Cell-Free MicroRNA Expression Profiles in Malignant Effusion Associated with Patient Survival in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Objective

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) expression is altered in cancer cells, and miRNAs could serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for cancer patients. This study was designed to analyze circulating miRNAs expression in the malignant pleural effusion (MPE) and their association with patient survival in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

Pleural effusion from 184 patients with NSCLC and MPE were collected. MiRNA microarray and bioinformatics interpretation were used to evaluate miRNA expression profiles in 10 NSCLC patients with different survival prognosis. Associations were validated in 184 patients (randomly classified into training and validation set with equal number in each group) using quantitative RT-PCR. Risk scores were formulated based on the expression signature of miRNAs. Clinical data, such as patient survival, were collected for correlation analysis.

Results

Thirty-three miRNAs were found to be altered more than two-fold by microarray in malignant effusions between longer-survival and shorter-survival groups, and levels of five miRNAs (miRNA-93, miRNA-100, miRNA-134, miRNA-151 and miRNA-345) were significantly associated with overall survival. High expression of miR-100 and low expression of miRNA-93, miRNA-134, miRNA-151 and miRNA-345 were associated with poor survival in both the training and validation cohort. Patients with high risk scores had overall poor survival compared to the patients with low risk scores. Risk score was an independent predictor of patient survival.

Conclusions

Expression patterns of miRNAs are systematically altered in MPE of patient with NSCLC. The five miRNA signature from the effusion may serve as a predictor for the overall survival of patients with lung cancers.     

Expression of THOP1 and Its Relationship to Prognosis in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Background

The study was designed to detect the expression level of thimet oligopeptidase (THOP1) protein in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and investigate its correlation with clinicopathologic features and prognosis.

Methods

Immunohistochemical staining was used to determine the expression of THOP1 protein in 120 NSCLC specimens and 53 distant normal lung tissues. Quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting were employed to measure the expression of THOP1 in 16 pairs of primary NSCLC and corresponding normal tissues.

Results

Analysis of immunohistochemical staining suggested low THOP1 expression was found in 71 (59.2%) of the 120 NSCLC specimens and significantly correlated with positive lymph node metastasis (P = 0.048). However, low THOP1 expression was found in 22 (41.5%) of the 53 normal lung tissues. Chi-square test suggested that the expression of THOP1 was significantly higher in the normal lung tissues than that in the NSCLC specimens (P = 0.032). Real-Time PCR and western blotting showed that NSCLC specimens had decreased THOP1 mRNA and protein expression compared to corresponding normal tissues. Univariate analysis demonstrated that low THOP1 expression significantly predicted decreased 5-year disease-free survival (P = 0.038) and overall survival (P = 0.017). In addition, positive lymph node metastasis (P = 0.025) and advanced TNM stage (P = 0.009) significantly predicted decreased 5-year overall survival. However, multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that only low THOP1 expression retained its significance as an independent prognostic factor for unfavorable 5-year disease-free survival (P = 0.046) and overall survival (P = 0.021).

Conclusions

THOP1 may have clinical potentials to be employed as a promising biomarker to identify individuals with better prognosis and a novel antitumor agent for therapy of patients with NSCLC.     

TRIM59 Promotes the Proliferation and Migration of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells by Upregulating Cell Cycle Related Proteins

TRIM protein family is an evolutionarily conserved gene family implicated in a number of critical processes including inflammation, immunity, antiviral and cancer. In an effort to profile the expression patterns of TRIM superfamily in several non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines, we found that the expression of 10 TRIM genes including TRIM3, TRIM7, TRIM14, TRIM16, TRIM21, TRIM22, TRIM29, TRIM59, TRIM66 and TRIM70 was significantly upregulated in NSCLC cell lines compared with the normal human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cell line, whereas the expression of 7 other TRIM genes including TRIM4, TRIM9, TRIM36, TRIM46, TRIM54, TRIM67 and TRIM76 was significantly down-regulated in NSCLC cell lines compared with that in HBE cells. As TRIM59 has been reported to act as a proto-oncogene that affects both Ras and RB signal pathways in prostate cancer models, we here focused on the role of TRIM59 in the regulation of NSCLC cell proliferation and migration. We reported that TRIM59 protein was significantly increased in various NSCLC cell lines. SiRNA-induced knocking down of TRIM59 significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of NSCLC cell lines by arresting cell cycle in G2 phase. Moreover, TRIM59 knocking down affected the expression of a number of cell cycle proteins including CDC25C and CDK1. Finally, we knocked down TRIM59 and found that p53 protein expression levels did not upregulate, so we proposed that TRIM59 may promote NSCLC cell growth through other pathways but not the p53 signaling pathway.     

