1.Inhibitory effect and molecular mechanism of sinomenine on human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 and SK-HEP-1 cells.
Ying-Ying TIAN ; Bei-Bei MA ; Xin-Yue ZHAO ; Chuang LIU ; Yi-Lin LI ; Shang-Yue YU ; Shi-Qiu TIAN ; Hai-Luan PEI ; Ying-Nan LYU ; Ze-Ping ZUO ; Zhi-Bin WANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2023;48(17):4702-4710
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			This study aimed to investigate the effect and molecular mechanism of sinomenine on proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis, and combination with inhibitors in human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells and SK-HEP-1 cells. The effect of sinomenine on the growth ability of HepG2 and SK-HEP-1 cells were investigated by CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, and BeyoClick~(TM) EdU-488 staining. The effect of sinomenine on DNA damage was detected by immunofluorescence assay, and the effect of sinomenine on apoptosis of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells was clarified by Hoechst 33258 staining and CellEvent~(TM) Cystein-3/7Green ReadyProbes~(TM) reagent assay. Cell invasion assay and 3D tumor cell spheroid invasion assay were performed to investigate the effect of sinomenine on the invasion ability of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro. The effect of sinomenine on the regulation of protein expression related to the protein kinase B(Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3) signaling pathway in HepG2 and SK-HEP-1 cells was examined by Western blot. Molecular docking was used to evaluate the strength of affinity of sinomenine to the target cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-3(caspase-3) and STAT3, and combined with CCK-8 assay to detect the changes in cell viability after combination with STAT3 inhibitor JSI-124 in combination with CCK-8 assay. The results showed that sinomenine could significantly reduce the cell viability of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells in a concentration-and time-dependent manner, significantly inhibit the clonogenic ability of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells, and weaken the invasive ability of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro. In addition, sinomenine could up-regulate the cleaved level of poly ADP-ribose polymerase(PARP), a marker of apoptosis, and down-regulate the protein levels of p-Akt, p-mTOR, and p-STAT3 in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Molecular docking results showed that sinomenine had good affinity with the targets caspase-3 and STAT3, and the sensitivity of sinomenine to hepatocellular carcinoma cells was diminished after STAT3 was inhibited. Therefore, sinomenine can inhibit the proliferation and invasion of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells and induce apoptosis, and the mechanism may be attributed to the activation of caspase-3 signaling and inhibition of the Akt/mTOR/STAT3 pathway. This study can provide a new reference for the in-depth research and clinical application of sinomenine and is of great significance to further promote the scientific development and utilization of sinomenine.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Humans
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Caspase 3/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Liver Neoplasms/genetics*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Molecular Docking Simulation
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Sincalide/pharmacology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cell Line, Tumor
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cell Proliferation
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Hep G2 Cells
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Apoptosis
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
2.Morin induces autophagy and apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells through Akt/mTOR/STAT3 pathway.
Xin-Yue ZHAO ; Ying-Ying TIAN ; Chuang LIU ; Yi-Lin LI ; Ying-Nan LYU ; Shang-Yue YU ; Shi-Qiu TIAN ; Hai-Luan PEI ; Ze-Ping ZUO ; Zhi-Bin WANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2023;48(16):4475-4482
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			This study investigated the effect and mechanism of morin in inducing autophagy and apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells through the protein kinase B(Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)/signal transducer and activator of transcription protein 3(STAT3) pathway. Human hepatocellular carcinoma SK-HEP-1 cells were stimulated with different concentrations of morin(0, 50, 100, 125, 200, and 250 μmol·L~(-1)). The effect of morin on the viability of SK-HEP-1 cells was detected by Cell Counting Kit-8(CCK-8). The effect of morin on the proliferation and apoptosis of SK-HEP-1 cells was investigated using colony formation assay, flow cytometry, and BeyoClick~(TM) EdU-488 with different concentrations of morin(0, 125, and 250 μmol·L~(-1)). The changes in the autophagy level of cells treated with morin were examined by transmission electron microscopy and autophagy inhibitors. The impact of morin on the expression levels of proteins related to the Akt/mTOR/STAT3 pathway was verified by Western blot. Compared with the control group, the morin groups showed decreased viability of SK-HEP-1 cells in a time-and concentration-dependent manner, increased number of apoptotic cells, up-regulated expression level of apoptosis marker PARP, up-regulated phosphorylation level of apoptosis-regulating protein H2AX, decreased number of positive cells and the colony formation rate, an upward trend of expression levels of autophagy-related proteins LC3-Ⅱ, Atg5, and Atg7, and decreased phosphorylation levels of Akt, mTOR, and STAT3. These results suggest that morin can promote apoptosis, inhibit proliferation, and induce autophagy in hepatocellular carcinoma cells, and its mechanism of action may be related to the Akt/mTOR/STAT3 pathway.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Humans
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Liver Neoplasms/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Apoptosis
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Autophagy
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cell Proliferation
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cell Line, Tumor
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			STAT3 Transcription Factor/metabolism*
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
3.Targeting TRMT5 suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma progression via inhibiting the HIF-1α pathways.
