Publications by authors named "Wen-xiu Zhao"

Salient Object Detection (SOD) simulates the human visual perception in locating the most attractive objects in the images. Existing methods based on convolutional neural networks have proven to be highly effective for SOD. However, in some cases, these methods cannot satisfy the need of both accurately detecting intact objects and maintaining their boundary details.

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Extracellular vesicles play crucial roles in intercellular communication in the tumor microenvironment. Here we demonstrate that in hepatic fibrosis, TGF-β stimulates the palmitoylation of hexokinase 1 (HK1) in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), which facilitates the secretion of HK1 via large extracellular vesicles in a TSG101-dependent manner. The large extracellular vesicle HK1 is hijacked by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells, leading to accelerated glycolysis and HCC progression.

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Tumor-derived extracellular vesicles are important mediators of cell-to-cell communication during tumorigenesis. Here, we demonstrated that hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)-derived ectosomes remodel the tumor microenvironment to facilitate HCC progression in an ectosomal PKM2-dependent manner. HCC-derived ectosomal PKM2 induced not only metabolic reprogramming in monocytes but also STAT3 phosphorylation in the nucleus to upregulate differentiation-associated transcription factors, leading to monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation and tumor microenvironment remodeling.

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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Orphan nuclear receptor Nur77, which is low expressed in HCC, functions as a tumor suppressor to suppress HCC. However, the detailed mechanism is still not well understood.

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Fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) has been well known for a pivotal role in regulation of fat mass, adipogenesis and body weight. In recent years, increasing studies revealed a strong association between FTO and various types of cancer. Its role in human hepatocellular carcinoma, however, remains unclear.

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Gluconeogenesis, an essential metabolic process for hepatocytes, is downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here we show that the nuclear receptor Nur77 is a tumour suppressor for HCC that regulates gluconeogenesis. Low Nur77 expression in clinical HCC samples correlates with poor prognosis, and a Nur77 deficiency in mice promotes HCC development.

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Article Synopsis
  • Natural killer (NK) cells play a role in inhibiting the metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma, although their specific effects on tumor growth are unclear.
  • The study showed that NK cells reduced the proliferation, migration, and invasion of hepatoma cells (MHCC97-H) and had prolonged survival in the liver, helping prevent lung metastasis.
  • Interleukin-2 (IL-2) was found to enhance the tumor-inhibitory function of NK cells, potentially boosting their effectiveness against liver cancer metastasis in mice.
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Chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 5 (CHD5) acts as a tumor suppressor in many cancers. In the present study, we demonstrated that reduced levels of CHD5 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues were significantly associated with metastasis and poor prognosis. Gain-of-function assays revealed that CHD5 suppressed motility and invasion of HCC cells.

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We previously reported the case of a 56-year-old male who underwent surgical treatment for gastric hepatoid adenocarcinoma and splenic metastasis. The present study reports the case of the same patient who underwent successful hepatectomy and partial liver autotransplantation. Computed tomography scans demonstrated that the tumor was located in the left and caudate lobes of the liver, with hepatic vein and inferior vena cava involvement, and right portal vein compression.

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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the one of most common malignant tumors. The tumor microenvironment has a role in not only supporting growth and survival of tumor cells, but also triggering tumor recurrence and metastasis. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), one of the important growth factors in the tumor microenvironment, has an important role in angiogenesis, tumorigenesis and regeneration.

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DLC1 has been shown to be downregulated or absent in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and is associated with tumorigenesis and development. However, only a small number of studies have focused on genetic variations of DLC1. The present study performed exon sequencing for the DLC1 gene in HCC tissue samples from 105 patients to identify functional genetic variation of DLC1 and its association with HCC susceptibility, clinicopathological features and prognosis.

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Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy worldwide, which is especially prevalent in Asia. Elucidating the molecular basis of HCC is crucial to develop targeted diagnostic tools and novel therapies. Recent studies have identified AT-rich interactive domain-containing protein 1A (ARID1A) as a broad-spectrum tumor suppressor.

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Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a devastating cancer with a poor prognosis, is resistant to the currently available chemotherapeutic agents. Capsaicin, the major pungent ingredient found in hot red chili peppers of the genus Capsicum, suppresses the growth of several malignant cell lines. Our aims were to investigate the role and mechanism of capsaicin with respect to the sensitivity of CCA cells to chemotherapeutic agents.

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Enoyl-coenzyme A hydratase short chain 1 (ECHS1) regulates fatty acid metabolism and is an essential factor in tumor development. The present study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms of ECHS1 in hepatocellular carcinogenesis by studying proliferation and survival in ECHS1 knocked-down hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines, HepG2 and HuH7. The effect of ECHS1 on tumor development was investigated by tumor transplantation in nude mice, and the signaling pathways involved in the ECHS1-mediated regulation of HCC cell proliferation were identified by western blot analysis.

