Alteration of nuclear matrix-intermediate filament system and differential expression of nuclear matrix proteins during human hepatocarcinoma cell differentiation

AIM: To investigate the association between the configurational and compositional changes of nuclear matrix and the differentiation of carcinoma cells. METHODS: Cells cultured with or without 5 x 10(-3) mmol/L of hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA) on Nickel grids were treated by selective extraction and prepared for whole mount observation under electron microscopy. The samples were examined under transmission electron microscope. Nuclear matrix proteins were selectively extracted and subjected to subcellular proteomics study. The protein expression patterns were analyzed by PDQuest software. Spots of differentially expressed nuclear matrix proteins were excised and subjected to in situ digestion with trypsin. The peptides were analyzed by matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Data were submitted for database searching using Mascot tool (www.matrixscience.com). RESULTS: The nuclear matrix (NM) and intermediate filament (IF) in SMMC-7721 hepatocarcinoma cells were found relatively sparse and arranged irregularly. The nuclear lamina was non-uniform, and two kinds of filaments were not tightly connected. After induction for differentiation by HMBA, the NM-IF filaments were concentrated and distributed uniformly. The heterogeneous population of filaments, including highly branched ultrathin filaments could also be seen in the regular meshwork. The connection between the two kinds of filaments and the relatively thin, condensed and sharply demarcated lamina composed of intermediate-sized filaments was relatively fastened. Meanwhile, 21 NM proteins changed remarkably during SMMC-7721 cell differentiation. Four proteins, i.e. mutant Pyst1, hypothetical protein, nucleophosmin 1, and LBP were downregulated, whereas four other proteins, eIF6, p44 subunit, beta-tubulin, and SIN3B were upregulated with the last one, SR2/ASF found only in the differentiated SMMC-7721 cells. CONCLUSION: The induced differentiation of SMMC-7721 cells by HMBA is accompanied by the configurational changes of nuclear matrix-intermediate filament (NM-IF) system and the compositional changes of nuclear matrix protein expression. These changes may be important morphological or functional indications of the cancer cell reversion.     

术前血清学联合影像学检查预测肝内胆管癌根治性切除术后患者生存获益的研究

背景与目的 肝内胆管癌（ICC）起病隐匿、侵袭性高,患者往往确诊时已失去了最佳手术时机,接受手术者5年生存率也极低。早期判断患者根治性切除术的生存获益至关重要。本研究依据术前影像学联合血清学指标对ICC根治性切除患者生存获益实行预测,以期对临床判断是否适宜行根治性切除提供指导与参考。方法 回顾性收集2010年1月—2021年12月于中国13家三甲医院行根治性切除的821例ICC患者的影像学与血清学检测资料。影像学指标包括：发现肝脏肿块、肝内胆管扩张、门静脉侵犯、淋巴结侵犯、腹水及结石;血清学指标包括：血红蛋白、白细胞计数、淋巴细胞计数、中性粒细胞计数、甲胎蛋白（AFP）、癌胚抗原（CEA）、糖类抗原19-9（CA19-9）、CA125、丙氨酸氨基转移酶（ALT）、总胆红素（TBIL）、白蛋白（ALB）及凝血酶原时间（PT）。通过单因素与多因素Cox回归筛选目标变量,用目标变量构建CoxPH模型并绘制列线图,用Kaplan-Meier生存分析验证评分与患者预后的关系,通过受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线及校准曲线对模型预测效能进行评估。结果 影像学发现腹水、肝内胆管扩张、淋巴结侵犯与血清学指标CEA>5 μg/L、CA19-9>37 U/mL、CA125>40 U/mL是独立预后因素（均P<0.05）。用该六个变量构建CoxPH模型,根据该模型所区分的高风险组患者术后1、3、5年生存率均明显低于低风险组患者（均P<0.05）;所构建的列线图具有较好的区分度及有效性。ROC曲线显示,模型1、3、5年预测的曲线下面积分别为0.711、0.721、0.782;模型1、3、5年预测效能均高于独立指标的预测效能。结论 由CA125、腹水、肝内胆管扩张、淋巴结侵犯、CEA、CA19-9这六个术前指标组成的预后模型能较好地对患者进行高低风险分层,并对ICC患者根治性切除术后生存获益进行较精准的个体化预测,对临床医生判断患者是否适宜行根治性切除具有指导意义。     

