OBJECTIVE To discover a small-molecule bromodomain-containing protein 4(BRD4)inhibitor that induces AMP-activated protein kinase-modulated autophagy-associated cell death in breast cancer and exploreits potential mech...OBJECTIVE To discover a small-molecule bromodomain-containing protein 4(BRD4)inhibitor that induces AMP-activated protein kinase-modulated autophagy-associated cell death in breast cancer and exploreits potential mechanisms.METHODS BRD4 interactors were analyzed by PPI network prediction and The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)analysis.The interaction between BRD4 and AMPK was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation assay.Novel BRD4 inhibitors were designed and synthesized based upon pharmacophore analysis of BRD4(1),then screened by antiproliferative activity and Alpha Screen of BRD4(1).The selectivity of the best candidate compound 8f was validated by co-crystallization,FRET assay and co-immuno precipitation assay.The mechanisms of 8f were investigated by fluorescence microscopy,electron microscopy,Western blotting,immunocytochemistry,si RNA and GFP-m RFP-LC3 plasmid transfections,as well as immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence.Potential mechanisms were discovered by i TRAQ-based proteomics analysis and the therapeutic effect of 8f was assessed by xenograft breast cancer mouse and zebrafish models.RESULTS We identified that BRD4 interacted with AMPK,which was remarkably downregulated in breast cancer.We next designed and synthesized 49 candidate compounds,and eventually discovered a selective small-molecule inhibitor of BRD4(8f).Subsequently,8f was discovered to induce autophagyassociated cell death(ACD)by BRD4-AMPK interaction,and thus activating AMPK-m TOR-ULK1-modulated autophagic pathway in breast cancer cells.Interestingly,the i TRAQ-based proteomics analyses revealed that 8f induced ACD pathways,involved in HMGB1,VDAC1/2 and e EF2.Moreover,8f displayed a therapeutic potential on both xenograft breast cancer mouse and zebrafish models.CONCLUSION We discovered a novel small-molecule inhibitor of BRD4 that induces BRD4-AMPK-modulated ACD in breast cancer,which may provide a candidate drug for future cancer therapy.展开更多
BACKGROUND Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC),the predominant type of esophageal cancer,has a 5-year survival rate less than 20%.Although the cause of poor prognosis is the high incidence and mortality of ESCC,t...BACKGROUND Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC),the predominant type of esophageal cancer,has a 5-year survival rate less than 20%.Although the cause of poor prognosis is the high incidence and mortality of ESCC,the high rate of metastasis after esophageal cancer surgery is the main cause of death after the surgery.Bromodomain-containing protein 4(BRD4),an epigenetic reader of chromatinacetylated histones in tumorigenesis and development,plays an essential role in regulating oncogene expression.BRD4 inhibition and BRD4 inhibition-based treatment can potentially suppress ESCC growth.However,the effects and mechanisms of action of BRD4 on ESCC cell migration remain unclear.AIM To explore the effect of BRD4 on cell migration of ESCC in vitro and its possible molecular mechanism.METHODS Human ESCC cell lines KYSE-450 and KYSE-150 were used.The 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide assay was performed to examine cell proliferation,and the transwell migration assay was conducted to test ESCC cell migration.JQ1,a BRD4 inhibitor,was applied to cells,and BRD4 siRNA was transfected into ESCC cells to knockdown endogenous BRD4.GFP-RFP-LC3 adenovirus was infected into ESCC cells to evaluate the effect of JQ1 on autophagy.Western blotting was performed to determine the protein levels of BRD4,E-cadherin,vimentin,AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK),and p-AMPK.RESULTS BRD4 was either downregulated by small interfering RNA or pretreated with JQ1 in ESCC cells,leading to increased tumor migration in ESCC cells in a dose-and time-dependent manner.Inhibition of BRD4 not only significantly suppressed cell proliferation but also strongly increased cell migration by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT).The protein expression of vimentin was increased and E-cadherin decreased in a dose-dependent manner,subsequently promoting autophagy in KYSE-450 and KYSE-150 cells.Pretreatment with JQ1,a BRD4 inhibitor,inhibited BRD4-induced LC3-II activation and upregulated AMPK phosphorylation in a dosedependent manner.Additionally,an increased number of autophagosomes and autolysosomes were observed in JQ1-treated ESCC cells.The autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine(3-MA)reversed the effects of BRD4 knockdown on ESCC cell migration and blocked JQ1-induced cell migration.3-MA also downregulated the expression of vimentin and upregulation E-cadherin.CONCLUSION BRD4 inhibition enhances cell migration by inducing EMT and autophagy in ESCC cells via the AMPK-modified pathway.Thus,the facilitating role on ESCC cell migration should be considered for BRD4 inhibitor clinical application to ESCC patients.展开更多
