Astragalus polysaccharide promotes autophagy and alleviates diabetic nephropathy by targeting the lncRNA Gm41268/PRLR pathway.

BACKGROUND: Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) is a major bioactive component of the Chinese herb astragalus, with well-established protective effects on the kidney. However, the effect of APS on diabetic nephropathy (DN) is unclear. METHODS: Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression profiles in kidney samples from control, db/db, and APS-treated db/db mice were evaluated using RNA high-throughput sequencing techniques. Additionally, rat renal tubular epithelial (NRK-52E) cells were cultured in high glucose (HG) media. We inhibited the expression of Gm41268 and prolactin receptor (PRLR) by transfecting NRK-52E cells with Gm41268-targeting antisense oligonucleotides and PRLR siRNA. RESULTS: We found that APS treatment reduced 24-h urinary protein levels and fasting blood glucose and improved glucose intolerance and pathological renal damage in db/db mice. Furthermore, APS treatment enhanced autophagy and alleviated fibrosis in the db/db mice. We identified a novel lncRNA, Gm41268, which was differentially expressed in the three groups, and the cis-regulatory target gene PRLR. APS treatment induced autophagy by reducing p62 and p-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) protein levels and increasing the LC3 II/I ratio. Furthermore, APS alleviated fibrosis by downregulating fibronectin (FN), transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß), and collagen IV levels. In addition, APS reversed the HG-induced overexpression of Gm41268 and PRLR. Reduction of Gm41268 decreased PRLR expression, restored autophagy, and ameliorated renal fibrosis in vitro. Inhibition of PRLR could enhance the protective effect of APS. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, we demonstrated that the therapeutic effect of APS on DN is mediated via the Gm41268/PRLR pathway. This information contributes to the exploration of bioactive constituents in Chinese herbs as potential treatments for DN.

Prognostic analyses of genes associated with anoikis in breast cancer.

Breast cancer (BRCA) is the most diagnosed cancer worldwide and is responsible for the highest cancer-associated mortality among women. It is evident that anoikis resistance contributes to tumour cell metastasis, and this is the primary cause of treatment failure for BRCA. However, anoikis-related gene (ARG) expression profiles and their prognostic value in BRCA remain unclear. In this study, a prognostic model of ARGs based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was established using a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analysis to evaluate the prognostic value of ARGs in BRCA. The risk factor graph demonstrated that the low-risk group had longer survival than the high-risk group, implying that the prognostic model had a good performance. We identified 11 ARGs that exhibited differential expression between the two risk groups in TCGA and Gene Expression Omnibus databases. Through Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses, we revealed that the screened ARGs were associated with tumour progression and metastasis. In addition, a protein-protein interaction network showed potential interactions among these ARGs. Furthermore, gene set enrichment analysis suggested that the Notch and Wnt signalling pathways were overexpressed in the high-risk group, and gene set variation analysis revealed that 38 hallmark genes differed between the two groups. Moreover, Kaplan-Meier survival curves and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to identify five ARGs (CD24, KRT15, MIA, NDRG1, TP63), and quantitative polymerase chain reaction was employed to assess the differential expression of these ARGs. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were then performed for the key ARGs, with the best prediction of 3 year survival. In conclusion, ARGs might play a crucial role in tumour progression and serve as indicators of prognosis in BRCA.

Kaempferol induces mitochondrial dysfunction and mitophagy by activating the LKB1/AMPK/MFF pathway in breast precancerous lesions.

Kaempferol has been suggested to be an effective anticancer agent in several malignant tumors. However, its function and mechanisms in breast precancerous lesions remain largely elusive. Here, we showed that kaempferol induced excessive mitochondrial fission and mitochondrial damage with activated mitochondrial fission factor (MFF)-mediated dynamin-related protein (DRP) 1 mitochondrial translocation. As a result, the PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1)/Parkin signaling pathway was activated, accompanied by excessive mitophagy and reduced mitochondrial mass in cells. We also revealed that kaempferol-induced lethal mitophagy contributed to inhibiting breast precancerous lesion growth in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we verified serine/threonine kinase 11 (STK11/LKB1)/AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway deficiency in breast precancerous lesions. Moreover, LKB1/AMPK pathway reactivation by kaempferol was required for excessive mitochondrial fission and lethal mitophagy. Taken together, our findings shed new light on the molecular mechanisms related to breast cancer prevention by kaempferol and provide evidence for its potential clinical application.

miR-29c Inhibits Renal Interstitial Fibrotic Proliferative Properties through PI3K-AKT Pathway.

