Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor mRNA Expression Research Articles

Loss of copy numbers of retrotransposons (HERVK) on chromosome 7p11.2 impacts EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor)-induced phenotypes for platinum sensitivity and long-term survival in ovarian cancer-A study from the OVCAD consortium.

We analyzed variations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene and 5'-upstream region to identify potential molecular predictors of treatment response in primary epithelial ovarian cancer. Tumor tissues collected during debulking surgery from the prospective multicenter OVCAD study were investigated. Copy number variations in the human endogenous retrovirus sequence human endogenous retrovirus K9 (HERVK9) and EGFR Exons 7 and 9, as well as repeat length and loss of heterozygosity of polymorphic CA-SSR I and relative EGFR mRNA expression were determined quantitatively. At least one EGFR variation was observed in 94% of the patients. Among the 30 combinations of variations discovered, enhanced platinum sensitivity (n = 151) was found dominantly with HERVK9 haploidy and Exon 7 tetraploidy, overrepresented among patients with survival ≥120 months (24/29, p = .0212). EGFR overexpression (≥80 percentile) was significantly less likely in the responders (17% vs. 32%, p = .044). Multivariate Cox regression analysis, including age, FIGO stage, and grade, indicated that the patients' subgroup was prognostically significant for CA-SSR I repeat length <18 CA for both alleles (HR 0.276, 95% confidence interval 0.109-0.655, p = .001). Although EGFR variations occur in ovarian cancer, the mRNA levels remain low compared to other EGFR-mutated cancers. Notably, the inherited length of the CA-SSR I repeat, HERVK9 haploidy, and Exon 7 tetraploidy conferred three times higher odds ratio to survive for more than 10 years under therapy. This may add value in guiding therapies if determined during follow-up in circulating tumor cells or circulating tumor DNA and offers HERVK9 as a potential therapeutic target.

Abstract PO1-25-03: Programmed Death-Ligand 1 and Receptor Tyrosine Kinases in Breast Cancer

Abstract Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is an immune checkpoint expressed in a wide range of malignancies leading to immune tolerance and cancer cell immune evasion. Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are key regulators of cancer cell proliferation, survival, and invasion. The Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF) receptor, MET, and the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) are RTKs known for their tumorigenic potential in a variety of human malignancies. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) on the expression of PD-L1 in breast cancer cells and the effect of their combination with inflammatory cytokines. The study also assessed the association of the expression of the tumoral PD-L1 mRNA with each of MET and EGFR mRNA expression and the tumor features and treatment outcomes in breast cancer patients using the METABRIC dataset publicly available from cBioPortal for Cancer Genomics. The TKIs crizotinib [a MET inhibitor] and gefitinib [an EGFR inhibitor] were used as a single treatment and in combination with the cytokines; tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) or interferon-γ (INF-γ) in MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in vitro. The cells were also treated with the mitogens HGF and EGF. The viability of cells after the different treatments was determined using the MTT viability assay. The effects of the combination treatments were analyzed using combination index (CI) analysis. The expression level of PD-L1 in cancer cells was assessed using Western blotting. The combination treatment of crizotinib with TNF-α and INF-γ produced a synergistic growth inhibition of MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cells with CI values of 0.31 and 0.55, respectively. Alternatively, combined crizotinib and TNF-α produced an antagonist effect on the viability of MCF7 cells (CI=2.49). The combination of gefitinib with TNF-α produced a synergistic growth inhibition in both MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cells with CI values of 0.39 and 0.78, respectively. Alternatively, gefitinib resulted in an additive effect when combined with INF-γ (CI=0.99) and an antagonistic effect when combined with TNF-α (CI=2.68) in MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, respectively. Treatment with HGF (50 and 100 ng/ml) increased the protein levels of PD-L1 while EGF (50 and 100 ng/ml) reduced its levels in MDA-MB-231 cells. Treatment with the TKIs crizotinib (0.1-4 µM) and gefitinib (1-40 µM) significantly reduced PD-L1 levels in MDA-MB-231 cells compared to vehicle-treated cells. The analysis of the METABRIC dataset revealed that the mRNA expression of PD-L1 was positively correlated with the mRNA expression of the EGFR gene (r= 0.081, p&amp;lt; 0.001) but not the MET gene. A double-high PD-L1/MET expression was significantly associated with younger age at diagnosis, high-grade carcinoma, greater tumor size, hormone receptor-negative status, HER2-positivity, and non-luminal disease compared to patients with a double-low PD-L1/MET expression. Similar findings were reported for patients with a double-high PD-L1/EGFR expression compared to patients with a double-low PD-L1/EGFR expression. Nevertheless, the mRNA expression of the PD-L1, MET, and EGFR genes as well as the co-expression of PD-L1/MET or PD-L1/EGFR genes did not affect the overall survival of breast cancer patients. Collectively, MET and EGFR TKIs could modulate the effects of inflammatory cytokines differently based on the type of cytokine and the molecular subtype of breast cancer cells. The expression of PD-L1 in breast cancer cells was upregulated by HGF while TKIs reduced its expression. The co-expression of the PD-L1 gene with MET and EGFR genes in breast cancer was associated with advanced disease presentation and worse prognosticators in patients. Together, TKIs that target MET or EGFR could be an appealing therapeutic target in breast cancer, particularly in younger patients with the non-luminal disease. Citation Format: Nehad Ayoub, Muhsen Al-Diabat, Moath Al-Shorman, Laith Al-Eitan. Programmed Death-Ligand 1 and Receptor Tyrosine Kinases in Breast Cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO1-25-03.