BACKGROUND Regulator of G protein signaling(RGS)proteins participate in tumor formation and metastasis by acting on theα-subunit of heterotrimeric G proteins.The speci-fic effect of RGS,particularly RGS4,on the progr...BACKGROUND Regulator of G protein signaling(RGS)proteins participate in tumor formation and metastasis by acting on theα-subunit of heterotrimeric G proteins.The speci-fic effect of RGS,particularly RGS4,on the progression of gastric cancer(GC)is not yet clear.AIM To explore the role and underlying mechanisms of action of RGS4 in GC develop-ment.METHODS The prognostic significance of RGS4 in GC was analyzed using bioinformatics based public databases and verified by immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction in 90 patients with GC.Function assays were employed to assess the carcinogenic impact of RGS4,and the mechanism of its possible influence was detected by western blot analysis.A nude mouse xenograft model was established to study the effects of RGS4 on GC growth in vitro.RESULTS RGS4 was highly expressed in GC tissues compared with matched adjacent normal tissues.Elevated RGS4 expression was correlated with increased tumor-node-metastasis stage,increased tumor grade as well as poorer overall survival in patients with GC.Cell experiments demonstrated that RGS4 knockdown suppressed GC cell proliferation,migration and invasion.Similarly,xenograft experiments confirmed that RGS4 silencing significantly inhibited tumor growth.Moreover,RGS4 knockdown resulted in reduced phosphorylation levels of focal adhesion kinase,phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase,and protein kinase B,decreased vimentin and N-cadherin,and elevated E-cadherin.CONCLUSION High RGS4 expression in GC indicates a worse prognosis and RGS4 is a prognostic marker.RGS4 influences tumor progression via the focal adhesion kinase/phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition.展开更多
BACKGROUND:Adeno-associated virus(AAV)gene therapy has been proven to be reliable and safe for the treatment of osteoarthritis in recent years.However,given the complexity of osteoarthritis pathogenesis,single gene ma...BACKGROUND:Adeno-associated virus(AAV)gene therapy has been proven to be reliable and safe for the treatment of osteoarthritis in recent years.However,given the complexity of osteoarthritis pathogenesis,single gene manipulation for the treatment of osteoarthritis may not produce satisfactory results.Previous studies have shown that nuclear factorκB could promote the inflammatory pathway in osteoarthritic chondrocytes,and bone morphogenetic protein 4(BMP4)could promote cartilage regeneration.OBJECTIVE:To test whether combined application of AAV-p65shRNA and AAV-BMP4 will yield the synergistic effect on chondrocytes regeneration and osteoarthritis treatment.METHODS:Viral particles containing AAV-p65-shRNA and AAV-BMP4 were prepared.Their efficacy in inhibiting inflammation in chondrocytes and promoting chondrogenesis was assessed in vitro and in vivo by transfecting AAV-p65-shRNA or AAV-BMP4 into cells.The experiments were divided into five groups:PBS group;osteoarthritis group;AAV-BMP4 group;AAV-p65shRNA group;and BMP4-p65shRNA 1:1 group.Samples were collected at 4,12,and 24 weeks postoperatively.Tissue staining,including safranin O and Alcian blue,was applied after collecting articular tissue.Then,the optimal ratio between the two types of transfected viral particles was further investigated to improve the chondrogenic potential of mixed cells in vivo.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The combined application of AAV-p65shRNA and AAV-BMP4 together showed a synergistic effect on cartilage regeneration and osteoarthritis treatment.Mixed cells transfected with AAV-p65shRNA and AAV-BMP4 at a 1:1 ratio produced the most extracellular matrix synthesis(P<0.05).In vivo results also revealed that the combination of the two viruses had the highest regenerative potential for osteoarthritic cartilage(P<0.05).In the present study,we also discovered that the combined therapy had the maximum effect when the two viruses were administered in equal proportions.Decreasing either p65shRNA or BMP4 transfected cells resulted in less collagen II synthesis.This implies that inhibiting inflammation by p65shRNA and promoting regeneration by BMP4 are equally important for osteoarthritis treatment.These findings provide a new strategy for the treatment of early osteoarthritis by simultaneously inhibiting cartilage inflammation and promoting cartilage repair.展开更多
