SHCBP1 interacting with EOGT enhanced O-GlcNAcylation of NOTCH1 and promoted the development of pancreatic cancer .

Abstract Background: Pancreatic cancer(PDAC) remains one of the most lethal cancers worldwide, The accumulation of many abnormal epigenetic abnormalities contribute to the fatal prognosis of PDAC,While available studies are still limited. Many studies have confirmed that the Shc SH2-domain binding protein 1(SHCBP1) plays as proto-oncogene in cancers. However, whether SHCBP1 plays a role in pancreatic cancer oncogenesis is still unknown.EGF domain-specific O-linked GlcNActransferase (EOGT) acts as a key participant in the O-GlcNAcylation of NOTCH1. EOGT mutations inhibit the NOTCH1 signalling pathway and cause several congenital developmental disorders, However, the role of EOGT in malignancies has not been reported.Methods:SHCBP1 and EOGT were identified as proto-oncogenes in PDAC by High-throughput sequencing and Cox regression analysis,and validated by Internal and External cohort and public databases. The function of SHCBP1 and EOGT was determined in vitro and in vivo, The underlying mechanism was investigated by Western blot,Immunofluorescence（IF），Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)，and luciferase analyses.Results: The expression of EOGT and SHCBP1 was significantly elevated and correlated with worse prognosis in PDAC patients. In vitro, SHCBP1 overexpression promoted pancreatic cancer cell proliferation,migration and invasion, while knocking down SHCBP1 and EOGT inhibited these malignant processes. In vivo data showed that SHCBP1 overexpression promoted xenograft growth and lung metastasis and shortened survival in mice,whereas knocking down either EOGT or SHCBP1 expression suppressed xenograft growth and metastasis and prolonged survival. Morever，EOGT and SHCBP1 enhance the O-GlcNAcylation of NOTCH1, subsequently promoting the nuclear localization of the Notch intracellular domain (NICD) and inhibiting the transcription of E-cadherin and P21 in pancreatic cancer cells.Conclusion:All in all，This research revealed that SHCBP1 and EOGT act as proto-oncogenes in PDAC by enhancing the O-GlcNAcylation of NOTCH1，Which provides a new field of vision for new therapeutic targets for pancreatic cancer.

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Long noncoding RNA RP11-757G1.5 sponges miR-139-5p and upregulates YAP1 thereby promoting the proliferation and liver, spleen metastasis of colorectal cancer

Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research ◽

10.1186/s13046-020-01717-5 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 39 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Xiaojian Zhu ◽

Fanqin Bu ◽

Ting Tan ◽

Qilin Luo ◽

Jinfeng Zhu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Cell Proliferation ◽

In Situ Hybridization ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Luciferase Reporter ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Cox Regression Analysis

Abstract Background Accumulating evidence indicates that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) acting as crucial regulators in tumorigenesis. However, its biological functions of lncRNAs in colorectal cancer (CRC) have not been systematically clarified. Methods An unbiased screening was performed to identify disregulated lncRNAs revealed to be implicated in CRC carcinogenesis according to an online-available data dataset. In situ hybridization (ISH), RT-qPCR and RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (RNA-FISH) were applied to detect RP11-757G1.5 expression in CRC tissues and cell lines. The associations of RP11-757G1.5 with clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed. Their effects on prognosis were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier analysis, Log-rank test, Univariate and Multivariate Cox regression analysis. The potential biological function of RP11-757G1.5 in CRC was investigated by Colony formation, Edu cell proliferation, Flow cytometry, Wound healing and Transwell assays. Bioinformatics binding site analysis, Luciferase reporter assay, Ago2 immunoprecipitation assays, RNA pull-down assay, RT-qPCR and Western blotting were utilized to demonstrate the mechanism of RP11-757G1.5 acts as a molecular sponge of miR-139-5p to regulate the expression of YAP1. Finally, we further explore the potential role of RP11-757G1.5 in CRC orthotopic xenografts in vivo. Results We discovered a novel oncogenic lncRNA RP11-757G1.5, that was overexpressed in CRC tissues, especially in aggressive cases. Moreover, up-regulation of RP11-757G1.5 strongly correlated with poor clinical outcomes of patients with CRC. Functional analyses revealed that RP11-757G1.5 promoted cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, RP11-757G1.5 stimulated cell migration and invasion in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic studies illustrated that RP11-757G1.5 regulated the expression of YAP1 through sponging miR-139-5p and inhibiting its activity thereby promoting CRC progression and development. Conclusions Altogether, these results reveal a novel RP11-757G1.5/miR-139-5p/YAP1 regulatory axis that participates in CRC carcinogenesis and progression.

