Fluorescence bioimaging in the second near‐infrared spectral region (NIR‐II, 1000–1700 nm) can provide advantages of high spatial resolution and large penetration depth, due to low light scattering. ...However, NIR‐II fluorophores simultaneously possessing high brightness, good stability, and biocompatibility are very rare. Hydrophobic NIR‐II emissive PbS@CdS quantum dots (QDs) are surface‐functionalized, via a silica and amphiphilic polymer (Pluronic F‐127) dual‐layer coating method. The as‐synthesized PbS@CdS@SiO2@F‐127 nanoparticles (NPs) are aqueously dispersible and possess a quantum yield of ≈5.79%, which is much larger than those of most existing NIR‐II fluorophores. Thanks to the dual‐layer protection, PbS@CdS@SiO2@F‐127 NPs show excellent chemical stability in a wide range of pH values. The biocompatibility of PbS@CdS@SiO2@F‐127 NPs is studied, and the results show that the toxicity of the NPs in vivo could be minimal. PbS@CdS@SiO2@F‐127 NPs are then utilized for in vivo and real‐time NIR‐II fluorescence microscopic imaging of mouse brain. The architecture of blood vessels is visualized and the imaging depth reaches 950 µm. Furthermore, in vivo NIR‐II fluorescence imaging of gastrointestinal tract is achieved, by perfusing PbS@CdS@SiO2@F‐127 NPs into mice at a rather low dosage. This work illustrates the potential of ultrastable, biocompatible, and bright NIR‐II QDs in biomedical and clinical applications, which require deep tissue imaging.
NIR‐II emissive PbS@CdS quantum dots are surface‐functionalized with a dual‐layer coating method. The as‐synthesized PbS@CdS@SiO2@F‐127 nanoparticles (NPs) are aqueously dispersible, and possess certain brightness. Chemically stable and biocompatible PbS@CdS@SiO2@F‐127 NPs are utilized for deep tissue (950 µm) in vivo microscopic angiography of the mice brain. Noninvasive and large depth (3–5 mm) gastrointestinal tract imaging with high contrast is achieved.
Circular RNA (circRNA) is a type of circular endogenous RNA produced by special selective splicing and participates in progression of diverse diseases. However, the role of circRNA in clear cell ...renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is still rarely reported.
We detected lower circ-AKT3 expression in ccRCC using the circular RNA microarray. Then, qPCR array was applied to verify the expression of circ-AKT3 in between 60 ccRCC tissues and adjacent normal tissues, as well as ccRCC cell lines and human normal kidney cell (HK-2). We investigated the function of circ-AKT3 in ccRCC in vitro and in vivo and detected underlying mechanisms by Western blotting, bioinformatic analysis, RNA pull-down assay and luciferase reporter assay.
Circ-AKT3 was verified significantly downregulated in ccRCC. Knockdown of circ-AKT3 promoted ccRCC migration and invasion, while overexpression of circ-AKT3 suppressed ccRCC metastasis. Further, circ-AKT3/miR-296-3p/E-cadherin axis was shown responsible for circ-AKT3 inhibiting ccRCC metastasis.
Circ-AKT3 suppresses ccRCC metastasis by enforcing E-cadherin expression through competitively binding miR-296-3p. Circ-AKT3 may therefore serve as a novel therapeutic to better suppress ccRCC metastasis.
Abstract
Background
Sunitinib resistance can be classified into primary and secondary resistance. While accumulating research has indicated several underlying factors contributing to sunitinib ...resistance, the precise mechanisms in renal cell carcinoma are still unclear.
Methods
RNA sequencing and m6A sequencing were used to screen for functional genes involved in sunitinib resistance. In vitro and in vivo experiments were carried out and patient samples and clinical information were obtained for clinical analysis.
Results
We identified a tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor, TRAF1, that was significantly increased in sunitinib-resistant cells, resistant cell-derived xenograft (CDX-R) models and clinical patients with sunitinib resistance. Silencing TRAF1 increased sunitinib-induced apoptotic and antiangiogenic effects. Mechanistically, the upregulated level of TRAF1 in sunitinib-resistant cells was derived from increased TRAF1 RNA stability, which was caused by an increased level of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) in a METTL14-dependent manner. Moreover, in vivo adeno-associated virus 9 (AAV9) -mediated transduction of TRAF1 suppressed the sunitinib-induced apoptotic and antiangiogenic effects in the CDX models, whereas knockdown of TRAF1 effectively resensitized the sunitinib-resistant CDXs to sunitinib treatment.
Conclusions
Overexpression of TRAF1 promotes sunitinib resistance by modulating apoptotic and angiogenic pathways in a METTL14-dependent manner. Targeting TRAF1 and its pathways may be a novel pharmaceutical intervention for sunitinib-treated patients.
