A series of pentacyclic triterpene 3β-ester derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated as a new class of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitors for the treatment of dyslipidemi Show more
A series of pentacyclic triterpene 3β-ester derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated as a new class of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitors for the treatment of dyslipidemia. In vitro screening assay showed that 5 out of 30 compounds displayed moderate inhibiting human CETP activity with IC Show less
A large meta-analysis recently identified six new loci associated with risk of PD, but subsequent studies have given discrepant results. Here we conducted a case-control study in a Han Chinese populat Show more
A large meta-analysis recently identified six new loci associated with risk of PD, but subsequent studies have given discrepant results. Here we conducted a case-control study in a Han Chinese population in an attempt to clarify risk associations in Chinese. Among the four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that we examined - VPS13C-rs2414739, MIR4697-rs329648, GCH1-rs11158026, and SIPA1L2- rs10797576 we detected a significant association between rs329648 and risk of developing PD in a recessive model. This association remained significant after adjusting for gender and age (OR 1.87, 95%CI 1.295-2.694, p=8.21×10 Show less
Fa Chen, Baochang He, Lingjun Yan+3 more · 2017 · Journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery : official journal of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons · Elsevier · added 2026-04-24
The fatty acid desaturase 1 (FADS1) gene variant is a novel susceptibility marker for laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma identified by a recent genome-wide association study, but it is still unclear wh Show more
The fatty acid desaturase 1 (FADS1) gene variant is a novel susceptibility marker for laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma identified by a recent genome-wide association study, but it is still unclear whether this genetic variant continues to influence oral cancer recurrence or death. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of FADS1 rs174549 polymorphism and its interaction with postoperative chemoradiotherapy in the prognosis of oral cancer. A prospective cohort study involving 304 oral cancer patients with surgical resection was conducted in Fujian, China. Demographic and clinical data (adjuvant therapy types, histologic types, clinical stage, etc.) were extracted from medical records, and follow-up data were obtained by telephone interviews. We collected 5 to 8 mL of venous blood from all patients for DNA extraction, and rs174549 genotypes were determined by TaqMan assays (Life Technologies, Carlsbad, CA). A Cox proportional hazards model and Kaplan-Meier curve were used to assess the association between FADS1 rs174549 polymorphism and progression-free survival (PFS), as well as overall survival, in oral cancer. Carrying the AA genotype was significantly associated with a decreased risk of PFS: The hazard ratio was 0.52 (95% confidence interval, 0.29 to 0.93) for the codominant model and 0.54 (95% confidence interval, 0.31 to 0.94) for the recessive model. Moreover, better PFS was particularly obvious in patients who had received chemoradiotherapy. A positive multiplicative interaction between FADS1 rs174549 polymorphism and chemoradiotherapy was observed for PFS (P = .036). No significant association was found between FADS1 rs174549 polymorphism and overall survival. Our study suggests, for the first time, that FADS1 rs174549 polymorphism is a potentially independent and favorable factor in predicting oral cancer PFS especially for patients who undergo chemoradiotherapy, and it may serve as a potential target for individualized treatment in the future. Show less
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) and is the leading cause of vision loss globally. However, the pathogenic mechanism and clinical therapy still needs further impro Show more
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) and is the leading cause of vision loss globally. However, the pathogenic mechanism and clinical therapy still needs further improvement. The biologic significance of myocardial infarction associated transcript (MIAT) in DR remains unknown. Here, we aim to explore the mechanism between MIAT and DR, which is essential for RD. Streptozotocin (STZ) was used to induce DM mice and high glucose was used to stimulate cells. ChIP was used to detect the binding activity between nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and the promoter of the MIAT gene, luciferase activity assay was used to detect the target-specific selectivity between Show less
Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), a subtype of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) more frequently seen in East Asians, has both common and distinct clinical manifestations with typical neov Show more
Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), a subtype of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) more frequently seen in East Asians, has both common and distinct clinical manifestations with typical neovascular AMD (tAMD). We aim to examine the extent to which common genetic variants are shared between these two subtypes. We performed the meta-analysis of association in a total of 1062 PCV patients, 1157 tAMD patients and 5275 controls of East Asian descent from the Genetics of AMD in Asians Consortium at the 34 known AMD loci. A total of eight loci were significantly associated with PCV, including age-related maculopathy susceptibility 2 (ARMS2)-HtrA serine peptidase 1 (HTRA1), complement factor H (CFH), C2-CFB-SKIV2L, CETP, VEGFA, ADAMTS9-AS2 and TGFBR1 (P<5 × 10 Show less