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Long noncoding RNA RP11-757G1.5 sponges miR-139-5p and upregulates YAP1 thereby promoting the proliferation and liver, spleen metastasis of colorectal cancer

10.21203/rs.3.rs-25530/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

xiaojian zhu ◽

Fanqin Bu ◽

Ting Tan ◽

Qilin Luo ◽

Jingfeng Zhu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Cell Proliferation ◽

In Situ Hybridization ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Luciferase Reporter ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Cox Regression Analysis

Abstract Background: Accumulating evidence indicates that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) acting as crucial regulators in tumorigenesis. However, its biological functions of lncRNAs in colorectal cancer (CRC) have not been systematically clarified. Methods: An unbiased screening was performed to identify disregulated lncRNAs revealed to be implicated in CRC carcinogenesis according to an online-available data dataset. In situ hybridization (ISH), RT-qPCR and RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (RNA-FISH) were applied to detect RP11-757G1.5 expression in CRC tissues and cell lines. The associations of RP11-757G1.5 with clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed. Their effects on prognosis were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier analysis, Log-rank test, Univariate and Multivariate Cox regression analysis. The potential biological function of RP11-757G1.5 in CRC was investigated by Colony formation, Edu cell proliferation, Flow cytometry, Wound healing and Transwell assays. Bioinformatics binding site analysis, Luciferase reporter assay, Ago2 immunoprecipitation assays, RNA pull-down assay, RT-qPCR and Western blotting were utilized to demonstrate the mechanism of RP11-757G1.5 acts as a molecular sponge of miR-139-5p to regulate the expression of YAP1. Finally, we further explore the potential role of RP11-757G1.5 in CRC orthotopic xenografts in vivio . Results: We discovered a novel oncogenic lncRNA RP11-757G1.5, that was overexpressed in CRC tissues, especially in aggressive cases. Moreover, up-regulation of RP11-757G1.5 strongly correlated with poor clinical outcomes of patients with CRC. Functional analyses revealed that RP11-757G1.5 promoted cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo . Furthermore, RP11-757G1.5 stimulated cell migration and invasion in vitro and in vivo . Mechanistic studies illustrated that RP11-757G1.5 regulated the expression of YAP1 through sponging miR-139-5p and inhibiting its activity thereby promoting CRC progression and development. Conclusions: Altogether, these results reveal a novel RP11-757G1.5/miR-139-5p/YAP1 regulatory axis that participates in CRC carcinogenesis and progression.

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FOXD1 Promotes Cell Growth and Metastasis by Activation of Vimentin in NSCLC

Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry ◽

10.1159/000495962 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 51 (6) ◽

pp. 2716-2731 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Dan Li ◽

Suyun Fan ◽

Fei Yu ◽

Xuchao Zhu ◽

Yingchun Song ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Disease Free Survival ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Rank Test ◽

