RESUMEN

Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) is one of the most dangerous complications in obstetrics, which can lead to severe postpartum bleeding and shock, and even necessitate uterine removal. The abnormal migration and invasion of extravillous trophoblast cells (EVTs) and enhanced neovascularization occurring in an uncontrolled manner in time and space are closely related to the abnormal expression of pro­angiogenic and anti­angiogenic factors. The pigment epithelium­derived factor (PEDF) is a multifunctional regulatory factor that participates in several important biological processes and is recognized as the most efficient inhibitor of angiogenesis. The present study aimed to explore the effects of PEDF on EVT phenotypes and the underlying mechanisms in PAS. HTR­8/SVneo cells were transfected to overexpress or knock down PEDF. Cell proliferation and invasion were assessed using Cell Counting Kit­8, 5­ethynyl­2'­deoxyuridine and Transwell assays. In vitro angiogenesis was analyzed using tube formation assays. The degree of ferroptosis was assessed by evaluating the levels of lipid reactive oxygen species, total iron, Fe2+, malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione using commercial kits. The expression levels of biomarkers of ferroptosis, angiogenesis, cell proliferation and Wnt signaling were examined by western blotting. PEDF overexpression decreased the proliferation, invasion and angiogenesis, and induced ferroptosis of EVTs. Activation of Wnt signaling with BML­284 and overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) reversed the PEDF overexpression­induced suppression of cell proliferation, invasion and tube formation. PEDF overexpression­induced ferroptosis was also decreased by Wnt agonist treatment and VEGF overexpression. It was predicted that PEDF suppressed the proliferation, invasion and angiogenesis, and increased ferroptosis in EVTs by decreasing Wnt­ß­catenin/VEGF signaling. The findings of the present study suggested a novel regulatory mechanism of the phenotypes of EVTs and PAS.

Asunto(s)

Proteínas del Ojo , Ferroptosis , Factores de Crecimiento Nervioso , Placenta Accreta , Serpinas , Embarazo , Humanos , Femenino , Factor A de Crecimiento Endotelial Vascular/metabolismo , Trofoblastos Extravellosos , beta Catenina/metabolismo , Trofoblastos/metabolismo , Placenta Accreta/metabolismo , Vía de Señalización Wnt , Angiogénesis , Proliferación Celular , Movimiento Celular , Placenta/metabolismo

RESUMEN

Korean maritime pine bark (Pinus thunbergii) has been used as an alternative medicine due to its beneficial properties, including anti­inflammatory effects. To date, the anti­inflammatory and hair growth­promoting effects of Pinus densiflora bark extract have remained elusive. Therefore, in the present study, Pinus thunbergii bark was extracted with pure water (100˚C) and the extract was examined to determine its polyphenol and flavonoid content. C57BL/6 mice were used to assess the effects of the extract to promote hair growth. The extract (1, 2 and 4%) was topically applied onto shaved dorsal skin and hair growth was observed for 17 days. A significant increase in hair growth was observed with 2 and 4% extract. Based on this finding, the optimal dose of the extract for effective hair growth promotion was determined to be 2%. The mechanisms of hair growth promotion were investigated via immunohistochemical analysis of changes in inflammatory cytokines and growth factors in the hair follicles following treatment with 2% extract. The treatment reduced the levels of TNF­α and IL­1ß, which are pro­inflammatory cytokines, while it enhanced the levels of IL­4 and IL­13, which are anti­inflammatory cytokines, in the hair follicles. In addition, elevated insulin­like growth factor I and vascular epidermal growth factor were detected in hair follicles following treatment. Based on these findings, it was suggested that the extract of Pinus thunbergii bark may be utilized for hair loss prevention and/or hair growth promotion.

