Environmental Toxicology

Organophosphate pesticides (OPs), which are among the most widely used synthetic chemicals for the control of a wide variety of pests, are however associated with various adverse reactions in animals and humans. Chlorpyrifos, an OP, has been shown to cause various health complications due to ingestion, inhalation, or skin absorption. The mechanisms underlying the adverse effect of chlorpyrifos on neurotoxicity have not been elucidated. Therefore, we aimed to determine the mechanism of chlorpyrifos-induced cytotoxicity and to examine whether the antioxidant vitamin E (VE) ameliorated these cytotoxic effects using DBTRG-05MG, a human glioblastoma cell line...

Recent studies have shown that abnormal expression of the core circadian clock gene, retinoic acid-related orphan receptor β (RORβ ), is closely associated with the occurrence and progression of various malignant tumors. However, the expression and function of RORβ in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains unclear. Here, we comprehensively investigated the altered expression, clinical significance, prognostic value, and biological functions of RORβ in HNSC, as well as its correlation with changes in the tumor immune microenvironment...

DEAH-box helicase 33 (DHX33) is a potent oncogenic agent on patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and colon cancer. Nevertheless, the prognostic significance of DHX33 in human pan-cancers remains unclear. Various bioinformatics tools have been used to clarify the oncogenic effects of DHX33 in pan-cancers. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Human Protein Atlas (HPA) were used to evaluate DHX33 at the mRNA and protein levels, respectively. The pan-cancer prognostic prediction value of DHX33 was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier plotter...

BACKGROUND: Circular RNA (circRNA) is considered an important molecular marker for the early diagnosis of tumors and a potential therapeutic target. Herein, we investigated the role and regulatory mechanism of circKDM1B in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: The expression of circKDM1B, miR-1322 and Protein regulator of cytokinesis 1 (PRC1) mRNA were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining assays were performed to assess cell proliferation activity...

Silicosis is an irreversible chronic pulmonary disease caused by long-term inhalation and deposition of silica particles, which is currently incurable. The exhaustion of airway epithelial stem cells plays a pathogenetic role in silicosis. In present study, we investigated therapeutic effects and potential mechanism of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived MSC-likes immune and matrix regulatory cells (IMRCs) (hESC-MSC-IMRCs), a type of manufacturable MSCs for clinical application in silicosis mice. Our results showed that the transplantation of hESC-MSC-IMRCs led the alleviation of silica-induced silicosis in mice, accompanied by inhibiting epithelia-mesenchymal transition (EMT), activating B-cell-specific Moloney murine leukemia virus integration site 1 (Bmi1) signaling and airway epithelial cell regeneration...

BACKGROUND: Tripartite motif-containing 29 (TRIM29) has been found to be involved in the regulation of cancer progression and its function varies depending on the type of cancer. However, the role of TRIM29 in cholangiocarcinoma has yet to be revealed. PURPOSE: This study initially explored the role of TRIM29 in cholangiocarcinoma. METHODS: TRIM29 expression in cholangiocarcinoma cells were scrutinized by quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot...

The most common cancer-related death in the world is non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Gemcitabine (GEM) is a common and effective first-line chemotherapeutic drug for the treatment of NSCLC. However, the long-term use of chemotherapeutic drugs in patients usually induces cancer cell drug resistance, leading to poor survival, and prognosis. In this study, to observe and explore the key targets and potential mechanisms of NSCLC resistance to GEM, we first cultured lung cancer CL1-0 cells in a GEM-containing medium to induce CL1-0 cells to develop GEM resistance...

BACKGROUND: This study aims to explore the effect of liver stem cells (LSCs)-derived exosomes and the miR-142a-5p carried by them on the process of fibrosis by regulating macrophages polarization. METHODS: In this study, CCL4 was used to establish liver fibrosis model. The morphology and purity of exosomes (EVs) were verified by transmission electron microscopy, western blotting (WB) and nanoparticle tracing analysis (NTA). Real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR), WB and enzyme-linked immunoadsorption (ELISA) were used to detect liver fibrosis markers, macrophage polarization markers and liver injury markers...

Diallyl sulfide (DAS), as a major component of garlic extracts, has been shown to inhibit growth of hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HCC), but the underlying mechanism is still elusive. In this study, we aimed to explore the involvement of autophagy in DAS-induced growth inhibition of HepG2 and Huh7 hepatocellular carcinoma cells. We studied growth of DAS-treated HepG2 and Huh7 cells using the MTS and clonogenic assays. Autophagic flux was examined by immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. The expression levels of autophagy-related proteins AMPK, mTOR, p62, LC3-II, LAMP1, and cathepsin D in the HepG2 and Huh7 cells treated with DAS as well as the tumors formed by HepG2 cells in the nude mice in the presence or absence of DAS were examined using western blotting and immunohistochemistry analysis...

