scholarly journals Treatment with a new benzimidazole derivative bearing a pyrrolidine side chain overcomes sorafenib resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fat-Moon Suk ◽  
Chao-Lien Liu ◽  
Ming-Hua Hsu ◽  
Yu-Ting Chuang ◽  
Jack P. Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Benzimidazole Derivative ◽  
Acquired Resistance ◽  
Xenograft Model ◽  
Side Chain ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
New Compounds ◽  
Line Drug

AbstractHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Currently, sorafenib is the standard first-line drug for patients with advanced HCC. However, long-term exposure to sorafenib often results in reduced sensitivity of tumour cells to the drug, leading to acquired resistance. Therefore, developing new compounds to treat sorafenib resistance is urgently needed. Although benzimidazole and its derivatives have been reported to exert antimicrobial and antitumour effects, the anti-drug resistance potential of these molecules is still unknown. In this study, we established sorafenib-resistant (SR) cell lines and an acquired sorafenib resistance xenograft model. We showed that treatment with a benzimidazole derivative bearing a pyrrolidine side chain (compound 9a) inhibited the proliferation of SR cells by blocking the phosphorylation of AKT, p70S6 and the downstream molecule RPS6. In addition, caspase 3/PARP-dependent apoptotic signals were induced in 9a-treated cells. Regarding epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) activities, 9a treatment significantly suppressed the migration of SR cells. In particular, the levels of EMT-related transcription factors (snail, slug and twist) and mesenchymal markers (vimentin and N-cadherin) were downregulated. In the acquired sorafenib resistance xenograft model, compound 9a administration decreased the growth of tumours with acquired sorafenib resistance and the expression of the HCC markers α-fetoprotein, glypican 3 and survivin. In conclusion, treatment with this compound may be a novel therapeutic strategy for patients with sorafenib resistance.

scholarly journals Suppression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression through FOXM1 and EMT Inhibition via Hydroxygenkwanin-Induced miR-320a Expression

Biomolecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Fang Chou ◽  
Chi-Yuan Chen ◽  
Wan-Hua Yang ◽  
Chin-Chuan Chen ◽  
Junn-Liang Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Liver Cancer ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Xenograft Model ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Chinese Medicinal Herb ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Mouse Xenograft Model

Daphne genkwa, a Chinese medicinal herb, is used frequently in Southeast Asian countries to treat diseases; the flavonoid hydroxygenkwanin (HGK) is extracted from its flower buds. The bioactivity of HGK, particularly as an anti-liver cancer agent, has not been explored. In this study, human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines and an animal xenograft model were employed to investigate both the activity of HGK against liver cancer and its cellular signaling mechanisms. HCC cells treated with HGK were subjected to cell function assays. Whole transcriptome sequencing was used to identify genes whose expression was influenced by HGK, and the flavonoid’s cancer suppression mechanisms were further investigated through gain- and loss-of-function assays. Finally, in vitro findings were tested in a mouse xenograft model. The data showed that HGK induced the expression of the microRNA miR-320a, which in turn inhibited the expression of the transcription factor ‘forkhead box protein M1’ (FOXM1) and downstream FOXM1-regulated proteins related to epithelial–mesenchymal transition, thereby leading to the suppression of liver cancer cell growth and invasion. Significant inhibition of tumor growth was also observed in HGK-treated mice. Hence, the present study demonstrated the activity of HGK against liver cancer and validated its potential use as a therapeutic agent.

scholarly journals N-Acetyltransferase 10 Enhances Doxorubicin Resistance in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Lines by Promoting the Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiuming Zhang ◽  
Jiang Chen ◽  
Shi Jiang ◽  
Shilin He ◽  
Yanfeng Bai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Xenograft Model ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Mouse Xenograft Model ◽  
Incorporation Assay ◽  
Hcc Cells

