients received treatment have higher use of chemotherapy regimens containing proteasome inhibitors and/or immunomodulators, but there is a significant gap among different medical centers, and standardized treatment needs to be strengthened. The safety during chemotherapy is controllable.

Novel germline mutation KMT2A G3131S confers genetic susceptibility to familial myeloproliferative neoplasms.

The current study analyzed the clinical and genetic characteristics of a family with familial myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). Whole-exome sequencing was conducted, and a germline heterozygous mutation in lysine methyltransferase 2A (KMT2A, also known as MLL1), G3131S (c.9391G > A, p.Gly3131Ser, rs150804738), was identified. Somatic DNA and germline DNA were collected from 8 family members, 120 healthy donors (somatic DNA), and 30 healthy donors (germline DNA). Using Sanger sequencing, the KMT2A G3131S mutation was analyzed. Four individuals, the proband (II-1), his sister (patient II-2), and family members II-3 and III-1 (somatic DNA and germline DNA), tested positive for the KMT2A G3131S mutation. We did not observe the KMT2A G3131S mutation in healthy donors (somatic DNA and germline DNA), indicating that this is not a SNP. Bioinformatics analysis of KMT2A G3131S suggested that protein structure changes could be caused by this mutation. To further elucidate the function of KMT2A G3131S, the CRISPR-Cas9 technique was applied to generate a KMT2A G3131S heterozygous K562 cell line. The colony formation potency, apoptosis, and cell cycle of KMT2A G3131S mutant K562 cells were analyzed. The results demonstrated that KMT2A G3131S mutant K562 cells showed increased proliferation and colony formation ability. Immunophenotyping was performed using flow cytometry to analyze the surface marker expression of gene-edited KMT2A G3131S mutant K562 cells. A significant increase in CD11b and mild increases in CD61 and CD235a were observed in KMT2A G3131S mutant K562 cells, suggesting that the KMT2A G3131S mutant could cause an increase in myeloproliferation. May-Giemsa staining showed that the morphological changes in KMT2A G3131S mutant K562 cells were consistent with the flow cytometry analysis. To verify which downstream genes were affected by the KMT2A G3131S mutant, we performed real-time PCR to evaluate the expression of previously reported KMT2A-related genes and found that C-MYB expression was significantly decreased. Western blotting was applied to investigate the expression of Kmt2a and C-myb proteins, and the results showed that in KMT2A G3131S mutant K562 cells, the expression of C-myb was decreased. Our findings suggested that KMT2A G3131S could affect the myeloproliferation of K562 cells and decrease C-myb expression. In conclusion, KMT2A G3131S could be considered a novel genetic susceptibility gene in familial MPN.

When to perform curettage after uterine artery embolization for cesarean scar pregnancy: a clinical study.

BACKGROUND: Prophylactic uterine artery embolization (UAE) combined with subsequent curettage is suggested as an effective and minimally invasive treatment strategy for cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) with a high bleeding risk. However, the timing of curettage after UAE remains to be studied. Thus, we aimed to identify the optimal time interval to perform curettage after UAE in patients with CSP. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study in a large medical center for women and children in Southwest China. CSP patients treated by UAE combined with subsequent curettage were included and grouped by the treatment time interval between these two procedures. The clinical outcomes among arms were compared by univariate and multivariable analysis. RESULTS: Our study included 314 CSP patients who received this combination treatment in our department from January 2014 to December 2019. The median time interval between UAE and curettage was 48 h, with a range of 12-168 h among all participants. Thirty-two patients (10.2%) experienced intraoperative hemorrhage (blood loss ≥200 mL). Intrauterine balloon tamponade was used in 17 cases (5.4%). In 14 cases (4.5%), the procedure was converted to laparoscopy (or laparotomy). In the cohort study, patients with longer treatment intervals had more intraoperative blood loss and a higher incidence of complications than those with shorter intervals (P < 0.05). The rates of intraoperative bleeding were 5.0% for patients who received curettage within 24 h after UAE (Arm 1) and 19.4% for those who had a treatment interval longer than 72 h (Arm 4). In the multivariable logistic regression model of bleeding, a treatment interval > 72 h had an adjusted odds ratio of 3.37 (95% confidence interval: 1.40-8.09). CONCLUSION: We suggest that curettage not be delayed longer than 72 h after UAE in this combined treatment of CSP.

