Biomedical Research ; trends ; Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Mucins ; physiology ; Neoplasm Proteins ; physiology

Brain Ischemia ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Neoplasm Proteins ; metabolism ; Pyroptosis ; physiology ; Signal Transduction ; physiology

Wnt3a, one of Wnt family members, plays key roles in regulating pleiotropic cellular functions, including self-renewal, proliferation, differentiation, and motility. Accumulating evidence has suggested that Wnt3a promotes or suppresses tumor progression via the canonical Wnt signaling pathway depending on cancer type. In addition, the roles of Wnt3a signaling can be inhibited by multiple proteins or chemicals. Herein, we summarize the latest findings on Wnt3a as an important therapeutic target in cancer.
Cell Division ; physiology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; physiology ; Humans ; Neoplasm Proteins ; metabolism ; physiology ; Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Tumor Cells, Cultured ; Wnt Signaling Pathway ; physiology ; Wnt3A Protein ; metabolism ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the inhibitory effect of 6A8 alpha-manosidase expression on the adhesiveness of CNE-2L2 cells to laminin and the lamellipodia on cell surface.

METHODS6A8 alpha-manosidase expression was detected by Western blotting. For assaying the adhesion of cells to laminin, cells were incubated in laminin-coated plate at 37 degrees C for 1 h, the adhered cells were stained with crystal purple dissolved in 0.1 mol/L Sodium Citrate/50% ethanol. Absorbance 540 nm was measured. Adhesion rate (R) was calculated according to formula R = AT/A100 x 100%. Here A100 represents 100% adhesion. lamellipodia on cell surface was observed upon a scanning electron microscopy.

RESULTSThe adhesion rate of two clones (AS1 and AS2) with inhibition of 6A8 alpha-manosidase expression to laminin was 0.447 +/- 0.096 and 0.533 +/- 0.065 respectively. The adhesion rate of three controls with normal expression of 6A8 alpha-manosidase to laminin was 0.78 +/- 0.035, 0.7 +/- 0.05 and 0.80 +/- 0.04 respectively. The difference was significant (P < 0.01). CNE-2L2 cells with normal expression of 6A8 alpha-manosidase was rich in lamellipodia on their surface. Lamellipodia nearly disappeared on the cells with inhibition of 6A8 alpha-manosidase expression.

CONCLUSIONSInhibition of 6A8 alpha-manosidase expression results in decrease of adhesion to laminin and reduction of lamellipodia of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell CNE-2L2.

Cell Adhesion ; drug effects ; Humans ; Laminin ; physiology ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; pathology ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Proteins ; genetics ; physiology ; Pseudopodia ; physiology ; Tumor Cells, Cultured ; alpha-Mannosidase ; biosynthesis ; genetics

BACKGROUNDNeuroblastoma, one of the common tumors in children, possesses the feature of natural regression that might be related to apoptosis caspase-3 and survivin are believed to respectively induce and inhibit apoptosis. We investigated the expression of caspase-3 and survivin in pediatric neuroblastoma and the role that these genes played in apoptosis.

METHODSThe expression of caspase-3 and survivin in pediatric neuroblastoma tissue samples was detected using in situ hybridization, ter mintuesal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL), and immunohistochemical staining. The role that these genes played in apoptosis was then evaluated.

RESULTSA converse correlation was observed between the expression of survivin and caspase-3. When survivin was expressed at high levels in neuroblastoma samples, caspase-3 expression was downregulated, and the apoptotic index decreased simultaneously.

CONCLUSIONThere is a converse correlation between the expression of caspase-3 and the expression of survivin in neuroblastoma cells, indicating that caspase-3 might induce apoptosis, and survivin may inhibit this process.

Apoptosis ; Caspase 3 ; Caspases ; analysis ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins ; Male ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; analysis ; physiology ; Neoplasm Proteins ; Neuroblastoma ; chemistry ; pathology

Distant metastasis is the main cause of cancer death. Tetraspanins (transmembrane 4 superfamily, TM4SF) is capable of forming transmembrane complexes with integrin family participating in cell adhesion, migration and tumor metastasis. This review elucidates the structure of tetraspanins and its function in regulating metastasis as form of multimolecular transmembrane complexes with integrin.
Cell Adhesion ; Humans ; Integrins ; chemistry ; metabolism ; physiology ; Membrane Proteins ; chemistry ; metabolism ; physiology ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Tetraspanins

OBJECTIVETo study mechanisms of reduction of the malignant activities of human naso-pharyngeal carcinoma cell CNE-2L2 induced by ectopic expression of BCSC-1 gene.

