Search

Xiaojun Man,1,2 Tao Liu,1,2 Yuanjun Jiang,1,2 Zhe Zhang,1,2 Yuyan Zhu,1,2 Zhenhua Li,1,2 Chuize Kong,1,2 Jiani He31Department of Urology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, People’s Republic of China; 2Institute of Urology, Department of Urology, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, People’s Republic of China; 3Breast Division, Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, People’s Republic of ChinaBackground: Bladder cancer (BC) is the ninth most common cancer and the fourteenth leading death worldwide. CARD-containing MAGUK 3 (CARMA3) protein is a novel scaffold protein known to activate NF-κB pathway and is overexpressed in BC tissues.Purpose: The objective of this study was to identify how CARMA3 affects the metastasis of BC cells via the β-catenin signaling pathway.Materials and methods: In the present study, 5637 and T24 BC cells with stable low expression of CARMA3 were established, and their migratory and invasive capabilities were further evaluated by wound-healing and transwell assay. The activity and expression of β-catenin were determined by Luciferase assay and immunofluoresence staining. The mRNA and protein expression levels of CARMA3, matrix metallopeptidase (MMP) 9 and MMP2 were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot analysis. The nude mouse tumor xenograft model was established for in vivo study.Results: By comparison to the control cells, CARMA3-silenced cells acquired a less aggressive phenotype: decreased migration and invasion. More importantly, we confirmed that CARM3 knockdown could inhibit β-catenin mRNA and protein expression and activity, and reduce the expression and/or activity of matrix metallopeptidase (MMP) 9, MMP2 and C-myc. Also, CARM3 silencing increased E-cadherin expression and attenuated the expression of β-catenin. Moreover, we demonstrated that β-catenin overexpression reversed the inhibiting effect of CARMA3 silencing on cell invasion and migration. Furthermore, our study illustrated that knockdown of CARMA3 suppressed BC cells xenograft tumor growth in nude mice.Conclusion: We demonstrated that CARMA3 contributes to the malignant phenotype of BC cells at least by activating β-catenin signaling pathway, and it may serve as a therapeutic target for clinic treatment in BC.Keywords: CARMA3, β-catenin signaling pathway, bladder cancer, migration, invasion

Liu Huining,1 Zhang Yi,1 Tang Dihong,2 Pan Yifeng,3 Xia Man,2 Yang Ting,2 Cai Jingting1,2 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Xiangya Hospital, 2Department of Gynecological Oncology, Hunan Provincial Tumor Hospital, 3National Hepatobiliary and Enteric Surgery Research Center, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China Objective: To observe the influence of Fe3O4-dextran-anti-ß-human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) carrying heparanase (Hpa) antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ASODN), via the invasion, proliferation, and Hpa expression of JEG-3 cell lines and inhibitory effect of transplanted choriocarcinoma tumor growth. Methods: The different abilities of invasion and proliferation between transfected JEG-3 and untransfected JEG-3 were measured by Matrigel invasion assay and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay in vitro. The effect of Hpa ASODN transfection on the expression of Hpa mRNA and protein was measured by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. The transplanted choriocarcinoma tumors were taken out to calculate the inhibitory effect on tumor growth of Hpa ASODN. Results: In this study, we found that: (1) the invasive ability of JEG-3 cells was inhibited sufficiently (P < 0.05) after JEG-3 cells were transfected by Fe3O4-dextran-anti-βHCG carrying Hpa ASODN; (2) after JEG-3 cells were transfected by Fe3O4-dextran-anti-βHCG carrying Hpa ASODN at 48 and 72 hours, the proliferative ability of JEG-3 cells was inhibited sufficiently (P < 0.05); (3) the expression of Hpa mRNA and protein in JEG-3 cells was inhibited efficiently after JEG-3 cells were transfected by Fe3O4-dextran-anti-βHCG carrying Hpa ASODN (P < 0.05); and (4) Fe3O4-dextran-anti-βHCG carrying Hpa ASODN had an inhibitory effect on the transplanted choriocarcinoma tumor growth (P < 0.05) and was harmless on nude mice. Conclusion: Fe3O4-dextran-anti-βHCG carrying Hpa ASODN weakened the invasive and proliferative ability of choriocarcinoma, with a significant inhibitory effect on the transplanted choriocarcinoma tumor. Therefore, Fe3O4-dextran-anti-βHCG carrying Hpa ASODN is an effective gene therapy, and Fe3O4-dextran-anti-βHCG nanoparticles are a harmless and effective gene vector. Keywords: heparanase, antisense oligodeoxynucleotide, Fe3O4-dextran-anti-βHCG nanoparticles, choriocarcinoma, invasive ability

This article discusses a case of plasma cell dactylitis, a rare disease that can mimic bacterial and fungal infections. The case involves a 56-year-old woman who presented with ulceration on both toes that did not respond to previous treatments. Histopathological analysis confirmed the diagnosis of plasma cell dactylitis. The patient was treated with a combination of oral medications and showed improvement after one month. The article also provides information on the etiology, clinical presentation, and treatment options for plasma cell dactylitis. [Extracted from the article]

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of pheophorbide a-mediated photodynamic therapy (Pa-PDT) on the in vitro proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and metastasis of human prostate cancer PC-3 cells and to investigate its possible mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pa-PDT in gradient concentrations (0 μM, 0.25 μM, 0.5 μM, 1 μM, 2 μM, and 4 μM) were used to act on PC-3 cells; the cell proliferation in each group was detected via methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay and clone formation assay, and the cell apoptosis was detected via Hochst33258 staining and Annexin V/propidium iodide (PI) double labeling. Moreover, the effects of Pa-PDT on invasion and proliferation of PC-3 cells were observed via wound healing assay and transwell chamber assay. Finally, the expressions of apoptosis-related proteins, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in each group were detected after treatment by Western blotting. RESULTS: MTT and clone formation assays showed that Pa-PDT could inhibit the proliferation of PC-3 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The results of apoptosis assay revealed that Pa-PDT could significantly promote the apoptosis of PC-3 cells, obviously up-regulate the expressions of pro-apoptotic proteins, such as B-cell lymphoma-2-associated X protein (BAX), Caspase-3 and poly adenosine diphosphate-ribose polymerase (PARP), and inhibit the expression of Bcl-2. Besides, the wound healing assay and Transwell chamber assay showed that Pa- PDT could inhibit the invasion and metastasis capacities of PC-3 cells, whose relevant mechanisms were related to the fact that Pa-PDT inhibited the EMT process and down-regulated the expressions of MMPs in PC-3 cells. CONCLUSIONS: Pa-PDT can inhibit the proliferation and promote the apoptosis of PC-3 cells. Moreover, it can also inhibit the invasion and metastasis capacities of PC-3 cells via inhibiting the EMT process and down-regulating the expressions of MMPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 65-year-old man presented to our hospital with a 1-year history of multiple nodules on his arms and hands without itching or pain. Dual-energy computed tomography did not detect any gout crystal in the nodules. GLO:DF2/01jan22:ced14855-fig-0002.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): 2 Histology of a nodule: (a) subcutaneous cyst with central abscess; (b) intracellular hyphae (arrowheads) in granuloma. [Extracted from the article]