Combined Wee1 and EGFR inhibition reveals synergistic antitumor effect in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is one of the most common amplified and overexpressed oncogenes in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), while the clinical efficacy of EGFR targeted therapy in ESCC is dismal. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of dual blockage using monoclonal antibody against EGFR (Nimotuzumab) and an Wee1 inhibitor (AZD1775) in ESCC. We found that the mRNA and protein expression of EGFR and Wee1 were positively correlated in ESCC. Nimotuzumab-AZD1775 co-treatment inhibited tumor growth in PDX models with different drug susceptibility. Transcriptome sequencing and mass spectrometry analysis indicated that higher sensitive models showed enrichment of the PI3K/Akt or MAPK signaling pathway in Nimotuzumab-AZD1775 group compared with control group. In vitro experiments showed that the combination further inhibit PI3K/Akt and MAPK pathways compared to their monotherapy as indicated by downregulation of pAKT, pS6, pMEK, pErk and p-p38 MAPK. Furthermore, AZD1775 potentiated Nimotuzumab's antitumor effect through inducing apoptosis. Meanwhile, the bioinformatics analysis suggests the POLR2A might be candidate molecule of EGFR/Wee1 downstream. In conclusion, our work uncovers that EGFR-mAb Nimotuzumab combined with Wee1 inhibitor AZD1775 elicited potentiated anticancer activity against ESCC cell line and PDXs partially through PI3K/Akt and MAPK pathways blockade. These pre-clinical data raise the promising that ESCC patients may benefit from dual target EGFR and Wee1.

Abstract 377: RON receptor tyrosine kinase in head and neck cancer: a potential target for overcoming resistance to anti-EGFR therapy

Abstract Background: Although the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed in 80-90% of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas (HNSCCs), response to anti-EGFR targeted therapy remains low. Trans-activation of other receptor tyrosine kinases is a common mechanism of resistance to EGFR directed therapy. The RON receptor tyrosine kinase (Macrophage stimulating 1-receptor/MST1R) is a member of the c-MET oncogene family. While limited, prior studies by our group and others have reported elevated RON expression in over 60% of primary HNSCC samples and that receptor cross talk exists with RON and EGFR. Based on this information, we hypothesize that the pro-tumorigeneic role of RON and its crosstalk with EGFR contributes to HNSCC growth and to anti-EGFR therapeutic failure. To test this hypothesis, we examined the expression level of RON and EGFR in human and mouse HNSCC cell lines and in HNSCC patient samples from publicly available databases. Further, we investigated the role of RON in radiation resistance as radiation is a primary treatment modality for HNSCC. Results: Immunoblotting demonstrated strong RON expression in eight of nine human HNSCC cell lines tested and strong EGFR expression in six HNSCC cell lines. In exploring mRNA expression of RON using the Kaplan-Meier Plotter HNSCC RNA-seq dataset, high RON expression was associated with poorer overall survival (P = 0.054) in patients with Stage 3 HNSCC and low mutation burden. To assess the relationship between RON and EGFR, mRNA expression was mined in the GSE6631 dataset from the NCBI gene expression omnibus (GEO). Our analysis found RON to be significantly overexpressed in HNSCC samples compared to normal matched controls (P = 0.029). Interestingly, EGFR mRNA expression was negatively correlated (r = -0.2) with RON mRNA expression from the same patients. This inverse correlation between RON and EGFR expression was corroborated by immunoblotting data of HNSCC lines, UM-SCC-090 and 93-UV-147T which demonstrated low levels of EGFR and high levels of RON. As ionizing radiation is a pillar of HNSCC treatment and is often delivered concurrent with anti-EGFR therapy, we next examined the relative radiosensitivity in multiple murine and human cancer cell lines with and without RON expression using colony formation assays. Preliminary studies demonstrated significantly increased colony formation in high RON-expressing cells relative to low RON-expressing cells. Conclusion: RON is expressed at high levels in multiple HNSCC cell lines and in human samples. Protein expression data and in silica analyses support an inverse association between EGFR and RON. RON expression is associated with radiation resistance. Future studies will investigate interactions between RON and EGFR, and whether RON inhibition can increase anti-EGFR treatment and radiation sensitivity in HNSCC cells. Citation Format: Zhixin Lu, Vinita Takiar, Susan E. Waltz. RON receptor tyrosine kinase in head and neck cancer: a potential target for overcoming resistance to anti-EGFR therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 377.

