Role of miR-490-3p in blocking bladder cancer growth through targeting the RNA-binding protein PCBP2.

MiR-490-3p is regarded as a tumor suppressor in many cancers, but whether miR-490-3p is involved in the development of bladder cancer remains unknown. BALB/c nude mice (male, 15-20 g) were used to investigate the role of MiR-490-3p in bladder cancer. The relationship between miR-490-3p and PCBP2 involved in bladder cancer regulation were determined. Cell viability, proliferation, and cell cycle were estimated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) detection, and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. In animal experiments, lentivirus was transfected into bladder cancer cells to overexpress miR-490-3p, which were then injected into mice and the change of tumor volume was assessed. Principal findings: The expression of MiR-490-3p was decreased in bladder cancer cells. Overexpression of miR-490-3p inhibited bladder cancer cell viability and proliferation. Moreover, overexpression of miR-490-3p caused cell cycle arrest in bladder cancer cells. The inhibitory effect of miR-490-3p on bladder cancer cells growth could be counteracted by enhancing PCBP2 expression. In vivo, bladder cancer growth in mice was blocked by miR-490-3p upregulation. MiR-490-3p suppressed bladder cancer growth and bladder cancer cell proliferation by down-regulating PCBP2 expression.

Surgical Treatment and Outcomes for Sinonasal and Skull Base Phosphaturic Mesenchymal Tumors.

OBJECTIVE: To describe our clinical experience with surgical treatments for sinonasal phosphaturic mesenchymal tumors diagnosed at our institution. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series. SETTING: Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 10 patients diagnosed with phosphaturic mesenchymal tumors associated with tumor-induced osteomalacia between December 2014 and October 2019. RESULTS: There were 4 men and 6 women with a disease course of 1 to 19 years. All patients exhibited hypophosphatemia and tumor-induced osteomalacia. The tumor was located in the sinonasal region, frontal bone, and temporal bone in 8 patients, 1 patient, and 1 patient, respectively. Technetium-99m octreotide scintigraphy was used for tumor localization in 4 cases. Six patients underwent endoscopic resection; the remaining 4 underwent unilateral transorbital anterior and posterior ethmoid artery ligation + endoscopic resection, endoscopic resection + skull base repair, internal carotid artery stenting + transcatheter arterial embolization + temporal bone tumor excision + adipose tissue plugging, and endoscopic resection + transfrontal craniotomy (n = 1 each). Two patients had a history of incomplete endoscopic resection. All patients achieved clinical remission and normalized biochemical indices after surgery. Only 1 patient developed recurrence and died of a brain hernia. CONCLUSIONS: A diagnosis of sinonasal phosphaturic mesenchymal tumors should be based on a combination of clinical, imaging, and pathological findings. Technetium-99m octreotide scintigraphy helps in locating the tumor. Complete surgical excision guarantees clinical remission, and preoperative transcatheter arterial embolization or feeding artery ligation may reduce intraoperative bleeding in cases of highly vascularized tumors.

Ca2+-dependent recruitment of voltage-gated sodium channels underlies bilirubin-induced overexcitation and neurotoxicity.

Neonatal jaundice is prevalent among newborns and can lead to severe neurological deficits, particularly sensorimotor dysfunction. Previous studies have shown that bilirubin (BIL) enhances the intrinsic excitability of central neurons and this can potentially contribute to their overexcitation, Ca2+ overload, and neurotoxicity. However, the cellular mechanisms underlying elevated neuronal excitability remain unknown. By performing patch-clamp recordings from neonatal neurons in the rat medial vestibular nucleus (MVN), a crucial relay station for locomotor and balance control, we found that BIL (3 µM) drastically increases the spontaneous firing rates by upregulating the current-mediated voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs), while shifting their voltage-dependent activation toward more hyperpolarized potentials. Immunofluorescence labeling and western immunoblotting with an anti-NaV1.1 antibody, revealed that BIL elevates the expression of VGSCs by promoting their recruitment to the membrane. Furthermore, we found that this VGSC-trafficking process is Ca2+ dependent because preloading MVN neurons with the Ca2+ buffer BAPTA-AM, or exocytosis inhibitor TAT-NSF700, prevents the effects of BIL, indicating the upregulated activity and density of functional VGSCs as the core mechanism accountable for the BIL-induced overexcitation of neonatal neurons. Most importantly, rectification of such overexcitation with a low dose of VGSC blocker lidocaine significantly attenuates BIL-induced cell death. We suggest that this enhancement of VGSC currents directly contributes to the vulnerability of neonatal brain to hyperbilirubinemia, implicating the activity and trafficking of NaV1.1 channels as a potential target for neuroprotection in cases of severe jaundice.

