Inflammation is a hallmark of aging and is negatively affecting female fertility. In this study, we evaluate the role of the NLRP3 inflammasome in ovarian aging and female fertility. Age-dependent increased expression of NLRP3 in the ovary was observed in WT mice during reproductive aging. High expression of NLRP3, caspase-1, and IL-1β was also observed in granulosa cells from patients with ovarian insufficiency. Ablation of NLRP3 improved the survival and pregnancy rates and increased anti-Müllerian hormone levels and autophagy rates in ovaries. Deficiency of NLRP3 also reduced serum FSH and estradiol levels. Consistent with these results, pharmacological inhibition of NLRP3 using a direct NLRP3 inhibitor, MCC950, improved fertility in female mice to levels comparable to those of Nlrp3−/− mice. These results suggest that the NLRP3 inflammasome is implicated in the age-dependent loss of female fertility and position this inflammasome as a potential new therapeutic target for the treatment of infertility.

Sorafenib is the unique accepted molecular targeted drug for the treatment of patients in advanced stage of hepatocellular carcinoma. The current study evaluated cell signaling regulation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK), Akt, and 5'AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) leading to autophagy and apoptosis induced by sorafenib. Sorafenib induced early (3-12 hr) ER stress characterized by an increase of P-eIF2α/eIF2α, C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), IRE1α, and sXBP1, but a decrease of activating transcription factor 6 expression, overall temporally associated with the increase of P-JNK1/2/JNK1/2, P-AMPKα, P-Foxo3a, P-AKt/AKt and P-Foxo3a/Foxo3a ratios, and reduction of P-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/mTOR and protein translation. This pattern was related to a transient increase of tBid, Bim , Beclin-1, Bcl-xL, Bcl-2, autophagy markers, and reduction of myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) expression. The progressive increase of CHOP expression, and reduction of P-AKt/AKt and P-AKt/AKt ratios were associated with the reduction of autophagic flux and an additional upregulation of Bim expression and caspase-3 activity (24 hr). Small interfering-RNA (si-RNA) assays showed that Bim, but not Bak and Bax, was involved in the induction of caspase-3 in sorafenib-treated HepG2 cells. Sorafenib increased autophagic and apoptotic markers in tumor-derived xenograft model. In conclusion, the early sorafenib-induced ER stress and regulation of JNK and AMPK-dependent signaling were related to the induction of survival autophagic process. The sustained drug treatment induced a progressive increase of ER stress and PERK-CHOP-dependent rise of Bim , which was associated with the shift from autophagy to apoptosis. The kinetic of Bim expression profile might also be related to the tight balance between AKt- and AMPK-related signaling leading to Foxo3a-dependent BIM upregulation.

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Sorafenib and Regorafenib are the recommended first- and second-line therapies in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Lenvatinib and Cabozantinib have shown non-inferior antitumoral activities compared with the corresponding recommended therapies. The clinical trials have established recommended doses for each treatment that lead different blood concentrations in patients for Sorafenib (10 µM), Regorafenib (1 µM), Lenvatinib (0.1 µM), and Cabozantinib (1 µM). However, very low response rates are observed in patients attributed to intrinsic resistances or upregulation of survival signaling. The aim of the study was the comparative dose–response analysis of the drugs (0–100 µM) in well-differentiated (HepG2, Hep3B, and Huh7), moderately (SNU423), and poorly (SNU449) differentiated liver cancer cells in 2D/3D cultures. Cells harbors wild-type p53 (HepG2), non-sense p53 mutation (Hep3B), inframe p53 gene deletion (SNU423), and p53 point mutation (Huh7 and SNU449). The administration of regular used in vitro dose (10 µM) in 3D and 2D cultures, as well as the dose–response analysis in 2D cultures showed Sorafenib and Regorafenib were increasingly effective in reducing cell proliferation, and inducing apoptosis in well-differentiated and expressing wild-type p53 in HCC cells. Lenvatinib and Cabozantinib were particularly effective in moderately to poorly differentiated cells with mutated or lacking p53 that have lower basal oxygen consumption rate (OCR), ATP, and maximal respiration capacity than observed in differentiated HCC cells. Sorafenib and Regorafenib downregulated, and Lenvatinib and Cabozantinib upregulated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and mesenchymal–epithelial transition factor receptor (c-Met) in HepG2 cells. Conclusions: Sorafenib and Regorafenib were especially active in well-differentiated cells, with wild-type p53 and increased mitochondrial respiration. By contrast, Lenvatinib and Cabozantinib appeared more effective in moderately to poorly differentiated cells with mutated p53 and low mitochondrial respiration. The development of strategies that allow us to deliver increased doses in tumors might potentially enhance the effectiveness of the treatments.

Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is the recommended treatment for patients at early stages of hepatocarcinoma (HCC) with potential portal hypertension and/or bilirubinemia, but without vascular-associated diseases. The patients are receiving immunosuppressive therapy to reduce graft rejection, but differential side effects have been related to calcineurin and mTOR inhibitor administration regarding tumor recurrence and nephrotoxicity. The in vitro studies showed that Tacrolimus exerted a more potent pro-apoptotic effect than Everolimus (Huh 7>Hep 3B>HepG2), being sirolimus only active in Hep3B cell line. Tacrolimus and Everolimus exerted potent antiproliferative properties in Huh 7 and Hep3B in which cells Sirolimus was inactive. Interestingly, Tacrolimus- and Everolimus-dependent G0/G1 cell accumulation occurred as a consequence of drastic reduction in S, as well as in S and G2+M phases, respectively. The in vivo studies support data on the more effective antitumoral properties of Everolimus, eventual risk of pro-angiogenic tumoral properties and nephrotoxicity of Tacrolimus, and pro-proliferative properties of Sirolimus in tumors developed in nude mice.

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Nitric oxide (NO) plays a relevant role during cell death regulation in tumor cells. The overexpression of nitric oxide synthase type III (NOS-3) induces oxidative and nitrosative stress, p53 and cell death receptor expression and apoptosis in hepatoblastoma cells. S-nitrosylation of cell death receptor modulates apoptosis. Sorafenib is the unique recommended molecular-targeted drug for the treatment of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. The present study was addressed to elucidate the potential role of NO during Sorafenib-induced cell death in HepG2 cells. We determined the intra- and extracellular NO concentration, cell death receptor expression and their S-nitrosylation modifications, and apoptotic signaling in Sorafenib-treated HepG2 cells. The effect of NO donors on above parameters has also been determined. Sorafenib induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells. However, low concentration of the drug (10 nM) increased cell death receptor expression, as well as caspase-8 and -9 activation, but without activation of downstream apoptotic markers. In contrast, Sorafenib (10 µM) reduced upstream apoptotic parameters but increased caspase-3 activation and DNA fragmentation in HepG2 cells. The shift of cell death signaling pathway was associated with a reduction of S-nitrosylation of cell death receptors in Sorafenib-treated cells. The administration of NO donors increased S-nitrosylation of cell death receptors and overall induction of cell death markers in control and Sorafenib-treated cells. In conclusion, Sorafenib induced alteration of cell death receptor S-nitrosylation status which may have a relevant repercussion on cell death signaling in hepatoblastoma cells.

Background & AimsPatients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) submitted to orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) have a variable 5-year survival rate limited mostly by tumor recurrence. The etiology, age, sex, alcohol, Child-Pugh, and the immunesuppressor have been associated with tumour recurrence. The expression of ΔNp73 is related to the reduced survival of patients with HCC. The study evaluated the expression of p63 and p73 isoforms and cell death receptors, and their relation to tumour recurrence and survival. The results were in vitro validated in HCC cell lines.MethodsHCC sections from patients submitted to OLT were used. The in vitro study was done in differentiated hepatitis B virus (HBV)-expressing Hep3B and control HepG2 cells. The expression of cell death receptors and cFLIPS/L, caspase-8 and -3 activities, and cell proliferation were determined in control and p63 and p73 overexpressing HCC cells.ResultsThe reduced tumor expression of cell death receptors and TAp63 and TAp73, and increased ΔNp63 and ΔNp73 expression were associated with tumor recurrence and reduced survival. The in vitro study demonstrated that HBV-expressing Hep3B vs HepG2 cells showed reduced expression of p63 and p73, cell death receptors and caspase activation, and increased cFLIPL/cFLIPS ratio. The overexpression of TAp63 and TAp73 exerted a more potent pro-apoptotic and anti-proliferative effects in Hep3B than HepG2-transfected cells which was related to cFLIPL upregulation.ConclusionsThe reduction of TAp63 and TAp73 isoforms, rather than alteration of ΔN isoform expression, exerted a significant functional repercussion on cell death and proliferation in HBV-expressing HepB cells.