Qiong ZHAO ; Luwen ZHANG ; Qiufen HE ; Hui CHANG ; Zhiqiang WANG ; Hongcui CAO ; Ying ZHOU ; Ruolang PAN ; Ye CHEN
Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B 2023;24(1):50-63
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Accumulating evidence has confirmed the links between transfer RNA (tRNA) modifications and tumor progression. The present study is the first to explore the role of tRNA methyltransferase 5 (TRMT5), which catalyzes the m1G37 modification of mitochondrial tRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. Here, based on bioinformatics and clinical analyses, we identified that TRMT5 expression was upregulated in HCC, which correlated with poor prognosis. Silencing TRMT5 attenuated HCC proliferation and metastasis both in vivo and in vitro, which may be partially explained by declined extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) and oxygen consumption rate (OCR). Mechanistically, we discovered that knockdown of TRMT5 inactivated the hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) signaling pathway by preventing HIF-1α stability through the enhancement of cellular oxygen content. Moreover, our data indicated that inhibition of TRMT5 sensitized HCC to doxorubicin by adjusting HIF-1α. In conclusion, our study revealed that targeting TRMT5 could inhibit HCC progression and increase the susceptibility of tumor cells to chemotherapy drugs. Thus, TRMT5 might be a carcinogenesis candidate gene that could serve as a potential target for HCC therapy.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Humans
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cell Hypoxia
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cell Line, Tumor
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Liver Neoplasms/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Signal Transduction/genetics*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			tRNA Methyltransferases/metabolism*
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
4.Physical exercise suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma progression by alleviating hypoxia and attenuating cancer stemness through the Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway.
Chu-Lan XIAO ; Zhi-Peng ZHONG ; Can LÜ ; Bing-Jie GUO ; Jiao-Jiao CHEN ; Tong ZHAO ; Zi-Fei YIN ; Bai LI
Journal of Integrative Medicine 2023;21(2):184-193
		                        		
		                        			OBJECTIVE:
		                        			Physical exercise, a common non-drug intervention, is an important strategy in cancer treatment, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the mechanism remains largely unknown. Due to the importance of hypoxia and cancer stemness in the development of HCC, the present study investigated whether the anti-HCC effect of physical exercise is related to its suppression on hypoxia and cancer stemness.
		                        		
		                        			METHODS:
		                        			A physical exercise intervention of swimming (30 min/d, 5 d/week, for 4 weeks) was administered to BALB/c nude mice bearing subcutaneous human HCC tumor. The anti-HCC effect of swimming was assessed in vivo by tumor weight monitoring, hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) detection of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Ki67. The expression of stemness transcription factors, including Nanog homeobox (NANOG), octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT-4), v-Myc avian myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homolog (C-MYC) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), was detected using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. A hypoxia probe was used to explore the intratumoral hypoxia status. Western blot was used to detect the expression of HIF-1α and proteins related to protein kinase B (Akt)/glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β)/β-catenin signaling pathway. The IHC analysis of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (CD31), and the immunofluorescence co-location of CD31 and desmin were used to analyze tumor blood perfusion. SMMC-7721 cells were treated with nude mice serum. The inhibition effect on cancer stemness in vitro was detected using suspension sphere experiments and the expression of stemness transcription factors. The hypoxia status was inferred by measuring the protein and mRNA levels of HIF-1α. Further, the expression of proteins related to Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway was detected.
