No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common type of oral cancer. Malignant epithelal cells undergo cytological changes by a process referd to as epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT). The cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor micro-environment are now the focus of intense research and are believed to correlate with poor prognosis. They are characterized by alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression, which is a myofibroblastic marker. Physiologically myofibroblasts are not as abundant as fibroblasts in the oral cavity, they have limited locations such as blood vessels walls in the oral mucosa. Aim: evaluation of the potential role of α-SMA in the progression of SCC. Materials and methods: qRT-PCR was performed to evaluate α-SMA gene expression in tongue SCC cell line (SCC 25), normal fibroblasts cell line (Wi-38) and in a coculture of both cells. Qualitative and quantitative immunohistochemical analysis of α-SMA expression with clinico-pathological correlations was performed for 24 SCC specimens of different grades. Results: qRT-PCR results showed that there was α-SMA expression in the epithelial cells, and that co-culturing resulted in an overall increase in α-SMA expression. Immunohistochemical evaluation of the specimens revealed that the expression of α-SMA increased with tumor grade and correlated with lymph node involvement. Conclusion: α-SMA can be used as a prognostic marker and a potential target for cancer therapy.

No abstract

Cells undergo autophagy to save themselves from injury, but progressive autophagy can cause cell death. This study characterized and compared the effect of grape (resveratrol) and tomato (lycopene) extracts and their combination on modulating autophagy-related miRNA and its target gene in squamous cell carcinoma cell line. Docking analysis for extracts and selected genes was performed. Methyl Thiazol Tetrazolium assays were used to assess the cytotoxicity of extracts and their combination toward HEp-2 cells. qRT-PCR was used to quantify changes in gene expression. Data were statistically analyzed. miRNA-20a was identified as a potential effector in laryngeal cancer, and sequestosome-1 (SQSTM1) was its target gene. Docking analysis showed that resveratrol interacted with miRNA-20a and showed less affinity toward SQSTM1. Hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions were predicted. In contrast, lycopene showed less affinity toward miRNA-20a than resveratrol. Increasing doses of resveratrol, lycopene, and their combination induced a statistically significant reduction in mean percent viability and mean fold changes of miRNA-20a and SQSTM1 expression in treated HEp-2 cells. Pearson’s correlation showed a statistically significant positive correlation between miRNA-20a and SQSTM1 (R=0.812, p≤0.001). Grape and tomato extracts and their combination display promising cytotoxicity against HEp-2 cells in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. Both extracts reduce the expression of miRNA-20a and SQSTM1 with subsequent inhibition autophagy and promotion of apoptosis in HEp-2 cells.

No abstract