scholarly journals Lysophosphatidic Acid Induces Ligamentum Flavum Hypertrophy Through the LPAR1/Akt Pathway

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 1472-1486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tangjun Zhou ◽  
Lin Du ◽  
Chen Chen ◽  
Chen Han ◽  
Xunlin Li ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: Hypertrophic ligamentum flavum (LF) is a major cause of lumbar spinal stenosis. Our previous work showed that high levels of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) expression are positively correlated with LF hypertrophy. This study aimed to further unveil how LPA regulates LF hypertrophy Methods: We studied LPAR1 expression in human LF cells using PCR and western blotting. Cell viability cell cycle, apoptosis rate and molecular mechanisms were assayed in LPAR1 knockdown or overexpression LF cells. LF hypertrophy and the molecular mechanism was confirmed in human samples and in in vivo studies. Results: The expression of LPA and its receptor LPAR1 is significantly higher in tissues or cells harvested from hypertrophic LF compared to healthy controls. Moreover, LPA promoted LF cell proliferation by interacting with LPAR1. This conclusion is supported by the fact that depletion or overexpression of LPAR1 changed the effect of LPA on LF cell proliferation. LPA also inhibits apoptosis in LF cells through the receptor LPAR1. Importantly, we demonstrated that the LPA-LPAR1 interaction initiated Akt phosphorylation and determined cell proliferation and apoptosis. Our in vitro findings were supported by our in vivo evidence that lyophilized LPA significantly induced LF hypertrophy via the LPAR1-Akt signaling pathway. More importantly, targeted inhibition of LPAR1 by Ki16425 with a gel sponge implant effectively reduced LPA-associated LF hypertrophy. Taken together, these data indicate that LPA binds to the receptor LPAR1 to induce LF cell proliferation and inhibit apoptosis by activating AKT signaling cascades. Targeting this signaling cascade with Ki16425 is a potential therapeutic strategy for preventing LF hypertrophy. Conclusion: LPA-LPAR1-Akt activation is positively correlated with the proliferation and survival of LF cells. LPAR1 could be a target for new drugs and the development of new therapeutic methods for treating LF hypertrophy.

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Huan Guo ◽  
Baozhen Zeng ◽  
Liqiong Wang ◽  
Chunlei Ge ◽  
Xianglin Zuo ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND: The incidence of lung cancer in Yunnan area ranks firstly in the world and underlying molecular mechanisms of lung cancer in Yunnan region are still unclear. We screened a novel potential oncogene CYP2S1 used mRNA microassay and bioinformation database. The function of CYP2S1 in lung cancer has not been reported. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the functions of CYP2S1 in lung cancer. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry and Real-time PCR were used to verify the expression of CYP2S1. Colony formation and Transwell assays were used to determine cell proliferation, invasion and migration. Xenograft assays were used to detected cell growth in vivo. RESULTS: CYP2S1 is significantly up-regulated in lung cancer tissues and cells. Knockdown CYP2S1 in lung cancer cells resulted in decrease cell proliferation, invasion and migration in vitro. Animal experiments showed downregulation of CYP2S1 inhibited lung cancer cell growth in vivo. GSEA analysis suggested that CYP2S1 played functions by regulating E2F targets and G2M checkpoint pathway which involved in cell cycle. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that patients with high CYP2S1 had markedly shorter event overall survival (OS) time. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that CYP2S1 exerts tumor suppressor function in lung cancer. The high expression of CYP2S1 is an unfavorable prognostic marker for patient survival.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 3169
Author(s):  
Kevin Doello ◽  
Cristina Mesas ◽  
Francisco Quiñonero ◽  
Gloria Perazzoli ◽  
Laura Cabeza ◽  
...  