MUFAs are unsaturated FAs with one double bond and are derived from endogenous synthesis and dietary intake. Accumulating evidence has suggested that plasma and erythrocyte MUFA levels are associated Show more
MUFAs are unsaturated FAs with one double bond and are derived from endogenous synthesis and dietary intake. Accumulating evidence has suggested that plasma and erythrocyte MUFA levels are associated with cardiometabolic disorders, including CVD, T2D, and metabolic syndrome (MS). Previous genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified seven loci for plasma and erythrocyte palmitoleic and oleic acid levels in populations of European origin. To identify additional MUFA-associated loci and the potential functional variant at each locus, we performed ethnic-specific GWAS meta-analyses and trans-ethnic meta-analyses in more than 15,000 participants of Chinese and European ancestry. We identified novel genome-wide significant associations for vaccenic acid at Show less
The HECT E3 ligases ubiquitinate numerous transcription factors and signaling molecules, and their activity must be tightly controlled to prevent cancer, immune disorders, and other diseases. In this Show more
The HECT E3 ligases ubiquitinate numerous transcription factors and signaling molecules, and their activity must be tightly controlled to prevent cancer, immune disorders, and other diseases. In this study, we have found unexpectedly that peptide linkers tethering WW domains in several HECT family members are key regulatory elements of their catalytic activities. Biochemical, structural, and cellular analyses have revealed that the linkers can lock the HECT domain in an inactive conformation and block the proposed allosteric ubiquitin binding site. Such linker-mediated autoinhibition of the HECT domain can be relieved by linker post-translational modifications, but complete removal of the brake can induce hyperactive autoubiquitination and E3 self destruction. These results clarify the mechanisms of several HECT protein cancer associated mutations and provide a new framework for understanding how HECT ubiquitin ligases must be finely tuned to ensure normal cellular behavior. Show less
Patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease remain at high risk for cardiovascular events despite effective statin-based treatment of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. The inhibitio Show more
Patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease remain at high risk for cardiovascular events despite effective statin-based treatment of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. The inhibition of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) by anacetrapib reduces LDL cholesterol levels and increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. However, trials of other CETP inhibitors have shown neutral or adverse effects on cardiovascular outcomes. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 30,449 adults with atherosclerotic vascular disease who were receiving intensive atorvastatin therapy and who had a mean LDL cholesterol level of 61 mg per deciliter (1.58 mmol per liter), a mean non-HDL cholesterol level of 92 mg per deciliter (2.38 mmol per liter), and a mean HDL cholesterol level of 40 mg per deciliter (1.03 mmol per liter). The patients were assigned to receive either 100 mg of anacetrapib once daily (15,225 patients) or matching placebo (15,224 patients). The primary outcome was the first major coronary event, a composite of coronary death, myocardial infarction, or coronary revascularization. During the median follow-up period of 4.1 years, the primary outcome occurred in significantly fewer patients in the anacetrapib group than in the placebo group (1640 of 15,225 patients [10.8%] vs. 1803 of 15,224 patients [11.8%]; rate ratio, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.85 to 0.97; P=0.004). The relative difference in risk was similar across multiple prespecified subgroups. At the trial midpoint, the mean level of HDL cholesterol was higher by 43 mg per deciliter (1.12 mmol per liter) in the anacetrapib group than in the placebo group (a relative difference of 104%), and the mean level of non-HDL cholesterol was lower by 17 mg per deciliter (0.44 mmol per liter), a relative difference of -18%. There were no significant between-group differences in the risk of death, cancer, or other serious adverse events. Among patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease who were receiving intensive statin therapy, the use of anacetrapib resulted in a lower incidence of major coronary events than the use of placebo. (Funded by Merck and others; Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN48678192 ; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01252953 ; and EudraCT number, 2010-023467-18 .). Show less
Xiansheng Huang, Rong Li, Luzhu Chen+1 more · 2017 · Zhong nan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Central South University. Medical sciences · added 2026-04-24
To investigate the role of apolipoprotein A5 (apoA5) in the pathogenesis of obesity-related hypertriglyceridemia and the related therapeutic effects of metformin. Methods: The ob/ob mice were treated Show more
To investigate the role of apolipoprotein A5 (apoA5) in the pathogenesis of obesity-related hypertriglyceridemia and the related therapeutic effects of metformin. Methods: The ob/ob mice were treated with regular chow diet and metformin for 4 weeks, and the levels of hepatic triglyceride (TG) and apoA5 were measured. Hepatic IAR20 cells were treated with metformin and/or apoA5 siRNAs, and then cellular TG contents and apoA5 expression were determined. Results: High plasma and hepatic levels of apoA5 and TG were found in ob/ob mice. The plasma levels of apoA5 were positively correlated with plasma TG in these mice. Metformin could dose-dependently decrease the plasma and hepatic levels of apoA5 and TG in ob/ob mice. Metformin could also dose-dependently reduce cellular TG contents and apoA5 expression, these effects were attenuated by knockdown of apoA5. Conclusion: Hepatic apoA5 is up-regulated in ob/ob mice, which contributes to the elevation of plasma TG. Metformin could inhibit hepatic apoA5 expression, leading to the reduction of the plasma level of TG. Show less
