Research Progress of Epigenetics in Liver Cancer

Epigenetic changes are changes in gene expression by regulating gene transcription and translation without changing the nucleotide sequence of the genome. Although the genome itself changes during the occurrence and development of most malignant tumors, recent studies have found that epigenetic changes also play an important role in the occurrence and development of tumors. Epigenetic modification mainly includes DNA methylation, histone modification and miRNA regulation. This review focuses on the role and mechanism of epigenetic modification in the occurrence, metastasis and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and summarizes the latest methods for the treatment of HCC by restoring dysregulated epigenetic modification. It provides a theoretical basis for revealing the pathogenesis of liver cancer and developing new methods of diagnosis and treatment.

Molecular Mechanism of KDM5B Development in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Objective: To investigate the mechanism of cell cyclin-dependent kinase (KDM5B), a key enzyme driving all cell cycle transitions, promoting HCC progression and metastasis. Methods: The expression of KDM5B in normal liver, HCC and its adjacent tissues was analyzed by RT-PCR and IHC. Lentivirus transfection method was used to construct stable cell lines with KDM5B overexpression and down-regulation, and the role of KDM5B in HCC migration and invasion was detected at cell level and animal level. Western blotting and Transwell experiments were performed to verify the effect of KDM5B and/or CCR2 inhibitors on HCC progression and metastasis by using liver orthotopic transplantation tumor model and immunofluorescence methods. Results: RT-PCR showed that the expression level of KDM5B in HCC was significantly higher than that in adjacent tissues, and the increase of KDM5B was relatively significant. Upregulation of KDM5B in nude mouse liver orthotopic transplantation tumor model can promote the incidence of lung metastasis and shorten the survival time of nude mice, whereas upregulation of KDM5B can reduce the incidence of lung metastasis and prolong the survival time of nude mice. Conclusion: This study clarified the expression of KDM5B in HCC and its function in promoting HCC migration, invasion and metastasis. The molecular mechanism of KDM5B promoting HCC metastasis was revealed, providing a potential therapeutic target for HCC.

Ecotoxicological effects of waterborne PFOS exposure on swimming performance and energy expenditure in juvenile goldfish (Carassius auratus)

The potential risks of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are of increasing ecological concern. Swimming performance is linked to the fitness and health of fish. However, the impacts of PFOS on swimming performance remain largely unknown. We investigated the ecotoxicological effects of acute exposure to PFOS on the swimming performance and energy expenditure of juvenile goldfish (Carassius auratus). The fish were exposed to a range of PFOS concentrations (0, 0.5, 2, 8 and 32 mg/L) for 48 hr. The spontaneous swimming activity, fast-start swimming performance, critical swimming speed (Ucrit) and active metabolic rate (AMR) of the goldfish were examined after exposure to PFOS. PFOS exposure resulted in remarkable effects on spontaneous activity. Motion distance was reduced, and the proportion of motionless time increased with increasing concentrations of PFOS. However, no significant alterations in the fast-start performance-related kinematic parameters, such as latency time, maximum linear velocity, maximum linear acceleration or escape distance during the first 120 msec after stimulus, were observed after PFOS exposure. Unexpectedly, although PFOS exposure had marked influences on the swimming oxygen consumption rates and AMR of goldfish, the U crit of the goldfish was not significantly affected by PFOS. This may result in a noteworthy increase in the energetic cost of transport. The overall results indicate that, in contrast to spontaneous activity, underlying swimming capabilities are maintained in goldfish after short-term exposure to PFOS, but energy expenditure during the process of swimming is dramatically aggravated.