Abstract
Bright anti-Stokes fluorescence (ASF) in the first near-infrared spectral region (NIR-I, 800 nm–900 nm) under the excitation of a 915 nm continuous wave (CW) laser, is observed in ...Indocyanine Green (ICG), a dye approved by the Food and Drug Administration for clinical use. The dependence of fluorescence intensity on excitation light power and temperature, together with fluorescence lifetime measurement, establish this ASF to be originated from absorption from a thermally excited vibrational level (hot-band absorption), as shown in our experiments, which is stronger than the upconversion fluorescence from widely-used rare-earth ion doped nanoparticles. To test the utility of this ASF NIR-I probe for advanced bioimaging, we successively apply it for biothermal sensing, cerebral blood vessel tomography and blood stream velocimetry. Moreover, in combination with L1057 nanoparticles, which absorb the ASF of ICG and emit beyond 1100 nm, these two probes generate multi-mode images in two fluorescent channels under the excitation of a single 915 nm CW laser. One channel is used to monitor two overlapping organs, urinary system & blood vessel of a live mouse, while the other shows urinary system only. Using in intraoperative real-time monitoring, such multi-mode imaging method can be beneficial for visual guiding in anatomy of the urinary system to avoid any accidental injury to the surrounding blood vessels during surgery.
Circular RNA (circRNA) is a novel class noncoding RNA (ncRNA) that plays a critical role in various cancers, including prostate cancer (PCa). However, the clinical significance, biological function, ...and molecular mechanisms of circRNAs in prostate cancer remain to be elucidated.
A circRNA array was performed to identified the differentially expressed circRNAs. circPDE5A was identified as a novel circRNA which downregulated in clinical samples. Functionally, the in vitro and in vivo assays were applied to explore the role of circPDE5A in PCa metastasis. Mechanistically, the interaction between circPDE5A and WTAP was verified using RNA pulldown followed by mass spectrometry, RNA Immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. m
A methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) was then used to identified the downstream target of circPDE5A. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay (ChIP) and dual-luciferase reporter assay were used to identified transcriptional factor which regulated circPDE5A expression.
circPDE5A was identified downregulated in PCa tissues compared to adjacent normal tissue and was negatively correlated with gleason score of PCa patients. circPDE5A inhibits PCa cells migration and invasion both in vitro and in vivo. circPDE5A blocks the WTAP-dependent N6-methyladenisine (m
A) methylation of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3c (EIF3C) mRNA by forming the circPDE5A-WTAP complex, and finally disrupts the translation of EIF3C. Moreover, the circPDE5A-dependent decrease in EIF3C expression inactivates the MAPK pathway and then restrains PCa progression.
Our findings demonstrate that FOXO4-mediated upregulation of circPDE5A controls PCa metastasis via the circPDE5A-WTAP-EIF3C-MAPK signaling pathway and could serve as a potential therapeutic targer for PCa.
Seminoma is the most common testicular germ cell tumor worldwide and mainly occurs in 15‐35‐year‐old young men. Early studies have indicated that testicular nuclear receptor 4 (TR4) first cloned from ...testis is involved in the invasion and metastasis of several human tumors; however, little attention is paid to the function of TR4 in seminoma. Our immunohistochemical (IHC) staining results showed that patients with advanced stage tumors tended to have higher expression of TR4. Importantly, there was a significant association between elevated TR4 expression and reduced overall survival in seminoma patients. In vitro MTS, western blot and transwell assays, after manipulating TR4 expression in Tcam‐2 cells, revealed that TR4 induced epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) and promoted Tcam‐2 cell proliferation and invasion. Mechanism dissection demonstrated that AKT3, a critical component in the signaling pathway, played a crucial role in mediating TR4‐promoted Tcam‐2 cell proliferation and invasion. We further revealed that TR4 modulated AKT3 at the transcriptional level via chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase assays. Meanwhile, addition of the AKT3 siRNA blocked the function of TR4. Overall, these findings first elucidate that TR4 is a novel prognostic marker and plays a critical role in the metastatic capacity of Tcam‐2 cells by EMT regulation and, consequently, targeting TR4‐AKT3 pathway may serve as a potential therapeutic approach for seminoma.
We demonstrated, for the first time, the functional role of TR4/AKT3 signaling in the proliferation and epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition in seminoma cells. Therefore, TR4/AKT3 pathway may serve as a new biomarker and/or potential therapeutic target in seminoma.
TR4 worsen urosepsis by regulating GSDMD Wang, Huan; Zhu, Shibin; Zhou, Zhenwei ...
European journal of medical research,
03/2024, Letnik:
29, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Urosepsis is a life-threatening organ disease in which pathogenic microorganisms in the urine enter the blood through the vessels, causing an imbalance in the immune response to infection. The aim of ...this study was to elucidate the role of testicular orphan receptor 4 (TR4) in urosepsis.
