COVID-19 disease and malignant cancers: The impact for the furin gene expression in susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2

Furin is a proprotein convertase that activates different kinds of regulatory proteins, including SARS-CoV-2 spike protein which contains an additional furin-specific cleavage site. It is essential in predicting cancer patients'' susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 and the disease outcomes due to varying furin expressions in tumor tissues. In this study, we analyzed furin''s expression, methylation, mutation rate, functional enrichment, survival rate and COVID-19 outcomes in normal and cancer tissues using online databases, and our IHC. As a result, furin presented with biased expression profiles in normal tissues, showing 12.25-fold higher than ACE2 in the lungs. The furin expression in tumors were significantly increased in ESCA and TGCT, and decreased in DLBC and THYM, indicating furin may play critical mechanistic functions in COVID-19 viral entry into cells in these cancer patients. Line with furin over/downexpression, furin promoter hypo-/hyper-methylation may be the regulatory cause of disease and lead to pathogenesis of ESCA and THYM. Furthermore, presence of FURIN-201 isoform with functional domains (P_proprotein, Peptidase_S8 and S8_pro-domain) is highest in all cancer types in comparison to other isoforms, demonstrating its use in tumorigenesis and SARS-Cov-2 entry into tumor tissues. Furin mutation frequency was highest in UCES, and its mutation might elevate ACE2 expression in LUAD and UCEC, reduce ACE2 expression in COAD, elevate HSPA5 expression in PAAD, and elevate TMPRSS2 expression in BRCA. These results showed that furin mutations mostly increased expression of ACE2, HSPA5, and TMPRSS2 in certain cancers, indicating furin mutations might facilitate COVID-19 cell entry in cancer patients. In addition, high expression of furin was significantly inversely correlated with long overall survival (OS) in LGG and correlated with long OS in COAD and KIRC, indicating that it could be used as a favorable prognostic marker for cancer patients'' survival. GO and KEGG demonstrated that furin was mostly enriched in genes for metabolic and biosynthetic processes, retinal dehydrogenase activity, tRNA methyltransferase activity, and genes involving COVID-19, further supporting its role in COVID-19 and cancer metabolism. Moreover, Cordycepin (CD) inhibited furin expression in a dosage dependent manner. Altogether, furin''s high expression might not only implies increased susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 and higher severity of COVID-19 symptoms in cancer patients, but also it highlights the need for cancer treatment and therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic. CD might have a potential to develop an anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug through inhibiting furin expression.     

Abdominal paracentesis drainage attenuates intestinal mucosal barrier damage through macrophage polarization in severe acute pancreatitis

Abdominal paracentesis drainage (APD), as an effective treatment of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) in clinical settings, can ameliorate intestinal barrier damage and the overall severity of SAP. However, the mechanism underlying therapeutic effects of APD on damaged intestinal mucosal barrier during SAP is still unclear. Here, SAP was induced by injecting 5% Na-taurocholate retrograde into the biliopancreatic duct of rats to confirm the benefits of APD on enteral injury of SAP and further explore the possible mechanism. Abdominal catheter was placed after SAP was induced in APD group. As control group, the sham group received no operation except abdominal opening and closure. By comparing changes among control group, sham group, and APD group, APD treatment obviously lowered the intestinal damage and reduced the permeation of intestinal mucosal barrier, which was evidenced by intestinal H&E staining, enteral expression of tight junction proteins, intestinal apoptosis measurement and detection of serum diamine oxidase, intestinal fatty acid binding protein and D-lactic acid. Furthermore, we found that APD polarized intestinal macrophages toward M2 phenotype by the determination of immunofluorescence and western blotting, and this accounts for the benefits of APD for intestinal injury in SAP. Importantly, the protective effect against intestinal injury by APD treatment was mediated through the inhibited ASK1/JNK pathway. In summary, APD improved the intestinal mucosal barrier damage in rats with SAP through an increasing portion of M2 phenotype macrophages in intestine via inhibiting ASK1/JNK pathway.     