RNF8 is responsible for ATRA resistance in variant acute promyelocytic leukemia with GTF2I/RARA fusion, and inhibition of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway contributes to the reversion of ATRA resistance.

BACKGROUND: GTF2I-RARA is a newly identified RARA fusion gene in variant acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) patients with t(7;17)(q11;q21). Clinical manifestation in the patient showed that it is a sort of ATRA-insensitive oncogene and is different from the classic PML-RARA in terms of therapeutic reaction. METHODS: To reveal the functional characteristics and regulating mechanism of the GTF2I-RARA fusion gene, we established a GTF2I-RARA-transfected HL60 cell model and examined its sensitivity to ATRA by western blot, MTT assay, flow cytometry, and Wright-Giemsa staining. Coimmunoprecipitation and confocal microscopy were used to examine the binding of GTF2I-RARA and transcriptional corepressors. We also performed ChIP-seq to search for potential target genes. Immunoprecipitation, ubiquitination assay, western blot, luciferase assay, and real-time PCR were used to analyze the effects of RNF8 on RARA. Flow cytometry and Wright-Giemsa staining were used to study the effect of MG132 and ATRA on the GTF2I-RARA-transfected HL60 cell model. RESULT: We confirmed resistance of GTF2I-RARA to ATRA. Compared with PML-RARA, GTF2I-RARA has a higher affinity to HDAC3 under ATRA treatment. Using the ChIP-sequencing approach, we identified 221 GTF2I-RARA binding sites in model cells and found that the RING finger protein 8 (RNF8) is a target gene of GTF2I-RARA. RNF8 participates in disease progression and therapy resistance in APL with the GTF2I-RARA transcript. Elevated RNF8 expression promotes the interaction between RARA and RNF8 and induces RARA Lys-48 linkage ubiquitylation and degradation, resulting in attenuated transcriptional activation of RARA. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that RNF8 is a key GTF2I-RARA downstream event. Using the combination of MG132 and ATRA to treat GTF2I-RARA-HL60 cells, a synergistic effect leading to GTF2I-RARA-HL60 cell differentiation was confirmed. Taken together, the targeting of RNF8 may be an alternative choice for treatment in variant APL with GTF2I-RARA fusion.

(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate induces cell apoptosis in chronic myeloid leukaemia by regulating Bcr/Abl-mediated p38-MAPK/JNK and JAK2/STAT3/AKT signalling pathways.

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a major polyphenolic constituent of green tea, possesses remarkable chemopreventive and therapeutic potential against various types of cancer, including leukaemia. However, the molecular mechanism involved in chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), especially imatinib-resistant CML cells, is not completely understood. In the present study, we investigated the effect of EGCG on the growth of Bcr/Abl+ CML cell lines, including imatinib-resistant cell lines and primary CML cells. The results revealed that EGCG could inhibit cell growth and induce apoptosis in CML cells. The mechanisms involved inhibition of the Bcr/Abl oncoprotein and regulation of its downstream p38-MAPK/JNK and JAK2/STAT3/AKT pathways. In conclusion, we documented the anti-CML effects of EGCG in imatinib-sensitive and imatinib-resistant Bcr/Abl+ cells, especially T315I-mutated cells.

Preservation of neuronal functions by exosomes derived from different human neural cell types under ischemic conditions.

