scholarly journals Iguratimod Inhibits the Aggressiveness of Rheumatoid Fibroblast-Like Synoviocytes

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Lin ◽  
Ye Yu ◽  
Xuanwei Wang ◽  
Yini Ke ◽  
Chuanyin Sun ◽  
...  

Objective. Iguratimod, a novel disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, has been approved in China and Japan. Here, we aimed to find whether iguratimod can inhibit the aggressive behavior and promote apoptosis of rheumatoid fibroblast-like synoviocytes (RA-FLSs). Methods. The proliferation of RA-FLSs was assessed by 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine test and Cell Counting Kit-8. Migration and invasion were determined by the wound test and a transwell assay. Apoptosis was tested by flow cytometry. The mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and proinflammatory cytokines in RA-FLSs were measured by quantitative PCR and ELISA. To gain insight into the molecular signaling mechanisms, we determined the effect of iguratimod on the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signaling pathways by the cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) and western blot. Results. Iguratimod treatment significantly reduced the proliferation, migration, and invasive capacities of RA-FLSs in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-9, Interleukin-6 (IL-6), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 mRNA and protein levels were all decreased after treatment with iguratimod. Furthermore, tumor necrosis factor-alpha- (TNF-α-) induced expression of phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) and P38 MAPK were inhibited by iguratimod. Additionally, iguratimod promoted the apoptosis of RA-FLSs. Most importantly, iguratimod was shown to directly interact with JNK and P38 protein by CETSA assay. Moreover, activating transcription factor 2 (ATF-2), a substrate of both JNK and P38, was suppressed by iguratimod. Conclusions. Our findings suggested that the therapeutic effects of iguratimod on RA might be, in part, due to targeting the aggressive behavior and apoptosis of RA-FLSs.

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (9) ◽  
pp. 2248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian-Ming Chen ◽  
Pei-Yin Chen ◽  
Chia-Chieh Lin ◽  
Ming-Chang Hsieh ◽  
Jen-Tsun Lin

Background: Sesamin is a lignin present in sesame oil from the bark of Zanthoxylum spp. Sesamin reportedly has anticarcinogenic potential and exerts anti-inflammatory effects on several tumors. Hypothesis/Purpose: However, the effect of sesamin on metastatic progression in human head and neck squamous carcinoma (HNSCC) remains unknown in vitro and in vivo; hence, we investigated the effect of sesamin on HNSCC cells in vitro. Methods and Results: Sesamin-treated human oral cancer cell lines FaDu, HSC-3, and Ca9-22 were subjected to a wound-healing assay. Furthermore, Western blotting was performed to assess the effect of sesamin on the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and proteins of the MAPK signaling pathway, including p-ERK1/2, P-p38, and p-JNK1/2. In addition, we investigated the association between MMP-2 expression and the MAPK pathway in sesamin-treated oral cancer cells. Sesamin inhibited cell migration and invasion in FaDu, Ca9-22, and HSC-3 cells and suppressed MMP-2 at noncytotoxic concentrations (0 to 40 μM). Furthermore, sesamin significantly reduced p38 MAPK and JNK phosphorylation in a dose-dependent manner in FaDu and HSC-3 cells. Conclusions: These results indicate that sesamin suppresses the migration and invasion of HNSCC cells by regulating MMP-2 and is thus a potential antimetastatic agent for treating HNSCC.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seon Uk Kim ◽  
Hyun Jung Yoo ◽  
Jung Ho Kim ◽  
Hae Jun Hwang ◽  
Jin Kyun Park ◽  
...  

