scholarly journals Telocytes Promote the Metastasis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Activating ERK Signaling Pathway and Sponging miR-942-3p to Impact MMP9

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Xu ◽  
Hu Tian ◽  
Chao Guang Luan ◽  
Kai Sun ◽  
peng Jin Bao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Liver Cancer ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Erk Signaling ◽  
Cancer Tissue ◽  
Proliferative Potential ◽  
Cancer Tissues ◽  
Hcc Cells

Abstract Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) in China is considered as a familiar malignant tumor with poor prognosis, high metastasis and disease relapse. Telocytes(TCs) have been verified to participate in progresses of tumorigenesis, invasions and migrations by secreting functional proteins and transmitting cell-to-cell information. Extracellular signal-regulared protein kinase(ERK) signal pathway is a vital mechanism driving cell proliferation, metastasis and apoptosis, but whether this molecular signaling mechanism contributes to matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP) expression of TCs remains unclear. Methods: Telocytes and MMP9 expression in the liver cancer tissues are measured by immunohistochemistry assay, Westen blot assay and RT-PCR technique, meanwhile primary telocytes from liver para-cancer tissues are cultured in vitro. To demonstrate the function of telocytes for hepatocellular carcinoma, the metastatic cancer animal model is established by three typs of liver cancer cell-lines in vivo. Results: In our study, we elucidate that TCs in the para-cancer tissue can promote the metastasis of HCC cells by MMP-9 expression, in vitro and in vivo. PDGF derived from HCC cells has a capacity to activate Ras/ERK signaling pathway of TC as a result of accelerating MMP-9 expression, but it’s no significant for proliferative potential and apoptotic rate of TCs. While tyrosine kinase inhibitors and miR-942-3p suppress MMP-9 expression to make loss functions of TCs. Various mutations of TCs are also tested and single nucleotide polymorphisms of MMP-9 may be the potentially molecular mechanism of increasing protein expression in the invasive process of HCC. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate two potential mechanisms between HCC cells and TCs, suggesting that TC is a novel marker and target on deciphering reasons of cancer metastasis.

Telocytes Promote Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Activating The ERK Signaling Pathway and miR-942-3p/MMP9 Axis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Xu ◽  
Hu Tian ◽  
Chao Guang Luan ◽  
Kai Sun ◽  
Peng Jin Bao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Liver Cancer ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Metastatic Cancer ◽  
Erk Signaling ◽  
Mmp9 Expression ◽  
Cancer Tissues

Abstract Background In China, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is considered a malignant tumor with poor prognosis, frequent metastasis, and a high relapse rate. Telocytes participate in tumorigenic, invasive, and migratory processes by secreting functional proteins and transmitting cell-to-cell information, but theirs functions in HCC are still unknown. Methods TC counts and MMP9 expression in liver cancer tissues were measured using immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and RT-PCR. Primary TCs from liver para-cancer tissues were cultured in vitro. To verify the role of TCs in HCC, a metastatic cancer animal model was established using 3 types of liver cancer cell lines in vivo. Results TCs promoted HCC cell metastasis by MMP9 expression in vitro and in vivo. Platelet derived growth factor-alpha (PDGF-α), secreted by HCC cells, activated the Ras/ERK signaling pathway in TCs, thereby increasing MMP9 expression; however, this had no significant effect on TC proliferation and apoptosis. miR-942-3p suppressed MMP9 expression in TCs. Conclusion Our results reveal the role of TCs in HCC and the mechanisms by which they elicit their effects, and they may serve as novel prognostic markers for HCC.

scholarly journals Telocytes promote hepatocellular carcinoma by activating the ERK signaling pathway and miR-942-3p/MMP9 axis

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Xu ◽  
Hu Tian ◽  
Chao Guang Luan ◽  
Kai Sun ◽  
Peng Jin Bao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Liver Cancer ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Metastatic Cancer ◽  
Erk Signaling ◽  
Mmp9 Expression ◽  
Cancer Tissues

