TTYH3 is a prognostic biomarker and associates with immune cell infiltrations of lung adenocarcinoma / TTYH3 es un biomarcador pronóstico y se asocia con infiltraciones de células inmunitarias del adenocarcinoma de pulmón

SUMMARY: We investigated Tweety Family Member 3 (TTYH3) level in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and its relationship with immune infiltration in tumors by bioinformatics. Differential expressions of TTYH3 in lung cancer were analyzed with Oncomine, TIMER, GEO, UALCAN and HPA. Relationship of TTYH3 mRNA/protein levels with clinical parameters was analyzed by UALCAN. Co-expressed genes of TTYH3 in LUAD were analyzed using Cbioportal. Its relationship with LUAD prognosis was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier plotter. GO and KEGG analysis were performed. Correlation between TTYH3 and tumor immune infiltration were tested by TIMER, TISIDB and GEPIA. We found that TTYH3 was significantly increased in LUAD tissues. TTYH3 high expression was closely related to poor overall survival, post progression survival and first progression in LUAD patients. TTYH3 mRNA/protein levels were significantly associated with multiple pathways. Specifically, TTYH3 up-regulation was mostly related to biological regulation, metabolic process, protein blinding, extracellular matrix organization and pathways in cancer. Moreover, TTYH3 was positively associated with immune cell infiltration in LUAD. Finally, TTYH3 was highly expressed in LUAD as revealed by meta-analysis. TTYH3 is closely related to the prognosis of LUAD and immune cell infiltration, and it can be used as a prognostic biomarker for LUAD and immune infiltration.

Investigamos por bioinformática el nivel de Tweety Family Member 3 (TTYH3) con adenocarcinoma de pulmón (LUAD) y su relación con la infiltración inmune en tumores. Las expresiones diferenciales de TTYH3 en cáncer de pulmón se analizaron con Oncomine, TIMER, GEO, UALCAN y HPA. Con UALCAN se analizó la relación de los niveles de ARNm/proteína de TTYH3 con los parámetros clínicos. Los genes coexpresados de TTYH3 en LUAD se analizaron utilizando Cbioportal. Su relación con el pronóstico LUAD se analizó mediante plotter de Kaplan- Meier. Se realizaron análisis GO y KEGG. TIMER, TISIDB y GEPIA probaron la correlación entre TTYH3 y la infiltración inmune tumoral. Encontramos que TTYH3 aumentó significativamente en los tejidos LUAD. La alta expresión de TTYH3 estuvo estrechamente relacionada con una supervivencia general deficiente, supervivencia posterior a la progresión y primera progresión en pacientes con LUAD. Los niveles de ARNm/ proteína de TTYH3 se asociaron significativamente con múltiples vías. Específicamente, la regulación positiva de TTYH3 se relacionó principalmente con la regulación biológica, el proceso metabólico, el cegamiento de proteínas, la organización de la matriz extracelular y las vías en el cáncer. Además, TTYH3 se asoció positivamente con la infiltración de células inmunitarias en LUAD. Finalmente, TTYH3 se expresó altamente en LUAD como lo reveló el metanálisis. TTYH3 está estrechamente relacionado con el pronóstico de LUAD y la infiltración de células inmunitarias, y se puede utilizar como biomarcador pronóstico para LUAD y la infiltración de células inmunitarias.

