Benzo(a)pyrene inhibits endometrial cell apoptosis in early pregnant mice via the WNT5A pathway

Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) is an endocrine-disrupting pollutant present in various aspects of daily life, and studies have demonstrated that BaP exerts reproductive toxicity. We previously showed that BaP damages endometrial morphology and decreases the number of implantation sites in early pregnant mice, but the mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. The endometrial function is crucial for implantation, which is associated with endometrial cell apoptosis. In this study, we focused on the effect of BaP on endometrial cell apoptosis and the role of WNT signaling during this process. Pregnant mice were gavaged with corn oil (control group) or 0.2 mg·kg⁻¹·day ⁻¹ BaP (treatment group) from Days 1 to 6 of pregnancy. BaP impaired endometrial function by decreasing the expression of HOXA10 and BMP2, two markers of receptivity and decidualization. WNT5A and β-catenin were activated in the BaP group. BaP affected the expression of apoptosis-related proteins and inhibited the apoptosis of endometrial stromal cells. In vitro, human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs) were treated with different concentrations of BaP (dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO); 5, 10 µM). WNT5A and β-catenin were also upregulated in the BaP treatment group. HESC apoptosis was restrained by BaP. Inhibiting WNT5A by SFRP5 partially restored the effect of BaP on apoptosis. In summary, these results suggested that BaP exposure during early pregnancy activates WNT5A/β-catenin signaling pathway, which inhibits the endometrial cell apoptosis and potentially destroys endometrial function.     

Selection of suitable reference genes for qRT-PCR analysis of Begonia semperflorens under stress conditions

Molecular Biology Reports - Begonia semperflorens (B. semperflorens), belonging to the family Begoniaceae, has now been widely cultivated worldwide and is famous for its ornamental plants with...     

内蒙古赛罕乌拉国家级自然保护区猞猁食物构成初步分析

猞猁(Lynxlynx)是内蒙古赛罕乌拉国家级自然保护区内的顶级捕食者,在维持该地区生态平衡和调节猎物数量上具有重要地位。分析猞猁粪便样品残留物不仅能明确其猎物构成,了解与同域分布其他捕食者的关系,还能为制定物种保护措施和栖息地管理策略提供科学参考。本研究在2006至2008年间利用样线法在该区域收集到35份猞猁粪便样品。通过相对出现频率法对粪样进行食性分析,发现猞猁的主要食物组成以蒙古兔(Lepus tolai,30.85%)和植物(28.72%)较多;年度(χ~2=18.696,P <0.001)和季节性(χ~2=74.695,P <0.001)食物构成均存在显著差异。结果表明,蒙古兔在猞猁的食物组成中占最重要地位;猞猁的食物构成与季节有关,寒冷季节捕食大型猎物,而温暖季节捕食的小型猎物更常见。     

Effects of Restraint Water-Immersion Stress-Induced Gastric Mucosal Damage on Astrocytes and Neurons in the Nucleus Raphe Magnus of Rats via the ERK1/2 Signaling Pathway

Neurochemical Research - Restraint water-immersion stress (RWIS) consists of psychological and physical stimulation, and it has been utilized in the research of gastric mucosal damage. It has been...     

Genetic Structure and Diversity of Glycyrrhiza Populations Based on Transcriptome SSR Markers

Plant Molecular Biology Reporter - Glycyrrhiza is a widely used traditional Chinese herb with medicinal value. Recently, however, Glycyrrhiza biodiversity has faced an unprecedented threat due to...     

MORC4 is a novel breast cancer oncogene regulated by miR-193b-3p

A better understanding of breast cancer pathogenesis would contribute to improved diagnosis and therapy and potentially decreased mortality rates. Here, we found that the MORC family CW-type zinc finger 4 (MORC4) overexpression in breast cancer tissues is associated with poor survival, and the short-interfering RNA knockdown of MORC4 suppresses the growth of breast cancer cells by promoting apoptosis. To investigate the mechanisms associated with MORC4 upregulation, microRNAs potentially targeting MORC4 were analyzed, with miR-193b-3p identified as the regulator and a negative correlation between miR-193b-3p and MORC4 expression determined in both breast cancer cell lines and tissues. Further analysis verified that MORC4 silencing did not affect miR-193b-3p expression, although altered miR-193b-3p expression attenuated MORC4 protein levels. Moreover, dual-luciferase reporter assays verified miR-193b-3p binding to the 3′ untranslated region of MORC4. Furthermore, restoration of miR-193b-3p expression in breast cancer cells led to decreased growth and activation of apoptosis, which was consistent with results associated with MORC4 silencing in breast cancer cells. These results identified MORC4 as differentially expressed in breast cancer cells and tissues and its downregulation by miR-193b-3p, as well as its roles in regulating the growth of breast cancer cells via regulation of apoptosis. Our findings offer novel insights into potential mechanisms associated with breast cancer pathogenesis.     

