SIRT1 could protect degenerative human NP cells against apoptosis, and there were extensive and intimate connection between apoptosis and autophagy. Up to now, the role of autophagy in the process of human IVD degeneration is unclear. We sought to explore the relationship between autophagy and human IVD degeneration and to understand whether autophagy is involved in the protective effect of SIRT1 against apoptosis in NP cells. Our results showed that the autophagosomes number, the mRNA level of LC3 and Beclin-1, the protein expression of LC3-II/I and Beclin-1, decreased in NP from DDD. Resveratrol could increase the protein expression of LC3-II/I and Beclin-1, and reduce apoptosis in degenerative NP cells. In contrast, the protein levels of LC3-II/I and Beclin-1 were down-regulated and apoptosis level was significantly up-regulated in treatment with nicotinamide or SIRT1-siRNA transfection. Further analysis identified that the expression of cleaved Caspase3 and apoptosis incidence significantly increased with the pretreatment of bafilomycin A, whether resveratrol was added or not. These suggested that autophagy may play an important role in IVD degeneration, and SIRT1 protected degenerative human NP cells against apoptosis via promoting autophagy. These findings would aid in the development of novel therapeutic approaches for degenerative disc disease treatment.

Casticin, a component from Vitex rotundifolia, widely used as an anti-inflammatory agent in Chinese traditional medicine, was reported to have anti-tumor activities. This study aims to examine the anti-leukemic activity of casticin on leukemia cells and its molecular mechanism. Cell viability was measured by MTT method; apoptosis and cell cycle arrest were determined by flow cytometry, AV-PI assay, and DNA fragmentation assay. Western blot were performed to measure the protein expression level. The cell morphology alteration was detected with immunofluorescent analysis and DAPI nuclear staining. Our results showed that the proliferation of leukemia cells, including K562, Kasumi-1, and HL-60, were inhibited by casticin in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The IC50, determined after 48 h incubation, was 5.95 microM, 4.82 microM, and 15.56 microM for K562, HL-60, and Kasumi-1, respectively. The cell cycle analysis demonstrated casticin treatment resulted in a significant G2/M accumulation, concomitant with upregulation of P21waf1 and P27kip1. The percentage of cells in G2/M increased with time of exposure and reached to its climax (75.3%) at 12 h after casticin treatment, and subsequently declined to 27% at 48 h. We found that casticin treatment induced remarkable apoptosis, evidenced by increased percentage of AV-positive PI-negative cells as well as the cleavage of PARP and caspase 3. In addition, DNA fragmentation assay showed the typical apoptotic DNA ladder in casticin-treated K562 cells. Mitotic catastrophe and decreased polymeric tubulin can also be observed in casticin-treated K562 cells. In addition, we found that PI3K/AKT pathway was activated; Ly294002, a PI3K/AKT specific inhibitor, can enhance the anti-leukemic effect of casticin. Taken together, these results demonstrated that casticin induced leukemic cell death via apoptosis and mitotic catastrophe, and could synergize with PI3K/AKT inhibitor, suggesting that casticin could be a promising therapeutic agent against leukemia.

Our results indicated that ERalpha and ERbeta were expressed in both gastric cancer and corresponding normal tissues. ERalpha expression and the absence of ERbeta expression are associated with poor survival.

Dual-specificity phosphatase-1 (DUSP1/MKP1), as a member of the threoninetyrosine dual-specificity phosphatase family, was first found in cultured murine cells. The molecular mechanisms of DUSP1-mediated extracellular signalregulated protein kinases (ERKs) dephosphorylation have been subsequently identified by studies using gene knockout mice and gene silencing technology. As a protein phosphatase, DUSP1 also downregulates p38 MAPKs and JNKs signaling through directly dephosphorylating threonine and tyrosine. It has been detected that DUSP1 is involved in various functions, including proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis in normal cells. In various human cancers, abnormal expression of DUSP1 was observed which was associated with prognosis of tumor patients. Further studies have revealed its role in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Besides, DUSP1 has been found to play a role in tumor chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and biotherapy. In this review, we will focus on the function and mechanism of DUSP1 in tumor cells and tumor treatment. Cancer Medicine Open Access 2062

