Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis(IPF) is a chronic progressive interstitial lung disease characterized by a complex pathogenesis and limited treatment options. Although studies have indicated that lipid metabolism dysregulation is associated with the progression of IPF, the core regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. By integrating RNA sequencing data from the GEO database, we identified four key genes related to lipid metabolism: peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma(PPARG), secreted phosphoprotein 1(SPP1), caspase 3(CASP3), and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1(PECAM1). Further validation using single-cell RNA sequencing revealed the cell-specific expression patterns of these genes. The results found that PPARG was significantly downregulated in alveolar macrophages while SPP1 was significantly upregulated. Mechanistic studies indicated that PPARG negatively regulated SPP1 expression, and the interaction between SPP1 and cluster of differentiation 44(CD44) activated intercellular signaling pathways that promoted fibrosis. Through network pharmacology and molecular docking, it was predicted that the bioactive components of the traditional Chinese medicine formula, namely Buyang Huanwu Decoction may target PPARG to modulate lipid metabolism pathways. In a bleomycin-induced rat model with IPF, this paper randomly divided the rats into six groups(control, group, model group, pirfenidone group, and low, middle, and high-dose groups of Buyang Huanwu Decoction). The results demonstrated that Buyang Huanwu Decoction treatment significantly improved tissue pathological damage, reduced collagen deposition, and alleviated lipid metabolism dysregulation. Western blot analysis confirmed that Buyang Huanwu Decoction mediated the upregulation of PPARG and inhibited the activation of the SPP1/CD44 pathway. The multi-omics study elucidated the role of the PPARG/SPP1/CD44 pathway as a key regulatory factor in lipid metabolism in IPF, providing evidence that Buyang Huanwu Decoction exerted its antifibrotic effects through this novel mechanism and thus offering new insights into the therapeutic prospects for IPF.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; PPAR gamma/genetics* ; Humans ; Osteopontin/genetics* ; Lipid Metabolism/drug effects* ; Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis/genetics* ; Hyaluronan Receptors/genetics* ; Rats ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Molecular Docking Simulation

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer currently ranks first globally in both incidence and mortality. Pemetrexed (PMX) serves as a first-line treatment for lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), but the patients often develop drug resistance during therapy. Milk exosome (mEXO) have the advantages of low immunogenicity, high tissue affinity, and low cost, and mEXO itself has anti-tumor effects. Hyaluronan (HA) naturally bind to CD44, a receptor which is highly expressed in LUAD tissues. This study aims to construct hyaluronan-modified milk exosome (HA-mEXO) and preliminarily investigate their molecular mechanisms for reversing PMX resistance through cellular experiments. METHODS: Exosomes were extracted from milk using high-speed centrifugation, and HA-mEXO was constructed. PMX-resistant A549 and PC-9 cell lines were treated with mEXO and HA-mEXO, respectively. CCK-8 assays, colony formation assays, Transwell assays, and flow cytometry were performed to evaluate proliferation, colony formation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis phenotypes in the treated resistant cell lines. Finally, transcriptomic sequencing, analysis, and cellular functional recovery experiments were conducted to investigate the mechanism by which HA-mEXO reverses PMX resistance in LUAD cells. RESULTS: The expression of CD44 in A549 and PC-9 LUAD drug-resistant cell lines was significantly higher than that in parental cells, and the uptake rate of HA-mEXO by drug-resistant cell lines was significantly higher than that of mEXO. Compared to the mEXO group, HA-mEXO-treated A549 and PC-9 resistant cells exhibited significantly reduced half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values for PMX, markedly diminished clonogenic, migratory, and invasive capabilities, and a significantly increased proportion of apoptotic cells. Western blot analysis revealed that, compared to parental cells, A549 and PC-9 drug-resistant cells exhibited downregulated ZNF516 expression and upregulated ABCC5 expression. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed that HA-mEXO treatment downregulated ABCC5 expression in A549 and PC-9 drug-resistant cells compared to the PBS group, whereas co-treatment with HA-mEXO and ZNF516 knockdown showed no significant change in ABCC5 expression. CONCLUSIONS HA-mEXO carrying ZNF516 suppress ABCC5 expression, thereby enhancing the sensitivity of A549 and PC-9 LAUD drug-resistant cells to PMX.
Humans ; Hyaluronic Acid/chemistry* ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/drug effects* ; Exosomes/chemistry* ; Adenocarcinoma of Lung/genetics* ; Pemetrexed/pharmacology* ; Animals ; Lung Neoplasms/pathology* ; Milk/chemistry* ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Hyaluronan Receptors/metabolism*

