Increased expression of human calcium-activated chloride channel 1 is correlated with mucus overproduction in the airways of Chinese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） is usually complicated with mucus overproduction in airway. Recently the increased expression of the human calcium-activated chloride channel 1 （CaCC1） was found to play an important role in mucus overproduction in the asthmatic airways. To investigate the relationship of CaCC1 and mucus overproduction in the airway of Chinese patients with COPD, the expressions of CaCC1, MUC5AC and mucus in bronchial tissues were examined. Methods Bronchial tissues were obtained from fiberoptic bronchoscopy and bronchial biopsy in West China Hospital from April to July in 2004. Twenty-five patients were diagnosed as the patients with COPD overproduction, and other 20 were the control subjects. The expressions of CaCC1, MUC5AC and mucin in bronchial tissues were detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR）, in situ hybridization with digoxigenin （DIG）-Iabeled RNA probe, immunohistochemical and alcian blue-periodic acid Schiff （AB-PAS） staining, respectively. Results Compared with the control group, the stronger expressions of CaCC1 were further detected throughout the bronchial tissues from patients with COPD （P〈0.01）. Furthermore, the stronger expressions of the CaCC1 mRNA were related to the severity of airflow obstruction. Samples from COPD showed a stronger staining for MUC5AC than those in control subjects （P〈0.01） and AB-PAS staining revealed more mucins in COPD patients＇ submucosal gland comparing with that in control subjects （P〈0.01）. Expression levels of the CaCC1 mRNA were respectively negatively correlated with the patients＇ forced expiratory volume in one second （FEV~） / forced vital capacity （FVC） data, FEV1% predicted data, V50% predicted data, V25% predicted data （r=-0.43, r=-0.43, r=-0.35, r=-0.36, P〈0.01, P〈0.01, P〈0.05, P〈0.05）. While the expression levels of the CaCC1 mRNA were well correlated with the expression levels of the MUC5AC mRNA of airway epithelium and the PAS-AB stained area of submucosal glands （r=0.39, r=0.46, P〈0.05, P〈0.01）. Expression levels of the MUC5AC mRNA were negatively correlated with the patients＇ FEV1/FVC data （P=0.01）, FEV1% pred data （P=-0.01）, V50% predicted data, V25% predicted data（r=-0.53, r=-0.53, r=-0.48, r=-0.43, P〈0.01, P〈0.01, P〈0.01, P〈0.01）. While the expression levels of the MUC5AC mRNA were well correlated with the positively PAS-AB stained area of submucosal gland （P〈0.05）, and the correlation coefficients were 0.43. Conclusion These results suggest that the stronger gene expression of CaCC1 exists, complicated with mucus overproduction in the airwav of Chinese patients with COPD.

Chloride intracellular channel 1 regulates colon cancer cell migration and invasion through ROS/ERK pathway

AIM: To investigate the mechanisms of chloride intracellular channel 1 (CLIC1) in the metastasis of colon cancer under hypoxia-reoxygenation (H-R) conditions.

Function of chloride intracellular channel 1 in gastric cancer cells

AIM:To investigate the effect of chloride intracellular channel 1(CLIC1) on the cell proliferation,apoptosis,migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells.METHODS:CLIC1 expression was evaluated in human gastric cancer cell lines SGC-7901 and MGC-803 by real time polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).Four segments of small interference RNA(siRNA) targeting CLIC1 mRNA and a no-sense control segment were designed by bioinformatics technology.CLIC1 siRNA was selected using Lipofectamine 2000 and transfected transiently into human gastric cancer SGC-7901 and MGC-803 cells.The transfected efficiency was observed under fluorescence microscope.After transfection,mRNA expression of CLIC1 was detected with RT-PCR and Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression.Proliferation was examined by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium and apoptosis was detected with flow cytometry.Polycarbonate membrane transwell chamber and Matrigel were used for the detection of the changes of invasion and migration of the two cell lines.RESULTS:In gastric cancer cell lines SGC-7901 and MGC-803,CLIC1 was obviously expressed and CLIC1 siRNA could effectively suppress the expression of CLIC1 protein and mRNA.Proliferation of cells transfected with CLIC1 siRNA3 was enhanced notably,and the highest proliferation rate was 23.3%(P = 0.002) in SGC-7901 and 35.55%(P = 0.001) in MGC-803 cells at 48 h.The G2/M phase proportion increased,while G0/G1 and S phase proportions decreased.The apoptotic rate of the CLIC1 siRNA3 group obviously decreased in both SGC-7901 cells(62.24%,P = 0.000) and MGC-803 cells(52.67%,P = 0.004).Down-regulation of CLIC1 led to the inhibition of invasion and migration by 54.31%(P = 0.000) and 33.62%(P = 0.001) in SGC-7901 and 40.74%(P = 0.000) and 29.26%(P = 0.002) in MGC-803.However,there was no significant difference between the mock group cells and the negative control group cells.