Asunto(s)

Pinus , Animales , Citocinas/análisis , Flavonoides/análisis , Flavonoides/farmacología , Folículo Piloso , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Pinus/química , Corteza de la Planta/química , Extractos Vegetales/química

RESUMEN

@# Objective: To investigate the effect of VEGFR2 gene polymorphism V297I on the clinical outcomes in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with bevacizumab combining with chemotherapy. Methods:Atotal of 135 patients with advanced NSCLC, who were treated by bevacizumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy for first-line regimen, were included in this study. PCR-RFLP assay was used to detect the VEGFR2 genotypes in peripheral blood of patients and qPCR was used to detect the VEGFR2 mRNA in the cancer tissues of NSCLC patients. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the correlation between gene polymorphism and other variants, Kaplan-Meier assay to analyze the correlation between genotype and prognosis, and Cox regression model to analyze the risk factors for patients’PFS. Results: Of the polymorphisms analyzed, only polymorphism V297I was found to be of clinical significance. V297I locates in the coding region of VEGFR2, and it’s prevalence in the study population was as follows: CC genotype in 99 cases (73.33%), CT genotype in 33 cases (24.44%) and TT genotype in 3 cases (2.23%); the frequency of minor allele was 0.14, and the distribution of three genotypes was in accordance with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P>0.05). The overall objective remission rate (ORR) of the 135 patients was 45.93%, the median progression free survival (mPFS) was 8.2 months and the median overall survival (mOS) was 20.8 months. The ORR, mPFS and mOS of patients with CT/TT genotype and CC genotype were 41.67%, 6.2 months, 18.9 months and 47.47%, 8.9 months and 21.5 months, respectively (all P<0.05).Additionally, the mRNAexpression of VEGFR2 in cancer tissues of the patients with CT/TT genotype was significantly higher than those with CC genotype (P< 0.01). The risk factors for patients’PFS included V297I, gender and ECOG score. Conclusion:Among advanced NSCLC patients treated by bevacizumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy, the polymorphism V297I of VEGFR2 may impact the clinical outcomes and prognosis of NSCLC patients treated with bevacizumab first line treatment by influencing the mRNAexpression of VEGFR2.

RESUMEN

Renal cell cancer (RCC) continues to be among the most lethal malignancies in the USA. Introduction of anti-vascular epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors over a decade ago resulted in improvement in disease outcomes, but further development of new therapies largely stagnated for many years. More recently, a better understanding of disease biology and treatment-resistance patterns has led to a second renaissance in drug development, with the anti-programmed cell death protein 1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, nivolumab, paving the way for additional therapies entering clinical trial testing in the treatment of RCC.

RESUMEN

Although the deleterious effects of primary blast on gas-filled organs are well accepted, the effect of blast-induced shock waves on the brain is less clear because of factors that complicate the interpretation of clinical and experimental data. Brain cell aggregate cultures are comprised of multiple differentiated brain cell types and were used to examine the effects of underwater blast. Suspensions of these cultures encased in dialysis tubing were exposed to explosive-generated underwater blasts of low (∼300 kPa), medium (∼2,700 kPa), or high (∼14,000 kPa) intensities and harvested at 1-28 days post-exposure. No changes in gross morphology were noted immediately or weeks after blast wave exposure, and no increases in either apoptotic (caspase-3) or necrotic (lactate dehydrogenase) cell death were observed. Changes in neuronal (neurofilament H, acetylcholinesterase, and choline acetyltransferase) and glial (glial fibrillary acidic protein, glutamine synthetase) endpoints did not occur. However, significant time- and pressure-related increases in Akt (protein kinase B) phosphorylation were noted, as well as declines in vascular endothelial growth factor levels, implicating pathways involved in cellular survival mechanisms. The free-floating nature of the aggregates during blast wave exposure, coupled with their highly hydrolyzed dialysis tubing containment, results in minimized boundary effects, thus enabling accurate assessment of brain cell response to a simplified shock-induced stress wave. This work shows that, at its simplest, blast-induced shock waves produce subtle changes in brain tissue. This study has mechanistic implications for the study of primary blast-induced traumatic brain injury and supports the thesis that underwater blast may cause subtle changes in the brains of submerged individuals.

Asunto(s)

Traumatismos por Explosión/patología , Encéfalo/patología , Explosiones , Animales , Encéfalo/fisiología , Muerte Celular/fisiología , Supervivencia Celular/fisiología , Células Cultivadas , Femenino , Embarazo , Presión/efectos adversos , Ratas , Ratas Sprague-Dawley

