Enhanced Effects of TRAIL-endostatin-based Double-gene-radiotherapy on Suppressing Growth, Promoting Apoptosis and Inducing Cell Cycle Arrest in Vascular Endothelial Cells

This study examined the effects of TRAIL-endostatin-based gene-radiotherapy on cellu-lar growth, apoptosis and cell cycle progression in human vascular endothelial cells ECV304 in vitro. The expression of TRAIL and endostatin protein in ECV304 cells was detected by ELISA after the transfection of recombinant plasmid pshuttle-Egr1-shTRAIL-shES and X-ray irradiation. Then MTT assay was used for determining the cellular proliferation, and flow cytometry (FCM) plus Annexin V and propidium iodide (PI) double-staining or PI single-staining were employed for the detection of apoptosis and cell cycle progression. The results showed that expression of TRAIL and endostatin protein exhibited a time- and dose-dependent change in ECV304 cells after pshut-tle-Egr1-shTRAIL-shES transfection in conjunction with irradiation. In the TRAIL-endostatin-based single- or double-gene-radiotherapy, the cell viability declined in a time- and dose-dependent manner, the percentage of cells at G2/M phase and apoptotic rate was increased, and the percentage of cells at G0/G1 phase was lowered as compared with those receiving radiotherapy alone. Moreover, TRAIL-endostatin-based double-gene-radiotherapy demonstrated better effects on growth inhibition, promotion of apoptosis and induction of cell cycle arrest in ECV304 cells than single-gene-radiotherapy.

Mitochondrial Modulation of Apoptosis Induced by Low-dose Radiation in Mouse Testicular Cells

Objective To investigate whether apoptosis induced by low-dose radiation （LDR） is regulated by mitochondrial pathways in testicular cells. Methods Male mice were exposed to whole-body LDR, and changes in mitochondrial function and in expression of apoptotic factors were analyzed in the testicular cells as follows. Total nitric-oxide synthase （T-NOS） and Na＋/K＋ ATPase activities were biochemically assayed. Reactive oxygen species （ROS） and mitochondrial membrane potential （Adjm） were determined by flow cytometry using fluorescent probes. Levels of mRNAs encoding cytochrome c （Cyt c） and apoptosis-inducing factor （AIF） were quantified by real-time reverse-transcription PCR （RT-PCR）. Expression of Cyt c, AIF, caspase-9, and caspase-3 at the protein level was assessed by western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Results LDR induced an increase in T-NOS activity and ROS levels, and a decrease in Na＋/K~ ATPase activity and mitochondrial A^m, in the testicular cells. The intensity of these effects increased with time after irradiation and with dose. The cells showed remarkable swelling and vacuolization of mitochondria, and displayed a time- and dose-dependent increase in the expression of Cyt c, AIF, procaspase-9, and procaspase-3. Activation of the two procaspases was confirmed by detection of the cleaved caspases. The changes in expression of the four apoptotic factors were mostly limited to spermatogonia and spermatocytes. Conclusion LDR can induce testicular cell apoptosis through mitochondrial signaling pathways

Involvement of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Apoptosis of Testicular Cells Induced by Low-dose Radiation

Summary： The study examined the role of endoplasmic reticulum stress （ERS） and signaling pathways of inositol-requiring enzyme-1 （IRE1）, RNA-activated protein kinase-like ER kinase （PERK） and activating transcription factor-6 （ATF6） in apoptosis of mouse testicular cells treated with low-dose radiation （LDR）. In the dose-dependent experiment, the mice were treated with whole-body X-ray irradiation at different doses （25, 50, 75, 100 or 200 mGy） and sacrificed 12 h later. In the time-dependent experiment, the mice were exposed to 75 mGy X-ray irradiation and killed at different time points （3, 6, 12, 18 or 24 h）. Testicular cells were harvested for experiments. H202 and NO concentrations, and Ca2＋-ATPase activity were detected by biochemical assays, the calcium ion concentration （[Ca2＋]i） by flow cytometry using fluo-3 probe, and GRP78 mRNA and protein expressions by quantitative real-time RT-PCR （qRT-PCR） and Western blotting, respectively. The mRNA expressions of S-XBP1, JNK, caspase-12 and CHOP were measured by qRT-PCR, and the protein expressions of IREla, S-XBP1, p-PERK, p-elF2a, ATF6 p50, p-JNK, pro-caspase-12, cleaved caspase-12 and CHOP by Western blot- ting. The results showed that the concentrations of H202 and NO, the mR_NA expressions of GRP78, S-XBP1, JNK, caspase-12 and CHOP, and the protein expressions of GRP78, S-XBP1, IREla, p-PERK, p-elF2a, ATF6 p50, p-JNK, pro-caspase-12, cleaved caspase-12 and CHOP were significantly increased in a time- and dose-dependent manner after LDR. But the [Ca2]i and Ca2-ATPase activities were sig nificantly decreased in a time and dose-dependent manner. It was concluded that the ERS, regulated by IRE 1, PERK and ATF6 pathways, is involved in the apoptosis of testicular cells in LDR mice, which is associated with ERS-apoptotic signaling molecules of JNK, caspase-12 and CHOP.