High expression of MYH9 inhibits apoptosis of non-small cell lung cancer cells through activating the AKT/c-Myc pathway / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the role of myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9) in regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cisplatin sensitivity of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).@*METHODS@#Six NSCLC cell lines (A549, H1299, H1975, SPCA1, H322, and H460) and a normal bronchial epithelial cell line (16HBE) were examined for MYH9 expression using Western blotting. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect MYH9 expression in a tissue microarray containing 49 NSCLC and 43 adjacent tissue specimens. MYH9 knockout cell models were established in H1299 and H1975 cells using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, and the changes in cell proliferation cell were assessed using cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) and clone formation assays; Western blotting and flow cytometry were used to detect apoptosis of the cell models, and cisplatin sensitivity of the cells was evaluated using IC50 assay. The growth of tumor xenografts derived from NSCLC with or without MYH9 knockout was observed in nude mice.@*RESULTS@#MYH9 expression was significantly upregulated in NSCLC (P < 0.001), and the patients with high MYH9 expression had a significantly shorter survival time (P=0.023). In cultured NSCLC cells, MYH9 knockout obviously inhibited cell proliferation (P < 0.001), promoted cell apoptosis (P < 0.05), and increased their chemosensitivity of cisplatin. In the tumor-bearing mouse models, the NSCLC cells with MYH9 knockout showed a significantly lower growth rate (P < 0.05). Western blotting showed that MYH9 knockout inactivated the AKT/c- Myc axis (P < 0.05) to inhibit the expression of BCL2- like protein 1 (P < 0.05), promoted the expression of BH3- interacting domain death agonist and the apoptosis regulator BAX (P < 0.05), and activated apoptosis-related proteins caspase-3 and caspase-9 (P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#High expression of MYH9 contributes to NSCLC progression by inhibiting cell apoptosis via activating the AKT/c-Myc axis.

Junctional adhesion molecule-like protein as a novel target for kaempferol to ameliorate lung adenocarcinoma / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE@#Although there have been improvements in targeted therapy and immunotherapy, the majority of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients still lack effective therapies. Consequently, it is urgent to screen for new diagnosis biomarkers and pharmacological targets. Junctional adhesion molecule-like protein (JAML) was considered to be an oncogenic protein and may be a novel therapeutic target in LUAD. Kaempferol is a natural flavonoid that exhibits antitumor activities in LUAD. However, the effect of kaempferol on JAML is still unknown.@*METHODS@#Small interfering RNA was used to knockdown JAML expression. The cell viability was determined using the cell counting kit-8 assay. The proliferation of LUAD cells was evaluated using the 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation assay. The migration and invasion of LUAD cells were evaluated by transwell assays. Molecular mechanisms were explored by Western blotting.@*RESULTS@#JAML knockdown suppressed proliferation, migration and invasion of LUAD cells, and JAML deficiency restrained epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) via inactivating the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) pathway. Using a PI3K activator (740Y-P), rescue experiments showed that phenotypes to JAML knockdown in LUAD cells were dependent on the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Kaempferol also inhibited proliferation, migration and invasion of A549 and H1299 cells and partially suppressed EMT through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Knockdown of JAML ameliorated the inhibitory effect of kaempferol on LUAD cells. Kaempferol exerted anticancer effects by targeting JAML.@*CONCLUSION@#JAML is a novel target for kaempferol against LUAD cells. Please cite this article as: Wu Q, Wang YB, Che XW, Wang H, Wang W. Junctional adhesion molecule-like protein as a novel target for kaempferol to ameliorate lung adenocarcinoma. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(3): 268-276.

Progress in the Study of Spindle Assembly Checkpoint in Lung Cancer / 中国肺癌杂志

Spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) is a protective mechanism for cells to undergo accurate mitosis. SAC prevented chromosome segregation when kinetochores were not, or incorrectly attached to microtubules in the anaphase of mitosis, thus avoiding aneuploid chromosomes in daughter cells. Aneuploidy and altered expression of SAC component proteins are common in different cancers, including lung cancer. Therefore, SAC is a potential new target for lung cancer therapy. Five small molecule inhibitors of monopolar spindle 1 (MPS1), an upstream component protein of SAC, have entered clinical trials. This article introduces the biological functions of SAC, summarizes the abnormal expression of SAC component proteins in various cancers and the research progress of MPS1 inhibitors, and expects to provide a reference for the future development of lung cancer therapeutic strategies targeting SAC components.
.