Pro-inflammatory role of transient receptor potential canonical channel 6 in the pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) has not been fully elucidated. This study sought to explore the role and mechanism of transient receptor potential canonical channel 6 (TRPC6) in the pathogenesis of CRSwNP. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was employed to evaluate TRPC6 immunolabeling. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was conducted to assay TRPC6, stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1), and calcium release-activated calcium channel protein 1 (Orai1) messenger RNA (mRNA) levels in 70 patients with CRSwNP, including eosinophilic CRSwNP (ECRSwNP) or non-eosinophilic CRSwNP (nECRSwNP), and 28 control subjects. The concentrations of inflammatory mediators, including interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-5, and IL-25, were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In experiments on human nasal epithelial cell (HNEC) culture and stimulation, the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of intracellular Ca2+ was assayed by flow cytometry. Western blotting, real-time PCR, and ELISA were also conducted to assess the effects and mechanisms of TRPC6 activator 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-glycerol (OAG) and TRPC6 inhibitor 1-[2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-[3-(4-methoxyphenyl) propoxy]ethyl-1H-imidazole (SKF-96365) on HNECs. RESULTS: Upregulation of TRPC6, STIM1, and Orai1 levels was found in CRSwNP patients, particularly in those with ECRSwNP. TRPC6-positive cells correlated positively with the numbers of eosinophils and neutrophils, respectively. Moreover, TRPC6 mRNA was positively correlated with STIM1 and Orai1 mRNA levels. The concentrations of inflammatory mediators, including IL-1ß, IL-5, and IL-25, were elevated in CRSwNP, especially in ECRSwNP. In cultured HNECs, TRPC6, STIM1, Orai1, Ca2+ MFI levels, and inflammatory mediators were upregulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and OAG but were inhibited by SKF-96365. CONCLUSION: TRPC6 plays a pro-inflammatory role in the pathogenesis of CRSwNP via regulating Ca2+ flow.

Tea Consumption is Associated with Increased Risk of Kidney Stones in Northern Chinese: A Cross-sectional Study.

Kidney stones are a common urinary system condition that can progress to kidney disease. Previous studies on the association between tea consumption and kidney stones are inconsistent. A cross-sectional study to investigate the association between tea consumption and kidney stones was conducted from 2013 to 2014 and recruited 9,078 northern Chinese adults. A total of 8,807 participants were included in the final analysis. Participants' prevalence of kidney stones was 1.07%, 1.73%, and 2.25% based on their tea consumption frequency of never, occasionally, and often groups, respectively. Compared with the 'never' group, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for the occurrence of kidney stones were 1.57 (1.00-2.46) and 1.65 (1.06-2.57) in the 'occasionally' and 'often' groups, respectively. After adjusting for sex, age, and other potential confounding factors, tea consumption still significantly increased the risk of kidney stones. Tea consumption is independently associated with an increased risk of kidney stones in the investigated population, suggesting that a decrease in the consumption of tea may be a preventive strategy for kidney stones.

The effect of bilirubin on the excitability of mitral cells in the olfactory bulb of the rat.

Olfactory dysfunction is a common clinical phenomenon observed in various liver diseases. Previous studies have shown a correlation between smell disorders and bilirubin levels in patients with hepatic diseases. Bilirubin is a well-known neurotoxin; however, its effect on neurons in the main olfactory bulb (MOB), the first relay in the olfactory system, has not been examined. We investigated the effect of bilirubin (>3 µM) on mitral cells (MCs), the principal output neurons of the MOB. Bilirubin increased the frequency of spontaneous firing and the frequency but not the amplitude of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs). TTX completely blocked sEPSCs in almost all of the cells tested. Bilirubin activity was partially blocked by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepro pionic acid (AMPA) receptor antagonists. Furthermore, we found that bilirubin increased the frequency of intrinsic firing independent of synaptic transmission in MCs. Our findings suggest that bilirubin enhances glutamatergic transmission and strengthens intrinsic firing independent of synaptic transmission, all of which cause hyperexcitability in MCs. Our findings provide the basis for further investigation into the mechanisms underlying olfactory dysfunction that are often observed in patients with severe liver disease.

Mechanisms underlying taurine protection against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity.

Taurine appears to exert potent protections against glutamate (Glu)-induced injury to neurons, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. The possibly protected targets consist of the plasma membrane and the mitochondrial as well as endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes. Protection may be provided through a variety of effects, including the prevention of membrane depolarization, neuronal excitotoxicity and mitochondrial energy failure, increases in intracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]i), activation of calpain, and reduction of Bcl-2 levels. These activities are likely to be linked spatially and temporally in the neuroprotective functions of taurine. In addition, events that occur downstream of Glu stimulation, including altered enzymatic activities, apoptotic pathways, and necrosis triggered by the increased [Ca2+]i, can be inhibited by taurine. This review discusses the possible molecular mechanisms of taurine against Glu-induced neuronal injury, providing a better understanding of the protective processes, which might be helpful in the development of novel interventional strategies.

