Physical exercise suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma progression by alleviating hypoxia and attenuating cancer stemness through the Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE@#Physical exercise, a common non-drug intervention, is an important strategy in cancer treatment, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the mechanism remains largely unknown. Due to the importance of hypoxia and cancer stemness in the development of HCC, the present study investigated whether the anti-HCC effect of physical exercise is related to its suppression on hypoxia and cancer stemness.@*METHODS@#A physical exercise intervention of swimming (30 min/d, 5 d/week, for 4 weeks) was administered to BALB/c nude mice bearing subcutaneous human HCC tumor. The anti-HCC effect of swimming was assessed in vivo by tumor weight monitoring, hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) detection of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Ki67. The expression of stemness transcription factors, including Nanog homeobox (NANOG), octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT-4), v-Myc avian myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homolog (C-MYC) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), was detected using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. A hypoxia probe was used to explore the intratumoral hypoxia status. Western blot was used to detect the expression of HIF-1α and proteins related to protein kinase B (Akt)/glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β)/β-catenin signaling pathway. The IHC analysis of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (CD31), and the immunofluorescence co-location of CD31 and desmin were used to analyze tumor blood perfusion. SMMC-7721 cells were treated with nude mice serum. The inhibition effect on cancer stemness in vitro was detected using suspension sphere experiments and the expression of stemness transcription factors. The hypoxia status was inferred by measuring the protein and mRNA levels of HIF-1α. Further, the expression of proteins related to Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway was detected.@*RESULTS@#Swimming significantly reduced the body weight and tumor weight in nude mice bearing HCC tumor. HE staining and IHC results showed a lower necrotic area ratio as well as fewer PCNA or Ki67 positive cells in mice receiving the swimming intervention. Swimming potently alleviated the intratumoral hypoxia, attenuated the cancer stemness, and inhibited the Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway. Additionally, the desmin+/CD31+ ratio, rather than the number of CD31+ vessels, was significantly increased in swimming-treated mice. In vitro experiments showed that treating cells with the serum from the swimming intervention mice significantly reduced the formation of SMMC-7721 cell suspension sphere, as well as the mRNA expression level of stemness transcription factors. Consistent with the in vivo results, HIF-1α and Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway were also inhibited in cells treated with serum from swimming group.@*CONCLUSION@#Swimming alleviated hypoxia and attenuated cancer stemness in HCC, through suppression of the Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway. The alleviation of intratumoral hypoxia was related to the increase in blood perfusion in the tumor. Please cite this article as: Xiao CL, Zhong ZP, Lü C, Guo BJ, Chen JJ, Zhao T, Yin ZF, Li B. Physical exercise suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma progression by alleviating hypoxia and attenuating cancer stemness through the Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(2): 184-193.

Study on Protective Mechanism of Dexmedetomidine on Cerebral Injury in Sepsis Model Rats Based on SIRT 1/ Akt/GSK3β/β-catenin Signaling Pathway / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To in vestigate the effects of dexmedetomidine （Dex）on SIRT 1/Akt/GSK3β/β-catenin signaling pathway in cerebral injury of sepsis model rats ，and explore the mechanism of its protecitve effect on cerebral injury. METHODS ： A total of 80 male SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group （Sham group ），sepsis group （CLP group ），CLP+Dex group（10 μg/kg Dex），CLP+Dex+Sirtinol group （10 μg/kg Dex+2 μL/100 g SIRT 1 inhibitor sirtinol ），with 20 mice in each group. Two hours before modeling ，CLP+Dex+Sirtinol group was injected with sirtinol via lateral ventricle. Sepsis model was induced by cecal ligation and perforation in each group （in sham group ，only operation was performed but no ligation was performed）. At 0，3，6 h after modeling ，CLP+Dex group and CLP+Dex+Sirtinol group were given Dex （10 μg/kg） intraperitoneally，Sham group and CLP group were given constant volume of normal saline intraperitoneally. Cerebral tissue water content，Evans blue （EB）content，apoptosis in cerebral cortex ，the levels of IL- 1β and TNF-α in cerebral tissue as well as the protein expression of SIRT 1，p-Akt，p-GSK3β and β-catenin in hippocampus were detected 24 h after last medication. RESULTS ： Compared with Sham group ，cerebral tissue water content ，EB content ，the number of apoptotic cells in cerebral cortex as well as the levels of IL- 1β and TNF-α in cerebral tissue were increased significantly（P＜0.05），while the protein expression of SIRT 1， p-Akt，p-GSK3β and β-catenin in hippocampus were decreased significantly （P＜0.05）. Compared with CLP group ，cerebral tissue water content ，EB content ，the number of apoptotic cells in cerebral cortex as well as the levels of IL- 1β and TNF-α in cerebral tissue were decreased significantly in CLP+Dex group （P＜0.05），while the protein expression of SIRT 1，p-Akt，p-GSK3β and β-catenin in hippocampus were increased significantly （P＜0.05）. Sirtinol could significantly reverse the above-mentioned cerebral protection and factor regulation effects of Dex （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS ：Dex can protect the cerebral tissue of sepsis model rats，which may play an anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic role by activating SIRT 1/Akt/GSK3β/β-catenin signaling pathway ，so as to reduce cerebral edema ，protect blood-brain barrier and reduce cerebral injury.

Effect of Artesunate on Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin Signal Pathway in Human Hepatic Stellate Cells / 中国药师

Objective: To explore the effect of artesunate (Art) on Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin signal pathway.Methods: Art at different concentrations (0, 12.5, 25, 50 μg·ml-1) was used to treat human hepatic stellate cells (LX-2), and CCK-8 assay was used to detect the cell proliferation to determine the optimal concentration.Art inhibitor (MK-2206) at different concentrations (0~8 μmol·L-1) was given to LX-2 cells, and a Western Blot method was applied to determine the optimal inhibition concentration.Art, MK-2206 and MK-2206+Art were respectively given to LX-2 cells, and a Western Blot method was used to detect the levels of Akt, p-Akt, GSK-3β, p-GSK-3β and β-catenin proteins.Results: CCK-8 assay was used to detect the cell survival rate, and the survival rate was 80% after the 24-hour treatment with 25 μg·ml-1 Art.The results of Western Blot showed that MK-2206 at 6 μmol·L-1 could effectively inhibit the expression of p-Akt.Compared with those of the control group, the levels of Akt, p-Akt, p-GSK-3β and β-catenin protein were significantly different (P＜0.05) in Art (25 μg·ml-1) group, MK-2206 (6 μmol·L-1) group and MK-2206 (6 μmol·L-1) + Art (25 μg·ml-1) group.The expression of GSK-3β and Akt in MK-2206+Art group had no significant difference when compared with that in Art group and MK-2206 group (P＞0.05), while the levels of p-Akt, p-GSK-3β and β-catenin were significantly reduced (P＜0.01).Conclusion: Art exhibits the influence on the relative factors in Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway by Akt/β-catenin, subsequently inhibits the cell proliferation and alleviates the liver fibrosis process.