AIM:To explore the therapeutic effect and main molecular mechanisms of acteoside in a glaucoma model in DBA/2J mice.METHODS:Proteomics was used to compare the differentially expressed proteins of C57 and DBA/2J mice.A...AIM:To explore the therapeutic effect and main molecular mechanisms of acteoside in a glaucoma model in DBA/2J mice.METHODS:Proteomics was used to compare the differentially expressed proteins of C57 and DBA/2J mice.After acteoside administration in DBA/2J mice,anterior segment observation,intraocular pressure(IOP)monitoring,electrophysiology examination,and hematoxylin and eosin staining were used to analyze any potential effects.Immunohistochemistry(IHC)assays were used to verify the proteomics results.Furthermore,retinal ganglion cell 5(RGC5)cell proliferation was assessed with cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)assays.Serta domain-containing protein 4(Sertad4)mRNA and protein expression levels were measured by qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis,respectively.RESULTS:Proteomics analysis suggested that Sertad4 was the most significantly differentially expressed protein.Compared with the saline group,the acteoside treatment group showed decreased IOP,improved N1-P1 wave amplitudes,thicker retina,and larger numbers of cells in the ganglion cell layer(GCL).The IHC results showed that Sertad4 expression levels in DBA/2J mice treated with acteoside were significantly lower than in the saline group.Acteoside treatment could improve RGC5 cell survival and reduce the Sertad4 mRNA and protein expression levels after glutamate injury.CONCLUSION:Sertad4 is differentially expressed in DBA/2J mice.Acteoside can protect RGCs from damage,possibly through the downregulation of Sertad4,and has a potential use in glaucoma treatment.展开更多
Stigma color is a critical agronomic trait in watermelon that plays an important role in pollination.However,there are few reports on the regulation of stigma color in watermelon.In this study,a genetic analysis of th...Stigma color is a critical agronomic trait in watermelon that plays an important role in pollination.However,there are few reports on the regulation of stigma color in watermelon.In this study,a genetic analysis of the F2 population derived from ZXG1553(P1,with orange stigma)and W1-17(P2,with yellow stigma)indicated that stigma color is a quantitative trait and the orange stigma is recessive compared with the yellow stigma.Bulk segregant analysis sequencing(BSA-seq)revealed a 3.75 Mb segment on chromosome 6 that is related to stigma color.Also,a major stable effective QTL Clqsc6.1(QTL stigma color)was detected in two years between cleaved amplified polymorphic sequencing(CAPS)markers Chr06_8338913 and Chr06_9344593 spanning a~1.01 Mb interval that harbors 51 annotated genes.Cla97C06G117020(annotated as zinc finger protein CONSTANS-LIKE 4)was identified as the best candidate gene for the stigma color trait through RNA-seq,quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR),and gene structure alignment analysis among the natural watermelon panel.The expression level of Cla97C06G117020 in the orange stigma accession was lower than in the yellow stigma accessions with a significant difference.A nonsynonymous SNP site of the Cla97C06G117020 coding region that causes amino acid variation was related to the stigma color variation among nine watermelon accessions according to their re-sequencing data.Stigma color formation is often related to carotenoids,and we also found that the expression trend of ClCHYB(annotated asβ-carotene hydroxylase)in the carotenoid metabolic pathway was consistent with Cla97C06G117020,and it was expressed in low amounts in the orange stigma accession.These data indicated that Cla97C06G117020 and ClCHYB may interact to form the stigma color.This study provides a theoretical basis for gene fine mapping and mechanisms for the regulation of stigma color in watermelon.展开更多
Adjuvant chemoradiotherapy,molecular targeted therapy,and immunotherapy are frequently employed to extend the survival of patients with advanced gastric cancer(GC).However,most of these treatments have toxic side effe...Adjuvant chemoradiotherapy,molecular targeted therapy,and immunotherapy are frequently employed to extend the survival of patients with advanced gastric cancer(GC).However,most of these treatments have toxic side effects,drug resistance,and limited improvements in survival and quality of life.Therefore,it is crucial to discover and develop new medications targeting GC that are highly effective and have minimal toxicity.In previous studies,the total terpene extract from the stem of Celastrus orbiculatus demonstrated anti-GC activity;however,the specific mechanism was unclear.Our research utilising coimmunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry(Co-IP-MS),polypyrimidine tract binding protein 1(ptbp1)clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat-associated protein 9(Cas9)-knockout(KO)mouse model,tissue microarray,and functional experiments suggests that alpha actinin-4(ACTN4)could be a significant biomarker of GC.PTBP1 influences actin cytoskeleton restructuring in GC cells by interacting with ACTN4.Celastrus orbiculatus stem extract(COE)may directly target ACTN4 and affect the interaction between PTBP1 and ACTN4,thereby exerting anti-GC effects.展开更多
