The role of AFAP1-AS1 in mitotic catastrophe and metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer cells by activating the PLK1 signaling pathway

Triple-negative breast cancer(TNBC)is characterized by fast growth,high metastasis,high invasion,and a lack of therapeutic targets.Mitosis and metastasis of TNBC cells are two important biological behaviors in TNBC malignant progression.It is well known that the long noncoding RNA AFAP1-AS1 plays a crucial role in various tumors,but whether AFAP1-AS1 is involved in the mitosis of TNBC cells remains unknown.In this study,we investigated the functional mechanism of AFAP1-AS1 in targeting Polo-like Kinase 1(PLK1)activation and participating in mitosis of TNBC cells.We detected the expression of AFAP1-AS1 in the TNBC patient cohort and primary cells by in situ hybridization(ISH),northern blot,fluorescent in situ hybridization(FISH)and cell nucleus/cytoplasm RNA fraction isolation.High AFAP1-AS1 expression was negatively correlated with overall survival(OS),disease-free survival(DFS),metastasis-free survival(MFS)and recurrence-free survival(RFS)in TNBC patients.We explored the function of AFAP1-AS1 by transwell,apoptosis,immunofluorescence(IF)and patient-derived xenograft(PDX)models in vitro and in vivo.We found that AFAP1-AS1 promoted TNBC primary cell survival by inhibiting mitotic catastrophe and increased TNBC primary cell growth,migration and invasion.Mechanistically,AFAP1-AS1 activated phosphorylation of the mitosis-associated kinase PLK1 protein.Elevated levels of AFAP1-AS1 in TNBC primary cells increased PLK1 pathway downstream gene expression,such as CDC25C,CDK1,BUB1 and TTK.More importantly,AFAP1-AS1 increased lung metastases in a mouse metastasis model.Taken together,AFAP1-AS1 functions as an oncogene that activates the PLK1 signaling pathway.AFAP1-AS1 could be used as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for TNBC.

Knockdown of NADPH oxidase 4 reduces mitochondrial oxidative stress and neuronal pyroptosis following intracerebral hemorrhage

Intracerebral hemorrhage is often accompanied by oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species,which causes abnormal mitochondrial function and secondary reactive oxygen species generation.This creates a vicious cycle leading to reactive oxygen species accumulation,resulting in progression of the pathological process.Therefore,breaking the cycle to inhibit reactive oxygen species accumulation is critical for reducing neuronal death after intracerebral hemorrhage.Our previous study found that increased expression of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 4(NADPH oxidase 4,NOX4)led to neuronal apoptosis and damage to the blood-brain barrier after intracerebral hemorrhage.The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of NOX4 in the circle involving the neuronal tolerance to oxidative stress,mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and modes of neuronal death other than apoptosis after intracerebral hemorrhage.We found that NOX4 knockdown by adeno-associated virus(AAV-NOX4)in rats enhanced neuronal tolerance to oxidative stress,enabling them to better resist the oxidative stress caused by intracerebral hemorrhage.Knockdown of NOX4 also reduced the production of reactive oxygen species in the mitochondria,relieved mitochondrial damage,prevented secondary reactive oxygen species accumulation,reduced neuronal pyroptosis and contributed to relieving secondary brain injury after intracerebral hemorrhage in rats.Finally,we used a mitochondria-targeted superoxide dismutase mimetic to explore the relationship between reactive oxygen species and NOX4.The mitochondria-targeted superoxide dismutase mimetic inhibited the expression of NOX4 and neuronal pyroptosis,which is similar to the effect of AAV-NOX4.This indicates that NOX4 is likely to be an important target for inhibiting mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production,and NOX4 inhibitors can be used to alleviate oxidative stress response induced by intracerebral hemorrhage.