Increased Red Blood Cell Distribution Width Associates with Cancer Stage and Prognosis in Patients with Lung Cancer

Background

Red cell distribution width (RDW), one of many routinely examined parameters, shows the heterogeneity in erythrocyte size. We investigated the association of RDW levels with clinical parameters and prognosis of lung cancer patients.

Methods

Clinical and laboratory data from 332 patients with lung cancer in a single institution were retrospectively studied by univariate analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine the effect of RDW on survival.

Results

The RDW levels were divided into two groups: high RDW (>=15%), n=73 vs. low RDW, n=259 (<15%). Univariate analysis showed that there were significant associations of high RDW values with cancer stage, performance status, presence of other disease, white blood cell count, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, platelet count, albumin level, C-reactive protein level, and cytokeratin 19 fragment level. Kruskal-Wallis tests revealed an association of RDW values with cancer stage in patients irrespective of comorbidity (patient with/without comorbidity: p<0.0001, patient without comorbidity: p<0.0001). Stages I-IV lung cancer patients with higher RDW values had poorer prognoses than those with lower RDW values (Wilcoxon test: p=0.002). In particular, the survival rates of stage I and II patients (n=141) were lower in the high RDW group (n=19) than in the low RDW group (n=122) (Wilcoxon test: p<0.001). Moreover, multivariate analysis showed higher RDW is a significant prognostic factor (p=0.040).

Conclusion

RDW is associated with several factors that reflect inflammation and malnutrition in lung cancer patients. Moreover, high levels of RDW are associated with poor survival. RDW might be used as a new and convenient marker to determine a patient’s general condition and to predict the mortality risk of lung cancer patients.     

Expression of Sirtuin 1 and 2 Is Associated with Poor Prognosis in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients

Background

Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and sirtuin 2 (SIRT2) are NAD+-dependent protein deacetylases involved in the regulation of key cancer-associated genes. In this study we evaluated the relevance of these deacetylases in lung cancer biology.

Material and Methods

Protein levels of SIRT1 and SIRT2 were determined in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines and primary tumors from 105 patients. Changes in proliferation were assessed after SIRT1 and SIRT2 downregulation in lung cancer cell lines using siRNA-mediated technology or tenovin-1, a SIRT1 and SIRT2 inhibitor.

Results

High SIRT1 and SIRT2 protein levels were found in NSCLC cell lines compared with non-tumor lung epithelial cells. The expression of SIRT1 and SIRT2 proteins was also significantly higher in lung primary tumors than in normal tissue (P<0.001 for both sirtuins). Stronger nuclear SIRT1 staining was observed in adenocarcinomas than in squamous cell carcinomas (P=0.033). Interestingly, in NSCLC patients, high SIRT1 and SIRT2 expression levels were associated with shorter recurrence-free survival (P=0.04 and P=0.007, respectively). Moreover, the combination of high SIRT1 and SIRT2 expression was an independent prognostic factor for shorter recurrence-free survival (P=0.002) and overall survival (P=0.022). In vitro studies showed that SIRT1 and/or SIRT2 downregulation significantly decreased proliferation of NSCLC.

Conclusions

Our results support the hypothesis that SIRT1 and SIRT2 have a protumorigenic role in lung cancer, promoting cell proliferation. Moreover, the expression of these proteins is associated with poor prognosis in NSCLC patients and may help to identify those NSCLC patients with high risk of recurrence that could benefit from adjuvant therapy after resection.     

