Human lens epithelial cell apoptosis and epithelial to mesenchymal transition in femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery

AIM： To evaluate human lens epithelium cell apoptosis and epithelial to mesenchymal transition （EMT） induced by femtosecond laser in femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery （FLACS）. METHODS： Sixty cataract patients with N2 to N3 stage according to the LOCS III were enrolled in this study and divided into three groups randomly： FLACSl group （cataract surgery by FLACS with LenSx）, FLACS2 group （cataract surgery by FLACS with LensAR） and manual group （cataract surgery by phacoemulsification）. Patients in two FLACS groups performed anterior capsulotomy by LenSx or LensAR laser system. Patients in the manual group were performed continuous curvilinear capsulorrhexis （CCC） manually. The anterior capsules were fixed right after moved out of eye. Hematoxylin-eosine staining, immunofluorescence staining and real-time PCR were performed in order to observe human lens epithelium cells changes after cataract surgery. RESULTS： The capsule cutting edge was shown irregularity and roughness in two FLACS groups and smooth edge in manual capsulotomy by pathologic staining. Irregularities of the cell configuration with partly swollen and destroyed nuclei were observed in two FLACS groups. Femtosecond laser could induce a significantly higher cell apoptosis in human lens epithelium cell than manually performed CCC （P〈0.05）. Lens epithelium cells apoptosis were correlated with femtosecond laser duration according to Pearson correlation analysis. Decreased N-cadherin expression, alpha-SMA and FSP-1 level in two FLACS groups showed the inhibition of cell EMT. CONCLUSION： Femtosecond laser may affect the apoptosis and EMT of lens epithelium cells which are under the peeled central lens capsule.

Evaluation of epithelial-mesenchymal transitioned circulating tumor cells in patients with resectable gastric cancer: Relevance to therapy response

AIM: To evaluate the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition(EMT) of circulating tumor cells(CTCs) in gastric cancer patients.METHODS: We detected tumor cells for expression of four epithelial(E^+) transcripts(keratins 8, 18, and 19 and epithelial cell adhesion molecule) and two mesenchymal(M^+) transcripts(Vimentin and Twist) by a quantifiable, dual-colorimetric RNA-in situ hybridization assay. Between July 2014 and October 2014, 44 patients with gastric cancer were recruited for CTC evaluation. Blood samples were obtained from selected patients during the treatment course [before surgery, after surgery and at the 6^(th) cycle of XELOX based chemotherapy(about 6 mo postoperatively)].RESULTS: We found the EMT phenomenon in which there were a few biphenotypic E^+/M^+ cells in primary human gastric cancer specimens. Of the 44 patients, the presence of CTCs was reported in 35(79.5%) patients at baseline. Five types of cells including from exclusively E^+ CTCs to intermediate CTCs and exclusively M^+ CTCs were identified(4 patients with M^+ CTCs and 10 patients with M^+ or M^+ > E^+ CTCs). Further, a chemotherapy patient having progressive disease showed a proportional increase of mesenchymal CTCs in the post-treatment blood specimens. We used NCI-N87 cells to analyze the linearity and sensitivity of Can Patrol^(TM) system and the correlation coefficient(R^2) was 0.999.CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that the EMT phenomenon was both in a few cells of primary tumors and abundantly in CTCs from the blood of gastric cancer patients, which might be used to monitor therapy response.

Transcriptional Factor Snail Mediates Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells Induced by Silica

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT） plays an important role in fibrotic diseases. We have previously showed that silica induces EMT in human bronchial epithelial cells （BECs）; however, the underlying mechanism of silica-induced EMT is poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated the role of Snail in silica-induced EMT in human BECs in vitro. Human BECs were treated with silica at various concentrations and incubation times. Then MTr assay, western blot, electrophoretic mobility shift assay （EMSA）, and small interfering RNA （siRNA） transfection were performed. We found that silica increased the expression and DNA binding activity of Snail in human BECs. SNAI silica-induced expression siRNA upregulated the siRNA inhibited the of Snail. Moreover, SNAI expression of epithelial marker E-cadherin, but attenuated the expression of mesenchymal marker a-smooth muscle actin and vimentin in silica-stimulated cells. These results suggest that Snail mediates the silica-induced EMT in human BECs.