Cigarette Smoke Induces Gefitinib Resistance in NSCLC Cells via ROS/Sirt3/SOD2 Pathway / 中国肺癌杂志

BACKGROUND@#Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutations are the most common driver mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To prolong the survival of the patients, EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) resistance in NSCLC is a major challenge that needs to be addressed urgently, and this study focuses on investigating the mechanism of cigarette smoke (CS) induced Gefitinib resistance in NSCLC.@*METHODS@#PC-9 and A549 cells were cultured in vitro and treated with 1 µmol/L Gefitinib for 4 h and 10% cigarette smoke extract (CSE) for 48 h. Western blot was used to detect Sirtuin 3 (Sirt3) and superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) protein expressions; DCFH-DA probe was used to detect intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS); CCK-8 kit was used to detect cell activity, and EdU was used to detect cell proliferation ability. Sirt3 overexpression plasmid (OV-Sirt3) was transfected in PC-9 and A549 cells and treated with 1 µmol/L Gefitinib for 4 h and 10% CSE for 48 h after N-acetylcysteine (NAC) action. The expressions of Sirt3 and SOD2 were detected by Western blot; the ROS level in the cells was detected by DCFH-DA probe, and the cell activity was detected by CCK-8.@*RESULTS@#CSE induced an increase in the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of both PC-9 and A549 cells to Gefitinib (P<0.01) and enhanced the proliferation of PC-9 and A549 cells, suggesting that CS induced Gefitinib resistance in NSCLC. ROS was involved in CSE-induced Gefitinib resistance (P<0.05). CSE induced low expressions of Sirt3 and SOD2 (P<0.01), and Sirt3/SOD2 was associated with poor prognosis in lung cancer patients (P<0.05). OV-Sirt3 in PC-9 and A549 cells reversed CSE-induced Gefitinib resistance (P<0.05) and significantly reduced ROS production. NAC reversed CSE-induced Gefitinib resistance in PC-9 and A549 cells (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The ROS/Sirt3/SOD2 pathway is involved in CS-induced Gefitinib resistance in NSCLC.

Recent Progress of Nano-drug Combined with Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy in the Treatment of Soild Tumors / 中国肺癌杂志

Chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy has shown remarkable success in treating hematological malignancies. However, CAR-T therapy for solid tumors is still limited due to the unique solid-tumor microenvironment and heterogeneous target antigen expression, which leads to an urgent need of combining other therapies. At present, nano delivery system has become one of the most promising directions for the development of anti-tumor drugs. Based on the background of CAR-T and tumor treatment, we focus on the research progress of nanomedicine combined with CAR-T therapy, and systematically review the strategies and examples in recent years in the aspects of in vivo delivery of mRNA, regulation of tumor microenvironment, combination with photothermal therapy. And we also look forward to the future direction of this filed.
.

CD47 blockade improves the therapeutic effect of osimertinib in non-small cell lung cancer / 医学前沿

The third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor osimertinib (OSI) has been approved as the first-line treatment for EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aims to explore a rational combination strategy for enhancing the OSI efficacy. In this study, OSI induced higher CD47 expression, an important anti-phagocytic immune checkpoint, via the NF-κB pathway in EGFR-mutant NSCLC HCC827 and NCI-H1975 cells. The combination treatment of OSI and the anti-CD47 antibody exhibited dramatically increasing phagocytosis in HCC827 and NCI-H1975 cells, which highly relied on the antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis effect. Consistently, the enhanced phagocytosis index from combination treatment was reversed in CD47 knockout HCC827 cells. Meanwhile, combining the anti-CD47 antibody significantly augmented the anticancer effect of OSI in HCC827 xenograft mice model. Notably, OSI induced the surface exposure of "eat me" signal calreticulin and reduced the expression of immune-inhibitory receptor PD-L1 in cancer cells, which might contribute to the increased phagocytosis on cancer cells pretreated with OSI. In summary, these findings suggest the multidimensional regulation by OSI and encourage the further exploration of combining anti-CD47 antibody with OSI as a new strategy to enhance the anticancer efficacy in EGFR-mutant NSCLC with CD47 activation induced by OSI.

