Aging-Associated Metabolite Methylmalonic Acid Increases Susceptibility to Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive interstitial lung disease characterized by pulmonary fibroblast overactivation, resulting in the accumulation of abnormal extracellular matrix and lung parenchymal damage. Although the pathogenesis of IPF remains unclear, aging was proposed as the most prominent nongenetic risk factor. Propionate metabolism undergoes reprogramming in the aging population, leading to the accumulation of the by-product methylmalonic acid (MMA). This study aimed to explore alterations in propionate metabolism in IPF and the impact of the by-product MMA on pulmonary fibrosis. It revealed alterations in the expression of enzymes involved in propionate metabolism within IPF lung tissues, characterized by an increase in propionyl-CoA carboxylase and methylmalonyl-CoA epimerase expression, and a decrease in methylmalonyl-CoA mutase expression. Knockdown of methylmalonyl-CoA mutase, the key enzyme in propionate metabolism, induced a profibrotic phenotype and activated co-cultured fibroblasts in A549 cells. MMA exacerbated bleomycin-induced mouse lung fibrosis and induced a profibrotic phenotype in both epithelial cells and fibroblasts through activation of the canonical transforming growth factor-ß/Smad pathway. Overall, these findings unveil an alteration of propionate metabolism in IPF, leading to MMA accumulation, thus exacerbating lung fibrosis through promoting profibrotic phenotypic transitions via the canonical transforming growth factor-ß/Smad signaling pathway.

Serum Proteomics Identifies Biomarkers Associated With the Pathogenesis of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

The heterogeneity of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) limits its diagnosis and treatment. The association between the pathophysiological features and the serum protein signatures of IPF currently remains unclear. The present study analyzed the specific proteins and patterns associated with the clinical parameters of IPF based on a serum proteomic dataset by data-independent acquisition using MS. Differentiated proteins in sera distinguished patients with IPF into three subgroups in signal pathways and overall survival. Aging-associated signatures by weighted gene correlation network analysis coincidently provided clear and direct evidence that aging is a critical risk factor for IPF rather than a single biomarker. Expression of LDHA and CCT6A, which was associated with glucose metabolic reprogramming, was correlated with high serum lactic acid content in patients with IPF. Cross-model analysis and machine learning showed that a combinatorial biomarker accurately distinguished patients with IPF from healthy individuals with an area under the curve of 0.848 (95% CI = 0.684-0.941) and validated from another cohort and ELISA assay. This serum proteomic profile provides rigorous evidence that enables an understanding of the heterogeneity of IPF and protein alterations that could help in its diagnosis and treatment decisions.

Downregulation of HMGCS2 mediated AECIIs lipid metabolic alteration promotes pulmonary fibrosis by activating fibroblasts.

BACKGROUND: Abnormal lipid metabolism has recently been reported as a crucial signature of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). However, the origin and biological function of the lipid and possible mechanisms of increased lipid content in the pathogenesis of IPF remains undetermined. METHODS: Oil-red staining and immunofluorescence analysis were used to detect lipid accumulation in mouse lung fibrosis frozen sections, Bleomycin-treated human type II alveolar epithelial cells (AECIIs) and lung fibroblast. Untargeted Lipid omics analysis was applied to investigate differential lipid species and identified LysoPC was utilized to treat human lung fibroblasts and mice. Microarray and single-cell RNA expression data sets identified lipid metabolism-related differentially expressed genes. Gain of function experiment was used to study the function of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-Coa Synthase 2 (HMGCS2) in regulating AECIIs lipid metabolism. Mice with AECII-HMGCS2 high were established by intratracheally delivering HBAAV2/6-SFTPC- HMGCS2 adeno-associated virus. Western blot, Co-immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, site-directed mutation and flow cytometry were utilized to investigate the mechanisms of HMGCS2-mediated lipid metabolism in AECIIs. RESULTS: Injured AECIIs were the primary source of accumulated lipids in response to Bleomycin stimulation. LysoPCs released by injured AECIIs could activate lung fibroblasts, thus promoting the progression of pulmonary fibrosis. Mechanistically, HMGCS2 was decreased explicitly in AECIIs and ectopic expression of HMGCS2 in AECIIs using the AAV system significantly alleviated experimental mouse lung fibrosis progression via modulating lipid degradation in AECIIs through promoting CPT1A and CPT2 expression by interacting with PPARα. CONCLUSIONS: These data unveiled a novel etiological mechanism of HMGCS2-mediated AECII lipid metabolism in the genesis and development of pulmonary fibrosis and provided a novel target for clinical intervention.