Abstract P1-13-18: EGFR signaling contributes to acquired resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors in ER+ breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo

Abstract Breast cancer driven by different hormone receptors, including estrogen receptor (ER+), is responsible for approximately 70-80% of cases among women. While endocrine therapy (ET) of ER+ primary tumors with antiestrogens or aromatase inhibitors is an effective first-line therapy, its success is limited by intrinsic and acquired resistance. Response to ET can be limited due to overexpression of cyclin D1, which promotes the activation of cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6). Selective inhibition of CDK4/6 and ER signaling is now standard-of-care therapy for ER+ metastatic breast cancer. CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i), including palbociclib (PD), ribociclib, and abemaciclib, used in combination with ET, have shown improvement in progression-free survival compared to ET alone in the metastatic setting. However, the inevitable development of acquired resistance significantly limits the efficacy of this targeted therapy. Rewired signaling driven by different oncogenes, including the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), overcomes the targeted inhibition of CDK4/6, which, in turn, allows cell cycle progression contributing to acquired resistance. We evaluated the expression and activity of EGFR in the panel of different matching pairs of ER- and ER+ CDK4/6i-sensitive (pS) and CDK4/6i-resistant (pR) breast cancer cell lines in vitro. Increased EGFR expression in ER+ MCF7/pR cells correlated with elevated ER phosphorylation, suggesting a direct cross-talk between EGFR and ER signaling in PD-resistant cells. Stimulation with EGF promoted ER activation, whereas estrogen stimulation promoted EGFR activation in ER+ pS and pR cell lines, indicating a direct cross-regulation between these molecular targets. Treatment of MCF7/pR cells with CDK4/6i resulted in elevated EGFR mRNA expression, confirming the dependency of resistant cells on EGFR signaling. Moreover, exposure to the EGFR inhibitors dramatically inhibited the proliferation of MCF7/pR cells compared to the parental cells, suggesting that EGFR could be an essential bypass signaling regulator contributing to resistance to CDK4/6i. We found that combined treatment with EGFRi and CDK4/6i significantly inhibited Rb phosphorylation in pR cells improving the effect of CDK4/6i on cell cycle arrest. We evaluated EGFR expression in MCF7/pS and pR mouse xenograft models in vivo. We observed a significant elevation in EGFR expression and phosphorylation in response to PD treatment, confirming the importance of EGFR signaling in maintaining the acquired resistance to CDK4/6i in ER+ breast cancer cells. Taken together, our findings suggest that EGFR signaling plays an important role in acquired resistance to CDK4/6i in ER+ breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo and targeting EGFR with small-molecule inhibitors (like erlotinib or gefitinib) or chimeric monoclonal antibodies (i.e. cetuximab) can be a promising approach to improve CDK4/6i efficacy in breast cancer patients. Citation Format: Nadiia Lypova, Lilibeth Lanceta, Susan Daugherty, Jason Chesney, Yoannis Imbert-Fernandez. EGFR signaling contributes to acquired resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors in ER+ breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-13-18.

Investigation of the Potential Mechanism of Alpinia officinarum Hance in Improving Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking.

We used network pharmacology, molecular docking, and cellular analysis to explore the pharmacodynamic components and action mechanism of Alpinia officinarum Hance (A. officinarum) in improving type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed to predict the potential targets and mechanism of A. officinarum toward improving T2DM. The first 9 core targets and potential active compounds were docked using Discovery Studio 2019. Finally, IR-HepG2 cells and qPCR were applied to determine the mRNA expression of the top 6 core targets of the PPI network. A total of 29 active ingredients and 607 targets of A. officinarum were obtained. T2DM-related targets overlapped with 176 targets. The core targets of the PPI network were identified as AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT1), an activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), tumor protein p53 (TP53), SRC proto-oncogene, nonreceptor tyrosine kinase (SRC), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), albumin (ALB), mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG). A. officinarum performs an antidiabetic role via the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway, the HIF-1 signaling pathway, the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, and others, according to GO and KEGG enrichment analyses. Molecular docking revealed that the binding ability of diarylheptanoid active components in A. officinarum to core target protein was higher than that of flavonoids. The cell experiments confirmed that the A. officinarum extracts improved the glucose uptake of IR-HepG2 cells and AKT expression while inhibiting the STAT3, TNF, TP53, SRC, and EGFR mRNA expression. A. officinarum Hance improves T2DM by acting on numerous components, multiple targets, and several pathways. Our results lay the groundwork for the subsequent research and broaden the clinical application of A. officinarum Hance.

