Protective effect of uridine on atrial fibrillation: a Mendelian randomisation study.

Uridine, a pyrimidine nucleoside, is crucial in the synthesis of metabolites. According to observational studies, a higher plasma uridine level is associated with a lower risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the casual relationship between uridine and AF is still unknown. In this study, we used the Mendelian randomisation (MR) approach to explore causality. Three genetic variants associated with uridine were identified from the Metabolomics GWAS server (7824 participants); summary-level datasets associated with AF were acquired from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis with 1,030,836 European participants (60,620 AF cases). We duplicated the MR analyses using datasets from AF HRC studies and the FinnGen Consortium, and then conducted a meta-analysis which combined the main results. The risk of AF was significantly associated with the genetically determined plasma uridine level (odds ratio [OR] 0.27; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.16, 0.47; p = 2.39 × 10-6). The association remained consistent in the meta-analysis of the various datasets (OR 0.27; 95% CI 0.17, 0.42; p = 1.34 × 10-8). In conclusion, the plasma uridine level is inversely associated with the risk of AF. Raising the plasma uridine level may have prophylactic potential against AF.

The association of preoperative high-sensitivity cardiac troponin i and long-term outcomes in colorectal cancer patients received tumor resection surgery.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the association between preoperative hs-cTnI and long-term mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in colorectal cancer patients. METHODS: This single-center retrospective cohort study included 1105 consecutive colorectal cancer patients who received tumor resection surgery between January 2018 and June 2020. Inclusion criteria were an age ≥ 18 years and had been tested for hs-cTnI on admission within 7 days prior to tumor resection surgery. Exclusion criteria were emergent surgery, failure to received tumor resection surgery, hospital death, there was clinical evidence of unstable coronary artery disease or pulmonary embolism occurred before operation according to medical record. The primary endpoint was all-cause death. Secondary endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). RESULTS: A total of 1105 patients were enrolled: 1032 with normal hs-cTnI and 73 with elevated hs-cTnI. The mean follow-up was 24.4 ± 10.8 months, 176 patients died and 39 patients met MACE. In the elevated troponin group, 50%, 32.1% and 17.9% died from cancer, cardiovascular and other causes, while those in the normal troponin group were 75.7%, 2% and 22.3%, there was statistical difference between 2 groups (P < 0.001). Patients with elevated preoperative hs-cTnI had significantly higher mortality (P < 0.001) and more MACE (P < 0.001) compared with those with normal hs-cTnI. A propensity-matching analysis were performed, resulting in 151 patients with normal hs-cTnI and 60 patients with elevated hs-cTnI. The matched population had the similar results for all-cause death (P = 0.009) and MACE (P = 0.001). The results were consistent after further excluding 147 patients who had received chemoradiotherapy prior to surgery in subgroup analysis. The results of multivariate Cox regression analysis shown that hs-cTnI was one of the best predictors for all-cause death (hazard ratio [HR] 2.278; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19-4.361) and MACE (HR, 3.523; 95%CI, 1.477-8.403) in total populations, similar results were found in subgroup analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Colorectal cancer patients without myocardial ischemia manifestation but with elevated hs-cTnI prior to tumor resection surgery were at increased risk for long-term all-cause death and MACE, irrespective of whether they have received chemoradiotherapy prior to surgery.

The therapeutic effect and mechanism of Rapamycin combined with HO-3867 on monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension in rats.