In vitro inhibition of proliferation,migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of human lens epithelial cells by fasudil

AIM： To study the potential role of fasudil as a treatment for posterior capsular opacification（PCO） of the human crystalline lens.METHODS： Human lens epithelial cells（HLECs; line SRA01/04） was exposed to transforming growth factor-β2（TGF-β2） to induce the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition（EMT）. Fasudil was applied to the cell samples. Its effect on overall HLECs proliferation and migration was studied, as was its influence on EMT induction by TGF-β2 using cell migration assay, MTT colorimetric assay and Western blot assay.RESULTS： Fasudil inhibited the proliferation of SRA01/04. Its effect was time-and concentration-dependent. The migration of SRA01/04 cells was significantly reduced 24-72 h after fasudil treatment, and the half maximal inhibitory concentration（IC50） was 22.37 μmol/mL at 72 h. Reversal of the elongated, fibroblast-like shape changes induced by TGF-β2 in SRA01/04 cells was observed. Fasudil up-regulated the expression of Connexin43 protein and down-regulated the expression of α-SMA protein compared with the cells treated with TGF-β2. Furthermore, when exposed to fasudil, the phosphorylation of Rhoassociated protein kinase（Rock） and myosin light chain（MLC） could not be activated in the cell preparations.CONCLUSION： Fasudil suppresses the proliferation and migration of SRA01/04 cells, and inhibits the process of EMT induced by TGF-β2. These results suggest that fasudil may serve as a therapeutic agent for PCO.

Roles of Rho/Rock Signaling Pathway in Silica-induced Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition in Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells

Objective To investigate the roles of Rho/Rock signaling pathway in silica-induced Epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT） in human bronchial epithelial cells （BEC） in vitro. Methods Human BEC were incubated with silica with various concentrations for indicated times. Cell viability was assayed by MTT test. Morphologic Changes were observed by microscope. Mesenchymal marker a-smooth muscle actin （a-SMA）, vimentin （Vim）, and epithelial marker E-cadherin （E-cad） were analyzed by Western Blot. The pull-down assay was used to measure Rho activity. In the prevention experiments, the specific inhibitor for Rho effector ROCK （Y27632） was used to inhibit the activity of Rho. Results Human BEC stimulated with silica were converted from a ＂cobblestone＂ epithelial structure into an elongated fibroblast-like shape structure. Incubation of human BEC with silica induced de novo expression of a-SMA and Vim, and loss of E-cad. Also, silica treatment resulted in Rho activation in human BEC. Y27632 up-regulated the E-cad expression but attenuated a-SMA and Vim expression in silica-stimulated cells. Conclusion The activation of Rho/ROCK signaling pathways is most likely involved in Silica-induced EMT in human bronchial epithelial cells.

Side Population Cells in Human Gallbladder Cancer Cell Line GBC-SD Regulated by TGF-β-induced Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition

Mounting evidence has shown that side population （SP） cells are enriched for cancer stem cells （CSCs） responsible for cancer malignancy. In this study, SP technology was used to isolate a small subpopulation of SP cells in human gallbladder cancer cell line GBC-SD, and SP cells which had superior potential for proliferation in vitro and tumorigenesis in vivo were identified. Importantly, the abundance of GBC-SD SP cells was increased by a transforming growth factor-β （TGF-β）-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT）, and this effect was accompanied with a strong up-regulation of ABCG2 mRNA expression, and a decreased sensitivity to mitoxantrone. SP cells were restored upon the removal of TGF-β and the reversion of the cells to an epithelial phenotype, and smad3-specific siRNA reduced SP abundance in response to TGF-β. In conclusion, TGF-β-induced EMT by smad-dependent signaling pathway promotes cancer development and anti-cancer drug resistant phenotype by augmenting the abundance of GBC-SD SP cells, and a better understanding of mechanisms involved in TGF-β-induced EMT may provide a novel strategy for preventing cancer progression.

