MiR-384 inhibits the proliferation of colorectal cancer by targeting AKT3.

BACKGROUND: Growing evidence suggests that MiRNAs play essential roles in the initiation and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). The aberrant expression of miR-384 has been reported in some cancers. However, the role and mechanism of miR-384 in CRC proliferation remains unknown. METHODS: The expression of miR-384 was detected in CRC and their paired normal tissues by real-time PCR. In vivo and in vitro assays were conducted to confirm the role of miR-384 in the proliferation of CRC. Bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter assays, western blot and in vitro assays were used to confirm that AKT3 was the target gene of miR-384. Finally, Spearman's correlation analyses was carried out to analyze the relationship between miR-384 expression and AKT3 expression in CRC. RESULTS: MiR-384 was down­regulated in CRC tissues. The in vivo and vitro functional assays verified that the ectopic upregulation of miR-384 inhibited the proliferation of CRC and the inhibition of miR-384 promoted the proliferation of CRC. Bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter assays, western blot and in vitro functional assays confirmed AKT3 as the target gene of miR-384. The expression of miR-384 was negatively correlated with the expressions of AKT3. CONCLUSION: Our study verified that miR-384 could significantly suppress the proliferation of CRC by directing targeting AKT3.

[Research about formulas for activating blood and resolving stasis Xuesaitong capsule regulate CD117+ hemopoietic stem cell to produce new blood].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mechanism that the formulas for activating blood and resolving stasis can regulate hemopoietic stem cell to produce new blood. METHOD: Rats were established animal model of acute cerebral infarction by referencing Olivette' method. They were randomly divided into model group, the group of the high, middle, low dose of the formulas for activating blood and resolving stasis. Each group and then wasrandomly divided into subgroups by 1, 3, 7, 14, 28 d. Xuesaitong capsule was formulated into 20, 40, 60 g x L(-1) with normal saline. The rats were given gavage drugs once a day until the experient ended, and the model group was administrated by intragastrical perfusion of normal saline. ELISA was used to detect the expression of SCF in peripheral blood and bone marrow among different groups at different time points. Flow cytometry was used to observe the changes of CD117 in blood and bone marrow. RESULT: The CD117+ HSC and SCF concentration in peripheral blood and bone marrow of model group were increasing during 1-14 d,there was a peak on the 14th day, then the expression was reducing. CD117+ HSC and SCF concentration rising trend in the group of the high, middle dose of the formulas for activating blood and resolving stasis was preceded model group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Activating blood and resolving stasis can regulate hemopoietic stem cell to produce new blood, and it is through the regulation of CD117+ HSC number to achieve the purpose.

Metabolic and pharmacokinetic studies of scutellarin in rat plasma, urine, and feces.

AIM: To study the metabolic and pharmacokinetic profile of scutellarin, an active component from the medical plant Erigeron breviscapus (Vant) Hand-Mazz, and to investigate the mechanisms underlying the low bioavailability of scutellarin though oral or intravenous administration in rats. METHODS: HPLC method was developed for simultaneous detection of scutellarin and scutellarein (the aglycone of scutellarin) in rat plasma, urine and feces. The in vitro metabolic stability study was carried out in rat liver microsomes from different genders. RESULTS: After a single oral dose of scutellarin (400 mg/kg), the plasma concentrations of scutellarin and scutellarein in female rats were significantly higher than in male ones. Between the female and male rats, significant differences in AUC, t(max2) and C(max2) for scutellarin were found. The pharmacokinetic parameters of scutellarin in the urine also showed significant gender differences. After a single oral dose of scutellarin (400 mg/kg), the total percentage excretion of scutellarein in male and female rats was 16.5% and 8.61%, respectively. The total percentage excretion of scutellarin and scutellarein in the feces was higher with oral administration than with intravenous administration. The in vitro t(1/2) and CL(int) value for scutellarin in male rats was significantly higher than that in female rats. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that a large amount of ingested scutellarin was metabolized into scutellarein in the gastrointestinal tract and then excreted with the feces, leading to the extremely low oral bioavailability of scutellarin. The gender differences of pharmacokinetic parameters of scutellarin and scutellarein are due to the higher CL(int) and lower absorption in male rats.

STX2 drives colorectal cancer proliferation via upregulation of EXOSC4.