MicroRNA-126 Inhibits Tumor Cell Growth and Its Expression Level Correlates with Poor Survival in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients

Background

It is controversial whether microRNA-126 is a tumor suppressive or oncogenic miRNA. More experiments are needed to determine whether microRNA-126 is associated with non-small cell lung cancer risk and prognosis.

Methods

Over-expression of microRNA-126 was performed to evaluate the cell invasion and tumor growth in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines and nude mouse xenograft model. Gain-of-function experiments and luciferase assays were performed to reveal the relationship between microRNA-126 and PI3K-Akt signal pathway in A549 cells. We analyzed the associations of the microRNA-126 expression between genetic variants within microRNA-126 and clinical information including smoking status, sex, age, and histological type and the tumor stage.

Results

Over-expression of microRNA-126 in NSCLC cell lines decreased cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in the nude mouse xenograft model. And microRNA-126 repressed the activity of PI3K-Akt pathway by targeting binding sites in the 3′-untranslated region of PI3KR2 mRNA. The expression level of microRNA-126 was decreased in NSCLC lines and tumor tissues. The patients with low microRNA-126 expression had significantly poorer survival time than those with high microRNA-126 expression (means for survival time (month): 24.392±1.055 vs. 29.282±1.140, P = 0.005). However, there was no significant difference in the genotype and allele frequencies of the microRNA-126 variant (G>A, rs4636297) between cases and controls (P = 0.366). In addition, there was no association between SNP rs4636297 and survival time in NSCLC patients (P = 0.992). And microRNA-126 expression had no significant difference among the three genotype groups (P = 0.972).

Conclusions

Our data indicate that microRNA-126 is a tumor-suppressor gene in NSCLC and low microRNA-126 expression is a unfavorable prognostic factor in NSCLC patients. However, the regulatory mechanism of microRNA-126 remains to be elucidated in different normal and malignant tissues. Therefore, further research is needed to explore the tumor suppressive functions of microRNA-126 in NSCLC.     

GRP78 的表达与非小细胞肺癌生物学特性及预后的关系

目的:探讨GRP78在非小细胞肺癌和癌旁组织中的表达情况,并研究其与生物学特征及临床预后的关系 方法:收集非小细胞肺癌术后切除标本88例,及其癌旁组织20例作为对照.采用免疫组织化学方法检测GRP78的表达.结果:GRP78在非小细胞肺癌组织和癌旁组织中的表达有统计学差异.GRP78的表达与非小细胞肺癌的临床分期、分化程度有关,而与患者性别、年龄和病理类型无关.非小细胞肺癌中GRP78高表达的患者生存时间短于GRP78低表达的患者.GRP78的表达情况是影响非小细胞肺癌患者手术预后的独立危险因素.结论:非小细胞肺癌患者的GRP78的表达可能与肿瘤细胞的发生及发展有关,GRP78可以作为一个预测非小细胞肺癌患者预后的分子标志物.     

