Relationship between total plasma homocysteine and the risk of aneurysms - a meta-analysis.

Our meta-analysis focused on the relationship between homocysteine (Hcy) level and the incidence of aneurysms and looked at the relationship between smoking, hypertension and aneurysms. A systematic literature search of Pubmed, Web of Science, and Embase databases (up to March 31, 2020) resulted in the identification of 19 studies, including 2,629 aneurysm patients and 6,497 healthy participants. Combined analysis of the included studies showed that number of smoking, hypertension and hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) in aneurysm patients was higher than that in the control groups, and the total plasma Hcy level in aneurysm patients was also higher. These findings suggest that smoking, hypertension and HHcy may be risk factors for the development and progression of aneurysms. Although the heterogeneity of meta-analysis was significant, it was found that the heterogeneity might come from the difference between race and disease species through subgroup analysis. Large-scale randomized controlled studies of single species and single disease species are needed in the future to supplement the accuracy of the results.

PP2A alleviates oxidized LDL-induced endothelial dysfunction by regulating LOX-1/ROS/MAPK axis.

AIMS: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of PP2A on the progression of AS and the special molecular mechanism. MAIN METHODS: The expression of PP2A in Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) induced by different concentrations of Ox-LDL was measured by RT-PCR and Western blot. The binding activity of PP2A and LOX-1 was determined by CoIP assay. Western blot was used to measure the protein expression of VCAM-1, ICAM-1 and MCP-1. KEY FINDING: The results revealed that the expression of PP2A was decreased with the increase of Ox-LDL concentration in HUVECs. Overexpression of PP2A alleviated Ox-LDL-induced dysfunction and inflammatory response in HUVECs. The results of Co-immunoprecipitation (CoIP) showed that PP2A had direct effect on LOX-1, and PP2A inhibited the expression of LOX-1. In addition, overexpression of LOX-1 reversed the inhibitory effect of PP2A on Ox-LDL-induced dysfunction and inflammatory response in HUVECs. What is more, PP2A inhibited LOX-1/ROS/MAPK axis. SIGNIFICANCE: it suggests that PP2A alleviates Ox-LDL-induced dysfunction and inflammatory response of HUVECs potentially by regulating the LOX-1/ROS/MAPK axis，which suggests that PP2A has anti-inflammatory effect during the formation of as, and the molecular therapy of PP2A provides a theoretical basis.

5,10,15,20-Tetrakis(4-carboxylphenyl)porphyrin modified nickel-cobalt layer double hydroxide nanosheets as enhanced photoelectrocatalysts for methanol oxidation under visible-light.

The development of low-cost noble metal-free and high-active electrocatalysts for methanol electrooxidation is highly worthwhile but remains a challenge. In this paper, 5, 10, 15, 20-tetrakis(4-carboxylphenyl)porphyrin (H2TCPP) modified nickel-cobalt layer double hydroxides nanosheets (NiCo-LDH) were prepared by one-pot hydrothermal method and characterized by the powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), etc. H2TCPP/NiCo-LDH was demonstrated as superior a photoelectrocatalyst towards methanol oxidation in the alkaline media. Due to the introduction of H2TCPP photosensitizer, H2TCPP/NiCo-LDH exhibits the outstanding photoeletrocatalytic activity toward methanol oxidation under the visible-light irradiation. The great enhancement in the photoelectrocatalytic activity are attributed to high exposed surface active sites, efficient widen adsorption wavelength of H2TCPP in visible region, as well as efficient electron transfer between the electrode surface and the active sites. The H2TCPP/NiCo-LDH nanosheets show mass activity of 246.6 mA mg-1 and specific activity of 34.9 mA cm-2 for methanol oxidation under visible-light, which are 2.32 times higher than that of NiCo-LDH at the same conditions. The developing catalytic activity of H2TCPP/NiCo-LDH for methanol oxidation are attributed to the synergistic effect of H2TCPP and NiCo-LDH. This study may offer new ideas for developing highly effective noble metal-free catalysts for the application in methanol oxidation.

Identification of ß-catenin target genes in colorectal cancer by interrogating gene fitness screening data.