Effect of h GC-MSCs from human gastric cancer tissue on cell proliferation, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in tumor tissue of gastric cancer tumor-bearing mice

Objective: To study the effect of h GC-MSCs from human gastric cancer tissue on cell proliferation, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in tumor tissue of gastric cancer tumor-bearing mice. Methods: BABL/c nude mice were selected as experimental animals and gastric cancer tumor-bearing mice model were established by subcutaneous injection of gastric cancer cells, randomly divided into different intervention groups. h GC-MSCs group was given different amounts of gastric cancer cells for subcutaneous injection, PBS group was given equal volume of PBS for subcutaneous injection. Then tumor tissue volume were determined, tumor-bearing mice were killed and tumor tissues were collected, m RNA expression of proliferation, invasion, EMT related molecules were determined. Results: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 d after intervention, tumor tissue volume of h GC-MSCs group were significantly higher than those of PBS group and the more the number of h GC-MSCs, the higher the tumor tissue volume; m RNA contents of Ki-67, PCNA, Bcl-2, MMP-2, MMP-7, MMP-9, MMP-14, N-cadherin, vimentin, Snail and Twist in tumor tissue of h GC-MSCs group were higher than those of PBS group, and m RNA contents of Bax, TIMP1, TIMP2 and E-cadherin were lower than those of PBS group. Conclusions: h GC-MSCs from human gastric cancer tissue can promote the tumor growth in gastric cancer tumor-bearing mice, and the molecular mechanism includes promoting cell proliferation, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Targeting of RhoE inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition during colorectal cancer cell migration

Objective Despite microRNA(miR-200b) being proved to promote the proliferation of colorectal cancer(CRC) cells, the relationship between mi R-200 b and epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT) of CRC cells remains poorly understood. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between miR-200 b and EMT during CRC cell migration.Methods The effect of miR-200 b on EMT-associated markers E-cadherin and vimentin was evaluated by western blot in CRC cells(SW620 and HT-29) by treatment with mi R-200 b mimics and inhibitors. A luciferase reporter assay was employed to detect downstream targets of mi R-200 b. Transwell migration assays were used to detect CRC cell migration. Results Western blots revealed that treatment with miR-200 b mimics led to up-regulation of E-cadherin and down-regulation of vimentin, metalloproteinase(MMP)-9, and MMP-2, whereas treatment with mi R-200 b inhibitor exhibited opposite effects on expression of E-cadherin and vimentin. Luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that Rho E(RND3) was targeted by miR-200 b. Two predicted target sites of miR-200 b were present in the 3'-UTR of Rho E. Predicted target site 1 was from nucleotides 1584 to 1591, and site 2 was from nucleotides 1729 to 1735. Rho E knockdown cell lines were also established to investigate the impact of Rho E and mi R-200 b on EMT and cell migration. Rho E knockdown enhanced the effect of miR-200 b mimics, up-regulating E-cadherin and down-regulating vimentin. Rho E knockdown also inhibited cell migration. Furthermore, miR-200 b mimic treatment further promoted the inhibitory effect of Rho E knockdown on cell migration. Conclusion miR-200 b inhibited EMT and CRC cell migration partly via inhibiting Rho E expression in CRC. Rho E and miR-200 b might therefore be promising target genes in the management of CRC.