		                        		
		                        			RESULTS:
		                        			Swimming significantly reduced the body weight and tumor weight in nude mice bearing HCC tumor. HE staining and IHC results showed a lower necrotic area ratio as well as fewer PCNA or Ki67 positive cells in mice receiving the swimming intervention. Swimming potently alleviated the intratumoral hypoxia, attenuated the cancer stemness, and inhibited the Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway. Additionally, the desmin+/CD31+ ratio, rather than the number of CD31+ vessels, was significantly increased in swimming-treated mice. In vitro experiments showed that treating cells with the serum from the swimming intervention mice significantly reduced the formation of SMMC-7721 cell suspension sphere, as well as the mRNA expression level of stemness transcription factors. Consistent with the in vivo results, HIF-1α and Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway were also inhibited in cells treated with serum from swimming group.
		                        		
		                        			CONCLUSION
		                        			Swimming alleviated hypoxia and attenuated cancer stemness in HCC, through suppression of the Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway. The alleviation of intratumoral hypoxia was related to the increase in blood perfusion in the tumor. Please cite this article as: Xiao CL, Zhong ZP, Lü C, Guo BJ, Chen JJ, Zhao T, Yin ZF, Li B. Physical exercise suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma progression by alleviating hypoxia and attenuating cancer stemness through the Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(2): 184-193.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Humans
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Animals
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Mice
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/drug therapy*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen/therapeutic use*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Mice, Nude
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta/genetics*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			beta Catenin/therapeutic use*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Liver Neoplasms/drug therapy*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Desmin/therapeutic use*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Ki-67 Antigen
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cell Line, Tumor
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Hypoxia
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			RNA, Messenger/therapeutic use*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cell Proliferation
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
5.Lamin B1 regulates the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by influencing telomerase activity.
Ruiguan WANG ; Si CHEN ; Zhijia SUN ; Shikun WANG ; Jie WANG ; Lingmei QIN ; Jiangbo LI
Chinese Journal of Biotechnology 2023;39(4):1609-1620
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Lamin B1 (LMNB1) is highly expressed in liver cancer tissues, and its influence and mechanism on the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells were explored by knocking down the expression of the protein. In liver cancer cells, siRNAs were used to knock down LMNB1. Knockdown effects were detected by Western blotting. Changes in telomerase activity were detected by telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay (TRAP) experiments. Telomere length changes were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). CCK8, cloning formation, transwell and wound healing were performed to detect changes in its growth, invasion and migration capabilities. The lentiviral system was used to construct HepG2 cells that steadily knocked down LMNB1. Then the changes of telomere length and telomerase activity were detected, and the cell aging status was detected by SA-β-gal senescence staining. The effects of tumorigenesis were detected by nude mouse subcutaneous tumorigenesis experiments, subsequent histification staining of tumors, SA-β-gal senescence staining, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for telomere analysis and other experiments. Finally, the method of biogenesis analysis was used to find the expression of LMNB1 in clinical liver cancer tissues, and its relationship with clinical stages and patient survival. Knockdown of LMNB1 in HepG2 and Hep3B cells significantly reduced telomerase activity, cell proliferation, migration and invasion abilities. Experiments in cells and tumor formation in nude mice had demonstrated that stable knockdown of LMNB1 reduced telomerase activity, shortened telomere length, senesced cells, reduced cell tumorigenicity and KI-67 expression. Bioinformatics analysis showed that LMNB1 was highly expressed in liver cancer tissues and correlated with tumor stage and patient survival. In conclusion, LMNB1 is overexpressed in liver cancer cells, and it is expected to become an indicator for evaluating the clinical prognosis of liver cancer patients and a target for precise treatment.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Animals
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Mice
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Telomerase/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Liver Neoplasms/genetics*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Telomere Shortening
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Mice, Nude
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Telomere/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Carcinogenesis
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
6.Acteoside promotes autophagy and apoptosis of hepatoma cells by regulating JNK signaling pathway.