ß-catenin regulates its target genes which are associated with proliferation, differentiation, migration and angiogenesis, and the dysregulation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling facilitates hallmarks of colorectal cancer (CRC). Identification of ß-catenin targets and their potential roles in tumorigenesis has gained increased interest. However, the number of identified targets remains limited. The present study implemented a novel strategy, interrogating gene fitness profiles derived from large-scale RNA interference and CRISPR-CRISPR associated protein 9 screening data to identify ß-catenin target genes in CRC cell lines. Using these data sets, pair wise gene fitness similarities were determined which highlighted a total of 13 genes whose functions were highly correlated with ß-catenin. It was further demonstrated that the expression of these genes were altered in CRC, illustrating their potential roles in the progression of CRC. The present study further demonstrated that these targets could be used to predict disease-free survival in CRC. In conclusion, the findings provided novel approaches for the identification of ß-catenin targets, which may become prognostic biomarkers or drug targets for the management of CRC.

Depletion of CPEB1 protects against oxidized LDL-induced endothelial apoptosis and inflammation though SIRT1/LOX-1 signalling pathway.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that results from Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) induced endothelial dysfunction. Cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding protein 1 (CPEB1) is closely related to the development of epithelial cells, but the role of CPEB1 in AS remains unknown. The RNA and protein levels of CPEB1 expression are increased by Ox-LDL exposure, which is abrogated by c-Jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor SP600125. CPEB1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) suppressed the oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. Furthermore, CPEB1 siRNA enhanced the sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) transcription levels in Ox-LDL-treated HUVECs. Co-Immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assay showed that CPEB1 siRNA declined the ubiquitination of SIRT1, and SIRT1 siRNA enhanced the Lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1), which were decreased by CPEB1 siRNA. In addition, LOX-1 and SIRT1 attenuated the protection of SIRT1 siRNA on Ox-LDL-induced oxidative stress. Therefore, our study revealed that CPEB1 depletion might play an anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic role in Ox-LDL-induced apoptosis and inflammation though SIRT1/LOX-1 signalling pathway.

Curcumin ameliorates atherosclerosis through upregulation of miR-126.

The potential usage of curcumin in diverse human diseases has been widely studied, including arteriosclerosis (AS). This study focused on investigating the relationship between curcumin and AS-associated microRNA, which may provide a better understanding of curcumin in a different mechanism. Human microvascular endothelial HMEC-1 cells were treated by curcumin alone or oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) plus curcumin, after which the following parameters were analyzed: cell viability, migration, and the expression of AS-associated factors. The regulatory effects of curcumin on miR-126 and signaling pathways involved in AS were then studied. Further, an animal model of AS was stimulated by feeding rabbits with 1% cholesterol diet. The effects of curcumin on the animal model were explored. We found that curcumin treatment significantly reduced HMEC-1 cells viability, migration, and the protein levels of MMP-2, MMP-9, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the presence or absence of ox-LDL. Meanwhile, the expression of VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 was repressed by curcumin. miR-126 was upregulated by curcumin. The abovementioned effects of curcumin on HMEC-1 cells were all attenuated when miR-126 was silenced. And also, VEGF was a target gene of miR-126, and curcumin could inhibit the activation of PI3K/AKT JAK2/STAT5 signaling pathways via miR-126. The effects of curcumin and its regulation on miR-126 and VEGF were confirmed in the animal model of AS. To sum up, curcumin exerted potent anti-AS property possibly via upregulating miR-126 and thereby inhibiting PI3K/AKT and JAK2/STAT5 signaling pathways.

Retracted: Ras-PI3K-AKT signaling promotes the occurrence and development of uveal melanoma by downregulating H3K56ac expression.

BACKGROUND: Uveal melanoma (UM) is an intraocular malignant tumor characterized by rapid progression and recurrence. The current conventional treatments are unsatisfactory. Histone acetylation at H3 lysine 56 (H3K56ac) has been reported to be a tumor suppressor in breast cancer. However, whether H3K56ac prevents the occurrence and development of UM remains uninvestigated. The study aimed to explore the regulatory effect of H3K56ac on Ras-PI3K-AKT induced UM cells proliferation and migration. METHODS: The vectors of pEGFP-RasWT , pEGFP-K-Ras G12V/Y40C , and pEGFP-N1 were transfected into MP46 cells, and protein levels of phosphorylated AKT Ser473 and H3K56ac were examined using western blot analysis. The effect of H3K56ac on cell proliferation and migration were studied using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide, colony formation, and Transwell assays. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were performed to determine the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) downstream genes. Further, the regulatory effects of silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog-1 (SIRT1), general control nonderepressible 5 (GCN5), and mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2) on Ras-PI3K-AKT affected H3K56ac expression were also investigated. RESULTS: H3K56ac expression was specifically downregulated by Ras-PI3K-AKT activation pathway. H3K56ac inhibited the tumorigenic effect of Ras-PI3K-AKT on MP46 cells viability, colony formation, and migration, as well as participated in regulating the transcription of PI3K/AKT downstream genes. SIRT1 silence recovered H3K56ac expression, and reversed the tumorigenic effect of Ras-PI3K-AKT activation on MP46 cells. Downregulation of H3K56ac induced by Ras-PI3K-AKT activation was found to be associated with MDM2-mediated the degradation of GCN5. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrated that Ras-PI3K-AKT signaling promoted UM cells proliferation and migration via downregulation of H3K56ac expression, which might be related to MDM2-mediated the degradation of GCN5.