Gliomas are commonly malignant tumors that arise in the human central nervous system and have a low overall five-year survival rate. Previous studies reported that several members of Rab GTPase family Show more
Gliomas are commonly malignant tumors that arise in the human central nervous system and have a low overall five-year survival rate. Previous studies reported that several members of Rab GTPase family are involved in the development of glioma, and abnormal expression of Rab small GTPases is known to cause aberrant tumor cell behavior. In this study, we characterized the roles of Rab21 (Rab GTPase 21), a member of Rab GTPase family, in glioma cells. The study involved downregulation of Rab21 in two glioma cell lines (T98G and U87) through transfection with specific-siRNA. Experiments using the MTT assay, cell cycle analysis, apoptosis assay, real-time PCR and western blot were performed to establish the expression levels of related genes. The results show that downregulation of Rab21 can significantly inhibit cell growth and remarkably induce cell apoptosis in T98G and U87 cell lines. Silencing Rab21 resulted in significantly increased expression of apoptosis-related proteins (caspase7, Bim and Bax) in glioma cells. We inferred that Rab21 silencing can induce apoptosis and inhibit proliferation in human glioma cells, indicating that Rab21 might act as an oncogene and serve as a novel target for glioma therapy. Show less
Usnea is a lichen of Usnea diffracta Vain and Usnea longissima Ach, which belongs to the genus Usnea Adans of Usneaceae. Usnea exerts numerous pharmacological activities, while its lipid regulatory ac Show more
Usnea is a lichen of Usnea diffracta Vain and Usnea longissima Ach, which belongs to the genus Usnea Adans of Usneaceae. Usnea exerts numerous pharmacological activities, while its lipid regulatory activities remain unreported. This study aims to evaluate the effects of aqueous and ethanol extracts of Usnea on the regulation of lipid metabolism and to explore the possible mechanism. Hyperlipidemia rat model was established by feeding with high-fat diet for 45days. Therapy rats were intragastrically administered with simvastatin (0.004g/kg/d), Usnea aqueous extract (2.766g/kg/d), or Usnea ethanol extract (2.766g/kg/d) for 20days. Pharmacodynamic effects, including body weight, serum and liver lipid levels, total bile acid (TBA), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), liver index, and hepatic morphological changes were evaluated. To explore the mechanisms, the lipase activities and protein expressions related to lipid metabolism were detected. Compared with the model group, aqueous and ethanol extracts of Usnea can slow down the weight gain of rats, significantly reduce the serum levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and the liver contents of TG, LDL-C, as well as significantly increase the contents of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in serum. In addition, aqueous and ethanol extracts of Usnea can significantly reduce the serum contents of AST and ALT. Furthermore, ethanol extract of Usnea can also significantly reduce the TBA content in serum and liver index. Liver tissue pathological observation showed that aqueous and ethanol extracts of Usnea can improve cell degeneration to a certain extent. Aqueous and ethanol extracts of Usnea can significantly reduce sterol regulatory element-binding proteins-1c, and liver X receptor α (LXR-α) protein expressions. Furthermore, aqueous extract of Usnea can significantly increase hepatic lipase activity and promote apoprotein A5 (ApoA5) protein expression. These findings strongly suggest that the aqueous and ethanol extracts of Usnea play significant roles in regulating lipid metabolism, and the ethanol extract exhibits higher activity than the aqueous extract. The mechanism of the regulation of lipid metabolism by Usnea aqueous extract may involve the increased ApoA5 protein expression via inhibition of the LXR-α signal pathway; however, the mechanism of the regulation of lipid metabolism by Usnea ethanol extract remains to be further studied. Show less
Cancer is a polygenic disease characterized by uncontrolled growth of normal body cells, deregulation of the cell cycle as well as resistance to apoptosis. The spectraplakin protein microtubule actin Show more
Cancer is a polygenic disease characterized by uncontrolled growth of normal body cells, deregulation of the cell cycle as well as resistance to apoptosis. The spectraplakin protein microtubule actin cross-linking factor 1 (MACF1) plays an essential function in various cellular processes, including cell proliferation, migration, signaling transduction and embryo development. MACF1 is also involved in processes such as metastatic invasion in which cytoskeleton organization is a critical element that contributes to tumor progression in various human cancers. Aberrant expression of MACF1 initiates the tumor cell proliferation, and migration and metastasis in numerous cancers, such as breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer and glioblastoma. In this review, we summarized the current knowledge of MACF1 and its critical role in different human cancers. This will be helpful for researchers to investigate the novel functional role of MACF1 in human cancers and as a potential target to enhance the efficacy of therapeutic treatment modalities. Show less
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on Parkinson's disease (PD) have mostly been done in Europeans and Japanese. No study has been done in Han Chinese, which make up nearly a fifth of the world pop Show more