Stem cell-based therapies have been reported in protecting cerebral infarction-induced neuronal dysfunction and death. However, most studies used rat/mouse neuron as model cell when treated with stem cell or exosomes. Whether these findings can be translated from rodent to humans has been in doubt. Here, we used human embryonic stem cell-derived neurons to detect the protective potential of exosomes against ischemia. Neurons were treated with in vitro oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) for 1 h. For treatment group, different exosomes were derived from neuron, embryonic stem cell, neural progenitor cell and astrocyte differentiated from H9 human embryonic stem cell and added to culture medium 30 min after OGD (100 µg/mL). Western blotting was performed 12 h after OGD, while cell counting and electrophysiological recording were performed 48 h after OGD. We found that these exosomes attenuated OGD-induced neuronal death, Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), pro-inflammatory and apoptotic signaling pathway changes, as well as basal spontaneous synaptic transmission inhibition in varying degrees. The results implicate the protective effect of exosomes on OGD-induced neuronal death and dysfunction in human embryonic stem cell-derived neurons, potentially through their modulation on mTOR, pro-inflammatory and apoptotic signaling pathways.

Orlistat induces apoptosis and protective autophagy in ovarian cancer cells: involvement of Akt-mTOR-mediated signaling pathway.

INTRODUCTION: Orlistat possesses anti-tumor capacity by inducing apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells. However, the mechanism is not clearly understood. Emerging evidence indicates the overlaps between autophagy and apoptosis. In this study, we have investigated the role of autophagy in orlistat-induced apoptosis in ovarian cancer (OC) cells. METHODS: The effect of orlistat on apoptosis was evaluated in SKOV3 and A2780 cell lines by MTT and TUNEL assay. The formations of autophagosomes were observed by acridine orange and GFP-LC3 fluorescence. In addition, conversions of LC3-I to LC3-II were analyzed by western blot, as well as other autophagy-related proteins. 3-Methyladenine (3-MA) was used as an autophagy inhibitor in combined treatment with orlistat. Western blot was further conducted to investigate the molecular mechanisms of orlistat-affected apoptosis and autophagy on protein level. RESULTS: The proliferation activities of OC cells were inhibited by orlistat in a dose-dependent manner. The expressions of cleaved-caspase 3 and 9 in orlistat-treated cells were increasing, which suggested that orlistat-induced apoptosis was caspase-dependent. At the same time, the average number of GFP-LC3 dots per cell was increased after 48 h of orlistat treatment. The expression levels of LC3-II were significantly up-regulated, as well as other autophagy-related proteins such as Vsp34, Atg7 and UVRAG. These results suggested orlistat-induced autophagy flux, which was further found involved in inhibiting the Akt/mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway. However, combined treatment of orlistat and 3-MA significantly suppressed the cell viability, which indicated a pro-survival role of autophagy in OC cells. CONCLUSION: We suggested that orlistat had anti-cancer effect in OC cells. In addition, autophagy played a pro-survival role, suppressing which the orlistat-induced anti-cancer effect would be more significant.

Bone marrow-derived innate macrophages attenuate oxazolone-induced colitis.

Previous studies have shown that a subpopulation of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-dependent F4/80high CD11bhigh innate macrophages could be derived from bone marrow cells by continuous in vitro culturing. These cells could be induced to differentiate into M1 or M2 macrophages in vitro. In the current study, we sought to determine whether bone marrow cell-derived innate macrophages (BMIMs) could be used to fulfill an anti-inflammatory purpose by intravenous transplantation in vivo after being stimulated to differentiate into M2 macrophages. Because Th2 cytokines, such as interleukin IL-4 and IL-13, can induce macrophage polarization into M2 macrophages, we treated the BMIMs with IL-4 and IL-13 in vitro. Next, the M2 macrophages were intravenously transplanted into a typical Th2-mediated inflammatory disease model, oxazolone (OXZ)-induced colitis, to assess the anti-inflammatory activity of BMIM-derived M2 macrophages (BMIM-M2Ms) in vivo. After transplantation, the severity of intestinal inflammation was attenuated. In addition, colon lengths and mouse body weights were noticeably improved. F4/80+ CD206+ double-positive cells (displaying the markers of M2 macrophages) had accumulated in the colon tissue of BMIM-M2M-transplanted mice. This evidence demonstrated that bone marrow-derived BMIM-M2Ms could be used to alleviate OXZ-induced Th2-mediated inflammation in a mouse model in vivo.