Cox Regression Analysis ◽

Nsclc Patients

Background/Aims: Forkhead box D1 (FOXD1) has a well-established role in early embryonic development and organogenesis and functions as an oncogene in several cancers. However, the clinical significance and biological roles of FOXD1 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain largely unknown. Methods: A total of 264 primary NSCLC tissue samples were collected. The expression levels of FOXD1 in these samples were examined by immunohistochemical staining. The expression of FOXD1 was knocked down by lentiviral shRNA. The relative expression of FOXD1 was determined by qRT-PCR, Western blotting and immunofluorescence image. The functional roles of FOXD1 in NSCLC were demonstrated cell viability CCK-8 assay, colony formation, cell invasion and migration assays, and cell apoptosis assay in vitro. In vivo mouse xenograft and metastasis models were used to assess tumorigenicity and metastatic ability. The Chi-square test was used to assess the correlation between FOXD1 expression and the clinicopathological characteristics. Survival curves were estimated by Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. The Cox proportional hazards model was used for univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: We determined that higher levels of FOXD1 were present in NSCLC tissues, especially in metastatic NSCLC tissues. FOXD1 was also higher in all NSCLC cells compared with normal human bronchial epithelial cells. A higher expression level of FOXD1 was associated with malignant behavior and poor prognosis in NSCLC patients. Knockdown of FOXD1 significantly inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and tumor growth and metastasis in vivo, and it increased the apoptosis rates of NSCLC cells. Mechanistic analyses revealed that FOXD1 expressed its oncogenic characteristics through activating Vimentin in NSCLC. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that FOXD1 was an independent prognostic factor both for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in NSCLC patients. Conclusion: Our results indicated that FOXD1 might be involved in the development and progression of NSCLC as an oncogene, and thereby might be a potential therapeutic target for NSCLC patients.

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Long noncoding RNA RP11-757G1.5 sponges miR-139-5p and upregulates YAP1 thereby promoting the proliferation and liver, spleen metastasis of colorectal cancer

10.21203/rs.3.rs-25530/v3 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Xiaojian Zhu ◽

Fanqin Bu ◽

Ting Tan ◽

Qilin Luo ◽

Jingfeng Zhu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Cell Proliferation ◽

In Situ Hybridization ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Luciferase Reporter ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Cox Regression Analysis

Abstract Background: Accumulating evidence indicates that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) acting as crucial regulators in tumorigenesis. However, its biological functions of lncRNAs in colorectal cancer (CRC) have not been systematically clarified.Methods: An unbiased screening was performed to identify disregulated lncRNAs revealed to be implicated in CRC carcinogenesis according to an online-available data dataset. In situ hybridization (ISH), RT-qPCR and RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (RNA-FISH) were applied to detect RP11-757G1.5 expression in CRC tissues and cell lines. The associations of RP11-757G1.5 with clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed. Their effects on prognosis were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier analysis, Log-rank test, Univariate and Multivariate Cox regression analysis. The potential biological function of RP11-757G1.5 in CRC was investigated by Colony formation, Edu cell proliferation, Flow cytometry, Wound healing and Transwell assays. Bioinformatics binding site analysis, Luciferase reporter assay, Ago2 immunoprecipitation assays, RNA pull-down assay, RT-qPCR and Western blotting were utilized to demonstrate the mechanism of RP11-757G1.5 acts as a molecular sponge of miR-139-5p to regulate the expression of YAP1. Finally, we further explore the potential role of RP11-757G1.5 in CRC orthotopic xenografts in vivio.Results: We discovered a novel oncogenic lncRNA RP11-757G1.5, that was overexpressed in CRC tissues, especially in aggressive cases. Moreover, up-regulation of RP11-757G1.5 strongly correlated with poor clinical outcomes of patients with CRC. Functional analyses revealed that RP11-757G1.5 promoted cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, RP11-757G1.5 stimulated cell migration and invasion in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic studies illustrated that RP11-757G1.5 regulated the expression of YAP1 through sponging miR-139-5p and inhibiting its activity thereby promoting CRC progression and development.Conclusions: Altogether, these results reveal a novel RP11-757G1.5/miR-139-5p/YAP1 regulatory axis that participates in CRC carcinogenesis and progression.

