Acta histochemicaPub Date : 2025-05-24DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2025.152270
Wanting Zhang , Quanjiang Li , Rui Tian , Zhujie Deng , Ronghui Sun , Xiubin Kuang , Jun Peng , Bin Xie , Chen Huang , Zhengqiang Yuan
{"title":"Exosomal delivery of AZD5582 to overcome TRAIL resistance as an optimal therapy against triple-negative breast cancer","authors":"Wanting Zhang , Quanjiang Li , Rui Tian , Zhujie Deng , Ronghui Sun , Xiubin Kuang , Jun Peng , Bin Xie , Chen Huang , Zhengqiang Yuan","doi":"10.1016/j.acthis.2025.152270","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.acthis.2025.152270","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive subtype of breast cancer that lacks effective targeted therapies mainly due to drug resistance. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop highly effective therapeutic strategies for TNBC. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) selectively induces apoptosis in transformed and cancerous cells, indicating its potential for anti-cancer therapy. Unfortunately, the clinical trials of recombinant TRAIL (rTRAIL) had actually failed due to the very common TRAIL resistance in cancers. Exosomal delivery of TRAIL (EV-T) has been shown to greatly improve the cytotoxicity of TRAIL. Moreover, the TRAIL resistance was closely correlated with the upregulation of inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) in cancer cells. As a potent antagonist of IAPs, AZD5582 (AZD) was previously shown to drastically sensitize TRAIL response. Herein, we hypothesize that AZD may be loaded into EV-T for co-delivery of AZD and TRAIL to make a synergistic combination anticancer therapy against TNBC. First, TRAIL-expressing mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were used to prepare EV-Ts. Then, AZD was loaded into EV-T by ultrasound to prepare the composite nanodrug AZD@EV-T. EV encapsulation significantly improved AZD stability and cellular delivery efficiency, leading to the synergistically augmented cytotoxicity and apoptosis induction in both breast and kidney cancer cell lines, whilst sparing the normal MSCs. The potential mechanisms underlying the synergism appeared to be associated with the concomitant upregulation of death receptor 5 (DR5) and expressional suppression of various anti-apoptotic factors. Importantly, the AZD@EV-T therapy triggered strikingly enhanced growth inhibition and apoptosis in the subcutaneously established BT549 xenograft tumors, consequently leading to the complete tumor regression. It also demonstrated significant potential for treating kidney cancer in A498 kidney tumor organoids. Together, AZD@EV-T effectively overcomes TRAIL resistance and may represent a highly effective and innovative anticancer therapy for both TNBC and kidney cancers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":6961,"journal":{"name":"Acta histochemica","volume":"127 3","pages":"Article 152270"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144131386","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptor signaling enhances malignant potential in highly migratory lung cancer cells under hypoxic conditions","authors":"Moemi Tamura, Miwa Takai, Mao Yamamoto, Narumi Yashiro, Anri Taniguchi, Yuka Kusumoto, Shion Nagano, Nanami Shimomura, Toshifumi Tsujiuchi","doi":"10.1016/j.acthis.2025.152268","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.acthis.2025.152268","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hypoxia contributes to tumor progression, promoting cancer cell motility, invasion and metastasis. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptors are implicated in the pathogenesis of cancer. In this study, we investigated the role of LPA receptor signaling in modulating malignant behavior under hypoxic conditions (1 % O<sub>2</sub>) in lung cancer cells. We generated highly migratory A549-R12 cells from the parental lung cancer A549 cells for this purpose. <em>LPAR1</em> and <em>LPAR2</em> expression levels were lower in both A549 and A549-R12 cells cultured at 1 % O<sub>2</sub> compared to those cultured at 21 % O<sub>2</sub>, while <em>LPAR3</em> expression remained unchanged between the two cell lines. Cell motility increased in both A549 and A549-R12 cells cultured at 1 % O<sub>2</sub>. Notably, A549-R12 cells exhibited greater motility under 1 % O<sub>2</sub> conditions than A549 cells. Treatment with AM966 (an LPA<sub>1</sub> antagonist) and (2S)-OMPT (an LPA<sub>3</sub> agonist) further increased the motility of A549-R12 cells, while GRI-977143 (an LPA<sub>2</sub> agonist) decreased their motility. Moreover, the invasion activity of A549-R12 cells was higher than that of A549 cells, with 1 % O<sub>2</sub> conditions significantly enhancing A549-R12 cell invasion. AM966 and (2S)-OMPT stimulated, whereas GRI-977143 inhibited, the invasion of A549-R12 cells. In the presence of LPA, cell viability to cisplatin (CDDP) was higher in A549-R12 cells cultured at both 21 % and 1 % O<sub>2</sub> compared to A549 cells. These results suggest that LPA receptor signaling plays a key role in regulating malignant progression in highly migratory lung cancer cells under hypoxic conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":6961,"journal":{"name":"Acta histochemica","volume":"127 3","pages":"Article 152268"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144123613","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Acta histochemicaPub Date : 2025-05-19DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2025.152269
Kairan Yang , Ting Xu , Chengkang Lin , Zuisu Yang , Haiyan Lyu , Falei Yuan