Renal fibrosis, in particular tubulointerstitial fibrosis, which is characterized by an increased extracellular matrix (ECM) formation and development in the interstitium, is the common end pathway for nearly all progressive kidney disorders. One of the sources for this matrix is the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) from the tabular epithelium. The driving force behind it is some profibrotic growth factors such as transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) which is responsible for the formation of collagen in renal fibrosis. miR-29c, which is an antifibrotic microRNA, downregulates renal interstitial fibrosis by downregulating the TGF-ß and collagen. However, it is not known whether miR-29c mediates the TGF-ß1-driven PI3K-Akt pathway and Col-1 triggering within NRK-52E cultures. The main objective of this investigation was to examine the influence of miR-29c on the downregulation of the TGF-ß1-driven PI3K-Akt pathway and Col-1 triggering in NRK-52E cultures. This study revealed that miR-29c inhibited TGF-ß1 expression in NRK-52E cell cultures. Overexpression of miR-29c significantly inhibits NRK-52E culture proliferation mediated by TGF-ß1. miR-29c inhibited the expression of Col-1 and decreased PI3K/Akt phosphorylation. These findings revealed a novel mechanism by which miR29c inhibits the proliferation of renal interstitial fibrotic cultures by downregulating the PI3k-Akt pathway, which is controlled by TGF-ß1.

ß-Boswellic Acid Suppresses Breast Precancerous Lesions via GLUT1 Targeting-Mediated Glycolysis Inhibition and AMPK Pathway Activation.

Breast carcinoma is a multistep progressive disease. Precancerous prevention seems to be crucial. ß-Boswellic acid (ß-BA), the main component of the folk medicine Boswellia serrata (B. serrata), has been reported to be effective in various diseases including tumors. In this work, we demonstrated that ß-BA could inhibit breast precancerous lesions in rat disease models. Consistently, ß-BA could suppress proliferation and induce apoptosis on MCF-10AT without significantly influencing MCF-10A. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis suggested that ß-BA may interfere with the metabolic pathway. Metabolism-related assays showed that ß-BA suppressed glycolysis and reduced ATP production, which then activated the AMPK pathway and inhibited the mTOR pathway to limit MCF-10AT proliferation. Further molecular docking analysis suggested that GLUT1 might be the target of ß-BA. Forced expression of GLUT1 could rescue the glycolysis suppression and survival limitation induced by ß-BA on MCF-10AT. Taken together, ß-BA could relieve precancerous lesions in vivo and in vitro through GLUT1 targeting-induced glycolysis suppression and AMPK/mTOR pathway alterations. Here, we offered a molecular basis for ß-BA to be developed as a promising drug candidate for the prevention of breast precancerous lesions.

The Chinese Herbal Formula Ruyan Neixiao Cream Inhibits Angiogenesis of Precancerous Breast Lesions via Regulation of Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK Signaling Pathway.

Ruyan Neixiao Cream (RUc) is a traditional Chinese herbal formula which can effectively inhibit the angiogenesis of breast precancerous lesions. In order to reveal the specific mechanism, we carried out experiments in vitro and in vivo. We found that the conditioned medium of MCF-10AT cells treated with RUc transdermal solution (RUt) could significantly inhibit the proliferation, migration, invasion, tube formation of HUVECs and the capillary formation of rat aortic rings. RUt may down-regulate the expression of VEGF, MMP2, and MMP9 in MCF-10AT medium by down-regulating miR-21 and up-regulating TIMP-3 and RECK. We further confirmed in rats that the microvascular density of precancerous lesions decreased significantly after external use of RUc, which may be related to the inhibition of Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway related proteins. Presumptively, RUc may inhibit the angiogenesis of breast precancerous lesions by inhibiting Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway, thus relieving the inhibition of miR-21 on TIMP-3 and RECK, then down-regulating the secretion of angiogenic factors.

