The multipotent and easily accessible characteristics of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) make them a promising target for bone tissue engineering. Long non‑coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have an important role in the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. Nevertheless, whether lncRNAs are involved in the osteogenic differentiation of DPSCs remains unclear. The present study examined the expression alterations of lncRNAs in tumor necrosis factor‑α induced osteogenic differentiation of DPSCs. Following identification of differentially expressed lncRNAs at different time points by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction, profiling analysis was performed and a profile was further validated, in which lncRNA expression levels demonstrated significant upregulation. The next generation sequencing analysis identified 77 (58 upregulated and 19 downregulated) and 133 differentially expressed lncRNAs (73 upregulated and 60 downregulated) at 7 and 14 days post‑treatment, respectively. In addition, 34 lncRNAs were predicted to be strongly associated with 336 mRNA transcripts that underwent significant alterations during osteogenic differentiation. The present data demonstrated that one lncRNA, X inactive specific transcript, is essential for efficient osteogenic differentiation of DPSCs by alkaline phosphatase staining. In summary, the present findings provide insight for the understanding of how non‑coding RNAs are involved in regulating the osteogenic differentiation of DPSCs, which may further advance the translational studies of bone tissue engineering.
Introduction: Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a chronic cerebrovascular disease that can lead to ischemia and hemorrhagic stroke. The relationship between oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and MMD pathogenesis remains unknown. Methods: The gene expression data of 60 participants were acquired from three Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets, including 36 and 24 in the MMD and control groups. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between MMD patients MMD and control groups were identified. Machine learning was used to select the key OXPHOS-related genes associated with MMD from the intersection of DEGs and OXPHOS-related gene sets. Gene ontology (GO), Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG), gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), Immune infiltration and microenvironments analysis were used to analyze the function of key genes. Machine learning selected four key OXPHOS-related genes associated with MMD: CSK , NARS2 , PTPN6 and SMAD2 ( PTPN6 was upregulated and the other three were downregulated). Results: Functional enrichment analysis showed that these genes were mainly enriched in the Notch signaling pathway, GAP junction, and RNA degradation, which are related to several biological processes, including angiogenesis, proliferation of vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells, and cytoskeleton regulation. Immune analysis revealed immune infiltration and microenvironment in these MMD samples and their relationships with four key OXPHOS-related genes. APC co-inhibition ( p = 0.032), HLA ( p = 0.001), MHC I ( p = 0.013), T cellco- inhibition ( p = 0.032) and Type I IFN responses ( p < 0.001) were significantly higher in the MMD groups than those in the control groups. The CSK positively correlated with APC co-inhibition and T cell-co-inhibition. The NARS2 negatively correlated with Type I IFN response. The SMAD2 negatively correlated with APC co-inhibition and Type I IFN response. The PTPN6 positively correlated with HLA, MHC I and Type I IFN responses. Discussion: This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the role of OXPHOS in MMD and will contribute to the development of new treatment methods and exploration of MMD pathogenesis.
Background: Dysregulated lncRNA expression contributes to the pathogenesis of human tumors via the lncRNAs functioning as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. Small nucleolar RNA host gene 3 (SNHG3) was demonstrated to be upregulated in breast cancer cells. However, the detailed roles and molecular mechanism of SNHG3 in breast cancer are largely unknown. Methods: The expression of SNHG3, miR-101, and zinc finger E-box-binding protein 1 (ZEB1) in breast cancer tissues and cells was detected using qRT-PCR. The effects of SNHG3 on cell proliferation and invasion were evaluated using MTT, EdU, and cell invasion assays. The protein levels of Ki-67, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), matrix metalloproteinase MMP-2, and MMP-9 were analyzed using western blot analysis. A luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) were performed to explore the interaction between SNHG3, ZEB1 and miR-101. A subcellular fractionation assay was used to detect the subcellular location of SNHG3. Xenograft tumor experiments were conducted to verify the role and mechanism of SNHG3 in breast cancer in vivo. Results: SNHG3 expression was upregulated in breast cancer tissues and correlated with poor prognosis. SNHG3 knockdown suppressed breast cancer cell proliferation and invasion, which was further demonstrated by high levels of proliferation marker proteins Ki-67/PCNA and metastasis-related proteins MMP-2/MMP-9. Additionally, SNHG3 was located in the cytoplasm of breast cancer cells. SNHG3 functioned as a molecular sponge for miR-101 in breast cancer cells. miR-101 was downregulated in breast cancer tissues and negatively correlated with SNHG3 expression. Moreover, ZEB1, a target of miR-101, was positively regulated by SNHG3 in breast cancer cells. ZEB1 mRNA expression was upregulated in breast cancer tissues and positively correlated with SNHG3 expression. Mechanistically, SNHG3 knockdown suppressed cell proliferation and invasion by upregulation of miR-101 and downregulation of ZEB1 expression in breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion: SNHG3 promoted proliferation and invasion by regulating the miR-101/ZEB1 axis in breast cancer.
Cognitive dysfunction is common in Moyamoya disease (MMD). However, current knowledge of cognitive impairment in MMD is inadequate. In this review, we explored the characteristics of altered cognitive function associated with MMD and offered recommendations aimed at guiding potential research endeavors into the cognitive dysfunction in MMD. Cognitive functions, including executive function, intelligence, memory and so on, show characteristic declines in MMD. The effects of cerebral revascularization surgery on cognitive impairment are controversial. Currently, there is still a lack of relevant research on cognitive impairment. Research on the pathogenesis and etiology associated with Moyamoya disease as well as long-term cohort studies, are important future directions.
The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of FOLFOX4 regimen combined with Brucea javanica emulsion on the content of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in patients with gastric cancer, and to evaluate the efficacy of FOLFOX4 regimen combined with Brucea javanica emulsion on gastric cancer. A total of 60 patients with gastric ulcer were selected as the normal group, and another 150 patients with gastric cancer were randomly divided into two groups, of which 75 patients with gastric cancer treated with FOLFOX4 regimen after operation were selected as the control group and another 75 patients with gastric cancer treated with FOLFOX4 regimen combined with Brucea javanica emulsion after operation were selected as the experimental group. The serum VEGF levels of patients in the different groups before operation, after chemotherapy for 3 times and at 1 and 3 months after chemotherapy were compared via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The content of serum VEGF in patients with gastric cancer before operation was significantly higher than that in the normal group (P<0.05). After administration of chemotherapy 3 times, the content of serum VEGF in the control group had no significant difference from that in the experimental group (P>0.05). Additionally, at 1 and 3 months after chemotherapy, the content of serum VEGF of patients in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The results showed that FOLFOX4 regimen combined with Brucea javanica emulsion can significantly reduce the level of serum VEGF in patients with gastric cancer, and has a certain effect in reducing the postoperative recurrence rate of gastric cancer and improving the effect of chemotherapy.