Guishaozichuan granules can attenuate asthma in rats via the MUC5AC/EGFR signaling pathway.

Background: Guishaozichuan (GSZC) granules are a traditional Chinese medicine formulation created by Professor Li (Chinese-Japanese Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China) we studied the effect of GSZC granules in rats suffering from asthma. Methods: Specific pathogen-free Sprague-Dawley rats were divided randomly into seven groups. Ovalbumin (OVA) and Al (OH)3 gel were used to create an asthma model. On day 1, rats were injected with OVA (10mg) and an Al(OH)3 gel suspension (100mg). One week later, rats were sensitized again. On day 15, rats were given aerosolized OVA (1%) for 30min/day for 10days. Gastric administration of OVA was 1h before nebulization. At 24h after the last stimulation, changes in airway resistance (RI) and dynamic compliance (Cdyn) in rat lungs were measured after challenge with methacholine at increasing concentrations. The contents of immunoglobulin (Ig)E, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-13, and IL-17 in serum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The percentage of eosinophils (EOS) and the white blood cell (WBC) count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were counted under an optical microscope. Pathologic alterations in lung tissue were evaluated by optical microscopy, and lung injury score calculated. Expression of mucin 5AC, oligomeric mucus/gel-forming (MUC5AC) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in lung tissue was measured by immunohistochemistry. mRNA expression of MUC5AC and EGFR in lung tissue was measured by real-time reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Results: GSZC granules reduced RI markedly and improved Cdyn, decreased serum levels of IgE, IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, IL-17, %EOS and the WBC count in BALF. GSZC granules alleviated lung-tissue damage, diminished the Inflammation Score, and reduced mRNA and protein expression of MUC5AC and EGFR in lung tissue. Conclusion: GSZC granules could improve bronchial hyperresponsiveness, bronchial inflammation, and histopathologic damage in the lungs of rats suffering from asthma. This phenomenon may be related to its regulation of cytokine levels and the MUC5AC/EGFR signaling pathway.

Low plasma progesterone concentration during the early luteal phase delays endometrial development and the beginning of placentation in mares

While detrimental effects of reduced plasma progesterone concentration in the early luteal phase on conceptus development in horses have recently been demonstrated, there is no information on associated effects on the endometrium, allantochorion (AC), and chorionic girdle (CG) in this species. We hypothesised that reduced early postovulatory progesterone concentration in pregnant horses is detrimental to endometrial function and development of the embryonic membranes and is an underlying cause of delayed conceptus development. After insemination and ovulation, mares (n = 11) were assigned to treatment (TREAT) or control (CON) during two pregnancies. In TREAT pregnancies, mares received a PGF2α analogue for four consecutive days starting on the day of ovulation with the aim to reduce progesterone secretion. Mares were left untreated in CON pregnancies and thus served as their own controls. Endometrial biopsies for analysis of histomorphology, epidermal growth factor (EGF) and EGF receptor (EGFR) mRNA and protein expression in the endometrium, AC, and CG as well as abundance of regulatory T lymphocytes (Tregs) were collected on day 34 of pregnancy. Histomorphometric analysis revealed a higher luminal endometrium and a higher CG epithelium in CON compared to TREAT pregnancies. Abundance of mRNA for EGF and EGFR was large in the endometrium, AC and CG but did not differ between TREAT and CON pregnancies. The number of endometrial regulatory T lymphocytes was reduced in TREAT compared to CON pregnancies, adding further aspects to the potentially detrimental effects of reduced progesterone concentrations on equine pregnancy.

MicroRNA-122a aggravates intestinal ischemia/reperfusion injury by promoting pyroptosis via targeting EGFR-NLRP3 signaling pathway