BACKGROUND Heat shock protein A4(HSPA4)belongs to molecular chaperone protein family which plays important roles within variable cellular activities,including cancer initiation and progression.However,the prognostic a...BACKGROUND Heat shock protein A4(HSPA4)belongs to molecular chaperone protein family which plays important roles within variable cellular activities,including cancer initiation and progression.However,the prognostic and immunological significance of HSPA4 in lung adenocarcinoma(LUAD)has not been revealed yet.AIM To explore the prognostic and immunological roles of HSPA4 to identify a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for LUAD.METHODS We assessed the prognostic and immunological significance of HSPA4 in LUAD using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas database.The association between HSPA4 expression and clinical-pathological features was assessed through Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon signed-rank test.Univariate/multivariate Cox regression analyses and Kaplan-Meier curves were employed to evaluate prognostic factors,including HSPA4,in LUAD.Gene set enrichment analysis(GSEA)was conducted to identify the key signaling pathways associated with HSPA4.The correlation between HSPA4 expression and cancer immune infiltration was evaluated using single-sample gene set enrichment analysis(ssGSEA).RESULTS Overexpressing HSPA4 was significantly related to advanced pathologic TNM stage,advanced pathologic stage,progression disease status of primary therapy outcome and female subgroups with LUAD.In addition,increased HSPA4 expression was found to be related to worse disease-specific survival and overall survival.GSEA analysis indicated a significant correlation between HSPA4 and cell cycle regulation and immune response,particularly through diminishing the function of cytotoxicity cells and CD8 T cells.The ssGSEA algorithm showed a positive correlation between HSPA4 expression and infiltrating levels of Th2 cells,while a negative correlation was observed with cytotoxic cell infiltration levels.CONCLUSION Our findings indicate HSPA4 is related to prognosis and immune cell infiltrates and may act as a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for LUAD.展开更多
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(81473091,81673290 and U1603123)
文摘OBJECTIVE To discover a small-molecule bromodomain-containing protein 4(BRD4)inhibitor that induces AMP-activated protein kinase-modulated autophagy-associated cell death in breast cancer and exploreits potential mechanisms.METHODS BRD4 interactors were analyzed by PPI network prediction and The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)analysis.The interaction between BRD4 and AMPK was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation assay.Novel BRD4 inhibitors were designed and synthesized based upon pharmacophore analysis of BRD4(1),then screened by antiproliferative activity and Alpha Screen of BRD4(1).The selectivity of the best candidate compound 8f was validated by co-crystallization,FRET assay and co-immuno precipitation assay.The mechanisms of 8f were investigated by fluorescence microscopy,electron microscopy,Western blotting,immunocytochemistry,si RNA and GFP-m RFP-LC3 plasmid transfections,as well as immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence.Potential mechanisms were discovered by i TRAQ-based proteomics analysis and the therapeutic effect of 8f was assessed by xenograft breast cancer mouse and zebrafish models.RESULTS We identified that BRD4 interacted with AMPK,which was remarkably downregulated in breast cancer.We next designed and synthesized 49 candidate compounds,and eventually discovered a selective small-molecule inhibitor of BRD4(8f).Subsequently,8f was discovered to induce autophagyassociated cell death(ACD)by BRD4-AMPK interaction,and thus activating AMPK-m TOR-ULK1-modulated autophagic pathway in breast cancer cells.Interestingly,the i TRAQ-based proteomics analyses revealed that 8f induced ACD pathways,involved in HMGB1,VDAC1/2 and e EF2.Moreover,8f displayed a therapeutic potential on both xenograft breast cancer mouse and zebrafish models.CONCLUSION We discovered a novel small-molecule inhibitor of BRD4 that induces BRD4-AMPK-modulated ACD in breast cancer,which may provide a candidate drug for future cancer therapy.