Erbin Interacts with Sema4C and Inhibits Sema4C-induced Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition in HK2 Cells

Erbin, a member of Leucine-rich repeat and PDZ-containing protein family, was found to inhibit TGF-β-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT） in our previous study. However, the mechanism of Erbin in regulating EMT is unclear. Semaphorin protein Sema4C, with PDZ binding site at C-terminal has been recognized as a positive regulator of EMT. Here, we aimed to examine the inter- action between Erbin and Sema4C. HK2 cells were treated with TGF-β1, or transfected with Erbin and （or） Sema4C. Interaction of Erbin and Sema4C was identified by immunoprecipitation. RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of Erbin and Sema4C at mRNA level after transfection. The expression levels of Erbin, Sema4C, and markers of EMT were measured by using Western blotting or ELISA. Af- ter HK2 cells were stimulated with 10 ng/mL TGF-β1 for 72 h, the protein expression levels of Erbin and Sema4C were both up-regulated, and immunoprecipitation results showed Erbin interacted with Sema4C in HK2 cells both at endogenous and exogenous levels. Furthermore, overexpression of Sema4C suppressed E-cadherin, induced vimentin and promoted fibronectin secretion, indicating Sema4C promotes the process of EMT. However, HK2 cells overexpressing Erbin were resistant to Sema4C-induced EMT. In contrast, Erbin specific siRNA promoted EMT induced by Sema4C. Taken together, these results suggest that Erbin can interact with Sema4C, and co-expression of Erbin blocks the process of Sema4C-induced EMT.

Expression of transcription factors Slug in the lens epithelial cells undergoing epithelial-mesenchymal transition induced by connective tissue growth factor

AIMTo investigate the expression of transcription factors Slug in human lens epithelial cells (HLECs) undergoing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) induced by connective tissue growth factor (CTGF).METHODSHLECs were treated with CTGF of different concentrations (20, 50 and 100 ng/mL) or without CTGF (control) for 24h. The morphological changes of HLECs were analysed by microscopy. The expression and cellular localization of Slug was evaluated by immumo-fluorescence. Expressions of Slug, E-cadherin and alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were further determined by Western blot analysis.RESULTSHLECs showed spidle fibrolasts-like characteristics and loosely connected each other after CTGF treatment. The immuno-fluorescence staining indicated that Slug was localized in the nuclei and its expression was induced by CTGF. The relative expressions of Slug protein were 1.64±0.11, 1.96 ±0.03, 3.12 ±0.10, and 4.08±0.14, respectively, in response to control group and treatment with CTGF of 20, 50 and 100 ng/mL (F=443.86, P<0.01). The increased Slug protein levels were correlated well with up-expression of α-SMA (0.78±0.05, 0.85±0.06, 2.17±0.15, 2.86±0.10; F=449.85, P<0.01) and down-expression of E-cadherin (2.50±0.11, 1.79±0.26, 1.05±0.14, 0.63±0.08; F=101.55, P<0.01).CONCLUSIONTranscription factor Slug may be involved in EMT of HLECs induced by CTGF in vitro.

EDIL3 depletion suppress epithelial-mesenchymal transition of lens epithelial cells via transforming growth factor β pathway

AIM： To study the effect of discoidin I-like domaincontaining protein 3（EDIL3） depletion on the proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition（EMT） in human lens epithelial cells（LECs）. METHODS： RNA interference was used to inhibit the expression of EDIL3 in human LECs in vitro. The morphology of cells was observed using an inverted microscope. Cell proliferation was assessed using Ed U kit. Cell migration was investigated using Transwell chamber and EMT of LECs was assessed using confocal microscope and Western blotting. The transforming growth factor β（TGFβ） pathway was investigated using Western blotting. RESULTS： The data showed that silencing EDIL3 expression changed LECs morphology and suppressed LECs proliferation（P〈0.05） and migration（P〈0.01）. Furthermore, the result of Western blotting showed that EDIL3 depletion reduced the expression of α-smooth muscle actin（α-SMA）（P〈0.001） and vimentin（P〈0.01）, while increased the expression of E-cadherin（P〈0.001）. EDIL3 depletion could suppress the phosphorylation of Smad2（P〈0.01） and Smad3（P〈0.01） and the activation of exracellular signal regulated kinase（ERK）（P〈0.05）. CONCLUSION： The findings indicate that EDIL3 might participate in the proliferation and EMT in LECs via TGFβ pathway and may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of posterior capsule opacification.