This study test was designed to investigate the possible modulatory effect of rapamycin combined with HO-3867 in monocrotaline(MCT)-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension in rats. We hypothesized that combined treatment with rapamycin and HO-3867 is superior to either alone in attenuating MCT-induced rat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Pulmonary arterial hypertension was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of monocrotaline (60 mg/kg). 2 weeks later, rapamycin (2 mg/kg i.p.) and HO3867 (10 mg/kg i.h.) were administered daily, alone and in combination, for 2 weeks. Right ventricular systolic pressure, echocardiography were recorded and then rats were sacrificed. Histological analysis of pulmonary arteries medial wall thickness, right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVHI), the ratio of right ventricular to body weight, and collagen volume fraction (CVF) of right ventricular were performed. Moreover, the expression of t-STAT3, p-STAT3, t-Akt, p-Akt in lung and t-STAT3, p-STAT3, t-S6, p-S6 in right ventricular were examined. The result showed that combined treatment provided a considerable improvement toward maintaining hemodynamic changes, lung vascular remodeling as well as amending RV remodeling and function. Furthermore, Combined treatment can normalize the protein levels of two signal pathways in lung and heart tissue, where p-S6 or p-Akt significantly decreased compared to HO-3867 alone, or p-STAT3 significantly reduced compared to rapamycin alone. In conclusion, combined treatment with rapamycin and HO-3867 is superior to either alone in attenuating MCT-induced PAH in rats.

The predictive value of high-sensitive troponin I for perioperative risk in patients undergoing gastrointestinal tumor surgery.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of cardiovascular events in perioperative period of gastrointestinal tumor surgery cannot be ignored, and studies have shown that level of postoperative troponin is related to the postoperative risk of non-cardiac surgery. However, the relationship between pre-operative troponin levels and perioperative risk of gastrointestinal tumor surgery is unclear. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the value of high-sensitive cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) prior to gastrointestinal tumor surgery for perioperative risk assessment. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, 1259 patients who underwent gastrointestinal tumor surgery and had been tested for hs-cTnI on admission within 7 days prior to surgery were retrospectively recruited from January 2018 to June 2020. The primary combined endpoint including in-hospital all-cause mortality, acute myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest or ventricular fibrillation and acute decompensated heart failure. The secondary endpoint included total hospital stay and requirement of intensive care treatment. FINDINGS: Compared with patients with normal hs-cTnI, those with elevated hs-cTnI (> 0·028 ng/ml) were more likely to experience the combined endpoint (28·2% versus 2·7%, P < 0·001) and there was also an increasing rate of in mortality in elevated hs-cTnI group (2·4% versus 0·3%, P = 0·057). The length of total hospital stay was significantly longer in patients with elevated hs-cTnI (24·8 ± 16·3 versus 19·5 ± 7·9, P = 0·003) and the number of patients requiring intensive care treatment was also higher (22·6% versus 4·2%, P < 0·001). The area under the ROC curve assessing hs-cTnI in predicting in-hospital mortality was 0·787 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0·612-0·963, P = 0·015] and for combined endpoint was 0·822 [95% CI 0·766-0·879, P < 0·001]. Hs-cTnI > 0·028 ng/ml was associated with significantly higher cardiovascular event rate in patients with the revised cardiac index ≤ 1. The positive likelihood ratio of hs-cTnI (> 0·028 ng/ml) for predicting combined endpoint reaches 10.5 in patients with Lee index = 0. In multivariate logistic analyses, hs-cTnI was one of the best predictors for the combined endpoint [odds ratio (OR) 5·924 (95%CI: 2·869-12·233), P < 0·001]. INTERPRETATION: Hs-cTnI provides powerful prognostic information for patients undergoing gastrointestinal tumor surgery, and therefore provides reliable prognostic information incremental to revised cardiac index.

Quantifying the inundation impacts of earthquake-induced surface elevation change by hydrological and hydraulic modeling.

Current estimates of flood hazards are often based on the assumption that topography is static. When tectonic and/or anthropogenic processes change the land surface elevation, the spatial patterns of floods might also change. Here, we employ the hydrological and hydraulic modeling to simulate floods in the Kujukuri Plain, Japan, in the years 2004 and 2013, when two severe floods occurred. In between the two floods, land surface elevations were changed by the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake. The effects of land surface elevation changes on inundation areas were quantified by changing input topographies. Our results showed that, without taking into account land surface elevation changes, around 10% of inundation areas were underestimated at the time of flood events in the year 2013. The spatial distribution of inundation locations varied with local topographical features, for example, the areas with backmarsh and valley fill deposits were sensitive to the extent of inundation by land surface elevation changes. The sub-watershed near the coastal shoreline having below-zero meter elevation areas showed that the earthquake-induced land surface elevation changes exacerbated an additional 22% inundation area. This study suggests that the inundation areas will increase in catchments suffering severe settlements, which highlights the necessity of taking into account the spatio-temporal changes of land surface elevations on the assessment of flood hazards.