The role of TR4 in the progression and prognosis of urosepsis was confirmed by analyzing data from online databases and clinical human samples. To mimic urosepsis, we injected E. coli bacteria into the renal pelvis of mice to create a urosepsis model. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to observe histopathological changes in urosepsis. The effects of the upregulation or downregulation of TR4 on macrophage pyroptosis were verified in vitro. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay was used to verify the effect of TR4 on Gasdermin D (GSDMD) transcription.
TR4 was more highly expressed in the nonsurviving group than in the surviving group. Furthermore, overexpressing TR4 promoted inflammatory cytokine expression, and knocking down TR4 attenuated inflammatory cytokine expression. Mechanistically, TR4 promoted pyroptosis by regulating the expression of GSDMD in urosepsis. Furthermore, we also found that TR4 knockdown protected mice from urosepsis induced by the E. coli.
TR4 functions as a key regulator of urosepsis by mediating pyroptosis, which regulates GSDMD expression. Targeting TR4 may be a potential strategy for urosepsis treatment.
To evaluate the early functional and oncological outcomes of single-port robot-assisted perineal radical prostatectomy (sp-pRARP) using the da Vinci XI system and analyze its learning curve using the ...cumulative sum (CUSUM) method.
The clinical data of 50 patients who underwent sp-pRARP for localized prostate cancer between May 2020 and May 2022 in our center by a single surgeon were analyzed retrospectively. Demographic information, preoperative and postoperative variables, complications, early functional and oncological outcomes of patients were recorded. The CUSUM method was used to illustrate the learning curve based on operation time.
All surgeries were completed without conversion. The median (interquartile range, IQR) operation time was 205.0 (82.5) min, whereas the median (IQR) docking time was 30.0 (15.0) min and the console time was 120.0 (80.5) min. The median (IQR) estimated blood loss (EBL) was 50.0 (137.5) mL. Positive surgical margins were detected in five patients (10.0%). The continence rate was 40.9%, 63.6%, 88.4%, and 97.7% at the 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. According to the CUSUM plot, the inflection points of the learning curve were 20 cases, splitting the case series into "early phase" and "late phase." In "late phase" cases, there was less time spent on each step of the operation and less EBL.
Sp-pRARP using the da Vinci XI system was verified to be a feasible and reliable surgical approach. According to the CUSUM plot, 20 cases was considered the turning point for surgeons to master the novel technique.
Accurate structural and functional imaging is vital for the diagnosis and prognosis of urinary system diseases. Fluorescence bioimaging in the second near-infrared spectral region (NIR-II, ...1000–1700 nm) has shown advantages of higher spatial resolution, deeper penetration, and finer signal-to-background ratio (SBR) compared to the conventional fluorescence imaging methods but limited to its clinical inapplicability. Herein, we first report in vivo NIR-II fluorescence imaging of the urinary system enabled by a clinically approved and renal excretable dye methylene blue (MB), which cannot only achieve clear invasive/non-invasive urography but also noninvasively detect renal function efficiently. These results demonstrate that MB assisted NIR-II fluorescence imaging holds a great promise for structural and functional imaging of the urinary system both clinically and preclinically.
Background
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been reported to play a significant role in tumorigenesis. However, the detailed function of circRNA in prostate cancer (PCa) is still largely unknown.
...Methods
We quantified circTFDP2 expression in PCa tissues and adjacent normal tissues using quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). Colony formation, Cell Counting Kit‐8 (CCK‐8), flow cytometry, transwell, and in vivo progression and metastasis assays were applied to reveal the proliferation and metastatic abilities of circTFDP2 in PCa cells. Mass spectrometry, RNA pulldown, RNA‐immunoprecipitation (RIP), western blotting and immunofluorescence were used for the mechanistic studies. qRT‐PCR and RIP assays were used to explore the regulatory role of eIF4A3 in the biogenesis of circTFDP2. Finally, functional assays showed the effect of circTFDP2‐containing exosomes on PCa cell progression.
Results
circTFDP2 was upregulated in PCa tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. Furthermore, high circTFDP2 expression was positively correlated with the Gleason score. Functionally, circTFDP2 promoted PCa cell proliferation and metastasis both in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, circTFDP2 interacted with poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) protein in its DNA‐binding domain to prevent it from active caspase‐3‐dependent cleavage, and finally relieved PCa cells from DNA damage. In addition, RNA‐binding protein eIF4A3 can interact with the flanking region of circTFDP2 and promote the biogenesis of circTFDP2. Moreover, exosome‐derived circTFDP2 promoted PCa cell progression.
Conclusions
In general, our study demonstrated that circTFDP2 promoted PCa cell progression through the PARP1/DNA damage axis, which may be a promising therapeutic target for PCa.
1. circTFDP2 is upregulated in prostate cancer tissues and positively correlated with the Gleason score, metastasis status and T stage of prostate cancer patients.
2. circTFDP2 promotes prostate cancer progression via directly binding to PARP1.
3. circTFDP2 could be secreted to the cell culture by exosomes.
PDF