IL-1β has been reported highly expressed in degenerative intervertebral disc, and our previous study indicated IL-1β facilitates apoptosis of human degenerative nucleus pulposus (NP) cell. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. We here demonstrate that IL-1β played a significantly pro-apoptotic effect under serum deprivation. IL-1β decreased Bcl-2/Bax ratio and enhanced cytochrome C released from mitochondria to cytosol, which proved mitochondria-meidated apoptosis was induced. Subsequently, mitochondria damage was detected under IL-1β stimualtion. In addition, IL-1β-mediated injuried mitochondria contributes to activate autophagy. However, pretreatment with the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine showed the potential in further elevating the apoptosis rate induced by IL-1β in NP cells. Our results indicated that the mitochondrial pathway was involved in IL-1β-induced apoptosis of NP cells. Meanwhile, the damaged mitochondria-induced autophagy played a protective role against apoptosis, suggesting a postive feedback mechanism under inflammatory stress.

A "CBABC"-type pentablock coupling polymer, mesylMPEO, was designed and synthesized to promote human endothelial cell growth on the surfaces of polyurethane biomaterials. The polymer was composed of a central 4,4'-methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) coupling unit and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) spacer arms with methanesulfonyl (mesyl) end groups pendent on both ends. As the presurface modifying additive (pre-SMA), the mesylMPEO was noncovalently introduced onto the poly(ether urethane) (PEU) surfaces by dip coating, upon which the protein/peptide factors (gelatin, albumin, and arginine-glycine-aspartic acid tripeptide [RGD]) were covalently immobilized in situ by cleavage of the original mesyl end groups. The pre-SMA synthesis and PEU surface modification were characterized using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H NMR), attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were harvested manually by collagenase digestion and seeded on the modified PEU surfaces. Cell adhesion ratios (CAR) and cell proliferation ratios (CPR) were measured using flow cytometry, and the individual cell viability (ICV) was determined by MTT assay. The cell morphologies were investigated by optical inverted microscopy (OIM) and scanning electrical microscopy (SEM). The gelatin- and RGD-modified surfaces were HUVEC-compatible and promoted HUVEC growth. The albumin-modified surfaces were compatible but inhibited cell adhesion. The results also indicated that, for HUVEC in vitro cultivation, the cell adhesion stage was of particular importance and had a significant impact on the cell responses to the modified surfaces.

Many studies have demonstrated that SIRT1, an NAD(+)-dependent deacetylase, reduces apoptosis in several different cells. However, the role of SIRT1 in apoptosis of disc nucleus pulposus (NP) cells remains unclear. The present study was performed to determine whether degenerative human NP would express SIRT1, and to investigate the role of SIRT1 in NP cells apoptosis. The expression of SIRT1 in disc NP of patients (>55 years) with lumbar disc degenerative disease (DDD) and the disc NP of patients (<25 years) with lumbar vertebra fracture (LVF) was assessed by immunohistochemistry, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and Western blot analysis. The results showed that SIRT1 mRNA and protein levels were greater in LVF disc NP than those in DDD disc NP. Degenerative human NP cells were treated in culture with activator or inhibitor of SIRT1, resveratrol or nicotinamide, or SIRT1 small interfering RNA (siRNA), and cell apoptosis was quantified via flow cytometry. The rate of apoptosis was far fewer in resveratrol-treated NP cells than in SIRT1 siRNA-transfected or nicotinamide-treated NP cells. After SIRT1 siRNA was transfected, NP cells decreased phosphorylation of Akt, while resveratrol phosphorylated Akt. Treatment with LY294002 or Akt siRNA increased the rate of apoptosis. Our results suggested that SIRT1 plays a critical role in survival of degenerative human NP cells through the Akt anti-apoptotic signaling pathway.

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