Enhanced Inflammatory Reaction and Thrombosis in High-Fat Diet-Fed ApoE-/- Mice are Attenuated by Celastrol.

OBJECTIVE: High-fat diet (HFD) increases the risk of inflammatory reaction and acute arterial thrombosis. Celastrol has been confirmed to regulate inflammatory cytokine levels in atherosclerotic animal models. However, the anti-thrombotic effects of celastrol have remained to be fully demonstrated. The present study was performed to investigate the beneficial effect of celastrol in HFD-induced inflammatory reaction and thrombosis in apolipoprotein (apo)E-/- mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thrombogenic mice model was established using HFD-fed apoE-/- mice. The levels of mRNA and protein were assayed by RT-qPCR and western blotting, respectively. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining was performed to measure the protein expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 in the aortic endothelium of HFD-fed apoE-/- mice. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that the effect of HFD on inflammatory cytokines in mice with apoE-/- background was reversed by celastrol administration, and celastrol treatment inhibited the NOD-like receptor family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3)/caspase-1/interleukin-1ß signaling cascades in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from HFD-fed apoE-/- mice. In addition, HFD enhanced adenosine diphosphate-induced platelet aggregation in normal C57BL/6 and apoE-/- mice, while celastrol administration reversed this. Furthermore, celastrol inhibited the pro-thrombotic effects of HFD in apoE-/- mice, and the underlying mechanism was mediated, at least partially, through the suppression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 expression. CONCLUSIONS: Celastrol administration significantly attenuated HFD-induced inflammatory reaction, platelet aggregation and thrombosis in apoE-/- mice, and celastrol may be used as a drug for the prevention of HFD-induced inflammatory reaction and thrombus.

Knockdown of long non-coding RNA PVT1 protects human AC16 cardiomyocytes from hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced apoptosis and autophagy by regulating miR-186/Beclin-1 axis.

Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a common consequence of restored blood supply after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), but its underlying mechanisms remain largely elusive. In this study, we aimed to investigate the functional role of long non-coding RNA PVT1 in hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-treated AC16 cardiomyocytes. Our experimental results demonstrated that H/R treatment impaired the viability and increased the apoptosis of AC16 cells, and knockdown of PVT1 blocked the H/R injury. Besides, PVT1 knockdown also reduced excessive autophagy in H/R-treated AC16 cells. Furthermore, we confirmed that PVT1 might serve as a ceRNA for miR-186 in AC16 cells, and rescue experiments showed that miR-186 inhibition blocked the effects of PVT1 knockdown in H/R-treated AC16 cells. In summary, this study implied that PVT1 might be a promising therapeutic target for treating myocardial I/R injury.

Changes in the intestinal microecology induced by bacillus subtilis inhibit the occurrence of ulcerative colitis and associated cancers: a study on the mechanisms.

This study aimed to explore how changes in intestinal floras caused by Bacillus subtilis (Bs) inhibited occurrence of ulcerative colitis (UC) and associated cancers. Bs was used as an intervention in an azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sodium sulfate sodium (DSS) animal model. Stool specimens were analyzed for changes in intestinal floras. Disease activity index (DAI) scores, body mass indices, cancer counts, and other indices were calculated, while changes in the colon mucosa were observed. Compared with AOM/DSS group, carcinogenesis significantly reduced and intestinal inflammations and DAI score alleviated; diversity, evenness, and number of species of floras significantly increased; and relative abundances of Rikenellaceae and Lactobacillus increased when UC developed into cancers in the AOM/DSS + Bs group. Colon epitheliums in the mice were severely damaged in the AOM/DSS group, while mucosae were repaired in the AOM/DSS + Bs group. The mRNA expression levels of IL-6 and IL-17a were lower while those of IL-10 and TGF-ß1 were higher, and the expression level of Ki-67 decreased while that of caspase 3 increased in the AOM/DSS + Bs group. Bs intervention could alter the structure of intestinal floras, repair the mucosal barrier, adjust immunity, and reduce the incidence of cancer in the AOM/DSS animal model.

