OBJECTIVETo study the apoptosis inducing effects of bufalin on various human osteosarcoma cells and the concerning molecular mechanisms.

METHODMTT assay was used to detect the growth inhibition rates of osteosarcoma cells U-20S, U-20S/MTX300, SaOS-2, IOR/OS9 treated with bufalin in different concentrations and times. The apoptosis of cells was observed flow cytometry 48 h following bufalin treatment. The proteomic techniques were used to separate and compare the treated and control groups 48 h after bufalin-incubation. Then, the proteomic results were validated by western blot.

RESULTBufalin inhibited the growth of human osteosarcoma cells U20S, U20S/MTX300 (methotrexate resistant cells), SAOS2, IOR/OS9 in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The 72 h IC50 were (37.43 +/- 4.1), (32.24 +/- 5.3) nmol x L(-1) in U20S,U20S/MTX300 cells,respectivly. Flow cytometry showed that the apoptosis cells were increased following bufalin treatment. The protein expression profile showed 24 differentiated expression proteins. Among these proteins, the level of an anti-apoptotic protein, heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27) decreased significantly and the result was then validated by western blot. Ectopic expression of Hsp27 could reduce the bufalin-induced apoptosis remarkably in U20S and U20S/MTX300 cells.

CONCLUSIONBufalin could inhibit the cell growth and induce apoptosis on human osteosarcoma cells. The effect of bufalin may be related to the joint intervention with multiple protein targets. Among them, downregulation of Hsp27 plays a critical role in the bufalin-induced apoptosis in human osteosarcoma cells.

Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Bufanolides ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; drug effects ; Humans ; Osteosarcoma ; pathology ; Proteomics

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone cancer in children and adolescents. Emerging evidence has suggested that the capability of a tumor to grow is driven by a small subset of cells within a tumor, termed cancer stem cells (CSCs). Although several methods have been explored to identify or enrich CSCs in osteosarcoma, these methods sometimes seem impractical, and chemotherapy enrichment for CSCs in osteosarcoma is rarely investigated. In the present study, we found that short exposure to chemotherapy could change the morphology of osteosarcoma cells and increase sarcosphere formation in vitro, as well as increase tumor formation in vivo. Furthermore, methotrexate (MTX)-resistant U2OS/MTX300 osteosarcoma cells were larger in size and grew much more tightly than parental U2OS cells. More importantly, U2OS/MTX300 cells possessed a higher potential to generate sarcospheres in serum-free conditions compared to parental U2OS cells. Also, U2OS/MTX300 cells exhibited the side population (SP) phenotype and expressed CSC surface markers CD117 and Stro-1. Notably, U2OS/MTX300 cells showed a substantially higher tumorigenicity in nude mice relative to U2OS cells. Therefore, we conclude that chemotherapy enrichment is a feasible and practical way to enrich osteosarcoma stem cells.
Animals ; Antigens, Surface ; metabolism ; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic ; pharmacology ; Bone Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Humans ; Methotrexate ; pharmacology ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Neoplastic Stem Cells ; drug effects ; pathology ; Osteosarcoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Phenotype ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the growth inhibition and apoptosis induction effects of bufalin on human osteosarcoma cell lines in vitro.

METHODSU-2OS and U-2OS/methotrexate (MTX) 300-resistant cell lines were treated with bufalin. Cell viability was assessed by MTT assay. Cell-cycle status, apoptosis-inducing effects, and the expression of apoptosis-related proteins were evaluated by flow cytometry, fluorescent staining, DNA fragmentation assay, and Western blotting.

RESULTSBufalin inhibited cell growth in both U-2OS and U-2OS/MTX300 cells. The IC(50) values of bufalin for U-2OS and U-2OS/MTX300 cells were (8.49 ± 2.1) ng/ml and (10.19 ± 1.7) ng/ml, respectively. The induction of G(2)/M cell-cycle arrest was also seen in the bufalin-treated cells. The bufalin-induced apoptosis was confirmed by increased expression of tumor suppressor protein p53, bax and decreased expression of bcl-2.

CONCLUSIONBufalin inhibits the growth of and induces apoptosis in both MTX-sensitive and MTX-resistant human osteosarcoma U-2OS cell lines. The apoptosis-inducing effect of bufalin is not influenced by the presence of high levels of DHFR.

Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Bone Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Bufanolides ; pharmacology ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Humans ; Methotrexate ; pharmacology ; Osteosarcoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase ; metabolism ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; metabolism ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; metabolism

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to explore how miR-206 represses osteosarcoma (OS) development. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Expression levels of miR-206, PAX3, and MET mRNA were explored in paired OS and adjacent tissue specimens. A patient-derived OS cell line was established. miR-206 overexpression and knockdown were achieved by lentiviral transduction. PAX3 and MET overexpression were achieved by plasmid transfection. Treatment with hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) was utilized to activate c-Met receptor. Associations between miR-206 and PAX3 or MET mRNA in OS cells were verified by AGO2-RNA immunoprecipitation assay and miRNA pulldown assay. OS cell malignancy was evaluated in vitro by cell proliferation, metastasis, and apoptosis assays. PAX3 and MET gene expression in OS cells was assayed by RT-qPCR and Western blot. Activation of PI3K-AKT and MAPK-ERK in OS cells were assayed by evaluating Akt1 Ser473 phosphorylation and total threonine phosphorylation of Erk1/2, respectively. RESULTS: Expression levels of miR-206 were significantly decreased in OS tissue specimens, compared to adjacent counterparts, and were inversely correlated with expression of PAX3 and MET mRNA. miR-206 directly interacted with PAX3 and MET mRNA in OS cells. miR-206 overexpression significantly reduced PAX3 and MET gene expression in OS cells in vitro, resulting in significant decreases in Akt1 and Erk1/2 activation, cell proliferation, and metastasis, as well as increases in cell apoptosis, while miR-206 knockdown showed the opposite effects. The effects of miR-206 overexpression on OS cells were reversed by PAX3 or MET overexpression, but only partially attenuated by HGF treatment. CONCLUSION: miR-206 reduces OS cell malignancy in vitro by targeting PAX3 and MET gene expression.
Apoptosis ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; Gene Expression ; Hepatocyte Growth Factor ; Immunoprecipitation ; In Vitro Techniques ; MicroRNAs ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Osteosarcoma ; Phosphorylation ; Plasmids ; RNA, Messenger ; Threonine ; Transfection

OBJECTIVETo understand the infection status and epidemiological features of HBV in permanent residents of Shenzhen city.

METHODSA multi-stage stratified random sampling method was performed for questionnaire survey to permanently-registered residents of 1-59 years old in Luohu and Baoan district of Shenzhen in 2010, and blood samples of the subjects were collected. Hepatitis B virus-related surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B virus surface antibody (anti-HBs) were detected with ELISA.

RESULTSThe total 3771 studied population showed 252 HBsAg positive and 2712 anti-HBs positive residents with the standardization prevalence as 9.73% and 72.83% , respectively. The difference of the prevalence of HBsAg and anti-HBs between males and females were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The prevalence of HBsAg was reduced with increasing age. The differences of the prevalence of HBsAg between Shenzhen permanent registered and non-permanent registered population were not significant, but the prevalence of anti-HBs in Permanent registered residents (78.32%) was higher than in non-permanent (66.03%, χ(2) = 41.613, P < 0.001). The prevalence of HBsAg was significantly different in various occupational and educational levels. Peasants had the highest prevalence (24.13%) and medical workers had the highest prevalence of anti-HBs (89.10% ). People with junior high school education had the highest prevalence of HBsAg (12.76%) and the lowest of anti-HBs (62.45%). Population with high-level education had the highest prevalence of anti-HBs(81.00% average). The prevalence of HBsAg was over 10% in people who were born in Shenzhen and Guangdong province, and the anti-HBs was the highest in Shenzhen population with the prevalence as 74.48% and 76.47% , respectively.

CONCLUSIONIn the Shenzhen resident population, the overall prevalence of HBV was lower than the average level of Guangdong province, but higher than the national wide.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Hepatitis B ; blood ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires

【Objective】 To study the function and mechanism of INI1 in human epithelioid sarcoma cells. 【Methods】 Western blotting was used to test the expressionlevel of INI1in epithelioid sarcoma cells. The expression of INI1 in clinical specimens of epithelioid sarcoma was detected by immunohistochemistry. Tet-on system was used to establish the expression of INI1 in epithelioid sarcoma cells. Following the induction of INI1 expression, the cell morphology, proliferation and the molecular markers of adipocytic differentiation were detected. Then western blot was employed to detect the transcription factors of adipocytic differentiation, and oil red O staining was also tested. 【Results】 The expression of INI1 was absent in both epithelioid sarcoma cells and clinical tissues(P<0.05). The INI1 expression in the epithelioid sarcoma cells was successfully established by Tet-on system. After induction by doxycycline, the expression of INI1 was up-regulated. With continuous expression of INI1, the morphology of VA-ES-BJ cells was changed, with the appearance of abundant vacuoles in the cytoplasm. The cell proliferation was obviously inhibited(P<0.05). Epithelial cell marker Cytokeratin was found significantly reduced(P<0.05). In addition, the adipocyte markers, leptin, adiponectin and lipoprotein lipase were significantly up-regulated(P<0.05). The adipogenic transcriptional factors PPAR-γ and CEBP-α were found upregulated(P<0.05) and the oil red staining was significantly positive. 【Conclusions】 The expression of INI1 was absent in epithelioid sarcoma. Reconstruction of the expression of INI1 could induce adipocytic differentiation via upregulation of transcriptional factors PPAR-γand CEBP-αin epithelioid sarcoma cells.