RESUMEN

Angiogenesis is important in cancer progression. Promising results in clinical trials have indicated that targeting vascular epidermal growth factor (VEGF) signaling may prolong lung cancer patient survival. In particular, various studies have implicated VEGFA as a potential prognostic marker in lung cancer, although prognostication using the expression of VEGF receptors (VEGFRs), such as fms-related tyrosine kinase 1 (FLT1; also known as VEGFR1) and kinase insert domain receptor (KDR; also known as VEGFR2), has produced varied results in different lung cancer studies. The present study aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of these three factors, alone or in combination. mRNA expression data were extracted from four independent lung cancer cohorts totaling 583 patients, and the association between mRNA expression and survival was investigated by performing statistical analyses. When VEGFA, FLT1 and KDR expression were considered alone, only VEGFA demonstrated a significant association with patient survival consistently across all four datasets (P<0.05). Patients with a high expression of VEGFA and one of the two receptors were associated with significantly worse survival than patients expressing low levels of VEGFA and the particular receptor (P<0.05). Notably, patients with a high level expression of all three genes in their tumor specimens were associated with a significantly shorter survival time compared with patients exhibiting a low level expression of one, two or all three genes (P<0.05). The results indicate that a high level of VEGFA expression and its receptors may be required for cancer progression. Therefore, these three factors should be considered together as a prognostic indicator for lung cancer patients.

RESUMEN

How single-chain urokinase (ScuPA) mediates angiogenesis is incompletely understood. ScuPA (≥4 nM) induces phosphorylated (p)ERK1/2 (MAPK44 and MAPK42) and pAkt (Ser(473)) in umbilical vein and dermal microvascular endothelial cells. Activation of pERK1/2 by ScuPA is blocked by PD-98059 or U-0126, and pAkt (Ser(473)) activation is inhibited by wortmannin or LY-294002. ScuPA (32 nM) or protease-inhibited two-chain urokinase stimulates pERK1/2 to the same extent, indicating that signaling is not dependent on enzymatic activity. ScuPA induces pERK1/2, but not pAkt (Ser(473)), in SIN1(-/-) cells, indicating that the two pathways are not identical. Peptides from domain 2 of the urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) or domain 5 of high-molecular-weight kininogen compete with ScuPA for the induction of pERK1/2 and pAkt (Ser(473)). A peptide of the integrin-binding site on uPAR, a ß1-integrin peptide that binds uPAR, antibody 6S6 to ß1-integrin, tyrosine kinase inhibitors AG-1478 or PP3, and small interfering RNA knockdown of VEFG receptor 2, but not HER1-HER4, blocked ScuPA-induced pERK1/2 and pAkt (Ser(473)). ScuPA-induced endothelial cell proliferation was blocked by inhibitors of pERK1/2 and pAkt (Ser(473)), antibody 6S6, and uPAR or kininogen peptides. ScuPA initiated aortic sprouts and Matrigel plug angiogenesis in normal, but not uPAR-deficient, mouse aortae or mice, respectively, but these were blocked by PD-98059, LY-294002, AG-1478, or cleaved high-molecular-weight kininogen. In summary, this investigation indicates a novel, a nonproteolytic signaling pathway initiated by zymogen ScuPA and mediated by domain 2 of uPAR, ß1-integrins, and VEGF receptor 2 leading to angiogenesis. Kininogens or peptides from it downregulate this pathway.

Asunto(s)

Células Endoteliales/enzimología , Integrina beta1/metabolismo , Neovascularización Fisiológica , Receptores del Activador de Plasminógeno Tipo Uroquinasa/metabolismo , Activador de Plasminógeno de Tipo Uroquinasa/metabolismo , Receptor 2 de Factores de Crecimiento Endotelial Vascular/metabolismo , Animales , Sitios de Unión , Proteínas Portadoras/genética , Proteínas Portadoras/metabolismo , Proliferación Celular , Células Cultivadas , Células Endoteliales/efectos de los fármacos , Quinasas MAP Reguladas por Señal Extracelular/metabolismo , Humanos , Quininógeno de Alto Peso Molecular/metabolismo , Ratones , Ratones Noqueados , Modelos Moleculares , Neovascularización Fisiológica/efectos de los fármacos , Fosforilación , Inhibidores de Proteínas Quinasas/farmacología , Estructura Terciaria de Proteína , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas c-akt/metabolismo , Interferencia de ARN , Receptores del Activador de Plasminógeno Tipo Uroquinasa/deficiencia , Receptores del Activador de Plasminógeno Tipo Uroquinasa/genética , Transducción de Señal , Factores de Tiempo , Técnicas de Cultivo de Tejidos , Transfección , Receptor 2 de Factores de Crecimiento Endotelial Vascular/genética