AIMS: To explore the biological function and mechanism of Syntaxin2 (STX2) in Colorectal cancer (CRC) proliferation. MAIN METHODS: A series of gain- and loss-of-function analysis were conducted the to explore the biological function of STX2 in CRC proliferation in vivo and in vitro. Western blot, Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and the functional analyses were taken to analyze the regulative role of STX2 on Exosome Complex 4 (EXOSC4) in CRC proliferation; Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were used to further verify the relationship between the expression of STX2 and EXOSC4 in human CRC samples. KEY FINDINGS: Our study revealed that the over-expression of STX2 promoted CRC proliferation, while knockdown of STX2 repressed CRC proliferation; STX2 promoted CRC proliferation via increasing EXOSC4 protein; There was a positive correlation between STX2 and EXOSC4 expression. SIGNIFICANCE: The current data verify that STX2 drives the proliferation of CRC via increasing the expression of EXOSC4.

EPAS1 targeting by miR-152-3p in Paclitaxel-resistant Breast Cancer.

Background: Paclitaxel plays a pivotal role in the chemotherapy of breast cancer, but resistance to this drug is an important obstacle in the treatment. It is reported that microRNA-152-3p (miR-152-3p) is involved in tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer, but whether it is involved in paclitaxel resistance in breast cancer remains unknown. Materials and methods: We examined the expression of miR-152-3p in breast cancer tissues and cells by qRT-PCR. After transfecting paclitaxel-resistant MCF-7/TAX cells with miR-152-3p mimics, we analyzed the function of miR-152-3p in these cells by MTT assay and flow cytometry. We screened the target gene, endothelial PAS domain-containing protein 1 (EPAS1), using bioinformatics analysis and verified it with the dual luciferase reporter gene experiment. The relationship between EPAS1 and miR-152-3p and their roles in paclitaxel resistance of breast cancer were further investigated using RNA interference and transfection techniques. Results: The expression of miR-152-3p in normal breast tissues and cells was markedly higher than that in breast cancer. Overexpression of miR-152-3p decreased the survival rate and increased the apoptosis rate and sensitivity of MCF-7/TAX cells to paclitaxel. We confirmed that EPAS1 is the target of miR-152-3p and is negatively regulated by this miRNA. Moreover, transfection with EPAS1 siRNA enhanced the susceptibility and apoptosis rate of MCF-7/TAX cells to paclitaxel. Co-transfection of miR-152-3p mimics and EPAS1 increased paclitaxel sensitivity and apoptosis induced by the drug. Conclusion: miR-152-3p inhibits the survival of MCF-7/TAX cells and promotes their apoptosis by targeting the expression of EPAS1, thereby, enhancing the sensitivity of these breast cancer cells to paclitaxel.

[Effect of calmodulin antagonist O-4-ethoxyl- butyl-berbamine on the proliferation of human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 and its relevant mechanism].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of calmodulin antagonist O-(4-ethoxyl-butyl)-berbamine (EBB) on proliferation of human breast cancer cell MCF-7 and its possible mechanism. METHODS: MTT assay was used to analyze the effect of EBB on tumor cells growth. Flow cytometry was used to detect its impact on the cell cycle of MCF-7 cells. Immunofluoresce labeling technique and laser scanning confocal microscope were used to reveal the changes of the microtubule, microfilament, mitochondrion, and endoplasmic reticulum in the cells. RESULTS: The IC50 value of EBB in MCF-7 cells was (13.0 +/- 3.7) micromol/L. MCF-7 cells were arrested at S phase after EBB treatment. Meanwhile, depolymerization of the microtubule and microfilament, impairment of the mitochondrion and swelling of endoplasmic reticulum were observed. CONCLUSION: EBB arrests MCF-7 cells at S phase by inhibiting the growth of MCF-7 cells, which may be related to the changes of structures and functions of the microtubule, microfilament, mitochondrion, and endoplasmic reticulum.

MiR-301a promotes embryonic stem cell differentiation to cardiomyocytes.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Tissue repair after pathological injury in the heart remains a major challenge due to the limited regenerative ability of cardiomyocytes in adults. Stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes provide a promising source for the cell transplantation-based treatment of injured hearts. AIM: To explore the function and mechanisms of miR-301a in regulating cardiomyocyte differentiation of mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells, and provide experimental evidence for applying miR-301a to the cardiomyocyte differentiation induction from stem cells. METHODS: mES cells with or without overexpression of miR-301a were applied for all functional assays. The hanging drop technique was applied to form embryoid bodies from mES cells. Cardiac markers including GATA-4, TBX5, MEF2C, and α-actinin were used to determine cardiomyocyte differentiation from mES cells. RESULTS: High expression of miR-301a was detected in the heart from late embryonic to neonatal mice. Overexpression of miR-301a in mES cells significantly induced the expression of cardiac transcription factors, thereby promoting cardiomyocyte differentiation and beating cardiomyocyte clone formation. PTEN is a target gene of miR-301a in cardiomyocytes. PTEN-regulated PI3K-AKT-mTOR-Stat3 signaling showed involvement in regulating miR-301a-promoted cardiomyocyte differentiation from mES cells. CONCLUSION: MiR-301a is capable of promoting embryonic stem cell differentiation to cardiomyocytes.

Role of TGFß3-Smads-Sp1 axis in DcR3-mediated immune escape of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of tumour-associated mortality worldwide, but no significant improvement in treating HCC has been reported with currently available systemic therapies. Immunotherapy represents a new frontier in tumour therapy. Therefore, the immunobiology of hepatocarcinoma has been under intensive investigation. Decoy receptor 3 (DcR3), a member of the tumour necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) superfamily, is an immune suppressor associated with tumourigenesis and cancer metastasis. However, little is known about the role of DcR3 in the immunobiology of hepatocarcinoma. In this study, we found that overexpression of DcR3 in HCC is mediated by the TGFß3-Smad-Sp1 signalling pathway, which directly targets DcR3 promoter regions. Moreover, overexpression of DcR3 in HCC tissues is associated with tumour invasion and metastasis and significantly promotes the differentiation and secretion of Th2 and Treg cells while inhibiting the differentiation and secretion of Th1 cells. Conversely, knockdown of DcR3 expression in HCC significantly restored the immunity of CD4+ T cells. Inhibition of DcR3 expression may provide a novel immunotherapeutic approach to restoring immunity in HCC patients.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts promote colorectal cancer progression by secreting CLEC3B.

Nontumour cells in the tumour microenvironment, especially fibroblasts, contribute to tumour progression and metastasis. The occurrence and evolution of colorectal cancer (CRC) is closely related to cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of the growth factors and cytokines secreted by CAFs on CRC progression. The secreted cytokines were examined in CAFs by Human Cytokine Antibody array. We screened 37 differentially secreted cytokines in the culture supernatants of CAFs and NFs. CLEC3B, attractin, kallikrein 5 and legumain were selected for further verification. CLEC3B was more highly expressed in the stroma of CRC tissues than the other 3 cytokines. Immunohistochemistry revealed that CLEC3B expression was associated with serosal invasion by CRC. Patients with co-expression of CLEC3B and α-SMA had worse survival outcomes than those with only CLEC3B or α-SMA expression. CLEC3B secreted from CAFs may promote tumour migration. Knockdown of endogenous CLEC3B in CAFs markedly decreased CRC cell migration, while recombinant human CLEC3B clearly promoted CRC cell migration and actin remodelling. In conclusion, our findings suggest that CAFs promote the CRC cell migration and skeletal reorganization by secreting CLEC3B. CLEC3B might be a potential therapeutic molecule for CRC treatment.

Hypermethylation Of ADHFE1 Promotes The Proliferation Of Colorectal Cancer Cell Via Modulating Cell Cycle Progression.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Studies have demonstrated that epigenetic modifications play essential roles in the development of CRC. ADHFE1 is a differentially expressed gene that has been reported to be hypermethylated in CRC. However, the role and mechanism of ADHFE1 in the proliferation of CRC remain unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ADHFE1 expression was analyzed in CRC tissues by IHC and qRT-PCR, and the relationship between ADHFE1 expression and the clinicopathological parameters was analyzed. Cell proliferation were assessed by the in vitro and in vivo experimental models. GSEA assay was performed to explore the mechanism of ADHFE1 in the proliferation of CRC. Flow cytometry and Western blot were used to detect the activation of the cell cycle signaling. Bisulfite genomic sequence (BSP) assay was used to test the methylation degree of ADHFE1 gene promoter in CRC tissues. RESULTS: Here, we verified that ADHFE1 was down-regulated and hypermethylated in CRC tissues. The down-regulation of ADHFE1 was correlated with poor differentiation and advanced TNM stage of CRC patients. And ADHFE1 expression restored when the CRC cell line SW620 was treated with the demethylating agent 5-Aza-CdR. Overexpression of ADHFE1 inhibited the proliferation of CRC, while ADHFE1 knockdown promoted the proliferation of CRC cells in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, ADHFE1 overexpression could induce a significant G1-S cell cycle arrest in CRC cells and vice versa. CONCLUSION: Hypermethylation of ADHFE1 might promote cell proliferation by modulating cell cycle progression in CRC, potentially providing a new therapeutic target for CRC patients.