TRIOBP modulates ß-catenin signaling by regulation of miR-29b in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal and devastating lung disease of unknown etiology, described as the result of multiple cycles of epithelial cell injury and fibroblast activation. Despite this impressive increase in understanding, a therapy that reverses this form of fibrosis remains elusive. In our previous study, we found that miR-29b has a therapeutic effect on pulmonary fibrosis. However, its anti-fibrotic mechanism is not yet clear. Recently, our study identified that F-Actin Binding Protein (TRIOBP) is one of the target genes of miR-29b and found that deficiency of TRIOBP increases resistance to lung fibrosis in vivo. TRIOBP knockdown inhibited the proliferation of epithelial cells and attenuated the activation of fibroblasts. In addition, deficiency of Trio Rho Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor (TRIO) in epithelial cells and fibroblasts decreases susceptibility to lung fibrosis. TRIOBP interacting with TRIO promoted abnormal epithelial-mesenchymal crosstalk and modulated the nucleocytoplasmic translocation of ß-catenin. We concluded that the miR-29b‒TRIOBP-TRIO-ß-catenin axis might be a key anti-fibrotic axis in IPF to regulate lung regeneration and fibrosis, which may provide a promising treatment strategy for lung fibrosis.

Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Provides New Insights into Therapeutic Roles of Thyroid Hormone in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive fatal interstitial lung disease without an effective cure. Herein, we explore the role of 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) administration on lung alveolar regeneration and fibrosis at the single-cell level. T3 supplementation significantly altered the gene expression in fibrotic lung tissues. Immune cells were rapidly recruited into the lung after the injury; there were much more M2 macrophages than M1 macrophages in the lungs of bleomycin-treated mice; and M1 macrophages increased slightly, whereas M2 macrophages were significantly reduced after T3 treatment. T3 enhanced the resolution of pulmonary fibrosis by promoting the differentiation of Krt8+ transitional alveolar type II epithelial cells into alveolar type I epithelial cells and inhibiting fibroblast activation and extracellular matrix production potentially by regulation of Nr2f2. In addition, T3 regulated the crosstalk of macrophages with fibroblasts, and the Pros1-Axl signaling axis significantly facilitated the attenuation of fibrosis. The findings demonstrate that administration of a thyroid hormone promotes alveolar regeneration and resolves fibrosis mainly by regulation of the cellular state and cell-cell communication of alveolar epithelial cells, macrophages, and fibroblasts in mouse lungs in comprehensive ways.

Tuftelin1 drives experimental pulmonary fibrosis progression by facilitating stress fiber assembly.

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive interstitial lung disease (ILD) with unknown etiology, characterized by sustained damage repair of epithelial cells and abnormal activation of fibroblasts, the underlying mechanism of the disease remains elusive. METHODS: To evaluate the role of Tuftelin1 (TUFT1) in IPF and elucidate its molecular mechanism. We investigated the level of TUFT1 in the IPF and bleomycin-induced mouse models and explored the influence of TUFT1 deficiency on pulmonary fibrosis. Additionally, we explored the effect of TUFT1 on the cytoskeleton and illustrated the relationship between stress fiber and pulmonary fibrosis. RESULTS: Our results demonstrated a significant upregulation of TUFT1 in IPF and the bleomycin (BLM)-induced fibrosis model. Disruption of TUFT1 exerted inhibitory effects on pulmonary fibrosis in both in vivo and in vitro. TUFT1 facilitated the assembly of microfilaments in A549 and MRC-5 cells, with a pronounced association between TUFT1 and Neuronal Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (N-WASP) observed during microfilament formation. TUFT1 can promote the phosphorylation of tyrosine residue 256 (Y256) of the N-WASP (pY256N-WASP). Furthermore, TUFT1 promoted transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) induced fibroblast activation by increasing nuclear translocation of pY256N-WASP in fibroblasts, while wiskostatin (Wis), an N-WASP inhibitor, suppressed these processes. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested that TUFT1 plays a critical role in pulmonary fibrosis via its influence on stress fiber, and blockade of TUFT1 effectively reduces pro-fibrotic phenotypes. Pharmacological targeting of the TUFT1-N-WASP axis may represent a promising therapeutic approach for pulmonary fibrosis.