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) widely exist in environmental substrates and are closely related to individual circulating vitamin D levels and tumorigenesis. Therefore, we proposed to evaluate the relationship between PAH exposure, vitamin D, and the risks for 14 cancer types via a causal inference framework underlying the mediation analysis. We evaluated seven urine monohydroxylated PAH (OH-PAH) and serum vitamin D concentrations of 3306 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between the 2013 and 2016 survey cycles and measured PAH concentrations in 150 subjects from the Nanjing cohort...

Daphnetin is a natural coumarin compound with anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-apoptotic effects, which has been previously demonstrated to ameliorate DSS-induced ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the molecular mechanism involved in the daphnetin-mediated pathological process of UC remains unclarified. The current study used DSS-induced mice and LPS-challenged Caco-2 cells as UC models. Bodyweight, disease activity index (DAI) score, and colon length were used to evaluate the severity of colitis. The histological changes in colon tissues were observed using H&E and PAS staining...

The previous research has focused on the suppressive effects of Erianin on tumor progression, but its impact on cancer stemness has not been reported. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Erianin on lung cancer stemness. First, we screened various concentrations Erianin to ensure that it did not affect lung cancer cell viability. Subsequently, we found that Erianin significantly attenuated lung cancer stemness through various analyses, including qRT-PCR, western blot, sphere-formation, and ALDH activity detection...

Cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury remains a grievous health threat, and herein effective therapy is urgently needed. This study explored the protection of neuroglobin (Ngb) in rats with cerebral I/R injury. The focal cerebral I/R rat models were established by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and neuronal injury models were established by oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) treatment. The brain injury of rats was assessed. Levels of Ngb, Bcl-2, Bax, endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-related markers, and Syt1 were measured by immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting...

Excessive bone resorption by osteoclasts results in the development of multiple bone disorders including osteoporosis. This study aimed to explore the biological function of methyltransferase-like14 (METTL14) in osteoclast formation, as well as its related mechanisms. Expression levels of METTL14, GPX4 and osteoclast-related proteins TRAP, NFATc1, c-Fos were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. The osteoporosis model was established in mice by bilateral ovariectomy (OVX). Bone histomorphology was determined by micro-CT and H&E staining...

Allergic reaction is the most common nasal conditions worldwide and it will remain throughout life. The symptoms of an allergic reaction include sneezing, itching, hives, swelling, difficulty breathing, and a runny nose. Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HYA) is a flavonoid compound which is the active phyto-constituent of flower of Carthamus tinctorius L., and exhibited the various medicinal activities like antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular protective effects. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and mode of action of HYA against the allergic rhinitis induced by ovalbumin in mice...

Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, and chemoresistance often leads to poor patient outcomes. In this study, we investigated the anticancer activity of synthetic diphenyl disulfide (DPDS) in breast cancer cell lines. DPDS inhibited cellular proliferation and viability in a dose-dependent manner and reduced colony formation, an index of clonogenicity. Annexin-V and 7-AAD double staining showed that DPDS could induce the apoptosis of breast cancer cells. Western blotting of the expression of Bax p21 and its cleaved form p18 suggested the activation of p18 Bax-induced apoptosis...

BACKGROUND: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is one of the most widespread malignant tumors of the endocrine system, with a high incidence. Budding uninhibited by benzimidazoles 1 (BUB1), one of the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) genes, is a multitask protein kinase required for eukaryotic chromosome segregation. Although BUB1 has been explored in several types of cancer, its biological role and molecular mechanisms in PTC remain unclear. METHODS: In this study, we performed an examination of four public datasets along with local PTC cohorts and discovered that BUB1 was elevated in PTC compared to non-cancer tissues...

The effect of pachymic acid (PA) on pulmonary fibrosis in rats was expected to be investigated in this study. Firstly, bleomycin (BLM) was used to establish pulmonary fibrosis rat model, then PA (10, 20, or 40 mg/kg) was intragastrically administered to the rats for 14 days. Subsequently, a variety of tests was performed to observe changes in sample tissues after different treatments. Briefly, the degree of pulmonary edema in rats was assessed through dry/wet weight ratio. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and Masson's trichrome staining were used to observe the pathological injury and fibrosis of lung tissue...

Lung cancer is among the most aggressive types of malignant tumors that contributes to cancer-associated deaths worldwide with a high occurrence and fatality rate. Histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2), prevent the aberrant transcription of a number of genes that are primarily responsible for controlling the cell cycle, cell proliferation, and signaling pathways in numerous cancers. Previous studies reported the role of HDACs and YY1 in the growth and development of several cancers. Although, it is noteworthy that remarkable efforts have been taken for the treatment of lung cancer using molecularly targeted therapies and chemotherapeutic agents, but the outcome is still poor for this critically persistent cancer...

Fibroblast-like synoviocytes accumulation, proliferation and activation, and the subsequent inflammatory mediators production play a key role in the progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is well established that Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK2/STAT3) signaling triggers inflammation, and induces cytokine levels in RA. Ohwia caudata have long been used against many disorders. However, in RA, the effects of O. caudata have not been elucidated. In the current study, synoviocytes were used to evaluate the suppressive effects of O...