miR-17-5p suppresses cell proliferation and invasion by targeting ETV1 in triple-negative breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the malignancy with the worst outcome among all breast cancer subtypes. We reported that ETV1 is a significant oncogene in TNBC tumourigenesis. Consequently, investigating the critical regulatory microRNAs (miRNAs) of ETV1 may be beneficial for TNBC targeted therapy. METHODS: We performed in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) to detect the location of miR-17-5p and ETV1 in TNBC patient samples, respectively. miR-17-5p expression in TNBC tissues and cell lines was assessed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). ETV1 expression was evaluated by qRT-PCR, western blotting and IHC. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation, Transwell and wound closure assays were utilized to determine the TNBC cell proliferation and migration capabilities. In vivo tumour metastatic assays were performed in a zebra fish model. RESULTS: The abundance of miR-17-5p was significantly decreased in TNBC cell lines and clinical TNBC tissues. The miR-17-5p expression levels were closely correlated with tumour size (P < 0.05) and TNM stage (P < 0.05). By contrast, the expression of ETV1 was significantly up-regulated in TNBC cell lines and tissues. There is an inverse correlation between the expression status of miR-17-5p and ETV1 (r = -0.28, P = 3.88 × 10-3). Luciferase reporter assay confirmed that ETV1 was a direct target of miR-17-5p. Forced expression of miR-17-5p in MDA-MB-231 or BT549 cells significantly decreased ETV1 expression and suppressed cell proliferation, migration in vitro and tumour metastasis in vivo. However, rescuing the expression of ETV1 in the presence of miR-17-5p significantly recovered the cell phenotype. High miR-17-5p expression was associated with a significantly favourable prognosis, in either the ETV1-positive or ETV1-negative groups (log-rank test, P < 0.001; P < 0.001). Both univariate and multivariate analyses showed that miR-17-5p and ETV1 were independent risk factors in the prognosis of TNBC patient. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that miR-17-5p acts as a tumour suppressor in TNBC by targeting ETV1, and a low-abundance of miR-17-5p may be involved in the pathogenesis of TNBC. These findings indicate that miR-17-5p may be a therapeutic target for TNBC.

Characterization of Arginase Expression in Glioma-Associated Microglia and Macrophages.

Microglia (MG) and macrophages (MPs) represent a significant component of the inflammatory response to gliomas. When activated, MG/MP release a variety of pro-inflammatory cytokines, however, they also secrete anti-inflammatory factors that limit their cytotoxic function. The balance between pro and anti-inflammatory functions dictates their antitumor activity. To evaluate potential variations in MG and MP function in gliomas, we isolated these cells (and other Gr1+ cells) from intracranial GL261 murine gliomas by FACS and evaluated their gene expression profiles by microarray analysis. As expected, arginase 1 (Arg1, M2 marker) was highly expressed by tumor-associated Gr1+, MG and MP. However, in contrast to MP and Gr1+ cells that expressed Arg1 shortly after tumor trafficking, Arg1 expression in MG was delayed and occurred in larger tumors. Interestingly, depletion of MPs in tumors did not prevent MG polarization, suggesting direct influence of tumor-specific factors on MG Arg1 upregulation. Finally, Arg1 expression was confirmed in human GBM samples, but most Arg1+ cells were neutrophils and not MPs. These findings confirm variations in tumor MG and MP polarization states and its dependency on tumor microenvironmental factors.