乙酰转移酶10通过介导盘状蛋白结构域受体1 mRNA的ac4C乙酰化修饰促进宫颈癌细胞的恶性行为

乙酰转移酶10(N-acetyltransferase 10, NAT10)是mRNA乙酰化修饰的关键酶,通过介导ac4C乙酰化修饰(N4-acetylcytidine, ac4C)调控靶基因的表达并调控多种癌症的生物学功能,但NAT10对宫颈癌(cervical cancer, CC)细胞的调控却少有报道。本研究拟探讨NAT10对宫颈癌细胞恶性行为的影响。首先,通过数据库分析发现NAT10高表达与宫颈癌病人预后不良相关。MTT实验和集落形成结果显示,过表达NAT10增加了宫颈癌细胞的生长活性(P<0.05)和增殖能力(P<0.001);Transwell 迁移和侵袭结果表明,过表达NAT10提高了宫颈癌细胞的迁移(P<0.01)和侵袭(P<0.05)能力;Western免疫印迹结果显示,过表达NAT10使间皮细胞标志物波形蛋白(vimentin)上调,使上皮细胞标志物E-钙黏着蛋白(E-cadherin)下降。并且,生物信息学分析显示,盘状蛋白结构域受体1(discoidin domain receptor 1, DDR1)可能是NAT10的下游靶基因,RNA结合蛋白免疫沉淀结果表明,NAT10可以直接结合DDR1的mRNA(P<0.05),Western免疫印迹和RT-qPCR的结果表明,过表达NAT10使DDR1蛋白质水平和mRNA水平明显上调(P<0.05)。此外,RNA乙酰化免疫沉淀结果表明,过表达NAT10增加了DDR1 mRNA的乙酰化水平(P<0.001),并且EGFP报告系统进一步确定了NAT10识别DDR1 mRNA的乙酰化位点。mRNA半衰期的结果显示,NAT10可提高DDR1 mRNA的稳定性(P<0.05)。综上所述,NAT10促进宫颈癌细胞的生长、增殖活性以及迁移侵袭能力,其机制是通过对DDR1 mRNA进行乙酰化修饰延长其mRNA的稳定性,这可能为mRNA乙酰化修饰对宫颈癌发生发展的分子机制提供新的见解。     

PPDPF Promotes the Progression and acts as an Antiapoptotic Protein in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Resistance to radiotherapy is frequently observed in the clinic and leads to poor prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). How to overcome resistance to radiotherapy is a challenge in the treatment of NSCLC. In this study, PPDPF was found to be upregulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines, and its expression negatively correlated with the overall survival of patients with NSCLC. PPDPF promoted the growth, colony formation and invasion of lung cancer cells. Moreover, knockout of PPDPF inhibited tumorigenesis in the KL (Kras^G12D; LKB1^f/f) mouse model of lung cancer. Additionally, overexpression of PPDPF led to radioresistance in lung cancer cells, and knockdown of PPDPF sensitized lung cancer cells to radiotherapy. Mechanistically, PPDPF interacted with BABAM2 (an antiapoptotic protein) and blocked its ubiquitination by MDM2, thus stabilizing BABAM2 and promoting the radioresistance of lung cancer cells. Our present study suggested PPDPF as a therapeutic target in NSCLC.     

Net Platelet Angiogenic Activity (NPAA) Correlates with Progression and Prognosis of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Circulating platelets are abundant sources of angiogensis molecules for the tumor vasculature affecting tumor growth and metastasis. The relationship between non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and intra-platelet levels of VEGF, TSP-1 and net platelet angiogenic activity (NPAA) is unclear. The aim of this study was to better understand the role of these factors in the progression of NSCLC cancer and to assess its clinical significance. Platelet VEGF and TSP-1 and NPAA were measured preoperatively in 68 patients with NSCLC by ELISA or Capillary tube formation assay. VEGF, TSP-1 and NPAA distributions in cancer patients and healthy volunteers were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. The Kaplan-Meier method, univariate and multivariate regression analysis was used to analyze the correlation between these factors and clinicopathological features, overall survival and disease-free survival. Mean intra-platelet TSP-1 level was slightly higher in patients than in healthy subjects (p = 0.092). Intra-platelet TSP-1 levels were significantly higher in patients with involvement greater than T2 or stage III, compared to other patients. Mean intra-platelet VEGF level was 40.8 pg/10⁶ in patients compared to 21.9 ng/10⁶ in healthy subjects (p = 0.041). Median value of NPAA in patients was significantly higher than that in healthy controls (p<0.001). Patients with high NPAA are more likely to exhibit aggressive clinical pathological features. NPAA greater than the median are associated with poor prognosis. The elevated NPAA have better correlation with tumor microvessel density (MVD) than platelet-derived VEGF. The areas under receiver operating curve (AUROC) of NPAA were higher than that of platelet derived VEGF in different groups. A multivariate analysis showed that NPAA are independent prognostic factors. These results indicated that NPAA may be a clinically useful indicator for diagnostic and prognostic evaluation in NSCLC patients.     