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on Parkinson's disease (PD) have mostly been done in Europeans and Japanese. No study has been done in Han Chinese, which make up nearly a fifth of the world population. We conducted the first Han Chinese GWAS analysing a total of 22,729 subjects (5,125 PD cases and 17,604 controls) from Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Korea, mainland China and Taiwan. We performed imputation, merging and logistic regression analyses of 2,402,394 SNPs passing quality control filters in 779 PD cases, 13,227 controls, adjusted for the first three principal components. 90 SNPs with association P < 10-4 were validated in 9 additional sample collections and the results were combined using fixed-effects inverse-variance meta-analysis. We observed strong associations reaching genome-wide significance at SNCA, LRRK2 and MCCC1, confirming their important roles in both European and Asian PD. We also identified significant (P < 0.05) associations at 5 loci (DLG2, SIPA1L2, STK39, VPS13C and RIT2), and observed the same direction of associations at 9 other loci including BST1 and PARK16. Allelic heterogeneity was observed at LRRK2 while European risk SNPs at 6 other loci including MAPT and GBA-SYT11 were non-polymorphic or very rare in our cohort. Overall, we replicate associations at SNCA, LRRK2, MCCC1 and 14 other European PD loci but did not identify Asian-specific loci with large effects (OR > 1.45) on PD risk. Our results also demonstrate some differences in the genetic contribution to PD between Europeans and Asians. Further pan-ethnic meta-analysis with European GWAS cohorts may unravel new PD loci. Show less
To study associations of cerebrovascular metabolism genotypes and haplotypes with age at Alzheimer's disease dementia (AD) onset and with neuropsychiatric symptoms according to each dementia stage. Co Show more
To study associations of cerebrovascular metabolism genotypes and haplotypes with age at Alzheimer's disease dementia (AD) onset and with neuropsychiatric symptoms according to each dementia stage. Consecutive outpatients with late-onset AD were assessed for age at dementia onset and Neuropsychiatric Inventory scores according to Clinical Dementia Rating scores, apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) haplotypes, angiotensin-converting enzyme gene (ACE) variants rs1800764 and rs4291, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol receptor gene (LDLR) variants rs11669576 and rs5930, cholesteryl ester transfer protein gene (CETP) variants I422V and TaqIB, and liver X receptor beta gene (NR1H2) polymorphism rs2695121. Considering 201 patients, only APOE-ɛ4 carriers had earlier dementia onset in multiple correlations, as well as less apathy, more delusions, and more aberrant motor behavior. Both ACE polymorphisms were associated with less intense frontally mediated behaviors. Regarding LDLR variants, carriers of the A allele of rs11669576 had less anxiety and more aberrant motor behavior, whereas carriers of the A allele of rs5930 had less delusions, less anxiety, more apathy, and more irritability. CETP variants that included G alleles of I422V and TaqIB were mostly associated with less intense frontally mediated behaviors, while severely impaired carriers of the T allele of rs2695121 had more anxiety and more aberrant motor behavior. Though only APOE haplotypes affected AD onset, cerebrovascular metabolism genotypes were associated with differences in several neuropsychiatric manifestations of AD. Show less
Uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS) is an aggressive form of soft tissue tumors. The molecular heterogeneity and pathogenesis of ULMS are not well understood. Expression profiling data were used to determin Show more
Uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS) is an aggressive form of soft tissue tumors. The molecular heterogeneity and pathogenesis of ULMS are not well understood. Expression profiling data were used to determine the possibility and optimal number of ULMS molecular subtypes. Next, clinicopathological characters and molecular pathways were analyzed in each subtype to prospect the clinical applications and progression mechanisms of ULMS. Two distinct molecular subtypes of ULMS were defined based on different gene expression signatures. Subtype I ULMS recapitulated low-grade ULMS, the gene expression pattern of which resembled normal smooth muscle cells, characterized by overexpression of smooth muscle function genes such as LMOD1, SLMAP, MYLK, MYH11. In contrast, subtype II ULMS recapitulated high-grade ULMS with higher tumor weight and invasion rate, and was characterized by overexpression of genes involved in the pathway of epithelial to mesenchymal transition and tumorigenesis, such as CDK6, MAPK13 and HOXA1. We identified two distinct molecular subtypes of ULMS responding differently to chemotherapy treatment. Our findings provide a better understanding of ULMS intrinsic molecular subtypes, and will potentially facilitate the development of subtype-specific diagnosis biomarkers and therapy strategies for these tumors. Show less
Ting-Huan Chen, Chen-Yu Chen, Hui-Chin Wen+4 more · 2017 · FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · added 2026-04-24
Yes-associated protein (YAP) is a transcriptional coactivator in the Hippo pathway that regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. The MEK5/ERK5 MAPK cascade is essential for the ea Show more