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It has been reported that NKD1 was an antagonist of the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway. While there is little information regarding NKD1 expression pattern in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to investigate the clinicopathologic significance and expression pattern of NKD1 in HCC.

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Dysregulation of growth factor signaling plays a pivotal role in controlling the malignancy phenotype and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the precise oncogenic mechanisms underlying transcription regulation of certain tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) by growth factors are poorly understood. In the present study, we report a novel insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) pathway that mediates de novo DNA methylation and TSG (such as DLC1 and CHD5) silencing by upregulation of the DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) via an AKT/β-transducin repeat-containing protein (βTrCP)-mediated ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in HCC.

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Wnt signalling through β-catenin and the lymphoid-enhancing factor 1/T-cell factor (LEF1/TCF) family of transcription factors maintains stem cell properties in both normal and malignant tissues; however, the underlying molecular pathway involved in this process has not been completely defined. Using a microRNA microarray screening assay, we identified let-7 miRNAs as downstream targets of the Wnt-β-catenin pathway. Expression studies indicated that the Wnt-β-catenin pathway suppresses mature let-7 miRNAs but not the primary transcripts, which suggests a post-transcriptional regulation of repression.

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Chloride intracellular channel 1 (CLIC1) is expressed in many human tissues and has been reported to be involved in the regulation of cell cycle, cell proliferation, and differentiation. Its roles in human hepatic tumor, however, remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinicopathological significance and expression pattern of CLIC1 in human primary hepatic tumors.

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Angiotensin II (AngII) induces cardiac hypertrophy and increases the expression of TR3. To determine whether TR3 is involved in the regulation of the pathological cardiac hypertrophy induced by AngII, we established mouse and rat hypertrophy models using chronic AngII administration. Our results reveal that a deficiency of TR3 in mice or the knockdown of TR3 in the left ventricle of rats attenuated AngII-induced cardiac hypertrophy compared with the respective controls.

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Background/aims: In the injured liver, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) induce immunosuppression activity and thus participate in the pathogenesis of liver disease, including HCC. Therefore, finding new drugs to inhibit their immunosuppression activity is necessary. This study tests whether bear bile can affect the immunosuppression activities of HSCs.

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In the title compound, [Zn(2)(C(10)H(2)O(8))(C(16)H(20)N(4))(H(2)O)(2)](n), the Zn(II) atom is in a distorted tetra-hedral environment, being coordinated by one N atom from a 1,4-bis-(3-pyridyl-meth-yl)piperazine (3-bpmp) ligand, two O atoms from two carboxyl-ate groups of the pyromellitate anion and one water mol-ecule. The distortion of the tetrahedral coordination may be ascribed to the hydrogen bonds between the carboxyl-ate groups and the adjacent water mol-ecules. Each Zn(II) atom links to three organic ligands and each pyromellitate ligand coordinates to four Zn(II) atoms, forming a (3,4)-connected infinite three-dimensional framework.

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The title Cd(II) coordination polymer, catena-poly[[{1,4-bis-[1-(2-pyridylmeth-yl)benzimidazol-2-yl]butane}cadmium(II)]-μ-benzene-1,3-dicarboxyl-ato], [Cd(C(8)H(4)O(4))(C(30)H(28)N(6))](n), was obtained by reaction of CdCO(3), benzene-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (H(2)btc) and 1,4-bis-[1-(2-pyridylmeth-yl)benzimidazol-2-yl]butane (L). The Cd(II) cation is six-coordinated by an N(2)O(4)-donor set. L acts as a bidentate ligand and btc anions link Cd(II) centers into a chain propagating parallel to [010].

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Acutely transforming retrovirus AKT8 in rodent T cell lymphoma (Akt) phosphorylates and regulates the function of many cellular proteins involved in processes such as metabolism, apoptosis and proliferation. However, the precise mechanisms by which Akt promotes cell survival and inhibits apoptosis have been characterized in part only. TR3, an orphan receptor, functions as a transcription factor that can both positively or negatively regulate gene expression.

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The content of total flavone in carthmus tinctorius L in Xinjiang was determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry with scan from 200 to 400 nm where the maximum absorption wavelength was 267.00 nm. The contents of ten trace elements and constant elements in carthmus tinctorius L including potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, iron, chromium, nickel, manganese, copper and zinc were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry.

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Acetylation modification regulates the functions of histone and nonhistone proteins, including transcriptional activity, protein interaction, and subcellular localization. Although many nuclear receptors have been shown to be modified by acetylation, whether retinoid X receptors (RXRs) are acetylated and how the acetylation is regulated remains unknown. Here, we provide the first evidence of RXRalpha acetylation by p300 on lysine 145.

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