Cancer ranks as the second leading cause of death globally and has surpassed cardiovascular diseases to become the primary cause of mortality in developed countries. Cancer stem cells (CSCs), which play crucial roles in cancer recurrence, metastasis, and drug resistance, have attracted significant attention in targeted therapeutic strategies. Aptamers, with unique three-dimensional structures capable of specifically recognizing the surface markers of CSCs, show promising potential in targeted drug delivery systems. Compared with conventional antibodies, aptamers are praised for small molecular weights, low production costs, and easy chemical modification. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in aptamer research targeting the surface markers of CSCs, with particular emphasis on aptamer-drug conjugate systems targeting the markers including EpCAM, CD133, CD44, and ABCG2. Both in vitro cellular studies and in vivo animal models have demonstrated the definite anti-cancer efficacy of aptamer-based drug delivery systems, which are of great significance to develop novel therapeutic strategies and improving the therapeutic effects of CSC-targeted treatment. Thus, aptamer-based drug delivery system has broad application prospects in the field of precise cancer treatment.
Humans ; Neoplastic Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Aptamers, Nucleotide/therapeutic use* ; Drug Delivery Systems/methods* ; Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism* ; Animals ; Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule ; AC133 Antigen ; Hyaluronan Receptors

As an important part of tumor microenvironment, neutrophils are poorly understood due to their spatiotemporal heterogeneity in tumorigenesis. Here we defined, at single-cell resolution, CD44-CXCR2- neutrophils as tumor-specific neutrophils (tsNeus) in both mouse and human gastric cancer (GC). We uncovered a Hippo regulon in neutrophils with unique YAP signature genes (e.g., ICAM1, CD14, EGR1) distinct from those identified in epithelial and/or cancer cells. Importantly, knockout of YAP/TAZ in neutrophils impaired their differentiation into CD54+ tsNeus and reduced their antitumor activity, leading to accelerated GC progression. Moreover, the relative amounts of CD54+ tsNeus were found to be negatively associated with GC progression and positively associated with patient survival. Interestingly, GC patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy had increased numbers of CD54+ tsNeus. Furthermore, pharmacologically enhancing YAP activity selectively activated neutrophils to suppress refractory GC, with no significant inflammation-related side effects. Thus, our work characterized tumor-specific neutrophils in GC and revealed an essential role of YAP/TAZ-CD54 axis in tsNeus, opening a new possibility to develop neutrophil-based antitumor therapeutics.
Humans ; Animals ; Mice ; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/metabolism* ; Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; Stomach Neoplasms/pathology* ; Neutrophils/pathology* ; Signal Transduction/genetics* ; YAP-Signaling Proteins ; Tumor Microenvironment ; Hyaluronan Receptors/genetics*

OBJECTIVETo explore the predictive value of combination detection of Pgp1 expression in cancer tissue and serum CEA level for the prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients.

METHODSClinicopathological data, complete 5-year follow-up data and CRC tissue samples of 153 CRC patients with stage I( to II( tumor undergoing radical operation in our department from January 2004 to August 2006 were retrospectively collected. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression level of Pgp1. The combined evaluation of staining intensity and positive cell percentage was performed to determine the expression level of Pgp1. Pgp1 staining (-) and (+) was defined as low expression; and staining (++) and (+++) as high expression. Electrochemiluminescence immunoassay was used to detect the level of serum CEA. CEA > 5 μg/L was defined as positive. χand Fisher's exact test were performed to analyze the association of Pgp1 expression with CEA level and clinicopathological variables. Moreover, Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the survival. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to evaluate the roles of Pgp1 expression combined with serum CEA level in prognosis prediction.

