[Clinical outcomes and bone resection analysis of unilateral double-channel endoscopic technique in treating lumbar disc herniation].

OBJECTIVE: To explore clinical outcomes and bone resection of interlaminar fenestration decompression and unilateral biportal endoscopic (UBE) technique in treating lumbar disc herniation(LDH). METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on 105 patients with single-level LDH treated from December 2019 to December 2021. Fifty-four patients in UBE group,including 32 males and 22 females,aged from 18 to 50 years old with an average of(38.7±9.3) years old,were treated with UBE,29 patients with L4,5 and 25 patients with L5S1. There were 51 patients in small fenestration group,including 27 males and 24 females,aged from 18 to 50 years old with an average of (39.9±10.0) years old,were treated with small fenestration,25 patients with L4,5 and 26 patients with L5S1. Perioperative indexes,such as operation time,postoperative time of getting out of bed and hospital stay were observed and compared between two groups. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were compared between two groups before operation and 1,3,6 and 12 months after operation,respectively;and modified MacNab evaluation criteria was used to evaluate clinical efficacy. Amount of bone resection and retention rate of inferior articular process laminoid complex were compared between two groups. RESULTS: All 105 patients were successfully completed operation. Both of two groups were followed up from 6 to 12 months with an average of (10.69±2.49) months. Operation time,postoperative time of getting out of bed and hospital stay were (58.20±5.54) min,(2.40±0.57) d and (3.80±0.61) d in UBE group,and (62.90±7.14) min,(4.40±0.64) d and (4.40±0.64) d in small fenestrum group,respectively;and had statistically difference between two groups(P<0.05). Postoperative VAS of low back and leg pain and ODI in both groups were significantly lower than those before surgery (P<0.05). VAS of lumbar pain in UBE group (1.37±0.49) score was lower than that of small fenestration group (2.45±0.64) score,and had statistically difference (t=9.745,P<0.05). Postoperative ODI in UBE group at 1 and 3 months were (28.54±3.31) % and (22.87±3.23) %,respectively,which were lower than those in small fenestra group (36.31±9.08) % and (29.90±8.36) %,and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). There were no significant difference in VAS and ODI between two groups at other time points (P>0.05). According to the modified MacNab evaluation criteria at the latest follow-up,49 patients got excellent result,3 good,and 2 fair in UBE group. In small fenestration group,35 patients got excellent,12 good,and 4 fair. In UBE group,amount of bone resection on L4,5 segment was (0.45±0.08) cm3 and (0.31±0.08) cm3 on the segment of L5S1. In small fenestration group,amount of bone resection on L4,5 segment was (0.57±0.07) cm3 and (0.49±0.04) cm3 on the segment of L5S1,and amount of bone resection of lower articular process laminar complex on the same segment in UBE group was less than that in small fenestration group (P<0.05). In UBE group,retention rate of laminoid complex on L4,5 segment was (0.73±0.04) and L5S1 segment was (0.83±0.03),while L4,5 segment was(0.68±0.06) and L5S1 segment was (0.74±0.04) in small fenestration group,the lower articular process laminar complex retention rate in UBE group was higher than that in small fenestration group(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Both unilateral double-channel endoscopy and small fenestration of laminae could achieve good clinical results in treating LDH,but UBE has advantages of less trauma,higher efficiency,faster postoperative recovery and less damage to bone structure.

Comparative analysis of primate and pig cells reveals primate-specific PINK1 expression and phosphorylation.

PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1), a mitochondrial kinase that phosphorylates Parkin and other proteins, plays a crucial role in mitophagy and protection against neurodegeneration. Mutations in PINK1 and Parkin can lead to loss of function and early onset Parkinson's disease. However, there is a lack of strong in vivo evidence in rodent models to support the theory that loss of PINK1 affects mitophagy and induces neurodegeneration. Additionally, PINK1 knockout pigs ( Sus scrofa) do not appear to exhibit neurodegeneration. In our recent work involving non-human primates, we found that PINK1 is selectively expressed in primate brains, while absent in rodent brains. To extend this to other species, we used multiple antibodies to examine the expression of PINK1 in pig tissues. In contrast to tissues from cynomolgus monkeys ( Macaca fascicularis), our data did not convincingly demonstrate detectable PINK1 expression in pig tissues. Knockdown of PINK1 in cultured pig cells did not result in altered Parkin and BAD phosphorylation, as observed in cultured monkey cells. A comparison of monkey and pig striatum revealed more PINK1-phosphorylated substrates in the monkey brain. Consistently, PINK1 knockout in pigs did not lead to obvious changes in the phosphorylation of Parkin and BAD. These findings provide new evidence that PINK1 expression is specific to primates, underscoring the importance of non-human primates in investigating PINK1 function and pathology related to PINK1 deficiency.

Yokoyama procedure for cyclic strabismus with axial high myopia:a case report.

BACKGROUND: It is a very rare form of ocular motility characterized by alternating strabismus and orthotropia. We report a patient with a 48-h cycle of esohypotropia associated with axial high myopia that resolved by Yokoyama procedure. CASE PRESENTATION: A 43-year-old female patient who underwent left medial rectus muscle recession and lateral rectus muscle resection elsewhere due to highly myopic strabismus 2 years ago. The patient experienced a recurrence of left esohypotropia 12 months after undergoing surgery, exhibiting a 48-hour cycle. The cycle is one full day of esohypotropia and one day of orthotropia. The patient exhibited a case of high myopia in the left eye, characterized by a diopter measurement of -24.00DS and an eye axis measurement of 28.43 mm. Orbital CT showed supertemporal dislocation of the posterior portion of the elongated globe out from the muscle cone. Based on these observations, we performed Yokoyama procedure by uniting the muscle bellies of the superior rectus(SR) and lateral rectus (LR) muscles to restoring the dislocated globe back into the muscle cone. CONCLUSIONS: When cyclic strabismus is combined with axial high myopia, the Yokoyama procedure was effective and cycles are successfully terminated without overcorrection on no squint days. The purpose of this procedure is to put the dislocated globe back into its muscle cone by uniting the muscle bellies of the superior rectus and lateral rectus.

Differential expression and roles of Huntingtin and Huntingtin-associated protein 1 in the mouse and primate brains.

Huntingtin-associated protein 1 (HAP1) is the first identified protein whose function is affected by its abnormal interaction with mutant huntingtin (mHTT), which causes Huntington disease. However, the expression patterns of Hap1 and Htt in the rodent brain are not correlated. Here we found that the primate HAP1, unlike the rodent Hap1, is correlatively expressed with HTT in the primate brains. CRISPR/Cas9 targeting revealed that HAP1 deficiency in the developing human neurons did not affect neuronal differentiation and gene expression as seen in the mouse neurons. However, deletion of HAP1 exacerbated neurotoxicity of mutant HTT in the organotypic brain slices of adult monkeys. These findings demonstrate differential HAP1 expression and function in the mouse and primate brains, and suggest that interaction of HAP1 with mutant HTT may be involved in mutant HTT-mediated neurotoxicity in adult primate neurons.

Small biomarkers with massive impacts: PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling and microRNA crosstalk regulate nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the most common malignant tumours of the head and neck in Southeast Asia and southern China. The Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signalling pathway is involved in processes related to tumour initiation/progression, such as proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis, and drug resistance, and is closely related to the clinicopathological features of NPC. In addition, key genes involved in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway undergo many changes in NPC. More interestingly, a growing body of evidence suggests an interaction between this signalling pathway and microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small noncoding RNAs. Therefore, in this review, we discuss the interactions between key components of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway and various miRNAs and their importance in NPC pathology and explore potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Pachymic Acid Ameliorates Pulmonary Hypertension by Regulating Nrf2-Keap1-ARE Pathway.

OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a severe pulmonary vascular disease that eventually leads to right ventricular failure and death. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanism by which pachymic acid (PA) pretreatment affects PH and pulmonary vascular remodeling in rats. METHODS: PH was induced via hypoxia exposure and administration of PA (5 mg/kg per day) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Hemodynamic parameters were measured using a right ventricular floating catheter and pulmonary vascular morphometry was measured by hematoxylin-eosin (HE), α-SMA and Masson staining. MTT assays and EdU staining were used to detect cell proliferation, and apoptosis was analyzed by TUNEL staining. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression of proteins related to the Nrf2-Keap1-ARE pathway. RESULTS: PA significantly alleviated hypoxic PH and reversed right ventricular hypertrophy and pulmonary vascular remodeling. In addition, PA effectively inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis in hypoxia-induced pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). Moreover, PA pretreatment inhibited the expression of peroxy-related factor (MDA) and promoted the expression of antioxidant-related factors (GSH-PX and SOD). Furthermore, hypoxia inhibited the Nrf2-Keap1-ARE signaling pathway, while PA effectively activated this pathway. Most importantly, addition of the Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 reversed the inhibitory effects of PA on ROS generation, proliferation, and apoptosis tolerance in hypoxia-induced PASMCs. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that PA may reverse PH by regulating the Nrf2-Keap1-ARE signaling pathway.

Investigation on myopia of junior high school students in Enshi, Hubei Province with different selenium content / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM:To investigate the myopia of junior high school students in Enshi, Hubei province with different selenium content, and analyze the correlation between the level of serum selenium, hair selenium and myopia.METHODS:A cross-sectional study. A total of 600 students from grades 1-3 of junior high schools(100 students in each grade)in selenium-rich(selenium in soil ≥1.28mg/kg)and selenium-deficient(selenium in soil &#x003C;1.28mg/kg)areas were randomly selected from September 2020 to September 2021, respectively. The level of serum selenium, hair selenium, glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px)and myopia condition were determined.RESULTS:The serum and hair selenium of myopic group(n=244, 40.7%)were 75.14±11.16μg/L and 0.51±0.01μg/g, respectively. Those in the non-myopic group(n=356, 59.3%)were 110.24±12.14μg/L and 0.68±0.02 μg/g, respectively. The serum selenium and hair selenium in the two groups were different(all P&#x003C;0.01). The serum selenium of 300 students in the selenium-deficient area was 76.74±11.25μg/L, the hair selenium was 0.45±0.01 μg/g, and the number of myopia cases was 154(51.3%); The serum selenium of 300 students in selenium-rich areas was 102.31±10.26 μg/L, the hair selenium was 0.71±0.02 μg/g, and the number of myopia cases was 90(30.0%), the serum and hair selenium in the selenium-rich areas were significantly higher than those compared with the students in selenium-deficient areas, and the myopic incidence was significantly reduced(all P&#x003C;0.01). The level of GSH-Px of the two areas was 114.65±12.12U/L vs 75.34±13.20U/L(Z=37.994, P&#x003C;0.01). There is a negative correlation between serum and hair selenium and the myopic incidence(r=-0.542, -0.621, P&#x003C;0.05).CONCLUSION:Serum and hair selenium is significantly associated with myopia of junior high school students in Enshi, which may provide new ideas for the clinical prevention and treatment of myopia.

Programmed Degradation of Pericarp Cells in Wheat Grains Depends on Autophagy.