PAK1 Kinase Promotes Cell Motility and Invasiveness through CRK-II Serine Phosphorylation in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells

The role of c-Crk (CRK) in promoting metastasis is well described however the role of CRK phosphorylation and the corresponding signaling events are not well explained. We have observed CRK-II serine 41 phosphorylation is inversely correlated with p120-catenin and E-cadherin expressions in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Therefore, we investigated the role of CRK-II serine 41 phosphorylation in the down-regulation of p120-catenin, cell motility and cell invasiveness in NSCLC cells. For this purpose, we expressed phosphomimetic and phosphodeficient CRK-II serine 41 mutants in NSCLC cells. NSCLC cells expressing phosphomimetic CRK-II seine 41 mutant showed lower p120-catenin level while CRK-II seine 41 phosphodeficient mutant expression resulted in higher p120-catenin. In addition, A549 cells expressing CRK-II serine 41 phosphomimetic mutant demonstrated more aggressive behavior in wound healing and invasion assays and, on the contrary, expression of phosphodeficient CRK-II serine 41 mutant in A549 cells resulted in reduced cell motility and invasiveness. We also provide evidence that PAK1 mediates CRK-II serine 41 phosphorylation. RNAi mediated silencing of PAK1 increased p120-catenin level in A549 and H157 cells. Furthermore, PAK1 silencing decreased cell motility and invasiveness in A549 cells. These effects were abrogated in A549 cells expressing phosphomimetic CRK-II serine 41. In summary, these data provide evidence for the role of PAK1 in the promotion of cell motility, cell invasiveness and the down regulation of p120-catenin through CRK serine 41 phosphorylation in NSCLC cells.     

波形蛋白在非小细胞肺癌组织中的表达及其临床意义

目的:探究波形蛋白在非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)组织中的表达及其与肺癌浸润转移的相关性。方法:收集2012年6月-2014年6月我院手术切除的NSCLC癌组织标本150例及癌旁正常组织(距肿瘤5 cm)79例,提取两组的RNA,采用实时荧光定量聚合酶链反应(RT-PCR)检测波形蛋白m RNA表达水平,免疫组化法检测波形蛋白的蛋白表达,分析波形蛋白表达水平与淋巴结转移、TNM分期的相关性。结果:波形蛋白m RNA在NSCLC癌组织中的表达明显高于癌旁正常组织(P0.05)。NSCLC癌组织中波形蛋白m RNA表达水平的上调与淋巴结转移及TNM分期(P0.05)相关。结论:波形蛋白在NSCLC患者中表达异常升高,与NSCLC的发生和浸润转移密切相关。     

FoxM1 Is Associated with Poor Prognosis of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients through Promoting Tumor Metastasis

Background

FoxM1 has been reported to be important in initiation and progression of various tumors. However, whether FoxM1 has any indication for prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer patients remains unclear.

Methodology/Principal Findings

In this study, FoxM1 expression in tumor cells was examined first by immunohistochemistry in 175 NSCLC specimens, the result of which showed that FoxM1 overexpression was significantly associated with positive smoking status (P = 0.001), poorer tissue differentiation (P = 0.0052), higher TNM stage (P<0.0001), lymph node metastasis (P<0.0001), advanced tumor stage (P<0.0001), and poorer prognosis (P<0.0001). Multivariable analysis showed that FoxM1 expression increased the hazard of death (hazard ratio, 1.899; 95% CI, 1.016–3.551). Furthermore, by various in vitro and in vivo experiments, we showed that targeted knockdown of FoxM1 expression could inhibit the migratory and invasive abilities of NSCLC cells, whereas enforced expression of FoxM1 could increased the invasion and migration of NSCLC cells. Finally, we found that one of the cellular mechanisms by which FoxM1 promotes tumor metastasis is through inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program.

Conclusions

These results suggested that FoxM1 overexpression in tumor tissues is significantly associated with the poor prognosis of NSCLC patients through promoting tumor metastasis.     