Endothelial cell-derived MMP19 promotes pulmonary fibrosis by inducing E(nd)MT and monocyte infiltration.

BACKGROUND: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play important roles in remodeling the extracellular matrix and in the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). MMP19, which is an MMP, was significantly upregulated in hyperplastic alveolar epithelial cells in IPF lung tissues and promoted epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Recent studies have demonstrated that endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (E(nd)MT) contributes to pulmonary fibrosis. However, the role of MMP19 in pulmonary vascular injury and repair and E(nd)MT remains unclear. METHODS: To determine the role of MMP19 in E(nd)MT and pulmonary fibrosis. MMP19 expressions were determined in the lung endothelial cells of IPF patients and bleomycin (BLM)-induced mice. The roles of MMP19 in E(nd)MT and endothelial barrier permeability were studied in the MMP19 cDNA-transfected primary human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMECs) and MMP19 adenoassociated virus (MMP19-AAV)-infected mice. The regulatory mechanism of MMP19 in pulmonary fibrosis was elucidated by blocking its interacting proteins SDF1 and ET1 with AMD3100 and Bosentan, respectively. RESULTS: In this study, we found that MMP19 expression was significantly increased in the lung endothelial cells of IPF patients and BLM-induced mice compared to the control groups. MMP19 promoted E(nd)MT and the migration and permeability of HPMECs in vitro, stimulated monocyte infiltration into the alveolus, and aggravated BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis in vivo. SDF1 and Endothelin-1 (ET1) were physically associated with MMP19 in HPMECs and colocalized with MMP19 in endothelial cells in IPF patient lung tissues. AMD3100 and bosentan alleviated the fibrosis induced by MMP19 in the BLM mouse model. CONCLUSION: MMP19 promoted E(nd)MT by interacting with ET1 and stimulated monocyte infiltration into lung tissues via the SDF1/CXCR4 axis, thus aggravating BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Vascular integrity regulated by MMP19 could be a promising therapeutic target for suppressing pulmonary fibrosis. Video abstract.

Fenbendazole Attenuates Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in Mice via Suppression of Fibroblast-to-Myofibroblast Differentiation.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive, and fatal interstitial lung disease with unknown etiology. Despite substantial progress in understanding the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis and drug development, there is still no cure for this devastating disease. Fenbendazole (FBZ) is a benzimidazole compound that is widely used as an anthelmintic agent and recent studies have expanded the scope of its pharmacological effects and application prospect. This study demonstrated that FBZ treatment blunted bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in mice. In vitro studies showed that FBZ inhibited the proliferation and migration of human embryo lung fibroblasts. Further studies showed that FBZ significantly inhibited glucose consumption, moderated glycolytic metabolism in fibroblasts, thus activated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and reduced the activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, thereby inhibiting transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß1)-induced fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation and collagen synthesis. In summary, our data suggested that FBZ has potential as a novel treatment for pulmonary fibrosis.

Alveolar cells under mechanical stressed niche: critical contributors to pulmonary fibrosis.

Pulmonary fibrosis arises from the repeated epithelial mild injuries and insufficient repair lead to over activation of fibroblasts and excessive deposition of extracellular matrix, which result in a mechanical stretched niche. However, increasing mechanical stress likely exists before the establishment of fibrosis since early micro injuries increase local vascular permeability and prompt cytoskeletal remodeling which alter cellular mechanical forces. It is noteworthy that COVID-19 patients with severe hypoxemia will receive mechanical ventilation as supportive treatment and subsequent pathology studies indicate lung fibrosis pattern. At advanced stages, mechanical stress originates mainly from the stiff matrix since boundaries between stiff and compliant parts of the tissue could generate mechanical stress. Therefore, mechanical stress has a significant role in the whole development process of pulmonary fibrosis. The alveoli are covered by abundant capillaries and function as the main gas exchange unit. Constantly subject to variety of damages, the alveolar epithelium injuries were recently recognized to play a vital role in the onset and development of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. In this review, we summarize the literature regarding the effects of mechanical stress on the fundamental cells constituting the alveoli in the process of pulmonary fibrosis, particularly on epithelial cells, capillary endothelial cells, fibroblasts, mast cells, macrophages and stem cells. Finally, we briefly review this issue from a more comprehensive perspective: the metabolic and epigenetic regulation.