Sodium selenite acts by depleting enzymes that protect against cellular oxidative stress. To determine its effect alone or in combination with gemcitabine (GMZ) in pancreatic cancer, we used PANC-1 and Pan02 cell lines and C57BL mice bearing a Pan02-generated tumor. Our results demonstrated a significant inhibition of pancreatic cancer cell viability with the use of sodium selenite alone and a synergistic effect when associated with GMZ. The molecular mechanisms of the antitumor effect of sodium selenite alone involved apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) and the expression of phospho-p38 in the combined therapy. In addition, sodium selenite alone and in association with GMZ significantly decreased the migration capacity and colony-forming ability, reduced tumor activity in multicellular tumor spheroids (MTS) and decreased sphere formation of cancer stem cells. In vivo studies demonstrated that combined therapy not only inhibited tumor growth (65%) compared to the untreated group but also relative to sodium selenite or GMZ used as monotherapy (up to 40%), increasing mice survival. These results were supported by the analysis of C57BL/6 albino mice bearing a Pan02-generated tumor, using the IVIS system. In conclusion, our results showed that sodium selenite is a potential agent for the improvement in the treatment of pancreatic cancer and should be considered for future human clinical trials.


2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 612-628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaodong Zhang ◽  
Guwei Ji ◽  
Sheng Han ◽  
Zicheng Shao ◽  
Zefa Lu ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: Aberrant expression of Tip60 is associated with progression in many cancers. However, the role of Tip60 in cancer progression remains contradictory. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance, biological functions and underlying mechanisms of Tip60 deregulation in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) for the first time. Methods: Quantitative real-time PCR (QRT-PCR), western blotting and immunohistochemistry staining (IHC) were carried out to measure Tip60 expression in CCA tissues and cell lines. Kaplan–Meier analysis and the log-rank test were used for survival analysis. In vitro, cell proliferation was evaluated by flow cytometry and CCK-8, colony formation, and EDU assays. Migration/ invasion was evaluated by trans-well assays. Phosphokinase array was used to confirm the dominant signal regulated by Tip60. Tumor growth and metastasis were demonstrated in vivo using a mouse model. Results: Tip60 was notably downregulated in CCA tissues, which was associated with greater tumor size, venous invasion, and TNM stage. Down-regulation of Tip60 was associated with tumor progression and poorer survival in CCA patients. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that Tip60 suppressed growth and metastasis throughout the progression of CCA. We further identified the PI3K/AKT pathway as a dominant signal of Tip60 and suggested that Tip60 regulated CCA cell proliferation and metastasis via PT3K-AKT pathway. Pearson analysis revealed that PTEN was positively correlated with the Tip60 level in CCA tissues. Conclusion: Tip60, as a tumor suppressor in CCA via the PI3K/AKT pathway, might be a promising therapeutic target or prognostic marker for CCA.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Chao Hu ◽  
Xiaobin Zhu ◽  
Taogen Zhang ◽  
Zhouming Deng ◽  
Yuanlong Xie ◽  
...  

Introduction. Osteosarcoma is a malignant tumor associated with high mortality rates due to the toxic side effects of current therapeutic methods. Tanshinone IIA can inhibit cell proliferation and promote apoptosis in vitro, but the exact mechanism is still unknown. The aims of this study are to explore the antiosteosarcoma effect of tanshinone IIA via Src kinase and demonstrate the mechanism of this effect. Materials and Methods. Osteosarcoma MG-63 and U2-OS cell lines were stable transfections with Src-shRNA. Then, the antiosteosarcoma effect of tanshinone IIA was tested in vitro. The protein expression levels of Src, p-Src, p-ERK1/2, and p-AKt were detected by Western blot and RT-PCR. CCK-8 assay and BrdU immunofluorescence assay were used to detect cell proliferation. Transwell assay, cell scratch assay, and flow cytometry were used to detect cell invasion, migration, and cell cycle. Tumor-bearing nude mice with osteosarcoma were constructed. The effect of tanshinone IIA was detected by tumor HE staining, tumor inhibition rate, incidence of lung metastasis, and X-ray. Results. The oncogene role of Src kinase in osteosarcoma is reflected in promoting cell proliferation, invasion, and migration and in inhibiting apoptosis. However, Src has different effects on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle regulation among cell lines. At a cellular level, the antiosteosarcoma effect of tanshinone IIA is mediated by Src downstream of the MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKt signaling pathways. At the animal level, tanshinone IIA played a role in resisting osteosarcoma formation by Src downstream of the MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKt signaling pathways. Conclusion. Tanshinone IIA plays an antiosteosarcoma role in vitro and in vivo and inhibits the progression of osteosarcoma mediated by Src downstream of the MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKt signaling pathways.