AbstractIn China, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is considered a malignant tumor with poor prognosis, frequent metastasis, and a high relapse rate. Telocytes (TCs) participate in tumorigenic, invasive, and migratory processes by secreting functional proteins and transmitting cell-to-cell information, but their functions in HCC are still unknown. TC counts and MMP9 expression in liver cancer tissues were measured using immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and RT-PCR. Primary TCs from liver para-cancer tissues were cultured in vitro. To verify the role of TCs in HCC, a metastatic cancer animal model was established using three types of liver cancer cell lines in vivo. TCs promoted HCC cell metastasis by MMP9 expression in vitro and in vivo. Platelet-derived growth factor-alpha (PDGF-α), secreted by HCC cells, activated the Ras/ERK signaling pathway in TCs, thereby increasing MMP9 expression; Moreover, miR-942-3p suppressed MMP9 expression in TCs. Our results reveal the role of TCs in HCC and the mechanisms by which they elicit their effects, and they may serve as novel prognostic markers for HCC.

scholarly journals Maprotiline Suppresses Cholesterol Biosynthesis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression Through Direct Targeting of CRABP1

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cancan Zheng ◽  
Yidong Zhu ◽  
Qinwen Liu ◽  
Tingting Luo ◽  
Wenwen Xu
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Regulatory Element ◽  
Cholesterol Biosynthesis ◽  
Antitumor Effects ◽  
Element Binding Protein ◽  
Hcc Cells

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related death and has a poor prognosis worldwide, thus, more effective drugs are urgently needed. In this article, a small molecule drug library composed of 1,056 approved medicines from the FDA was used to screen for anticancer drugs. The tetracyclic compound maprotiline, a highly selective noradrenergic reuptake blocker, has strong antidepressant efficacy. However, the anticancer effect of maprotiline remains unclear. Here, we investigated the anticancer potential of maprotiline in the HCC cell lines Huh7 and HepG2. We found that maprotiline not only significantly restrained cell proliferation, colony formation and metastasis in vitro but also exerted antitumor effects in vivo. In addition to the antitumor effect alone, maprotiline could also enhance the sensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib. The depth studies revealed that maprotiline substantially decreased the phosphorylation of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 (SREBP2) through the ERK signaling pathway, which resulted in decreased cholesterol biosynthesis and eventually impeded HCC cell growth. Furthermore, we identified cellular retinoic acid binding protein 1 (CRABP1) as a direct target of maprotiline. In conclusion, our study provided the first evidence showing that maprotiline could attenuate cholesterol biosynthesis to inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of HCC cells through the ERK-SREBP2 signaling pathway by directly binding to CRABP1, which supports the strategy of repurposing maprotiline in the treatment of HCC.

scholarly journals IL-2 Increases Tams-Derived Exosomal Mir-375 to Ameliorate Hepatocellular Carcinoma Development and Progression

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Chen ◽  
Chao Tang ◽  
Fei Wu ◽  
Linming Lu ◽  
Shu Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Interleukin 2 ◽  
Clinical Value ◽  
Proliferation And Metastasis ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Cancer Tissues ◽  
Apoptotic Effects ◽  
Hcc Cells

Abstract Background: Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is proved to play an irreplaceable role in anti-tumor regulation in numerous experimental and clinical trials. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) is able to release exosomes to promote the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as part of microenvironment.Methods: In this study, our intention is to explore the effects of the exosomes from TAMs with IL-2 treatment on HCC development.TAMs were collected and cultured from liver cancer tissues. The exosomes from the TAMs treated with IL-2 (ExoIL2-TAM) or not (ExoTAM) were identified and used to treat HCC cells. The HCC cells proliferation, apoptosis and metastasis were measured in vivo and in vitro. The changes of miR-375 in exosomes was explored to clarify whether it is reponsible to the anti-apoptotic effects of IL-2. Results: Both decrease of cell proliferation and metastasis and increase of apoptosis were observed with ExoIL2-TAM treatment compared with ExoTAM in vivo and in vitro. miR-375 was obviously abundant in ExoIL2-TAM. Enriched miR-375 could be transmitted between TAMs and HCC cells via exosomes and was responbible for the increased apoptosis of HCC cells. Conclusions: Taken together, IL-2 increases exosomal miR-375 from TAMs to attenuate hepatocellular carcinoma development. This study provides a new perspective to explain the mechanism how IL-2 inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma and implys the potential clinical value of exosomal miR-375 released by TAMs.