Yes-associated protein (YAP) is a transcriptional coactivator in the Hippo pathway that regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. The MEK5/ERK5 MAPK cascade is essential for the early step of myogenesis. In this study, we generated C2C12 stable cell lines that expressed YAP (C2C12-YAP cells) and found that ERK5 and MEK5 were activated in C2C12-YAP cells compared with control C2C12 (C2C12-vector) cells. C2C12-YAP stable cells also differentiated into myotubes better than C2C12-vector cells, and expressed elevated levels of myogenin, a transcription factor that regulates myogenesis, as well as elevated levels of myosin heavy chain, a skeletal muscle marker. Western blot analysis revealed that Src and c-Abl (Abelson murine leukemia viral oncogene homolog 1) activation were enhanced in C2C12-YAP cells. Conversely, treatment of inhibitors of c-Abl, Src, or MEK5 inhibited activation of MEK5 and ERK5 and myogenesis of C2C12 myoblasts. Specific interactions between YAP and proteins in the ERK5 pathway, such as MEK kinase 3 (MEKK3) and ERK5, were illustrated by coimmunoprecipitation experiments. MEKK3 contains the PPGY motif (aa 178-181), which may interact with YAP. Site-directed mutagenesis experiments revealed that expression of MEKK3 Y181F mutant inhibited MEK5/ERK5 activation and myogenic differentiation. These results suggest that YAP promotes muscle differentiation by activating the Abl/Src/MEKK3/MEK5/ERK5 kinase cascade.-Chen, T.-H., Chen, C.-Y., Wen, H.-C., Chang, C.-C., Wang, H.-D., Chuu, C.-P., Chang, C.-H. YAP promotes myogenic differentiation Show less
Chronic alcohol exposure induces pronounced changes in GPCR-mediated G-protein signaling. Recent microarray and RNA-seq analyses suggest associations between alcohol abuse and the expression of genes Show more
Chronic alcohol exposure induces pronounced changes in GPCR-mediated G-protein signaling. Recent microarray and RNA-seq analyses suggest associations between alcohol abuse and the expression of genes involved in G-protein signaling. The activity of G-proteins (e.g. Gαi/o and Gαq) is negatively modulated by regulator of G-protein signaling (RGS) proteins which are implicated in drugs of abuse including alcohol. The present study used 7days of chronic intermittent ethanol exposure followed by 24h withdrawal (CIE) to investigate changes in mRNA and protein levels of G-protein subunit isoforms and RGS protein subtypes in rat prefrontal cortex, a region associated with cognitive deficit attributed to excessive alcohol drinking. We found that this ethanol paradigm induced differential expression of Gα subunits and RGS subtypes. For example, there were increased mRNA and protein levels of Gαi1/3 subunits and no changes in the expression of Gαs and Gαq subunits in ethanol-treated animals. Moreover, CIE increased the mRNA but not the protein levels of Gαo. Additionally, a modest increase in Gαi2 mRNA level by CIE was accompanied by a pronounced increase in its protein level. Interestingly, we found that CIE increased mRNA and protein levels of RGS2, RGS4, RGS7 and RGS19 but had no effect on the expression of RGS5, RGS6, RGS8, RGS12 or RGS17. Changes in the expression of Gα subunits and RGS subtypes could contribute to the functional alterations of certain GPCRs following chronic ethanol exposure. The present study suggests that RGS proteins may be potential new targets for intervention of alcohol abuse via modification of Gα-mediated GPCR function. Show less
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading cancers worldwide. Surgery is the main therapeutic modality for stage II CRC. However, the implementation of adjuvant chemotherapy remains controversial a Show more
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading cancers worldwide. Surgery is the main therapeutic modality for stage II CRC. However, the implementation of adjuvant chemotherapy remains controversial and is not universally applied so far. In this study, we found that the protein expression of lysosomal acid phosphatase 2 (ACP2) was increased in CRC and that stage II CRC patients with high ACP2 expression showed a poorer outcome than those with low ACP2 expression (p = 0.004). To investigate this discrepancy, we analyzed the relation between ACP2 expression and several clinical cofactors.Among patients who received chemotherapy, those with an high expression of ACP2 showed better survival in both stage II and III CRC than those with low ACP2 expression. In stage II CRC patients, univariate analysis showed ACP2 expression and T stage to be cofactors significantly associated with overall survival (ACP2: p = 0.006; T stage: p = 0.034). Multivariate Cox proportion hazard model analysis also revealed ACP2 to be an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (ACP2: p = 0.006; T stage: p = 0.041). Furthermore, ACP2-knockdown CRC cells showed an increase in chemoresistance to 5-FU treatment and increased proliferation marker in the ACP2 knockdown clone.Taken together, our results suggested that ACP2 is an unfavorable prognostic factor for stage II CRC and may serve as a potential chemotherapy-sensitive marker to help identify a subset of stage II and III CRC patients for whom chemotherapy would improve survival.Highlights1. To the best of our knowledge, the study is the first report to show ACP2 overexpression in human colorectal cancer (CRC) and its association with poor outcome in stage II CRC.2. Patients with stage II and III CRCs with high expression of ACP2 were more sensitive to chemotherapy than those with a low expression.3. ACP2 expression may serve as a marker for CRC patients receiving chemotherapy and help identify the subset of CRC patients who would benefit from chemotherapy. Show less
Cross-sectional genome-wide association studies have identified hundreds of loci associated with blood lipids and related cardiovascular traits, but few genetic association studies have focused on lon Show more