Yu-Jing HE ; Ying ZHENG ; Chu-Yi LI ; Liu-Lu GAO ; Jun-Ke WANG ; Bin LI ; Li-Xia LU ; Pan WANG ; Xiao-Hui YU ; Jiu-Cong ZHANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2023;48(9):2343-2351
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			This study explored the molecular mechanism of acteoside against hepatoma 22(H22) tumor in mice through c-Jun N-terminal kinase(JNK) signaling pathway. H22 cells were subcutaneously inoculated in 50 male BALB/c mice, and then the model mice were classified into model group, low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose acteoside groups, and cisplatin group. The administration lasted 2 weeks for each group(5 consecutive days/week). The general conditions of mice in each group, such as mental status, diet intake, water intake, activity, and fur were observed. The body weight, tumor volume, tumor weight, and tumor-inhibiting rate were compared before and after administration. Morphological changes of liver cancer tissues were observed based on hematoxylin and eosin(HE) staining, and the expression of phosphorylated(p)-JNK, JNK, B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2), Beclin-1, and light chain 3(LC3) in each tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. qRT-PCR was performed to detect the mRNA expression of JNK, Bcl-2, Beclin-1, and LC3. The general conditions of mice in model and low-dose acteoside groups were poor, while the general conditions of mice in the remaining three groups were improved. The body weight of mice in medium-dose acteoside group, high-dose acteoside group, and cisplatin group was smaller than that in model group(P<0.01). The tumor volume in model group was insignificantly different from that in low-dose acteoside group, and the volume in cisplatin group showed no significant difference from that in high-dose acteoside group. Tumor volume and weight in medium-dose and high-dose acteoside groups and cisplatin group were lower than those in the model group(P<0.001). The tumor-inhibiting rates were 10.72%, 40.32%, 53.79%, and 56.44% in the low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose acteoside groups and cisplatin group, respectively. HE staining showed gradual decrease in the count of hepatoma cells and increasing sign of cell necrosis in the acteoside and cisplatin groups, and the necrosis was particularly obvious in the high-dose acteoside group and cisplatin group. Immunohistochemical results suggested that the expression of Beclin-1, LC3, p-JNK, and JNK was up-regulated in acteoside and cisplatin groups(P<0.05). The results of immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and qRT-PCR indicated that the expression of Bcl-2 was down-regulated in the medium-dose and high-dose acteoside groups and cisplatin group(P<0.01). Western blot showed that the expression of Beclin-1, LC3, and p-JNK was up-regulated in acteoside and cisplatin groups(P<0.01), and there was no difference in the expression of JNK among groups. qRT-PCR results showed that the levels of Beclin-1 and LC3 mRNA were up-regulated in the acteoside and cisplatin groups(P<0.05), and the level of JNK mRNA was up-regulated in medium-dose and high-dose acteoside groups and cisplatin group(P<0.001). Acteoside promotes apoptosis and autophagy of H22 cells in mice hepatoma cells by up-regulating the JNK signaling pathway, thus inhibiting tumor growth.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Male
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Animals
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Mice
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cisplatin/pharmacology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			MAP Kinase Signaling System
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Beclin-1
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Apoptosis
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Liver Neoplasms/genetics*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Necrosis
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cell Line, Tumor
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			RNA, Messenger/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Autophagy
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
7.5'-tiRNA-Gln inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma progression by repressing translation through the interaction with eukaryotic initiation factor 4A-I.
Chengdong WU ; Dekai LIU ; Lufei ZHANG ; Jingjie WANG ; Yuan DING ; Zhongquan SUN ; Weilin WANG
Frontiers of Medicine 2023;17(3):476-492
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) are novel non-coding RNAs that are involved in the occurrence and progression of diverse diseases. However, their exact presence and function in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. Here, differentially expressed tsRNAs in HCC were profiled. A novel tsRNA, tRNAGln-TTG derived 5'-tiRNA-Gln, is significantly downregulated, and its expression level is correlated with progression in patients. In HCC cells, 5'-tiRNA-Gln overexpression impaired the proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and in vivo, while 5'-tiRNA-Gln knockdown yielded opposite results. 5'-tiRNA-Gln exerted its function by binding eukaryotic initiation factor 4A-I (EIF4A1), which unwinds complex RNA secondary structures during translation initiation, causing the partial inhibition of translation. The suppressed downregulated proteins include ARAF, MEK1/2 and STAT3, causing the impaired signaling pathway related to HCC progression. Furthermore, based on the construction of a mutant 5'-tiRNA-Gln, the sequence of forming intramolecular G-quadruplex structure is crucial for 5'-tiRNA-Gln to strongly bind EIF4A1 and repress translation. Clinically, 5'-tiRNA-Gln expression level is negatively correlated with ARAF, MEK1/2, and STAT3 in HCC tissues. Collectively, these findings reveal that 5'-tiRJNA-Gln interacts with EIF4A1 to reduce related mRNA binding through the intramolecular G-quadruplex structure, and this process partially inhibits translation and HCC progression.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Humans
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Liver Neoplasms/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-4A/genetics*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cell Line
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			RNA, Transfer/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			RNA
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cell Proliferation
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
8.Y-box-binding protein 1 mediates sorafenib resistance via the extracellular signal regulated-protein kinase pathway in hepatoma cells.