Wheat is one of the most important food crops in the world, with development of the grains directly determining yield and quality. Understanding grain development and the underlying regulatory mechanisms is therefore essential in improving the yield and quality of wheat. In this study, the developmental characteristics of the pericarp was examined in developing wheat grains of the new variety Jimai 70. As a result, pericarp thickness was found to be thinnest in grains at the top of the spike, followed by those in the middle and thickest at the bottom. Moreover, this difference corresponded to the number of cell layers in the pericarp, which decreased as a result of programmed cell death (PCD). A number of autophagy-related genes (ATGs) are involved in the process of PCD in the pericarp, and in this study, an increase in ATG8-PE expression was observed followed by the appearance of autophagy structures. Meanwhile, following interference of the key autophagy gene ATG8, PCD was inhibited and the thickness of the pericarp increased, resulting in small premature grains. These findings suggest that autophagy and PCD coexist in the pericarp during early development of wheat grains, with both processes increasing from the bottom to the top of the spike. Moreover, PCD was also found to rely on ATG8-mediated autophagy. The results of this study therefore provide a theoretical basis for in-depth studies of the regulatory mechanisms of wheat grain development.

Cross-link between ferroptosis and nasopharyngeal carcinoma: New approach to radiotherapy sensitization.

Ferroptosis is a recently discovered special type of regulated cell death that is strongly associated with both homeostasis maintenance and cancer development. Previous studies have indicated that a number of small-molecular agents inducing ferroptosis have great potential in the treatment of different types of cancer, including breast, pancreatic, prostate and head and neck cancer. However, the role of ferroptosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has remained to be fully determined. To the best of our knowledge, no review of the currently available studies on this subject has been published to date. The metabolism and expression of specific genes that regulate ferroptosis may represent a promising radiosensitization target in cancer treatment. The aim of the present review was to describe the cross-link between ferroptosis and NPC and to discuss the potential value of regulators and the possible mechanism underlying the role of ferroptosis in the radiosensitization of NPC, in the hope that linking the mechanism of ferroptosis with the development of NPC will accelerate the development of novel ferroptosis-based targets and radiotherapy strategies in NPC.

METTL3 regulates skeletal muscle specific miRNAs at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels.

METTL3 increasing the mature miRNA levels via N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) modification of primary miRNA (pri-miRNA) transcripts has emerged as an important post-transcriptional regulation of miRNA biogenesis. Our previous studies and others have showed that muscle specific miRNAs are essential for skeletal muscle differentiation. Whether these miRNAs are also regulated by METTL3 is still unclear. Here, we found that m6A motifs were present around most of these miRNAs, which were indeed m6A modified as confirmed by m6A-modified RNA immunoprecipitation (m6A RIP). However, we surprisingly found that these muscle specific miRNAs were repressed instead of increased by METTL3 in C2C12 in vitro differentiation and mouse skeletal muscle regeneration after injury in vivo model. To elucidate the underlined mechanism, we performed reporter assays in 293T cells and validated METTL3 increasing these miRNAs at post-transcriptional level as expected. Furthermore, in myogenic C2C12 cells, we found that METTL3 not only repressed the expression of myogenic transcription factors (TFs) which can enhance the muscle specific miRNAs, but also increased the expression of epigenetic regulators which can repress these miRNAs. Thus, METTL3 could repress the muscle specific miRNAs at transcriptional level indirectly. Taken together, our results demonstrated that skeletal muscle specific miRNAs were repressed by METTL3 and such repression is likely synthesized transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulations.

Focused Vibrotactile Stimulation with Cueing Effect on Freezing of Gait in Parkinson’s Disease: Two Case Reports

Freezing of gait (FOG) is a common occurrence in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) that leads to significant limitations in mobility and increases risk of falls. Focused vibrotactile stimulation and cueing are two methods used to alleviate motor symptoms, including FOG, in patients with PD. While effective on their own, the effect of combining both focused vibrotactile stimulation and cueing has yet to be investigated. Two patients, both with a history of PD, suffered from frequent FOG episodes that failed to respond adequately to medication. A novel vibrotactile stimulation device that delivered rhythmic kinesthetic stimuli onto the sternum successfully reduced FOG episodes in both patients and drastically improved their mobility as measured by the Timed Up and Go test. We found that a combination of focused vibrotactile stimulation and cueing was effective in reducing FOG episodes in two patients with PD. Further well-designed prospective studies are needed to confirm our observations.

