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International Journal of Molecular... Jun 2024Bosentan, an endothelin receptor antagonist (ERA), has potential anti-atherosclerotic properties. We investigated the complementary effects of bosentan and atorvastatin...
Bosentan, an endothelin receptor antagonist (ERA), has potential anti-atherosclerotic properties. We investigated the complementary effects of bosentan and atorvastatin on the progression and composition of the atherosclerotic lesions in diabetic mice. Forty-eight male mice were fed high-fat diet (HFD) for 14 weeks. At week 8, diabetes was induced with streptozotocin, and mice were randomized into four groups: (1) control/COG: no intervention; (2) ΒOG: bosentan 100 mg/kg/day per os; (3) ATG: atorvastatin 20 mg/kg/day per os; and (4) BO + ATG: combined administration of bosentan and atorvastatin. The intra-plaque contents of collagen, elastin, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2, -3, -9), and TIMP-1 were determined. The percentage of lumen stenosis was significantly lower across all treated groups: BOG: 19.5 ± 2.2%, ATG: 12.8 ± 4.8%, and BO + ATG: 9.1 ± 2.7% compared to controls (24.6 ± 4.8%, < 0.001). The administration of both atorvastatin and bosentan resulted in significantly higher collagen content and thicker fibrous cap versus COG ( < 0.01). All intervention groups showed lower relative intra-plaque concentrations of MCP-1, MMP-3, and MMP-9 and a higher TIMP-1concentration compared to COG ( < 0.001). Importantly, latter parameters presented lower levels when bosentan was combined with atorvastatin compared to COG ( < 0.05). Bosentan treatment in diabetic, atherosclerotic mice delayed the atherosclerosis progression and enhanced plaques' stability, showing modest but additive effects with atorvastatin, which are promising in atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases.
Topics: Animals; Bosentan; Atorvastatin; Mice; Male; Atherosclerosis; Endothelin Receptor Antagonists; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Drug Therapy, Combination; Collagen; Diet, High-Fat; Chemokine CCL2; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Plaque, Atherosclerotic; Mice, Knockout; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1
PubMed: 38928320
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126614 -
Biomolecules Jun 2024Clickable nucleosides, most often 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EtU), are widely used in studies of DNA replication in living cells and in DNA functionalization for...
Clickable nucleosides, most often 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EtU), are widely used in studies of DNA replication in living cells and in DNA functionalization for bionanotechology applications. Although clickable dNTPs are easily incorporated by DNA polymerases into the growing chain, afterwards they might become targets for DNA repair systems or interfere with faithful nucleotide insertion. Little is known about the possibility and mechanisms of these post-synthetic events. Here, we investigated the repair and (mis)coding properties of EtU and two bulkier clickable pyrimidine nucleosides, 5-(octa-1,7-diyn-1-yl)-U (C8-AlkU) and 5-(octa-1,7-diyn-1-yl)-C (C8-AlkC). In vitro, EtU and C8-AlkU, but not C8-AlkC, were excised by SMUG1 and MBD4, two DNA glycosylases from the base excision repair pathway. However, when placed into a plasmid encoding a fluorescent reporter inactivated by repair in human cells, EtU and C8-AlkU persisted for much longer than uracil or its poorly repairable phosphorothioate-flanked derivative. DNA polymerases from four different structural families preferentially bypassed EtU, C8-AlkU and C8-AlkC in an error-free manner, but a certain degree of misincorporation was also observed, especially evident for DNA polymerase β. Overall, clickable pyrimidine nucleotides could undergo repair and be a source of mutations, but the frequency of such events in the cell is unlikely to be considerable.
Topics: DNA Repair; Humans; Pyrimidine Nucleotides; Click Chemistry; DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; Deoxyuridine; DNA; DNA Replication; Uracil-DNA Glycosidase
PubMed: 38927084
DOI: 10.3390/biom14060681 -
Zhongguo Shi Yan Xue Ye Xue Za Zhi Jun 2024To investigate the clinical efficacy and prognosis of Rituximab combined with DHAX and CHOP regimen in the first-line treatment of elderly patients with newly diagnosed...
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the clinical efficacy and prognosis of Rituximab combined with DHAX and CHOP regimen in the first-line treatment of elderly patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).