Exosomes from PM 2.5-treated Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells Increase Lung Cancer Metastatic Potential / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

Objective@#Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) is an air pollutant that has become of great concern in recent years. Numerous studies have found that PM 2.5 may contribute to lung cancer, but the pathogenesis has not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, we explored the roles of exosomes from bronchial epithelial cells in PM 2.5-promoted lung cancer metastasis.@*Methods@#Exosomes were isolated from cell supernatants. An animal model of lung metastasis (established by tail vein injection of A549-luc) and in vitro studies with lung cancer cell lines were used to investigate the effects of exosomes derived from PM 2.5-treated human bronchial epithelial cells (PHBE-exo).@*Results@#The animal experiments revealed that PHBE-exo-treated mice showed stronger luciferase activity and a larger relative metastatic region in the lungs, thus indicating that PHBE-exo promoted the metastatic potential of lung cancer. Additionally, PHBE-exo promoted the migration, invasion and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of lung cancer cells, in a manner mediated by activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase.@*Conclusion@#These results implied that PM 2.5 may promote the development of lung cancer through exosomes derived from bronchial epithelial cells, thus providing a potential interventional target for lung cancer. These findings broadened our understanding of cancer-promoting mechanisms of environmental pollutants.

Mechanism of Fuzheng Kang'ai Formula Regulating Tumor Microenvironment in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the mechanism of Chinese herbal medicine Fuzheng Kang'ai Formula (, FZKA) on tumor microenvironment (TME).@*METHODS@#CIBERSORTx was used for analysis of TME. Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology and Analysis Platform was applied to identify compounds-targets network and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) was employed to identify the differential expression genes (DEGs) between tumor and paracancerous tissues in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) from TCGA-LUAD. Additionally, DEGs with prognosis in LUAD was calculated by univariable and multivariate Cox regression. The core targets of FZKA were analyzed in lung adenocarcinoma TME. Protein-protein interaction database was employed to predict down-stream of target. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was employed for biological experiment in A549, H1299 and PC9 cell lines.@*RESULTS@#The active and resting mast cells were significantly associated with prognosis of LUAD (P<0.05). Of the targets, CCNA2 as an important target of FZKA (hazard ratio=1.41, 95% confidential interval: 1.01-2.01, P<0.05) was a prognostic target and significantly associated with mast cells. CCNA2 was positively correlated with mast cell activation and negatively correlated with mast cell resting state. BCL1L2, ACTL6A and ITGAV were down-stream of CCNA2, which were validated by qRT-PCR in A549 cell.@*CONCLUSION@#FZKA could directly bind to CCNA2 and inhibit tumor growth by regulating CCNA2 downstream genes and TME of NSCLC closely related to CCNA2.

Research Status of Tumor-associated Fibroblasts Regulating Immune Cells / 中国肺癌杂志

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and tumor-infiltrating immune cells are the most essential components of the tumor microenvironment (TME). They communicate with each other in tumor microenvironment and play a critical role in tumorigenesis and development. CAFs are very heterogeneous and different subtypes of CAFs display different functions. At the same time, it can contribute to the regulation of the function of tumor-infiltrating immune cells and eventually result in the carcinogenesis, tumor progression, invasion, metastasis and other biological behaviors of tumors by producting various growth factors and cytokines etc. Based on the current research results at home and abroad, this paper reviews the recent research progress on the regulation of CAFs on infiltrating immune cells in tumor microenvironment.
.

Lung Cancer Stem-like Cells and Drug Resistance / 中国肺癌杂志

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death world-wide. Therapy resistance and relapse are considered major reasons contributing to the poor survival rates of lung cancer. Accumulated evidences have demonstrated that a small subpopulation of stem-like cells existed within lung cancer tissues and cell lines, possessing the abilities of self-renewal, multipotent differentiation and unlimited proliferation. These lung cancer stem-like cells (LCSCs) can generate tumors with high effeciency in vivo, survive cytotoxic therapies, and eventually lead to therapy resistance and recurrence. In this review, we would like to present recent knowledges on LCSCs, including the origins where they come from, the molecular features to identify them, and key mechanisms for them to survive and develop resistance, in order to provide a better view for targeting them in future clinic.
.

