Abstract. Thioredoxin binding protein (thioredoxin-interacting protein, TXNIP), known as vitamin D3 increase protein 1, has been identified as a tumor suppressor in various cancers such as pancreatic, breast, lung and thyroid cancer. However, the role of TXNIP in hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation and apoptosis remains unknown. In this study, we first used qRT-PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry to compare the expression of TXNIP between hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and tumor-adjacent normal liver tissues. In vitro, we explored the role of TXNIP in hepatocellular carcinoma progression via transfection of the pcDNA-3.1-TXNIP plasmid into SMMC7221 cells. Our results showed that the expression of TXNIP was significantly decreased in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues. Moreover, TXNIP over expression inhibited hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation and induced apoptosis by triggering mitochondrial-mediated ROS generation and activating MAPK pathways. This study provides insight into the molecular mechanisms of TXNIP overexpression in liver cancer cell survival and apoptosis and indicated that TXNIP may be a novel promising agent for liver cancer treatment.

Gut microbes play a crucial role in the development of colorectal cancer. Chitooligosaccharides (COS), are oligomer that are depolymerized from chitosan and possess a wide range of biological activities. In this study, the effects of COS on colorectal cancer (CRC) development were evaluated using azoxymethane and dextran sulfate sodium (AOM/DSS) induced mouse model of CRC (CACM). In the COS-treated CRC group (CMCOS), COS protected mice from CRC by decreasing the disease activity index, tumor incidences and multiplicity, and the mRNA levels of COX-2, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-10, and IKK-β mRNA in colonic epithelial cells. The results of a cage-exchanged experiment, in which mice from the CACMe and CMCOSe treatments exchanged cages every day to interact with microbes, showed that gut microbes play an important role in preventing CAC by COS. The abundances of fecal bacteria (total bacteria, Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, Fusobacterium nucleatum and butyrate-producing bacteria) were detected by qPCR on the 0th, 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 10th weekends. Furthermore, microbiota and mycobiota were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing on an Illumina MiSeq PE300 system. COS protected mice from CRC by reversing the imbalance of bacteria and fungi, especially by reducing the abundance of Escherichia–Shigella, Enterococcus, and Turicibacter, and increasing the levels of Akkermansia, butyrate-producing bacteria and Cladosporium.

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Accumulating evidence has reported that microRNA-144-3p (miR-144-3p) is highly related to oxidative stress and apoptosis. However, little is known regarding its role in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion-induced neuronal injury. Herein, our results showed that miR-144-3p expression was significantly downregulated in neurons following oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R) treatment. Overexpression of miR-144-3p markedly reduced cell viability, promoted cell apoptosis, and increased oxidative stress in neurons with OGD/R treatment, whereas downregulation of miR-144-3p protected neurons against OGD/R-induced injury. Brahma-related gene 1 (Brg1) was identified as a potential target gene of miR-144-3p. Moreover, downregulation of miR-144-3p promoted the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and increased antioxidant response element (ARE) activity. However, knockdown of Brg1 significantly abrogated the neuroprotective effects of miR-144-3p downregulation. Overall, our results suggest that miR-144-3p contributes to OGD/R-induced neuronal injury in vitro through negatively regulating Brg1/Nrf2/ARE signaling.