Applying Chinese medicine (CM) is an important strategy for malignant tumor treatment in China. One of the significant characteristics of CM is to treat diseases based on syndrome differentiation. For Western medicine, it is of important clinical significance to formulate guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients based on the characteristics of disease differentiation. In Chinese clinical practice, the combination of disease differentiation and syndrome differentiation is an important feature for cancer treatment in the past. Currently, molecular profiling and genomic analysis-based precision medicine optimizes the anticancer drug design and holds the greatest success in treating cancer patients. Therefore, we want to know which populations of cancer patients can benefit more from CM treatment if the theory of precision medicine is applied to CM clinical practice. So, we developed a novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategy "disease-syndrome differentiation-genomic profiling-prescriptions" for cancer patients by CM syndrome differentiation and precision medicine. As a result, this strategy has greatly enhanced the anti-tumor efficacy of CM and improved clinical outcomes for cancer patients with some gene mutations. Our idea will hopefully establish a novel approach for the inheritance and innovation of CM.
Antineoplastic Agents ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Neoplasms/therapy* ; Precision Medicine ; Syndrome

During coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic, the treatment of severe trauma has been impacted. The Consensus on emergency surgery and infection prevention and control for severe trauma patients with 2019 novel corona virus pneumonia was published online on February 12, 2020, providing a strong guidance for the emergency treatment of severe trauma and the self-protection of medical staffs in the early stage of the epidemic. With the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council renaming "novel coronavirus pneumonia" to "novel coronavirus infection" and the infection being managed with measures against class B infectious diseases since January 8, 2023, the consensus published in 2020 is no longer applicable to the emergency treatment of severe trauma in the new stage of epidemic prevention and control. In this context, led by the Chinese Traumatology Association, Chinese Trauma Surgeon Association, Trauma Medicine Branch of Chinese International Exchange and Promotive Association for Medical and Health Care, and Editorial Board of Chinese Journal of Traumatology, the Chinese expert consensus on emergency surgery for severe trauma and infection prevention during coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic ( version 2023) is formulated to ensure the effectiveness and safety in the treatment of severe trauma in the new stage. Based on the policy of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council and by using evidence-based medical evidence as well as Delphi expert consultation and voting, 16 recommendations are put forward from the four aspects of the related definitions, infection prevention, preoperative assessment and preparation, emergency operation and postoperative management, hoping to provide a reference for severe trauma care in the new stage of the epidemic prevention and control.

【Objective】 To investigate the function and molecular mechanism of osteosarcoma cells derived exosome on microenvironment of target organs. 【Methods】 The osteosarcoma derived exosomes were extracted and injected into nude mice through tail vein after PKH26 fluorescence staining. The liver, spleen, lung, kidney and brain tissues were extracted 24 hours later and then the amount of red fluorescence in different fields was counted under fluorescence microscope. The uptake of exosomes in different types of cells was detected by immunofluorescence. 143B derived exosomes were co-cultured with human lung fibroblasts, and the uptake was detected by fluorescence microscopy. The expression levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were detected by RT-qPCR, while the changes of p-p65 in inflammatory signaling pathway of NF- κB and p-ERK, p-p38 in MAPK signaling were detected by western blotting. 【Results】 TSG101, Flotillin-1, CD63 and CD9 were expressed in 143B derived exosomes, and Calnexin expression was absent(P<0.05). The exosomes presented a saucer-like structure under electron microscope. The size of the exosomes is(141.92± 52.85) nm. The exosomes distributed more in lung tissue than liver, kidney, spleen and brain after injection through the tail vein of nude mice(P<0.05). The mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6and TNF-α were significantly increased in human lung fibroblast cells after incubation with 143B exosomes(P<0.05). p-p65, p-ERK and p-p38MAPK were significantly up-regulated(P<0.05) . 【Conclusions】 Osteosarcoma cells derived exosomes could activate inflammatory signaling pathway NF-κB and MAPK, and up-regulate the expression of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in lung fibroblast cells.