重组腺病毒介导MDA-7/IL-24对Hep3B选择性杀伤和抑制增殖的研究

目的观察黑色素瘤分化相关基因7（MDA-7／IL-24）基因对人肝癌细胞Hep3B和正常的肝细胞L02的作用，并且探讨其该作用机制。方法将携带人MDA-7／IL-24基因的腺病毒Ad.mda-7感染人正常肝细胞L02和肝癌细胞Hep3S，逆转录-聚合酶链式反应（RT—PCR）和ELISA方法观察MDA-7／IL-24基因的表达，噻唑蓝染色法（MTT）观察MDA-7／IL-24对肝癌细胞的生长抑制，Hoechst染色和Annexin-V和PI双染后流式细胞仪检二种细胞的凋亡，利用PI染色后流式细胞仪检测细胞周期，RT-PCR方法检测bcl-2的表达变化。结果Ad．mda-7能介导外源基因MDA-7／IL-24在肝癌细胞株Hep3B和正常细胞L02中高效表达，细胞培养上清液中MDA-7／IL-24蛋白的表达（Hep3B：L02分别为790：810ng／L）。MDA-7／IL-24能明显抑制肝癌细胞的生长（抑制率分别是83％和1．2％），能促进肝癌细胞的凋亡（58％：2．2％），阻滞肝癌细胞在G2／M期（48．29％：7．95％）。而对正常的肝细胞没有促凋亡和增殖阻滞作用；能明显的抑制Hep3B的凋亡抑制基因bcl-2的表达。结论Ad．mda-7能介导MDA-7／IL-24基因在人肝癌细胞中高效表达，选择性的杀伤肝癌细胞Hep3B，促进细胞增殖阻滞，其机制是通过抑制bcl-2的表达诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡。     

Dihydroartemisinin inhibits angiogenesis in pancreatic cancer by targeting the NF-��B pathway

Purpose

Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) has recently shown antitumor activity in human pancreatic cancer cells. However, its effect on antiangiogenic activity in pancreatic cancer is unknown, and the mechanism is unclear. This study was aimed to investigate whether DHA would inhibit angiogenesis in human pancreatic cancer.

Methods

Cell viability and proliferation, tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), nuclear factor (NF)-??B DNA-binding activity, expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin (IL)-8, cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 were examined in vitro. The effect of DHA on antiangiogenic activity in pancreatic cancer was also assessed using BxPC-3 xenografts subcutaneously established in BALB/c nude mice.

Results

DHA inhibited cell proliferation and tube formation of HUVECs in a time- and dose-dependent manner and also reduced cell viability in pancreatic cancer cells. DHA significantly inhibited NF-??B DNA-binding activity, so as to tremendously decrease the expression of NF-??B-targeted proangiogenic gene products: VEGF, IL-8, COX-2, and MMP-9 in vitro. In vivo studies, DHA remarkably reduced tumor volume, decreased microvessel density, and down-regulated the expression of NF-??B-related proangiogenic gene products.

Conclusions

Inhibition of NF-??B activation is one of the mechanisms that DHA inhibits angiogenesis in human pancreatic cancer. We also suggest that DHA could be developed as a novel agent against pancreatic cancer.     

胰腺实性假乳头状瘤的治疗：附17例报告

目的：探讨CT检查和术中探查在胰腺实性假乳头肿瘤(SPTP)手术方式选择中的应用价值。
方法：回顾性分析10年间福建医科大学附属第一医院等4所医院手术所治17例SPTP患者的临床资料,分析术前CT判断、术中探查发现与术后病理学结果的关系。
结果：术前CT检查和术中探查能够较准确地判断肿瘤的大小、位置、侵袭生长情况;所有患者均接受了手术治疗,其中局部肿瘤切除术8例、胰尾切除术1例、胰体尾切除加脾切除术6例以及胰十二指肠切除术2例,17.6%的患者发生胰瘘等术后并发症,平均随访19.3个月未发现肿瘤复发。
结论：胰腺实性假乳头肿瘤手术切除率高,手术术式的选择应依据术前CT等影像检查和术中探查对肿瘤性质、大小、部位、包膜是否完整和是否侵及周围组织的判断,完整的肿瘤切除治疗能够获得良好预后。     

Shikonin inhibits prostate cancer cells metastasis by reducing matrix metalloproteinase-2/-9 expression via AKT/mTOR and ROS/ERK1/2 pathways

Metastasis is one of the most important factors related to prostate cancer therapeutic efficacy. In previous studies, shikonin, an active naphthoquinone isolated from the Chinese medicine Zi Cao, has various anticancer activities both in vivo and in vitro. However, the mechanisms underlying shikonin's anticancer activity are not fully elucidated on prostate cancer cells. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the potential effects of shikonin on prostate cancer cells and the underlying mechanisms by which shikonin exerted its actions. With cell proliferation, flow cytometric cell cycle, migration and invasion assays, we found that shikonin potently suppressed PC-3 and DU145 cell growth by cell cycle arrest at the G2 phase and metastasis in a dose-dependent manner. Mechanically, we presented that shikonin could suppress the metastasis of PC-3 and DU145 cells via inhibiting the matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9 expression and activation. In addition, shikonin significantly decreased the phosphorylation of AKT and mTOR in a dose-dependent manner while it induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) and c-Jun N terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation. Further investigation of the underlying mechanism revealed that shikonin also induced the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that was reversed by the ROS scavenger dithiothreitol (DTT). Additionally, DTT reversed the shikonin induced activation of ERK1/2, thereby maintaining MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression and restoring cell metastasis. Together, shikonin inhibits aggressive prostate cancer cell migration and invasion by reducing MMP-2/-9 expression via AKT/mTOR and ROS/ERK1/2 pathways and presents a potential novel alternative agent for the treatment of human prostate cancer.