Multiple studies have confirmed the significance of microRNA (miR)-122a in disease regulation. However, its impact on ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is unknown. In this study, we propose that the promoting role of miR-122a exists in I/R injuries. Two models, including hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-injured IEC-6 cells in vitro and ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-injured C57BL/6 mice intestinal tissues in vivo, were used to verify our purpose. Applying dual-luciferase reporter assays and transfection tests, the regulatory impacts of miR-122a were examined by promoting pyroptosis on intestinal I/R injury via targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-NOD-, LRR-, and pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) signaling pathway. Both H/R-injured IEC-6 cells and I/R-injured mice intestinal tissues had elevated miR-122a expression, which targeted EGFR directly. Increased miR-122a expression significantly inhibited EGFR activity, decreased EGFR mRNA and protein expression, increased NLRP3 mRNA and protein expression, and up-regulated caspase 1, N-GSDMD, ASC, IL-1β, and IL-18 protein expression to promote pyroptosis. Furthermore, in IEC-6 cells, a miR-122a inhibitor and an EGFR-overexpression plasmid significantly reduced pyroptosis and alleviated intestinal I/R injury via activating the EGFR-NLRP3 signaling pathway, showing that miR-122a is very essential for regulating intestinal I/R injury. In brief, miR-122a promotes pyroptosis by inhibiting the EGFR-NLRP3 signaling pathway, which should be evaluated as a therapeutic target for intestinal I/R injury.

Role of EtMIC4 EGF-like in regulating the apoptosis of Eimeria tenella host cells via the EGFR pathway

This study aimed to explore the role and key point of EtMIC4 EGF-like recombinant protein in regulating the apoptosis of Eimeria tenella host cells via the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway. The cells were treated with EtMIC4 EGF-like protein, EGFR-specific siRNA, or both. Infection and apoptosis rates as well as dynamic changes in the key genes and proteins of the EGFR signaling pathway in the host cells were determined. Results showed that the E. tenella and EtMIC4 EGF-like group had the highest infection rate (P < 0.01). In cells treated with EtMIC4 EGF-like for 4 to 24 h, the apoptosis rate was significantly decreased (P < 0.01) and the relative mRNA expression and protein phosphorylation levels of EGFR, protein kinase B (AKT), and extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK) were significantly increased (P < 0.01). In E. tenella sporozoites infected for 4 to 96 h, the rate of host cell apoptosis induced by E. tenella infection was significantly (P < 0.01) reduced by EtMIC4 EGF-like. The relative mRNA expression and protein phosphorylation levels of EGFR, AKT, and ERK in the host cells of E. tenella + EtMIC4 EGF-like group were significantly increased (P < 0.01). These results indicated that E. tenella could activate the EGFR pathway through EtMIC4 EGF-like and regulate the expression of key genes in the AKT and ERK signaling pathways, thereby inhibiting cell apoptosis.

Epidermal growth factor activates EGFR/AMPK signalling to up-regulate the expression of SGLT1 and GLUT2 to promote intestinal glucose absorption in lipopolysaccharide challenged IPEC-J2 cells and piglets

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) plays an important role in nutrients transport. The present study was to investigate the effects of EGF on glucose absorption in a cellular injury model (IPEC-J2 cells, in vitro study) and animal injury model (weaned piglets, in vivo study) established by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In vitro study: porcine intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2) were divided into four treatments: control group (Control); 100 ng/mL EGF treatment group (EGF); 1 μg/mL LPS treatment group (LPS) and 100 ng/mL EGF plus 1 μg/mL LPS treatment group (EGF + LPS). The results showed that EGF significantly increased the alkaline phosphatase (AKP) and sodium/potassium-transporting adenosine triphosphatase (Na+/K+-ATPase) activity, and significantly improved the mRNA and protein expression of SGLT1, GLUT2, EGF receptor (EGFR) and AMP-activated protein kinase α1 (AMPK-α1) in LPS-induced injured cells. In vivo experiment: twenty-four piglets weaned at 21 days were randomly assigned into: (1) control group (basal diets); (2) EGF group (basal diet +2 mg/kg EGF); (3) LPS group (basal diet + injection with 100 μg/kg BW LPS) and (4) EGF + LPS group (basal diet + 2 mg/kg EGF + injection with 100 μg/kg BW LPS). Our results showed that EGF significantly increased the AKP and Na+/K+-ATPase activity, and significantly improved the mRNA expression of SGLT1, GLUT2, EGFR and AMPK-α1 in jejunum mucosa of piglets challenged with LPS. In conclusion, EGF can activate EGFR/AMPK signalling to up-regulate the expression of SGLT1 and GLUT2 as well as improve the AKP and Na+/K+-ATPase activity, thereby promoting intestinal glucose absorption in IPEC-J2 cells and piglets challenged by LPS. HIGHLIGHTS EGF promotes SGLT1 and GLUT2 expression and AKP and Na+/K+-ATPase activity in LPS-induced injured porcine intestinal epithelial cells. EGF promotes SGLT1 and GLUT2 expression and AKP and Na+/K+-ATPase activity in jejunum mucosa of piglets challenged by LPS. Dietary supplementation with EGF activates EGFR/AMPK signalling to up-regulate the expression of SGLT1 and GLUT2 as well as improve the AKP and Na+/K+-ATPase activity to promote intestinal glucose absorption in lipopolysaccharide challenged piglets.