Naphthalene allyl trifluoromethyl benzocyclopentanone inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of lung cancer A549 cells in vitro / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the molecular mechanism by which a novel naphthalene allyl trifluoromethyl benzocyclopentanone XX0335 inhibits the proliferation and induces apoptosis of lung cancer A549 cells.@*METHODS@#Lung cancer A549 cells were treated with 0.1% DMSO (control) or different concentrations (6.25, 12.5, and 25 μg/mL) of XX0335, and the changes in cell viability, cell cycle, proliferation and apoptosis were assessed with CCK-8 assay, EdU experiment, and flow cytometry. The effects of different concentrations of XX0335 on phosphorylation levels of proliferation-related proteins Akt, mTOR, Akt/mTOR and the expressions of cleaved PARP and cyclin D1 were determined using Western blotting. We also assessed the effect of XX0335 on tumor growth in a mouse model bearing A945 cell xenograft.@*RESULTS@#Treatment with XX0335 reduced the viability of A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.01) and significantly inhibited cell proliferation (P < 0.001). Flow cytometry showed that XX0335 treatment promoted apoptosis of the cells (P < 0.01) and caused an obvious increase of the number of G1-phase cells. Compared with DMSO, XX0335 significantly inhibited the phosphorylation of Akt and mTOR, increased the expression of cleaved PARP, and lowered the protein expression of cyclin D1. In the tumor-bearing mouse models, injection of XX0335 significantly decreased the tumor volume (P < 0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#XX0335 inhibits the proliferation, cycle and induces apoptosis of lung cancer A549 cells possibly by inhibiting the Akt/mTOR signal pathway.

Expression and significance of CK5/6, P63, P40, CK7, TTF-1, NapsinA, CD56, Syn and CgA in biopsy specimen of squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and small cell lung carcinoma / Expresión y significado de CK5/6, P63, P40, CK7, TTF-1, NapsinA, CD56 Syn y CgA en muestras de biopsia de carcinoma de células escamosas, adenocarcinoma y carcinoma de células pequeñas de pulmón

Nine tumor and various potential biomarkers were measured and combined the information to diagnose disease, all patients accepted fiber bronchoscopy brush liquid based cytologyand histopathology examination in order to reliably detect lung cancer. The samples from 314 Chinese lung cancer patients were obtained and CK5/6, P63, P40, CK7, TTF-1, NapsinA CD56, Syn and CgA were measured with the immunohistochemical SP method and analyzed correlation of the expression of these markers with pathological and clinical features of squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and small cell lung carcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and small cell carcinoma were 61 cases, 114 cases and 139 cases,CK5/6 and P63 expression were more frequent in squamous cell carcinoma, with sensitivity and specificity of 77.05 % and 96.44 %, 83.61 % and 88.93 %,and compared with adenocarcinoma and small cell carcinoma difference was statistically significant (P<0.05), The incidences of a positive P40 expression were 100 % in squamous cell carcinoma, with specificity of 98.81 %.CK7, TTF-1 and NapsinA expression were more frequent in adenocarcinoma, with sensitivity and specificity of 85.09 % and 78.69 %, 79.82 % and 93.44 %, 56.14 % and 95.08 %, and compared with squamous cell carcinoma and small cell carcinoma difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). TTF-1, Syn, CgA and CD56 expression were more frequent in adenocarcinoma, with sensitivity and specificity of 86.33 % and 93.44 %, 89.21 % and 98.36 %, 74.10 % and 100 %, 96.40 % and 96.72 %. The combined detection of CK5/6, P63 and P40 were more useful and specific in differentiating squamous cell carcinoma. CK7, TTF-1 and NapsinA were more useful and specific in differentiating lung adenocarcinoma. The impaired CD56, TTF-1, Syn and CgA reflects the progression of small cell lung cancer.