Background. N-Acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10) has been reported to be expressed at high levels in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, its role in chemoresistance is unclear. This study is aimed at investigating whether NAT10 regulates the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and chemoresistance in HCC. Methods. HCC cell lines (Huh-7, Bel-7402, SNU387, and SNU449) were treated with remodelin, an inhibitor of NAT10, or transfected with small inhibitory RNAs (siRNAs) targeting NAT10 or Twist. The EMT was induced by hypoxia. The CCK-8 assay was used to quantify cell viability, the EdU incorporation assay to assess cell proliferation. siRNA knockdown efficiency and epithelial/mesenchymal marker expression were assessed by western blotting. Results. Knockdown of NAT10 using siRNA or inhibition of NAT10 using remodelin increased the sensitivity of HCC cell lines to doxorubicin; similar effects were observed in cells transfected with the Twist siRNA. Inhibition of NAT10 using remodelin also reversed the ability of doxorubicin to induce the EMT in HCC cells. Furthermore, inhibiting NAT10 reversed the hypoxia-induced EMT. Finally, we confirmed that combining doxorubicin with remodelin delayed tumor growth and reduced tumor cell proliferation in a mouse xenograft model of HCC. Conclusions. NAT10 may contribute to chemoresistance in HCC by regulating the EMT. The mechanism by which NAT10 regulates the EMT and doxorubicin sensitivity in HCC cells merits further investigation.

scholarly journals STK25 enhances hepatocellular carcinoma progression through the STRN/AMPK/ACC1 pathway

2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yichao Zhang ◽  
Junhui Xu ◽  
Zhendong Qiu ◽  
Yongjun Guan ◽  
XiaoYi Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Lipid Metabolism ◽  
Western Blot ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Poor Prognosis ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Xenograft Model ◽  
Energy Reserve ◽  
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition

Abstract Background Serine/threonine protein kinase 25 (STK25) plays an important role in regulating glucose and insulin homeostasis and in ectopic lipid accumulation. It directly affects the progression and prognosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the effects of STK25 on lipid metabolism in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unexplored. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of STK25 in HCC and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Methods Immunohistochemistry was used to measure the expression of STK25 in hepatic tissues of HCC patients, and public datasets were used as supplementary material for predicting the expression of STK25 and the prognosis of patients with HCC. The interaction between STK25 and striatin (STRN) was determined by the STRING database, immunohistochemistry and western blot analyses. The involved signaling pathway was detected by the KEGG database and western blot. Moreover, the biological behaviors of the HCC cells were detected by wound healing assays, Transwell invasion assays and oil red O staining. Finally, it was verified again by xenograft model. Results STK25 is highly expressed in HCC patients and is associated with poor prognosis. STK25 knockdown inhibited the HCC cell invasion and proliferation, promotes apoptosis. Consistently, STK25 knockdown inhibited tumor growth in xenograft mouse model. Besides, STK25 deficiency decreased lipid synthesis, energy reserve, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by down-regulating lipid metabolism signaling pathway. STRN could reverse the change of lipid metabolism. Conclusions Our results demonstrated that STK25 interacted with STRN to regulates the energy reserve and EMT via lipid metabolism reprogramming. Accordingly, high expression of STK25 may be associated with HCC patients and poor prognosis, which implicates STK25 could be a potential target for lipid metabolism in cancer therapy.

scholarly journals Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and MicroRNAs in Colorectal Cancer Chemoresistance to FOLFOX

Pharmaceutics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 75
Author(s):  
Paula I. Escalante ◽  
Luis A. Quiñones ◽  
Héctor R. Contreras
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Tumor Cells ◽  
Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Late Onset ◽  
Dihydropyrimidine Dehydrogenase ◽  
Acquired Resistance ◽  
Potential Effect ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Folfox Chemotherapy

The FOLFOX scheme, based on the association of 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin, is the most frequently indicated chemotherapy scheme for patients diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer. Nevertheless, development of chemoresistance is one of the major challenges associated with this disease. It has been reported that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is implicated in microRNA-driven modulation of tumor cells response to 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin. Moreover, from pharmacogenomic research, it is known that overexpression of genes encoding dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPYD), thymidylate synthase (TYMS), methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), the DNA repair enzymes ERCC1, ERCC2, and XRCC1, and the phase 2 enzyme GSTP1 impair the response to FOLFOX. It has been observed that EMT is associated with overexpression of DPYD, TYMS, ERCC1, and GSTP1. In this review, we investigated the role of miRNAs as EMT promotors in tumor cells, and its potential effect on the upregulation of DPYD, TYMS, MTHFR, ERCC1, ERCC2, XRCC1, and GSTP1 expression, which would lead to resistance of CRC tumor cells to 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin. This constitutes a potential mechanism of epigenetic regulation involved in late-onset of acquired resistance in mCRC patients under FOLFOX chemotherapy. Expression of these biomarker microRNAs could serve as tools for personalized medicine, and as potential therapeutic targets in the future.