Up-regulated miR-192-5p expression rescues cognitive impairment and restores neural function in mice with depression via the Fbln2-mediated TGF-ß1 signaling pathway.

Depression represents a condition characterized by cognitive deficits and neural dysfunction and has recently been correlated with microRNAs (miRs) and their respective target genes. The present study was conducted with the goal of investigating the expression of miR-192-5p and its target gene fibulin (Fbln)-2 in an attempt to evaluate their roles in the occurrence and progression of cognitive impairment and neural function in mice with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depression through regulation of the TGF-ß1 signal transduction pathway. Verification of the targeting relationship between miR-192-5p and Fbln2 was provided in the form of initial bioinformatics prediction, followed by a further verification in the form of a dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Normal mice and models induced by CUMS were assigned into various groups, whereas mimics, inhibitors, and small interfering RNA were introduced to validate the regulatory mechanism by which miR-192-5p regulates Fbln2 depression. Novel object recognition, tail suspension testing, and Morris water maze were all employed 28 d after transfection. Hippocampal electrophysiological recordings, Golgi staining, HPLC mass spectrometry, and fluorescence immunohistochemistry were performed to further evaluate cognitive function and neuron regeneration. CUMS-induced depression was determined to represent a predisposing factor for cognitive impairment and damage to neural function in mice, highlighted by novel object recognition, learning and memory abilities, population spike amplitude, synaptic transmission, cAMP levels, neuronal regeneration, and increased behavioral changes that resemble depression. Furthermore, increased Fbln2 expression, an activated TGF-ß1 signaling pathway, and decreased expression of miR-192-5p, synaptophysin, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor subunit 2B, and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II were noted. Up-regulated miR-192-5p targeting Fbln2 acts to alleviate CUMS-induced depression by inhibiting the TGF-ß1 signaling pathway, resulting in the enhanced cognitive function in novel object recognition, learning and memory ability, population spike amplitude, synaptic transmission, neuron regeneration, and alleviation of behavioral symptoms. The central findings of the present study indicate that up-regulated levels of miR-192-5p expression act to suppress activation of the TGF-ß1 signaling pathway by means of binding to Fbln2, thereby ameliorating cognitive impairment and strengthening neural function in a mouse model of depression.-Tang, C.-Z., Yang, J.-T., Liu, Q.-H., Wang, Y.-R., Wang, W.-S. Up-regulated miR-192-5p expression rescues cognitive impairment and restores neural function in mice with depression via the Fbln2-mediated TGF-ß1 signaling pathway.

ACSS3 regulates the metabolic homeostasis of epithelial cells and alleviates pulmonary fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and fatal interstitial lung disease of unknown etiology. The emerging evidence demonstrates that metabolic homeostatic imbalance caused by repetitive injuries of the alveolar epithelium is the potential pathogenesis of IPF. Proteomic analysis identified that Acetyl-CoA synthetase short chain family member 3 (ACSS3) expression was decreased in IPF patients and mice with bleomycin-induced fibrosis. ACSS3 participated in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. Increased expression of ACSS3 downregulated carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT-1A) and resulted in the accumulation of lipid droplets, while enhanced glycolysis which led to an increase in extracellular lactic acid levels in A549 cells. ACSS3 increases the production of succinyl-CoA through propionic acid metabolism, and decreases the generation of acetyl-CoA and ATP in alveolar epithelial cells. Overexpression of Acss3 inhibited the excessive deposition of ECM and attenuated the ground-glass opacity which determined by micro-CT in vivo. In a nutshell, our findings demonstrate that ACSS3 decreased the fatty acid oxidation through CPT1A deficiency and enhanced anaerobic glycolysis, this metabolic reprogramming deactivate the alveolar epithelial cells by lessen mitochondrial fission and fusion, increase of ROS production, suppression of mitophagy, promotion of apoptosis, suggesting that ACSS3 might be potential therapeutic target in pulmonary fibrosis.

