CD147 promotes breast cancer migration and invasion by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition via the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: CD147, a transmembrane glycoprotein, has been implicated in various cancer-related processes but its role in breast cancer remains poorly understood. Herein, we investigated the expression of CD147 in different breast cancer cell lines and explored its functional roles, including migration, invasion, drug resistance and modulation of key proteins associated with cancer progression. METHODS: The expression of CD147 was assessed in MCF-10 A, BT549, MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines using qRT-PCR and Western blotting, following which lyposome transfections were performed, leading overexpression of CD147 in BT549 cells and knockdown of CD147 in MCF-7 cells. Scratch assays and Transwell invasion and were performed to evaluate the cells' migration and invasion abilities. Sensitivity to 5-FU was determined via CCK-8 assays, and the expression of Snail1, E-cadherin, Vimentin, MMP-9 and the MAPK/ERK pathway were analyzed by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. RESULTS: Compared with normal beast epithelial cells, CD147 was highly expressed in all breast cancer cell lines, with the highest overexpression observed in MCF-7 cells and the lowest overexpression observed in BT549 cells. Overexpression of CD147 in BT549 cells increased, migration, invasion, viability and resistance to 5-FU of BT549 cells, while CD147 knockdown in MCF-7 cells reduced these properties of MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, CD147 influenced the expression of Snail1, Vimentin, E-cadherin, and MMP-9, suggesting its involvement in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) regulation. The MAPK/ERK pathway was activated by CD147 in BT549 cells, as indicated by increased p-MEK/MEK ratio and p-ERK/ERK ratio. In contrast, CD147 silencing in MCF-7 cells resulted in reduced p-MEK/MEK ratio and p-ERK/ERK ratio. CONCLUSION: In summary, our findings suggest CD147 as a potential therapeutic target in breast cancer treatment, particularly in cases where drug resistance and metastasis are concerns, worthy of further explorations.

[Effect of Biyanning Granules on local symptoms and immune function of chronic rhinosinusitis].

This study discusses the effect of Biyanning Granules on local symptoms and systemic immune function of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps(CRSwNP) within the 6 months of treatment by glucocorticoid nasal spray after surgical treatment. To be specific, a total of 237 CRSwNP patients, treated in Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery in Shanxi Bethune Hospital, were enrolled. All patients were treated by nasal endoscopy and classified into hormone group(Budesonide Nasal Spray after surgery), Chinese medicine group(Biyanning Granules after surgery), and combination group(Budesonide Nasal Spray+Biyanning Granules after surgery) with random number table method, 79 cases in each group, and the treatment lasted 3 months. The follow-up was performed from the day of discharge to 12 months after the surgery. The clinical effect was observed. The visual analogue scale(VAS) scores and sino-nasal outcome test-20(SNOT-20) scale scores were used to assess patient's subjective symptoms and quality of life. Lund-Kennedy endoscopic score(LKES), Japanese T&T olfactometry, and standard olfactory test were used to evaluate the objective curative effect on patients. The levels of interleukin(IL)-21, CD4~+CD25~+Foxp3~+Treg, and CD4~+Th17 in peripheral blood were analyzed. The incidence of complications, recurrence rate, and adverse reactions during treatment were also recorded. The total effective rate after treatment in the combination group was higher than that in the hormone group and Chinese medicine group(P<0.05). VAS scores and SNOT-20 scale scores were lower in the three groups after treatment than before treatment and lower in the combination group than in the other two groups(P<0.05). The improvement in LKES and T&T standard olfactometry test was better in the combination group than in the other two groups(P<0.05). Serum levels of IL-21 and CD4~+Th17 in the three groups were lower than before treatment. The levels in the combination group were lower than those in the other two groups and lower in the hormone group than in the Chinese medicine group(P<0.05). Serum CD4~+CD25~+Foxp3~+Treg level was higher in the three groups after treatment than before, higher in the combination group than in the other two groups, and higher in the Chinese medicine group than in the hormone group(P<0.05). During the treatment, no serious adverse reactions were observed. After treatment, the combination group showed no significant difference in the incidence and recurrence rate of complications from the hormone group and Chinese medicine group. In the treatment of CRSwNP with glucocorticoid, Biyanning Granules reduced the side effects of glucocorticoid and assisted glucocorticoid in alleviating the symptoms of patients. It significantly improved the curative effect, regulated immune imbalance, accele-rated the recovery of immune function, reduced the recurrence rate of inflammatory reaction, and improved the quality of life. The combination of Chinese and western treatment is more effective than glucocorticoid alone and warrants further clinical study in large sample size.