Small-Molecule Targets in Tumor Immunotherapy.

Cancer immunotherapy has been widely recognized as a powerful approach to fight cancers. To date, over 50 phase III trials in cancer immunotherapy are in progress. Among the many immunotherapy approaches, immune checkpoint therapy has attracted considerable attention. The reported clinical success of targeting the T cell immune checkpoint receptors PD-1 or CTLA4 by antibodies blockade in advanced stages of cancers has demonstrated the importance of immune modulation. But antibodies-based immunotherapy confronted with some disadvantages, such as immunogenicity, stability, membrane permeability, and production cost. Therefore, alternative approaches including small-molecule-regulated immune response are being introduced. In this review, we focused on some of the key intracellular pathways where small-molecule therapeutic is potential and attractive, which highlights the great potential of natural products in this field.

HDncRNA: a comprehensive database of non-coding RNAs associated with heart diseases.

Heart diseases (HDs) represent a common group of diseases that involve the heart, a number of which are characterized by high morbidity and lethality. Recently, increasing evidence demonstrates diverse non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play critical roles in HDs. However, currently there lacks a systematic investigation of the association between HDs and ncRNAs. Here, we developed a Heart Disease-related Non-coding RNAs Database (HDncRNA), to curate the HDs-ncRNA associations from 3 different sources including 1904 published articles, 3 existing databases [the Human microRNA Disease Database (HMDD), miR2disease and lncRNAdisease] and 5 RNA-seq datasets. The HDs-ncRNA associations with experimental validations curated from these articles, HMDD, miR2disease and part of data from lncRNAdisease were 'direct evidence'. Relationships got from high-through data in lncRNAdisease and annotated differential expressed lncRNAs from RNA-seq data were defined as 'high-throughput associations'. Novel lncRNAs identified from RNA-seq data in HDs had least credibility and were defined as 'predicted associations'. Currently, the database contains 2304 HDs-ncRNA associations for 133 HDs in 6 species including human, mouse, rat, pig, calf and dog. The database also has the following features: (i) A user-friendly web interface for browsing and searching the data; (ii) a visualization tool to plot miRNA and lncRNA locations in the human and mouse genomes; (iii) information about neighboring genes of lncRNAs and (iv) links to some mainstream databases including miRbase, Ensemble and Fantom Cat for the annotated lncRNAs and miRNAs. In summary, HDncRNA provides an excellent platform for exploring HDs related ncRNAs.Database URL: http://hdncrna.cardiacdev.com.

CagA+ H pylori infection is associated with polarization of T helper cell immune responses in gastric carcinogenesis.

AIM: To characterize the immune responses including local and systemic immunity induced by infection with H pylori, especially with CagA+ H pylori strains and the underlying immunopathogenesis. METHODS: A total of 711 patients with different gastric lesions were recruited to determine the presence of H pylori infection and cytotoxin associated protein A (CagA), the presence of T helper (Th) cells and regulatory T (Treg) cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), expression of plasma cytokines, and RNA and protein expression of IFN-gamma and IL-4 in gastric biopsies and PBMCs were determined by rapid urease test, urea [(14)C] breath test, immunoblotting test, flow cytometry , real time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Of the patients, 629 (88.47%) were infected with H pylori; 506 (71.16%) with CagA+ and 123 (17.30%) with CagA- strains. Among patients infected with CagA+ H pylori strains, Th1-mediated cellular immunity was associated with earlier stages of gastric carcinogenesis, while Th2-mediated humoral immunity dominated the advanced stages and was negatively associated with an abundance of Treg cells. However, there was no such tendency in Th1/Th2 polarization in patients infected with CagA- H pylori strains and those without H pylori infection. CONCLUSION: Polarization of Th cell immune responses occurs in patients with CagA+ H pylori infection, which is associated with the stage and severity of gastric pathology during the progression of gastric carcinogenesis. This finding provides further evidence for a causal role of CagA+ H pylori infection in the immunopathogenesis of gastric cancer.

RGC32 induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition by activating the Smad/Sip1 signaling pathway in CRC.