Focused Vibrotactile Stimulation with Cueing Effect on Freezing of Gait in Parkinson’s Disease: Two Case Reports

Freezing of gait (FOG) is a common occurrence in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) that leads to significant limitations in mobility and increases risk of falls. Focused vibrotactile stimulation and cueing are two methods used to alleviate motor symptoms, including FOG, in patients with PD. While effective on their own, the effect of combining both focused vibrotactile stimulation and cueing has yet to be investigated. Two patients, both with a history of PD, suffered from frequent FOG episodes that failed to respond adequately to medication. A novel vibrotactile stimulation device that delivered rhythmic kinesthetic stimuli onto the sternum successfully reduced FOG episodes in both patients and drastically improved their mobility as measured by the Timed Up and Go test. We found that a combination of focused vibrotactile stimulation and cueing was effective in reducing FOG episodes in two patients with PD. Further well-designed prospective studies are needed to confirm our observations.

[Dual mobility total hip arthroplasty for the treatment of femoral neck fracture with hemiplegia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effects of dual mobility total hip prosthesis in treating femoral neck fracture patients with hemiplegia. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 18 patients with femoral neck fracture combined with hemiplegia who underwent dual mobility total hip prosthesis replacement from March 2014 to December 2016. The follow up data of these patients was complete. There were 5 males and 13 females, aged 65 to 70 years old with an average of (66.50±1.38) years. The left side was involved in 12 cases, while the right side in 6 cases. There were 4 cases with Garden Ⅲ type and 14 cases with type Ⅳ. Limb muscle strength of hemiplegia were in grade Ⅳ. The posterior-lateral approach of hip joint was used in surgery for all patients. The implant position, dislocation and loosening of the prosthesis were evaluated by X-ray examination. Harris hip score and the Merle D'aubigne score were used to assess the hip function in the follow up. RESULTS: The operation duration was for 70-90 (81.56±7.48) min and the blood loss during the operation was for 160-200 (170.32± 12.56) ml. No blood was transfused during the operation. Postoperative incisions were healed at the first stage. The follow-up time was for 28-60(36.0±3.5) months. Harris hip score increased from 16.94±0.73 preoperatively to 96.19±1.27 at the final follow-up(P<0.05). Merle D 'Aubigne score increased from 3.96±0.06 preoperatively to 16.81±0.63 at the final follow-up(P< 0.05). No fracture or nerve or vascular injury were found during the operation. The postoperative X-ray showed that the prosthesis was in good position. No complications such as joint dislocation, dislocation of prosthesis, loosening of prosthesis, fracture around the prosthesis, pain in the front of thethigh, fracture of the self tapping screw in the ilium, and delayed infection occurred in the patients after operation. CONCLUSION: Dual mobility total hip prosthesis has the advantages of both good initial stability and low dislocation rate of the prosthesis, and the clinical application of total hip replacement in hemiplegic femoral neck fracture is satisfactory.

The association between Ki-67 expression and the clinical pathological characteristics of colorectal cancer: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study will explore the association between Ki-67 expression and clinical pathological characteristics (CPC) of colorectal cancer (CC). METHODS: We will search relevant studies from electronic databases (Cochrane Library, PUBMED, EMBASE, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, China Biology Medicine, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure) from beginning to April 1, 2020 without language and publication time limitations. We will consider all case-controlled studies (CCSs) or randomized controlled studies (RCSs) investigating the association between Ki-67 expression and CPC of CC. We will appraise study quality of CCSs by Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and RCSs by Cochrane risk of bias tool. Statistical analysis will be carried out by Review Manager 5.3 software. RESULTS: The present study will explore the association between Ki-67 expression and CPC of CC. CONCLUSION: Its findings may summarize scientific evidence of the association between Ki-67 expression and CPC of CC, and may provide helpful evidence for clinical practice.Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42020173795.