Mixed cultures of eukaryotic cells: Cytotoxic processes

The results of studies of mixed eukaryotic cell cultures are reviewed. Such cultures allowin vitro modeling of a broad spectrum of processes happening in a living organism, such as maintenance of homeostasis, differentiation during embryogenesis and ontogeny, different forms of pathology, interaction between normal and transformed cells, and establishment of immunity. Special attention is paid to cytotoxic processes arising in cocultures.     

脑胶质瘤间质免疫组织化学研究——脑瘤浸润和转移机制的探讨

探讨脑肿瘤的浸润转移机制,利用免疫组化技术对原发性脑胶质瘤间质组成进行观察。免疫组化结果显示,CollagenⅣ、Fibronection、Laminin（CollⅣ、FN、LM）三种抗原在正常脑组织及脑瘤组织的血管基底膜和其表面被覆软脑膜均有表达,以FN表达最强。CollⅣ表达稍次,LM表达最弱,在部分胶质瘤细胞外基质有FN阳性表达,胶质瘤细胞外基质FN阳性表达率与胶质瘤的分化程度无关。各型各级胶质瘤血管基底膜部分呈线状连续完整,部分呈分层网格状增厚。本研究结果显示：活体胶质瘤细胞自身合成的FN可能有助于瘤细胞的组织移行能力,在一定程度上促成了胶质瘤的浸润性生长;胶质瘤细胞与转移瘤细胞转移侵袭能力不同,为进一步探索脑瘤的转移机制,应重点分析瘤细胞表面大分子物质表达的特异性。     

Neoplasia in the connective tissue of the musselMytilus trossulus from polluted areas of Nakhodka Bay, Sea of Japan

A tumor was found for the first time in a musselMytilus trossulus from aheavily polluted area of Nakhodka Bay, Sea of Japan. Tumor cells were found in the connective tissue of different organs and also in gill vessels and hemal sinuses of the visceral mass. They were both attached and diffuse. The tumor was at an advanced stage, replacing the normal connective tissue cells, and formed nodes. The tumor cells were polymorphic, with a high nucleocytoplasmic ratio, and had a prominent nucleolus. The size of their nuclei was three to five times that of the nuclei of agranular hemocytes. The mitotic activity of the tumor cells was more than an order of magnitude higher than in the normal cells: The mean mitotic index was 1.4±0.5%, ranging from 0.97 to 2.3% in different organs. The mitotic indices in the connective tissue cells of three normal mussels were 0, 0, and 0.12%. A significant proportion (up to 78%) of the mitotic cells were at metaphase. The frequency of abnormal mitoses was 17%. Metaphases with displaced (often multiple) chromosomes constituted 71% of abnormal mitoses; anaphases, 8%; and tri- and tetrapolar mitoses, 11%. The tumor described is similar to diffuse sarcomatoid diseases of mussels from other geographical regions.     

鲨鱼软骨血管生成抑制因子的纯化和功能

以中国东海鲸鲨软骨为原料,通过盐抽提、丙酮分级沉淀、离子交换层折、分子筛层析、高效液相色谱等步骤,获得鲨鱼软骨血管生成抑制因子－Ｉ（ｓｈａｒｋ ｃａｒｔｉｌｇａｅ ａｎｇｉｏｇｅｎｅｓｉｓ ｉｎｈｉｂｉｔｏｒｙ ｆａｃｔｏｒ－Ｉ,ＳＣＡＩＦ－Ｉ）,对其分子量、抑制血管生成及抑制肿瘤生长活性进行了研究。结果显示ＳＣＡＩＦ－Ｉ分子量１８ｋＤ,在细胞和整体水平上显著抑制新血管生成,显著抑制小鼠肿瘤的生长     

A Glucocorticoid Receptor Gene Marker Is Associated with Abdominal Obesity,Leptin, and Dysregulation of the Hypothalamic‐Pituitary‐Adrenal Axis

