Toxicarioside A inhibits SGC-7901 proliferation,migration and invasion via NF-κB/bFGF signaling

AIM:To investigate the inhibitory role of toxicarioside A on the gastric cancer cell line human gastric cancer cell line(SGC-7901) and determine the underlying molecular mechanism.METHODS:After SGC-7901 cells were treated with toxicarioside A at various concentrations(0.5,1.5,4.5,9.0 μg/mL) for 24 h or 48 h,cell viability was determined by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl2H-tetrazolium bromide assay,and the motility and invasion of tumor cells were assessed by the Transwell chamber assay.Immunofluorescence staining,reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were performed to detect the expression of basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF) and fibroblast growth factor receptor-1(FGFR1),and nuclear factorkappa B(NF-κB) activation was examined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay.RESULTS:The results showed that toxicarioside A was capable of reducing cell viability,inhibiting cell growth,and suppressing cell migration and invasion activities in a time-and dose-dependent manner in SGC-7901 cells.Further analysis revealed that not only the expression of bFGF and its high-affinity receptor FGFR1 but also the NF-κB-DNA binding activity were effectively blocked by toxicarioside A in a dose-dependent manner compared with the control group(P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).Interestingly,application of the NF-κB specific inhibitor,pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate(PDTC),to SGC-7901 cells significantly potentized the toxicarioside A-induced down-regulation of bFGF compared with the control group(P < 0.05).CONCLUSION:These findings suggest that toxicarioside A has an anti-gastric cancer activity and this effect may be achieved partly through down-regulation of NF-κB and bFGF/FGFR1 signaling.

Effects of high glucose on expression of OPG and RANKL in rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cells

Objective:To explore effect of high glucose on expression of osteoprotegerin(OPG) and receptor activator of NF- κB ligand(RANKL) in rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cells.Methods:SD rats were intraperitoneally injected with streptozotocin,OPG and RANKL expression in rat thoracic aortas were detected by immunohistochemical staining.In cultured vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs)(A7r5),qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis were used to examine the mRNA and protein levels of OPG and RANKL.Results:Our results demonstrated that OPG expression was increased in hyperglycemic rat aortic VSMCs.while RANKL expression was decreased.Besides,in vitro experiments high glucose induced OPG expression,but depressed RANKL expression by dose- and time-dependent manner in cultured A7r5.Conclusions:Our findings suggested that high glucose could promote the expression of OPG,and inhibit the expression of RANKL in VSMCs,which may be partly be the molecular mechanism of diabetic vascular calcification.

Synergistic anti-tumor effect of recombinant chicken fibroblast growth factor receptor-1-mediated anti-angiogenesis and low-dose gemcitabine in a mouse colon adenocarcinoma model

AIM： To evaluate whether the combination of recom- binant chicken fibroblast growth factor receptor -1 （FGFR-1） protein vaccine （cFR-I） combined with low- dose gemcitabine would improve anti-tumor efficacy in a mouse CT26 colon adenocarcinoma （CT26） model.METHODS： The CT26 model was established in BABL/c mice. Seven days after tumor ceil injection, mice were randomly divided into four groups： combination therapy, cFR-1 alone, gemcitabine alone, and normal saline groups. Tumor growth, survival rate of tumor-bearing mice, and systemic toxicity were observed. The presence of anti-tumor auto-antibodies was detected by Western blot analysis and enzyme-linked immunospot assay, microvessel density （MVD） of the tumors and tumor cell proliferation were detected by Immunohistochemistry staining, and tumor cell apoptosis was detected by TdT- mediated biotinylated-dUTP nick end label staining.RESULTS： The combination therapy results in apparent decreases in tumor volume, microvessel density and tumor cell proliferation, and an increase in apoptosis without obvious side-effects as compared with either therapy alone or normal control groups. Also, both auto- antibodies and the antibody-producing B cells against mouse FGFR-1 were detected in mice immunized with cFR-1 vaccine alone or with combination therapy, but not in non-immunized mice. In addition, the deposition of auto-antibodies on endothelial cells from mice immunized with cFR-1 was observed by immunofluorescent stain- ing, but not on endothelial cells from control groups. Synergistic indexes of tumor volume, MVD, cell apoptosis and proliferation in the combination therapy group were 1.71 vs 1.15 vs 1.11 and 1.04, respectively, 31 d after tumor cell injection.CONCLUSION： The combination of cFR-l-mediated antiangiogenesis and low-dose gemcitabine synergistically enhances the anti-tumor activity without overt toxicity in mice.

