Advanced glycation end products promote meniscal calcification by activating the mTOR-ATF4 positive feedback loop

Yang Sheng,Xie JiaJun,Pan ZhiJie,Guan HongMei,Tu YueSheng,Ye YuanJian,Huang ShouBin,Fu ShiQiang,Li KangXian,Huang ZhiWei,Li XiaoQi,Shi ZhanJun,Li Le,Zhang Yang 생화학분자생물학회 2024 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.56 No.-

The meniscus is vital for maintaining knee homeostasis and function. Meniscal calcification is one of the earliest radiological indicators of knee osteoarthritis (KOA), and meniscal calcification is associated with alterations in biomechanical properties. Meniscal calcification originates from a biochemical process similar to vascular calcification. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and their receptors (RAGEs) reportedly play critical roles in vascular calcification. Herein, we investigated whether targeting AGE-RAGE is a potential treatment for meniscal calcification. In our study, we demonstrated that AGE-RAGE promotes the osteogenesis of meniscal cells and exacerbates meniscal calcification. Mechanistically, AGE-RAGE activates mTOR and simultaneously promotes ATF4 accumulation, thereby facilitating the ATF4-mTOR positive feedback loop that enhances the osteogenic capacity of meniscal cells. In this regard, mTOR inhibits ATF4 degradation by reducing its ubiquitination, while ATF4 activates mTOR by increasing arginine uptake. Our findings substantiate the unique role of AGE-RAGE in the meniscus and reveal the role of the ATF4-mTOR positive feedback loop during the osteogenesis of meniscal cells; these results provide potential therapeutic targets for KOA.

Serum Peroxiredoxin3 is a Useful Biomarker for Early Diagnosis and Assessemnt of Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Chinese Patients

Shi, Liang,Wu, Li-Li,Yang, Jian-Rong,Chen, Xiao-Fei,Zhang, Yi,Chen, Zeng-Qiang,Liu, Cun-Li,Chi, Sheng-Ying,Zheng, Jia-Ying,Huang, Hai-Xia,Yu, Fu-Jun,Lin, Xiang-Yang Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.7

Background: Recently, peroxiredoxin3 (PRDX3) was identified as a novel molecular marker for the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its potential clinical application as a serum marker for the early diagnosis and prognosis of HCC has not been investigated. Methods: PRDX3, alpha-fetaprotein (AFP), and other biochemical parameters were measured in serum samples from 297 Chinese patients, including 96 with HCC, 98 with liver cirrhosis (LC), and 103 healthy controls (HCs). Correlations between serum PRDX3 expression and clinicopathological variables and the relationship between serum PRDX3 expression and prognosis were analyzed. Results: Serum PRDX3 was significantly higher in HCC patients than in the LC and HC groups. The sensitivity and specificity of serum PRDX3 for the diagnosis of HCC were 85.9% and 75.3%, respectively, at a cutoff of 153.26 ng/mL, and the area under the curve was 0.865. Moreover, serum PRDX3 expression was strongly associated with AFP level, tumor diameter, TNM stage, and portal vein invasion. Kaplan-Meier curve analysis revealed that HCC patients with high serum PRDX3 expression had a shorter median survival time than those with low PRDX3 expression. Moreover, serum PRDX3 expression was an independent risk factor for overall survival. The inverse correlation between serum PRDX3 and patient survival remained significant in patients with early-stage HCC and in those with normal serum AFP levels. Conclusions: Serum PRDX3 can be used as a noninvasive biomarker for the diagnosis and/or prognosis of HCC.

Association between Ras association domain family 1A Promoter Methylation and Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: a Meta-analysis

Yang, Jian-Zhou,Ji, Ai-Fang,Wang, Jin-Sheng,Chen, Zhong-Yi,Wen, Shi Wu Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.9

RASSF1A has been reported to be a candidate tumor suppressor in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, the association between RASSF1A promoter methylation and ESCC remains unclear. Eligible studies were identified through searching PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, and the China National Knowledge Infrastucture database. Studies were pooled and odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Funnel plots were also performed to evaluate publication bias. Twelve studies involving 859 cases and 675 controls were included in this meta-analysis. A significant association was observed between RASSF1A methylation and ESCC overall (OR = 11.7, 95% CI: 6.59-20.9, z=8.36, P<0.00001). Subgroup analysis showed that the OR for heterogeneous tissues was 5.35 (95% CI = 2.95-9.71) while for autologous tissues it was 16.0 (8.31-30.96). For patient sample size, the OR for the <50 subgroup was 9.92 (95% CI = 2.88-34.2) and for the 50 case group was 13.1 (95% CI = 6.59-25.91). The OR for a relationship between RASSF1A methylation and TNM stages was 0.27 (95% CI=0.10-0.77), whereas there were no significant differences in RASSF1A methylation in relation to gender and differentiation among ESCC cases. This meta-analysis suggests a significant association between RASSF1A methylation and ESCC.