非小细胞肺癌患者血清淀粉样蛋白A水平与放射性肺炎的相关性研究

目的:评估非小细胞肺癌患者血清淀粉样蛋白A(SAA)水平与发生放射性肺炎(RP)的相关性。方法:选取我院确诊为非小细胞肺进行肺部病灶放射治疗的患者118例,评价是否发生放射性肺炎,并在放疗前及放疗剂量达到43 GY时分别抽取患者血清样本,应用酶联免疫法(ELISA)检测患者血清淀粉样蛋白A含量。结果:43例患者发生了放射性肺炎,发生放射性肺炎组患者的放疗前血清淀粉样蛋白A水平明显高于未发生放射性肺炎组,两组对比,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。而在放疗剂量达到43Gy时,发生放射性肺炎组患者的血清淀粉样蛋白A水平与未发生放射性肺炎组患者相比,差别无统计学意义。结论:对于非小细胞肺癌患者,通过检测放疗前血清淀粉样蛋白A水平可以预测放射性肺炎的发生。     

MMP14在非小细胞肺癌中的表达及其与预后的关系

肺癌5年生存率低,侵润和转移是导致其死亡的主要原因.探讨MMP14(matrix mettallo proteinase 14)在非小细胞肺癌(non-small cell lung cancer,NSCLC)组织中的表达,及其与浸润转移和预后的关系.通过采用免疫组化检测92例NSCLC组织及25例癌旁正常组织中MMP14蛋白的表达,并分析其与临床病理学特征及预后的关系.免疫组化结果显示,MMP14蛋白在NSCLC组织中表达的阳性率为64.1%(59/92),显著高于癌旁正常组8%(2/25)(P<0.001).MMP14阳性率与NSCLC的分化程度、T分期、淋巴结转移和TNM分期相关(P<0.05),而与性别、年龄、吸烟及组织学类型无关(P>0.05).Kaplan-meier生存曲线显示,MMP14阳性表达组的患者5年生存期显著低于阴性表达组(P=0.004).Cox多因素回归分析显示,MMP14不是NSCLC的独立预后因素(P>0.05).MMP14在肺癌的分化、浸润和转移中扮演着重要的作用,并对生存期有一定的影响.     

ASSP在非小细胞肺癌中的表达及与预后关系

目的:研究ASPP蛋白在非小细胞肺癌中的表达情况,探讨其表达与患者预后之间的关系。方法:选取于我院就诊的86例非小细胞肺癌患者,病理学诊断癌症分型及分期,对所有患者进行随访,并用免疫组化法检测患者组织切片中ASPP2、i ASPP和p53的表达,SPSS软件分析ASPP2、i ASPP表达水平与患者预后的关系。结果:NSCLCⅢ期的患者中ASPP2阳性表达的中位生存期大于阴性患者,i ASPP阴性表达患者的中位生存期大于阳性患者(P0.05);p53野生型Ⅲ期患者ASPP2阳性表达者的中位生存期显著大于阴性表达患者,Ⅰ、Ⅲ期i ASPP阴性表达患者的中位生存期显著大于阳性表达患者义(P0.05)。p53突变型患者Ⅲ期iASPP阴性表达患者的中位生存期显著大于阳性表达患者(P0.05)。ASPP2和i ASPP蛋白的表达水平和治疗方式均为影响患者预后的因素(P0.05)。结论:ASPP2的阳性表达和i ASPP的阴性表达是NSCLC的保护因素,可在一定程度上预测患者的生存期。     