基金the Key Project of Science and Technology of Xinxiang,No.GG2020027the Health Commission of Henan Province of China,No.SBGJ202102188.
文摘BACKGROUND Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC),the predominant type of esophageal cancer,has a 5-year survival rate less than 20%.Although the cause of poor prognosis is the high incidence and mortality of ESCC,the high rate of metastasis after esophageal cancer surgery is the main cause of death after the surgery.Bromodomain-containing protein 4(BRD4),an epigenetic reader of chromatinacetylated histones in tumorigenesis and development,plays an essential role in regulating oncogene expression.BRD4 inhibition and BRD4 inhibition-based treatment can potentially suppress ESCC growth.However,the effects and mechanisms of action of BRD4 on ESCC cell migration remain unclear.AIM To explore the effect of BRD4 on cell migration of ESCC in vitro and its possible molecular mechanism.METHODS Human ESCC cell lines KYSE-450 and KYSE-150 were used.The 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide assay was performed to examine cell proliferation,and the transwell migration assay was conducted to test ESCC cell migration.JQ1,a BRD4 inhibitor,was applied to cells,and BRD4 siRNA was transfected into ESCC cells to knockdown endogenous BRD4.GFP-RFP-LC3 adenovirus was infected into ESCC cells to evaluate the effect of JQ1 on autophagy.Western blotting was performed to determine the protein levels of BRD4,E-cadherin,vimentin,AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK),and p-AMPK.RESULTS BRD4 was either downregulated by small interfering RNA or pretreated with JQ1 in ESCC cells,leading to increased tumor migration in ESCC cells in a dose-and time-dependent manner.Inhibition of BRD4 not only significantly suppressed cell proliferation but also strongly increased cell migration by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT).The protein expression of vimentin was increased and E-cadherin decreased in a dose-dependent manner,subsequently promoting autophagy in KYSE-450 and KYSE-150 cells.Pretreatment with JQ1,a BRD4 inhibitor,inhibited BRD4-induced LC3-II activation and upregulated AMPK phosphorylation in a dosedependent manner.Additionally,an increased number of autophagosomes and autolysosomes were observed in JQ1-treated ESCC cells.The autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine(3-MA)reversed the effects of BRD4 knockdown on ESCC cell migration and blocked JQ1-induced cell migration.3-MA also downregulated the expression of vimentin and upregulation E-cadherin.CONCLUSION BRD4 inhibition enhances cell migration by inducing EMT and autophagy in ESCC cells via the AMPK-modified pathway.Thus,the facilitating role on ESCC cell migration should be considered for BRD4 inhibitor clinical application to ESCC patients.
基金Supported by the Fundamental Research Program of Shanxi Province,No.202203021222418Research Program of Shanxi Provincial Health Commission,No.2023061+2 种基金Fundamental Research Cooperation Program of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region of Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin,No.22JCZXJC00140Tianjin Major Science and Technology Project,No.21ZXJBSY00110Tianjin Health and Science and Technology Project,No.TJWJ2024ZK001.