Retracted: Ras-ERK1/2 signaling promotes the development of uveal melanoma by downregulating H3K14ac.

Ras-extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) signaling has been proposed as the crucial regulators in the development of various cancers. Histone acetylation at H3 lysine 14 (H3K14ac) is closely associated with gene expression and DNA damage. However, whether H3K14ac participates in mediating Ras-ERK1/2-induced cell proliferation and migration in uveal melanoma cells remains unknown. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of H3K14ac on Ras-ERK1/2 affected uveal melanoma cell phenotypes. MP65 cells were transfected with Ras WT and Ras G12V/T35S , the unloaded plasmid of pEGFP-N1 served as a negative control. Protein levels of phosphorylated ERK1/2 Thr202 and H3K14ac were assessed by western blot assay. Cell viability, number of colonies, migration, and the downstream genes of ERK1/2 were analyzed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide, soft-agar colony formation, transwell, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. HA-tag vectors of CLR3 and TIP60 and the small interfering RNAs that specific for CLR3 and MDM2 were transfected into MP65 cells to uncover the effects of CLR3, TIP60, and MDM2 on Ras-ERK1/2 mediated H3K14ac expression and MP65 cell phenotypes. We found that, Ras-ERK1/2 decreased H3K14ac expression in MP65 cells, and H3K14ac significantly suppressed Ras-ERK1/2-induced cell viability, colony formation, and migration in MP65 cells. Moreover, the transcription of CYR61, IGFBP3, WNT16B, NT5E, GDF15, and CARD16 was regulated by H3K14ac. Additionally, CLR3 silence recovered H3K14ac expression and reversed the effect of Ras-ERK1/2 on MP65 cell proliferation, migration and the mRNAs of ERK1/2 downstream genes. Besides, Ras-ERK1/2 decreased H3K14ac expression by MDM2-mediated TIP60 degradation. In conclusion, Ras-ERK1/2 promoted uveal melanoma cells growth and migration by downregulating H3K14ac via MDM2-mediated TIP60 degradation.

Curcumin inhibits proliferation, migration, invasion and promotes apoptosis of retinoblastoma cell lines through modulation of miR-99a and JAK/STAT pathway.

BACKGROUND: Curcumin, a primary active ingredient extracted from the Curcuma longa, has been recently identified as a potential anti-tumor agent in multiple kinds of cancers. However, the effect of curcumin on retinoblastoma (Rb) is still unclear. Therefore, we attempted to reveal the functional impacts and the underlying mechanisms of curcumin in Rb cells. METHODS: Two Rb cell lines SO-Rb50 and Y79 were pre-treated with various doses of curcumin, and then cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were assessed, respectively. Further, regulatory effects of curcumin on miR-99a expression, as well as the activation of JAK/STAT pathway were studied. RESULTS: Data showed that curcumin significantly inhibited the viability, colony formation capacity, migration and invasion, while induced apoptosis of SO-Rb50 and Y79 cells. Up-regulation of miR-99a was observed in curcumin-treated cells. Curcumin suppressed the phosphorylation levels of JAK1, STAT1, and STAT3, while curcumin did not inhibit the activation of JAK/STAT pathway when miR-99a was knocked down. CONCLUSION: Curcumin inhibited proliferation, migration, invasion, but promoted apoptosis of Rb cells. The anti-tumor activities of curcumin on Rb cells appeared to be via up-regulation of miR-99a, and thereby inhibition of JAK/STAT pathway.