Cross-sectional genome-wide association studies have identified hundreds of loci associated with blood lipids and related cardiovascular traits, but few genetic association studies have focused on long-term changes in blood lipids. Participants from the GLACIER Study (Nmax = 3492) were genotyped with the MetaboChip array, from which 29 387 SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms; replication, fine-mapping regions and wildcard SNPs for lipid traits) were extracted for association tests with 10-year change in total cholesterol (ΔTC) and triglycerides (ΔTG). Four additional prospective cohort studies (MDC, PIVUS, ULSAM, MRC Ely; Nmax = 8263 participants) were used for replication. We conducted an in silico look-up for association with coronary artery disease (CAD) in the Coronary ARtery DIsease Genome-wide Replication and Meta-analysis (CARDIoGRAMplusC4D) Consortium (N ∼ 190 000) and functional annotation for the top ranking variants. In total, 956 variants were associated (P < 0.01) with either ΔTC or ΔTG in GLACIER. In GLACIER, chr19:50121999 at APOE was associated with ΔTG and multiple SNPs in the APOA1/A4/C3/A5 region at genome-wide significance (P < 5 × 10-8), whereas variants in four loci, DOCK7, BRE, SYNE1 and KCNIP1, reached study-wide significance (P < 1.7 × 10-6). The rs7412 variant at APOE was associated with ΔTC in GLACIER (P < 1.7 × 10-6). In pooled analyses of all cohorts, 139 SNPs at six and five loci were associated with ΔTC and for ΔTG, respectively (P < 10-3). Of these, a variant at CAPN3 (P = 1.2 × 10-4), multiple variants at HPR (Pmin = 1.5 × 10-6) and a variant at SIX5 (P = 1.9 × 10-4) showed evidence for association with CAD. We identified seven novel genomic regions associated with long-term changes in blood lipids, of which three also raise CAD risk. Show less
Carbohydrate response element binding protein (ChREBP) is a transcription factor that responds to glucose and activates genes involved in the glycolytic and lipogenic pathways. Recent studies have lin Show more
Carbohydrate response element binding protein (ChREBP) is a transcription factor that responds to glucose and activates genes involved in the glycolytic and lipogenic pathways. Recent studies have linked adipose ChREBP to insulin sensitivity in mice. However, while ChREBP is most highly expressed in the liver, the effect of hepatic ChREBP on insulin sensitivity remains unknown. To clarify the importance of hepatic ChREBP on glucose homeostasis, we have generated a knockout mouse model that lacks this protein specifically in the liver (Liver-ChREBP KO). Using Liver-ChREBP KO mice, we investigated whether hepatic ChREBP deletion influences insulin sensitivity, glucose homeostasis and the development of hepatic steatosis utilizing various dietary stressors. Furthermore, we determined gene expression changes in response to fasted and fed states in liver, white, and brown adipose tissues. Liver-ChREBP KO mice had impaired insulin sensitivity as indicated by reduced glucose infusion to maintain euglycemia during hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps on both chow (25% lower) and high-fat diet (33% lower) (p < 0.05). This corresponded with attenuated suppression of hepatic glucose production. Although Liver-ChREBP KO mice were protected against carbohydrate-induced hepatic steatosis, they displayed worsened glucose tolerance. Liver-ChREBP KO mice did not show the expected gene expression changes in liver in response to fasted and fed states. Interestingly, hepatic ChREBP deletion also resulted in gene expression changes in white and brown adipose tissues, suggesting inter-tissue communication. This included an almost complete abolition of BAT ChREBPβ induction in the fed state (0.15-fold) (p = 0.015) along with reduced lipogenic genes. In contrast, WAT showed inappropriate increases in lipogenic genes in the fasted state along with increased PEPCK1 in both fasted (3.4-fold) and fed (5.1-fold) states (p < 0.0001). Overall, hepatic ChREBP is protective in regards to hepatic insulin sensitivity and whole body glucose homeostasis. Hepatic ChREBP action can influence other peripheral tissues and is likely essential in coordinating the body's response to different feeding states. Show less
Multiple osteochondromas (MO) is one of the most common benign bone tumors in humans with an autosomal dominant hereditary mode. MO is a genetic heterogeneity disease with variable number and size of Show more
Multiple osteochondromas (MO) is one of the most common benign bone tumors in humans with an autosomal dominant hereditary mode. MO is a genetic heterogeneity disease with variable number and size of osteochondromas, as well as changeable number and location of diseased bones. Mutations in Exostosin-1/Exostosin-2 (EXT1/EXT2) genes are the main molecular basis of MO. EXT1 and EXT2 genes encode exostosin 1 and exostosin 2, respectively, both of which are transmembrane glycosyltransferases that elongate the chains of heparin sulfate (HS) at HS proteoglycans (HSPGs). HSPGs are considered to be involved in regulating the proliferation and differentiation of chondrocytes. Owing to large size of EXT1/EXT2 genes and lack of mutation hotspots, molecular diagnosis of MO is challenging. Here, we applied targeted next-generation sequencing (t-NGS) in mutation screening of EXT1/EXT2 genes for 10 MO patients. The results were compared and validated with Sanger sequencing. Overall, nine mutations identified by t-NGS were confirmed with Sanger sequencing, excluding two variants of false positive, suggesting the reliability of mutation screening by t-NGS. The nine mutations identified by t-NGS include two missense mutations (EXT1: c.1088G>A and c.2120C>T), one splicing mutation (EXT2: c.744-1G>T), and six nonsense mutations (EXT1: c.351C>G, c.1121G>A, and c.1843₁₈₄₆dup; EXT2: c.67C>T, c.561delG, and c.575T>A). In summary, our paper provides the primary data of the application of t-NGS in MO molecular diagnosis, including six newly identified mutations (EXT1: c.1843₁₈₄₆dup, c.1088G>A, c.351C>G, and c.2120C>T and EXT2: c.744-1G>T and c.575T>A), which further enrich the mutation database of MO from the Chinese population. Show less
In the intestinal epithelium, the aberrant regulation of cell/cell junctions leads to intestinal barrier defects, which may promote the onset and enhance the severity of inflammatory bowel disease (IB Show more
