ABSTRACT
Evidence has shown that the activation of AhR (aryl hydrocarbon receptor) can promote cancer cell metastasis. However, limited studies have been carried out on mixed exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), especially in human breast cancer. Therefore, using MCF7 human breast cancer cells, we investigated the effects of coexposure to MEHP (mono 2-ethylhexyl phthalate) and TCDD (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin) on cell migration and invasion, as well as the roles of AhR and the MMP/slug pathway. Our data suggest that MEHP or TCDD can induce migration and invasion in MCF7 cells, and the promotion is partly AhR dependent. We also observed that MEHP antagonized TCDD to reduce AhR-mediated CYP1A1 expression. Subsequently, we revealed that MEHP recruited AhR to dioxin response element (DRE) sequences and decreased TCDD-induced AhR-DRE binding in CYP1A1 genes. Overall, MEHP is a potential AHR agonist, capable of decreasing TCDD-induced AhR-DRE binding in CYP1A1 genes. The antagonizing effect of coexposure led to the inhibition of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in MCF7 cells. Our study provides new evidence for the potential mechanisms involved in EDCs exposure and their interactions in EMT.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms , Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins , Breast Neoplasms/genetics , Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1/genetics , Diethylhexyl Phthalate/analogs & derivatives , Humans , MCF-7 Cells , Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins/toxicity , Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon/geneticsABSTRACT
The Dunhuang Caves are the home to the largest Buddhist art sites in the world and are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Over time, the murals have been damaged by both humans and nature. In this article, we present an immersive virtual reality system for exploring spatial cultural heritage, which utilizes the digitized data from the Dunhuang Research Academy to represent the virtual environment of the cave. In this system, the interaction techniques that allow users to flexibly experience any of the artifacts or displays contribute to their understanding of the cultural heritage. Additionally, we evaluated the system by conducting a user study to examine the extent of user acquaintance after the entire experience. Our result has shown what participants learn from the spatial context and augmented information in the VR. This can be used as design considerations for developing other spatial heritages.