TRß activation confers AT2-to-AT1 cell differentiation and anti-fibrosis during lung repair via KLF2 and CEBPA.

Aberrant repair underlies the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis while effective strategies to convert fibrosis to normal regeneration are scarce. Here, we found that thyroid hormone is decreased in multiple models of lung injury but is essential for lung regeneration. Moreover, thyroid hormone receptor α (TRα) promotes cell proliferation, while TRß fuels cell maturation in lung regeneration. Using a specific TRß agonist, sobetirome, we demonstrate that the anti-fibrotic effects of thyroid hormone mainly rely on TRß in mice. Cellularly, TRß activation enhances alveolar type-2 (AT2) cell differentiation into AT1 cell and constrains AT2 cell hyperplasia. Molecularly, TRß activation directly regulates the expression of KLF2 and CEBPA, both of which further synergistically drive the differentiation program of AT1 cells and benefit regeneration and anti-fibrosis. Our findings elucidate the modulation function of the TRß-KLF2/CEBPA axis on AT2 cell fate and provide a potential treatment strategy to facilitate lung regeneration and anti-fibrosis.

High-Fat Diet Related Lung Fibrosis-Epigenetic Regulation Matters.

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is an interstitial lung disease characterized by the destruction of the pulmonary parenchyma caused by excessive extracellular matrix deposition. Despite the well-known etiological factors such as senescence, aberrant epithelial cell and fibroblast activation, and chronic inflammation, PF has recently been recognized as a metabolic disease and abnormal lipid signature was observed both in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of PF patients and mice PF model. Clinically, observational studies suggest a significant link between high-fat diet (HFD) and PF as manifested by high intake of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and meat increases the risk of PF and mice lung fibrosis. However, the possible mechanisms between HFD and PF remain unclear. In the current review we emphasize the diversity effects of the epigenetic dysregulation induced by HFD on the fibrotic factors such as epithelial cell injury, abnormal fibroblast activation and chronic inflammation. Finally, we discuss the potential ways for patients to improve their conditions and emphasize the prospect of targeted therapy based on epigenetic regulation for scientific researchers or drug developers.

Mechanical forces: The missing link between idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and lung cancer.

Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have a high risk of developing lung cancer compared with the general population. The morbidity of lung cancer in IPF patient ranges from 3% to 22%, and in some cases exceeds 50%, and these patients have a reduced survival time. However, the mechanisms through which IPF increases the morbidity and mortality in lung cancer remain unclear. By carefully analyzing the pathological features of these two diseases, we uncovered that, first, similar to IPF, lung carcinomas are more frequently found in the peripheral area of the lungs and, second, lung cancers tend to develop from the honeycomb areas in IPF. In accordance with the above pathological features, due to the spatial location, the peripheral areas of the lung experience a high stretch force because the average distance between adjacent alveolar cells in this area tends to be larger than that at the central lung when inflated; furthermore, the honeycomb areas, comprised of condensed fibrous tissue, are characterized by increased stiffness. Both of these pathological features of lung cancer and IPF are coincidentally related to abnormal mechanical forces (stretch and tissue stiffness). Therefore, we believe that the aberrant mechanical forces that are generated in the lung with IPF may contribute to the onset and progression of lung cancer. In this review, we discuss the possible effects of mechanical forces that are generated in IPF on the initiation and progression of lung cancer from the perspective of the hallmarks of cancer, including proliferation, metastasis, angiogenesis, cancer stem cells, immunology, epigenetics, and metabolism, so as to advance our understanding of the pathogenesis of IPF-related lung cancer and to harness these concepts for lung cancer mechanotherapies.

Identification of SRY-box 30 as an age-related essential gatekeeper for male germ-cell meiosis and differentiation.