METHODS
A total of 36 elderly patients with DLBCL who were admitted and treated with 3 of more courses of treatment from August 2011 to August 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, and they were divided into rituximab±DHAX (R±DHAX) regimen group (18 cases) and rituximab±CHOP (R-CHOP) regimen group (18 cases) according to the treatment plan, and clinical features, efficacy and survival of the patients were observed.
RESULTS
Compared with R-CHOP group, patients of the R±DHAX group were older, and had worse performance status and higher IPI score, the differences between two groups in age, ECOG score and IPI score were statistically significant ( =0.005 =0.018, =0.035), but there were no significant differences beween two groups in gender, whether there were B symptoms, whether LDH was elevated, whether there was extranodal involvement, cell origin, bone marrow infiltration, and whether rituximab was combined ( =0.738, =1, =0.315, =0.305, =0.413, =0.177, =0.711, =0.229). The efficacy could be evaluated in 36 cases, including CR 14 (38.9%), PR 17 (47.2%), PD 5 (13.9%), and ORR of 86.1% (31/36). There were no statistically significant differences in CR[(27.8%(5/18) 50.0%(9/18); >0.05] and PR [44.4%(8/18) 50.0%(9/18); >0.05] of R±DHAX group and R-CHOP group, there was statistically significant difference in ORR[72.2%(13/18) 100.0%(18/18); =0.045] between two groups. The 1-year OS of R±DHAX group and R-CHOP group was (38.9±11.5%)% and (94.4±7.4%)%, respectively, 2-year OS was (16.7±8.8)% and (72.2±10.6)%, respectively, and the differences between two groups were statistically significant ( =0.001, =0.002). The median survival time in the R±DHAX group was 11 months(95% :8.9-13.1), and the median survival time in the R-CHOP group was not reached, and there was a statistically significant difference between the groups ( < 0.001).
CONCLUSION
For elderly DLBCL patients, R±DHAX may not be superior to R-CHOP in OS, and ECOG score, IPI score and age may affect the survival of elderly DLBCL patients. However, R±DHAX regimen is safe, tolerable and has a certain efficacy, which can be used as one of the clinical treatment options for elderly DLBCL.
Topics: Humans; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse; Retrospective Studies; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Rituximab; Aged; Cyclophosphamide; Vincristine; Prednisone; Doxorubicin; Prognosis; Male; Female; Cytarabine; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 38926958
DOI: 10.19746/j.cnki.issn.1009-2137.2024.03.010 -
Zhongguo Shi Yan Xue Ye Xue Za Zhi Jun 2024To investigate the efficacy of decitabine combined with preexcitation regimen in the treatment of newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients who have not been...
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the efficacy of decitabine combined with preexcitation regimen in the treatment of newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients who have not been relieved by the first standard induction chemotherapy and its influence on the relative content of regulatory T lymphocytes (Tregs).
METHODS
The clinical data of 102 newly diagnosed AML patients (except acute promyelocytic leukemia) who did not relieve after initial standard induction chemotherapy in Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital from March 2013 to March 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Fifty-one patients who accepted pre-excitation regimen were divided into regular group, while another 51 patients treated with decitabine combined with pre-excitation regimen were divided into combination group. The efficacy, incidence of toxic and side effects, Core Scale of Quality of Life (QLQ-C30) score before and after treatment, T lymphocyte subsets (CD3, CD4, CD4/CD8, Tregs) and 3-year overall survival (OS) rate were compared between the two groups.
RESULTS
The total effective rate of combination group was 80.39%, which was significantly higher than 62.75% of regular group ( < 0.05). After treatment, the QLQ-C30 score of combination group was 60.27±6.96, which was significantly lower than 65.73±7.96 of regular group ( < 0.001). There was no statistical difference in the incidence of toxic and side effects between the two groups ( >0.05). After treatment, the levels of CD3, CD4, CD4/CD8 in the combination group were higher than those in the regular group (all < 0.001), while Treg was lower ( < 0.001). The 3-year OS rate in the combination group was 72.55%, which was significantly higher than 52.94% in the regular group ( < 0.001).
CONCLUSION
Decitabine combined with preexcitation regimen has a significant effect on AML patients who have not been alleviated by standard induction chemotherapy in the first course of treatment. It can reduce anti-tumor immune suppression and improve immune function by regulating the relative content of Tregs, thus prolongs survival time and improves life quality of patients without increasing adverse reactions.