Interaction between Schwann cells and other cells during repair of peripheral nerve injury

Peripheral nerve injury(PNI)is common and,unlike damage to the central nervous system injured nerves can effectively regenerate depending on the location and severity of injury.Peripheral myelinating glia,Schwann cells(SCs),interact with various cells in and around the injury site and are important for debris elimination,repair,and nerve regeneration.Following PNI,Wallerian degeneration of the distal stump is rapidly initiated by degeneration of damaged axons followed by morphologic changes in SCs and the recruitment of circulating macrophages.Interaction with fibroblasts from the injured nerve microenvironment also plays a role in nerve repair.The replication and migration of injury-induced dedifferentiated SCs are also important in repairing the nerve.In particular,SC migration stimulates axonal regeneration and subsequent myelination of regenerated nerve fibers.This mobility increases SC interactions with other cells in the nerve and the exogenous environment,which influence SC behavior post-injury.Following PNI,SCs directly and indirectly interact with other SCs,fibroblasts,and macrophages.In addition,the inter-and intracellular mechanisms that underlie morphological and functional changes in SCs following PNI still require further research to explain known phenomena and less understood cell-specific roles in the repair of the injured peripheral nerve.This review provides a basic assessment of SC function post-PNI,as well as a more comprehensive evaluation of the literature concerning the SC interactions with macrophages and fibroblasts that can influence SC behavior and,ultimately,repair of the injured nerve.

Congenital dysfibrinogenemia misdiagnosed and inappropriately treated as acute fatty liver in pregnancy:A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to report the rare case of a pregnant woman with congenital dysfibrinogenemia(CD)misdiagnosed as acute fatty liver.She was treated according to the principles of acute fatty liver but achieved good clinical results.CASE SUMMARY A 30-year-old woman presented with 39(6/7)wk of menopause and 6 h of irregular abdominal pain and attended our hospital.Emergency surgery was performed due to fetal distress.Postoperative management followed the treatment principle of acute fatty liver.DNA sequencing was carried out on the pregnant woman and her pedigree.Coagulation values of the patient on admission were prothrombin time 33.7 s,activated partial thromboplastin time 60.4 s,thrombin time 45.2 s,and fibrinogen 0.60 g/L.DNA sequencing results showed that the woman carried a pathogenic heterozygous variation of the fibrinogen alpha chain gene(FGA),which is closely related to hereditary fibrinogen abnormality,and the mutation site was located in p.R350H.After a follow-up period of 12 mo,the mother and her newborn had a good prognosis without bleeding or thrombosis.CONCLUSION Pregnant women with CD may have atypical symptoms,which can easily lead to misdiagnosis.In addition,treatment can be attempted according to the principles of acute fatty liver management.This rare pregnant patient with CD was caused by a novel FGA(p.R350H)gene mutation.

Prevalence of Nontraumatic Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head and its Associated Risk Factors in the Chinese Population： Results from a Nationally Representative Survey

Background： Nontraumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head （NONFH） is a debilitating disease that represents a significant financial burden for both individuals and healthcare systems. Despite its significance, however, its prevalence in the Chinese general population remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of NONFH and its associated risk factors in the Chinese population. Methods： A nationally representative survey of 30,030 respondents was undertaken from June 2012 to August 2013. All participants underwent a questionnaire investigation, physical examination of hip, and bilateral hip joint X-ray and/or magnetic resonance imaging exalnination. Blood samples were taken after overnight fasting to test serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein （HDL） and low-density lipoprotein （LDL） levels. We then used multivariate logistic regression analysis to investigate the associations between various metabolic, demographic, and lifestyle-related variables and NONFH. Results： NONFH was diagnosed in 218 subjects （0.725%） and the estimated NONFH cases were 8.12 million among Chinesepeople aged 15 years and over. The prevalence of NONFH was significantly higher in males than in females （1.02% vs. 0.51%, x^2 = 24.997, P 〈 0.001 ）. Among NONFH patients, North residents were subjected to higher prevalence of NONFH than that of South residents （0.85% vs. 0.61%,x^2= 5.847, P = 0.016）. Our multivariate regression analysis showed that high blood levels oftriglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and non-H DL-cholesterol, male, urban residence, family history of osteonecrosis of the femoral head. heavy smoking, alcohol abuse and glucocorticoid intake, overweight, and obesity were all significantly associated with an increased risk of NONFH. Conclusions： Our findings highlight that NONFH is a significantpublic health challenge in China and underscore the need for policy measures on the national level. Furthermore, NONFH shares a number of risk factors with atherosclerosis.