Effects of oxymatrine on the proliferation of human liver cancer Bel-7404 cells: A protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study will examine the effects of oxymatrine on the proliferation of human liver cancer Bel-7404 cells (HLCBC). METHODS: This study will search electronic bibliographic databases available in PUBMED, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, China Biology Medicine, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. We attempt to search case-controlled studies (CCSs) or randomized controlled studies (RCSs) pertaining to HLCBC from their inception to the February 29, 2020 without limitations of language and publication time. We will include any CCSs or RCSs on exploring oxymatrine on the proliferation of HLCBC. We will assess the methodological quality of CCSs by Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and RCSs by Cochrane risk of bias tool. Review Manager 5.3 software will be utilized for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The current study will summarize most recent eligible studies to investigate the effects of oxymatrine on the proliferation of HLCBC. CONCLUSION: Its results may provide reliable scientific evidence on effects of oxymatrine on the proliferation of HLCBC. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: INPLASY202040026.

Effects of artemisinin on proliferation and apoptosis of human liver cancer HepG2 cells: A protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study will examine the effects of artemisinin on proliferation and apoptosis of human liver cancer HepG2 cells (HLCHG-2C). METHODS: This study will systematically retrieve potential literatures in MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, WANGFANG, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from their initiation to the February 29, 2020. There are not limitations related to the language and publication time. All case-controlled studies (CCSs) or randomized controlled studies (RCSs) will be included in this study which investigated the effects of artemisinin on proliferation and apoptosis of HLCHG-2C. Two independent investigators will examine searched records, collect data from included studies, and will identify their methodological quality. Any divergences will be disentangled by discussion with another investigator. RevMan 5.3 software will be placed to pool the data and to carry out data analysis. RESULTS: This study will summarize all eligible studies to test the effects of artemisinin on proliferation and apoptosis of HLCHG-2C. CONCLUSION: The results of this study will exert evidence to examine the effects of artemisinin on proliferation and apoptosis of HLCHG-2C, and it may benefit further research, patients, and healthcare providers. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: INPLASY202040075.

Chinese herb feed additives improved the growth performance, meat quality, and nutrient digestibility parameters of pigs.

BACKGROUND: Since the use of antibiotics in animal feed has become a critical concern worldwide due to severe threats to human health and environment, we are in need of finding alternatives to antibiotics in pig breeding, maintaining the health of pigs, and getting high-quality pork. As traditional Chinese herbs (TCH) are rich natural resources in China and show great benefits to human health we propose to transfer this abundant resource into animal production industry as additives. METHODS: Three groups of Chinese herbs (groups A, B, and C) were used as feed additives in the diet for pigs. In total 32 pigs were arranged in four groups (groups A, B, C, and control group, NC), fed in the same facility, eight pigs (one group) in each colony, free drinking, for 120 days. The feed:gain ratio (F/G), meat quality, total protein, and amino acid concentration of muscle were checked in the experiments. RESULTS: After 120 days of feeding, the feed:gain ratio (F/G) of pigs in groups A, B, and C was decreased 17.56%, 9.31%, and 13.86% compared with NC treatment, respectively. The diets supplemented with Chinese herbs improved meat quality, increased loin eye area (especially group A and C showed significant difference, P < .001), the total protein (increased ratio vs NC was A = 4.54%, B = 0.38% and C = 3.53%), amino acid concentration of muscle, increased the villus height:crypt depth ratio, and induced positive effects on serum biochemical parameters and immune function (serum TC and TG concentrations were significantly lower than those in the NC group, P < .05.). CONCLUSIONS: The use of Chinese herbal feed additives can reduce the cost of pig breeding and produce high-quality pock. The combination of these effects would contribute to better absorption ability of the intestinal tract and yield a better growth performance.