miR-340 Reverses Cisplatin Resistance of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Lines by Targeting Nrf2-dependent Antioxidant Pathway

Shi, Liang,Chen, Zhan-Guo,Wu, Li-li,Zheng, Jian-Jian,Yang, Jian-Rong,Chen, Xiao-Fei,Chen, Zeng-Qiang,Liu, Cun-Li,Chi, Sheng-Ying,Zheng, Jia-Ying,Huang, Hai-Xia,Lin, Xiang-Yang,Zheng, Fang Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.23

Many chemotherapeutic agents have been successfully used to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, the development of chemoresistance in liver cancer cells usually results in a relapse and worsening of prognosis. It has been demonstrated that DNA methylation and histone modification play crucial roles in chemotherapy resistance. Currently, extensive research has shown that there is another potential mechanism of gene expression control, which is mediated through the function of short noncoding RNAs, especially for microRNAs (miRNAs), but little is known about their roles in cancer cell drug resistance. In present study, by taking advantage of miRNA effects on the resistance of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells line to cisplatin, it has been demonstrated that miR-340 were significantly downregulated whereas Nrf2 was upregulated in HepG2/CDDP (cisplatin) cells, compared with parental HepG2 cells. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase assays of Nrf2-3'-untranslated region-based reporter constructor indicated that Nrf2 was the direct target gene of miR-340, miR-340 mimics suppressing Nrf2-dependent antioxidant pathway and enhancing the sensitivity of HepG2/CDDP cells to cisplatin. Interestingly, transfection with miR-340 mimics combined with miR-340 inhibitors reactivated the Nrf2 related pathway and restored the resistance of HepG2/CDDP cells to CDDP. Collectively, the results first suggested that lower expression of miR-340 is involved in the development of CDDP resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, at least partly due to regulating Nrf2-dependent antioxidant pathway.

Up-regulation of Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3 Is Associated with Brain Metastasis in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Yang, Lishi,Li, Junyang,Fu, Shaozhi,Ren, Peirong,Tang, Juan,Wang, Na,Shi, Xiangxiang,Wu, Jingbo,Lin, Sheng Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology 2019 Molecules and cells Vol.42 No.4

The brain is the most common metastatic site of lung adenocarcinoma; however, the mechanism of this selective metastasis remains unclear. We aimed to verify the hypothesis that exposure of tumor cells to the brain microenvironment leads to changes in their gene expression, which promotes their oriented transfer to the brain. A549 and H1299 lung adenocarcinoma cells were exposed to human astrocyte-conditioned medium to simulate the brain microenvironment. Microarray analysis was used to identify differentially expressed genes, which were confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting. Knockdown experiments using microRNAs and the overexpression of genes by cell transfection were performed in addition to migration and invasion assays. In vitro findings were confirmed in clinical specimens using immunohistochemistry. We found and confirmed a significant increase in insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP3) levels. Our results also showed that the up-regulation of IGFBP3 promoted A549 cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition, migration, and invasion, while the knockdown of IGFBP3 resulted in decreased cell motility. We also found that Transforming growth factor-${\beta}$ (TGF-${\beta}$)/Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 4 (Smad4)-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition was likely IGFBP3-dependent in A549 cells. Finally, expression of IGFBP3 was significantly elevated in pulmonary cancer tissues and intracranial metastatic tissues. Our data indicate that up-regulation of IGFBP3 might mediate brain metastasis in lung adenocarcinoma, which makes it a potential therapeutic target.

Broadband Absorption Enhancement in µc-Si:H Thin-Film Solar Cells Based on Silver Nanoparticle Arrays

Shi-E Yang,Ping Liu,Dong Ding,Qiaoneng Guo,Yong-Sheng Chen 성균관대학교(자연과학캠퍼스) 성균나노과학기술원 2017 NANO Vol.12 No.3

The thin-film solar cell structure with a broadband absorption enhancement is reported. We designed spherical silver (Ag) nanoparticle arrays on or embedded partially into indium tin oxide (ITO) layer of the hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (µc-Si:H) thin-film solar cells. The geometrical parameters, such as nanoparticle radius (R), array period (P) and ITO layer thickness (d) are optimized by using the finite element method (FEM). The numerical results show that the key parameter that influences the integrated absorption is period/radius ratio (P/R) for Ag nanoparticle arrays. Embedding nanoparticle arrays partially into ITO layer with the appropriate thickness can improve broadband light-trapping. The optimized structure shows 50.1% enhancement in the integrated absorption compared to the reference cell when P = 500 nm, R = 100 nm and d = 70 nm. Furthermore, physical mechanisms of absorption enhancement in different wavelength range are discussed according to the electrical field amplitude distributions in the solar cells.

