LncRNA NEAT1 Promotes Gastric Cancer Progression Through miR-17-5p/TGFßR2 Axis Up-Regulated Angiogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been indicated to play critical roles in gastric cancer (GC) tumorigenesis and progression. However, their roles in GC remain to be further elucidated. METHODS: RT-qPCR and fluorescence in situ hybridzation (FISH) were conducted to detect the expression of lncRNA NEAT1 in GC tissues and cell lines. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was performed to screen out potential phenotypes and pathways that NEAT1 may participate in. NEAT1-silenced AGS and MGC803 cells were constructed and a series of functional experiments to investigate the roles of NEAT1 in GC angiogenesis both in vitro and in vivo. RNA pull down and luciferase reporter assays were utilized to illustrate the mechanisms underlying the functions of NEAT1 in GC. RESULTS: We observed that NEAT1 was upregulated in most GC specimens and cell lines. NEAT1 high was correlated with poor prognosis of GC patients. In vitro experiments showed that NEAT1 promoted GC angiogenesis by enhancing proliferation, migration, and tube formation ability of endothelial cells. Mechanism researches revealed that NEAT1 could competitively sponge miR-17-5p which targeted TGFßR2 directly. Subsequently, activate TGFß/Smad pathway by following with upregulation of a series of classical proangiogenic factors especially VEGF. CONCLUSION: The study unveiled that the LncRNA NEAT1/miR-17-5p/TGFßR2 axis is a novel mechanism in GC angiogenesis. Disrupting this axis may be a potential strategy for GC treatment.

Resveratrol induces human colorectal cancer cell apoptosis by activating the mitochondrial pathway via increasing reactive oxygen species.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer­related mortality worldwide according to Global Cancer Statistics 2018. Resveratrol (RSV) is a phenolic compound that possesses anticancer functions against various types of cancer, including breast and gastric cancer. However, the functions and mechanism underlying RSV in CRC are not completely understood. The present study aimed to investigate the anticancer effects and mechanism underlying RSV in CRC cells by conducting Cell Counting Kit­8, apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and western blotting assays. The results suggested that RSV dose­dependently inhibited CRC cell viability, and increased cell apoptosis and ROS levels compared with the control group. The protein expression levels of Bax, cytochrome c, cleaved caspase­9 and cleaved caspase­3 were upregulated, whereas Bcl­2 expression levels were downregulated in RSV­treated CRC cells compared with control cells. The results indicated that RSV might activate the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway by increasing ROS release. The present study suggested that RSV possessed antitumour activity against CRC by modulating an ROS­mediated mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.

RuRh Bimetallene Nanoring as High-efficiency pH-Universal Catalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Electrocatalysis of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is a vital and demanding, yet challenging, task to produce clean energy applications. Here, the RuRh2 bimetallene nanoring with rich structural defects is designed and successfully synthesized by a mixed-solvent strategy, displaying ascendant HER performance with high mass activity at -0.05 and -0.07 V, separately higher than that of the commercial Pt catalyst. Also, it maintains steady hydrogen bubble evolution even after 30 000 potential cycles in acid media. Furthermore, the RuRh2 bimetallene nanoring shows an outstanding activity in both alkaline and neutral media, outperforming that of Pt catalysts and other reported HER catalysts. A combination of atomic-scale structure observation and density functional theory calculations demonstrates that both the grain boundaries and symmetry breaking of RuRh2 bimetallene cannot only weaken the adsorption strength of atomic hydrogen, but also facilitate the transfer of electrons and the adsorption of reactants, further boosting the HER electrocatalytic performance in all pH values.

Analyzing microsatellite instability and gene mutation in circulating cell-free DNA to monitor colorectal cancer progression.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Detection of microsatellite instability (MSI) status and gene mutations may be useful for molecular targeted therapy. The liquid biopsy is a newly developed, non-invasive method for tumor diagnosis and monitoring. In this study, we evaluated the possible clinical value of liquid biopsy by analyzing MSI and gene mutation. METHODS: Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to analyze MSI and gene mutation in circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and tissue DNA extracted from 6 CRC patients' plasma and matched primary tumor tissue (MPTT) samples, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 6 patients (4 male, 2 female) were included for analysis, whose stage ranges from stage I through stage III. NGS-based panel of 5 quasi-monomorphic microsatellite markers (MSI-NGS) BAT-25, BAT-26, NR21, NR24 as well as NR27, and 4 mismatch repair (MMR) genes (MSH2, MSH6, PMS2, MLH1) expressions assessed by immunohistochemistry (MMR-IHC) and NGS (MMR-NGS) were used to determine MSI status synergistically. Comprehensive analysis of NGS and IHC results showed that the overall incidences of MSI in plasma and MPTT samples from these patients were 1/6 and 2/6, respectively. 4 patients were defined as microsatellite stable (MSS) in both plasma and MPTT. In the above 6 patients, MSI-NGS detection in cfDNA accurately identified 1/2 of tissue high-level microsatellite instability (MSI-H) and 4/4 of tissue MSS for an overall accuracy of 5/6. Gene mutational profiles in these CRC patients' plasma and MPTT samples were analyzed by NGS. Tumor-specific gene mutations were detected in 2/6 of plasma and 4/4 of MPTT samples. The two mutation-positive plasma samples were from CRC patients at stage IIb and stage IIIc. CONCLUSIONS: Analyzing MSI and gene mutation might be a non-invasive supplementary way to reveal the molecular characteristics of CRC.

Locating the Human Cardiac Conduction System Using a 3D Model of Its Nutritious Arteries.

It is difficult for anatomists to dissect the human cardiac conduction system (CCS) on specimens as well as for cardiovascular clinicians to locate the CCS during cardiac operations. Here, we demonstrate a new method for locating the CCS using a 3D model of its nutritious arteries. First, we perfused the coronary arteries with contrast material and then acquired a set of data of thin computer tomography (CT) scans. Then, we generated a 3D model of the coronary artery and distinguished the arteries that supply the CCS. We then located the CCS on the 3D model via its nutritious arteries and dissected the CCS. Finally, the structures that were dissected were removed for histological and immunofluorescent staining. The results of histological and immunofluorescence examination proved the structure to be the CCS. Thus, we successfully located the CCS using a 3D model of its nutritious arteries. We suggest that with this new method, cardiac surgeons can locate a patient's CCS during cardiac surgeries such as transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) or radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA).