VEGF-B targeting by aryl hydrocarbon receptor mediates the migration and invasion of choriocarcinoma stem-like cells.

Unlike other members of the VEGF family, the function of VEGF-B in tumor progression remains to be elucidated. Thus, the present study aimed to determine the function of VEGF-B in human choriocarcinoma cells by investigating its detailed effects and molecular mechanisms. VEGF-B and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) expression were evaluated by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis and western blot analysis in JEG-3 cells and choriocarcinoma stem-like cells (CSLCs) and their proliferation, migration, and invasion after the transfection of short hairpin RNA VEGF-B, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD; AhR agonist) treatment or StemRegenin 1 (SR1; AhR antagonist) treatment were examined by cell proliferation assay, wound healing assay and Transwell assay. In addition, luciferase reporter analysis and bioinformatics data mining were used to investigate the association between VEGF-B and AhR. Upregulation of VEGF-B and AhR expression was observed in CSLCs. Following VEGF-B knockdown or SR1 treatment, the proliferative, migratory, and invasive abilities of CSLCs were significantly decreased, contrary to the findings after TCDD treatment. It was also found that AhR enhanced VEGF-B transcriptional activity by binding to the relative promoter region. These observations indicated that VEGF-B may be an oncogene that promotes choriocarcinoma cell migration and invasion targeted by AhR. Therefore, targeting VEGF-B may provide a novel therapeutic opportunity for choriocarcinoma.

The associations of TNF-α gene polymorphisms with bone mineral density and risk of osteoporosis: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Fracture is a common consequence of osteoporosis and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Recently, increasing evidence has suggested that polymorphisms in tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) gene were associated with osteoporosis risk and bone mineral density (BMD), but results remain conflicting. We herein performed a meta-analysis based on evidence currently available from the literature to make a more precise estimation of these relationships. METHODS: The PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure) and Wan Fang databases were searched for eligible studies. Articles meeting the inclusion criteria were comprehensively reviewed and all available data were accumulated. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) or mean differences (MDs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were applied to assess the strength of the relationships. RESULTS: A total of 15 studies involving 5273 subjects were included in our meta-analysis. The GG genotype of TNF-α G308A was associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis under a mutant model (GG vs GA+AA: OR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.51-0.77, P < 0.0001, I2  = 31%). Additionally, we also observed a significant association between G308A polymorphism and BMD of lumbar spine (AA vs GG: P = 0.01, I2  = 53%). However, TNF-α T1031C, C857T and C863A polymorphisms had no obvious impacts on osteoporosis risk. CONCLUSIONS: The present meta-analysis demonstrated that TNF-α G308A polymorphism may act as a potential candidate biomarker for screening, diagnosis, and treatment of osteoporosis, which will help improve individualized therapy of osteoporosis patients in clinics.

Up-regulation of CKAP2L expression promotes lung adenocarcinoma invasion and is associated with poor prognosis.

AIM: The purpose of this study is to consider the function of cytoskeleton-associated protein 2-like (CKAP2L) in lung adenocarcinoma (LAD) development and its prognostic value. METHODS: The mRNA expression of CKAP2L and its correlation with clinical factors in LAD patients were analyzed from the data taken from The Cancer Genome Atlas and The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University. We constructed H460 and A549 cell lines with silenced CKAP2L using RNA interference. Cell counting kit-8 assay and colony formation assays were carried out to determine the function of CKAP2L in H460 and A549 cell proliferation. Transwell and wound healing assays were applied to determine the effect of CKAP2L on H460 and A549 cell invasion and migration. The influences of CKAP2L on mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway-related proteins were tested by Western blotting. RESULTS: CKAP2L expression is enhanced in LAD tissues and is predictive of poor prognosis in LAD patients. High expression of CKAP2L is associated with stage (P<0.001), lymph node status (P=0.002), and metastasis (P=0.025). Depletion of CKAP2L dramatically suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of H460 and A549 cells. Moreover, the ratio of p-MEK/ MEK and p-ERK/ERK reduced obviously in A549 cells after depleting CKAP2L. CONCLUSION: Our findings implied that CKAP2L might be a promoter of LAD and could serve as a predictor for LAD patients.

Current status of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for spontaneous pneumothorax / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Surgical treatment is an important treatment for spontaneous pneumothorax, which can remove the gas in the pleural cavity, relieve symptoms, promote lung recruitment, moreover, prevent future recurrence. The surgical modalities included video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and non VATS treatment. Nowadays, the treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax has entered a minimally invasive era. With the development of minimally invasive techniques in recent years, as the representative of minimally invasive surgery, the surgeon techniques of VATS has developed to diversity, including three-port VATS, two-port VATS, uniportal VATS, subxiphoid uniportal VATS, 3D VATS, robotic-assisted VAT and cervical uniportal VATS. Each technique has its own advantages and limitations, and individual choices should be made.

Rate constant for the reaction C2H5 + HBr → C2H6 + Br.

RRKM theory has been employed to analyze the kinetics of the title reaction, in particular, the once-controversial negative activation energy. Stationary points along the reaction coordinate were characterized with coupled cluster theory combined with basis set extrapolation to the complete basis set limit. A shallow minimum, bound by 9.7 kJ mol(-1) relative to C(2)H(5) + HBr, was located, with a very small energy barrier to dissociation to Br + C(2)H(6). The transition state is tight compared to the adduct. The influence of vibrational anharmonicity on the kinetics and thermochemistry of the title reaction were explored quantitatively. With adjustment of the adduct binding energy by ∼4 kJ mol(-1), the computed rate constants may be brought into agreement with most experimental data in the literature, including new room-temperature results described here. There are indications that at temperatures above those studied experimentally, the activation energy may switch from negative to positive.

Modified transition state theory and negative apparent activation energies of simple metathesis reactions: application to the reaction CH3 + HBr --> CH4 + Br.

A modified transition state theory (MTST) has been developed for gas-phase reactions with "negative barriers". The theory was applied to the reactions CH3 + HBr(DBr) --> CH4(CH3D) + Br (1a, 1b), which exhibit negative temperature dependences. Accurate ab initio calculations performed with coupled cluster theory extrapolated to the complete basis set limit revealed a transition state located at -2.3 kJ mol(-1) relative to the ground state of the reactants (in reaction 1a), as well as a shallow bound complex. The negative temperature dependence, the absolute values of the rate constant, and the isotope substitution effect are reproduced with good accuracy (10%), without any adjustment or fitting parameters. Analytical expressions are presented for MTST including angular momentum conservation, centrifugal barriers and tunneling. This analysis uses information about the possibly loose entrance barrier and the transition state but does not invoke a statistical intermediate complex.