Biological Procedures Online最新文献

Objective: To analyze the regularities and clinical features of sintilimab-related autoimmune myocarditis, and to summarize the differential diagnosis key points between sintilimab-related autoimmune myocarditis and acute myocardial infarction.

Methods: The case reports about sintilimab-related autoimmune myocarditis were searched on databases from the establishment of the database to April 1st 2024. The relevant medical records were searched on the hospital information system of Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the past 3 years. The case reports and medical records were collected for statistical analysis.

Result: Twenty three cases were collected including 22 case reports and 1 case record. Most of the sintilimab-related autoimmune myocarditis were in elderly men aged 60-75 years old and occurred between the end of the first dose of treatment to the beginning of the second dose. The symptom was nonspecific such as chest tightness and palpitation, sometimes with symptom of myasthenia as muscle weakness or myositisand as muscle soreness. Elevated cardiac biomarkers and changes in electrocardiogram were common, and decreased left ventricular ejection fraction was rarely seen in echocardiography. 9 cases underwent coronary angiography or computed coronary tomography angiography, and 3 cases underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

Conclusion: The manifestations of sintilimab-related autoimmune myocarditis are not specific. The medication history and concomitant symptoms are of warning value. Coronary angiography or coronary computed coronary tomography angiography can be helpful when ruling out acute myocardial infarction. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance and myocardial biopsy can confirm the diagnosis. Cardiac biomarkers and the electrocardiogram can assist in diagnosis and prognosis assessment.

Background: ALKBH5, one of the RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) demethyltransferases, has been suggested to be involved in the progression of several cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate clinical significance and biological functions of ALKBH5 in promoting ovarian cancer progression.

Results: We found a significant upregulation of ALKBH5 expression in ovarian cancer tissues compared with normal tissues. Correlation analyses indicated an association between heightened ALKBH5 expression and FIGO stage, as well as lymph node metastasis. Importantly, increased ALKBH5 expression indicated shorter progression-free survival and overall survival. Moreover, we found that hypoxia induced an increase in ALKBH5 expression in ovarian cancer via an HIF-1α-dependent mechanism. Loss-of-function assays demonstrated that ALKBH5 knockdown inhibited ovarian cancer cell progression both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we found that knockdown of ALKBH5-meidated m6A demethylation decreased Notch2 mRNA stability and expression, resulting in the inhibition of cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis in OC cells.

Conclusion: In summary, our findings demonstrated that ALKBH5 promotes the progression of ovarian cancer by activating Notch2 signaling, and suggested that ALKBH5 functions as an oncogene and may serve as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in ovarian cancer.

Background: Tiao-Shen-Zhi-Ai Formula (TSZAF) is a compound prescription of traditional Chinese medicine used clinically for the treatment of ovarian cancer. In this study, we selected three main active ingredients from TSZAF and combined them into a new TSZAF monomer combination (TSZAF mc) to investigate its effects and mechanisms on inhibiting ovarian cancer proliferation and inducing apoptosis.

Methods: The effects of TSZAF mc on proliferative activity and apoptosis in ovarian cancer HEY and SKOV3.IP1 cells were assessed in vitro using CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, and apoptosis assay. Micromethods, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence were employed to evaluate the impact of TSZAF mc on aerobic glycolytic metabolites and mitochondrial membrane potential. The mRNA and protein expression of key glycolytic genes were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR) and Western blot (WB). An ovarian cancer subcutaneous tumor model was established in NOD-SCID mice using SKOV3.IP1 cells. TSZAF mc was administered via continuous intraperitoneal injection, and its antitumor efficacy in vivo was assessed through anatomical observation, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Further RT-PCR, WB, and IHC were performed to validate the expression of key upstream glycolytic genes at mRNA and protein levels. Drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) and cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) were used to confirm binding targets. Molecular docking was performed to predict the binding interactions between the monomers and AKT. Finally, the regulatory relationships within signaling pathways were elucidated based on functional assays.

Results: TSZAF mc effectively inhibited ovarian cancer proliferation and induced apoptosis. It reduced lactate and ATP production, downregulated mitochondrial membrane potential, and decreased the mRNA and protein expression of key glycolytic genes, including HK2, PKM2, PFKM, GLUT1, and LDHA. In vivo, TSZAF mc suppressed ovarian cancer growth. Moreover, TSZAF mc downregulated the expression of phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT) and phosphorylated FOXO3A (p-FOXO3A) at both protein and tissue levels. CETSA and DARTS demonstrated that TSZAF mc binds AKT. The AKT activator SC79 reversed the inhibitory effects of TSZAF mc on ovarian cancer proliferation and the downregulation of glycolytic proteins.

Conclusion: TSZAF mc inhibits ovarian cancer progression by regulating the AKT/ FOXO3A-mediated glycolysis pathway, which may represent one of the mechanisms underlying the clinical efficacy of TSZAF in ovarian cancer treatment.