In the intestinal epithelium, the aberrant regulation of cell/cell junctions leads to intestinal barrier defects, which may promote the onset and enhance the severity of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, it remains unclear how the coordinated behaviour of cytoskeletal network may contribute to cell junctional dynamics. In this report, we identified ACF7, a crosslinker of microtubules and F-actin, as an essential player in this process. Loss of ACF7 leads to aberrant microtubule organization, tight junction stabilization and impaired wound closure in vitro. With the mouse genetics approach, we show that ablation of ACF7 inhibits intestinal wound healing and greatly increases susceptibility to experimental colitis in mice. ACF7 level is also correlated with development and progression of ulcerative colitis (UC) in human patients. Together, our results reveal an important molecular mechanism whereby coordinated cytoskeletal dynamics contributes to cell adhesion regulation during intestinal wound repair and the development of IBD. Show less
Alternative splicing provides a major mechanism to generate protein diversity. Increasing evidence suggests a link of dysregulation of splicing associated with cancer. Genome-wide alternative splicing Show more
Alternative splicing provides a major mechanism to generate protein diversity. Increasing evidence suggests a link of dysregulation of splicing associated with cancer. Genome-wide alternative splicing profiling in lung cancer remains largely unstudied. We generated alternative splicing profiles in 491 lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and 471 lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) patients in TCGA using RNA-seq data, prognostic models and splicing networks were built by integrated bioinformatics analysis. A total of 3691 and 2403 alternative splicing events were significantly associated with patient survival in LUAD and LUSC, respectively, including EGFR, CD44, PIK3C3, RRAS2, MAPKAP1 and FGFR2. The area under the curve of the receiver-operator characteristic curve for prognostic predictor in NSCLC was 0.817 at 2000 days of overall survival which were also over 0.8 in LUAD and LUSC, separately. Interestingly, splicing correlation networks uncovered opposite roles of splicing factors in LUAD and LUSC. We created prognostic predictors based on alternative splicing events with high performances for risk stratification in NSCLC patients and uncovered interesting splicing networks in LUAD and LUSC which could be underlying mechanisms. Show less
To investigate whether genetic variations on the estrogen metabolic pathway would be associated with risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cross-sectional study. Individuals were recruited at the Memory C Show more
To investigate whether genetic variations on the estrogen metabolic pathway would be associated with risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cross-sectional study. Individuals were recruited at the Memory Clinic, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong. Chinese individuals with (n = 426) and without (n = 350) AD. All subjects underwent a standardized cognitive assessment and genotyping of four candidate genes on the estrogen metabolic pathway (estrogen receptor α gene (ESR1), estrogen receptor β gene (ESR2), cytochrome P450 19A1 gene (CYP19A1), cytochrome P450 11A1 gene (CYP11A1)). Apart from consistent results showing an association between apolipoprotein (APO)E and AD, strong evidence of disease associations were found for polymorphisms in ESR2 and CYP11A1 based on the entire data set. For ESR2, significant protective effects were found for A alleles of rs4986938 (permuted P = .02) and rs867443 (permuted P = .02). For CYP11A1, significant risk effects were found for G alleles of rs11638442 (permuted P = .03) and rs11632698 (permuted P = .03). Stratifying subjects according to APOE ε4 status, their genetic effects continued to be significant in the APOE ε4-negative subgroup. Associations between CYP11A1 polymorphisms (rs2279357, rs2073475) and risk of AD were detected in women but not men. Further gene-level analysis confirmed the above association between ESR2 and CYP11A1, and pathway-level analysis highlighted the genetic effect of the estrogen metabolic pathway on disease susceptibility (permuted pathway-level P = .03). Consistent with previous biological findings for sex steroid hormones in the central nervous system, genetic alterations on the estrogen metabolic pathway were revealed in the Chinese population. Confirmation of these present findings in an independent population is warranted to elucidate disease pathogenesis and to explore the potential of hormone therapy in the treatment of AD. Show less
Carbamoyl phosphate synthase 1 (CPS1) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the first step of the urea cycle and an indispensable enzyme in the metabolism of human liver. However, CPS1 epigenetic regulation Show more
Carbamoyl phosphate synthase 1 (CPS1) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the first step of the urea cycle and an indispensable enzyme in the metabolism of human liver. However, CPS1 epigenetic regulation involves promoter analysis and the role of liver-enriched transcription factors (LETFs), which is not fully elucidated. In this work, the promoter region of hCPS1 gene was cloned, and its activity was investigated. An LETF, hepatocyte nuclear factor 3-beta (HNF3β), was found to promote the transcriptional expression of CPS1 in liver-derived cell lines. In addition, dual-luciferase reporter assay shows that the essential binding sites of the HNF3β may exist in the oligonucleotide -70 nt to +73 nt. Two putative binding sites are available for HNF3β. Mutation analysis results show that the binding site 2 of HNF3β was effective, and the transcriptional activity of CPS1 promoter significantly decreased after mutation. Electrophoretic mobile shift assay (EMSA) and ChIP assay confirmed that HNF3β can interact with the binding site in the CPS1 promoter region of -70 nt to +73 nt promoter region in vivo and in vitro to regulate the transcription of CPS1. Moreover, HNF3β overexpression enhanced the transcription of CPS1 and consequently improved the mRNA and protein levels of CPS1, whereas the knockdown of HNF3β showed the opposite effects. Finally, urea production in cells was measured, and ammonia detoxification improved significantly in cells after transfection with HNF3β. HNF3β plays a vital role in regulation of CPS1 gene and could promote the metabolism of ammonia by regulating CPS1 expression. Show less