p42/p44 mitogen-activated protein kinases inhibit atrial natriuretic peptide mRNA transcription in gp130-mediated hypertrophic ventricular myocytes

Objective:To understand the role of ANP mRNA transcription regulation in gpl30-mediated cardiomyocyte hypertrophy,and the involved mitogen-aetivated protein kinase kinase(MEK)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase(ERK,also called p42/p44 MAPK)signaling pathway.Methods:isolated neonatal ventricular myocytes were treated with different concentrations of CT-1(10^(-9),10^(-8)and 10^(-7)mol/L).MTT was used to analyze the viability and RT-PCR was used to detect ANP mRNA levels in eardiomyocyte.To inhibit p42/p44 MAPK activity in hypertrophic cardiomyoeytes,the cells were pretreated with a specific MEKI inhibitor.Results:CT-1significantly induced ANP mRNA expression and the viability of canliomyocytes in a doseand time-dependent manner.Furthermore,blocking p42/p44 MAPK activity by the special MEk1 inhibitor uprcgulatcd the ANP mKNA.Conclusions:p42/p44 MAPK have an important role in suppressing ANP mRNA transcription and cell activity in gpl30-mediated hypertrophic ventricular myocytes.

Inhibition of Pim-1 attenuates the proliferation and migration in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells

Objective:To explore the role of proto-oncogene Pim-1 in the proliferation and migration of nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC) cells.Methods:Pim-1 expressions in NPC cell lines CNE1,CNE1-GL,CNE-2Z and C666-1 were examined by KT-PCR,western blotting and immunoflucesence,respectively.After CNE1,CNE1-GL and C666-1 cells were treated with different concentrations of Pim-1 special inhibitor,quercelagetin,the cell viability,colony formation rate and migration ability were analyzed.Results:Pim-1 expression was negative in well-differentiated CNE1 cells,whereas expressed weakly positive in poor-differentiated CNE-2Z cells and strongly positive in undifferentiated C666-1 cells.Interestingly,CNE1-GL cells that derived from CNE1 transfected with an Epstein Barr virus latent membrane protein-1 over-expression plasmid displayed stronger expression of Pim-1.Treatment of CNE1-GL and C666-1 cells with quercelagetin significantly decreased the cell viability,colony formation rate and migration ability but not the CNE1 cells.Conclusions:These findings suggest that Pim-1 overexpression contributes to NPC proliferation and migration,and targeting Pim-1 may be a potential treatment for anti-Pim-1-expressed NPCs.

Research on anti-pancreatic cancer mechanism of Codonopsis codonopsis based on network pharmacology

Objective:The mechanism of Dangshen(Codonopsis pilosula)in treating pancreatic cancer(PC)was explored by network pharmacology technology and platform.Methods:The traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database and analysis platform(TCMSP)was used to collect the effective compounds and potential targets of C.pilosula,and the genes associated with PC were obtained through the GeneCards database,the interaction genes between the effective compound targets of C.pilosula and PC targets were explored by the Venny method.The following mapping the interaction genes into a protein-protein interaction(PPI)network,and the key targets were screened.Finally,the interactive genes were imported into the DAVID database for gene ontology(GO)annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)signal enrichment.Results:Twenty-one effective compounds and 98 downstream target genes of C.pilosula were screened through the TCMSP database.A total of 1,278 PC target genes were obtained through the GeneCards database,and the number of overlap genes between C.pilosula targets and PC related genes was 54,of which 10 were key node genes,namely CASP3,TP53,MDM2,AKT1,ESR1,BCL2L1,MCL1,HSP90AA1,CASP9,and CCND.These interactive genes involved a total of 30 typical GO terms and 20 KEGG signals.Conclusion:C.pilosula may play a role in treating PC through multi-component,multi-target,and multi-signal pathways.