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Background: Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), originally reported as an inflammation regulating molecule, is elevated in various cancer cells, which may promote carcinogenesis. Meanwhile, ISO-1 is a potent small molecular inhibitor of MIF, which has not been investigated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), hence the impact of ISO-1 on NPC cells remains to be illustrated. Objective: This study intended to explore the biological function of ISO-1 in NPC cells in vitro and prove a possibility of ISO-1 being a novel agent in NPC treatments. Methods: Gene expression of MIF in Head and Neck squamous cell carcinoma was obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Nasal pharyngeal tissues were collected from adult patients undergoing nasopharyngeal biopsy for MIF level detection. Proliferation of NPC cell lines 5-8B and 6-10B was studied using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and plate-colony-formation assay, apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry and TUNEL staining, migration and invasion capacities were measured by wound-healing assay and transwell assay, all to explore the function of ISO-1 in NPC cells in vitro. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) level of NPC cells was determined by Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence assay. Results: Transcript level of MIF was significantly higher in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Protein MIF was overexpressed in human NPC tissues compared to non-cancerous ones, and its expression could be compromised by ISO-1 in vitro. 100μM ISO-1 significantly hindered NPC cells' migration and invasion capacities in vitro but acted relatively poorly on proliferation and apoptosis. Immunofluorescence assay and Western blotting implied a downregulated EMT level through TGF-β/Smad4 axis in ISO-1 treated NPC cells compared to the vehicle Conclusion: This study indicated that MIF antagonist ISO-1 holds an impact on NPC progression by influencing the migration and invasion of NPC cells ISO-1 inhibits the EMT process of NPC cells through TGF-β/Smad4 axis, supporting that prudent application of ISO-1 may be a potential adjuvant treatment for NPC.

Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is a laryngeal malignancy with a high mortality rates, and its treatment remains difficult. Sevoflurane is a surgical anesthesia which has anti-tumor effect. This investigation assessed the effects of LSCC cells treatment with Sevoflurane in vitro and in vivo. Hep-2 and Tu177 cells, human LSCC samples and BALB/C nude mice were used for result assessments. Cell viability, proliferation, migration and invasion were assessed via Cell Count Kit-8, wound healing assay and transwell invasion assay respectively. MiR-26a and FOXO1 expressions was examined by qRT-PCR. FOXO1, E-cadherin, N-cadherin and vimentin activities were examined by Western blotting. Moreover, animal experiments were performed to verify our findings in vitro. Lastly, miR-26a and FOXO1 expression levels in clinical samples were analyzed. According to the results, Sevoflurane decreased LSCC cells’ viability and even stimulated their apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, it could reduce the migration, invasion and EMT. Mechanistically, sevoflurane could downregulate miR-26a expression and that miR-26a could negatively modulate FOXO1 activity. Thus, sevoflurane could increase FOXO1 activity. In the clinical samples, miR-26a expression was significantly upregulated, but FOXO1 was remarkably down-regulated and miR-26a expression in LSCC was linked with better prognosis. In conclusion, MiR-26a is increased and FOXO1 is reduced in human LSCC, Sevoflurane inhibits proliferation and mediates apoptosis of LSCC cells. Further, MiR-26a binds FOXO1 directly, and FOXO1 expression is down-regulated by Sevoflurane. Finally, Sevoflurane triggers LSCC cells apoptosis in vivo. Sevoflurane use to target miR-26a/FOXO1 may be a novel alternative for LSCC therapy.