Ting LIU ; Xiaoli XIE ; Sheng Xiong CHEN ; Yi Jun WANG ; Hui Qing JIANG
Chinese Journal of Hepatology 2023;31(4):401-407
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective: To investigate the effect and possible mechanism of Y-box-binding protein 1 (YB-1) on sorafenib resistance in hepatoma cells. Methods: Lentiviral vectors with YB-1 overexpression and knockdown were constructed, respectively, to stimulate human hepatoma cell lines (HepG2 and Huh7) alone or in combination with sorafenib.The overexpression part of the experiment was divided into four groups: overexpression control group (Lv-NC), YB-1 overexpression group (Lv-YB-1), overexpression control combined with sorafenib resistance group (Lv-NC+sorafenib), YB-1 overexpression combined with sorafenib resistance group (Lv-YB-1 + sorafenib). The knockdown part of the experiment was also divided into four groups: knockdown control group (Lv-shNC), YB-1 knockdown group (Lv-shYB-1), knockdown control combined with sorafenib resistance group (Lv-shNC + sorafenib), YB-1 knockdown combined with sorafenib resistance group (Lv-shYB-1 + sorafenib). The occurrence of cell apoptosis was detected by TUNEL. The protein expression levels of phosphorylated (p)-ERK and ERK, key proteins in the extracellular regulatory protein kinase (ERK) signaling pathway, were detected by Western blot and quantified by ImageJ software. Subcutaneous tumorigenesis experiments were performed in nude mice. The effect of YB-1 on the efficacy of sorafenib was verified in vivo. The comparison between the two sets of data was carried out by an independent sample t-test. One-way ANOVA was used for comparisons between the three groups of data above. Results: Sorafenib had accelerated the occurrence of apoptosis in hepatoma cells, while YB-1 overexpression had inhibited cell apoptosis, and at the same time also inhibited the apoptosis-accelerating impact of sorafenib. On the contrary, YB-1 knockdown accelerated cell apoptosis and amplified the induction effect of sorafenib on apoptosis. Furthermore, sorafenib resistance had down-regulated p-ERK levels (HepG2: Lv-NC 0.685 ± 0.143, Lv-NC + sorafenib 0.315 ± 0.168, P < 0.05; Huh7: Lv-NC 0.576 ± 0.078, Lv-NC + sorafenib 0.150 ± 0.131, P < 0.01), whereas YB-1 overexpression had inhibited sorafenib resistance p-ERK reduction (HepG2: Lv-NC + sorafenib 0.315 ± 0.168, Lv-YB-1 + sorafenib 0.688 ± 0.042, P < 0.05; Huh7: Lv-NC + sorafenib 0.150 ± 0.131, Lv-YB-1 + sorafenib 0.553 ± 0.041, P < 0.05). YB-1 knockdown further increased sorafenib-induced p-ERK downregulation (HepG2: Lv-shNC + sorafenib 0.911 ± 0.252, Lv-shYB-1 + sorafenib 0.500 ± 0.201, P < 0.05; Huh7: Lv-shNC + sorafenib 0.577 ± 0.082, Lv-shYB-1 + sorafenib 0.350 ± 0.143, P < 0.05), which was further verified in naked mice (Lv-shNC + sorafenib 0.812 ± 0.279, Lv-shYB-1 + sorafenib 0.352 ± 0.109, P < 0.05). Conclusion: YB-1 mediates the occurrence of sorafenib resistance via the ERK signaling pathway in hepatoma cells.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Humans
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cell Line, Tumor
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Sorafenib/pharmacology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Drug Resistance, Neoplasm
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Y-Box-Binding Protein 1/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			MAP Kinase Signaling System
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Animals
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Mice
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Mice, Nude
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
9.Research and exploration of salivary biological markers for hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma.