scholarly journals Correction to: Forkhead box (FOX) G1 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma epithelial-Mesenchymal transition by activating Wnt signal through forming T-cell factor-4/Betacatenin/FOXG1 complex

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xingrong Zheng ◽  
Jiaxin Lin ◽  
Hewei Wu ◽  
Zhishuo Mo ◽  
Yunwen Lian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
T Cell Factor ◽  
Forkhead Box ◽  
Wnt Signal

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

scholarly journals Continuous Long-Term Exposure to Low Concentrations of MWCNTs Induces an Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in BEAS-2B Cells

Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1742
Author(s):  
Hélène Barthel ◽  
Christian Darne ◽  
Laurent Gaté ◽  
Athanase Visvikis ◽  
Carole Seidel
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Pulmonary Exposure ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Mitotic Abnormalities ◽  
Epithelial Marker ◽  
Multi Walled Carbon Nanotubes ◽  
Walled Carbon Nanotubes

In the field of nanotechnology, the use of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) is growing. Pulmonary exposure during their production, use, and handling is raising concerns about their potential adverse health effects. The purpose of this study is to assess how the physical characteristics of MWCNTs, such as diameter and/or length, can play a role in cellular toxicity. Our experimental design is based on the treatment of human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) for six weeks with low concentrations (0.125–1 µg/cm2) of MWCNTs having opposite characteristics: NM-403 and Mitsui-7. Following treatment with both MWCNTs, we observed an increase in mitotic abnormalities and micronucleus-positive cells. The cytotoxic effect was delayed in cells treated with NM-403 compared to Mitsui-7. After 4–6 weeks of treatment, a clear cellular morphological change from epithelial to fibroblast-like phenotype was noted, together with a change in the cell population composition. BEAS-2B cells underwent a conversion from the epithelial to mesenchymal state as we observed a decrease in the epithelial marker E-cadherin and an increased expression of mesenchymal markers N-cadherin, Vimentin, and Fibronectin. After four weeks of recovery, we showed that the induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition is reversible, and that the degree of reversibility depends on the MWCNT.

scholarly journals MYC-targeted WDR4 promotes proliferation, metastasis, and sorafenib resistance by inducing CCNB1 translation in hepatocellular carcinoma

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Xia ◽  
Hao Zhang ◽  
Kequan Xu ◽  
Xiang Jiang ◽  
Meng Gao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
P53 Protein ◽  
Rna Modifications ◽  
M Cell ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Akt Phosphorylation ◽  
Repeat Domain ◽  
Cell Cycle Transition

AbstractHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. However, there still remains a lack of effective diagnostic and therapeutic targets for this disease. Increasing evidence demonstrates that RNA modifications play an important role in the progression of HCC, but the role of the N7-methylguanosine (m7G) methylation modification in HCC has not been properly evaluated. Thus, the goal of the present study was to investigate the function and mechanism of the m7G methyltransferase WD repeat domain 4 (WDR4) in HCC as well as its clinical relevance and potential value. We first verified the high expression of WDR4 in HCC and observed that upregulated WDR4 expression increased the m7G methylation level in HCC. WDR4 promoted HCC cell proliferation by inducing the G2/M cell cycle transition and inhibiting apoptosis in addition to enhancing metastasis and sorafenib resistance through epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Furthermore, we observed that c-MYC (MYC) can activate WDR4 transcription and that WDR4 promotes CCNB1 mRNA stability and translation to enhance HCC progression. Mechanistically, we determined that WDR4 enhances CCNB1 translation by promoting the binding of EIF2A to CCNB1 mRNA. Furthermore, CCNB1 was observed to promote PI3K and AKT phosphorylation in HCC and reduce P53 protein expression by promoting P53 ubiquitination. In summary, we elucidated the MYC/WDR4/CCNB1 signalling pathway and its impact on PI3K/AKT and P53. Furthermore, the result showed that the m7G methyltransferase WDR4 is a tumour promoter in the development and progression of HCC and may act as a candidate therapeutic target in HCC treatment.

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