Programmed death‑ligand 1 (PD‑L1), an immune co‑stimulatory molecule, is expressed on various cancer cells and the surface of immune cells. Its overexpression on tumor cells suppresses the immune response to promote tumor cell immune escape. The present study demonstrated that PD‑L1 was critical in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) carcinogenesis. Immunohistochemical analysis of HNSCC tissue microarrays revealed that PD‑L1 was overexpressed in tumor tissue, and its expression increased as tumor malignancy progressed (from grade I to IV). Subsequently, the expression of PD‑L1 was knocked down or overexpressed in the HNSCC cell lines Cal‑27 and Fadu. It was demonstrated that PD‑L1 significantly induced HNSCC cell proliferation and colony forming ability. Cell proliferation was also promoted in Cal‑27 cell xenograft BALB/c nude mice. In addition, it was determined by western blotting that the PD‑L1‑mediated increase in HNSCC cell proliferation may have been associated with the activation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. Furthermore, mTOR inhibitor (rapamycin) prevented the increase in proliferation. Based on these results, it was concluded that PD‑L1 promoted cell proliferation of HNSCC cells through mTOR signaling, and blocking PD‑L1 may be conducive in HNSCC therapy.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer in the world, yet current treatment options are associated with limited success. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of ferritin in HNSCC and clarify whether it may serve as a biomarker for predicting HNSCC metastasis. The chemiluminescent immunoassay method was used to investigate the differences in the serum ferritin (SF) levels between patients with and without tumors, and between HNSCC with and without lymph node metastasis. The iron content and expression levels of ferritin were detected to verify the differences between tumor and normal tissues, and between HNSCC without and with lymph node metastasis. Data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset was used to support the aforementioned results. No statistically significant difference in the SF level was observed between patients with and without tumors. Iron content and expression levels of ferritin heavy chain (FTH) and ferritin light chain (FTL) were higher in tumor tissues compared with normal tissues. The iron content and expression levels of SF, FTH and FTL were increased in HNSCC with metastasis compared with HNSCC without metastasis. The GEO dataset further verified the results and reported that the expression level of FTH was correlated with the prognosis of patients with HNSCC. Ferritin may not be a biomarker for the early diagnosis of HNSCC. However, an association exists between the expression level of ferritin and HNSCC cervical metastasis. SF may be a potential biomarker for predicting cervical lymph node metastasis in patients with HNSCC.

Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) have gained widespread interest and attention as vital regulators in cancer occurrence and development. Nonetheless, the functions and mechanisms of lncRNAs involved in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) are largely unknown. By analysing the data from GSE61218, we identified a novel lncRNA LINC01515 which is altered in NPC. A series of experiments were performed to examine the exact roles of LINC01515 as well as the molecular mechanisms by which LINC01515 acted in NPC. LINC01515 expression was increased in NPC and that high LINC01515 expression was associated with a worse prognosis. Functionally, depletion of LINC01515 resulted in an inhibition of cell proliferation, migration and invasion, while apoptosis was promoted. Mechanistically, LINC01515 facilitated cell division cycle associated 5 (CDCA5) expression via serving as a sponge for miR-325. And more notably, miR-325 suppressed NPC progression in vitro by targeting CDCA5. Furthermore, the anti-tumor property induced by LINC01515 knockdown was partially reversed due to the overexpression of CDCA5. Taken together, LINC01515 exerted the carcinogenic effect in NPC through regulating miR-325/CDCA5 pathway. Our findings shed light on the possibility of exploiting LINC01515 as a prognostic biomarker or therapeutic target in NPC.

IUR is a recently identified oncogenic lncRNA in leukaemia, while its roles in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) are unclear. We aimed to explore the possible involvement of IUR in NPC. IUR and PTEN were downregulated, while miR-144 was upregulated in NPC. In addition, IUR was inversely correlated with miR-144 and positively correlated with PTEN. In NPC cells, overexpression of IUR resulted in a downregulated expression of miR-144 and an upregulated expression of PTEN. Overexpression of miR-144 led to a downregulated expression of PTEN and attenuated the effects of overexpression of IUR. Cell proliferation assay showed that overexpression of IUR and PTEN resulted in decreased NPC cell proliferation rate. Overexpression of miR-144 played an opposite role and attenuated the effects of overexpression of IUR. In conclusion, IUR can downregulate miR-144 to upregulate PTEN in NPC, therefore inhibiting NPC cell proliferation.

This study aimed in fully investigating the toxicities of ouabain to mouse cochlea and the related cellular environment, and providing an optimal animal model system for cell transplantation in the treatment of auditory neuropathy (AN) and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).Different dosages of ouabain were applied to mouse round window. The auditory brainstem responses and distortion product otoacoustic emissions were used to evaluate the cochlear function. The immunohistochemical staining and cochlea surface preparation were performed to detect the spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs), Schwann cells and hair cells.Ouabain at the dosages of 0.5 mM, 1 mM and 3 mM selectively and permanently destroyed SGNs and their functions, while leaving the hair cells relatively intact. Ouabain at 3 mM resulted in the most severe SGNs loss and induced significant loss of Schwann cells started as early as 7 days and with further damages at 14 and 30 days after ouabain exposure.The application of ouabain to mouse round window induces damages of SGNs and Schwann cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, this study established a reliable and accurate animal model system of AN and SNHL.

