microRNA-21 mediates epithelial-mesenchymal transition of human hepatocytes via PTEN/Akt pathway

miR-21 has been shown to play fundamental role in diverse biological and pathological processes, including fibrotic diseases. In the present study, we investigated whether miR-21 regulated the fibrogenic epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human hepatocytes QSG-7701 and explored underlying mechanisms. The results showed that treatment of QSG-7701 cells with pro-fibrogenic factor TGF-β₁ resulted in increased expression of miR-21 and promoted fibrogenic EMT in hepatocytes. Downregulation of miR-21 expression by transfection of anti-miR-21 into QSG-7701 cells inhibited fibrogenic EMT induced by TGF-β₁. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-21 alone also resulted in EMT-like transformation in QSG-7701 cells. TGF-β₁ treatment resulted in decreased PTEN and increased Akt phosphorylation and anti-miR-21 abolished this effect. Overexpression of miR-21 in QSG-7701 cells also downregulated PTEN and upregulated Akt phosphralation. Inhibition of Akt signaling by specific inhibitor Akt inhibitor IV blocked TGF-β₁ and miR-21-induced fibrogenic EMT. In summary, our results identify miR-21 as a key regulator of fibrogenic EMT in hepatocytes via PTEN/Akt pathway. Targeting miR-21 may provide a new therapeutic strategy against hepatic fibrosis.     

Multiomics analyses reveal a critical role of selenium in controlling T cell differentiation in Crohn’s disease

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粉防己碱调控miR-21表达抑制卵巢癌上皮间质转化的实验研究

目的研究粉防己碱(TET)调控miR-21表达抑制卵巢癌上皮间质转化(EMT)的作用。方法以人卵巢癌细胞(A2780细胞)、人卵巢透明癌细胞(ES-2细胞)和正常人卵巢上皮细胞(IOSE80细胞)作为研究对象,采用MTT法测定0、1.0、2.0、5.0、10.0、20.0μmol/L的TET对上述3种细胞增殖的影响。实验分为IOSE80细胞对照组、A2780细胞对照组、ES-2细胞对照组、A2780细胞TET组、ES-2细胞TET组,采用实时荧光定量PCR法(RT-qPCR)测定各组细胞miR-21表达水平;迁移实验和侵袭实验考察TET对细胞迁移和侵袭的影响;蛋白印迹法(Western blot)测定各组细胞GSK3β、p-GSK3β、β-catenin、E-cadherin、N-cadherin、Vimentin蛋白表达水平。结果①与对照组相比,TET浓度在1.0～20.0μmol/L时,A2780细胞和ES-2细胞存活率随着TET浓度的增加显著降低(P0.05);为减少TET药物对细胞的毒性,采用TET对A2780细胞和ES-2细胞的处理浓度分别为5.0μmol/L和3.0μmol/L进行后续实验。②与IOSE80细胞组相比,A2780细胞对照组和ES-2细胞对照组miR-21表达水平显著升高(P0.05);与A2780细胞对照组和ES-2细胞对照组相比,A2780细胞5.0μmol/L TET组和ES-2细胞3.0μmol/L TET组miR-21表达水平、迁移能力、侵袭能力、GSK3蛋白磷酸化水平、β-catenin蛋白表达水平、N-cadherin蛋白表达水平、Vimentin蛋白表达水平明显降低(P0.05),E-cadherin蛋白表达水平明显升高(P0.05)。结论 TET可能通过下调miR-21表达水平,从而阻断Wnt/β-catenin信号通路抑制卵巢癌EMT。     

Evaluation of volume of the sphenoid sinus according to sex,facial type,skeletal class,and presence of a septum: a cone-beam computed tomographic study

We have used cone-beam computed tomographic (CT) images to retrospectivelyevaluate the influence of sex, skeletal class, facial type, and the presence of septa on the volume of the sphenoid sinus in 172 images from 85 men (mean (SD) age 28 (2) years) and 87 women (mean (SD) age 30 (1) years). Skeletal class and facial type were calculated for each patient from multiplanar reconstructions using NemoCeph® software. Volumetric analysis of the sphenoid sinus was made with the help of the ITK-SNAP® 3.4.0 segmentation software, while the presence or absence of septa in the sphenoid sinus was evaluated with the Carestream 3D Imaging® software 3.4.3. We analysed the results using two-way ANOVA, Student’s independent sample t test, and Fisher’s exact test, as appropriate, and probabilities of <0.05 were accepted as significant. Sex (p = 0.0946), facial type (p = 0.790), and skeletal class (p = 0.120) had no significant influence on the volume of the sphenoid sinus, and nor did the volumes of the right and left sphenoid sinuses (p = 0.0923), or the presence of a septum within the sinus (p = 0.330) in its volume.     

Tfh-cell-derived interleukin 21 sustains effector CD8+ T cell responses during chronic viral infection

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