Topics: Humans; Decitabine; Induction Chemotherapy; Retrospective Studies; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory; Quality of Life; Male; Female; Treatment Outcome; Survival Rate
PubMed: 38926953
DOI: 10.19746/j.cnki.issn.1009-2137.2024.03.005 -
Zhongguo Shi Yan Xue Ye Xue Za Zhi Jun 2024To investigate the effect of expression regulated by miR-21 on proliferation and apoptosis of acute myeloid leukemia cells.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of expression regulated by miR-21 on proliferation and apoptosis of acute myeloid leukemia cells.
METHODS
Seventy patients with AML admitted to our hospital from January 2019 to July 2022 were selected, while 30 patients with iron deficiency anemia were selected as the control group. Bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) of the patients were obtained using Ficoll density gradient centrifugation. RT-qPCR was used to determine the expression levels of and mRNA in BMMNCs. Mimics-miR-21, mimics-NC, inhibitor-miR-21, inhibitor-NC and NC were transfected into HL-60 cells using liposome-mediated transfection technology. CCK-8 method was used to determine the activity of transfected HL-60 cells after treatment with cytarabine. The apoptosis rate of HL-60 transfected cells was determined by TUNEL method. The expression of mRNA in HL-60 cells transfected with inhibitor-miR-21 was determined by RT-qPCR.
RESULTS
The relative expression levels of and mRNA in BMMNCs of AML patients were significantly higher than those of controls (both < 0.05). After HL-60 cells were treated with cytarabine, both the cell activity of inhibitor-miR-21 group and mimics-miR-21 group decreased significantly with the increase of cytarabine concentration (both < 0.05). However, at each concentration point of cytarabine, the cell activity of inhibitor-miR-21 group was lower than that of control group ( < 0.05), while mimics-miR-21 group was higher than control group ( < 0.05). After HL-60 cells were treated with cytarabine, the apoptosis rate of inhibitor-miR-21 group was significantly increased ( < 0.05), while that of mimics-miR-21 group was significantly decreased ( < 0.05). After HL-60 cells were treated with inhibitor-miR-21, the relative expression of mRNA decreased significantly ( < 0.05).
CONCLUSION
miR-21 is highly expressed in AML patients, which may promote the apoptosis of AML cells by inhibiting the expression of .
Topics: Humans; MicroRNAs; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Apoptosis; Cell Proliferation; HL-60 Cells; Transfection; Cytarabine
PubMed: 38926950
DOI: 10.19746/j.cnki.issn.1009-2137.2024.03.002 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024The development of nanomaterials has been speedily established in recent years, yet nanoparticles synthesized by traditional methods suffer unacceptable toxicity and the...
The development of nanomaterials has been speedily established in recent years, yet nanoparticles synthesized by traditional methods suffer unacceptable toxicity and the sustainability of the procedure for synthesizing such nanoparticles is inadequate. Consequently, green biosynthesis, which employs biopolymers, is gaining attraction as an environmentally sound alternative to less sustainable approaches. Chitosan-encapsulated nanoparticles exhibit exceptional antibacterial properties, offering a wide range of uses. Chitosan, obtained from shrimp shells, aided in the environmentally friendly synthesis of high-purity zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) with desirable features such as the extraction yield (41%), the deacetylation (88%), and the crystallinity index (74.54%). The particle size of ZnO NPs was 12 nm, while that of chitosan-ZnO NPs was 21 nm, and the bandgap energies of these nanomaterials were 3.98 and 3.48, respectively. The strong antibacterial action was demonstrated by ZnO NPs, chitosan-ZnO NPs, and chitosan-ZnO/PVP, particularly against Gram-positive bacteria, making them appropriate for therapeutic use. The photocatalytic degradation abilities were also assessed for all nanoparticles. At a concentration of 6 × 10 M, chitosan removed 90.5% of the methylene blue (MB) dye, ZnO NPs removed 97.4%, chitosan-coated ZnO NPs removed 99.6%, while chitosan-ZnO/PVP removed 100%. In the case of toluidine blue (TB), at a concentration of 4 × 10 M, the respective efficiencies were 96.8%, 96.8%, 99.5%, and 100%, respectively. Evaluation of radical scavenger activity revealed increased scavenging of ABTS and DPPH radicals by chitosan-ZnO/PVP compared to individual zinc oxide or chitosan-ZnO, where the IC50 results were 0.059, 0.092, 0.079 mg/mL, respectively, in the ABTS test, and 0.095, 0.083, 0.061, and 0.064 mg/mL in the DPPH test, respectively. Moreover, in silico toxicity studies were conducted to predict the organ-specific toxicity through ProTox II software. The obtained results suggest the probable safety and the absence of organ-specific toxicity with all the tested samples.