Author(s):  
Jiewei Lin ◽  
Shuyu Zhai ◽  
Siyi Zou ◽  
Zhiwei Xu ◽  
Jun Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background FLVCR1-AS1 is a key regulator of cancer progression. However, the biological functions and underlying molecular mechanisms of pancreatic cancer (PC) remain unknown. Methods FLVCR1-AS1 expression levels in 77 PC tissues and matched non-tumor tissues were analyzed by qRT-PCR. Moreover, the role of FLVCR1-AS1 in PC cell proliferation, cell cycle, and migration was verified via functional in vitro and in vivo experiments. Further, the potential competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network between FLVCR1-AS1 and KLF10, as well as FLVCR1-AS1 transcription levels, were investigated. Results FLVCR1-AS1 expression was low in both PC tissues and PC cell lines, and FLVCR1-AS1 downregulation was associated with a worse prognosis in patients with PC. Functional experiments demonstrated that FLVCR1-AS1 overexpression significantly suppressed PC cell proliferation, cell cycle, and migration both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic investigations revealed that FLVCR1-AS1 acts as a ceRNA to sequester miR-513c-5p or miR-514b-5p from the sponging KLF10 mRNA, thereby relieving their suppressive effects on KLF10 expression. Additionally, FLVCR1-AS1 was shown to be a direct transcriptional target of KLF10. Conclusions Our research suggests that FLVCR1-AS1 plays a tumor-suppressive role in PC by inhibiting proliferation, cell cycle, and migration through a positive feedback loop with KLF10, thereby providing a novel therapeutic strategy for PC treatment.


Author(s):  
Serda Kecel Gunduz ◽  
Bilge Bicak ◽  
Aysen E. Ozel

In this chapter, computational approaches for the discovery of new drugs that are useful for diagnosis and treatment of disease will be described in three parts. MD technique uniquely supports protein design attempts by giving information about protein dynamics associated with atomic-level descriptions of the relationship between dynamics and function. The purpose of molecular docking is to provide an estimate of the ligand-receptor complex structure using computational methods. By this estimation, the mechanism of drug binding and action are described by determining the three-dimensional simulation of drug and drug-induced macrostructure. ADME characteristics are physicochemically significant descriptors and pharmacokinetically relevant properties used to design more effective drugs and new analogs. As a result, in-silico calculations can provide robust preliminary information as to drug activity and mechanism in the drug production process, as well as in vitro and in vivo studies.


BMC Cancer ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ethan P. Metz ◽  
Erin L. Wuebben ◽  
Phillip J. Wilder ◽  
Jesse L. Cox ◽  
Kaustubh Datta ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Quiescent tumor cells pose a major clinical challenge due to their ability to resist conventional chemotherapies and to drive tumor recurrence. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that promote quiescence of tumor cells could help identify therapies to eliminate these cells. Significantly, recent studies have determined that the function of SOX2 in cancer cells is highly dose dependent. Specifically, SOX2 levels in tumor cells are optimized to promote tumor growth: knocking down or elevating SOX2 inhibits proliferation. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that quiescent tumor cells express higher levels of SOX2 compared to adjacent proliferating cells. Currently, the mechanisms through which elevated levels of SOX2 restrict tumor cell proliferation have not been characterized. Methods To understand how elevated levels of SOX2 restrict the proliferation of tumor cells, we engineered diverse types of tumor cells for inducible overexpression of SOX2. Using these cells, we examined the effects of elevating SOX2 on their proliferation, both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we examined how elevating SOX2 influences their expression of cyclins, cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), and p27Kip1. Results Elevating SOX2 in diverse tumor cell types led to growth inhibition in vitro. Significantly, elevating SOX2 in vivo in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, medulloblastoma, and prostate cancer cells induced a reversible state of tumor growth arrest. In all three tumor types, elevation of SOX2 in vivo quickly halted tumor growth. Remarkably, tumor growth resumed rapidly when SOX2 returned to endogenous levels. We also determined that elevation of SOX2 in six tumor cell lines decreased the levels of cyclins and CDKs that control each phase of the cell cycle, while upregulating p27Kip1. Conclusions Our findings indicate that elevating SOX2 above endogenous levels in a diverse set of tumor cell types leads to growth inhibition both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, our findings indicate that SOX2 can function as a master regulator by controlling the expression of a broad spectrum of cell cycle machinery. Importantly, our SOX2-inducible tumor studies provide a novel model system for investigating the molecular mechanisms by which elevated levels of SOX2 restrict cell proliferation and tumor growth.