METHODSDNA was stained with propidium iodide and assayed upon a flow cytometer. Chromosomes were stained with Hoechest 33258. Adhesion of CNE-2L2 cells was detected by cell aggregation test. Protein expression on CNE-2L2 cells was examined by Western blot.

RESULTSCell cycle analysis showed that the percentage of CNE-2L2 cells was 55.1%, 43.4%, and 39.4% in G0/G1 phase, 25.2%, 28.7%, and 30.9% in S phase, and 19.7%, 27.9%, and 29.7% in G2/M phase for the cell with ectopic expression of BCSC-1 gene, wild type cell (W cells), and the cell transduced with the mock (M cell). Many mitotic cells were found in W cells and M cells. In contrast, almost no mitotic cell was observed in the cells with ectopic expression of BCSC-1 gene. Ectopic BCSC-1 expression resulted in cell aggregation, enhanced expression of E-cadherin, cx-catenin, and p53.

CONCLUSIONSEctopic BCSC-1 expression causes enhancement of adhesion of CNE-2L2 cells associated with enhanced expression of E-cadherin and alpha-catenin, arrest of cell in G1 phase, which may be associated with enhanced expression of p53. These alteration may play a role in the reduction of malignant activities of the cells with ectopic expression of BCSC-1 gene.

Cell Adhesion ; Cell Cycle ; physiology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Humans ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; Neoplasm Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics

Cytoskeletal Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; physiology ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasms ; pathology ; Signal Transduction

BACKGROUNDCD44v6 plays an important role in invasion and metastasis of tumor, Livin has anti-apoptotic effects. The present study aimed to explore the expression and clinical significance of CD44v6 and Livin in gastric cancer tissue.

METHODSStreptavidin-peroxidase linked immunohistochemical method was used to determine the expression of CD44v6 and Livin in gastric cancer tissue and adjacent normal gastric tissues from 59 patients with histopathologically confirmed gastric cancer, and in gastric tissue specimens of 15 patients with gastric polyps, and 15 patients with chronic non-atrophic gastritis. The chi-square test was used for comparison of the relevant factors, Spearman's rank correlation test was applied for relationship among positive expression of the proteins.

RESULTSThe expresion of CD44v6 was positive in 64.4% of the gastric cancer patients; 5.1%, 0 and 13.3% in specimens of normal tissues adjacent to the cancer tissues, in gastric tissue specimens of patients with gastric polyps, and patients with chronic non-atrophic gastritis, respectively. The expression of Livin was positive in 52.5% of the gastric cancer tissues, 6.8%, 0 and 6.7% in the adjacent normal gastric tissue, specimens of patients with gastric polyps and chronic non-atrophic gastritis, respectively. The expression of CD44v6 was significantly correlated with the depth of invasion, the degree of differentiation, and lymphnode metastasis of gastric cancer (P < 0.05). The positive expression rate of Livin protein was also significantly correlated with degree of differentiation of gastric cancer cells and metastasis to lymphnodes (P < 0.05), but not correlated with the depth of invasion and pathological types (P > 0.05). The expression of CD44v6 and Livin in the gastric cancer tissue was positively correlated (r(s) = 0.286, P = 0.028).

CONCLUSIONSThe increased expression of CD44v6 and Livin in gastric cancer tissue may be closely related with development and progression of gastric cancer. CD44v6 and Livin may be new biological markers of gastric cancer.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; analysis ; physiology ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Hyaluronan Receptors ; analysis ; physiology ; Immunohistochemistry ; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins ; analysis ; physiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Proteins ; analysis ; physiology ; Stomach Neoplasms ; chemistry ; metabolism ; pathology

Cell Cycle ; Cell Cycle Proteins ; analysis ; antagonists & inhibitors ; physiology ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Proliferation ; Humans ; Membrane Proteins ; analysis ; antagonists & inhibitors ; physiology ; Neoplasm Proteins ; analysis ; antagonists & inhibitors ; physiology ; Neoplasms ; enzymology ; therapy ; Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases ; analysis ; antagonists & inhibitors ; physiology