文摘BACKGROUND Regulator of G protein signaling(RGS)proteins participate in tumor formation and metastasis by acting on theα-subunit of heterotrimeric G proteins.The speci-fic effect of RGS,particularly RGS4,on the progression of gastric cancer(GC)is not yet clear.AIM To explore the role and underlying mechanisms of action of RGS4 in GC develop-ment.METHODS The prognostic significance of RGS4 in GC was analyzed using bioinformatics based public databases and verified by immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction in 90 patients with GC.Function assays were employed to assess the carcinogenic impact of RGS4,and the mechanism of its possible influence was detected by western blot analysis.A nude mouse xenograft model was established to study the effects of RGS4 on GC growth in vitro.RESULTS RGS4 was highly expressed in GC tissues compared with matched adjacent normal tissues.Elevated RGS4 expression was correlated with increased tumor-node-metastasis stage,increased tumor grade as well as poorer overall survival in patients with GC.Cell experiments demonstrated that RGS4 knockdown suppressed GC cell proliferation,migration and invasion.Similarly,xenograft experiments confirmed that RGS4 silencing significantly inhibited tumor growth.Moreover,RGS4 knockdown resulted in reduced phosphorylation levels of focal adhesion kinase,phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase,and protein kinase B,decreased vimentin and N-cadherin,and elevated E-cadherin.CONCLUSION High RGS4 expression in GC indicates a worse prognosis and RGS4 is a prognostic marker.RGS4 influences tumor progression via the focal adhesion kinase/phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition.
文摘BACKGROUND:Adeno-associated virus(AAV)gene therapy has been proven to be reliable and safe for the treatment of osteoarthritis in recent years.However,given the complexity of osteoarthritis pathogenesis,single gene manipulation for the treatment of osteoarthritis may not produce satisfactory results.Previous studies have shown that nuclear factorκB could promote the inflammatory pathway in osteoarthritic chondrocytes,and bone morphogenetic protein 4(BMP4)could promote cartilage regeneration.OBJECTIVE:To test whether combined application of AAV-p65shRNA and AAV-BMP4 will yield the synergistic effect on chondrocytes regeneration and osteoarthritis treatment.METHODS:Viral particles containing AAV-p65-shRNA and AAV-BMP4 were prepared.Their efficacy in inhibiting inflammation in chondrocytes and promoting chondrogenesis was assessed in vitro and in vivo by transfecting AAV-p65-shRNA or AAV-BMP4 into cells.The experiments were divided into five groups:PBS group;osteoarthritis group;AAV-BMP4 group;AAV-p65shRNA group;and BMP4-p65shRNA 1:1 group.Samples were collected at 4,12,and 24 weeks postoperatively.Tissue staining,including safranin O and Alcian blue,was applied after collecting articular tissue.Then,the optimal ratio between the two types of transfected viral particles was further investigated to improve the chondrogenic potential of mixed cells in vivo.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The combined application of AAV-p65shRNA and AAV-BMP4 together showed a synergistic effect on cartilage regeneration and osteoarthritis treatment.Mixed cells transfected with AAV-p65shRNA and AAV-BMP4 at a 1:1 ratio produced the most extracellular matrix synthesis(P<0.05).In vivo results also revealed that the combination of the two viruses had the highest regenerative potential for osteoarthritic cartilage(P<0.05).In the present study,we also discovered that the combined therapy had the maximum effect when the two viruses were administered in equal proportions.Decreasing either p65shRNA or BMP4 transfected cells resulted in less collagen II synthesis.This implies that inhibiting inflammation by p65shRNA and promoting regeneration by BMP4 are equally important for osteoarthritis treatment.These findings provide a new strategy for the treatment of early osteoarthritis by simultaneously inhibiting cartilage inflammation and promoting cartilage repair.
基金Supported by Tianjin Key Medical Discipline(Specialty)Construction Project(No.TJYXZDXK-037A).
文摘AIM:To explore the therapeutic effect and main molecular mechanisms of acteoside in a glaucoma model in DBA/2J mice.METHODS:Proteomics was used to compare the differentially expressed proteins of C57 and DBA/2J mice.After acteoside administration in DBA/2J mice,anterior segment observation,intraocular pressure(IOP)monitoring,electrophysiology examination,and hematoxylin and eosin staining were used to analyze any potential effects.Immunohistochemistry(IHC)assays were used to verify the proteomics results.Furthermore,retinal ganglion cell 5(RGC5)cell proliferation was assessed with cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)assays.Serta domain-containing protein 4(Sertad4)mRNA and protein expression levels were measured by qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis,respectively.RESULTS:Proteomics analysis suggested that Sertad4 was the most significantly differentially expressed protein.Compared with the saline group,the acteoside treatment group showed decreased IOP,improved N1-P1 wave amplitudes,thicker retina,and larger numbers of cells in the ganglion cell layer(GCL).The IHC results showed that Sertad4 expression levels in DBA/2J mice treated with acteoside were significantly lower than in the saline group.Acteoside treatment could improve RGC5 cell survival and reduce the Sertad4 mRNA and protein expression levels after glutamate injury.CONCLUSION:Sertad4 is differentially expressed in DBA/2J mice.Acteoside can protect RGCs from damage,possibly through the downregulation of Sertad4,and has a potential use in glaucoma treatment.