Abstract Background/PurposeRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by bone and cartilage destruction with leukocyte infiltration and activation at synovial tissue. The fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) have a central role in disease pathogenesis and their invasiveness correlates with articular damage in RA patients. Spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase known to have a crucial role in immune receptor signaling. This study aimed to evaluate the inhibitory effect of a novel small-molecule SYK inhibitor, SKI-O-592, on the invasiveness of RA FLS and inflammation of monocytes in vitro and in a mouse collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model in vivo.MethodsFLS were isolated from synovial tissues of RA patients. FLS were treated with SKI-O-592 for 1 hr and then stimulated with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) for 48 hr. After stimulation, cell viability was measured using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The levels of IL-6, IL-8, CXCL10, MMP-3, and TNF-α were measured in culture supernatant of RA FLS and the monocytic cell line THP-1 cells by ELISA. Wound healing assay transwell migration and invasion assay using RA FLS was performed to evaluate cell migration ability. The adhesion ability of FLS was evaluated by co-culture with calcein-AM labeled THP-1 cells, and the expression of VCAM-1, ICAM-1, α-tubulin, β-actin, total and phosphorylated SYK, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38, ERK, phosphorylated c-Jun, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4 (MKK4), and MKK3/6 was determined by Western blotting. CIA was developed in DBA/1J mice. Clinical arthritis score and histological scores were evaluated after treatment with SKI-O-592.ResultsSKI-O-592 reduced the secretion of chemokine, CXCL10 in RA FLS. Migration of cells to the wound region and through membrane pores and matrigel were decreased by SKI-O-592. Phosphorylation of JNK and p38 was reduced by SKI-O-592 after TNF-α stimulation. SKI-O-592 decreased secretion of TNF-α levels dose-dependently in THP-1 cells with IgG stimulation. The viability and proliferation of FLS and THP-1 were not affected by SKI-O-592. In the CIA model, scores for clinical arthritis and histology were decreased following SKI-O-592 treatment.ConclusionSKI-O-592 inhibited the invasiveness of RA FLS and had an anti-inflammatory effect on monocytes. SKI-O-592 exhibited therapeutic effects in the mouse CIA model by improving clinical and histological scores with amelioration of joint destruction. In conclusion, a novel SYK inhibitor, SKI-O-592, may provide a new therapeutic option for RA patients.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
DengYong Zhang ◽  
FangFang Chen ◽  
ShuoShuo Ma ◽  
YongChun Zhou ◽  
Wanliang Sun ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) processes in multi-steps which involves the sophisticated interactions of genetics, epigenetics, and transcriptional changes. According to before investigations, methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3)-mediated m6A modification regulates the development of various cancers by regulating gene stability. However, the studies focusing on miRNA’s regulatory effect of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification on HCC progression are still limited. Methods: Immunochemistry (IHC) staining detected the histopathological changes in the tumor tissues. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), clone formation, and transwell assay investigated the changes in cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. The RNA m6A level was confirmed by methylated RNA immunoprecipitation. The RNA stability assay indicated the half-life (t1/2) of RNA in HCC cells. The prognosis of the indicated patients’ cohort was analyzed using the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) datasets. Luciferase report analysis was used to study the potential binding between microRNA (miRNA) and mRNA. A mice tumor transplant model was further established to study the changes in tumor progression. Results: Follistatin-like 5 (FSTL5) was found to be significantly downregulated in HCC, and it inhibited the further progression of HCC. The RNA stability analysis indicated that the mRNA t1/2 gene of HCC cells was shortened. Besides, METTL3 reduced the stability of FSTL5 mRNA in a m6A-YTH domain family 2(YTHDF2)-dependent manner. Functional experiments revealed that the downregulated METTL3 inhibited the HCC progression by up-regulating FSTL5 in vitro and in vivo. Luciferase report analysis confirmed that miR-186-5p directly targeted the METTL3. Additionally, miR-186-5p inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells by downregulating METTL3. We identified that miR-186-5p prevented the HCC progression by targeting METTL3 to regulate m6A-mediated FSTL5 stabilization. Conclusions: The miR-186-5p/METTL3/YTHDF2/FSTL5 axis perhaps point out a new direction for the targeted therapy of HCC.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
zhaotao wang ◽  
yongping Li ◽  
minyi liu ◽  
danmin chen ◽  
yunxiang ji ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundGlioblastoma (GBM) is a tumor of the central nervous system carries an extremely poor prognosis. Unfortunately, it also is the most frequently encountered tumor in this region. These tumors arise from glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs), which are glioma cells that are known to possess high degrees of stemness. GBM invades through the process of EMT, which features loss of cell differentiation and polarity. Survivin is a type of apoptotic inhibitor that has been characterized in several malignancies such as glioma. Normal tissues rarely express survivin. On the other hand, 3-benzyl-5-((2-nitrophenoxy) methyl) dihydrofuran-2(3H)-one (3BDO) represents an autophagy inhibitor and activates the mTOR pathway. It has been reported that 3BDO shows anti-cancer activities in lung carcinoma. However, the effects of 3BDO on GBM reminds unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the role and molecular mechanisms that 3BDO mediates in GBM.MethodCCK-8 experiments and clone formation assay were performed to detect the cell proliferation. Transwell assay was conducted to examined cell migration and invasion. Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining was used to analyze protein expression levels. Xenograft mouse model was used to evaluate the effect of 3BDO in vivo.ResultsWe found that 3BDO inhibited U87 and U251 cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Additonally, 3BDO decreased the sphere formation and stemness markers (sox2, nestin and CD133) in GSCs. 3BDO also inhibited migration, invasion and suppressed EMT markers (N-cadherin, vimentin and snail) in GBM cells. Moreover, we found that 3BDO downregulated survivin expression of survivin both in GBM cells (U87, U251) and GSCs. Furthermore, overexpression of survivin reduced the therapeutic effects of 3BDO on GBM cell EMT, invasion, migration and proliferation, as well as decreased stemness in GSCs. Finally, we demonstrated that 3BDO inhibited tumor growth in a tumor xenograft mouse model constructed using U87 cells. Similar to the in vitro findings, 3BDO diminished suvivin expression, stemness and levels of EMT makers in vivo.Conclusionsour results demonstrated that 3BDO repressed GBM via downregulating survivin-mediated stemness and EMT both in vitro and in vivo.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 153303382095700
Author(s):  
Dong-Wei Wang ◽  
Hai-Zheng Zheng ◽  
Na Cha ◽  
Xiao-Jie Zhang ◽  
Min Zheng ◽  
...  

AHNAK nucleoprotein 2 (AHNAK2) has been emerged as a crucial protein for neuroblast differentiation and cell migration, thereby involving in the development of various cancers. However, the specific molecular mechanism of AHNAK2 in lung adenocarcinoma is inconclusive. By accessing to the Oncomine dataset and GEPIA website, a higher expression level of AHNAK2 was observed in lung adenocarcinoma tissue samples. Overall survival (OS) curve plotted by Kaplan-Meier method showed that up-regulation of AHNAK2 was related with poor prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma patients. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis and western blot were conducted to examine the expression level of genes in lung adenocarcinoma cells. Through functional in vitro experiments, cell proliferation, migration and invasion were all suppressed after AHNAK2 knockdown using Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, wound-healing and transwell analysis. Reduction of AHNAK2 decreased the apoptosis rate using flow cytometry analysis. Moreover, the key markers of MAPK pathway, p-MEK, p-ERK and p-P90RSK were decreased due to the transfection of si-AHNAK2 in A549 cells. U0126, a MEK inhibitor, showed the similar effects on MAPK-related protein levels with si-AHNAK2. To sum up, AHNAK2 is significantly increased in lung adenocarcinoma and plays a carcinogenic role by activating the MAPK signaling pathway, providing a novel insight and raising possibility for lung adenocarcinoma treatment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Yang ◽  
Qin Zhang ◽  
Yongping Xu ◽  
Gang Chen ◽  
Yukuan Qiu