Notoginsenoside R1 Protects HUVEC Against Oxidized Low Density Lipoprotein (Ox-LDL)-Induced Atherogenic Response via Down-Regulating miR-132.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Radix notoginseng is a well-known traditional Chinese herbal medicine, has extensively pharmacological activities in cardiovascular system. Notoginsenoside R1 (NGR1) is one main active ingredient of Radix notoginseng. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the functional effects of NGR1 on atherosclerosis (AS). METHODS: Human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) were subjected to oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL), before which cells were preconditioned with NGR1. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, flow cytometry, Transwell assay, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were carried out to assess the impacts of ox-LDL and NGR1 on HUVECs. Besides, the expression of microRNA-132 (miR-132), and the regulatory role of miR-132 in Matrix Gla Protein (MGP) expression were measured by qRT-PCR and Western blot. RESULTS: NGR1 pre-conditioning prevented ox-LDL-induced apoptosis, migration and overproduction of Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein 1 (MCP-1) and Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 1 (ICAM-1). miR-132 was up-regulated in response to ox-LDL while was down-regulated by NGR1 pre-conditioning. The protective actions of NGR1 in ox-LDL-treated HUVECs were enhanced by miR-132 inhibitor, while were attenuated by miR-132 mimic. Besides, the up-regulated miR-132 could further decrease the expression of MGP, which acted as an anti-migratory and anti-adhesive factor. Furthermore, ox-LDL-induced the activation of c-Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK) and Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-κB) pathways were partially attenuated by NGR1, and were fully eliminated by NGR1 treatment together with MGP overexpression. CONCLUSION: NGR1 prevents ox-LDL-induced apoptosis, migration and adhesion-related molecule release in HUVECs possibly via down-regulating miR-132, and subsequent up-regulating MGP.

Pro-Angiogenic Role of LncRNA HULC in Microvascular Endothelial Cells via Sequestrating miR-124.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: HULC is a multifunctional lncRNA that has pro-angiogenic function in various cancers. The present study was designed to see the role of lncRNA HULC in normal endothelial cells angiogenesis. METHODS: Cell viability, apoptosis, migration, tube formation and expression levels of angiogenesis-related proteins were respectively assessed in human microvascular endothelial HMEC-1 cells after lncRNA HULC was silenced by shRNA transfection. Cross-regulation between lncRNA HULC and miR-124, and between miR-124 and MCL-1 were detected by qRT-PCR, sequence analysis, and luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS: Silence of lncRNA HULC significantly reduced viability, migration, tube formation and protein levels of VEGF, VEGFR2, CD144 and eNOS in HMEC-1 cells. Meanwhile, silence of lncRNA HULC induced apoptosis in HMEC-1 cells, as Bcl-2 was down-regulated, Bax was up-regulated, and caspase-3 and -9 were cleaved. miR-124 expression was negatively regulated by lncRNA HULC, and HULC worked as a molecular sponge for miR-124, in having miR-124 exhausted. Besides, MCL-1 was a target gene of miR-124. Rescue assay results showed that the effects of lncRNA HULC silence on HMEC-1 cells growth, migration and angiogenesis were abolished by miR-124 suppression. Similarly, the effects of miR-124 on HMEC-1 cells were abolished by MCL-1 overexpression. Furthermore, MCL-1 activated PI3K/AKT and JAK/STAT signaling pathways. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest a pro-angiogenic role of lncRNA HULC in endothelial cells. The pro-angiogenic actions of lncRNA HULC may be through sponging miR-124, preventing MCL-1 from degradation by miR-124.

Silence of lncRNA UCA1 Represses the Growth and Tube Formation of Human Microvascular Endothelial Cells Through miR-195.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recent studies have suggested that several lncRNAs contribute to the angiogenic function of endothelial cells. Herein, we set out to reveal whether lncRNA UCA1 has functions in endothelial angiogenesis. METHODS: The expression levels of lncRNA UCA1, miR-195 and CCND1 in human microvascular endothelial HMEC-1 cells were altered by transfection. Subsequently, cell viability, migration, tube formation and apoptosis of HMEC-1 cells were respectively assessed. The cross-talk between lncRNA UCA1, miR-195, CCND1, and MEK/ERK and mTOR signaling pathways were investigated by performing qRT-PCR and Western blotting. RESULTS: Silence of lncRNA UCA1 repressed HMEC-1 cells viability, migration, tube formation, and induced apoptosis. Meanwhile, silence of lncRNA UCA1 significantly up-regulated miR-195 expression. These alterations induced by lncRNA UCA1 were further enhanced by miR-195 overexpression, while were attenuated by miR-195 suppression. Moreover, silence of lncRNA UCA1 deactivated MEK/ERK and mTOR signaling pathways via a miR-195-dependent regulation. And the deactivation of MEK/ERK and mTOR signaling pathways led to a down-regulation of CCND1. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that silence of lncRNA UCA1 largely represses microvascular endothelial cells growth and tube formation. Silence of lncRNA UCA1 exerts its function possibly via up-regulation of miR-195, which in turn inactivates MEK/ERK and mTOR signaling pathways, and ultimately represses CCND1 expression.