Response gene to complement 32 (RGC32) is a transcription factor that regulates the expression of multiple genes involved in cell growth, viability and tissue-specific differentiation. However, the role of RGC32 in tumorigenesis and tumor progression in colorectal cancer (CRC) has not been fully elucidated. Here, we showed that the expression of RGC32 was significantly up-regulated in human CRC tissues versus adjacent normal tissues. RGC32 expression was significantly correlated with invasive and aggressive characteristics of tumor cells, as well as poor survival of CRC patients. We also demonstrated that RGC32 overexpression promoted proliferation, migration and tumorigenic growth of human CRC cells in vitro and in vivo. Functionally, RGC32 facilitated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in CRC via the Smad/Sip1 signaling pathway, as shown by decreasing E-cadherin expression and increasing vimentin expression. In conclusion, our findings suggested that overexpression of RGC32 facilitates EMT of CRC cells by activating Smad/Sip1 signaling.

Dinuclear zinc(II) complex with novel tripodal polyamine ligand: synthesis, structure and kinetic study of carboxy ester hydrolysis.

An imidazole-containing tripodal polyamine ligand N(1)-(2-aminoethyl)-N(1)-(2-imidazol-1-ylethyl)-ethane-1,2-diamine (L) was prepared and its dinuclear zinc(II) complex [Zn(L)(H(2)O)](2)(ClO(4))(4).4H(2)O (1) was obtained and examined as a catalyst for the hydrolysis of 4-nitrophenyl acetate (NA). X-ray crystal structure analysis of the complex revealed that the complex features a dinuclear cation unit with a Zn...Zn distance of 8.34A and both Zn(II) centers adopt distorted trigonal-bipyramid geometry. The solution complexation investigation performed at 25 degrees C by means of potentiometric titration revealed that the mononuclear species [ZnL](2+) is predominating in the pH rage of 7.0-9.7 in the solution and the pK(a1) for the Zn-bound water is 8.50+/-0.01. Complex 1 promoted hydrolysis of NA showed a second-order rate constant of 0.046+/-0.004 M(-1)s(-1) at pH 9.0 in 10% (v/v) CH(3)CN aqueous solution at 25 degrees C. The pH-rate profile for the second-order rate constant of NA hydrolysis with complex 1 gave a sigmoidal curve. And the results show that in the hydrolysis process the two Zn(II) centers of the dinuclear deprotonated species do not cooperate with each other and the Zn-bound hydroxide servers as reactive nucleophile toward the ester.

[Reversal of multidrug resistance in drug-resistant human breast cancer cell line MCF-7/ADR by calmodulin antagonist O-(4-ethoxyl-butyl)-berbamine].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the reversal effect of O-(4-ethoxyl-butyl)-berbamine (EBB) on multidrug resistance (MDR) in MCF-7/ADR cell. METHODS: 3-(4, 5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to assess the antitumor effect of EBB and determine the reversal effects of different concentrations ( < or = IC20) of EBB on MCF-7/ADR cell. Flow cytometry was applied to observe the intracellular accumulation of Rh123 and cell cycle in the presence of EBB. The expressions of MDR-related genes mdr 1 and topoisomerase II b (top II b) were evaluated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The sensitivity of MCF-7/ADR to adriamycin (ADR) was enhanced up to 50. 40, 89.80, and 14.88 folds after exposure of the cells to 3 micromol/L EBB, 7.5 micromol/L EBB, and 10 micromol/L verapamil (VPL), respectively. After 2 hours of incubation with 6 micromol/L EBB, intracellular Rh123 accumulation in MCF-7/ADR cells was increased to the level comparable to that in MCF-7 cells. When 6 micromol/L EBB was added together with 2 micromol/L ADR, MCF-7/ ADR cells showed to be arrested in the G2/M phase. The declination of mdr 1 gene expression was observed when 6 micromol/L EBB, 12 micromol/L EBB, and 10 micromol/L VPL were added for 48 hours; meanwhile, the expression of top II b mRNA showed no significant change. CONCLUSION: EBB has a strong reversal effect on MDR in MCF-7/ ADR cell, which may be achieved by enhancing the arrestment of MCF-7/ADR cells at G2/M phase and increasing intracellular drug concentration.

DcR3 induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition through activation of the TGF-ß3/SMAD signaling pathway in CRC.

