Search

Dishevelled-associated antagonist of beta-catenin 2 (Dact2) is involved in the regulation of intracellular signaling pathways during development. It negatively regulates the Nodal signaling pathway, possibly by promoting lysosomal degradation of Nodal receptors such as TGFBR1, and plays an inhibitory role during the re-epithelialization of skin wounds by attenuating transforming growth factor-β signaling. Dact 2 is known to act as a functional tumor suppressor in colon cancer; reduced Dact2 can promote liver cancer progression and suppress gastric cancer proliferation, invasion, and metastasis by inhibiting Wnt signaling. Zebrafish is used as a model of cancer biology because it shows similar tumorigenesis and morphogenesis as in humans and gene manipulation in this organism is possible. This study was performed to explore phenotypic changes in Dact2 knockout zebrafish and investigate the function of Dact2. A 10-base pair deletion Dact2 knockout zebrafish was prepared using the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing system. Dact2 knockout enhanced the expression of the MMP2 and MMP9 genes, which are related to tumor invasion and migration, and the Snail , VEGF , and ZEB genes, which are related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The absence of Dact2 also resulted in hyperplasia of the gastrointestinal epithelium, fibrosis in the pancreas and liver, increased proliferation of the pancreatic and hepatic bile ducts, and invasive proliferation into the pancreas. A wound healing assay confirmed that the absence of Dact2 enhanced EMT, thus accelerating wound healing. This study suggests that a loss of function of Dact2 impacts EMT-related gene regulation and tumor generation in a zebrafish knockout model, which is a useful model for exploring the mechanisms of these processes. • This is the first reported Dact2 knockout zebrafish model via CRISPR/Cas9. • Dact2 gene plays an important role in normal formation of the digestive system. • Dact2 deficiency increases re-epithelialization of a wound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In obese patients, free fatty acids ectopically accumulated in non-adipose tissues cause cell death. Saturated fatty acids are more deleterious to non-adipose cells, and supplementation with monounsaturated fatty acids has been proposed to rescue cells from saturated fatty acid-induced cytotoxicity; however, the mechanisms are not well understood. To understand the cytoprotective role of monounsaturated fatty acids in lipotoxic cell death of macrophages, we investigated the antagonizing effect of oleate and the underlying mechanisms in palmitate-treated RAW264.7 cells. Palmitate strongly induced apoptosis in macrophages by increasing CD36 expression, which was identified to mediate both endoplasmic reticulum stress and the generation of reactive oxygen species. Co-treatment with oleate significantly reduced CD36 expression and its downstream signaling pathways of apoptosis in palmitate-treated cells. These findings provide a novel mechanism by which oleate protects macrophages from palmitate-induced lipotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Oleanolic acid (OA), a pentacyclic triterpene acid, has been reported to possess inducing activity of hepatic metallothionein (MT). However, the mechanism underlying its effects is unknown. This study investigated the effects of OA on the regulation of MT expression in an in vitro model. OA that was added directly to Hepa-1c1c7 cells had no effect on MT induction. However, MT and its mRNA levels increased markedly when the Hepa-1c1c7 cells were cultured with the OA-treated conditioned media from the RAW 264.7 cells. Co-treating the RAW 264.7 cells with OA and pentoxifylline, a TNF-α synthesis inhibitor, resulted in a decrease in the effects of OA on the MT induction. In the OA-exposed RAW 264.7 cell cultures, production and mRNA levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were increased. However, the MT induction activity was inhibited when antibodies to TNF-α and/or IL-6 were added to the OA-treated conditioned media from the RAW 264.7 cells. These results suggest that the up-regulation of MT expression by OA was mediated by the TNF-α and IL-6 released from UA-activated macrophages. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The cytokine-like protein FAM19A5 is highly expressed in the brain, but little is known about its functions there. Here, we found that FAM19A5 was expressed in mouse hypothalamic cells expressing proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and neuropeptide Y (NPY)/agouti-related peptide (AgRP), and in the microglia. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), which induces inflammatory sickness responses, greatly increased hypothalamic expression of FAM19A5. Knockdown of FAM19A5 expression resulted in decreased TNF-α-induced anorexia, body weight loss and TNF-α-induced expression of inflammatory factors. In contrast, intracerebroventricular administration of FAM19A5 induced anorexia, body weight loss and hyperthermia, together with increased expression of inflammatory factors. FAM19A5 injection also induced increases in c-fos activation and POMC mRNA level in hypothalamic POMC neurons. Together, these results suggest that FAM19A5 plays an important role in hypothalamic inflammatory responses. • FAM19A5 is expressed in hypothalamic proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons. • FAM19A5 is involved in tumor necrosis factor-α-induced hypothalamic inflammatory responses. • FAM19A5 induces anorexia, body weight loss and hyperthermia and increases mRNA expression of inflammatory factors and POMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Methoxychlor (MXC) is a pesticide that was developed as a replacement for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane. The influence of MXC on cytokine production or the functions of macrophages is unclear. This study examined the effects of MXC on the production of nitric oxide (NO) and the proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α), and analyzed the molecular mechanism in mouse macrophages. The addition of MXC to macrophages induced the production of NO and proinflammatory cytokines and expression levels of these genes in a dose-dependent manner. The NF-κB sites were identified in the promoter of the iNOS and proinflammatory cytokines genes. The transient expression and electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed that the NF-κB transcription factor mediated the MXC-induced increase in the iNOS and proinflammatory cytokines expression levels. In addition, MXC induced the rapid phosphorylation of the ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK. This demonstrates that MXC stimulates the production of NO and proinflammatory cytokines and can up-regulate the expression levels of these genes via NF-κB transactivation and ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK phosphorylation. Overall, this study provides evidence showing that MXC has inflammatory potential that is previously unrecognized immunomodulating activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]