Effects of bisphenol compounds on the growth and epithelial mesenchymal transition of MCF-7 CV human breast cancer cells

Bisphenol-A（BPA） has been considered as an endocrine disrupting chemical（EDC） because it can exert estrogenic properties.For bisphenol-S（BPS） and bisphenol-F（BPF） that are BPA analogs and substitutes,their risk to estrogendependent cancer has been reported rarely compared with the numerous cases of BPA.In this study,we examined whether BPA,BPS,and BPF can lead to the proliferation,migration,and epithelial mesenchymal transition（EMT） of MCF-7 clonal variant（MCF-7 CV） breast cancer cells expressing estrogen receptors（ERs）.In a cell viability assay,BPA,BPS,and BPF significantly increased proliferation of MCF-7 CV cells compared to control（DMSO） as did17β-estradiol（E2）.In Western blotting assay,BPA,BPS,and BPF enhanced the protein expression of cell cycle progression genes such as cyclin D1 and E1.In addition,MCF-7 CV cells lost cell to cell contacts and acquired fibroblast-like morphology by the treatment of BPA,BPS,or BPF for 24 hours.In cell migration assay,BPA,BPS,and BPF accelerated the migration capability of MCF-7 CV cells as did E2.In relation with the EMT process,BPA,BPS,and BPF increased the protein expression of N-cadherin,while they decreased the protein expression of Ecadherin.When BPA,BPS,and BPF were co-treated with ICI 182,780,an ER antagonist,proliferation effects were reversed,the expression of cyclin D1 and cyclin E1 was downregulated,and the altered cell migration and expression of N-cadherin and E-cadherin by BPA,BPS,and BPF were restored to the control level.Thus,these results imply that BPS and BPF also have the risk of breast cancer progression as much as BPA in the induction of proliferation and migration of MCF-7 CV cells by regulating the protein expression of cell cycle-related genes and EMT markers via the ER-dependent pathway.

Effect of Rapamycin on TGF-β_1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in LoVo colonic adenocarcinoma cells

Objective： To investigate the effect of Rapamycin on epithelial-mesenchymal transition（EMT） of LoVo colonic adenocarcinoma cells in vitro. Methods：Cultured LoVo colonic adenocarcinoma cells were divided into three groups： negative control group, EMT-inducing group（TGF-β1） and EMT-interfering group（TGF-β1 plus Rapamycin）. E-cadherin expression in LoVo cells was detected by Western Blot, while the expression of vimentin was evaluated through immunocytochemistry. The Snail mRNA in LoVo cells was examined by RT- PCR. Results：TGF-β1 induced LoVo cell switching from polygonal to spindle-shaped. TGF-β1 enhanced the expression of vimentin, but lowered the level of E-cadhefin. In contrast, Rapamycin impaired the transition induced by TGF-β1. Rapamycin dramatically abrogated TGF-β1-induced vimentin expression and restored E-cadherin expression in LoVo cells. Rapamycin significantly repressed the upregulation of Snail mRNA expression induced by TGF-β1. Conclusion：Rapamycin dramatically abrogated TGF-β1 induced Snail mRNA expression in LoVo cells, hence inhibiting EMT of these cells in vitro.

Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Breast Cancer Stem Cells in Breast Cancer Progression

Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) are a small subpopulation of cancer cells having the ability of self-renewing and multi-lineage differentiation, which have also been termed as “tumor-initiating cells”. And in recent years, the role of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) in malignant tumors has been valued. This paper will briefly review and discuss the relationship between BCSCs and EMT.