Decoy receptor 3 (DcR3), a novel member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) family, was recently reported to be associated with tumorigenesis and metastasis. However, the role of DcR3 in human colorectal cancer (CRC) has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we found that DcR3 expression was significantly higher in human colorectal cancer tissues than in paired normal tissues, and that DcR3 expression was strongly correlated with tumor invasion, lymph node metastases and poor prognoses. Moreover, DcR3 overexpression significantly enhanced CRC cell proliferation and migration in vitro and tumorigenesis in vivo. Conversely, DcR3 knockdown significantly repressed CRC cell proliferation and migration in vitro, and DcR3 deficiency also attenuated CRC tumorigenesis and metastasis in vivo. Functionally, DcR3 was essential for TGF-ß3/SMAD-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of CRC cells. Importantly, cooperation between DcR3 and TGF-ß3/SMAD-EMT signaling-related protein expression was correlated with survival and survival time in CRC patients. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that DcR3 may be a prognostic biomarker for CRC and that this receptor facilitates CRC development and metastasis by participating in TGF-ß3/SMAD-mediated EMT of CRC cells.

Long non-coding RNA MALAT1 increases AKAP-9 expression by promoting SRPK1-catalyzed SRSF1 phosphorylation in colorectal cancer cells.

Our earlier findings indicate that the long non-coding RNA MALAT1 promotes colorectal cancer (CRC) cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis in vitro and in vivo by increasing expression of AKAP-9. In the present study, we investigated the molecular mechanism by which MALAT1 enhances AKAP9 expression in CRC SW480 cells. We found that MALAT1 interacts with both SRPK1 and SRSF1. MALAT1 increases AKAP-9 expression by promoting SRPK1-catalyzed SRSF1 phosphorylation. Following MALAT1 knockdown, overexpression of SRPK1 was sufficient to restore SRSF1 phosphorylation and AKAP-9 expression to a level that promoted cell proliferation, invasion and migration in vitro. Conversely, SRPK1 knockdown after overexpression of MALAT1 in SW480 cells diminished SRSF1 phosphorylation and AKAP-9 expression and suppressed cell proliferation, invasion and migration in vitro. These findings suggest MALAT1 increases AKAP-9 expression by promoting SRPK1-catalyzed SRSF1 phosphorylation in CRC cells. These results reveal a novel molecular mechanism by which MALAT1 regulates AKAP-9 expression in CRC cells.

[Effect of calmodulin antagonist EBB on invasion of human fibrosarcoma cell HT1080].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential effect of EBB, a calmodulin antagonist, on invasion of human fibrosarcoma cells HT1080. METHODS: The antitumor effect of EBB was assessed by 3-(4,5-Dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Activities of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 were measured by Zymogrophy analysis. The mRNA levels, of MMP-2, MMP-9, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-1 were evaluated by reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Transwell chamber assay was applied to measure the effect of EBB on the invasion of HT1080 cells. RESULTS: Calmodulin antagonist EBB inhibited the proliferation of HT1080 cells with an IC50 of (8.2 +/- 1.2) microg/ml. EBB down-regulated the activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9, and down-regulated the mRNA levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9, while up-regulated the mRNA levels of TIMP-1. The invasive ability of HT1080 cells was decreased to (31.13 +/- 2.265)%, (59.91 +/- 2.566)%, and (71.58 +/- 0.5960)% after exposure of the cells with 2, 5, and 10 microg/ml EBB, respectively. CONCLUSION: Treatment with calmodulin antagonist EBB is effective in suppressing tumor invasion. The possible mechanism is the down-regulation of MMPs.

[Transplantation of human umbilical cord stem cells improves neurological function recovery after spinal cord injury in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study whether intraspinally transplanted human cord blood CD34+ cells can survive, differentiate, and improve neurological functional recovery after spinal cord injury in rats. METHODS: Rats were randomly divided into two groups. One group of rats was subjected to spinal cord left-hemisection and transplanted with human cord blood CD34+ cells labeled by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU); The other group was carried by left-hemisection with injection of PBS (control group). The neurological function was determined before and 24 h, 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks after spinal cord injury and cell transplantation using the modified Tarlov score. The distribution and differentiation of transplanted human cord blood cells in vivo in rat spinal cord were evaluated by histological and immnuhistochemical analysis. RESULTS: Functional recovery determined by modified Tarlov score was significantly improved in the group receiving human cord blood CD34+ cells compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Moreover, human cord blood CD34+ cells were found to survive in rat spinal cord microenvironment, with the expression of the neural nuclear specific protein (NeuN) in 2% BrdU-reactive human cells and of the astrocytic specific protein glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in 7% BrdU-reactive human cells. CONCLUSIONS: Intraspinally administered human cord blood CD34+ cells can survive, differentiate, and improve functional recovery after spinal cord injury in rats. Transplantation of human cord blood cells may provide a novel strategy for the treatment of neural injury.