Summary Allergic rhinitis is thought to be an allergic disease associated with immunoglobulin (Ig)E-mediated immune response, characterized by increased T helper type 2 (Th2) cytokine production, elevated eosinophil levels in the nasal mucosa and induced nasal secretions. MicroRNA (miRNA) microarray data revealed that the expression level of miR-466a-3p was significantly decreased. Notably, GATA binding protein (GATA-3) was identified as one of its target genes through miRNA target prediction web tools. The expression levels of miR-466a-3p were altered by mimics and lentivirus both in vivo and in vitro, similar to those of GATA-3. Furthermore, the symptoms and histology of allergic rhinitis as well as the levels of serum IgE and interleukin (IL)-4 were examined in different groups of mice. Interestingly, the results for lentiviral miR-466a-3p-treated allergic rhinitis mice were relatively similar to normal mice, compared to allergic rhinitis mice without treatment. Also, miR-466a-3p negatively regulated GATA-3 expression in allergic rhinitis mice, indicating the participant of Th2-cell responses in allergic rhinitis. Taken together, our findings highlight a new perspective on the role of miR-466a-3p in allergic rhinitis. In addition, this study provides a theoretical framework and experimental reference for future research targeting microRNAs as therapeutic targets and diagnostic biomarkers of allergic rhinitis.

Regional metastasis is an important prognostic factor for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Neuromedin U (Nmu) is a secreted neuropeptide, named due to its potent uterine contraction‑inducing activity. The aim of the present study was to analyze the significance of Nmu in the regional metastasis of HNSCC. The characteristics of 240 patients recruited from the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University (Wuhan, China) were summarized retrospectively. The positive rate of neck dissection was analyzed according to the material. The expression levels of Nmu in human tumor samples were analyzed using immunohistochemistry. Subsequently, the expression of Nmu was investigated using a tissue microassay to analyze the association between Nmu protein expression and Tumor Node Metastasis (TNM) status. The positive rate of neck dissection was 51.4% in the study sample. The expression levels of Nmu in primary tumors with regional metastasis were higher, compared with those without metastasis. There was increased protein expression of Nmu in the advanced tumor tissues. The data obtained in the present study demonstrated that the expression of Nmu was correlated with regional metastasis and TNM status. Overexpression of Nmu may be involved in the process of regional metastasis of HNSCC, and may serve as a novel and valuable biomarker for predicting regional metastasis in patients with HNSCC.

The dietary compound phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), an important tumoricidal component found in cruciferous vegetables, exhibits strong anticancer and chemopreventive effects in a variety of tumors. However, its role in human laryngeal cancer is unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether PEITC exhibits anticancer properties in human laryngeal carcinoma Hep-2 cells in vitro and to identify the potential molecular mechanisms. The results showed that treatment of Hep-2 cells with PEITC significantly inhibited cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner, promoted apoptosis with concurrent G2/M cell cycle arrest and inhibited cell invasion in a dose-dependent manner. These effects were accompanied by significant alterations in the expression levels of key proteins associated with pro-survival signaling pathways, including PI3K, Akt, ERK, NF-κB, Bcl, Bax, cyclin B, CDK4 and CDK6. Importantly, these effects were not reflected in 16HBE normal human bronchial epithelial cells, suggesting a safe range of treatment concentrations between 0 and 10 µM PEITC. In summary, PEITC exhibited significant anticancer effects against human laryngeal cancer cells in vitro with low toxicological impact on normal bronchial epithelial cells. This was achieved through dysregulation of key proteins involved in the occurrence and development of tumors, thereby offering a valuable contribution to future strategies for the treatment and screening of patients with laryngocarcinoma.

