Objective:To study the effect of astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) on proliferation and metastasis of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) by regulating cell autophagy and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).Methods:Normal thyroid cells Nthy-ori3-1 and PTC cells TPC-1, FTC-133, B-CPAP and SW579 were cultured in vitro. Real time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression of AEG-1 in PTC cells. The PTC cells with the highest AEG-1 expression were selected for AEG-1 shRNA infection, and then divided into sh-NC group and sh-AEG-1 group. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) and EdU (5-ethynyl-2 ′- deoxyuridine) experiments were used to detect the effect of AEG-1 on the proliferation of PTC cells; Transwell test was used to detect the effect of AEG-1 on the metastasis of PTC cells; subcutaneous tumorigenesis test in nude mice was used to detect the effect of AEG-1 on the expression of autophagy related proteins and EMT related proteins. PTC cells in sh-NC group and sh-AEG-1 group were treated with rapamycin and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), respectively. CCK8 and transwell assay were used to detect the cell proliferation and metastasis ability of each group of cells, respectively. Results:Compared with normal thyroid cells Nthy-ori3-1, the expression level of AEG-1 in PTC cells was increased, with the highest expression in TPC-1 cells. After AEG-1 shRNA was transfected into TPC-1 cells, cell proliferation, metastasis and tumorigenicity in vivo were reduced ( P<0.05). Compared with the sh-NC group, the expression of autophagy-related proteins P62 and Beclin1 were increased and the expression of LC3B protein was decreased, and EMT-related proteins E-cadherin expression were increased and N-cadherin and Vimentin protein expression were decreased in the sh-AEG-1 group ( P<0.05). CCK8 and Transwell experiments showed that treatment with autophagy inducer Rapamycin and EMT inducer TGF-β attenuated the inhibitory effect of sh-AEG-1 on proliferation and metastasis ability of PTC cell ( P<0.05). Conclusions:AEG-1 promotes the proliferation and metastasis of PTC cells by inducing cell autophagy and EMT.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) is usually used for osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures,which has various advantages such as easy to operate, short operation time, less trauma, rapid recovery,analgesic effect and so on. But its application is restricted due to nerve compression symptoms and pulmonary embolism caused by bone cement leakage. Thereafter, how to reduce the leakage of bone cement is an issue of concern.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the lumbar quantitative computed tomography (QCT) values and contrast agent dispersion in osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures. METHODS: Sixty cases of osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures undergoing PVP were enrolled, and received QCT examination before surgery, and contrast agent was injected intraoperatively. X-ray examination was conducted to detect the bone mineral density, contrast agent dispersion and leakage of bone cement, and the relationship between the lumbar QCT values and contrast agent dispersion as well as leakage of bone cement.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) There were 110 vertebral fractures, and 74 vertebrae with contrast agent diffusing more than vertebral midline, accounting for 67.3%. There was significant difference in the contrast agent dispersion among groups (P < 0.05). (2) The bone cement leakage showed no significant difference among groups after injected with bone cement by unilateral or bilateral approach (P > 0.05). (3) These results suggest that contrast agent dispersion in osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures has a certain relationship with the lumbar QCT values, and lumbar QCT values with more contrast agent dispersion, but the lumbar QCT values have no correlation with bone cement leakage. Therefore, choosing a appropriate approach based on the QCT values and contrast agent dispersion can reduce leakage and improve the safety of PVP.