Dysregulated circulating miR-4429 serves as a novel non-invasive biomarker and is correlated with EGFR mutation in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

This study aimed to investigate the correlation between microRNA (miR)-4429 and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), the expression, and clinical significance of miR-4429 in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and the relationship between miR-4429 and EGFR mutation in NSCLC patients. Blood samples were collected from 122 NSCLC patients and 72 healthy volunteers. miR-4429 expression and EGFR mRNA expression were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Correlation between miR-4429 and EGFR was evaluated by dual-luciferase reporter assay and the Pearson correlation analysis. The ability of serum miR4429 to discriminate between NSCLC patients and healthy controls, and to discriminate between EGFR wild-type (EGFR-W) and EGFR mutant-type (EGFR-M) patients was assessed using receiver operating characteristic analysis. The relationship between miR-4429 and NSCLC patients’ survival was identified by KaplanMeier survival curves and log-rank test. The prognostic value of miR-4429 in NSCLC patients was evaluated by Cox regression analysis. miR-4429 could directly bind to EGFR. Serum miR-4429, decreased in NSCLC patients, was negatively correlated with serum EGFR mRNA expression in NSCLC patients. In addition, miR-4429 had a high diagnostic value for screening NSCLC patients from healthy controls, and was independently correlated with survival prognosis of NSCLC patients. Moreover, miR4429 was decreased in EGFR-M patients, which had a certain screening ability for EGFRM patients. Our findings indicate that miR-4429 is negatively correlated with EGFR in NSCLC, and may function as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for NSCLC patients. Additionally, miR-4429 is associated with EGFR mutation in NSCLC patients.

Icotinib Enhanced Radiosensitization of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma by Inhibiting the Expression of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is frequently overexpressed in multiple malignancies. Icotinib (IH), a new EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, enhances radiosensitivity in various types of cancer, but its effect on nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains unclear. Total 115 NPC tissue sections and 30 nasopharyngitis tissue sections were enrolled. The correlation of EGFR expression and clinicopathologic features of NPC was analyzed. Survival analysis was calculated by using univariate and multivariate regression analysis. A radioresistant NPC cell line, CNE-2R, was established with a gradient irradiation schedule. Cell viability, colony formation and EGFR expression of CNE-2/2R cells were examined. Significant higher expression of EGFR was observed in NPC tissues than chronic nasopharyngitis lesions. EGFR expression was significantly correlated with both tumor stage (P < 0.001) and tumor-node-metastasis stage of NPC (P = 0.006). EGFR expression was an independent prognostic factor of disease-free survival (P = 0.047) and the overall survival of NPC (P = 0.016). Cell viability was higher in CNE-2R than CNE-2 on days 1, 2, 4, and 6 after radiation of 4 Gy. The colony number of CNE-2R was significantly higher than that of CNE-2 (P < 0.05), while IH enhanced the radiosensitizing effect of CNE-2R with lower survival fraction (P < 0.05). EGFR mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly higher in CNE-2R cells compared to CNE-2 cells, but significantly decreased after IH treatment (all P < 0.05). In conclusion, high EGFR expression is a poor prognostic factor for NPC patients. IH enhances the radiosensitivity of CNE-2R cells and reduce EGFR expression.

Anti-cancer potentials of Gynura procumbens leaves extract against two canine mammary cancer cell lines.

BackgroundThe anti‐cancer effects of Gynura procumbens leaves extract (GPE) have been reported in various human cancers. However, the anti‐cancer effects and molecular mechanisms of this extract on canine mammary cancer (CMC) have not yet been elucidated.ObjectivesThe main goal of this study was to investigate the anti‐cancer properties of GPE against two CMC cell lines (CHMp‐13a and CHMp‐5b).MethodsThe GP leaves were extracted with 80% ethanol. Anti‐cancer potentials of GPE on CHMp‐13a and CHMp‐5b cancer cell lines using dimethyl‐2‐thiazolyl‐2,5‐diphenyl‐2H‐tetrazolium bromide (MTT), wound healing, transwell migration, and caspase 3/7 activity assays were evaluated. The mRNA expression levels of two oncogenes: epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and twist family bHLH transcription factor 1 (TWIST) and one tumour suppressor gene: phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) in these cell lines were determined by quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR). In addition, The EGFR and PTEN protein levels as well as protein kinase B (AKT) and extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) phosphorylation levels expression were also evaluated by western blot analysis.ResultsThe results showed that GPE caused a significant concentration‐ and time‐dependent reduction in cell proliferation of both CHMp‐13a and CHMp‐5b cells, detected by MTT assays. This extract also significantly suppressed cancer cell migration in both cell lines, tested by wound healing and transwell migration assays. Additionally, the increase in caspase 3/7 activity observed in both CMC cell treated with GPE suggests that GPE induced caspase 3/7 dependent apoptosis. Moreover, GPE significantly decreased EGFR mRNA and protein expression levels compared to control in both cell lines in a dose‐dependent manner.ConclusionThese findings emphasized that GPE has an in vitro anti‐cancer activity against CMC by inhibiting EGFR signalling pathway. Thus, GPE may serve as an alternative therapy in CMC with high EGFR expression.