Selective Nitration of Phenol to ortho-Nitrophenol using Dilute Nitric Acid by Microemulsion of Cetytrimethylammonium Bromide (CTAB) in Isooctane

Yang, Gen-sheng,Shi, Jie-hua,Li, Jinghua 한국화학공학회 2003 Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.20 No.5

The paper reports near-selective nitration of phenol to ortho-nitrophenol using CTAB microemulsion solution in the presence of dilute nitric acid. The differnce between the selective nitration of different kinds of surfactants such as AOT (anionic surfactant) and CTAB (cation surfactant) has been investigated. All these experimental results indicate that microemulsion can be selective to give the ortho-phenol.

Measuring the CO₂ Reduction Performance on Industry Level in Taiwan : Evidence from a Meta-Frontier SBM Model with Undesirable Output

Sheng Hsiung Chiu,Shi Li Xiao,Xin Miao Tan,Tzu Yu Lin,Helen Yang 한국유통과학회 2017 KODISA ICBE (International Conference on Business Vol.2017 No.-

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the CO₂ reduction performance on industry level in Taiwan after the renewable development act that enacted in 2009. We observe that CO₂ reduction performance has risen slightly due to the effectiveness of energy-saving technologies and low-carbon energy structures under the growth scale of Taiwan’s economy in the meanwhile. It is noticed that the target of GHG reduction in Taiwan for 2030 will be controlled at 20% off compared to their 2005 levels, in accordance of the COP21 that made an appeal to their member nation to submit a reduction target about GHG (CO₂) emission. Therefore, to realize the historical situation of CO₂ emission with the consideration of economic growth has been brought to the attention of Taiwanese government for policy planning on mitigating CO₂ emission on either national level or industry level. We can draw several policy implications from the evaluation results. First, we suggest that the government should pay more attention on industrial sectors because they relative underperformed in terms of their CO₂ reduction behavior in the viewpoint of meta-frontier. Second, it is noted that electricity will be the main part of the energy consumption structure. A low-carbon electricity supply portfolio is necessary for decreasing CO₂ emissions. It may not practical, only that expanding the capacity of renewable energies becomes antidote.

Resistance of Cucumber Grafting Rootstock Pumpkin Cultivars to Chilling and Salinity Stresses

Yang Xu,Shi-rong Guo,He Li,Hong-zhu Sun,Na Lu,Sheng Shu,Jin Sun 한국원예학회 2017 원예과학기술지 Vol.35 No.2

Grafting using a pumpkin (Cucurbita sp.) rootstock is an effective way to improve cucumber (Cucumis sativus ) resistance to a combination of chilling and salinity stresses. We evaluated the tolerance of 15 pumpkin cultivars to chilling, salinity, and combined stresses at the germination and seedling stages. Selected plant characteristics, including germination rate, germination potential, germination index, plant height, stem thickness, fresh weight, and dry weight, were analyzed. We used the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean for cluster analyses to determine the stress tolerance levels of the pumpkin cultivars. The 15 cultivars were divided into three clusters: tolerant, moderately tolerant, and susceptible to stress treatments. The stress tolerances of all cultivars were variable in the germination and seedling stages, and most cultivars were not tolerant to individual treatments of chilling or salinity stresses at both stages. These results suggest that identifying suitable cultivars for use as rootstock during cucumber grafting should involve the evaluation of stress tolerance during different growth stages. Additionally, cultivars tolerant to chilling stress may not be tolerant to salinity stress; therefore, the choice of pumpkin rootstock should depend on where the grafted plant will be grown. Cultivars tolerant to a combination of chilling and salinity stresses may be useful as rootstock for cucumber grafting. Our findings may serve as reference material for choosing appropriate pumpkin rootstocks for cucumber grafting.

Evaluation of Non-isothermal Melt Crystallization Kinetics of the Poly(lactic acid)/Graphene Composites under Variant Cooling Circumstances via Solidification Analysis Approach

Bin Yang,Peng Zhang,Shu-Chun Zhao,Ru Xia,Li-Fen Su,Ji-Bin Miao,Peng Chen,Jia-Sheng Qian,You Shi 한국고분자학회 2019 폴리머 Vol.43 No.5

The poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/graphene (GN) composites were prepared by solution blending. An in situ measurement technique was adopted to examine the non-isothermal crystallization of PLA/GN composites, which was different from the typical circumstances at constant cooling rate in DSC. The rheological properties of the samples were investigated, and the Carreau-A model was applied to non-linearly fit the rheological data. The non-isothermal crystallization kinetics and solidification behaviors at variant cooling rates were investigated using a modified version of Avrami equation by Jeziorny coupled with three-parameter model (TPM) and four-parameter model (FPM). Our findings showed that the viscosity of the PLA/GN composites dropped with increasing shear rate or GN content. Crystallization kinetic analysis suggested that GN served as an effective nucleating agent for PLA under non-isothermal melt crystallization conditions with variant cooling rate.