MIR222HG/LIN28B/ATG5 Axis Drives M2 Macrophage Polarization and Proliferation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to investigate the potential of MIR222HG in HCC. HCC cells were co-cultured with U937 cells. Gene expression was determined using reverse transcription-quantitative (RT-q) PCR and western blot. Functional analysis was performed using Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK-8), colony formation, and flow cytometry assays. We found that MIR222HG was overexpressed in HCC patients as well as HepG2 and Huh7 cells. MIR222HG-mediated upregulation of autophagy related 5 (ATG5) promoted tumor cell autophagy and the activation of M2-like tumor-associated macrophages (TAM2). Moreover, MIR222HG-mediated the activation of TAM2 drove the proliferation of HCC cells. Additionally, MIR222HG increased the mRNA expression as well as promoted the mRNA stability of ATG5 via binding to lin-28 homolog B (LIN28B). In conclusion, MIR222HG-mediated autophagy and the activation of TAM2 promote the aggressiveness of HCC cells via regulating LIN28B/ATG5 signaling.

Skimmianine attenuates liver ischemia/reperfusion injury by regulating PI3K-AKT signaling pathway-mediated inflammation, apoptosis and oxidative stress.

Liver ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a common injury after liver transplantation and hepatectomy. Skimmianine (Ski) has antibacterial, antiviral pharmacological effects. However, it is not clear whether Ski has a protective effect against liver I/R injury. In the present study, we established a mouse liver I/R model and an AML12 cell hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R) model, both pretreated with different concentrations of Ski. Serum transaminase levels, necrotic liver area, cell viability, inflammatory factors, oxidative stress and apoptosis-related levels were measured to assess the protective effect of Ski against liver I/R injury. Western blotting was used to detect apoptosis-related proteins and PI3K-AKT pathway-related proteins. Mice and cells were also treated with PI3K inhibitor LY294002 to assess changes in indicators of liver injury. The results showed that Ski significantly reduced transaminase levels, liver necrosis area, oxidative stress, and apoptosis levels in mice with I/R. Ski also inhibited cell injury and apoptosis after H/R. Moreover, Ski activated phosphorylation of PI3K-AKT pathway-related proteins after liver I/R and cell H/R. Importantly, the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 effectively reversed the alleviation of I/R injury caused by Ski. These results confirm that Ski exerts a protective effect against liver I/R injury through activation of the PI3K-AKT pathway.

A comprehensive analysis of gasdermin family gene as therapeutic targets in pan-cancer.

Six members of the gasdermin family are involved in various biological functions in malignant tumors. The present study aimed to perform a comprehensive analysis of gasdermin family genes in pan-cancer. Raw data was acquired from the genotype-tissue expression (GTEx) and the Cancer Genome Atlas. High inter-tumor heterogeneity in the expression between paracancerous and tumor tissues was observed across cancers. Survival analysis confirmed that the risk or protective effects of gasdermin family members on prognosis depended on the cancer types. The mutation frequency appeared to be high, and the mutation group had a worse prognosis. Besides, gasdermin family genes were associated with immune infiltrate subtypes, stromal and immune cell infiltration levels, TMB, MSI, immune checkpoint gene expression, and tumor stemness scores. Moreover, gasdermin family gene expressions affected the expressions of MMR genes and methyltransferases and could predict cancer cells sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs. Subsequently, the findings were double-checked in LIHC and PAAD. GSEA results indicated the gasdermin family genes mainly involved in tumor metabolism and immune microenvironment remodeling related signaling pathways. In conclusion, our findings confirmed that gasdermin family genes were potential therapeutic cancer targets in pan-cancer.

Prognostic significance of preoperative systemic inflammatory biomarkers in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after microwave ablation and establishment of a nomogram.

The study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of preoperative systemic inflammatory biomarkers including albumin to globulin ratio (AGR), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR), and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and establish a nomogram in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after microwave ablation (MWA). 192 HCC patients receiving MWA as initial therapy from the first ward of hepatobiliary surgery were classified as training cohort. Whereas, 84 patients from the second of hepatobiliary surgery were classified as validation cohort. Kaplan-Meier (KM) method and univariate analyses showed that AGR, NLR, LMR, and PLR were significantly associated with OS in the training cohort. Multivariate analysis including clinicopathologic features screened out independent predictors including ascites, tumor size, cancer embolus, AGR, and PLR. Based on those variables, a nomogram for predicting OS was established. The C-index was 0.794 in the training cohort and 0.772 in the validation cohort. Calibration plots identified the nomogram performed well with an ideal model. Compared with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system and simple tumor size, the nomogram showed better predictive ability. Besides, the nomogram discovered the highest diagnostic accuracy in predicting postoperative clinical outcome than the combination of the present models with tumor size. In conclusion, the constructed nomogram could accurately predict individualized survival probability and might support clinician in individual treatment optimization and clinical decision-making.

Prognostic Value Of Preoperative Systemic Inflammatory Biomarkers In Patients With Gallbladder Cancer And The Establishment Of A Nomogram.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Preoperative systemic inflammatory biomarkers, including neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), derived neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (dNLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR) have been developed to predict patient outcome in several types of carcinomas. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential prognostic value of NLR, dNLR, PLR, and LMR, and establish a prognostic nomogram in postoperative GBC patients who underwent radical cholecystectomy. METHODS: 169 GBC patients were retrospectively enrolled in the present study. ROC curve analysis was used to determine the optimal cut-off values of systemic inflammatory biomarkers. The prognostic value of those biomarkers was investigated according to the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression model. A relevant prognostic nomogram was established. RESULTS: Results showed that NLR, dNLR, PLR, and LMR were significantly associated with overall survival (OS); whereas, NLR and LMR were retained as independent indicators. Based on these independent predictors including tumor differentiation, T stage, N stage, CEA, NLR, and LMR, a nomogram was generated with an accuracy of 0.801. CONCLUSION: Based on our findings, the predictive nomogram could accurately predict individualized survival probability of postoperative GBC patients, and might support clinicians in treatment optimization and clinical decision-making.