Taurine attenuates bilirubin-induced neurotoxicity in the auditory system in neonatal guinea pigs.

OBJECTIVES: Previous work showed that taurine protects neurons against unconjugated bilirubin (UCB)-induced neurotoxicity by maintaining intracellular calcium homeostasis, membrane integrity, and mitochondrial function, thereby preventing apoptosis from occurring, in primary neuron cultures. In this study, we investigated whether taurine could protect the auditory system against the neurotoxicity associated with hyperbilirubinemia in an in vivo model. METHODS: Hyperbilirubinemia was established in neonatal guinea pigs by intraperitoneal injection of UCB. Hearing function was observed in electrocochleograms (ECochGs) and auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) recorded before and 1, 8, 24, and 72 h after UCB injection. For morphological evaluations, animals were sacrificed at 8h post-injection, and the afferent terminals beneath the inner hair cells (IHCs), spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs), and their fibers were examined. RESULTS: It was found that UCB injection significantly increased latencies and inter-wave intervals, and thresholds of ABR and compound action potentials, and caused marked damage to type I SGNs, their axons, and terminals to cochlear IHCs. When baby guinea pigs were pretreated with taurine for 5 consecutive days and then injected with bilirubin, electrophysiological abnormalities and morphological damage were attenuated significantly in both the peripheral and central auditory system. CONCLUSIONS: From these observations, it was concluded that taurine limited bilirubin-induced neural damage in the auditory system. These findings may contribute to the development of taurine as a broad-spectrum agent for preventing and/or treating hearing loss in neonatal jaundice.

Bilirubin induces auditory neuropathy in neonatal guinea pigs via auditory nerve fiber damage.

Bilirubin can cause temporary or permanent sensorineural deafness in newborn babies with hyperbilirubinemia. However, the underlying targets and physiological effects of bilirubin-induced damage in the peripheral auditory system are unclear. Using cochlear functional assays and electron microscopy imaging of the inner ear in neonatal guinea pigs, we show here that bilirubin exposure resulted in threshold elevation in both compound action potential (CAP) and auditory brainstem response (ABR), which was apparent at 1 hr and peaked 8 hr after drug administration. The threshold elevation was associated with delayed wave latencies and elongated interwave intervals in ABR and CAP. At 72 hr postinjection, these measures returned to control levels, except for the CAP amplitude. Cochlear microphonics remained unchanged during the experiment. Morphological abnormalities were consistent with the electrophysiological dysfunction, revealing fewer auditory nerve fibers (ANFs) in the basal turn, myelin sheath lesions of spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) and ANFs, and loss of type 1 afferent endings beneath inner hair cells (IHCs) without loss of hair cells at 8 hr posttreatment. Similar to the electrophysiological findings, morphological changes were mostly reversed 10 days after treatment, except for the ANF reduction in the basal turn. These results suggest that hyperbilirubinemia in neonatal guinea pigs impaired auditory peripheral neuromechanisms that targeted mainly the IHC synapses and the myelin sheath of SGNs and their fibers. Our observations indicate a potential connection between hyperbilirubinemia and auditory neuropathy.

Minocycline cannot protect neurons against bilirubin-induced hyperexcitation in the ventral cochlear nucleus.

Excitotoxicity has been suggested to play an important role in many central nervous system diseases, particularly in bilirubin encephalopathy. Minocycline treatment has been proposed to be one of the most promising potential therapies for excitotoxicity-induced neurological disorders. However, some key questions, such as the electrophysiological effect of minocycline on neuronal excitability and hyperexcitation in pathological conditions, require clarification. In this study, using patch-clamp techniques, we showed that bilirubin increased the frequency of both spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) and neuronal firing in isolated ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN) neurons at postnatal days 11-14 (P11-14) in rats but it did not affect the amplitude of sEPSCs or glutamate-activated (I(Glu)) currents. However, minocycline had no effect on sEPSC frequency or I(Glu) amplitude. Furthermore, minocycline pretreatment did not abolish bilirubin-induced sEPSC potentiation or neuron firing. These data suggest that minocycline does not affect excitatory synaptic transmission or hyperexcitation induced by bilirubin in VCN neurons. From these results, we propose that the neuroprotective efficacy of minocycline, if it can protect neurons against neurotoxicity induced by substances like bilirubin, is mediated by either an alternative mechanism or downstream events post neuronal hyperexcitation. Certainly, additional investigation of the neuroprotective effects of minocycline is required before embarking on further clinical trials.