Role of PLC-PIP2 and cAMP-PKA Signal Pathways in Radiation-induced Immune-suppressing Effect

Objective The purpose of the present study was to observe the changes in CD4＋CD25＋Nrpl＋Treg cells after irradiation with different doses and explore the possible molecular mechanisms involved. Methods ICR mice and mouse lymphoma cell line （EL-4 cells） was used. The expressions of CD4, CD25, Nrpl, calcineurin and PKC-α were detected by flow cytometry. The expressions of TGF-131, IL-10, PKA and cAMP were estimated with ELISA. Results At 12 h after irradiation, the expression of Nrpl increased significantly in 4.0 Gy group, compared with sham-irradiation group （P〈0.05） in the spleen and thymus, respectively, when ICR mice received whole-body irradiation （WBI）. Meanwhile the synthesis of Interleukin 10 （IL-20） and transforming growth factor-β1 （TGF-β1） increased significantly after high dose irradiation （HDR） （〉 or = 1.0 Gy）. In addition, the expression of cAMP and PKA protein increased, while PKC-α, calcineurin decreased at 12h in thymus cells after 4.0 Gy X-irradiation. While TGF-β1 was clearly inhibited when the PLC-PIP2 signal pathway was stimulated or the cAMP-PKA signal pathway was blocked after 4.0 Gy X-irradiation, this did not limit the up-regulation of CD4＋CD25＋Nrpl＋Treg cells after ionizing radiation. Conclusion These results indicated that HDR might induce CD4＋CD25＋Nrpl＋Treg cells production and stimulate TGF-β1 secretion by regulating signal molecules in mice.

Increased Levels of p53 and PARP-1 in EL-4 Cells Probably Related with the Immune Adaptive Response Induced by Low Dose Ionizing Radiation in vitro

Objective This paper is to explore the DNA repair mechanism of immune adaptive response （AR） induced by low dose radiation （LDR）, the changes of mRNA levels and protein expressions of p53, ATM, DNA-PK catalytic subunit （DNA-PKcs） and PARP-1 genes in the LDR-induced AR in EL-4 cells. Methods The apoptosis and cell cycle progression of EL-4 cells were detected by flow cytometry in 12 h after the cells received the pre-exposure of 0.075 Gy X-rays （inductive dose, D 1） and the succeeding high dose irradiation （challenge dose, D2; 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 Gy X-rays, respectively） with or without wortmannin （inhibitor of ATM and DNA-PK） and 3-aminobenzamid （inhibitor of PARP-1）. And the protein expressions and mRNA levels related to these genes were detected with flow cytometry and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in 12 h after irradiation with D2. Results The mRNA and protein expressions of p53 and PARP-1 in EL-4 cells in the D1 ＋ D2 groups were much lower than those in the D2 groups, and those of PARP-1 in the 3-AB ＋ D2 and the 3-AB ＋ D1 ＋ D2 groups were much lower than those in the D2 and the D1 ＋ D2 groups. The percentage of apoptotic EL-4 cells in the 3-AB ＋ D1 ＋ D2 groups was much higher than that in the D1 ＋ D2 groups, that in the G0/G1 and the G2 ＋ M phases was much higher, and that in the S phase were much lower. Although the ATM and DNA-PKcs mRNA and protein expressions in wortmannin ＋ D1 ＋ D2 groups were much lower than those in the D1 ＋ D2 groups, there were no significant changes in the apoptosis and cell cycle progression between the wortmannin ＋ D1 ＋ D2 and the D1 ＋ D2 groups. Conclusion PARP-1 and p53 might play important roles in AR induced by LDR.

Advances in electrical impedance tomography-based brain imaging

Novel advances in the field of brain imaging have enabled the unprecedented clinical application of various imaging modalities to facilitate disease diagnosis and treatment. Electrical impedance tomography(EIT) is a functional imaging technique that measures the transfer impedances between electrodes on the body surface to estimate the spatial distribution of electrical properties of tissues. EIT offers many advantages over other neuroimaging technologies,which has led to its potential clinical use. This qualitative review provides an overview of the basic principles,algorithms, and system composition of EIT. Recent advances in the field of EIT are discussed in the context of epilepsy,stroke, brain injuries and edema, and other brain diseases. Further, we summarize factors limiting the development of brain EIT and highlight prospects for the field. In epilepsy imaging, there have been advances in EIT imaging depth,from cortical to subcortical regions. In stroke research, a bedside EIT stroke monitoring system has been developed for clinical practice, and data support the role of EIT in multi-modal imaging for diagnosing stroke. Additionally, EIT has been applied to monitor the changes in brain water content associated with cerebral edema, enabling the early identification of brain edema and the evaluation of mannitol dehydration. However, anatomically realistic geometry,inhomogeneity, cranium completeness, anisotropy and skull type, etc., must be considered to improve the accuracy of EIT modeling. Thus, the further establishment of EIT as a mature and routine diagnostic technique will necessitate the accumulation of more supporting evidence.