[Comparison of Ex Vivo Expanded and Highly Purified NK Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity Detected by 3 Different Staining Methods of Flow Cytometry].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the cytotoxicity of ex vivo expanded NK cells detected by flow cytometry with 3 different staining methods. METHODS: NK cells were collected from peripheral blood on the 17th day after culture. The cultured cells were divided into 3 groups: group A , B, and C. The cells in group A were stained with CFSE/Annectin-V/7-AAD; the cells in group B were stained with Annectin-V/PI, and the cells in group C cells were stained with CFSE/PI. The E:T ratios in 3 groups were 10:1, 20:1 and 40:1, respectively, the K562 cells were incubated with NK cells for 4 hrs. RESULTS: The purity of NK cells(CD3-CD56+) reached to (16.34±10.51)% on day 0 and to (83.63±10.63)% on the day 17 after incubation(P<0.05); the cytotoxicity of group A was significantly higher than thay of group B at different E:T ratio (P<0.05). The cytotoxicities in A, B, C groups at E:T ratio=10:1 were (36.56±3.69)%, (10.85±2.09)% and (22.35±2.71)% respectively; the cytotoxicities in A, B, C groups at E:T ratio=9:1 were (47.83±5.52)%, (39.07±5.55)% and (29.61±4.81)%; the cytotoxicities in A, B, C groups at E:T ratio=40:1 were (67.7±4.77)%, (51.51±4.43)% and (44.12±5.62)% respectively. Meanwhile, the cytotoxicity in group A was significantly higher than that in group C at different E:T ratio (P<0.05), the percentage of cytotoxicity was (36.56±3.69)% vs (10.85±2.09)%, (47.83±5.52)% vs (29.61±4.81)%, (67.7±4.77)% vs (44.12±5.62)%, respectively. CONCLUSION: CFSE/Annectin-V/7-AAD is able to clearly show human NK cell cytotoxicity against human tumors. Moreover, this staining technique also allows to distinguish different stages of cytotoxic killing as early and late apoptotic phase.

Butylphthalide Suppresses Neuronal Cells Apoptosis and Inhibits JNK-Caspase3 Signaling Pathway After Brain Ischemia /Reperfusion in Rats.

Although Butylphthalide (BP) has protective effects that reduce ischemia-induced brain damage and neuronal cell death, little is known about the precise mechanisms occurring during cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective mechanisms of BP against ischemic brain injury induced by cerebral I/R through inhibition of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-Caspase3 signaling pathway. BP in distilled non-genetically modified Soybean oil was administered intragastrically three times a day at a dosage of 15 mg/(kg day) beginning at 20 min after I/R in Sprague-Dawley rats. Immunohistochemical staining and Western blotting were performed to examine the expression of related proteins, and TUNEL-staining was used to detect the percentage of neuronal apoptosis in the hippocampal CA1 region. The results showed that BP could significantly protect neurons against cerebral I/R-induced damage. Furthermore, the expression of p-JNK, p-Bcl2, p-c-Jun, FasL, and cleaved-caspase3 was also decreased in the rats treated with BP. In summary, our results imply that BP could remarkably improve the survival of CA1 pyramidal neurons in I/R-induced brain injury and inhibit the JNK-Caspase3 signaling pathway.

[Mechanism of MBL inhibiting the LPS-induced DC maturation].

The study was aimed to investigate the mechanism of mannan-binding lectin (MBL) on bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced human peripheral blood monocyte-derived dendritic cell (DC) maturation. The monocytes were prepared from the peripheral blood of healthy adult volunteers. The immature dendritic cells (imDC) were induced by 5-day-culture in medium supplemented with rhGM-CSF and rhIL-4. FACS was used to investigate the interaction of MBL with imDC and the impact of MBL on LPS binding to imDC. ELISA and Western blot was used to analyze the interaction of MBL with soluble TLR4 ectodomain protein (sTLR4); Western blot was used to detect LPS-induced NF-κB translocation in imDC. The results showed that MBL could directly bind to imDC in the presence of calcium. sTLR4 protein or LPS could competitively inhibit the binding of MBL to imDC. ELISA and Western blot showed that MBL could evidently bind to sTLR4 protein in a concentration-dependent manner. FACS showed that MBL could competitively inhibit the binding of LPS to imDC by binding to imDC directly. Western blot showed that MBL decreased LPS-induced NF-κB translocation in imDC. It is concluded that MBL may competitively inhibit the binding of LPS to imDC by binding to TLR4 expressed on imDC, resulted in inhibition of LPS-induced DC maturation, suggesting that MBL can regulate DC maturation through ligand-binding. This study provides the good foundation to clarify the mechanism of MBL inhibiting the LPS-induced DC maturation.

[Establishment of the tax gene expression cell lines and their biological activity].

This study was aimed to establish the cell lines of human T-cell leukemia virus type-1 (HTLV-1) tax gene expression and their biological activity. The eukaryotic vector pCMV-tax and pCMV-neo-Bam were transfected into Jurkat E6-1 by using liposome, following screening with G418, the tax gene expression cell line-TaxP and the negative cell lines-TaxN were selected and enriched. Then, the mRNA expressions of LAT, SLP70, ZAP70 and NF-kappaB (p65) were measured by using RT-PCR; the NF-kappaB bioactivity was tested after transfecting the pNF-kappaB-Luc plasmids into TaxP and TaxN cells; meanwhile CD25, CD69 expressions on surface of the two cell lines were tested by flow cytometry. The results showed that TaxP and TaxN cell lines were established and the tax gene expression was detected; as compared with TaxN, the mRNA expressions of LAT, SLP70 and ZAP70 in TaxP were enhanced (p<0.05), while the NF-kappaB bioactivity in TaxP cells was stronger than that in TaxN cells (p<0.01). The CD25, CD69 on TaxP cells surface was highly expressed. It is concluded that TaxP and TaxN cell lines are established, TAX protein could promote the activation of T cells and activate the NF-kappaB pathway.