Topics: Chitosan; Zinc Oxide; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Catalysis; Nanoparticles; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Metal Nanoparticles; Biphenyl Compounds; Green Chemistry Technology
PubMed: 38926522
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65579-z -
Nature Communications Jun 2024Anaerobic, acetogenic bacteria are well known for their ability to convert various one-carbon compounds, promising feedstocks for a future, sustainable biotechnology, to...
Anaerobic, acetogenic bacteria are well known for their ability to convert various one-carbon compounds, promising feedstocks for a future, sustainable biotechnology, to products such as acetate and biofuels. The model acetogen Acetobacterium woodii can grow on CO, formate or methanol, but not on carbon monoxide, an important industrial waste product. Since hydrogenases are targets of CO inhibition, here, we genetically delete the two [FeFe] hydrogenases HydA2 and HydBA in A. woodii. We show that the ∆hydBA/hydA2 mutant indeed grows on CO and produces acetate, but only after a long adaptation period. SNP analyzes of CO-adapted cells reveal a mutation in the HycB2 subunit of the HydA2/HydB2/HydB3/Fdh-containing hydrogen-dependent CO reductase (HDCR). We observe an increase in ferredoxin-dependent CO reduction and vice versa by the HDCR in the absence of the HydA2 module and speculate that this is caused by the mutation in HycB2. In addition, the CO-adapted ∆hydBA/hydA2 mutant growing on formate has a final biomass twice of that of the wild type.
Topics: Acetobacterium; Formates; Carbon Monoxide; Bacterial Proteins; Hydrogenase; Mutation; Carbon Dioxide; Electron Transport; Biomass; Acetates; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
PubMed: 38926344
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49680-5 -
Discovery Medicine Jun 2024Butyrate-resistant (BR) cells play an important role in acquiring chemoresistance in colorectal cancer (CRC). Our previous study demonstrated that BR CRC cells showed...
BACKGROUND
Butyrate-resistant (BR) cells play an important role in acquiring chemoresistance in colorectal cancer (CRC). Our previous study demonstrated that BR CRC cells showed cross-resistance to chemotherapy drugs, including 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin, in both monolayer and spheroid cultures. The mechanisms underlying drug resistance were also elucidated. However, the link between parental (PT) and BR cells remains unclear. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are key cell-cell communications that transport various molecules, including DNA, RNA, and proteins, between the donor and target cells. EVs contribute to drug resistance in cancers, such as melanoma and lung cancer. Recently, we focused on the correlation of proteomic profiles of EVs from different cell types.
METHODS
In this study, we analyzed the proteomic profiles of EVs derived from PT and BR cells to investigate the mechanisms underlying the butyrate- and chemo-resistant phenotypes. EVs were isolated from PT and BR cells using ultracentrifugation. The characteristics of the EVs were evaluated using western blot and transmission electron microscopy. The EV proteomic data were further analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.
RESULTS
We identified a unique protein expressed in BR cells related to the chemoresistant phenotype. Functional enrichment analysis showed that BR cells had higher protein catalytic activity, binding, and transcription activity. The STITCH database showed a greater correlation between protein-drug interactions in BR cells than in PT cells. Moreover, our findings support the hypothesis that EVs promote tumor progression and metastasis and affect the tumor microenvironment.
CONCLUSIONS
Proteomic analysis of EVs from BR CRC cells reveals insights into drug resistance mechanisms, including protein-mediated carcinogenesis and reduced drug uptake, offering potential strategies to overcome resistance in clinical practice.
Topics: Humans; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; Colorectal Neoplasms; Proteomics; Exosomes; Antineoplastic Agents; Cell Line, Tumor; Butyrates; Fluorouracil
PubMed: 38926117
DOI: 10.24976/Discov.Med.202436185.121 -
Anticancer Research Jul 2024Methotrexate (MTX) resistance in osteosarcoma leads to a very poor prognosis. In the present study, in order to further understand the basis and ramifications of MTX...