Benzodiazepines safeguards nerve cells from the toxicity of lidocaine via miR-133a-3p/EGFR pathway

BackgroundLidocaine was an anesthetic commonly used for analgesia, but the neurotoxicity could not be ignored. However, benzodiazepines could alleviate the toxicity when combined with other drugs. PurposeTo explore the molecular mechanism of benzodiazepines in protecting nerve cells after the induction of lidocaine. MethodsPC12 cells were induced by lidocaine (0 mM, 0.1 mM, 0.5 mM and 1 mM) first and then treated by benzodiazepines (0 μM–200 μM). RT-qPCR assays measured RNA expressions of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and microRNA-133a-3p (miR-133a-3p) in PC12 cell line, respectively. Western blot was for protein detections of EGFR and caspase-3. Flow cytometry assay assessed apoptosis and cellular viability was validated via Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) test. Bioinformatics analysis predicted the potential link between miR-133a-3p and EGFR and the binding was verified using the Dual luciferase reporter experiment. ResultsBenzodiazepines increased cellular viability of PC12 cells up to 100 μM while suppressed viability between 100 and 200 μM. Benzodiazepines (0 μM, 10 μM, 50 μM and 100 μM) did not regulate PC12 cell viability but promoted the viability of lidocaine-treated PC12 cells. Lidocaine downregulated miR-133a-3p RNA expression but facilitated EGFR mRNA expression, which was reversed after treated by benzodiazepines. MiR-133a-3p targeted and negatively regulated EGFR expressions in mRNA and protein levels. Furthermore, miR-133a-3p inhibitor and overexpressed EGFR transfection both restrained the decreased PC12 cell viability and prompted cell apoptosis caused by benzodiazepines. ConclusionBenzodiazepines restrained lidocaine-induced toxicity in PC12 cells which secured viability and reduced apoptosis via miR-133a-3p/EGFR pathway.

Androgen Receptor Activation in Glioblastoma Can Be Achieved by Ligand-Independent Signaling through EGFR-A Potential Therapeutic Target.

Androgen receptor (AR) is a ligand-mediated transcription factor that belongs to the superfamily of steroid receptors. AR is overexpressed in most glioblastomas and is a potential therapeutic target. In prostate and breast cancers, AR activation can be achieved also by a ligand-independent signaling through receptor tyrosine kinases such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Considering its major role in glioblastoma, we explored whether EGFR is involved in AR signaling in this tumor. Analysis of mRNA expression in 28 glioblastoma samples with quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction revealed a positive and significant correlation between AR and EGFR mRNA expression levels (R = 0.47, p = 0.0092), which was validated by The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset (n = 671) analysis (R = 0.3, p = 0.00006). Using Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining, we showed that the transduced overexpression of EGFR or its variant EGFRvIII in the U87MG cells induced AR protein overexpression and nuclear translocation and Protein kinase B (AKT) S473 and AR S210/213 phosphorylation. The EGFR kinase inhibitor afatinib and the AKT inhibitor MK2206 reduced AR nuclear translocation. Afatinib diminished AKT phosphorylation at 30 min and 6 h in the EGFR- and EGFRvIII-overexpressing cells, respectively, and decreased AR phosphorylation in EGFR-overexpressing cells at 4 h. Afatinib or MK2206 combination therapy with the AR antagonist enzalutamide in the EGFR and EGFRvIII-overexpressing cells had synergistic efficacy. Our findings suggest that EGFR signaling is involved in AR activation in glioblastoma and buttresses the concept of combining an EGFR signaling inhibitor with AR antagonists as a potential glioblastoma treatment.

The expression and potential mechanism of EGFR and EZH2 in breast cancer.

The purpose of our research was to investigate the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and zeste gene enhancer homolog 2 (EZH2) in breast cancer, and to explore their potential common pathways. Western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were used to detect the protein and corresponding mRNA expression of EGFR and EZH2 in breast cancer tissues and benign tissues. Then, the relationship between EGFR and EZH2 along with the corresponding clinicopathological parameters were also analyzed. Bioinformatics tools were applied to explore the possible common pathways. The results showed that both EGFR and EZH2 protein and mRNA were highly expressed in breast cancer tissues, and there was a positive correlation between EGFR and EZH2. Moreover, we found that increased mRNA expression was correlated with lymph node metastasis and clinical stage (P<0.05). Furthermore, the enrichment results of co-expressed genes indicated that EGFR and EZH2 may work together in the FOXO signaling pathway, affecting the growth and metastasis of breast cancer cells. The high expression of both EGFR and EZH2 mRNA in breast cancer was related to lymph node metastasis and clinical staging. The FOXO signaling pathway may be their common signaling pathway that affects tumor cell invasion and metastasis.