RESULTSOf 153 patients, 105 were males and 48 females with mean age of 59 (27 to 90) years; 41 cases were rectal cancer, and 112 cases colon cancer; 23 patients were TNM stage I( tumor, and 130 patients stage II( tumor; median follow-up time was 64 months; 30 cases were dead. Positive rate of Pgp1 expression in colorectal cancer tissues was 66.0%(101/153). The expression of Pgp1 was associated with gender, tumor location, and survival during the follow-up (all P<0.05). The preoperative positive rate of serum CEA was 28.1% (43/153). The preoperative serum CEA level was associated with tumor recurrence and survival (all P<0.05). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed the overall 5-year survival rate was 81.7%. The 5-year survival rate of patients with high expression of Pgp1 was 88.1%, which was significantly higher than 69.2% of those with low expression of Pgp1(P=0.003). The 5-year survival rate of patients with preoperative positive serum CEA was 72.1%, which was significantly lower than 86.1% of those with preoperative negative serum CEA(P=0.023). Furthermore, the 5-year survival rate of patients with negative Pgp1 plus positive CEA was 66.7%, which was significantly lower than 91.0% of those with positive Pgp1 plus negative CEA(P=0.002). Univariate analysis showed that gender, Pgp1 expression level, preoperative serum CEA level, and Pgp1 combined with CEA were significantly associated with the prognosis of patients(all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that Pgp1 expression was an independent prognostic factor of CRC [HR(95%CI:1.261 to 64.224), P=0.028].

CONCLUSIONSLow expression of Pgp1 in cancer tissue indicates poor prognosis in patients with stage I( and II( tumor. Combination detection of Pgp1 expression and serum CEA can be applied to predict the prognosis of patients with stage I( and II( colorectal cancer.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; blood ; physiology ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; blood ; physiology ; Colonic Neoplasms ; physiopathology ; secretion ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; physiopathology ; secretion ; Female ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Humans ; Hyaluronan Receptors ; metabolism ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Proteins ; blood ; physiology ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; physiopathology ; Neoplasm Staging ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Rectal Neoplasms ; physiopathology ; secretion ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Factors ; Survival Rate

Objective To investigate the expressions of CD44,CD47,and c-met in ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) tissue and their correlations with clinical variables and prognosis. Methods Immunohistochemical method was used to investigate the expressions of CD44,CD47,and c-met in tissues from 86 OCCC patients and the relationships of their expressions with the clinicopathological factors of OCCC were analyzed. Results The expressions of CD44,CD47,and c-met were significantly high in OCCC tissues (90.7%,91.9%,and 94.2%,respectively). The strong positive expressions of CD44 and CD47 were significantly correlated with advanced International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stages,chemotherapeutic resistance,and poor prognosis (all P<0.05),the strong positive expression of c-met was significantly correlated with chemotherapeutic resistance and poor prognosis (all P<0.05),whereas there was no correlation between the strong positive expressions of CD44,CD47,and c-met and the lymphatic node metastasis. COX survival analysis revealed that advanced International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stages and high expressions of CD44,CD47 and c-met were independent risk factors for poor prognosis (P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between CD44 (or CD47) and c-met and between CD44 and CD47 (the Spearman correlation coefficient rwas 0.783,0.776,and 0.835,respectively,all P<0.01). Conclusions The expressions of CD44,CD47,and c-met increase in OCCC tissues and are correlated with each other. High expressions of CD44,CD47,and c-met are independent factors for poor prognosis.
Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell ; metabolism ; CD47 Antigen ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Hyaluronan Receptors ; metabolism ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Prognosis ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met ; metabolism ; Survival Analysis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of microRNA-34a (miR-34a) in regulating the cell cycles of bladder cancer cell line J82 and explore the underlying mechanism.

METHODSJ82 cells were transfected with a miR-34a mimic or an inhibitor to induce miR-34a overexpression or silencing. The RNA level of miR-34a in the transfected cells was detected by real-time PCR, and CD44 expressions at the mRNA and protein levels were detected by real-time PCR and Western blotting. Luciferase reporter assay was used to detect the activation of 3'UTR of CD44, and flow cytometry was performed to analyze the cell cycle changes.

RESULTSThe expression level of miR-34a was significantly increased and CD44 expression significantly lowered in cells transfected with miR-34a mimic; miR-34a inhibitor transfection caused reverse effects on miR-34a and CD44 expressions. MiR-34a mimics downregulated while miR-34a inhibitor enhanced the activation of 3'UTR of CD44 with corresponding changes in the expressions of some cell cycle-related proteins. MiR-34a mimics and miR-34a inhibitor induced opposite changes in J82 cell cycle, which were partly reversed by CD44.

CONCLUSIONMiRNA-34a regulates cell cycles by targeting CD44 in human bladder carcinoma cell line J82.

Cell Cycle ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Down-Regulation ; Humans ; Hyaluronan Receptors ; metabolism ; MicroRNAs ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Transfection ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo study the ability of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) to repair the internal environment of the testis in male azoospermia rats.

METHODSWe established azoospermia models in 22 six-week-old male SD rats by intraperitoneal injection of busulfan at 20 mg per kg body weight. We transplanted allogeneic rat BMSCs (rBMSCs) into the testicular seminiferous tubules of the model rats and, 30 days after transplantation, observed the composition and structure of the seminiferous tubular cells by HE staining and detected the expressions of CD44, CD106, and c-kit in the rBMSCs by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSThe number of epididymal sperm was significantly reduced in the model rats as compared with the normal controls (P < 0.01). CD44 and CD106, but not c-kit, were expressed in the isolated rBMSCs. At 30 days after transplantation of rBMSCs, lots of new cells were observed in the seminiferous tubules, some expressing CD106 and some expressing the germ cell surface marker c-kit.

CONCLUSIONBMSCs can transdifferentiate into germ cells and repair the damaged seminiferous tubules of sterile rats.

Animals ; Azoospermia ; chemically induced ; therapy ; Biomarkers ; metabolism ; Bone Marrow Cells ; Busulfan ; Cell Membrane ; metabolism ; Epididymis ; Hyaluronan Receptors ; metabolism ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Seminiferous Tubules ; anatomy & histology ; metabolism ; Spermatozoa ; Staining and Labeling ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the role of CD44 in monocyte adhesion to human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) and monocyte migration across an in vitro model of blood-brain barrier (BBB) infected by Cryptococcus neoformans (Cn).

METHODSAn in vitro blood-brain barrier model was constructed using a transwell chamber covered with a HBMEC monolayer. The wild-type strain of Cn B4500FO2, TYCC645#32 strain with CPS1 gene deletion and PCIP strain with CPS1 complementation were chosen to infect the monolayer HBMECs. THP-1 cells were added to the upper chamber of transwell, and the relative migration rate was determined by counting the number of the cells entering the lower chambers. The inhibitory effects of anti-CD44 monoclonal antibody and the CD44 inhibitor bikunin were examined on THP-1 binding to and migration across HBMECs.

RESULTSCn infection of the HBMECs caused markedly enhanced THP-1 cell adhesion and migration across the monolyers (P<0.01) dependent on Cn concentration and exposure time. Addition of anti-CD44 monoclonal antibody and bikunin significantly lowered THP-1 adhesion and migration rates in the BBB model with Cn-infected HBMECs (P<0.01) with a dose dependence of the antibody (within 0-1 µg) and inhibitor (within 0-20 nmol/L). Both THP-1 adhesion rate and migration rate were lowered in the BBB model infected with CPS1 gene-deleted Cn but increased in the model infected with the complemented strain compared with those in the wild-type strain-infected model.

CONCLUSIONIn the in vitro BBB model, CD44 expressed on HBMECs may play an essential role in monocyte adhesion to and migration across the BBB. The capsular hyaluronic acid may mediate Cn-induced monocyte adhesion and migration.

Blood-Brain Barrier ; immunology ; microbiology ; Brain ; cytology ; microbiology ; Cell Line ; Cryptococcosis ; immunology ; Cryptococcus neoformans ; Endothelial Cells ; microbiology ; Humans ; Hyaluronan Receptors ; metabolism ; Monocytes ; cytology

OBJECTIVE: Discussion of expression and its significance of CD44 in SP cells of nasopnaryngeal carcinoma. METHOD: Flow cytometry was used to sort cultured CNE-2 cells of nasopharyngeal carcinoma for obtaining CD44-SP and CD44+SP cells. Biological differences of CNE-2, CNE-2 SP, CNE-2 NSP, CNE-2 CD44+SP and CNE-2 CD44-SP cells were statistically analyzed by experiments such as cell migration experiments, plate clone formation assay, cell cycle analysis and sensitivity tests to chemotherapeutics. RESULT: Two point 3 perent of SP cells were extracted from CNE-2 cells of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, among which 36.5% was CD44+SP cells. Abilities of proliferation, cell migration and plate clone of CD44+SP cells were significantly higher than other cells (P < 0.01), and its tolerance to chemotherapeutics was significantly higher too (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION The proportion of SP cells in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells was small, but SP cells had strong activeness in the aspect of cell proliferation with a "seed" characteristic of tumor cells. As CD44+SP cells played an important role in proliferation and chemotherapy resistance of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, it indicated that CD44 can be one of the surface markers of SP cells of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Biomarkers, Tumor ; metabolism ; Carcinoma ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement ; Cell Proliferation ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Hyaluronan Receptors ; metabolism ; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; metabolism