scholarly journals Synergistic Anti-Proliferation and Anti-Angiogenesis Effects of Sevacizumab on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells in Combination with Chemotherapy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Liu ◽  
Shukui Qin ◽  
Zhengcao Liu ◽  
Yinghui Zheng ◽  
Li Han ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Combination Therapy ◽  
Blood Vessels ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Cell Apoptosis ◽  
Tube Formation ◽  
Hcc Cells

Abstract Background We previously found that (via inhibition of the VEGF/VEGFR signaling pathway) ckgroundSevacizumab (Sev), an anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody, was proven to have a superior inhibitory effect than bevacizumab (Bev) on the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. This study aimed to explore the anti-proliferation and anti-angiogenic effects of Sev on HCC cells in combination with oxaliplatin (OXA) or 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu). Methods In vitro HCC/endothelial cell growth in different concentration drug was analyzed by MTT assay, DAPI and flow cytometry assay. Cell scratch test, transwell assay, tube formation assay, zebrafish assay, and CAM assay were used to investigate anti-angiogenesis effect of drugs. VEGF mRNA relative expression changes of zebrafish embryos were detected by RT-PCR.A fluorescence imaging system was applied to observe the growth of transplantation tumor and blood vessels in HCC mouse xenografts. Tissue H-E staining and TEM detection were used to detect the tumor cell apoptosis. MVD was detected by immunohistochemical analysis of CD31. ELISA and western-blots were used to detect the cell VEGF/VEGFR pathway and its downstream target activity both in vitro and in vivo. Results In vitro results showed that the combination of Sev with OXA/5-Fu can synergistically inhibit the proliferation of HCC and endothelial cells. Compared with the corresponding monotherapy group, combination therapy showed a stronger effect on inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. In vivo findings revealed that Sev in combination with chemotherapy can synergistically inhibit tumor growth by inducing cell apoptosis in nude mice with HCC xenografts. In addition, the wound healing and transwell migration assays demonstrated that Sev can inhibit the migration of endothelial cell lines in combination with chemotherapy. In vitro tube formation test, zebrafish and chicken embryonic-angiogenic assay, immunohistochemistry, and in vivo fluorescence imaging consistently verified that Sev and OXA/5-Fu can synergistically inhibit the growth of blood vessels, and the underlying mechanism may be associated with inhibition of the VEGF/VEGFR signaling pathway. Conclusions The combination of Sev and chemotherapy is associated with the inhibition of HCC growth and tumor angiogenesis, which may provide a significant biological rationale for evaluating the efficacy of Sev and OXA/5-Fu combination therapy on HCC.

scholarly journals The Deubiquitinase OTUD3 Stabilizes ACTN4 to Activate NF-κB Signaling Pathway in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peiyi Xie ◽  
Yanglin Chen ◽  
Hongfei Zhang ◽  
Guichao Zhou ◽  
Qing Chao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Protein Level ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Downstream Target ◽  
Gene And Protein Expression ◽  
Hcc Cells