Metronomic Doses of Temozolomide Enhance the Efficacy of Carbon Nanotube CpG Immunotherapy in an Invasive Glioma Model.

Even when treated with aggressive current therapies, most patients with glioblastoma survive less than two years. Rapid tumor growth, an invasive nature, and the blood-brain barrier, which limits the penetration of large molecules into the brain, all contribute to the poor tumor response associated with conventional therapies. Immunotherapy has emerged as a therapeutic approach that may overcome these challenges. We recently reported that single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) can be used to dramatically increase the immunotherapeutic efficacy of CpG oligonucleotides in a mouse model of glioma. Following implantation in the mouse brain, the tumor cell line used in these previous studies (GL261) tends to form a spherical tumor with limited invasion into healthy brain. In order to evaluate SWCNT/CpG therapy under more clinically-relevant conditions, here we report the treatment of a more invasive mouse glioma model (K-Luc) that better recapitulates human disease. In addition, a CpG sequence previously tested in humans was used to formulate the SWCNT/CpG which was combined with temozolomide, the standard of care chemotherapy for glioblastoma patients. We found that, following two intracranial administrations, SWCNT/CpG is well-tolerated and improves the survival of mice bearing invasive gliomas. Interestingly, the efficacy of SWCNT/CpG was enhanced when combined with temozolomide. This enhanced anti-tumor efficacy was correlated to an increase of tumor-specific cytotoxic activity in splenocytes. These results reinforce the emerging understanding that immunotherapy can be enhanced by combining it with chemotherapy and support the continued development of SWCNT/CpG.

[Effect of the integration pattern of hospital-community on the grade-based management for hypertension in elders].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of the integration pattern of hospital-community on the grade-based management for hypertension in elders.
 METHODS: We randomly chosen 218 (male, n=121; female, n=97) primary senile hypertension patients from a Community Health Service Center of District in Changsha City, from June, 2013 to December, 2013. Based on the risky factors, the subjects were divided into three groups and every group received grade-based management on blood pressure with a integration pattern of hospital-community for six months. According to the HILL-BONE high blood pressure compliance scale and the self- designed blood pressure monitoring form, we assessed the effect of compliance and blood pressure control on senile hypertension patient. 
 RESULTS: Hypertension treatment rate for the elders ranged from 22.9% to 88.1% (P<0.01). The levels of blood pressure of the subjects were significantly decreased compared with baseline. The level of diastolic blood pressure in the low, average, high and very high-risk group was decreased by 17, 20 and 23 mmHg, respectively (P<0.01). The level of systolic blood in the low, average, high and very high-risk group was decreased by 6, 5 and 7 mmHg, respectively (P<0.01). The compliance rate of HILL-BONE hypertension rose from 54.5% to 87.4% (P<0.01).
 CONCLUSION: The integration pattern of hospital-community with the grade-based management for hypertension significantly improved the senile hypertension control rate and compliance of drug treatment. The rational for drug usage rate rose obviously. The integration pattern of hospital-community with the grade-based management for elders deserves to spread.

Triptolide improves systolic function and myocardial energy metabolism of diabetic cardiomyopathy in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