Carboxyl terminal activating region 3 of latent membrane protein 1 encoded by the Epstein­Barr virus regulates cell proliferation and protein expression in NP69 cells.

In the present study, the mechanism by which carboxyl terminal activating region 3 (CTAR3) of latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1), encoded by the Epstein­Barr virus, regulated cell proliferation and protein expression was investigated in the nasopharyngeal epithelial cell line NP69. The deletion mutant LMP1 (LMP1Δ232­351; amino acid residues including 232­351 codons in CTAR3 deleted) was generated by polymerase chain reaction. An NP69­LMP1Δ232­351 cell line was established by retroviral infection. Finally, cell proliferation and protein expression of NP69 cells expressing LMP1Δ232­351 were examined using a cell growth curve and western blot analysis. The results demonstrated: i) The proliferation of NP69­LMP1Δ232­351 cells was significantly decreased compared with cells expressing wild type LMP1 (LMP1WT; n=3; P<0.05); ii) 17 proteins exhibited differential protein expression (>2­fold change) in NP69­LMP1Δ232­351 cells compared with NP69­LMP1WT cells; and iii) LMP1WT was involved in activating the Janus kinase 3 (JAK3) promoter and regulating the expression of JAK3 protein, while LMP1Δ232­351 was almost defective in ability to activate the JAK promoter. These results suggested that LMP1­CTAR3 may be an important functional domain for regulating cell proliferation and protein expression in nasopharyngeal epithelial cells.

The Role of Autophagy in Cancer Radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Autophagy, a pathway for lysosomal-mediated cellular degradation, is a catabolic process that recycles intracellular components to maintain metabolism and survival. It is classified into three major types: macroautophagy, microautophagy, and the chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA). Autophagy is a dynamic and multistep process that includes four stages: nucleation, elongation, autophagosome formation, and fusion. Interestingly, the influence of autophagy in cancer development is complex and paradoxical, suppressive, or promotive in different contexts. Autophagy in cancer has been demonstrated to serve as both a tumour suppressor and promoter. Radiotherapy is a powerful and common strategy for many different types of cancer and can induce autophagy, which has been shown to modulate sensitivity of cancer to radiotherapy. However, the role of autophagy in radiation treatment is controversial. Some reports showed that the upregulation of autophagy was cytoprotective for cancer cells. Others, in contrast, showed that the induction of autophagy was advantageous. Here, we reviewed recent studies and attempted to discuss the various aspects of autophagy in response to radiotherapy of cancer. Thus, we could decrease the viability of cancer cell and increase the sensibility of cancer cells to radiation, providing a new basis for the application of autophagy in clinical tumor radiotherapy.

CXCL3 overexpression promotes the tumorigenic potential of uterine cervical cancer cells via the MAPK/ERK pathway.

CXCL3 belongs to the CXC-type chemokine family and is known to play a multifaceted role in various human malignancies. While its clinical significance and mechanisms of action in uterine cervical cancer (UCC) remain unclear. This investigation demonstrated that the UCC cell line HeLa expressed CXCL3, and strong expression of CXCL3 was detected in UCC tissues relative to nontumor tissues. In addition, CXCL3 expression was strongly correlated with CXCL5 expression in UCC tissues. In vitro, HeLa cells overexpressing CXCL3, HeLa cells treated with exogenous CXCL3 or treated with conditioned medium from WPMY cells overexpressing CXCL3, exhibited enhanced proliferation and migration activities. In agreement with these findings, CXCL3 overexpression was also associated with the generation of HeLa cell tumor xenografts in athymic nude mice. Subsequent mechanistic studies demonstrated that CXCL3 overexpressing influenced the expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway associated genes, including ERK1/2, Bcl-2, and Bax, whereas the CXCL3-induced proliferation and migration effects were attenuated by exogenous administration of the ERK1/2 blocker PD98059. The data of the current investigation support that CXCL3 appears to hold promise as a potential tumor marker and interference target for UCC.