Yan Hui LU ; Qiu Yan LU ; Zhi Yun YAN ; Cheng Run XU
Chinese Journal of Hepatology 2023;31(5):495-503
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective: To study using isotope-labeled relative and absolute quantitative proteomics methodologies to screen for salivary biological markers as a simple, non-invasive tool for identifying hepatitis B-related HCC at an early stage. Methods: Saliva samples were collected to extract salivary proteins. Isotope-labeled relative and absolute quantitative proteomics were used to analyze the differentially expressed proteins between the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and non-HCC groups. Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to verify differential proteins and identify markers in liver cancer tissues and saliva. Statistical analysis was used to analyze the diagnostic efficiency of salivary biomarkers. Results: 152 differentially expressed salivary proteins were screened out between the HCC and non-HCC groups. Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays validated that the expressions of α-1-acid glycoprotein 1 (ORM1) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) were significantly increased in HCC (P < 0.05). There was a significant correlation between salivary AFP and serum AFP (P < 0.05). HCC was diagnosed when salivary α-1-acid glycoprotein 1 combined with AFP. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.8726 (95% confidence interval: 0.8104 ~ 0.9347), the sensitivity was 78.3%, and the specificity was 88%. Conclusion: Salivary AFP and α-1-acid glycoprotein 1 can serve as potential biomarkers for hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Humans
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Liver Neoplasms/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			alpha-Fetoproteins/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Biomarkers
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Hepatitis B
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			ROC Curve
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Glycoproteins
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Biomarkers, Tumor
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
10.Clinical value of plasma scaffold protein SEC16A in evaluating hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
Chen DONG ; Chu Di CHANG ; Dan Dan ZHAO ; Xiao Xiao ZHANG ; Pei Lin GUO ; Yao DOU ; Su Xian ZHAO ; Yue Min NAN
Chinese Journal of Hepatology 2023;31(6):621-626
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective: To investigate the clinical value of plasma scaffold protein SEC16A level and related models in the diagnosis of hepatitis B virus-related liver cirrhosis (HBV-LC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC). Methods: Patients with HBV-LC and HBV-HCC and a healthy control group diagnosed by clinical, laboratory examination, imaging, and liver histopathology at the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University between June 2017 and October 2021 were selected. Plasma SEC16A level was detected using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) was detected using an electrochemiluminescence instrument. SPSS 26.0 and MedCalc 15.0 statistical software were used to analyze the relationship between plasma SEC16A levels and the occurrence and development of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. A sequential logistic regression model was used to analyze relevant factors. SEC16A was established through a joint diagnostic model. Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the clinical efficacy of the model for liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosis. Pearson correlation analysis was used to identify the influencing factors of novel diagnostic biomarkers. Results: A total of 60 cases of healthy controls, 60 cases of HBV-LC, and 52 cases of HBV-HCC were included. The average levels of plasma SEC16A were (7.41 ± 1.66) ng/ml, (10.26 ± 1.86) ng/ml, (12.79 ± 1.49) ng /ml, respectively, with P < 0.001. The sensitivity and specificity of SEC16A in the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma were 69.44% and 71.05%, and 89.36% and 88.89%, respectively. SEC16A, age, and AFP were independent risk factors for the occurrence of HBV-LC and HCC. SAA diagnostic cut-off values, sensitivity, and specificity were 26.21 and 31.46, 77.78% and 81.58%, and 87.23% and 97.22%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity for HBV-HCC early diagnosis were 80.95% and 97.22%, respectively. Pearson correlation analysis showed that AFP level was positively correlated with alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (TBil), and γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) with P < 0.01, while the serum SEC16A level was only slightly positively correlated with ALT and AST in the liver cirrhosis group (r = 0.268 and 0.260, respectively, P < 0.05). Conclusion: Plasma SEC16A can be used as a diagnostic marker for hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. SEC16A, combined with age and the AFP diagnostic model with SAA, can significantly improve the rate of HBV-LC and HBV-HCC early diagnosis. Additionally, its application is helpful for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of the progression of HBV-related diseases.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Humans
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		                        			Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology*
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		                        			Liver Neoplasms/pathology*
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		                        			alpha-Fetoproteins/metabolism*
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		                        			Endoplasmic Reticulum/metabolism*
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		                        			Golgi Apparatus/metabolism*
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		                        			Vesicular Transport Proteins
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		                        			Liver Cirrhosis/complications*
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		                        			Hepatitis B/complications*
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		                        			ROC Curve
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		                        			Hepatitis B virus/metabolism*
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		                        			Biomarkers, Tumor
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
            
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