The auditory brainstem response (ABR) wave I threshold, latency and amplitude are insensitive to spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) degeneration, but are sensitive to the degeneration of Schwann cells and can estimate the status of Schwann cells in a neural degeneration mouse model. The thorough pre-operative ABR assessment would be helpful in predicting cochlear implant performance.This study aimed in finding a non-invasive electrophysiological method to evaluate the status of the auditory nerve and the Schwann cells in sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and auditory neuropathy (AN) ears, and providing useful information for candidates screening and outcome prediction in cochlear implantation.The frequency-specific acoustic ABR was recorded in mice. The immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect the SGNs and Schwann cells in mice cochlea. The correlations between ABR wave I metrics and SGNs, Schwann cells were investigated.In SNHL and AN mice cochlea, statistically significant correlations between ABR wave I thresholds, latencies and amplitudes at 8, 16, and 32 kHz and their corresponding SGNs densities were found only in wave I amplitude at 8 kHz. While the ABR wave I metrics at all three frequencies showed strong significant correlations with their corresponding Schwann cells densities.

Leucine-rich-α-2-glycoprotein 1 (LRG1) is considered as a potential biomarker as it is aberrantly expressed in various malignancies. However, there is limited information regarding its role in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). In the present study, we aimed to explore the expression pattern of LRG1 in HNSCC and its clinicopathological significance. We first analyzed LRG1 gene expression in HNSCC by investigating data obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The results showed that LRG1 was downregulated in HNSCC tissues and its expression level was negatively related to tumor T and N stages and degree of malignancy. Then, we further tested a tissue microassay and clinical samples, respectively, by immunohistochemical staining and western blotting. Consistently, the results revealed that LRG1 expression was decreased in tumor tissues regardless of the grade of the tumor. Moreover, the protein level of LRG1 showed slight differences among four T stages or three N stages. In addition, there were no significant associations between LRG1 protein expression and other clinicopathological parameters such as gender, age, tumor location and clinical staging. These findings imply that downregulation of the expression of LRG1 is correlated with tumorigenesis but not with the development of HNSCC, indicating the potential clinical value of LRG1 in the early diagnosis of HNSCC.

Purpose To explore the influences of telomerase and alternative lengthening of telomeres mechanism on telomere length and laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma in vitro and in vivo. Materials and methods Short hairpin RNA expression vectors targeting the messenger TERT, TRF2, RAD51 and NBS1 were constructed. The mRNA and protein expression of targeted genes in human laryngeal squamous carcinoma cell line HEp-2 was evaluated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting separately. The length of telomere was analyzed by fluorescent in-situ hybridization. Cell viability was examined by cell counting Kit-8. Effects on tumor growth were also investigated in vivo. Results The transfection of multiple short hairpin RNAs expression plasmid significantly inhibited the mRNA and protein expression of related genes. Silence of alternative lengthening of telomeres mechanism and telomerase mechanism related genes resulted in the shortening of telomere length in HEp-2 cell. However, silence of alternative lengthening of telomeres mechanism related genes could shorten the telomere length but had no significant difference. Both simultaneously and separately blocking telomerase mechanism and alternative lengthening of telomeres mechanism resulted in reduction of tumor cell viability. Silence of alternative lengthening of telomeres mechanism and telomerase mechanism related genes inhibited the tumor growth in vivo. Conclusions The inhibition of telomere related gene may be a promising strategy for the treatment of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Calpains are a family of intracellular cysteine proteases involved in various biological processes. Previously, the family was identified to have abnormal expression in several types of malignant tumor. Calpain 6 was less well known; however, it was recently identified to be involved in the carcinogenesis of certain types of malignant tumor. However, the expression of calpain 6 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains unclear. A total of six datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) was analyzed and an association between calpain 6 expression levels and HNSCC was identified, with the expression of calpain 6 observed to be significantly decreased in HNSCC (P

It is well known that crucifers have antitumor effects and 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) is one of the major bioactive components, and the associated molecular mechanisms in a short-term high-dose manner are widely discussed. However, the antitumor effects of DIM in a long-term low-dose manner in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has not been reported yet, as to the potential mechanisms in the human body. In the present study, NPC cells were induced by 20 µmol/l DIM for over a month, and the proliferation, apoptosis, migration and in vivo metastasis were investigated. The results showed that DIM significantly reduced the proliferation and migration; however, changes in apoptosis were not observed. In vivo study showed the metastasis was significantly reduced. Compared to the short-term high-dose manner, incomplete similar qualities were observed; next we explored the possible signal pathway revolved, the ERK signaling showed similar changes, while the PI3K/Akt, NF-κB, P38, JNK pathways were significantly altered in the short-term high-dose manner (our previous study) showed no obvious change, indicating the ERK signaling may be the main effector of DIM.