Retracted: KDM6B promotes ovarian cancer cell migration and invasion by induced transforming growth factor-β1 expression

KDM6B, also known as JMJD3, is a member of the family of histone lysine demethylase (KDMs), which is closely related to many types of cancers. However, its role and the underlying mechanisms in ovarian cancer remain unknown. Here we show that KDM6B is elevated in epithelial ovarian cancer and its expression level is closely related with metastasis and invasion. In addition, survival analysis showed that high expression of KDM6B was associated with low overall survival in ovarian cancer patients. Overexpression of KDM6B in epithelial ovarian cancer cells promoted proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), migration and invasion in vitro, and enhanced metastatic capacities in vivo. On the contrary, silencing KDM6B in invasive and metastatic ovarian cancer cells inhibited these processes. Mechanistically, we found that KDM6B exerts its function by modulating the transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) expression, and TGF-β1 signal pathway inhibitor LY2157299 significantly inhibited KDM6B-induced proliferation, migration, metastasis, and EMT in ovarian cancer cells. Our findings, for the first time, reveal the pivotal role of KDM6B in the invasion and metastatic behavior of epithelial ovarian cancer. Thus, targeting KDM6B may be a useful strategy to interfere with these behaviors of epithelial ovarian cancer.     

Glaucocalyxin B protects against oxygen-glucose-deprivation/reperfusion-induced neuronal injury in PC-12 cells

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the development of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Glaucocalyxin B (GLB), one of five ent-kauranoid diterpenoids, was reported to possess neuroprotective activity. However, the effect of GLB on oxygen-glucose-deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R)-induced cell injury in PC-12 cells has not been explored. PC-12 cells was treated with various concentrations of GLB (0, 2.5, 5 and 10 μM), and cell viability was detected using the MTT assay. PC-12 cells were pretreated with the indicated concentration of GLB (2.5-10 μM, 2 hours pretreatment), and were maintained under OGD for 3 hours, followed by 24 hours of reoxygenation. Cell viability was assessed using the MTT assay. The levels of superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde, and glutathione peroxidase were detected using commercially available ELISA Kits. Intracellular reactive oxygen species level was measured using the fluorescent probe 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein diacetate. The levels of Bcl-2, Bax, p-Akt, Akt, p-mTOR, mTOR were detected using Western blot. Our results revealed that GLB significantly protected PC12 cells against OGD/R-induced cell injury. In addition, GLB efficiently inhibited oxidative stress and cell apoptosis in OGD/R-stimulated PC-12 cells. Mechanistic studies revealed that pretreatment with GLB could induce the activation of Akt/mTOR signaling pathway resulting in protection of OGD-treated PC12 cells. In conclusion, our data indicate for the first time that GLB protects against OGD/R-induced neuronal injury in PC-12 cells. The mechanism of the protective effect of GLB is partially associated with activation of the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Thus, GLB may be a potential agent for protection against cerebral I/R injury.     

Inhibitor of growth 4 inhibits cell proliferation,migration, and induces apoptosis of renal cell carcinoma cells

The inhibitor of growth 4 (ING4) is known as a tumor suppressor. The expressions of ING4 were markedly reduced in human renal clear cell carcinoma (ccRCC) tissues. However, the role of ING4 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains unknown. The aim of the current study was to detect the ING4 expression level and its potential role in human RCC cell lines. Our results showed that ING4 was lowly expressed in human RCC cell lines compared with that in proximal tubular cell line. Ectopic overexpression of ING4 inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion properties, and as well as prevented epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype of RCC cells. In addition, ING4 overexpression induced cell apoptosis and autophagy in RCC cells. Furthermore, ING4 overexpression suppressed the activation of PI3K/Akt pathway in RCC cells. The activator of PI3K/Akt, insulin-like growth factor 1, abolished the effects of ING4 on RCC cells. These findings indicated that ING4 presented anticancer activity in RCC cells. The effects of ING4 on RCC cells were mediated by regulating the PI3K/Akt pathway. These findings suggested that ING4 could be used for gene therapy of RCC.