Bilirubin facilitates depolarizing GABA/glycinergic synaptic transmission in the ventral cochlear nucleus of rats.

Excitotoxicity contributes to bilirubin-induced central nervous system injury; however, the mechanisms involved remain controversial. Previous studies from our lab have demonstrated that in juvenile rats bilirubin facilitates γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)/glycinergic synaptic transmission through activation of presynaptic protein kinase A (PKA) in isolated neurons of the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN). However, the descending mechanism and physiological effects of bilirubin-induced potentiation remain unclear. Here, whole-cell recordings show that 3×10(-6) M bilirubin increased the frequency of both spontaneous (sPSCs) and miniature (mPSCs) GABA/glycinergic postsynaptic currents in VCN neurons of postnatal day 12-14 (P12-14) rats. This action was dependent on the concentration and duration of exposure to bilirubin and was only partially suppressed by 10(-5) M bicuculline. The potentiation effect on mPSCs persisted in a Ca2+-free solution, but was fully occluded by pretreatment with 1,2 bis-(2-aminophenoxy) ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid acetoxymethyl ester (BAPTA-AM), an intracellular Ca2+ chelator. Following pretreatment of the neurons with BAPTA-AM, forskolin, a PKA activator, had no effect on the frequency or amplitude of mPSCs. This suggests that Ca2+ release from presynaptic stores is part of the descending pathway of PKA activation and is responsible for biliurbin-induced potentiation of cell activity. Using gramicidin-perforated patch recordings, the reversal potential of GABA-evoked currents (EGABA) was also investigated. The GABA response resulted in depolarization of 12 of 20 recorded VCN neurons from P12-14 rats. Therefore, potentiation of depolarizing GABA/glycinergic transmission by bilirubin may underlie bilirubin excitotoxicity, which may play a role in the hearing impairment observed among hyperbilirubinemic neonates.

Protein kinase A and C signaling induces bilirubin potentiation of GABA/glycinergic synaptic transmission in rat ventral cochlear nucleus neurons.

Previous studies have suggested that bilirubin can potentiate GABA/glycinergic synaptic transmission in lateral superior olivary nucleus neurons, but the cellular mechanism has not been defined. The present study evaluated the possible roles of protein kinase A (PKA) and C (PKC) in bilirubin potentiation of GABA/glycinergic synaptic transmission in rat ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN) neurons. VCN neurons were acutely isolated from postnatal 10-12-day-old (P10-12) rats and were voltage-clamped in whole-cell mode. Miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSC) frequencies, but not amplitude, were increased by bilirubin. Forskolin (PKA activator) and H-89 (PKA inhibitor) also individually increased mIPSCs frequency, with an additional increase induced by co-incubation with bilirubin and H-89. Pretreatment with forskolin blocked bilirubin potentiation. mIPSC frequency was not altered by phorbol 12,13-diacetate (PKC activator), but mIPSC frequency was increased following co-application of bilirubin. The mIPSC frequency was increased by chelerythrine (PKC inhibitor), and then further increased after the addition of bilirubin. Neither H-89, forskolin, nor PDA, nor their co-application with bilirubin affected mIPSC amplitudes of GABA-activated (I(GABA))/glycine-activated (I(gly)) currents, suggesting a presynaptic locus of activity. Chelerythrine decreased the mIPSC amplitudes and I(GABA)/I(gly), suggesting a postsynaptic locus of activity. These data suggest that both PKA and PKC can modulate GABA and glycine release in rat VCN neurons. Bilirubin facilitates transmitter release via presynaptic PKA activation, which might provide insight into the cellular mechanism underlying bilirubin-induced hearing dysfunction.

Pb uptake, accumulation, subcellular distribution in a Pb-accumulating ecotype of Sedum alfredii (Hance).

Lead concentrations in roots, stems and leaves of accumulating and non accumulating ecotypes of Sedum alfredii (Hance) were studied through a hydroponic experiment with different Pb concentrations supplied as Pb(NO(3))(2). Lead concentrations in leaves and stems of the accumulating ecotype were 4 - 9 times and 3 - 5 times those of the non-accumulating ecotype, and Pb accumulated amounts in stems and leaves of the accumulating ecotype were 4 - 9 times and 8 - 11 times higher than those of the non-accumulating ecotype, respectively. The results indicated that the accumulating ecotype had better ability to transport Pb from roots to shoots. The subcellular distributions of Pb in the root, stem and leaf tissues were studied using sucrose differential centrifugation. Approximately 50% of Pb contents was found to be associated with the cell wall fraction in stems of the accumulating ecotype and the percentage increased to 80% both in roots and leaves, no matter when plants were grown with different levels of Pb. The results indicated that the distribution of Pb on cell walls of the accumulating ecotype could mainly account for the high tolerance to Pb.