To explore immune synergistic function of Quercetin in inhibiting breast cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: The precancerous disease of breast cancer is an inevitable stage in the tumorigenesis and development of breast neoplasms. Quercetin (Que) has shown great potential in breast cancer treatment by inhibiting cell proliferation and regulating T cell function. γδ T cells are a class of nontraditional T cells that have long attracted attention due to their potential in immunotherapy. In this study, we revealed the immunomodulatory function of Que through regulation of the JAK/STAT1 signaling pathway, which was followed by the synergistic killing of breast cancer cells. METHODS: In the experimental design, we first screened target genes with or without Que treatment, and we intersected the Que target with the disease target by functional enrichment analysis. Second, MCF-10A, MCF-10AT, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines were treated with Que for 0 h, 24 h and 48 h. Then, we observed the expression of its subsets by coculturing Que and γδ T cells and coculturing Que and γδ T cells with breast tumor cells to investigate their synergistic killing effect on tumor cells. Finally, Western blotting was used to reveal the changes in proteins related to the JAK/STAT1 signaling pathway after Que treatment in MCF-10AT and MCF-7 cells for 48 h. RESULTS: The pathway affected by Que treatment was the JAK/STAT1 signaling pathway and was associated with precancerous breast cancer, as shown by network pharmacology analysis. Que induced apoptosis of MCF-10AT, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner (P < 0.05). Most importantly, Que promoted the differentiation of γδ T cells into the Vδ2 T cell subpopulation. The best ratio of effector cells to target cells (E/T) was 10:1, the killing percentages of γδ T cells against MCF-10A, MCF-10AT, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231 were 61.44 ± 4.70, 55.52 ± 3.10, 53.94 ± 2.74, and 53.28 ± 1.73 (P = 0.114, P = 0.486, and P = 0.343, respectively), and the strongest killing effect on precancerous breast cancer cells and breast cancer cells was found when the Que concentration was 5 µM and the E/T ratio was 10:1 (64.94 ± 3.61, 64.96 ± 5.45, 55.59 ± 5.98, and 59.04 ± 5.67, respectively). In addition, our results showed that Que increased the protein levels of IFNγ-R, p-JAK2 and p-STAT1 while decreasing the protein levels of PD-L1 (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, Que plays a synergistic role in killing breast cancer cells and promoting apoptosis by regulating the expression of IFNγ-R, p-JAK2, p-STAT1 and PD-L1 in the JAK/STAT1 signaling pathway and promoting the regulation of γδ T cells. Que may be a potential drug for the prevention of precancerous breast cancer and adjuvant treatment of breast cancer.

Prospects of Immunotherapy for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

In the classification and typing of breast cancer, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one type of refractory breast cancer, while chemotherapy stays in the traditional treatment methods. However, the impact of chemotherapy is short-lived and may lead to recurrence due to incomplete killing of tumor cells. The occurrence, development, and relapse of breast cancer are relevant to T cell dysfunction, multiplied expression of related immune checkpoint molecules (ICIs) such as programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1), programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1), and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) produce immunosuppressive effect. Immunotherapy (namely, immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive cellular immunotherapy, CAR-T immunotherapy and some potential treatments) provides new hope in TNBC. This review focuses on the new immune strategies of TNBC patients.

Acetyl-11-keto-ß-boswellic Acid Inhibits Precancerous Breast Lesion MCF-10AT Cells via Regulation of LINC00707/miR-206 that Reduces Estrogen Receptor-α.

PURPOSE: Acetyl-11-keto-ß-boswellic acid (AKBA) has therapeutic effects on a range of diseases, including tumours. lncRNAs, as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs), can interact with miRNAs to regulate the expression of target genes, which can affect the development of tumors. Here, we examined the effects of AKBA on breast precancerous lesions MCF-10AT cells. METHODS: The expression profiles of breast cancer (BC) tissue were collated from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network was constructed. AKBA targets were predicted by network pharmacology. The expression of long intergenic nonprotein-coding RNA 707 (LINC00707), miR-206 and ER-α was determined by qRT-PCR. Cell viability, apoptosis and cycle were assessed by CCK-8 and flow cytometry. Protein levels were measured by Western blotting. RESULTS: A total of 3205 differentially expressed mRNAs, 104 miRNAs, and 605 lncRNAs were identified. The ceRNA network consisting of 9 lncRNAs, 15 miRNAs and 82 mRNAs was constructed. We found that LINC00707 was up-regulated and miR-206 was down-regulated in MCF-10AT cells. Transfected si-LINC00707 could inhibit cell proliferation, induce cell apoptosis and cycle arrest of MCF-10AT cells. In addition, network pharmacology predicted that AKBA may regulate the ESR1 in the treatment of BC. Our research demonstrated that AKBA could induce cell apoptosis and G1-phase arrest and inhibit ER-α expression via LINC00707/miR-206 in MCF-10AT cells. CONCLUSION: AKBA inhibited MCF-10AT cells via regulation of LINC00707/miR-206 that reduces ER-α.