Reduced Malignancy of Super Methotrexate-resistant Osteosarcoma Cells With Dihydrofolate Reductase Amplification Despite Paradoxical Gain of Oncogenic PI3K/AKT/mTOR and c-MYC expression.
BACKGROUND/AIM
Methotrexate (MTX) resistance in osteosarcoma leads to a very poor prognosis. In the present study, in order to further understand the basis and ramifications of MTX resistance in osteosarcoma, we selected an osteosarcoma cell line that has a 5,500-fold-increased MTX IC Materials and Methods: The super MTX-resistant 143B osteosarcoma cells (143B-MTX) were selected from MTX-sensitive parental human 143B osteosarcoma cells (143B-P) by continuous culture with step-wise increased amounts of MTX. To compare the malignancy of 143B-MTX and 143B-P, colony-formation capacity was compared with clonogenic assays on plastic and in soft agar. In addition, tumor growth was compared with orthotopic xenograft mouse models of osteosarcoma. Expression of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and myelocytomatosis oncogene (MYC) was examined with western immunoblotting and compared in 143B-MTX and 143B-P cells.
RESULTS
143B-MTX had a 5,500-fold increase in the MTX IC compared to the parental 143B-P cells. Expression of DHFR was increased 10-fold in 143B-MTX compared to 143B-P (p<0.01). 143B-MTX cells had reduced colony-formation capacity on plastic (p=0.032) and in soft agar (p<0.01) compared to 143B-P and reduced tumor growth in orthotopic xenograft mouse models (p<0.001). These results demonstrate that 143B-MTX had reduced malignancy. 143B-MTX also showed an increased expression of PI3K (p<0.01), phosphorylated (activated) AKT (p=0.031), phosphorylated mTOR (p=0.043), and c-MYC (p=0.024) compared to 143B-P.
CONCLUSION
The present study demonstrates that the increased expression of DHFR, PI3K/AKT/mTOR and c-MYC appears to be linked to super MTX resistance and, paradoxically, to reduced malignancy. The present results suggest that DHFR may be a powerful tumor suppressor when highly amplified.
Topics: Osteosarcoma; Methotrexate; Humans; Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase; Animals; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Cell Line, Tumor; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; Mice; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; Bone Neoplasms; Gene Amplification; Signal Transduction; Mice, Nude; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic
PubMed: 38925854
DOI: 10.21873/anticanres.17090 -
Anticancer Research Jul 2024Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) stimulation enhances the efficacy of several anticancer drugs. Doxorubicin is an anticancer drug used to treat various types of...
BACKGROUND/AIM
Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) stimulation enhances the efficacy of several anticancer drugs. Doxorubicin is an anticancer drug used to treat various types of cancer, including breast cancer. However, the effect of PEMF stimulation on the efficacy of doxorubicin and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of PEMF stimulation on the anticancer activity of doxorubicin in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
MDA-MB-231 cells were seeded and allowed to incubate for 48 h. The cells were treated with doxorubicin, cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil, or paclitaxel for 48 h. Subsequently, the cells were stimulated with a 60-min PEMF session thrice a day (with an interval of 4 h between each session) for 24 or 48 h. Cell viability was assessed by trypan blue dye exclusion assay and cell-cycle analysis was analyzed by flow cytometry. Molecular mechanisms involved in late G arrest were confirmed by a western blot assay and confocal microscopy.
RESULTS
MDA-MB-231 cells treated with a combination of doxorubicin and PEMF had remarkably lower viability than those treated with doxorubicin alone. PEMF stimulation increased doxorubicin-induced cell-cycle arrest in the late G phase by suppressing cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) activity through the enhancement of myelin transcription factor 1 (MYT1) expression, cell division cycle 25C (CDC25C) phosphorylation, and stratifin (14-3-3σ) expression. PEMF also increased doxorubicin-induced DNA damage by inhibiting DNA topoisomerase II alpha (TOP2A).
CONCLUSION
These findings support the use of PEMF stimulation as an adjuvant to strengthen the antiproliferative effect of doxorubicin on breast cancer cells.
Topics: Humans; Doxorubicin; Breast Neoplasms; Female; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Survival; G2 Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints; Electromagnetic Fields; DNA Topoisomerases, Type II; Cell Proliferation; Paclitaxel; Fluorouracil; Poly-ADP-Ribose Binding Proteins; cdc25 Phosphatases; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2
PubMed: 38925852
DOI: 10.21873/anticanres.17096