Intermittent low dose irradiation enhances the effectiveness of radio- and chemo-therapy for human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line HT-29.

Low dose irradiation (LDIR) induces hormesis and adaptive response in organism and mammalian cell lines. Notably, LDIR generates distinct biological effects in cancer cells from normal cells, e.g., it may affect the growth of cancer cells via the activation of certain cell signaling pathway, which does not exist in normal cells. Therefore, LDIR is considered as a promising assistant method of clinical cancer therapy. In this study, we chose human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line HT-29 as the experimental model, and investigated the differential biological effects between 250 mGy single dose LDIR and 250 mGy intermittent LDIR pretreatments in high dose irradiation (HDIR) radiotherapy and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) based chemotherapy. Through the cell growth assays, we observed that 250 mGy intermittent LDIR pretreatment significantly increased the killing effect of both radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Western blotting results showed that intermittent LDIR pretreatment apparently activated the ATM/p53 (ataxia telangiectasia mutated, ATM) pathway in radiotherapy; it also activated ERK and p38MAPK pathways in chemotherapy. When we used chemical inhibitors to block the ATM/p53 or p38MAPK pathways, the intermittent LDIR induced cell growth inhibitions were reversed. However, blockage of ERK pathway could not affect the cell growth inhibiton in chemotherapy. Taken together, our findings evaluated the intermittent LDIR as a potential valuable method that can enhance the effectiveness of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, especially in the radio- or chemo-resistant tumor types.

Identification of candidate target genes for human peripheral arterial disease using weighted gene co­expression network analysis.

The aim of the present study was to identify the potential treatment targets of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and provide further insights into the underlying mechanism of PAD, based on a weighted gene co­expression network analysis (WGCNA) method. The mRNA expression profiles (accession. no. GSE27034), which included 19 samples from patients with PAD and 18 samples from normal control individuals were extracted from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Subsequently, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained using the Limma package and the co­expression network modules were screened using the WGCNA approach. In addition, the protein­protein interaction network for the DEGs in the most significant module was constructed using Cytoscape software. Functional enrichment analyses of the DEGs in the most significant module were also performed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) Orthology­Based Annotation System, respectively. A total of 148 DEGs were identified in PAD, which were used to construct the WGCN, in which two modules (gray module and turquoise module) were identified, with the gray module exhibiting a higher gene significance (GS) value than the turquoise module. In addition, a co­expression network was constructed for 60 DEGs in the gray module. The functional enrichment results showed that the DEGs in the gray module were enriched in five Gene Ontology terms and four KEGG pathways. For example, cyclin­dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (CDKN1A), FBJ murine osteosarcoma viral oncogene homolog (FOS) and prostaglandin­endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) were enriched in response to glucocorticoid stimulus. The results of the present study suggested that DEGs in the gray module, including CDKN1A, FOS and PTGS2, may be associated with the pathogenesis of PAD, by modulating the cell cycle, and may offer potential for use as candidate treatment targets for PAD.

Differential gene expression in proximal and distal nerve segments of rats with sciatic nerve injury during Wallerian degeneration.

Wallerian degeneration is a subject of major interest in neuroscience. A large number of genes are differentially regulated during the distinct stages of Wallerian degeneration: transcription factor activation, immune response, myelin cell differentiation and dedifferentiation. Although gene expression responses in the distal segment of the sciatic nerve after peripheral nerve injury are known, differences in gene expression between the proximal and distal segments remain unclear. In the present study in rats, we used microarrays to analyze changes in gene expression, biological processes and signaling pathways in the proximal and distal segments of sciatic nerves undergoing Wallerian degeneration. More than 6,000 genes were differentially expressed and 20 types of expression tendencies were identified, mainly between proximal and distal segments at 7-14 days after injury. The differentially expressed genes were those involved in cell differentiation, cytokinesis, neuron differentiation, nerve development and axon regeneration. Furthermore, 11 biological processes were represented, related to responses to stimuli, cell apoptosis, inflammatory response, immune response, signal transduction, protein kinase activity, and cell proliferation. Using real-time quantitative PCR, western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry, microarray data were verified for four genes: aquaporin-4, interleukin 1 receptor-like 1, matrix metalloproteinase-12 and periaxin. Our study identifies differential gene expression in the proximal and distal segments of a nerve during Wallerian degeneration, analyzes dynamic biological changes of these genes, and provides a useful platform for the detailed study of nerve injury and repair during Wallerian degeneration.