GINS2基因对非小细胞肺癌的作用及功能分析

GINS2在多种侵袭性肿瘤中上调,然而,其在非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)中的作用及功能仍有待阐明.本研究主要对GINS2在非小细胞肺癌中的作用及功能进行分析,通过肿瘤基因组图谱(TCGA)数据库分析发现,GINS2在NSCLC中显著上调.为了研究GINS2在NSCLC细胞中的作用及其功能,首先,采用小干扰RNA技术设计了该基因的siRNA,以此来沉默GINS2的mRNA,细胞水平转染后,该基因在非小细胞肺癌细胞系NCI-H292和A549中的表达降低;随后,采用实时细胞分析仪(real time cell analyzer,RTCA)和Tran-swell小室实验对细胞的增殖、迁移和侵袭进行测定,最后采用流式细胞仪分析细胞的周期以及细胞凋亡.实验结果显示:在NCI-H292和A549两个细胞系中,用siRNA沉默GINS2的表达后,NCI-H292和A549细胞的生长能力、迁移能力和侵袭能力均会受到明显的抑制;此外,细胞的周期凋亡实验显示,在NCI-H292细胞系中,阻碍了细胞G1期向S期的转变;在A549细胞系中,阻碍了细胞S期向G2期的转变,同时在两个细胞系中均表现出促进细胞凋亡等功能.综上所述,敲低GINS2可抑制NCI-H292和A549细胞的增殖、迁移和侵袭,并且能阻滞细胞周期促进细胞凋亡等.因此,研究该基因在NSCLC中的功能对于后续研究分子机制具有很大的意义,可能是未来的特异性治疗靶点.     

Gene Alterations in Paired Supernatants and Precipitates from Malignant Pleural Effusions of Non-Squamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the feasibility of using malignant pleural effusion (MPE) supernatant and paired cell blocks (precipitate) for gene profiling in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technique. METHODS: Stage IV non-squamous NSCLC patients with MPE were eligible in this prospective study and recruited from Zhejiang Cancer Hospital between May 2014 and October 2015. MPE supernatant and paired precipitate sample gene alterations were determined with NGS containing 14 cancer-related genes. Progression free survival (PFS) was evaluated using Kaplan–Meier method and compared using log-rank test. RESULTS: A total of 102 patients were enrolled in the present study. All pleural effusions were confirmed as malignant with cytological smears. A total of 77 paired MPE supernatant and precipitate samples were acquired from the 102 patients. The results revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in the detection rate and maximum allelic fraction between supernatant and precipitate samples (P = 1.0 and P = .6). Collectively, 172 and 158 genomic alterations with 112 shared mutations were identified in supernatant and precipitate samples, respectively. Comparable PFS was found in EGFR mutation patients according to the supernatant and precipitate sample results (14.0 vs.13.9 months, P = .90). CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrated that MPE supernatants were comparable to precipitate samples for detection of genetic alterations. However, gene mutation heterogeneity was found between these two media types.     

A Novel Muscarinic Antagonist R2HBJJ Inhibits Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cell Growth and Arrests the Cell Cycle in G0/G1

Lung cancers express the cholinergic autocrine loop, which facilitates the progression of cancer cells. The antagonists of mAChRs have been demonstrated to depress the growth of small cell lung cancers (SCLCs). In this study we intended to investigate the growth inhibitory effect of R2HBJJ, a novel muscarinic antagonist, on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells and the possible mechanisms. The competitive binding assay revealed that R2HBJJ had a high affinity to M3 and M1 AChRs. R2HBJJ presented a strong anticholinergic activity on carbachol-induced contraction of guinea-pig trachea. R2HBJJ markedly suppressed the growth of NSCLC cells, such as H1299, H460 and H157. In H1299 cells, both R2HBJJ and its leading compound R2-PHC displayed significant anti-proliferative activity as M3 receptor antagonist darifenacin. Exogenous replenish of ACh could attenuate R2HBJJ-induced growth inhibition. Silencing M3 receptor or ChAT by specific-siRNAs resulted in a growth inhibition of 55.5% and 37.9% on H1299 cells 96 h post transfection, respectively. Further studies revealed that treatment with R2HBJJ arrested the cell cycle in G0/G1 by down-regulation of cyclin D1-CDK4/6-Rb. Therefore, the current study reveals that NSCLC cells express an autocrine and paracrine cholinergic system which stimulates the growth of NSCLC cells. R2HBJJ, as a novel mAChRs antagonist, can block the local cholinergic loop by antagonizing predominantly M3 receptors and inhibit NSCLC cell growth, which suggest that M3 receptor antagonist might be a potential chemotherapeutic regimen for NSCLC.