Abstract Background: OTUD3, a deubiquitinating enzyme, has emerged as important role in some cancer. It showed that OTUD3 plays suppressive role in breast cancer whereas oncogenic role in lung cancer. However, the function and mechanism of OTUD3 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression remain elusive. Methods: Gene and protein expression of OTUD3 in HCC tissues were determined by qRT-PCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry. A series of gain- and loss-of-function assays were used to investigated the role of OTUD3 in HCC cells progression. Moreover, mass spectroscopic analysis and RNA-seq were used to identify the downstream targets of OTUD3 in HCC cells. The interaction between OTUD3 and ACTN4 was examined through co-IP experiment and in vitro ubiquitination assay.Results: In our research, OTUD3 was significantly overexpressed in HCC tissues and higher OTUD3 expression was correlated with bigger tumor size, more distant metastasis, and worse TNM stage. Additionally, OTUD3 promoted HCC cells growth and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, ACTN4 was identified as a downstream target of OTUD3 and ACTN4 protein level was significantly related to OTUD3 expression. Rescue experiments indicated that ACTN4 was essential for OTUD3-mediated HCC proliferation and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we identified that NF-κB signaling pathway was activated by OTUD3 through ACTN4 to promote HCC cells progression. Importantly, OTUD3 protein level was correlated with ACTN4 protein level and activity of NF-κB signaling pathway in HCC tissues. Conclusion: Our findings identify the oncogenic role of OTUD3 in HCC and suggest that OTUD3 can be considered as a pivotal prognostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic target.

scholarly journals LAGE3 promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and inhibited cell apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma by facilitating the JNK and ERK signaling pathway

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Xing ◽  
Yang Liu ◽  
Zhong Qi ◽  
Zhengrong Liu ◽  
Xin Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Xenograft Model ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Erk Signaling ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Poor Overall Survival ◽  
Hcc Cells

Abstract Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is now the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide and lacks effectual therapy due to its high rate of tumor recurrence and metastasis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of L antigen family member 3 (LAGE3, a member of the LAGE gene family involved in positive transcription) on the progression of HCC. Methods The expression of LAGE3 was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, colony formation assay, EdU, and cell cycle analysis assay were employed to evaluate the proliferation of HCC cells. Annexin V-FITC/PI and TUNEL assay were used to assess the apoptosis rate of HCC cells. Wound healing and transwell assay were used to investigate the migration and invasion of HCC cells. A xenograft model of HCC was established with 2 × 106 Hep3B or SK-HEP1 cells to investigate the in vivo effects of LAGE3. Then, the protein levels of LAGE3, p-p38, p-38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK),p-JNK, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and p-ERK were detected by western blot. Results We found that LAGE3 was upregulated in HCC tissues compared to adjacent tissues, and its high expression was correlated with poor overall survival by bioinformatics analysis. Next, we manually regulated the expression of LAGE3 in HCC cells. The knockdown of LAGE3 inhibited the proliferation of HCC cells by arresting the cell cycle in G1 phase. Also the downregulation of LAGE3 inhibited cell migration and invasion and induced apoptosis of HCC cells, while overexpression of LAGE3 promoted the malignant phenotypes of HCC. These results were further confirmed by the in vivo growth of HCC xenografts and the inhibition of apoptosis of HCC tumor cells. Furthermore, we found that LAGE3 exerted cancer-promoting effects by potentiating the JNK and ERK signaling pathway. An ERK inhibitor (10 μM SCH772984) or JNK inhibitor (25 μM SP600125) repressed the upregulated LAGE3-induced proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells. Conclusions LAGE3 enhanced the malignant phenotypes of HCC by promoting the JNK and ERK signaling pathway.

scholarly journals PNO1 regulates autophagy and apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma via the MAPK signaling pathway

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiqiang Han ◽  
Dongming Liu ◽  
Lu Chen ◽  
Yuchao He ◽  
Xiangdong Tian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Mapk Signaling ◽  
Mapk Signaling Pathway ◽  
Rna Seq ◽  
Hcc Cells