AZD1775 and anti-PD-1 antibody synergistically sensitize hepatoma to radiotherapy

Background:Radiation(IR)-induced DNA damage triggers cell cycle arrest and has a suppressive effect on the tumor microenvironment(TME).Wee1,a cell cycle regulator,can eliminate G2/M arrest by phosphorylating cyclin-dependent kinase 1(CDK1).Meanwhile,programed death-1/programed death ligand-1(PD-1/PDL-1)blockade is closely related to TME.This study aims to investigate the effects and mechanisms of Wee1 inhibitor AZD1775 and anti-PD-1 antibody(anti-PD-1 Ab)on radiosensitization of hepatoma.Methods:The anti-tumor activity of AZD1775 and IR was determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-y1)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide(MTT)assay on human and mouse hepatoma cells HepG2,Hepa1-6,and H22.The anti-hepatoma mechanism of AZD1775 and IR revealed by flow cytometry and Western blot in vitro.A hepatoma subcutaneous xenograft mice model was constructed on Balb/c mice,which were divided into control group,IR group,AZD1775 group,IR+AZD1775 group,IR+anti-PD-1 Ab group,and the IR+AZD1775+anti-PD-1 Ab group.Cytotoxic CD8^(+)T cells in TME were analyzed by flow cytometry.Results:Combining IR with AZD1775 synergistically reduced the viability of hepatoma cells in vitro.AZD1775 exhibited antitumor effects by decreasing CDK1 phosphorylation to reverse the IR-induced G2/M arrest and increasing IR-induced DNA damage.AZD1775 treatment also reduced the proportion of PD-1^(+)/CD8^(+)T cells in the spleen of hepatoma subcutaneous xenograft mice.Further studies revealed that AZD1775 and anti-PD-1 Ab could enhance the radiosensitivity of hepatoma by enhancing the levels of interferonγ(IFNγ)^(+)or Ki67^(+)CD8 T cells and decreasing the levels of CD8^(+)Tregs cells in the tumor and spleen of the hepatoma mice model,indicating that the improvement of TME was manifested by increasing the cytotoxic factor IFNγexpression,enhancing CD8^(+)T cells proliferation,and weakening CD8^(+)T cells depletion.Conclusions:This work suggests that AZD1775 and anti-PD-1 Ab synergistically sensitize hepatoma to radiotherapy by enhancing IR-induced DNA damage and improving cytotoxic CD8^(+)T cells in TME.

2-Gy whole-body irradiation significantly alters the balance of CD4^(+)CD25^(-) T effector cells and CD4^(+)CD25^(+)Foxp3^(+) T regulatory cells in mice

CD4^(+)CD25^(+) T regulatory(Treg)cells are critical in inducing and maintaining immunological self-tolerance as well as transplant tolerance.The effect of low doses of whole-body irradiation(WBI)on CD41CD251Foxp31 Treg cells has not been determined.The proportion,phenotypes and function of CD4^(+)CD25^(+) Treg cells were investigated 0.5,5 and 15 days after euthymic,thymectomized or allogeneic bone marrow transplanted C57BL/6 mice received 2-Gy c-rays of WBI.The 2-Gy WBI significantly enhanced the ratios of CD41CD251 Treg cells and CD4^(+)CD25^(+)Foxp3^(+) Treg cells to CD41 T cells in peripheral blood,lymph nodes,spleens and thymi of mice.The CD41CD251 Treg cells of the WBI-treated mice showed immunosuppressive activities on the immune response of CD4^(+)CD25^(+) T effector cells to alloantigens or mitogens as efficiently as the control mice.Furthermore,2-Gy c-ray WBI significantly increased the percentage of CD4^(+)CD25^(+)Foxp3^(+) Treg cells in the periphery of either thymectomized mice or allogeneic bone marrow transplanted mice.The in vitro assay showed that ionizing irradiation induced less cell death in CD4^(+)CD25^(+)Foxp3^(+) Treg cells than in CD4^(+)CD25^(+) T cells.Thus,a low dose of WBI could significantly enhance the level of functional CD41CD251Foxp31 Treg cells in the periphery of naive or immunized mice.The enhanced proportion of CD41CD251Foxp31 Treg cells in the periphery by a low dose of WBI may make hosts more susceptible to immune tolerance induction.