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition and its Roles on Chemoresistance in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Objective:Previous reported have demonstrated that an intricate link between epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT) and anticancer drug resistance in cell culture and animal model. The aim of this study is to further investigate the relationship between chemoresistance and EMT in non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) through observing the expression status of EMT markers and resistance protein in histological level. Methods: The resistance protein, excision repair cross-complementing 1(ERCCl) and EMT markers, including E-cadherin and vimentin, were detected by immunohistochemistry in 100 cases of NSCLC, half of that were treated with pre-operative neoadjuvant chemotherapy(neoadjuvant chemotherapy group), and the other underwent surgery alone(simple surgery group). Results: There were significant positive correlations between the expression of ERCCl and vimentin in neoadjuvant chemotherapy group(r =0.471,P = 0.01) and simple surgery group( r = 0.380,P = 0.01), and significant negative correlations between the ERCCl and E-cadherin in neoadjuvant chemotherapy group(r =-0.401,P = 0.01) and simple surgery group(r =-0.295,P = 0.03.In neoadjuvant chemotherapy group, EMT status(p = 0.04) and drug resistance(p = 0.03) were more apparent than simple surgery group. The expression levels of ERCCl, vimentin and E-cadherin were all related to differentiated degree and lymph node metastasis in both groups(P < 0.05). Conclusion: This study indicated that chemoresistance is correlated with the occurrence of EMT in NSCLC at tissue level, suggesting that selective targeting of EMT-phenotypic cells for declining chemoresistance may be a plausible therapeutic strategy.

Hepatic regeneration and the epithelial to mesenchymal transition

Liver injuries are repaired by fibrosis and regeneration. The core stage is the repair response and fibrosis formation as a scar. The cause of overly-responsive scar formation and diminished regeneration, especially in liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, is still unknown. The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), a previously discovered mechanism, plays an important role in liver fibrosis and tumor metastasis. Recently, EMT has been found to be associated with liver and bile duct cell fibrosis. Analyzing the established models and chronic disease processes, we propose that EMT liver cells may also lose their regenerative capability due to phenotype changes and that the remaining liver cells may quickly lose their regenerative capability in liver fibrosis or cirrhosis. Recognizing these phenotype changes or transition cells may play an important role in targeting therapy to reverse fibrosis not only by disrupting the transition that is necessary to produce the extracellular matrix but also by restoring the regenerative capacity of EMT-like cells.

鸦胆子素A通过EMT信号诱导非小细胞肺癌细胞凋亡

目的探究鸦胆子素A对非小细胞肺癌(non-small cell lung cancer,NSCLC)细胞凋亡和侵袭的影响及相关分子机制。方法CCK-8法和克隆形成实验分别检测鸦胆子素A对NSCLC细胞增殖和克隆形成影响;3D基质胶球侵袭和流式细胞术分别检测其对细胞侵袭和凋亡影响;Western blot检测上皮间质转化(epithelial-mesenchymal transition,EMT)和凋亡关键蛋白表达;荷瘤裸鼠体内验证鸦胆子素A抗肿瘤作用;在线数据库、分子对接,DARTS实验分别预测和筛选鸦胆子素A作用靶点。结果鸦胆子素A明显抑制NSCLC细胞增殖和克隆形成能力、诱导细胞凋亡、抑制细胞侵袭,上调c-caspase3、c-PARP、Bax、E-cadherin蛋白表达,下调Bcl-2、N-cadherin、Vimentin、Snail蛋白表达(P<0.05);裸鼠荷瘤实验表明,注射鸦胆子素A后肿瘤体积和质量均明显减小(P<0.05)。靶点预测、分子对接结合DARTS综合分析发现,鸦胆子素A可增加HSP90α蛋白稳定性。结论鸦胆子素A通过激活EMT信号引起NSCLC细胞EMT水平降低、诱导细胞凋亡,其可能是通过与HSP90α结合来调控细胞功能,发挥抗癌作用。

Role of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in gastric cancer initiation and progression

Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide.Due to its intricate initiation and progression mechanisms,early detection and effective treatment of gastric cancer are difficult to achieve.The epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)is characterized as a fundamental process that is critical for embryonic development,wound healing and fibrotic disease.Recent evidence has established that aberrant EMT activation in the human stomach is closely associated with gastric carcinogenesis and tumor progression.EMT activation endows gastric epithelial cells with increased characteristics of mesenchymal cells and reduces their epithelial features.Moreover,mesenchymal cells tend to dedifferentiate and acquire stem cell or tumorigenic phenotypes such as invasion,metastasis and apoptosis resistance as well as drug resistance during EMT progression.There are a number of molecules that indicate the stage of EMT(e.g.,E-cadherin,an epithelial cell biomarker);therefore,certain transcriptional proteins,especially E-cadherin transcriptional repressors,may participate in the regulation of EMT.In addition,EMT regulation may be associated with certain epigenetic mechanisms.The aforementioned molecules can be used as early diagnostic markers for gastric cancer,and EMT regulation can provide potential targets for gastric cancer therapy.Here,we review the role of these aspects of EMT in gastric cancer initiation and development.

Inflammatory microenvironment contributes to epithelial-mesenchymal transition in gastric cancer

Gastric cancer(GC) is the fifth most common malignancy in the world. The major cause of GC is chronic infection with Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori). Infection with H. pylori leads to an active inflammatory microenvironment that is maintained by immune cells such as T cells, macrophages, natural killer cells, among other cells. Immune cell dysfunction allows the initiation and accumulation of mutations in GC cells, inducing aberrant proliferation and protection from apoptosis. Meanwhile, immune cells can secrete certain signals, including cytokines, and chemokines, to alter intracellular signaling pathways in GC cells. Thus, GC cells obtain the ability to metastasize to lymph nodes by undergoing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT), whereby epithelial cells lose their epithelial attributes and acquire a mesenchymal cell phenotype. Metastasis is a leading cause of death for GC patients, and the involved mechanisms are still under investigation. In this review, we summarize the current research on how the inflammatory environment affects GC initiation and metastasis via EMT.

IL-33促进非小细胞肺癌EMT的研究

目的探讨IL-33参与非小细胞肺癌(non-small cell lung cancer,NSCLC)上皮细胞-间充质转化(epithelial-mesenchymal transition,EMT)的过程及临床意义。方法生物信息学分析IL-33在非小细胞肺癌中的生物学行为。https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/网站下载非小细胞肺癌芯片GSE5843和GSE102287进行生存分析。免疫组织化学评估非小细胞肺癌中蛋白IL-33、ST2的表达,免疫荧光法检测E-钙黏蛋白(E-cadherin)、波形蛋白(Vimentin)的组织定位和分布。体外CCK-8法检测IL-33刺激下A549、SK-MES-1细胞的细胞活力,划痕实验和Transwell实验检测IL-33促进A549、SK-MES-1细胞迁移和侵袭能力。免疫印迹实验检测最佳浓度IL-33处理下ST2、E-cadherin、波形蛋白(Vimentin)、基质金属蛋白酶-9(Matrixmetalloproteinase-9,MMP-9)蛋白的表达。结果生物信息学分析发现IL-33可通过EMT参与NSCLC的进展和转移,生存分析提示IL-33与非小细胞肺癌预后有关,IL-33高表达者,预后差(P<0.05)。免疫组化结果显示与癌旁组织相比,非小细胞肺癌中IL-33、ST2高表达,E-cadherin表达下降,Vimentin明显增多(P<0.05),且在肺腺癌与肺鳞癌之间的表达无明显差异(P>0.05)。IL-33可促进A549、SK-MES-1细胞增殖、迁移和侵袭。与HPAEpiC细胞相比,A549、SK-MES-1细胞高表达ST2、Vimentin、MMP-9、E-cadherin(P<0.05),IL-33刺激下A549、SK-MES-1细胞ST2、Vimentin、MMP-9表达明显升高,E-cadherin明显下降(P<0.05)。结论非小细胞肺癌中IL-33通过ST2促进EMT过程,促进非小细胞肺癌进展。