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Homeobox-A13 acts as a functional prognostic and diagnostic biomarker via regulating P53 and Wnt signaling pathways in lung cancer

Cancer Biomarkers ◽

10.3233/cbm-200540 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-16

Author(s):

Yang Wang ◽

Bo He ◽

Yan Dong ◽

Gong-Jin He ◽

Xiao-Wei Qi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Signaling Pathways ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Prognostic Significance ◽

Luciferase Reporter ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Clinical Feature ◽

Diagnostic Biomarker

BACKGROUND: The prognosis of lung cancer patients is poor without useful prognostic and diagnostic biomarker. To search for novel prognostic and diagnostic markers, we previously found homeobox-A13 (HOXA13) as a promising candidate in lung cancer. OBJECTIVE: To determine the precisely clinical feature, prognostic and diagnostic value, possible role and mechanism of HOXA13. METHODS: Gene-expression was explored by real-time quantitative-PCR, western-blot and tissue-microarray. The associations were analyzed by Chi-square test, Kaplan-Meier and Cox-regression. The roles and mechanisms were evaluated by MTS, EdU, transwell, xenograft tumor and luciferase-reporter assays. RESULTS: HOXA13 expression is increased in tumors, and correlated with age of patients. HOXA13 expression is associated with unfavorable overall survival and relapse-free survival of patients in four cohorts. Interestingly, HOXA13 has different prognostic significance in adenocarcinoma (ADC) and squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC), and is a sex- and smoke-related prognostic factor only in ADC. Importantly, HOXA13 can serve as a diagnostic biomarker for lung cancer, especially for SCC. HOXA13 can promote cancer-cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro, and facilitate tumorigenicity and tumor metastasis in vivo. HOXA13 acts the oncogenic roles on tumor growth and metastasis by regulating P53 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling activities in lung cancer. CONCLUSIONS: HOXA13 is a new prognostic and diagnostic biomarker associated with P53 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways.

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Long Non-coding RNA DLEU2L Targets miR-210-3p to Suppress Gemcitabine Resistance in Pancreatic Cancer Cells via BRCA2 Regulation

Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences ◽

10.3389/fmolb.2021.645365 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Fei Xu ◽

Heshui Wu ◽

Jiongxin Xiong ◽

Tao Peng

Keyword(s):

Pancreatic Cancer ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Aerobic Glycolysis ◽

Critical Role ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Pancreatic Cell ◽

Clinical Issue ◽

Pancreatic Cancer Cells

Gemcitabine (GEM) resistance remains a challenging clinical issue to overcome in chemotherapy against pancreatic cancer. We previously demonstrated that miR-210 derived from pancreatic cancer stem cells enhanced the GEM-resistant properties of pancreatic cancer cells, thus identifying miR-210 as an oncogenic miRNA. Herein, we report the existence of an upstream effector that acts as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to miR-210. Bioinformatic screening was performed to identify lncRNAs with a binding relationship to miR-210. Overexpression and interference vectors were constructed to demonstrate the effect of ceRNA activity in pancreatic cell behavior, both in vitro and in vivo. DLEU2L (deleted in lymphocytic leukemia 2-like), which is expressed at low levels in pancreatic cancer tissues, was shown to exhibit a binding relationship with miR-210-3p. Overexpression of DLEU2L and silencing of miR-210-3p suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells while promoting apoptosis. These effects occurred via the inhibition of the Warburg effect (aerobic glycolysis) and AKT/mTOR signaling. In addition, we showed that BRCA2 is a target gene of miR-210-3p, and the downregulation of miR-210-3p by DLEU2L effectively induced an upregulation of BRCA2 via the ceRNA mechanism. In vivo, DLEU2L overexpression and miR-210-3p interference suppressed pancreatic tumor progression, consistent with the results of in vitro studies. The findings of our study establish DLEU2L as a ceRNA to miR-210-3p and reveal the critical role of the DLEU2L/miR-210-3p crosstalk in targeting GEM resistance.