Objective: To investigate the effects of sulfured polysaccharide from Undaria pinnatifida (SPUP) on the biological behaviors of ovarian cancer (OC) cells and its potential mechanism.Methods: Sulfated polysaccharide from Undaria pinnatifida (SPUP) was extracted and characterized through a combination of chemical analysis, IR spectra, UV-Vis, gas chromatography, and high-performance gel permeation chromatography. OC and human ovarian surface epithelial cells were used as working model in vitro for evaluation of SPUP’s therapeutic effects. A combination of CCK-8, Transwell, and flow cytometry assay was used to measure the proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of OC cells, respectively. In addition, the protein expression levels of cells were also measured by Western blot.Results: SPUP suppressed OC development from three different perspectives: 1) SPUP treatment significantly inhibited the proliferation of OC in a dosage-dependent manner (p < 0.05); 2) SPUP inhibited the migration and invasion of OC cells confirmed by scratch and Transwell experiments (p < 0.05); 3) SPUP induced apoptosis in OC cells and thus further inhibited the growth of OC cells evaluated using flow cytometry (p < 0.05). The underlying mechanism of the suppressing effects of SPUP might be related to the inhibition of the hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway in OC cells after SPUP treatment. With additional suppression of the Hh signaling pathway, the anticancer effects of SPUP were enhanced (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Taken together, SPUP could inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion and induce apoptosis of OC cells by inhibiting the activation of the Hh signaling pathway, which proposes SPUP as a novel drug to treat OC clinically.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Jiang ◽  
Hong Li ◽  
Yueshan Sun ◽  
Jing Zeng ◽  
Fei Yang ◽  
...  

Background:Sanguisorba Officinalis L. (SO) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), commonly applied to treat complex diseases, such as anticancer, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and hemostatic effects. Especially, it has been reported to exert anti-tumor effect in various human cancers. However, its effect and pharmacological mechanism on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear.Methods: In this study, network pharmacology approach was applied to characterize the underlying mechanism of SO on HCC. Active compounds and potential targets of SO, as well as related genes of HCC were obtained from the public databases, the potential targets and signaling pathways were determined by protein-protein interaction (PPI), gene ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment analyses. And the compound-target and target-pathway networks were constructed. Subsequently, in vitro experiments were also performed to further verify the anticancer effects of SO on HCC.Results: By using the comprehensive network pharmacology analysis, 41 ingredients in SO were collected from the corresponding databases, 12 active ingredients screened according to their oral bioavailability and drug-likeness index, and 258 potential targets related to HCC were predicted. Through enrichment analysis, SO was found to show its excellent therapeutic effects on HCC through several pathways, mainly related to proliferation and survival via the EGFR, PI3K/AKT, NFκB and MAPK signaling pathways. Additionally, in vitro, SO was found to inhibit cell proliferation, induce apoptosis and down-regulate cell migration and invasion in various HCC cells. Moreover, western blot analysis showed that SO treatment down-regulated the expression of p-EGFR, p-PI3K, p-AKT, p-NFκB and p-MAPK proteins in HepG2 cells. These results validated that SO exerted its therapeutic effects on HCC mainly by the regulation of cell proliferation and survival via the EGFR/MAPK and EGFR/PI3K/AKT/NFκB signaling pathways.Conclusion: Taken together, this study, revealed the anti-HCC effects of SO and its potential underlying therapeutic mechanisms in a multi-target and multi-pathway manner.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Li ◽  
Tian Lan ◽  
Lin Xu ◽  
Hailing Liu ◽  
Jinju Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Hepatocellular carcinoma is the third top cause of cancer-related mortalities worldwide. The prognosis of HCC patients remains poor due to rapid progression and high incidence of tumor recurrence. Nicastrin (NCSTN), a core subunit of γ-Secretase, has been reported to play a vital role in tumor progression. However, no study till now has revealed its role in HCC. Methods The expression of NCSTN was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining, Western blot, and quantitative real-time PCR. Cell counting kit-8, colony formation and cell cycle assays were used for evaluating cell growth in vitro. Transwell and wound-healing assays were used for evaluating cell migration and invasion capacity. Immunofluorescence, subcellular protein fractionation and co-immunoprecipitation were used for location analysis of β-catenin. The in vivo functions of NCSTN were illustrated by xenograft tumor models. Results NCSTN was dramatically overexpressed in HCC compared to normal liver tissues. Elevated NCSTN expression level was significantly correlated to worse overall and recurrence-free survival of HCC patients. Enhanced NCSTN expression promoted HCC cell growth, migration and invasion in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic investigations showed that NCSTN induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process via upregulation of Zeb1. Subsequently, we revealed that NCSTN facilitated nuclear translocation of β-catenin, a positive transcriptional regulator of Zeb1. Using Notch and AKT inhibitors, we revealed that NCSTN promoted β-catenin activation through Notch1 and AKT signaling pathway. NCSTN increased AKT and GSK-3β phosphorylation by cleavage of Notch1, which decreased GSK-3β/β-catenin complex. The inactivation of GSK-3β inhibited the β-catenin degradation and promoted nuclear translocation of β-catenin to initiate transcription of Zeb1, resulting in malignant phenotype. Conclusions Our results demonstrated that NCSTN promoted HCC cell growth and metastasis via β-catenin-mediated upregulation of Zeb1 in a Notch1/AKT dependent manner, suggesting that NCSTN might serve as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for HCC.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
JiangSheng Zhao ◽  
GuoFeng Chen ◽  
Jingqi Li ◽  
Shiqi Liu ◽  
Quan Jin ◽  
...  

