Zn^(2+) loading as a critical contributor to the circ_0008553-mediated oxidative stress and inflammation in response to PM_(2.5) exposures

Inflammation is a major adverse outcome induced by inhaled particulate matter with a diameter of≤2.5μm(PM_(2.5)),and a critical trigger ofmost PM_(2.5) exposure-associated diseases.However,the key molecular events regulating the PM_(2.5)-induced airway inflammation are yet to be elucidated.Considering the critical role of circular RNAs(circRNAs)in regulating inflammation,we predicted 11 circRNAs that may be involved in the PM_(2.5)-induced airway inflammation using three previously reportedmiRNAs through the starBasewebsite.A novel circRNA circ_0008553 was identified to be responsible for the PM_(2.5)-activated inflammatory response in human bronchial epithelial cells(16HBE)via inducing oxidative stress.Using a combinatorial model PM_(2.5) library,we found that the synergistic effect of the insoluble core and loaded Zn^(2+)ions at environmentally relevant concentrations was the major contributor to the upregulation of circ_0008553 and subsequent induction of oxidative stress and inflammation in response to PM2.5 exposures.Our findings provided new insight into the intervention of PM_(2.5)-induced adverse outcomes.

Overexpression of amplified in breast cancer 1 (AIB1) gene promotes lung adenocarcinoma aggressiveness in vitro and in vivo by upregulating C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4

Background:We previously found that overexpression of the gene known as amplified in breast cancer 1(AIB1)was associated with lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis in patients with lung adenocarcinoma.However,the role of AIB1 in that malignancy remains unknown.The present study aimed to investigate the function of AIB1 in the process of lung adenocarcinoma cell metastasis.Methods:A series of in vivo and in vitro assays were performed to elucidate the function of AIB1,while real-time PCR and Western blotting were utilized to identify the potential downstream targets of AIB1 in the process of lung adenocarcinoma metastasis.Rescue experiments and in vitro assays were performed to investigate whether the invasive-ness of AIB1-induced lung adenocarcinoma was mediated by C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4(CXCR4).Results:The ectopic overexpression of AIB1 in lung adenocarcinoma cells substantially enhanced cell migration and invasive abilities in vitro and tumor metastasis in vivo,whereas the depletion of AIB1 expression substantially inhibited lung adenocarcinoma cell migration and invasion.CXCR4 was identified as a potential downstream target of AIB1 in lung adenocarcinoma.The knockdown of AIB1 greatly reduced CXCR4 gene expression at both the transcription and protein levels,whereas the knockdown of CXCR4 in cells with AIB1 ectopic overexpression diminished AIB1-induced migration and invasion in vitro and tumor metastasis in vivo.Furthermore,we found a significant positive association between the expression of AIB1 and CXCR4 in lung adenocarcinoma patients(183 cases),and the co-overexpression of AIB1 and CXCR4 predicted the poorest prognosis.Conclusions:These findings suggest that AIB1 promotes the aggressiveness of lung adenocarcinoma in vitro and in vivo by upregulating CXCR4 and that it might be usable as a novel prognostic marker and/or therapeutic target for this disease.

Abnormal expression of c-Myc in human bronchial epithelial cells malignantly transformed by anti-BPDE

Anti-benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide(anti-BPDE)is a metabolite of benzo[a]pyrene(B[a]P)and acts as a potent mutagen in mammalian systems.However,molecular mechanisms related to anti-BPDE-induced carcinogenesis are poorly understood.Here,we investigated the expression of proto-oncogene c-myc in human bronchial epithelial cells(16HBE-T)transformed by exposure to anti-BPDE.The levels of mRNA and pro-tein of c-Myc were examined in the 16HBE-T and vehicle-treated control cells(16HBE-N)by using different meth-ods respectively,including reverse transcriptase-polymer-ase chain reaction(RT-PCR),quantitative real-time PCR(Q-PCR),western blot and immunocytochemical meth-ods.The level of c-myc mRNA appeared to be signifi-cantly increased in 16HBE-T,as compared with those of the 16HBE-N.Likewise,the expression of c-Myc protein was significantly enhanced as compared with those of the control cells.Moreover,the localization of c-Myc protein shows mainly nuclear staining in 16HBE-T.In conclu-sion,the abnormal expression of c-Myc was present in anti-BPDE malignantly transformed 16HBE cells,which may be involved in the carcinogenesis molecular mech-anism of anti-BPDE.