BACKGROUND: Triptolide treatment leads to an improvement in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy (DCM) in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model. DCM is characterized by abnormal cardiac energy metabolism. We hypothesized that triptolide ameliorated cardiac metabolic abnormalities in DCM. We proposed (31)P nuclear magnetic resonance ((31)P NMR) spectrometry method for assessing cardiac energy metabolism in vivo and evaluating the effect of triptolide treatment in DCM rats. METHODS: Six weeks triptolide treatment was conducted on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats with dose of 100, 200 or 400 µg/kg/day respectively. Sex- and age-matched non-diabetic rats were used as control group. Cardiac chamber dimension and function were determined with echocardiography. Whole heart preparations were perfused with Krebs-Henseleit buffer and (31)P NMR spectroscopy was performed. Cardiac p38 Mitogen Activating Protein Kinase (MAPK) was measured using real time PCR and western blot analysis. RESULTS: In diabetic rats, cardiac mass index was significantly higher, where as cardiac EF was lower than control group. (31)P NMR spectroscopy showed that ATP and pCr concentrations in diabetic groups were also remarkably lower than control group. Compared to non-treated diabetic rats, triptolide-treated diabetic groups showed remarkable lower cardiac mass index and higher EF, ATP, pCr concentrations, and P38 MAPK expressions. Best improvement was seen in group treated with Triptolide with dose 200 µg/kg/day. CONCLUSIONS: (31)P NMR spectroscopy enables assessment of cardiac energy metabolism in whole heart preparations. It detects energy metabolic abnormalities in DCM hearts. Triptolide therapy improves cardiac function and increases cardiac energy metabolism at least partly through upregulation of MAPK signaling transduction.

PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism and coronary artery disease risk: a meta-analysis.

Many epidemiologic studies have investigated the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) gene 4G/5G polymorphism and this association with coronary artery disease (CAD). But definite conclusions can not be drawn. Related studies were identified from PubMed, Springer Link, Ovid, Chinese Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Chinese Biology Medicine (CBM) till 10 August 2014. Pooled ORs and 95% CIs were used to assess the strength of the associations. A total of 53 studies including 20921 CAD cases and 18434 controls were included. Significantly elevated CAD risk was found in overall analysis (OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.05-1.21, P = 0.0009). In the subgroup analysis by races, significantly increased risk was found in Caucasians (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.03-1.20, P = 0.005) and Asians (OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.01-1.42, P = 0.04). In the subgroup analysis by gender, significant association was found in males (OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.06-1.25, P = 0.0008), but was not found in females (OR = 1.05, 95% CI: 0.92-1.20, P = 0.47). In the subgroup analysis by age, young populations showed increased CAD risk (OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.02-1.37, P = 0.02), but old populations did not show this association (OR = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.82-1.24, P = 0.93). This meta-analysis provides the evidence that PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism may contribute to the CAD development.

COP1, the negative regulator of ETV1, influences prognosis in triple-negative breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: ETS variant 1 (ETV1) and E3 ubiquitin ligase constitutive photomorphogenetic 1 (COP1) have been proposed to be a pair of oncogene and tumor suppressor. However, the co-existing status of ETV1 and COP1 in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and their predictive role in determining the patient's outcome are uncertain. METHODS: We examined the abundance of COP1 and ETV1 proteins and their clinicopathologic significance in archival TNBC tissues from 105 patients by tissue microarray. The potential function link between COP1 and ETV1 was observed in MDA-MB-231 cells by cell proliferation, invasion and migration assays. RESULTS: ETV1 expression was higher in TNBC tissues compared to normal tissues, while COP1 was lower. ETV1 expression was negatively associated with COP1 abundance in TNBCs. Overexpression of COP1 led to significant reduction of ETV1 in MDA-MB-231 cells, and suppressed the cells migration and invasion. Rescue of ETV1 expression in the presence of COP1 notably regained the cells behaviors. ETV1-positive group was associated with a markedly poor overall survival. Meanwhile, we had observed favourable prognosis in COP1-positive cases for the first time. Multivariate analysis showed that COP1 together with ETV1 were independent risk factors in the prognosis of TNBC patients. CONCLUSIONS: COP1 might be a tumor suppressor by negative regulating ETV1 in patients with TNBCs. COP1 and ETV1 are a pair of independent predictors of prognosis for TNBC cases. Thus, targeting them might be a potential strategy for personalized TNBC treatment.

Involvement of MicroRNA-133a in the Development of Arteriosclerosis Obliterans of the Lower Extremities via RhoA Targeting.