Abstract Background Some studies have reported that the activated ribosomes are positively associated with malignant tumors, especially in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The RNA-binding protein PNO1, as a critical ribosome has been rarely reported in human tumors. Thus, the roles of PNO1 in HCC should be explored. Methods We collected 150 formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples and 8 fresh samples to explore the expression and prognosis of PNO1 in HCC by immunohistochemistry, Western Blotting and RT-PCR. Public databases (TCGA and GEO) were used to verify the expression and prognosis. The functions of PNO1 in HCC was verified by in vitro and in vivo experiments. The underlying molecular mechanisms of PNO1 were examined by RNA-seq analysis and a series of functional experiments. Results PNO1 expression was considerably higher in HCC tissues and the higher expression of PNO1 was associated with poor prognosis of HCC patients. In vitro experiments indicated that PNO1 overexpression promoted proliferation and depressed apoptosis of HCC cells. In addition, high expression of PNO1 increased autophagy of HCC cells. Consistent results were also observed in vivo experiments. The results of the RNA-seq analysis indicted that PNO1 as an oncogene promoted HCC progression through the MAPK signaling pathway. The results were also verified by in vivo experiments. Conclusions PNO1 was overexpressed in HCC, promoted autophagy and inhibited apoptosis of HCC cells via the MAPK signaling pathway.

scholarly journals FER Regulated by miR-206 Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression via NF-κB Signaling

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenzhou Ding ◽  
Ye Fan ◽  
Wenbo Jia ◽  
Xiongxiong Pan ◽  
Guoyong Han ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Western Blot ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Metastatic Progression ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Hcc Cells

ObjectivesFeline sarcoma-related protein (FER) is known to play a critical regulatory role in several carcinomas. However, the exact biological function of FER in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) still needs to be investigated. The primary objective of this research was to investigate the unknown function and molecular mechanisms of FER in HCC.Materials and MethodsThe expression level of FER in HCC tissue samples and cells was examined by RT-qPCR, immunohistochemistry and western blot. Cellular and animal experiments were used to explore the effect of FER on the proliferative and metastatic capacities of HCC cells. The crosstalk between FER and NF-κB signaling was explored by western blot. The upstream factors that regulate FER were evaluated through dual-luciferase experiments and western blot assays.ResultsFER was overexpressed in HCC specimens and HCC cell lines. FER expression levels were positively associated with unfavorable clinicopathological characteristics. The higher the expression of FER was, the worse the overall survival of HCC patients was. The results of loss-of-function and gain-of-function experiments indicated that knockdown of FER decreased, while overexpression of FER increased, the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we found that FER activated the NF-κB signaling pathway and stimulated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). We also found that FER was directly regulated by miR-206, and the downregulation of miR-206 was associated with proliferation and metastatic progression in HCC.ConclusionsThe present research was the first to reveal that a decrease in miR-206 levels results in an increase in FER expression in HCC, leading to enhanced cell growth and metastatic abilities via activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway.

scholarly journals PNO1 regulates autophagy and apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma via the MAPK signaling pathway

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiqiang Han ◽  
Dongming Liu ◽  
Lu Chen ◽  
Yuchao He ◽  
Xiangdong Tian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Malignant Tumors ◽  
Mapk Signaling ◽  
Mapk Signaling Pathway ◽  
Hcc Cells

AbstractSome studies have reported that activated ribosomes are positively associated with malignant tumors, especially in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The RNA-binding protein PNO1 is a critical ribosome rarely reported in human tumors. This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanisms of PNO1 in HCC. Using 150 formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded samples and 8 fresh samples, we found high PNO1 expression in HCC tumor tissues through Western blotting and RT-PCR. Moreover, the higher PNO1 expression was associated with poor HCC prognosis patients. In vitro and in vivo experiments indicated that PNO1 overexpression promoted the proliferation and depressed the apoptosis of HCC cells. High PNO1 expression also increased the autophagy of HCC cells. The molecular mechanisms underlying PNO1 were examined by RNA-seq analysis and a series of functional experiments. Results showed that PNO1 promoted HCC progression through the MAPK signaling pathway. Therefore, PNO1 was overexpressed in HCC, promoted autophagy, and inhibited the apoptosis of HCC cells through the MAPK signaling pathway.

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