Antioxidants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 916 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salman Ul Islam ◽  
Muhammad Bilal Ahmed ◽  
Haseeb Ahsan ◽  
Mazharul Islam ◽  
Adeeb Shehzad ◽  
...  

Human skin is continuously subjected to environmental stresses, as well as extrinsic and intrinsic noxious agents. Although skin adopts various molecular mechanisms to maintain homeostasis, excessive and repeated stresses can overwhelm these systems, leading to serious cutaneous damage, including both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. Phytochemicals present in the diet possess the desirable effects of protecting the skin from damaging free radicals as well as other benefits. Dietary phytochemicals appear to be effective in preventing skin cancer and are inexpensive, widely available, and well tolerated. Multiple in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated the significant anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-angiogenic characteristics of dietary phytochemicals against skin malignancy. Moreover, dietary phytochemicals affect multiple important cellular processes including cell cycle, angiogenesis, and metastasis to control skin cancer progression. Herein, we discuss the advantages of key dietary phytochemicals in whole fruits and vegetables, their bioavailability, and underlying molecular mechanisms for preventing skin cancer. Current challenges and future prospects for research are also reviewed. To date, most of the chemoprevention investigations have been conducted preclinically, and additional clinical trials are required to conform and validate the preclinical results in humans.


Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 596 ◽  
Author(s):  
María del Carmen Villegas-Aguilar ◽  
Álvaro Fernández-Ochoa ◽  
María de la Luz Cádiz-Gurrea ◽  
Sandra Pimentel-Moral ◽  
Jesús Lozano-Sánchez ◽  
...  

Dietary phenolic compounds are considered as bioactive compounds that have effects in different chronic disorders related to oxidative stress, inflammation process, or aging. These compounds, coming from a wide range of natural sources, have shown a pleiotropic behavior on key proteins that act as regulators. In this sense, this review aims to compile information on the effect exerted by the phenolic compounds and their metabolites on the main metabolic pathways involved in energy metabolism, inflammatory response, aging and their relationship with the biological properties reported in high prevalence chronic diseases. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated their pleiotropic molecular mechanisms of action and these findings raise the possibility that phenolic compounds have a wide variety of roles in different targets.


Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zain Akram ◽  
Ishtiaq Ahmed ◽  
Heike Mack ◽  
Ramandeep Kaur ◽  
Richard C. Silva ◽  
...  

The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has an actin cytoskeleton that comprises a set of protein components analogous to those found in the actin cytoskeletons of higher eukaryotes. Furthermore, the actin cytoskeletons of S. cerevisiae and of higher eukaryotes have some similar physiological roles. The genetic tractability of budding yeast and the availability of a stable haploid cell type facilitates the application of molecular genetic approaches to assign functions to the various actin cytoskeleton components. This has provided information that is in general complementary to that provided by studies of the equivalent proteins of higher eukaryotes and hence has enabled a more complete view of the role of these proteins. Several human functional homologues of yeast actin effectors are implicated in diseases. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning the functions of these proteins is critical to develop improved therapeutic strategies. In this article we chose as examples four evolutionarily conserved proteins that associate with the actin cytoskeleton: (1) yeast Hof1p/mammalian PSTPIP1, (2) yeast Rvs167p/mammalian BIN1, (3) yeast eEF1A/eEF1A1 and eEF1A2 and (4) yeast Yih1p/mammalian IMPACT. We compare the knowledge on the functions of these actin cytoskeleton-associated proteins that has arisen from studies of their homologues in yeast with information that has been obtained from in vivo studies using live animals or in vitro studies using cultured animal cell lines.


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