AIM: RhoA is a critical factor in regulating the proliferation and migration of arterial smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) in patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO). RhoA is modulated by microRNA-133a (miR-133a) in cardiac myocytes and bronchial smooth muscle cells. However, the relationship between miR-133a and RhoA with respect to the onset of ASO in the lower extremities is uncertain. METHODS: We employed in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) to detect the location of miR-133a and RhoA in ASO clinical samples, respectively. 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), Transwell and wound closure assays were utilized to determine the features of human ASMC (HASMC) proliferation and migration. The expression of miR-133a in the HASMCs was assessed using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), while that of RhoA was examined via qRT-PCR and Western blotting. RESULTS: We found miR-133a and RhoA to be primarily located in the ASMCs of ASO. miR-133a was significantly downregulated in the ASO tissues and proliferating HASMCs. In contrast, RhoA was upregulated in the ASO samples. The proliferation and migration of HASMCs was markedly promoted by the downregulation of miR-133a and inhibited by the upregulation of miR-133a. The Luciferase assay confirmed that RhoA was a direct target of miR-133a. The upregulation of miR-133a in the HASMCs decreased the RhoA expression at the protein level. Inversely, the downregulation of miR-133a increased the RhoA protein expression. Of note, the overexpression of RhoA in the HASMCs attenuated the anti-proliferative and anti-migratory effects of miR-133a. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that miR-133a regulates the functions of HASMCs by targeting RhoA and may be involved in the pathogenesis of ASO. These findings may lead to the development of potential therapeutic targets for ASO of the lower extremities.

RAGE expression in tumor-associated macrophages promotes angiogenesis in glioma.

Interaction of RAGE (the receptor for advanced glycation endproducts) with its ligands can promote tumor progression, invasion, and angiogenesis. Although blocking RAGE signaling has been proposed as a potential anticancer strategy, functional contributions of RAGE expression in the tumor microenvironment (TME) have not been investigated in detail. Here, we evaluated the effect of genetic depletion of RAGE in TME on the growth of gliomas. In both invasive and noninvasive glioma models, animal survival was prolonged in RAGE knockout (Ager(-/-)) mice. However, the improvement in survival in Ager(-/-) mice was not due to changes in tumor growth rate but rather to a reduction in tumor-associated inflammation. Furthermore, RAGE ablation in the TME abrogated angiogenesis by downregulating the expression of proangiogenic factors, which prevented normal vessel formation, thereby generating a leaky vasculature. These alterations were most prominent in noninvasive gliomas, in which the expression of VEGF and proinflammatory cytokines were also lower in tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) in Ager(-/-) mice. Interestingly, reconstitution of Ager(-/-) TAM with wild-type microglia or macrophages normalized tumor vascularity. Our results establish that RAGE signaling in glioma-associated microglia and TAM drives angiogenesis, underscoring the complex role of RAGE and its ligands in gliomagenesis.

Olecular mechanism underlying the myeloperoxidase induced apoptosis of HUVEC-12 cells.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the myeloperoxidase (MPO) induced apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). METHODS: HUVEC-12 cells were treated with myeloperoxidase at different concentrations (0.1 µ/ml, 0.2 µ/ml, 0.4 µ/ml and 0.6 µ/ml) and apoptotic cells were detected by flow cytometry. Then, cells were harvested for the detection of mRNA and protein expression of caspase-3 and Bax by reverse transcription PCR and Western blot assay, respectively. RESULTS: When compared with negative control group, the apoptosis index in 0.2 µ/ml MPO group, 0.4 µ/ml MPO group and 0.6 µ/ml MPO group increased markedly (P<0.05). When compared with negative control group, the mRNA expression of caspase-3 in 0.6 µ/ml MPO group and positive control group increased dramatically (P<0.05). When compared with negative control group, the protein expression of pre-caspase-3 and activated caspase-3 elevated significantly in 0.4 µ/ml MPO group, 0.6 µ/ml MPO group and positive control group (P<0.05). When compared with negative control group, the mRNA and protein expression of Bax elevated dramatically in 0.4 µ/ml MPO group, 0.6 µ/ml MPO group and positive control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: MPO at certain extents may induce the apoptosis of HUVEC-12. The MPO induced apoptosis of HUVEC-12 may be dependent on capase-3 signaling pathway, and Bax is also involved in the MPO induced apoptosis of HUVEC-12.

