Objective:To investigate the effect of dimethyl amiloride (DMA) on invasive activity of PGCL3 cells from a human highly-metastatic lung carcinoma cell line in vitro and elucidate its possible mechanism. Methods:The invasion and migration capacities of PGCL3 cells were measured by using Transwell chamber assay after pretreatment with DMA. The effects of DMA on the activity of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) secreted by PGCL3 cells were measured by chromogenic substrate assay. The effects of DMA on uPA, urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR), and PAI-1 mRNAs transcription were determined by RT-PCR. The expression levels of extracellular regulated protein kinases 2 (ERK2) and ras protein were assessed by Western blot. Results:DMA inhibited invasion and migration capabilities of PGCL3 cells in vitro, down-regulated the mRNA transcription of uPA, uPAR and PAI-1, as well as up-regulated the expression of ras protein. After 24-hour treatment, DMA reduced the activity of uPA at higher concentration, but DMA had no effects on the activity of secreted PAI-1 protein and expression of ERK2 protein. Conclusion:DMA inhibits the invasion and migration of highly-metastatic lung cancer PGCL3 cells. The mechanism might be associated with down-regulation of the expression of uPA system.

Objective: To investigate the effect of amiloride on in vitro invasive activity and uPA (urokinase-type plasminogen activator)system of human highly metastatic lung carcinoma cell line PGCL3. Methods: At 6 hours after treatment with amiloride at the concentrations of 25μmol/L，50μmol/L and 100μmol/L for PGCL3 cells，Transwell Chamber assay was performed to detect the effect of amiloride on the invasive and migratory capacity of PGCL3 cells.Effect of amiloride on the activity of uPA and PAI-1(plasminogen activator inhibitor-1)secreted by PGCL3 cells were measured by chromogenic substrate assay after PGCL3 cells were incubated with amiloride for 24 hours.RT-PCR was used to analyze the effect of amilorede on mRNA levels of uPA，uPAR(urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor)and PAI-1.The expression levels of uPA，ERK2(extracellular regulated protein kinases 2)and ras protein were assessed by Western blot. Results: The number of cells through membrane was significantly decreased in invasion and migration test in vitro.The inhibitory rates of invasion and migration after treatment with amiloride of 100μmol/L were 37.7%±4.1%and 64.9%±4.9%.respectively,with a significant difference from those in the control group(P<0.01).At 24 hours after amiloride treatment，the chromogenic substrate assay showed direct inhibition of the activity of uPA and PAI-1 secreted by PGCL3 cells.No effect on the expression of uPAR in mRNA level was observed,but the expression of PAI-1 in mRNA level was significantly inhibited.Amiloride of 100μmol/L dramatically inhibited the expression of uPA mRNA.The expression level of uPA protein was decreased with the increase of the concentration of amiloride,but no effect was observed on the expression of ERK2 and ras in protein level.Conclusion: Amiloride can inhibit the invasion and migration of PGCL3 cells,through inhibiting the expression and activity of uPA and PAI-1.Amiloride is a potential agent to inhibit cancer invasion and metastasis.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of biofeedback combined with swallowing function training at different times on post-stroke dysphagia. Methods 124 patients with post-stroke dysphagia were randomly divided into observation group and control group. The observation group was given biofeedback combined with swallowing function training for 2 weeks and 4 weeks of treatment. The control group was given routine swallowing function training for 2 weeks and 4 weeks of treatment. Kubota drinking water test was used to evaluate the swallowing function before treatment, 2 weeks and 4 weeks after treatment in both groups. Results There was no statistically significant difference in the scores of swallowing function between the two groups before treatment (P=0. 401). After 2 weeks of treatment, there was also no statistically significant difference in the evaluation of swallowing function between the observation group and the control group (P=0. 138). After 4 weeks of treatment, the evaluation of swallowing function in the observation group was significantly better than that in the control group(P=0. 003). Conclusion Biofeedback combined with swallowing function training is better than the routine swallowing function training. After 4 weeks of treatment, the efficacy of biofeedback combined with swallowing function training is better than the biofeedback combined with swallowing function training after 2 weeks, indicating that there is a correlation between the treatment effect and the length of treatment time.