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Serum exosomal miR-4787-3p as potential lymph node metastasis and prognostic marker in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

10.21203/rs.3.rs-317660/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Shuang Liu ◽

Zheng Lin ◽

Jianwen Wang ◽

Zerong Zheng ◽

Wenqing Rao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Regression Analysis ◽

Lymph Node ◽

Lymph Node Metastasis ◽

Cox Regression ◽

High Serum ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Cox Regression Analysis ◽

Mirna Array ◽

Node Metastasis

Abstract Background: To explore the miR-4787-3p expression levels in the serum exosome and tissue and its role in lymph node metastasis and prognosis in ESCC. Methods: The miRNA array was conducted to detect the ESCC serum exosomal miRNAs expression. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to determine the predictive ESCC with lymph node metastasis efficacy of serum exosomal miR-4784-3p. The Cox regression analysis was preformed to explore prognostic factors for ESCC. Transwell assay and CCK-8 assays were utilized to evaluate cell migration, invasion, and proliferation, respectively. Results: High serum exosomal miR-4787-3p expression was demonstrated in lymph node metastasis group (P =0.011). The serum exosomal miR-4787-3p expression was significantly associated with histologic grade (P = 0.010), and TNM stage (P = 0.033). However, there was no significant relationship between tissue miR-4787-3p expression and clinical characteristics (P >0.05). ROC analyses revealed that the AUCs of serum exosomal miR-4787-3p for lymph node metastasis prediction was 0.787. The Cox regression analysis found that high expression serum exosomal miR-4787-3p were correlated with poor prognoses (for OS, HR=2.68, 95% CI: 1.02~7.04; for DFS, HR = 2.65, 95% CI: 1.05~6.68). Nevertheless, no association between tissue miR-4787-3p expression and ESCC prognosis. In addition, upregulated expression of miR-4787-3p could promote migration and invasion in vitro. Conclusions: Serum exosomal miR-4787-3p can be promising biomarkers for ESCC metastasis and prognosis

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Transcriptome Profiling of Panc-1 Spheroid Cells with Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells Properties Cultured by a Novel 3D Semi-Solid System

Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry ◽

10.1159/000491479 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 47 (5) ◽

pp. 2109-2125 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Zhaocong Yang ◽

Yanfeng Zhang ◽

Tingting Tang ◽

Qinhua Zhu ◽

Wanyue Shi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pancreatic Cancer ◽

Stem Cells ◽

Cancer Stem Cells ◽

Culture System ◽

High Throughput Sequencing ◽

Semi Solid ◽

Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells ◽

Solid System

Background/Aims: Pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest human malignancies, the lethality of which may be attributed to the presence of pancreatic cancer stem cells (PCSCs), a small subpopulation of cells existing within pancreatic tumor with high carcinogenesis. Therefore, it is crucial to establish an efficient enrichment and culture system of PCSCs and identify the key genes involved in the regulation of PCSCs. The three-dimensional (3D) liquid suspension mammosphere culture system has been established for enrichment and culture of PCSCs in vitro as the cell spheres are likely to originate from individual cell clone, but it has been challenged because the cell spheroids could be a result of cell aggregation. Methods: We optimized the existing culture system by adding methylcellulose to create a 3D semi-solid system which prevented the non-specific aggregation. Then we identified the CSC properties of Panc-1 spheroid cells cultured by this system by detecting the genes associated with stemness and by evaluation of the tumorigenicity in vitro and in vivo through invasion, migration and xenograft experiments methods. Subsequently, we performed high-throughput sequencing (HTS) of the Panc-1 spheroid cells. Results: We confirmed the PCSCs properties and high malignancy of the Panc-1 spheroid cells enriched by our novel 3D semi-solid system both in vitro and in vivo. Hundreds of mRNA, microRNA (miRNA) and dozens of long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) were identified to be differentially regulated in PCSCs-like Panc-1 spheroid cells compared with their parental cells by HTS. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate an efficient enrichment and culture system for Panc-1 spheroid cells with the PCSCs properties. The differentially expressed genes and their targets identified by the HTS of the Panc-1 spheroid cells can serve as new potential biomarkers for pancreatic cancer diagnosis and targeted therapy.