MicroRNA profiling implies new markers of chemoresistance of triple-negative breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients with truly chemosensitive disease still represent a minority among all TNBC patients. The aim of the present study is to identify microRNAs (miRNAs) that correlate with TNBC chemoresistance. METHODS: In this study, we conducted miRNAs profile comparison between triple-negative breast cancer (TNBCs) and normal breast tissues by microRNA array. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was utilized to confirm the specific deregulated miRNAs change trend. We used starBase 2.1 and GOrilla to predict the potential targets of the specific miRNAs. Cells viability and apoptosis assays were employed to determine the effect of alteration of the specific miRNAs in TNBC cells on the chemosensitivity. RESULTS: We identified 11 specific deregulated miRNAs, including 5 up-regulated miRNAs (miR-155-5p, miR-21-3p, miR-181a-5p, miR-181b-5p, and miR-183-5p) and 6 down-regulated miRNAs (miR-10b-5p, miR-451a, miR-125b-5p, miR-31-5p, miR-195-5p and miR-130a-3p). Thereafter, this result was confirmed by qRT-PCR. We predicted the potential targets of the candidate miRNAs and found that they are involved in cancer-associated pathways. For the first time, we found that miR-130a-3p and miR-451a were down-regulated in TNBC. 9 of the 11 specific deregulated miRNAs were found to be associated with chemoresistance. In vitro assays, we found that up-regulation of either miR-130a-3p or miR-451a in MDA-MB-231 cells significantly changed the cells sensitivity to doxorubicin. The results suggest that TNBC chemotherapy might be affected by a cluster of miRNAs. CONCLUSION: The abnormal expression miRNAs in TNBC are mainly chemoresistance related. This might be part of reason that TNBC likely to evade from chemotherapy resulting in early relapse and high risk of death. To alter their expression status might be a potential therapeutic strategy to improve the outcome of chemotherapy for TNBC patients.

S100B promotes glioma growth through chemoattraction of myeloid-derived macrophages.

PURPOSE: S100B is member of a multigenic family of Ca(2+)-binding proteins, which is overexpressed by gliomas. Recently, we showed that low concentrations of S100B attenuated microglia activation through the induction of Stat3. We hypothesized that overexpression of S100B in gliomas could promote tumor growth by modulating the activity of tumor-associated macrophages (TAM). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We stably transfected GL261 glioma cell lines with constructs that overexpressed (S100B(high)) or underexpressed (S100B(low)) S100B and compared their growth characteristics to intracranial wild-type (S100B(wt)) tumors. RESULTS: Downregulation of S100B in gliomas had no impact on cell division in vitro but abrogated tumor growth in vivo. Interestingly, compared to S100B(low) tumors, S100B(wt) and S100B(high) intracranial gliomas exhibited higher infiltration of TAMs, stronger inflammatory cytokine expression, and increased vascularity. To identify the potential mechanisms involved, the expression of the S100B receptor, receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), was evaluated in gliomas. Although S100B expression induced RAGE in vivo, RAGE ablation in mice did not significantly inhibit TAM infiltration into gliomas, suggesting that other pathways were involved in this process. To evaluate other mechanisms responsible for TAM chemoattraction, we then examined chemokine pathways and found that C-C motif ligand 2 (CCL2) was upregulated in S100B(high) tumors. Furthermore, analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas's glioma data bank showed a positive correlation between S100B and CCL2 expression in human proneural and neural glioma subtypes, supporting our finding. CONCLUSIONS: These observations suggest that S100B promotes glioma growth by TAM chemoattraction through upregulation of CCL2 and introduces the potential utility of S100B inhibitors for glioma therapy.