Effects of 3-aminobenzamide on poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase expression,apoptosis and cell cycle progression of HeLa cells after X-ray irradiation

The aim of this paper is to study the changes of apoptosis and cell cycle progression in HeLa cells after the poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase(PARP)was inhibited by its inhibitor 3-aminobenzamide(3-AB)and the mechan-isms of PARP action on HeLa cells damaged by irra-diation.Flow cytometry(FCM)was used to examine the PARP expression and the percentage of apoptotic cells and cell cycle progression.The percentage of HeLa cells with positive expression of PARP protein 2,4,8 and 12 h after administrated with 3-AB was significantly lower than that of the control(P<0.01).The percentages of apoptotic cells in the 3-AB plus irradiation group at the time points of 2,8,12 and 24 h after 2 Gy irradiation were higher than that in the irradiation group(P<0.01 or P<0.05)and the percentage of G2 cells decreased signifi-cantly(P<0.01 or P<0.05).It indicates that 3-AB can rapidly inhibit PARP expression of HeLa cells,promote cell apoptosis and block G2 arrest induced by irradiation.

New understanding of the low-dose radiation-induced hormesis

Dr.Liu Shuzheng as a well-known educator and radiobiologist has started to work on the physiological benefits of low-dose radiation since 1970s.His research on the distinct effects of low-dose radiation from those of high-dose radiation has nationally and internationally impacted radiobiology,medicine and oncology.Therefore,here we briefly review the research from his research team from early years to last two decades.Two important facts related to LDR biological effects are the hormesis and adaptive response,both have been the main focuses of Dr.Liu Shuzheng early research.In the last couple of decades Dr.Liu Shuzheng have further investigated how to apply these important mechanisms into clinical translational research,such as the potential to application of LDRhormesis to enhance tumor’s chemo-or radio-therapy and LDR-induced adaptive response to protect normal tissue from chemo-or radio-therapy related side toxic effects.Therefore,Dr.Liu has provided important guidance and role model for his trainees in the continue of their research career in radiation biology,medicine and oncology.

Curcumin from Jianghuang (Rhizoma Curcumae Longae) protects against exposure to ultraviolet B by antioxidation and attenuating mitochondrion-dependent apoptosis

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the protective effect of curcumin extracted from Jianghuang(Rhizoma Curcumae Longae)against ultraviolet B(UVB)and the possible mechanism.METHODS:Effects of curcumin were detected in vivo and in vitro.Morphological changes of white guinea pig skin were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining.Ha CaT cell proliferation was measured by 3-[4,5-dimethylthylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyltetrazolium broide(MTT)assays.The cell cycle distribution,apoptotic rate,level of reactive oxygen species(ROS),mitochondrial membrane potential,and intracellullar calcium ion concentration of Ha CaT cells were detected by flow cytometry.Antioxidant levels in skin tissues and Ha Cat cells were measured by biochemical methods.RESULTS:UVB inhibited in vitro cell proliferation by inducing G2/M arrest,increasing ROS,apoptosis,and necrosis,and decreasing B-cell lymphoma-2,and increasing Bax,cytochrome c,and caspase-3 levels.CONCLUSION:Curcumin blocks the effects of UVB by reducing ROS and apoptosis,and reversing UVB-induced changes in the expression of apoptotic proteins.The mitochondrial pathway is involved in curcumin-regulated apoptosis.

Plasmonic anisotropic gold nanorods:Preparation and biomedical applications

Gold nanorods(AuNRs)have attracted tremendous interest in biomedical fields due to their unique optical properties,tunable surface plasmon,and excellent biocompatibility.Their biomedical applications are mainly influenced by near-infrared(NIR)light,which can guarantee deep penetration into human tissues with minimal loss.However,traditional single AuNRs are unable to carry medicine into the lesion regions.Furthermore,it is difficult for AuNR nanoparticles to be implemented in multimodal imagingguided synergetic therapy,which has limited the application of AuNRs in the field of theranostics.In recent years,researchers have made great strides in modifying gold nanorods into nanomaterials for the integration of diagnosis and treatment.After modifying different functionalized shells on the outsides of AuNRs,heterostructure AuNRs known as anisotropic gold nanorod(AAuNR)nanoparticles possessed bioimaging and cancer therapy abilities,as well as a variety of other amazing biomedical applications.In addition,AAuNR nanoparticles can combine biomedical imaging and therapy into one system to achieve multimodal bioimaging guided synergetic therapy.In this study,we presented a current review of the latest progress of different types of AAuNRs nanoparticles and their biomedical applications.Furthermore,the challenges and future development trends of AAuNR nanoparticles in the biomedical fields are discussed.