Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomédecine & pharmacothérapie
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Biomed. Pharmacother. · Oct 2016
MicroRNA-7 regulates IL-1β-induced extracellular matrix degeneration by targeting GDF5 in human nucleus pulposus cells.
The precise role of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β)-induced extracellular matrix degeneration in the pathogenesis of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is currently unknown. Recent evidence has revealed that microRNAs (miRNAs) are associated with IDD, but their function in the extracellular matrix degradation of nucleus pulposus (NP) tissues is also poorly understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression and functional role of miR-7 in IL-1β-induced disc degeneration. ⋯ Functional analysis showed that the overexpression of miR-7 significantly enhanced the IL-1β-induced extracellular matrix degeneration, whereas inhibition of miR-7 function by antagomiR-7 prevented NP cell detrimental catabolic changes in response to IL-1β. Additionally, the prevention of IL-1β-induced NP extracellular matrix degeneration by miR-7 silencing was attenuated by GDF5 siRNA. These findings suggest that miR-7 contributes to an impaired ECM in intervertebral discs through targeting GDF5 and miR-7 might therefore represent a novel therapeutic target for the prevention of IDD.
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Biomed. Pharmacother. · Oct 2016
Blockage of SSRP1/Ets-1/Pim-3 signalling enhances chemosensitivity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma to docetaxel in vitro.
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a rare cancer in most parts of the world, but is prevalent in South China area. Besides, therapeutic outcome is still unsatisfactory for patients with refractory and relapsed NPC, even though receiving a second line of docetaxel-based chemotherapy. These reasons require a better understanding of mechanisms underlying the carcinogenesis, malignancy and chemoresistance. ⋯ In NPC HNE-1 cells, all SSRP1, Ets-1 and Pim-3 knockdown diminished the cell proliferation, enhanced the apoptosis, as well as inhibited the autophagy, invasion and clonogenicity in the presence or absence of docetaxel at IC25. Exposure of HNE-1 cells to docetaxel (IC25) alone had modest effect on cell proliferation and autophagy, and was not as effective as docetaxel treatment after knockdown of SSRP1, Ets-1 or Pim-3 on induction of the apoptosis and on inhibition of the invasion and clonogenicity. Our data indicate that SSRP1/Ets-1/Pim-3 signalling is tightly associated with the proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, invasion and clonogenicity of NPC cells, and blockage of this signalling facilitates chemosensitivity of the cells to docetaxel.
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Biomed. Pharmacother. · Oct 2016
Fast and long acting neoflavonoids dalbergin isolated from Dalbergia sissoo heartwood is osteoprotective in ovariectomized model of osteoporosis: Osteoprotective effect of Dalbergin.
This study aims to evaluate the skeletal effects of dalbergin (DBN), isolated from Dalbergia sissoo heartwood, in ovariectomized (OVx) BALB/c mice, a postmenopausal osteoporosis model of bone loss. ⋯ Daily oral administration of DBN for 8 weeks showed significant anabolic effects on bone micro-architectural parameters along with down regulation of bone resorptive markers without compromising safety at uterine level. Therefore, our study provides basis for DBN as a therapeutic candidate against postmenopausal osteoporosis.