Aloe-Emodin Induces Breast Tumor Cell Apoptosis through Upregulation of miR-15a/miR-16-1 That Suppresses BCL2.

PURPOSE: Aloe-emodin (AE) is a natural compound derived from aloe vera and palmatum rhubarb and shows anticancer activities in various cancers. Bcl-2 family is the main regulator of cell death or cell survival. This study describes the effects of AE on proliferation of breast tumor (BT) cells. METHODS: MCF-10A, MCF-10AT, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231 cell lines were exposed to AE. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were assessed by CCK-8 and flow cytometry. Protein levels were measured by Western blotting. The levels of mRNA and miRNA were examined by RT-PCR. Bioinformatics was applied to screen miRNAs that bind to 3'-UTR of mRNA. RESULTS: The results showed that AE selective activity inhibited the proliferation and induced apoptosis of MCF-10AT and MCF-7 cells but exhibited no significant inhibition in MCF10A and MDA-MB-231 cells. Mechanistically, AE dose-dependently decreased the protein expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl, while it increased Bax protein expression in MCF-10AT and MCF-7 cells. The levels of Bcl-xl and Bax mRNA were altered by AE treatment, which was consistent with the protein expression results. However, Bcl-2 mRNA levels were not affected in either cell line, suggesting that AE may modulate the protein translation of Bcl-2 through miRNAs. In all candidate miRNAs that bind to 3'-UTR of Bcl-2, miR-15a and miR-16-1 were dose-dependently downregulated by AE. Moreover, inhibition of miR-15a/16-1 could eliminate the inhibition of MCF-10AT and MCF-7 cells growth by AE and could reverse the downregulation of AE-induced Bcl-2 protein level. CONCLUSION: Our research provides an important basis that AE induces BT cell apoptosis through upregulation of miR-15a/miR-16-1 that suppresses BCL2.

Therapeutic Efficiency of an External Chinese Herbal Formula of Mammary Precancerous Lesions by BATMAN-TCM Online Bioinformatics Analysis Tool and Experimental Validation.

Ruyan Neixiao Cream (RYNXC), a patented Chinese herbal formula, was reported to have the effect of treating mammary precancerous disease. In this study, we predicted the potential targets, pathways, and diseases of the ingredients contained in each herbal of RYNXC and constructed an ingredients-targets-diseases network. Then, we analyzed molecular mechanisms of this Chinese herbal formula by MCF-10AT cells and model rats of breast precancerous lesions. BATMAN-TCM prediction showed that ESR1, PGR, PTGS2, EGFR, and Src were mRNA targets of RYNXC. Our results suggested that RYNXC transdermal fluid downregulated ESR1, PGR, PTGS2, EGFR, and Src expression at gene and protein level in MCF-10AT cells. In the rat breast precancerous lesions model, high and low dose RYNXC could also significantly reduce genes and proteins expression of ESR1, PGR, PTGS2, EGFR, and Src. Taken together these data indicate that RYNXC targets multiple molecules responsible for breast precancerous lesion and is an effective Chinese herbal formula. So RYNXC may be a promising external drug for breast precancerous lesions.

Eugenol inhibits oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid oxidation via downregulation of c-Myc/PGC-1ß/ERRα signaling pathway in MCF10A-ras cells.

Alteration in cellular energy metabolism plays a critical role in the development and progression of cancer. Targeting metabolic pathways for cancer treatment has been investigated as potential preventive or therapeutic methods. Eugenol (Eu), a major volatile constituent of clove essential oil mainly obtained from Syzygium, has been reported as a potential chemopreventive drug. However, the mechanism by which Eu regulates cellular energy metabolism is still not well defined. This study was designed to determine the effect of Eu on cellular energy metabolism during early cancer progression employing untransformed and H-ras oncogene transfected MCF10A human breast epithelial cells. Eu showed dose-dependent selective cytotoxicity toward MCF10A-ras cells but exhibited no apparent cytotoxicity in MCF10A cells. Treatment with Eu also significantly reduced intracellular ATP levels in MCF10A-ras cells but not in MCF10A cells. This effect was mediated mainly through inhibiting oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complexs and the expression of fatty acid oxidation (FAO) proteins including PPARα, MCAD and CPT1C by downregulating c-Myc/PGC-1ß/ERRα pathway and decreasing oxidative stress in MCF10A-ras cells. These results indicate a novel mechanism involving the regulation of cellular energy metabolism by which Eu may prevent breast cancer progression.

