Corticosterone induces neurotoxicity in PC12 cells via disrupting autophagy flux mediated by AMPK/mTOR signaling.

Aims: Our previous study indicated that chronic stress caused autophagy impairment and subsequent neuron apoptosis in hippocampus. However, the mechanism underlying the stress-induced damage to neurons is unclear. In present work, we investigated whether stress-level glucocorticoids (GCs) GCs promoted PC12 cell damage via AMPK/mTOR signaling-mediated autophagy.

Overexpression of secretagogin promotes cell apoptosis and inhibits migration and invasion of human SW480 human colorectal cancer cells.

Objective: In order to investigate the effect of secretagogin (SCGN) on colorectal cancer (CRC) cells apoptosis, invasion and migration in vitro.

Methods: Expression of SCGN in CRC tissues and the paired adjacent non-tumorous tissues (n = 36) and four human CRC cell lines (HT29, HCT116, SW480 and SW620) were detected. SW480 cells were transfected with the SCGN overexpression plasmid (eGFP-SCGN), si-SCGN-773, and the corresponding negative controls (NCs).

Immunoregulatory effects on Caco-2 cells and mice of exopolysaccharides isolated from Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM.

On the basis of our previous results on potential immunoregulation of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM, the immunoregulatory effects of exopolysaccharides (EPS) isolated from L. acidophilus NCFM and their regulating mechanisms are further investigated in the current research. Stimulated by EPS preparations, four immune-related genes in the human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line Caco-2 cells, namely, interleukin-1α (IL-1α), chemokine C-C motif 2 (CCL2), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and pentraxin 3 (PTX3), first showed an increase at 2-4 h, peaked at 4 h, and then decreased at 4-12 h.