Objective To investigate the effect of melanoma associated antigen D1 (Mage-D1)on mouse femoral bone mass and mineralization ability of mouse bone marrow mesenchymal cells (BMSCs)and its potential molecular mechanism.Methods Female Mage-D1 gene knockout heterozygous mice and male wild-type (WT)mice were subjected as parent mice to breed Mage-D1 gene knockout homozygous (Mage-D1 KO)mice.PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis were used to identify male Mage-D1 knockout (Mage-D1 KO)mice and littermate male wild-type (WT)mice.Micro-CT scanning was performed to observe mouse femoral bone mass,and ELISA and chemical assay were employed to detect serum levels of calcium,phosphorus,calcitonin,and parathyroid hormone in mice.After primary cultured BMSCs were identified with flow cytometry,immunofluorescence staining was utilized to detect the expression of Mage-D1 in BMSCs.BMSCs were infected by Mage-D1 silencing lentivirus,and then the cells were divided into negative control group (sh-NC)and silencing group (sh-Mage-D1).Cell scratch assay was conducted to detect the migration ability of BMSCs,and flow cytometry and CCK-8 assay were conducted to detect the cycle change and proliferation ability of BMSCs.After mineralization induction,alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining and alizarin red staining were performed;RT-qPCR and Western blotting were used to measure the expression levels of ALP,Runx2 and Col1.RT-qPCR was used to detect mineralization-related genes p75NTR and Msx1.Results Compared with the WT mice,the femoral cortical bone thickness,cortical bone mineral content,cancellous bone mineral content,trabecular number,and cancellous bone surface density were decreased,and trabecular separation was increased in the Mage-D1 knockout homozygous mice (P<0.05).There were no significant changes in the serum levels of calcium,phosphorus,calcitonin and parathyroid hormone in mice after Mage-D1 knockout.Mage-D1 was expressed in the whole BMSCs and was highly expressed in the nucleus and perinuclear regions.Compared with the sh-NC BMSCs,the sh-Mage-D1 group had decreased proliferation ability (P<0.01),enhanced migration ability (P<0.01),and decreased expression of ALP,Runx2 and Col1 genes (P<0.05)and protein (P<0.01)after mineralization induction,milder ALP and alizarin red stain,and lower expression levels of p75NTR and Msx1.Conclusion Mage-D1 knockout can significantly reduce femur bone mass in mice.It can promote the proliferation and inhibit migration of BMSCs,and positively regulate their mineralization in vitro,and the p75NTR-Dlx1/Msx1 signaling axis may be involved in the regulation of bone metabolism by Mage-D1.

Programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) blocking therapy has become a major pillar of cancer immunotherapy. Compared with antibodies targeting, small-molecule checkpoint inhibitors which have favorable pharmacokinetics are urgently needed. Here we identified berberine (BBR), a proven anti-inflammation drug, as a negative regulator of PD-L1 from a set of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) chemical monomers. BBR enhanced the sensitivity of tumour cells to co-cultured T-cells by decreasing the level of PD-L1 in cancer cells. In addition, BBR exerted its antitumor effect in Lewis tumor xenograft mice through enhancing tumor-infiltrating T-cell immunity and attenuating the activation of immunosuppressive myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and regulatory T-cells (Tregs). BBR triggered PD-L1 degradation through ubiquitin (Ub)/proteasome-dependent pathway. Remarkably, BBR selectively bound to the glutamic acid 76 of constitutive photomorphogenic-9 signalosome 5 (CSN5) and inhibited PD-1/PD-L1 axis through its deubiquitination activity, resulting in ubiquitination and degradation of PD-L1. Our data reveals a previously unrecognized antitumor mechanism of BBR, suggesting BBR is small-molecule immune checkpoint inhibitor for cancer treatment.

Programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1)/programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) cascade is an effective therapeutic target for immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy. Targeting PD-L1/PD-1 axis by small-molecule drug is an attractive approach to enhance antitumor immunity. Using flow cytometry-based assay, we identify tubeimoside-1 (TBM-1) as a promising antitumor immune modulator that negatively regulates PD-L1 level. TBM-1 disrupts PD-1/PD-L1 interaction and enhances the cytotoxicity of T cells toward cancer cells through decreasing the abundance of PD-L1. Furthermore, TBM-1 exerts its antitumor effect in mice bearing Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) and B16 melanoma tumor xenograft

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy is a common treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, but the effect is not satisfactory. The study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the effects of adding all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) to infusional fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX4) for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: We extracted the data of patients with advanced HCC who underwent systemic chemotherapy using FOLFOX4 or ATRA plus FOLFOX4 at the Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, First Hospital of Jilin University, and Zhejiang Sian International Hospital and retrospectively compared for overall survival. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to calculate the hazard ratios for overall survival and disease progression after controlling for age, sex, and disease stage. RESULTS: From July 2013 to July 2018, 111 patients with HCC were included in this study. The median survival duration was 14.8 months in the ATRA plus FOLFOX4 group and 8.2 months in the FOLFOX4 only group ( P  < 0.001). The ATRA plus FOLFOX4 group had a significantly longer median time to progression compared with the FOLFOX4 group (3.6 months vs. 1.8 months, P  < 0.001). Hazard ratios for overall survival and disease progression were 0.465 (95% confidence interval: 0.298-0.726; P  = 0.001) and 0.474 (0.314-0.717; P  < 0.001) after adjusting for potential confounders, respectively. CONCLUSION ATRA plus FOLFOX4 significantly improves the overall survival and time to disease progression in patients with advanced HCC.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/drug therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Liver Neoplasms/pathology* ; Oxaliplatin/therapeutic use* ; Fluorouracil/adverse effects* ; Disease Progression ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Leucovorin/adverse effects* ; Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy*