RESUMO
Ovarian cancer (OC) is a common malignancies of the female genitalia. P. montana var. lobata (Willd.), a herb with anti-tumor effects, is widely used in the clinical treatment of ovarian cancer (OC), but the ingredients and molecular mechanism of action remains to be explored. In this study, we extracted the main active ingredients of P. montana var. lobata (Willd.) from the TCMSP database, and predicted its potential targets of action against OC from the DisGeNET and GeneCards databases. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) was constructed using the STRING database, while pathway enrichment analyses were performed using the DAVID database. Next, we generated an Ingredient-Target-Pathway network using Cytoscape 3.7.2, then processed the key targets of action and main active ingredients for molecular docking. The results showed that seven active ingredients of P montana var. lobata (Willd.) were associated with treating for OC, namely beta-sitosterol, coumestrol, daidzein, formononetin, genistein, puerarin and scoparone, two important targets Casp3 and Jun, and signaling pathways of P. montana var. lobata (Willd.) against the progression of OC. TUNEL staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and Western blot assays, the pharmacodynamic effect of puerarin in the treatment of OC and the major targets were verified. Animal experiment demonstrated that application of puerarin at different times of modeling not only upregulated expression of Casp3, Smac, and c-jun proteins, but also promoted apoptosis in tumor cells, hence inhibiting progression of OC. This study demonstrates that P. montana var. lobata (Willd.) can thereby induce apoptosis in tumor cells and inhibit malignant progression through activating expression of Casp3, smac, and c-jun proteins to regulate related apoptosis pathways, as validated by network pharmacology predictions and animal experiments, and can be verifed by large-scale clinical trials in the future. This study also provides theoretical support and new research perspectives for this disease.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Cervical pregnancy is increasing in morbidity, and a definite diagnosis in early stages is challenging due to its specific onset site. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for cervical pregnancy, but it may result in the loss of natural fertility. Therefore, it is a great challenge to pursue a safe and effective treatment for cervical pregnancy. CASE SUMMARY: We report the case of a cervical pregnancy successfully treated by ultrasound-guided cervical-intramuscular lauromacrogol injection combined with hysteroscopy. A 23-year-old woman with minor irregular vaginal bleeding was admitted to our department with suspected ectopic pregnancy. Transvaginal ultrasound revealed a gestational sac (approximately 22 mm x 13 mm) situated in the cervical canal with a yolk sac and blood flow signals. No cardiac activity was detected. Serum beta progesterone was 17.06 ng/mL, and serum beta human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-HCG) was 5077.0 IU/L. The patient was diagnosed with cervical pregnancy. She was treated by ultrasound-guided cervical-intramuscular injections of lauromacrogol (3 mL) in combination with aborting under hysteroscopic visualization. A gradual decrease in ß-HCG levels and normal ultrasound findings were observed. Postoperative pathologic examination showed the presence of villi and changes in the endometrium in the secretory phase. The patient was discharged on day 6, and her ß-HCG level was 0.67 mIU/mL after 1 wk. There was no statistical difference between baseline and 1-week postoperative data in terms of serum indices including liver function, renal function, and routine blood analysis after treatment. The patient subsequently became pregnant 2 mo later and no abnormalities were detected on routine screening during pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound-guided cervical-intramuscular lauromacrogol injection combined with hysteroscopy may be effective and safe in the treatment of cervical pregnancy.
RESUMO
Increasing evidence indicates that circular RNAs (CircRNAs) have an important role in human diseases, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Recently, circ_0043533, a novel circRNA, was proposed to be involved in the progression of PCOS. However, its role in PCOS has not been explored. In this study, the expression levels of circ_0043533 and miR-1179 in ovarian granulosa cells (OGCs) were examined by qRT-PCR analysis. Moreover, knockdown of circ_0043533 in OGC lines COV434 and KGN, respectively, the cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, and cycle-related markers of insulin-triggered OGCs were examined by CCK-8, EdU staining, flow cytometry, and western blot assays, respectively. The interaction between circ_0043533 and miR-1179 was examined by bioinformatics, dual-luciferase assay, and RNA immunoprecipitation. Besides, effects of the miR-1179 inhibitor on cell viability and apoptosis in OGC lines with circ_0043533 knockdown were also evaluated. OGCs and insulin-treated OGCs exhibited higher circ_0043533 levels in comparison to the IOSE80 cells. Additionally, knockdown of circ_0043533 remarkably inhibited the cell viability and proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of insulin-treated COV434 and KGN cells, respectively. Meanwhile, circ_0043533 knockdown could down-regulate the Bcl-2, CDK2, and Cyclin D1 expressions, and up-regulate the Bax levels. Furthermore, we demonstrated that circ_0043533 acted as a sponge to absorb miR-1179. Interestingly, miR-1179 inhibition remarkably attenuated the effect of circ_0043533 silence on cell proliferation and apoptosis in insulin-treated COV434 and KGN cells. Taken together, this study revealed that circ_0043533 knockdown restrained the malignant progression of PCOS via targeting miR-1179. Our data suggested that circ_0043533 would serve as a novel therapeutic target for PCOS.