基金supported by fundings from the Natural Science Funds for Outstanding Youth of Heilongjiang Province,China(YQ2022C011)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32172577)+2 种基金the China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA,China(CARS-25)the Taishan Industrial Leading Talents Project,China(LJNY202112)the Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province,China(LH2022C025).
文摘Stigma color is a critical agronomic trait in watermelon that plays an important role in pollination.However,there are few reports on the regulation of stigma color in watermelon.In this study,a genetic analysis of the F2 population derived from ZXG1553(P1,with orange stigma)and W1-17(P2,with yellow stigma)indicated that stigma color is a quantitative trait and the orange stigma is recessive compared with the yellow stigma.Bulk segregant analysis sequencing(BSA-seq)revealed a 3.75 Mb segment on chromosome 6 that is related to stigma color.Also,a major stable effective QTL Clqsc6.1(QTL stigma color)was detected in two years between cleaved amplified polymorphic sequencing(CAPS)markers Chr06_8338913 and Chr06_9344593 spanning a~1.01 Mb interval that harbors 51 annotated genes.Cla97C06G117020(annotated as zinc finger protein CONSTANS-LIKE 4)was identified as the best candidate gene for the stigma color trait through RNA-seq,quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR),and gene structure alignment analysis among the natural watermelon panel.The expression level of Cla97C06G117020 in the orange stigma accession was lower than in the yellow stigma accessions with a significant difference.A nonsynonymous SNP site of the Cla97C06G117020 coding region that causes amino acid variation was related to the stigma color variation among nine watermelon accessions according to their re-sequencing data.Stigma color formation is often related to carotenoids,and we also found that the expression trend of ClCHYB(annotated asβ-carotene hydroxylase)in the carotenoid metabolic pathway was consistent with Cla97C06G117020,and it was expressed in low amounts in the orange stigma accession.These data indicated that Cla97C06G117020 and ClCHYB may interact to form the stigma color.This study provides a theoretical basis for gene fine mapping and mechanisms for the regulation of stigma color in watermelon.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.:82274603 and 82104946)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province,China(Grant No.:BK20210817)+3 种基金the Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Development Project of Jiangsu Province,China(Project code:QN202008)the Young Scientific and Technological Talents Uplift Project of Jiangsu Association of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine,China(Grant No.:JSZXTJ-2024-A05)the Postgraduate Research&Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province,China(Grant No.:KYCX21_3295)the Yangzhou University Graduate Student International Academic Exchange Special Fund Project,China.Thanks for the Graphical abstract drawn。
文摘Adjuvant chemoradiotherapy,molecular targeted therapy,and immunotherapy are frequently employed to extend the survival of patients with advanced gastric cancer(GC).However,most of these treatments have toxic side effects,drug resistance,and limited improvements in survival and quality of life.Therefore,it is crucial to discover and develop new medications targeting GC that are highly effective and have minimal toxicity.In previous studies,the total terpene extract from the stem of Celastrus orbiculatus demonstrated anti-GC activity;however,the specific mechanism was unclear.Our research utilising coimmunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry(Co-IP-MS),polypyrimidine tract binding protein 1(ptbp1)clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat-associated protein 9(Cas9)-knockout(KO)mouse model,tissue microarray,and functional experiments suggests that alpha actinin-4(ACTN4)could be a significant biomarker of GC.PTBP1 influences actin cytoskeleton restructuring in GC cells by interacting with ACTN4.Celastrus orbiculatus stem extract(COE)may directly target ACTN4 and affect the interaction between PTBP1 and ACTN4,thereby exerting anti-GC effects.