Se midieron tumores y utilizaron nueve biomarcadores potenciales y se analizó la información para diagnosticar la enfermedad. A todos los pacientes se les realizó citología en líquido con broncoscopía de fibra y examen histopatológico para detectar de manera confiable el cáncer pulmonar. Se obtuvieron muestras de 314 pacientes chinos con cáncer de pulmón y CK5 / 6, P63, P40, CK7, TTF-1, Napsina A, CD56, Syn y CgA se midieron a través de histoquímica SP y analizaron la correlación de la expresión de estos marcadores con características patológicas y clínicas de carcinoma de células escamosas, adenocarcinoma y carcinoma de células pequeñas en el cáncer de pulmón. El carcinoma de células escamosas, el adenocarcinoma y el carcinoma de células pequeñas fueron 61 casos, 114 casos y 139 casos, respectivamente, la expresión de CK5 / 6 y P63 fueron más frecuentes en el carcinoma de células escamosas, con una sensibilidad y especificidad del 77,05 % y 96,44 %, 83,61 % y 88,93 %, y en comparación con el adenocarcinoma y el carcinoma de células pequeñas, la diferencia fue estadísticamente significativa (P <0,05). La incidencia de ap la expresión positiva P40 fue del 100 % en el carcinoma de células escamosas, con una especificidad del 98,81 %. La expresión de CK7, TTF-1 y NapsinA fueron más frecuentes en el adenocarcinoma, con una sensibilidad y especificidad del 85,09 % y 78,69 %, 79,82 % y 93,44 %, 56,14 % y 95,08 %, y en comparación con el carcinoma de células escamosas y la diferencia de carcinoma de células pequeñas fue estadísticamente significativa (P <0,05) .TTF-1, Syn, CgA y la expresión de CD56 fueron más frecuentes en adenocarcinoma, con sensibilidad y especificidad de 86.33 % y 93.44 %, 89.21 % y 98.36 %, 74.10 % y 100 %, 96.40 % y 96.72 %. La detección combinada de CK5 / 6, P63 y P40 fue más útil y específica en la diferenciación del carcinoma de células escamosas. CK7, TTF-1 y NapsinA fueron más útiles y específicos para diferenciar el adenocarcinoma de pulmón. El deterioro de CD56, TTF-1, Syn y CgA refleja la progresión del cáncer de pulmón de células pequeñas.

Pretreatment plasma fibrinogen level as a prognostic biomarker for patients with lung cancer

Many researchers have shown that pretreatment plasma fibrinogen levels are closely correlated with the prognosis of patients with lung cancer (LC). In this study, we thus performed a meta-analysis to systematically assess the prognostic value of pretreatment plasma fibrinogen levels in LC patients. A computerized systematic search in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) was performed up to March 15, 2018. Studies with available data on the prognostic value of plasma fibrinogen in LC patients were eligible for inclusion. The pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and odd ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to evaluate the correlation between pretreatment plasma fibrinogen levels and prognosis as well as clinicopathological characteristics. A total of 17 studies with 6,460 LC patients were included in this meta-analysis. A higher pretreatment plasma fibrinogen level was significantly associated with worse overall survival (OS) (HR: 1.57; 95% CI: 1.39-1.77; p=0.001), disease-free survival (DFS) (HR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.33-1.76; p=0.003), and progression-free survival (PFS) (HR: 3.14; 95% CI: 2.15-4.59; p<0.001). Furthermore, our subgroup and sensitivity analyses demonstrated that the pooled HR for OS was robust and reliable. In addition, we also found that a higher fibrinogen level predicted advanced TNM stage (III-IV) (OR=2.18, 95% CI: 1.79-2.66; p<0.001) and a higher incidence of lymph node metastasis (OR=1.74, 95% CI: 1.44-2.10; p=0.02). Our study suggested that higher pretreatment plasma fibrinogen levels predict worse prognoses in LC patients.