The expression and prognostic value of the epidermal growth factor receptor family in glioma

BackgroundThe epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family belongs to the transmembrane protein receptor of the tyrosine kinase I subfamily and has 4 members: EGFR/ERBB1, ERBB2, ERBB3, and ERBB4. The EGFR family is closely related to the occurrence and development of a variety of cancers.Materials/methodsIn this study, we used multiple online bioinformatics websites, including ONCOMINE, TCGA, CGGA, TIMER, cBioPortal, GeneMANIA and DAVID, to study the expression profiles, prognostic values and immune infiltration correlations of the EGFR family in glioma.ResultsWe found that EGFR and ERBB2 mRNA expression levels were higher in glioblastoma (GBM, WHO IV) than in other grades (WHO grade II & III), while the ERBB3 and ERBB4 mRNA expression levels were the opposite. EGFR and ERBB2 were notably downregulated in IDH mutant gliomas, while ERBB3 and ERBB4 were upregulated, which was associated with a poor prognosis. In addition, correlation analysis between EGFR family expression levels and immune infiltrating levels in glioma showed that EGFR family expression and immune infiltrating levels were significantly correlated. The PPI network of the EGFR family in glioma and enrichment analysis showed that the EGFR family and its interactors mainly participated in the regulation of cell motility, involving integrin receptors and Rho family GTPases.ConclusionsIn summary, the results of this study indicate that the EGFR family members may become potential therapeutic targets and new prognostic markers for glioma.

Humoral immune response to epidermal growth factor receptor in lung cancer.

The aim of this study was to explore the potential value of autoantibody to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in the diagnosis of lung cancer (LC) and its relation with EGFR mutations. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to detect the level of autoantibody to EGFR in sera from 254 LC patients and 222 normal controls (NCs). Besides, the mRNA and protein levels of EGFR were investigated in Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) and Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database, respectively. The level of autoantibody to EGFR (anti-EGFR) in LC even different types of LC was obviously higher than that in NC (P < 0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) of anti-EGFR was 0.695 (95% CI 0.645-0.742) when comparing LC patients with NC, while the AUC of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was 0.681 (95% CI 0.629-0.730). Moreover, by integrating anti-EGFR with CEA to diagnose LC, the AUC was up to 0.784 (95% CI 0.737-0.826). However, the expression level of autoantibody to EGFR had no difference between LC patients with and without EGFR gene mutation (P > 0.05). EGFR mRNA expression level was obviously upregulated in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) tissues compared with normal tissues (P < 0.05), but not in adenocarcinoma (ADC) (P > 0.05). The study confirmed that anti-EGFR could be a potential biomarker for LC diagnosis; additionally, it could improve the diagnostic value of CEA in clinical work.

Long non-coding RNA KCNQ1 overlapping transcript 1 promotes the progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by adsorbing microRNA-133b

OBJECTIVE:The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) KCNQ1 overlapping transcript 1 (KCNQ1OT1) exerts vital regulatory functions in diverse tumors. However, the biological function of KCNQ1OT1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unclear.METHODS:KCNQ1OT1 expression was detected in ESCC tissues using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were detected by the CCK-8 assay, EdU assay, flow cytometry analysis, and Transwell experiments, respectively. Bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter experiments, and RNA immunoprecipitation assays were used to predict and validate the regulatory relationships between KCNQ1OT1, microRNA-133b (miR-133b) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR).RESULTS:KCNQ1OT1 expression was remarkably upregulated in ESCC tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of KCNQ1OT1 markedly promoted ESCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and enhanced the expression of N-cadherin, MMP-2, and MMP-9, but inhibited apoptosis and E-cadherin expression in ESCC cell lines; KCNQ1OT1 knockdown exerted the opposite effects. KCNQ1OT1 could directly bind to miR-133b and suppress its expression, and miR-133b reversed the effects of KCNQ1OT1 overexpression in ESCC cells. MiR-133b reduced the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR); further, KCNQ1OT1 activated the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway by repressing miR-133b repression and indirectly upregulating EGFR. KCNQ1OT1 expression was positively correlated with EGFR mRNA expression and negatively correlated with miR-133b expression.CONCLUSION:KCNQ1OT1 facilitates ESCC progression by sponging miR-133b and activating the EGFR/PI3K/AKT pathway.