文摘BACKGROUND Heat shock protein A4(HSPA4)belongs to molecular chaperone protein family which plays important roles within variable cellular activities,including cancer initiation and progression.However,the prognostic and immunological significance of HSPA4 in lung adenocarcinoma(LUAD)has not been revealed yet.AIM To explore the prognostic and immunological roles of HSPA4 to identify a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for LUAD.METHODS We assessed the prognostic and immunological significance of HSPA4 in LUAD using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas database.The association between HSPA4 expression and clinical-pathological features was assessed through Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon signed-rank test.Univariate/multivariate Cox regression analyses and Kaplan-Meier curves were employed to evaluate prognostic factors,including HSPA4,in LUAD.Gene set enrichment analysis(GSEA)was conducted to identify the key signaling pathways associated with HSPA4.The correlation between HSPA4 expression and cancer immune infiltration was evaluated using single-sample gene set enrichment analysis(ssGSEA).RESULTS Overexpressing HSPA4 was significantly related to advanced pathologic TNM stage,advanced pathologic stage,progression disease status of primary therapy outcome and female subgroups with LUAD.In addition,increased HSPA4 expression was found to be related to worse disease-specific survival and overall survival.GSEA analysis indicated a significant correlation between HSPA4 and cell cycle regulation and immune response,particularly through diminishing the function of cytotoxicity cells and CD8 T cells.The ssGSEA algorithm showed a positive correlation between HSPA4 expression and infiltrating levels of Th2 cells,while a negative correlation was observed with cytotoxic cell infiltration levels.CONCLUSION Our findings indicate HSPA4 is related to prognosis and immune cell infiltrates and may act as a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for LUAD.
文摘目的:骨形态发生蛋白-4(bone morphogenentic protein-4,BMP4)在动脉粥样硬化(atherosclerosis,AS)的病理过程中具有重要调节作用,但相关的临床研究较少。本研究拟观察以AS为主要病理特点的动脉阻塞性疾病(arterial occlusive disease,ACD)患者血浆BMP4的表达情况,并分析血浆中BMP4与炎症因子和血管损伤标志物之间的相关性。方法:共招募38名诊断为ACD的患者(ACD组)和38名体检志愿者(对照组),抽取ACD组患者术前和对照组体检时的静脉血,比较2组血常规指标的差异。采用酶联免疫吸附试验(enzyme linked immunosorbent assay,ELISA)检测血浆中BMP4、肿瘤坏死因子α(tumor necrosis factor-α,TNF-α)、白细胞介素(interleukin,IL)-1β、IL-10及血管内皮钙黏蛋白(vascular endothelial cadherin,VE-cadherin)的表达变化,并进一步分析BMP4与以上各指标之间的相关性。结果:与对照组相比,ACD组患者血常规结果表现为中性粒细胞-淋巴细胞比值[neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio,NLR;1.63(1.26,1.91)vs 3.43(2.16,6.61)]和血小板-淋巴细胞比值[platelet to lymphocyte ratio,PLR;6.37(5.26,7.74)vs 15.79(7.97,20.53)]升高、淋巴细胞-单核细胞比值[lymphocyte to monocyte ratio,LMR;5.67(4.41,7.14)vs3.43(2.07,3.74)]下降(均P<0.05);ACD组患者血浆BMP4[581.26(389.85,735.64)pg/mL vs 653.97(510.95,890.43)pg/mL]、TNF-α[254.16(182.96,340.70)pg/mLvs293.29(238.90,383.44)pg/mL]及内皮标志物VE-cadherin[1.54(1.08,2.13)ng/mL vs 1.85(1.30,2.54)ng/mL]的水平均显著升高,而抗炎因子IL-10的水平显著下降[175.89(118.39,219.25)pg/mLvs135.92(95.80,178.04)pg/mL](均P<0.05)。2组间促炎因子IL-1β的差异无统计学意义[300.39(205.39,403.56)pg/mL vs 378.46(243.20,448.69)pg/mL;P=0.09]。相关分析结果表明:血浆BMP4水平与促炎因子IL-1β(r=0.35)、TNF-α(r=0.31)以及内皮标志物VE-cadherin(r=0.47)呈正相关,与抗炎因子IL-10呈负相关(r=-0.37;均P<0.01)。结论:ACD患者血浆BMP4的水平升高,且与患者的炎症水平和血管损伤程度具有相关性。