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KIF4A Regulates the Progression of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma through Proliferation and Invasion

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2021/8249293 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Jing Chen ◽

Cui-Cui Zhao ◽

Fei-Ran Chen ◽

Guo-Wei Feng ◽

Fei Luo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pancreatic Cancer ◽

Cell Proliferation ◽

Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma ◽

Disease Free Survival ◽

High Expression ◽

Ductal Adenocarcinoma ◽

Migration And Invasion

Background. Pancreatic cancer is a malignant tumor of the digestive tract, which is difficult to diagnose and treat due to bad early diagnosis. We aimed to explore the role of kinesin superfamily 4A (KIF4A) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Methods. We first used the bioinformatic website to screen the data of pancreatic cancer in TCGA, and KIF4A protein was detected among the 86 specimens of patients in our hospital combined with clinic-pathological characteristics and survival analysis. KIF4A loss-expression cell lines were established by RNA interference (RNAi). In addition, we performed in vitro cell assays to detect the changes in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. The proteins involved in the proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells were also detected by western blot. The above results could be proved in vivo. Further, the correlation between KIF4A and CDC5L was analyzed by TCGA and IHC data. Results. We first found a high expression of KIF4A in pancreatic cancer, suggesting a role of KIF4A in the development of pancreatic cancer. KIF4A was found to be differentially expressed ( P < 0.05 ) among the 86 specimens of patients in our hospital and was significantly associated with PDAC TNM stages and tumor size. High KIF4A expression also significantly worsened overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival rate (DFS) ( P < 0.05 , respectively). In addition, cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were inhibited by the KIF4A-shRNA group compared with the control ( P < 0.05 , respectively). In the end, knockdown of KIF4A could inhibit tumor development and metastasis in vivo. Further, the positive correlation between KIF4A and CDC5L existed, and KIF4A might promote pancreatic cancer proliferation by affecting CDC5L expression. Conclusion. In conclusion, the high expression level of KIF4A in PDAC was closely related to poor clinical and pathological status, lymphatic metastasis, and vascular invasion. KIF4A might be involved in promoting the development of PDAC in vitro and in vivo, which might be a new therapeutic target of PDAC.

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β-Sitosterol and Gemcitabine Exhibit Synergistic Anti-pancreatic Cancer Activity by Modulating Apoptosis and Inhibiting Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition by Deactivating Akt/GSK-3β Signaling

Frontiers in Pharmacology ◽

10.3389/fphar.2018.01525 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Zhang-qi Cao ◽

Xue-xi Wang ◽

Li Lu ◽

Jing-wen Xu ◽

Xiao-bin Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pancreatic Cancer ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Human Cancer ◽

Combined Treatment ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Gsk 3Β ◽

Cancer Activity

β-sitosterol (BS), a major bioactive constituent present in plants, has shown potent anti-cancer activity against many human cancer cells, but its activity in pancreatic cancer (PC) cells has rarely been reported. Gemcitabine (GEM) is one of the first-line drugs for PC therapy, however, the treatment effect is not sustained due to prolonged drug resistance. In this study, we firstly studied the anti-PC activity and the mechanism of BS alone and in combination with GEM in vitro and in vivo. BS effectively inhibited the growth of PC cell lines by inhibiting proliferation, inducing G0/G1 phase arrest and apoptosis, suppressed the NF- kB activity, and increased expression of the protein Bax but decreased expression of the protein Bcl-2. Moreover, BS inhibited migration and invasion and downregulated epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers and AKT/GSK-3β signaling pathways. Furthermore, the combination of BS and GEM exhibited a significant synergistic effect in MIAPaCa-2 and BXPC-3 cells. More importantly, the combined treatment with BS and GEM lead to significant growth inhibition of PC xenografts. Overall, our data revealed a promising treatment option for PC by the combination therapy of BS and GEM.

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