Objective: Abdominal obesity has a key role in the pathogenesis of prevalent and serious diseases and has been shown to be associated with an altered hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis function, which is regulated by endocrine feedback mediated via hippocampal glucocorticoid receptors (GR). Research Methods and Procedures: We examined the HPA axis function by repeated salivary samples for the assessment of cortisol, as well as other endocrine, anthropometric, metabolic, and circulatory variables in middle‐aged Swedish men (n = 284). With the restriction enzyme BclI, variants of the GR gene (GRL) locus were identified and two alleles with fragment lengths of 4.5 and 2.3 kilobases (kb) were detected. Results: The observed frequencies were 40.1% for the 2.3‐ and 2.3‐kb, 46.2% for the 4.5‐ and 2.3‐kb, and 13.7% for the 4.5‐ and 4.5‐kb genotypes. The larger allele (4.5 and 4.5 kb) was associated with elevated body mass index (BMI; p < 0.001), waist‐to‐hip circumference ratio (p = 0.015), abdominal sagittal diameter (p = 0.002), leptin (p < 0.001), and systolic blood pressure (borderline, p = 0.058). The 4.5‐ and 4.5‐kb allele was associated with leptin after adjustment for BMI. Moreover, salivary cortisol values, particularly after stimulation by a standardized lunch (p = 0.040 to 0.086), were elevated in the men with the larger allele. Discussion: These results indicate that there is an association between a deficient GR function, defined as a poor feedback regulation of the HPA axis activity, and a polymorphic restriction site at the GR gene locus. An abnormal control of HPA axis function due to genetic alterations may contribute to the pathogenesis of abdominal obesity.     

Expression of TNF-α Gene in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 and Purification of Its Product by Affinity Chromatography

The effects of N (NaNO3) and C (NaAc) source in medium on the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) gene in transgenic Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 were compared. The data showed that N source stabilized the expression of foreign protein and C source altered the synthesis of cell walls. Comparing several methods for breaking the cells, supersonic was able to extract TNF-α better than others. For purification of TNF-α, transgenic Anabaena cells were broken, the extracts were precipitated with ammonia sulfate, and the impure TNF-α was eluted from DEAE ion exchange chromatography. Electrophoresis (PAGE-SDS) showed a single band at 17 kD position.     

MYCN-Related Suppression of Functional CD44 Expression Enhances Tumorigenic Properties of Human Neuroblastoma Cells

Highly malignant neuroblastoma tumors with MYCN amplification have been shown to downregulate the expression of the CD44 adhesion receptor. We have previously shown that MYCN amplified neuroblastoma cell lines either lack CD44 expression or express a nonfunctional, nonhyaluronic acid-binding CD44 receptor. By analysis of cells with manipulated expression of either CD44 or MYCN, we demonstrate that transfection of cells with a CD44 full-length cDNA construct produced a functional receptor in single copy MYCN cells and a nonfunctional CD44 receptor in MYCN amplified cells, similar to the CD44 receptor expressed by cells with enforced MYCN. Analysis of the in vivo growth properties of the transfectants revealed that the restoration of a functional CD44 receptor in nonamplified cells resulted in the suppression of in vivo cell growth, therefore linking the MYCN-related lack of hyaluronic acid-binding function of CD44 to the highly tumorigenic properties of a subset of neuroblastoma cells.     

Effect of 14-3-3 protein induction on cell proliferation of A549 human lung adenocarcinoma

We have previously shown that 14-3-3 protein, amultifunctional adaptor molecule involved in many aspects ofsignal transduction pathways, is a target antigen for thecancer-associated human monoclonal antibody. Although recentevidences suggest a crucial role of 14-3-3 family members inthe control of cell growth and differentiation, their actualcontribution toward tumor development is still controversial. Inthis article, we examined the effect of enforced 14-3-3overexpression on cell growth of the human lung adenocarcinomacell line, A549. To address this issue, we obtained14-3-3 protein-inducible A549 sublines by transfection with14-3-3 expression vector under the control ofdexamethasone-inducible promoter. We found that 14-3-3 proteininduction in some of these sublines promoted their cell proliferation. Microscopic observation revealed that morphologyof these cells became aggressive multilayer condition,suggesting that malignant phenotypes are also acquired uponectopic induction of 14-3-3 protein.