Expression of CHPF modulates cell proliferation and invasion in lung cancer

Lung cancer is the most common malignancy worldwide and is characterized by rapid progression, aggressive behavior, frequent recurrence, and poor prognosis. The TCGA database indicates that chondroitin polymerizing factor (CHPF) is overexpressed in human lung cancer tissues compared with normal tissues and this overexpression corresponds to shorter overall survival in lung cancer patients. In this study, to investigate the function of CHPF in lung cancer, lentiviral vectors expressing CHPF shRNA were stably transduced into A549 and H1299 cells. Compared to shCtrl cells, CHPF knockdown cells had significantly reduced proliferation. Furthermore, the silencing of CHPF in A549 and H1299 cells resulted in apoptotic induction, which led to decreased colony formation. Wound healing and transwell invasion assays revealed that CHPF could positively regulate the migration of lung cancer cells. The tumorigenic role of CHPF was also validated in nude mouse xenograft models. Affymetrix gene chip analysis indicated that CHPF regulated the proliferation and invasion of lung cancer cells through CDH1, RRM2, MKI67, and TNFRSF10B. We thus highlight CHPF as a novel target for lung cancer treatment.

Vitexin induces apoptosis through mitochondrial pathway and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling in human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells

BACKGROUND: Currently, the prognosis of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains dismal; hence, it is critical to identify effective anti-NSCLC agents with limited side effects. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of flavonoid compound vitexin in human NSCLC cells and the underlying mechanisms. RESULTS: The experimental results indicated that vitexin reduced the viability of A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner with nearly no toxicity against normal human bronchial epithelial 16HBE cells. Vitexin also dose-dependently increased A549 cell apoptosis, accompanied by the decreased Bcl-2/Bax ratio and the increased expression of cleaved caspase-3. Moreover, the in vivo anticancer activity of vitexin was further determined in nude mice bearing A549 cells. In addition, vitexin induced the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria to the cytosol and the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Vitexin also significantly reduced the levels of p-PI3K, p-Akt and p-mTOR, and the pro-apoptotic effect of vitexin on A549 cells was partly blocked by SC79, an Akt activator. CONCLUSIONS: Accordingly, we believed that vitexin could be used as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of NSCLC in the future.

PELI3 mediates pro-tumor actions of down-regulated miR-365a-5p in non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND: To analyze the relative expression of PELI3 and its mechanistic involvement in the non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: PELI3 expression in NSCLC tissue samples was determined by the immunohistochemistry. The transcripts abundance of PELI3 was measured with real-time PCR. The protein intensity was analyzed by western blot. The overall survival in respect to PELI3 or miR-365a-5p expression was plotted by the Kaplan-Meier's analysis. Cell growth was determined by colony formation assay. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay. The migration and invasion were evaluated by wound healing and transwell assay respectively. The regulatory effect of miR-365a-5p on PELI3 was interrogated with luciferase reporter assay. The direct binding between miR-365a-5p and PELI3 was analyzed by pulldown assay. RESULTS: PELI3 was aberrantly up-regulated in NSCLC both in vivo and in vitro. High level of PELI3 associated with poor prognosis. PELI3-deficiency significantly inhibited cell viability, colony formation, migration and invasion. We further identified that miR-365a-5p negatively regulated PELI3 in this disease. Ectopic expression of miR-365a-5p in both A549 and H1299 phenocopied PELI3-deficiency. Meanwhile, PELI3-silencing significantly abolished the pro-tumoral effect elicited by miR-365a-5p inhibition. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlighted the importance of dysregulated miR-365a-5p-PELI3 signaling axis in NSCLC.