In quantitative analysis of protein biomarkers and therapeutic proteins by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS), it is a preferred and well-established approach to digest with proteolytic e Show more
Apolipoprotein A5 (apoA5) has been implicated in the formation of hepatocyte lipid droplets, a histological hallmark of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Recent evidence demonstrated that liv Show more
Apolipoprotein A5 (apoA5) has been implicated in the formation of hepatocyte lipid droplets, a histological hallmark of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Recent evidence demonstrated that liver X receptor α (LXRα), a transcription factor involved in down-regulation of Show less
CETP (cholesteryl ester transfer protein) plays an important role in lipoprotein metabolism; however, whether inhibition of CETP activity can prevent cardiovascular disease remains controversial. We g Show more
CETP (cholesteryl ester transfer protein) plays an important role in lipoprotein metabolism; however, whether inhibition of CETP activity can prevent cardiovascular disease remains controversial. We generated CETP knockout (KO) rabbits by zinc finger nuclease gene editing and compared their susceptibility to cholesterol diet-induced atherosclerosis to that of wild-type (WT) rabbits. On a chow diet, KO rabbits showed higher plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol than WT controls, and HDL particles of KO rabbits were essentially rich in apolipoprotein AI and apolipoprotein E contents. When challenged with a cholesterol-rich diet for 18 weeks, KO rabbits not only had higher HDL cholesterol levels but also lower total cholesterol levels than WT rabbits. Analysis of plasma lipoproteins revealed that reduced plasma total cholesterol in KO rabbits was attributable to decreased apolipoprotein B-containing particles, while HDLs remained higher than that in WT rabbits. Both aortic and coronary atherosclerosis was significantly reduced in KO rabbits compared with WT rabbits. Apolipoprotein B-depleted plasma isolated from CETP KO rabbits showed significantly higher capacity for cholesterol efflux from macrophages than that from WT rabbits. Furthermore, HDLs isolated from CETP KO rabbits suppressed tumor necrosis factor-α-induced vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 and E-selectin expression in cultured endothelial cells. These results provide evidence that genetic ablation of CETP activity protects against cholesterol diet-induced atherosclerosis in rabbits. Show less
Hepatic fibrosis may ultimately result in organ failure and death, a reality compounded by the fact that most drugs for liver fibrosis appear to be effective only if given as a prophylactic or early t Show more
Hepatic fibrosis may ultimately result in organ failure and death, a reality compounded by the fact that most drugs for liver fibrosis appear to be effective only if given as a prophylactic or early treatment. In a dimethylnitrosamine-induced liver fibrotic model, aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase levels could not precisely distinguish the differences between the initial stage of liver fibrosis and normal control, whereas histological examination indicated that dimethylnitrosamine treatment for two weeks has resulted in hepatic fibrogenesis. Comprehensive proteomics identified 12 proteins mainly associated with the interleukin 6-stimulated inflammatory pathway. Coordinately, cytokine profiles showed that dimethylnitrosamine administration would stimulate various signaling pathways leading to liver fibrosis. Of note, apolipoprotein A4 in serum samples obtained from patients in the early stage of liver fibrosis were significantly increased compared to the healthy controls ( Show less
The aim of the study was to elucidate the mechanism by which advanced glycation end products (AGEs) promote cell proliferation in liver cancer cells.We treated liver cancer HepG2 cells with 200 mg/L A Show more
The aim of the study was to elucidate the mechanism by which advanced glycation end products (AGEs) promote cell proliferation in liver cancer cells.We treated liver cancer HepG2 cells with 200 mg/L AGEs or bovine serum albumin (BSA) and assayed for cell viability, cell cycle, and apoptosis. We performed real-time PCR and Western blot analysis for RNA and protein levels of carbohydrate responsive element-binding protein (ChREBP) in AGEs- or BSA-treated HepG2 cells. We analyzed the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in HepG2 cells treated with AGEs or BSA.We found that increased S-phase cell percentage and decreased apoptosis contributed to AGEs-induced liver cancer cell proliferation. Real-time PCR and Western blot analysis showed that AGEs stimulated RNA and protein levels of ChREBP, a transcription factor promoting glycolysis and maintaining cell proliferation in liver cancer cells. Intriguingly, the level of ROS was higher in AGEs-treated liver cancer cells. Treating liver cancer cells with antioxidant N-acetyl cystein (NAC) partly blocked AGEs-induced ChREBP expression and cell proliferation.Our results suggest that the AGEs-ROS-ChREBP pathway plays a critical role in promoting ChREBP expression and liver cancer cell proliferation. Show less