Abstract Background PR55α plays important roles in oncogenesis and progression of numerous malignancies. However, its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. This study aims to characterize the functions of PR55α in HCC. Methods PR55α expressions in HCC tissues and paired healthy liver samples were evaluated using Western blot and tissue microarray immunohistochemistry. We knocked down the expression of PR55α in SMMC-7721 and LM3 cell lines via small interfering and lentivirus. In vitro cell counting, colony formation, migration and invasion assays were performed along with in vivo xenograft implantation and lung metastases experiments. The potential mechanisms involving target signal pathways were investigated by RNA-sequencing. Results PR55α expression level was suppressed in HCC tissues in comparison to healthy liver samples. Decreased PR55α levels were correlated with poorer prognosis (P = 0.0059). Knockdown of PR55α significantly promoted cell proliferation and migration, induced repression of the cell cycle progression and apoptosis in vitro while accelerating in vivo HCC growth and metastasis. Mechanistic analysis indicated that PR55α silencing was involved with MAPK/AKT signal pathway activation and resulted in increased phosphorylation of both AKT and ERK1/2. Conclusions This study identifies PR55α to be a candidate novel therapeutic target in the treatment of HCC.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuejie Gao ◽  
Bo Li ◽  
Anqi Ye ◽  
Houcai Wang ◽  
Yongsheng Xie ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Multiple myeloma (MM) is a highly aggressive and incurable clonal plasma cell disease with a high rate of recurrence. Thus, the development of new therapies is urgently needed. DCZ0805, a novel compound synthesized from osalmide and pterostilbene, has few observed side effects. In the current study, we intend to investigate the therapeutic effects of DCZ0805 in MM cells and elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying its anti-myeloma activity. Methods We used the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, immunofluorescence staining, cell cycle assessment, apoptosis assay, western blot analysis, dual-luciferase reporter assay and a tumor xenograft mouse model to investigate the effect of DCZ0805 treatment both in vivo and in vitro. Results The results showed that DCZ0805 treatment arrested the cell at the G0/G1 phase and suppressed MM cells survival by inducing apoptosis via extrinsic and intrinsic pathways. DCZ0805 suppressed the NF-κB signaling pathway activation, which may have contributed to the inhibition of cell proliferation. DCZ0805 treatment remarkably reduced the tumor burden in the immunocompromised xenograft mouse model, with no obvious toxicity observed. Conclusion The findings of this study indicate that DCZ0805 can serve as a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of MM.


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