Although important factors governing the meiosis have been reported in the embryonic ovary, meiosis in postnatal testis remains poorly understood. Herein, we first report that SRY-box 30 (Sox30) is an age-related and essential regulator of meiosis in the postnatal testis. Sox30-null mice exhibited uniquely impaired testis, presenting the abnormal arrest of germ-cell differentiation and irregular Leydig cell proliferation. In aged Sox30-null mice, the observed testicular impairments were more severe. Furthermore, the germ-cell arrest occurred at the stage of meiotic zygotene spermatocytes, which is strongly associated with critical regulators of meiosis (such as Cyp26b1, Stra8 and Rec8) and sex differentiation (such as Rspo1, Foxl2, Sox9, Wnt4 and Ctnnb1). Mechanistically, Sox30 can activate Stra8 and Rec8, and inhibit Cyp26b1 and Ctnnb1 by direct binding to their promoters. A different Sox30 domain required for regulating the activity of these gene promoters, providing a "fail-safe" mechanism for Sox30 to facilitate germ-cell differentiation. Indeed, retinoic acid levels were reduced owing to increased degradation following the elevation of Cyp26b1 in Sox30-null testes. Re-expression of Sox30 in Sox30-null mice successfully restored germ-cell meiosis, differentiation and Leydig cell proliferation. Moreover, the restoration of actual fertility appeared to improve over time. Consistently, Rec8 and Stra8 were reactivated, and Cyp26b1 and Ctnnb1 were reinhibited in the restored testes. In summary, Sox30 is necessary, sufficient and age-associated for germ-cell meiosis and differentiation in testes by direct regulating critical regulators. This study advances our understanding of the regulation of germ-cell meiosis and differentiation in the postnatal testis.

SOX30 is a prognostic biomarker and chemotherapeutic indicator for advanced-stage ovarian cancer

The authors and journal apologize for errors in the above paper, which appeared in volume 26 part 3, pages 303­319. The errors relate to the legend of Fig. 1A on page 307 and the artwork of Fig. 8D on page 316:

Overexpression of microRNA-301b accelerates hippocampal microglia activation and cognitive impairment in mice with depressive-like behavior through the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Depression is a condition with a complex etiological pattern, whose effective treatments are highly limited. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been investigated in intensive studies owing to their involvement in pathophysiology of mood disorders. The current study aimed to elucidate the role of miR-301b in hippocampus in mouse models of depressive-like behavior. Microarray-based prediction identified the differentially expressed gene neuronal pentraxin II (NPTX2) related to mental depression. Next, the putative miR-301b binding sites on the 3'UTR of NPTX2 were verified. Then the effect of miR-301b on cognitive function of mice with depressive-like behavior was analyzed using the Morris water maze test. In addition, the regulation of miR-301b to NPTX2 and activation of NF-κB signaling pathway was assessed. Following that, the microglia activation and inflammation in hippocampus were evaluated, with the expressions of inflammatory factors being examined. At last, microglia were flow cytometrically sorted and the inflammatory reaction was also assessed in vitro. The obtained findings revealed that miR-301b targeted and negatively regulated NPTX2. Moreover, overexpressed miR-301b activated the NF-κB signaling pathway, as reflected by increasing protein expressions of p-NF-κB. Upregulated miR-301b accelerated cognitive impairment in mice with depressive-like behavior. In addition, overexpression of miR-301b activated microglia and stimulated inflammation in hippocampus, accompanied by enhanced release of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-Iß (IL-Iß) and cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2). Taken together, the evidence provided by the current study indicated that overexpression of miR-301b augmented hippocampal microglia activation, thus exacerbating cognitive impairment and inflammation in mice with depressive-like behavior by activating the NF-κB signaling pathway.

SOX30 is a prognostic biomarker and chemotherapeutic indicator for advanced-stage ovarian cancer.

New potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for ovarian cancer should be identified. The amplification in chromosomal region 5q31-5q35.3 exhibits the strongest correlation with overall survival (OS) of ovarian cancer. SOX30 coincidentally located at this chromosomal region has been determined as a new important tumor suppressor. However, the prognostic value, role and mechanism of SOX30 in ovarian cancer are unexplored. Here, we reveal that SOX30 is frequently overexpressed in ovarian cancer tissues and is associated with clinical stage and metastasis of ovarian cancer patients. High SOX30 expression predicts better OS and acts as an independent prognostic factor in advanced-stage patients, but is not associated with OS in early-stage patients. Based on the survival analyses, the advanced-stage patients with high SOX30 expression can receive platin- and/or taxol-based chemotherapy, whereas they should not receive chemotherapy containing gemcitabine or topotecan. Functionally, SOX30 strongly inhibits tumor cell migration and invasion in intro and suppresses tumor metastasis in vivo. SOX30 regulates some markers (E-CADHERIN, FIBRONECTIN, N-CADHERIN and VIMENTIN) and prevents the characteristics of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). SOX30 transcriptionally regulates the expression of E-CADHERIN, FIBRONECTIN and N-CADHERIN by binding to their promoters. Restoration of E-CADHERIN and/or N-CADHERIN when overexpressing SOX30 significantly reduces the anti-metastatic role of SOX30. Indeed, chemotherapy treatment containing platin or gemcitabine combined with SOX30 expression influences tumor cell metastasis and the survival of nude mice differently, which is closely associated with EMT. In conclusion, SOX30 antagonizes tumor metastasis by preventing EMT process that can be used to predict survival and incorporated into chemotherapeutics of advanced-stage ovarian cancer patients.

SOX30 Inhibits Tumor Metastasis through Attenuating Wnt-Signaling via Transcriptional and Posttranslational Regulation of ß-Catenin in Lung Cancer.

Although high mortality of lung cancer is greatly due to distant metastasis, the mechanism of this metastasis remains unclear. Here, we investigate in lung cancer that SOX30 is sharply under-expressed in metastatic tumors compared with non-metastatic tumors, and suppresses plenty of metastasis related processes or pathways. SOX30 strongly inhibits tumor cell metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Sox30 deficiency promotes lung metastasis in Sox30-/- mice and this uncontrollable lung-metastasis is re-inhibited upon Sox30 re-expression. Mechanistically, SOX30 diminishes Wnt-signaling via directly transcriptional repressing ß-catenin or interacting with ß-catenin to compete with TCF for binding to ß-catenin. The carboxyl-terminus of SOX30 is required for attenuating ß-catenin transcriptional activity, whereas the amino-terminus of SOX30 is required for its interaction with ß-catenin protein. Enhance of ß-catenin attenuates the anti-metastatic role of SOX30. Moreover, Sox30 deficiency promotes tumor metastasis and reduces survival of mice. In addition, nuclear SOX30 expression is closely associated with metastasis and represents a favorable independent prognostic biomarker of lung cancer patients. Altogether, these results highlight an important role and mechanism of SOX30 in lung cancer metastasis, providing a potential therapeutic target for anti-metastasis.

ALX4, an epigenetically down regulated tumor suppressor, inhibits breast cancer progression by interfering Wnt/ß-catenin pathway.

BACKGROUND: ALX4 is a paired-like homedomain transcription factor mainly expressed in the mesenchymal compartment of variety of developing tissues, but its functions, regulation mechanisms and clinical values in breast cancer remains unclear. METHODS: The expression of ALX4 in breast cancer cell lines and patients' tissues were detected by RT-PCR, qPCR and western blot. Furthermore TCGA database was applied to confirm these results. MSP and BSP methods were used to assess the methylation of ALX4 promoter region. In vitro proliferation, metastasis and in vivo nude mice model were used to evaluate the anti-tumor effect of ALX4 on breast cancer cell lines. Luciferase reporter assay, western blot and TCGA database were used to investigate the tumor suppression mechanisms of ALX4. TMA of 142 breast patients was generated to evaluate the clinical significance of ALX4. RESULTS: Expression analysis revealed that ALX4 expression is down regulated in breast cancer cell lines and tissues. MSP study showed that the promoter region of ALX4 was hyper-methylated 100% (3/3) in breast cancer cell lines and 69.44% (75/108) in primary breast tumors tissues while 0% (0/8) in normal breast tissues. 5-aza-dc de-methylation treatment restored ALX4 expression in breast cancer cell lines. Functional studies showed that ectopic expression of ALX4 in breast cancer cells inhibited cell proliferation, metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Mechanism study found that ALX4 exerted its anti-tumor function by suppressing the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway through promoting the phosphorylation degradation of ß-catenin in a GSK3ß dependent manner. Clinically multivariate analysis showed that ALX4 expression was an independent favorable prognostic factor in breast cancer patients. CONCLUSIONS: We reveal for the first time that ALX4 acts as a novel functional tumor suppressor inactivated by DNA methylation and is an independent prognostic factor in breast cancer.