Eugenol alleviated breast precancerous lesions through HER2/PI3K-AKT pathway-induced cell apoptosis and S-phase arrest.

Eugenol can be separated from the oil extract of clove bud, and has many pharmacological functions such as anticancer and transdermal absorption. HER2/PI3K-AKT is a key signaling pathway in the development of breast cancer. In this study, 80 µM eugenol could significantly inhibit the proliferation of HER-2 positive MCF-10AT cells and the inhibition rate was up to 32.8%, but had no obvious inhibitory effect on MCF-7 and MCF-10A cells with HER2 weak expression. Eugenol also significantly induced human breast precancerous lesion MCF-10AT cell apoptosis and cell cycle S-phase arrest, but the biological effects nearly disappeared after HER2 over-expression through transfecting pcDNA3.1-HER2. In MCF-10AT cells treated by 180 µM eugenol, the protein expressions of HER2, AKT, PDK1, p85, Bcl2, NF-κB, Bad and Cyclin D1 were decreased and the decreased rates were respectively 63.0%, 60.0%, 52.9%, 62.9%, 37.1%, 47.2%, 61.7%, 59.1%, while the p21, p27 and Bax expression were increased by 4.48-, 4.76- and 2.57-fold respectively. In the rat models of breast precancerous lesion, 1 mg eugenol for external use significantly inhibited the progress of breast precancerous lesion and the occurrence rate of breast precancerous lesions and invasive carcinomas was decreased by about 30.5%. Furthermore eugenol for external (1 mg) markedly decreased the protein expressions of HER2 (62.9%), AKT (58.6%), PDK1 (56.4%), p85 (54.3%), Bcl2 (59.3%), NF-κB (65.7%), Bad (64.0%), Cyclin D1 (43.0%), while p21, p27 and Bax protein expressions were respectively increased 1.83-, 2.52- and 2.51-fold. The results showed eugenol could significantly inhibit the development of breast precancerous lesions by blocking HER2/PI3K-AKT signaling network. So eugenol may be a promising external drug for breast precancerous lesions.

Shenqi Fuzheng Injection Combined with Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Purpose. To evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness and safety of shenqi fuzheng injection (SFI) in the associated chemotherapy of breast cancer. Methods. 1247 subjects were included in this study for meta-analysis with RevMan 5.3. Results. The clinical curative effective rate (OR = 2.03, 95% Cl [1.44, 2.86], P < 0.0001), grades of KPS (OR = 4.11, 95% Cl [2.74, 6.16], P < 0.00001), CD3(+) cells (MD = 7.05, 95% Cl [0.45, 13.64], P = 0.04) and CD4(+) cells (MD = 8.60, 95% Cl [2.67, 14.54], P = 0.004) and CD4/CD8(+) cells (MD = 0.35, 95% Cl [0.14, 0.56], P = 0.001), WBC (OR = 0.30, 95% Cl [0.20, 0.46], P ≤ 0.0001), PLT (OR = 0.36, 95% Cl [0.20, 0.67], P = 0.001), gastrointestinal reaction (OR = 0.21, 95% Cl [0.14, 0.32], P < 0.00001), and ECG (OR = 0.26, 95% Cl [0.13, 0.51], P < 0.0001) in the experimental group were superior to the control group. While there were no differences between two groups in CD8(+) (MD = 0.21, 95% Cl [-2.81, 3.23], P = 0.89), NK(+) (MD = 1.06, 95% Cl [-9.40, 11.53], P = 0.84), RBC (OR = 0.49, 95% Cl [0.14, 1.74], P = 0.27), liver function (OR = 0.59, 95% Cl [0.28, 1.24], P = 0.16), renal function (OR = 0.56, 95% Cl [0.13, 2.45], P = 0.44), and bone marrow suppression (OR = 0.50, 95% Cl [0.25, 1.01], P = 0.05). Conclusion. SFI combined with chemotherapy, to some extent, can improve the effectiveness and the security in the treatment of breast cancer; the mechanism may be related to the elevated immunity.