Propofol inhibits lung cancer cell viability and induces cell apoptosis by upregulating microRNA-486 expression

Propofol is a frequently used intravenous anesthetic agent. Recent studies show that propofol exerts a number of non-anesthetic effects. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of propofol on lung cancer cell lines H1299 and H1792 and functional role of microRNA (miR)-486 in these effects. H1299 and/or H1792 cells were treated with or without propofol and transfected or not with miR-486 inhibitor, and then cell viability and apoptosis were analyzed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and flow cytometry. The expression of miR-486 was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) with or without propofol treatment. Western blot was performed to analyze the protein expression of Forkhead box, class O (FOXO) 1 and 3, Bcl-2 interacting mediator of cell death (Bim), and pro- and activated caspases-3. Results showed that propofol significantly increased the miR-486 levels in both H1299 and H1792 cells compared to untreated cells in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Propofol statistically decreased cell viability but increased the percentages of apoptotic cells and protein expressions of FOXO1, FOXO3, Bim, and pro- and activated caspases-3; however, miR-486 inhibitor reversed the effects of propofol on cell viability, apoptosis, and protein expression (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In conclusion, propofol might be an ideal anesthetic for lung cancer surgery by effectively inhibiting lung cancer cell viability and inducing cell apoptosis. Modulation of miR-486 might contribute to the anti-tumor activity of propofol.

Acarbose versus trans-chalcone: comparing the effect of two glycosidase inhibitors on obese mice

Objective Acarbose and trans-chalcone are glucosidase inhibitors whose beneficial effects have been demonstrated in diabetes. The present study aimed at investigating their potential effects in obesity.Materials and methods NMRI male mice (n = 48) were subjected to a high fat diet for four weeks, which induced an initial state of obesity. One control group was given normal rodent diet. Obese animals were then switched to normal rodent diet, and divided to four groups (n = 12 in each): untreated, sham (receiving grape seed oil), and experimental groups receiving acarbose and trans-chalcone (12 mg/kg) during eight weeks. Body weight, blood glucose and other biochemical parameters including triglycerides (TG), cholesterol, HDL, AST, and ALT were measured, as well as leptin, adiponectin, TNF-α, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Histological studies were performed on adipose cells and liver tissue samples.Results All factors were affected in a positive manner by acarbose, save for body weight, blood sugar and leptin levels, on which acarbose effects, although observable, were not statistically significant. Grape seed oil, used as a solvent for trans-chalcone was found to possess significant effect on TG and TAC, and had beneficial effects on other factors including liver enzymes and cholesterol. Trans-chalcone effects were significant on HDL, leptin and ALT. All compounds seemed to be able to affect fat deposition in liver tissue, and decrease the size of adipose tissue cells to some extent.Conclusion In conclusion, the tested compounds were able to affect lipid accumulation in tissues and influence adipokines, which may result in an enhanced state with regard to inflammation and oxidative stress. Arch Endocrinol Metab. 2015;59(3):202-9.

Association among measures of mobility-related disability and self-perceived fatigue among older people: a population-based study

Objective: To investigate the relationship between self-perceived fatigue with different physical functioning tests and functional performance scales used for evaluating mobility-related disability among community-dwelling older persons. Method: This is a cross-sectional, population-based study. The sample was composed of older persons with 65 years of age or more living in Cuiabá, MT, and Barueri, SP, Brazil. The data for this study is from the FIBRA Network Study. The presence of self-perceived fatigue was assessed using self-reports based on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale. The Lawton instrumental activities of daily living scale (IADL) and the advanced activities of daily living scale (AADL) were used to assess performance and participation restriction. The following physical functioning tests were used: five-step test (FST), the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), and usual gait speed (UGS). Three models of logistic regression analysis were conducted, and a significance level of α<0.05 was adopted. Results: The sample was composed of 776 older adults with a mean age (SD) of 71.9 (5.9) years, of whom the majority were women (74%). The prevalence of self-perceived fatigue within the participants was 20%. After adjusting for covariates, SPPB, UGS, IADL, and AADL remained associated with self-perceived fatigue in the final multivariate regression model. Conclusion: Our results suggest that there is an association between self-perceived fatigue and lower extremity function, usual gait speed and activity limitation and participation restriction in older adults. Further cohort studies are needed to investigate which physical performance measure may be able to predict the negative impact of fatigue in older adults. .