{"title":"Non-specific background in immunoglobulin G staining can be effectively eliminated using heating or a catalase inhibitor","authors":"Kairan Yang , Ting Xu , Chengkang Lin , Zuisu Yang , Haiyan Lyu , Falei Yuan","doi":"10.1016/j.acthis.2025.152269","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.acthis.2025.152269","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Immunoglobulin G (IgG) staining is a widely used method for assessing blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity. However, significant non-specific binding is often observed in many studies, which can interfere with the accurate interpretation of results. In this study, the horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-based polymer method and the streptavidin-biotin complex (SABC) method were used to perform IgG staining. The effects of hydrogen peroxide, heating, and a catalase inhibitor on reducing background staining were evaluated in brain sections from untreated mice and those subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The results showed that immunohistochemistry without hydrogen peroxide pretreatment still produced minimal background in paraffin-embedded sections. However, IgG staining with hydrogen peroxide pretreatment led to substantial background in vibratome sections. Compared to the SABC method, a mixture of the catalase inhibitor 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole and hydrogen peroxide reduced background staining by 35.4 % ± 5.7 % in the cortex of untreated mouse brains and by 36.9 % ± 1.8 % in the contralateral cortex of MCAO mice when using the polymer method. Additionally, heating at 75°C was sufficient to eliminate non-specific binding in brain sections from both untreated and MCAO mice. Hydrogen peroxide pretreatment alone was ineffective in removing background staining in brain sections from either untreated or MCAO mice. In summary, this study demonstrates that hydrogen peroxide pretreatment is effective in reducing background only when combined with a catalase inhibitor but is unnecessary when the tissue is heated. Heating is a simple and effective method for removing the IgG staining background when detecting BBB leakage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":6961,"journal":{"name":"Acta histochemica","volume":"127 3","pages":"Article 152269"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144084107","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Acta histochemicaPub Date : 2025-05-10DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2025.152260
Crystal Brown , Emily Stidham , Elly Beck , Ali Eickhoff , Brianna Hill , Kalyani Nair , Craig Cady
{"title":"Quantifying mechanical, proliferation, and migrational properties of bulk ovarian cancer cells and ovarian cancer stem cells","authors":"Crystal Brown , Emily Stidham , Elly Beck , Ali Eickhoff , Brianna Hill , Kalyani Nair , Craig Cady","doi":"10.1016/j.acthis.2025.152260","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.acthis.2025.152260","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There are a limited number of studies analyzing ovarian cancer stem cell properties. The goal of this study was to analyze the mechanical and migrational properties of ovarian cancer stem cells with the well-researched bulk ovarian cancer cells. Through the use of atomic force microscopy (AFM), the mechanical properties of both cell types were gathered. In preparation for AFM analysis, an optimal fixation method was developed and performed on the cells. AFM analysis provided mechanical properties for both cell types, including cellular stiffness, maximum adhesion force, surface area, and mean surface roughness. Cell proliferation and transwell migration assays were assessed to determine the aggressiveness of both cancer cell types. A clear trend between both cell types was expected for the mechanical and potential aggression properties. The data from both analyses were used to create a baseline for migration, proliferation, and mechanical properties of ovarian cancer stem cells and bulk ovarian cancer cells. Further studies will assess if these properties are impacted by chemotherapy exposure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":6961,"journal":{"name":"Acta histochemica","volume":"127 2","pages":"Article 152260"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143931803","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Acta histochemicaPub Date : 2025-05-06DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2025.152248
Bing Gao , Maogong Xi , Ying Cui , Kai Wang , Hui Zhang , Yiyong Wang
{"title":"SNHG16 suppression enhances M2 macrophage polarization and inhibits VSMC migration in atherosclerosis","authors":"Bing Gao , Maogong Xi , Ying Cui , Kai Wang , Hui Zhang , Yiyong Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.acthis.2025.152248","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.acthis.2025.152248","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Atherosclerosis (AS) significantly impacts both cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health, making it an important area of research for potential therapeutic interventions. This study investigates the role of lncRNA SNHG16 in macrophage polarization and its effects on the progression of AS. We assessed the expression of SNHG16 in macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) treated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) using qPCR. Cell proliferation was evaluated via EdU assay and western blotting, while flow cytometry and immunofluorescence were employed to analyze the polarization of macrophages. Foam cell formation was examined using Oil Red O staining. In a co-culture system, VSMCs treated with ox-LDL were cultured alongside macrophages pretreated with sh-SNHG16, and VSMC viability, migration, and motility were assessed using CCK-8, migration, and scratch assays. The levels of inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, IL-10, TGFβ, and TNFα, were quantified by ELISA. Our results show that SNHG16 expression is upregulated in ox-LDL-treated cells, which correlates with enhanced macrophage proliferation. Inhibition of SNHG16 promoted M1-to-M2 macrophage polarization, reducing foam cell formation and inflammation. Furthermore, SNHG16 knockdown limited VSMC viability and motility, while attenuating ox-LDL-induced inflammatory responses. In conclusion, suppression of SNHG16 favors M2 macrophage polarization and presents a potential therapeutic target for AS management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":6961,"journal":{"name":"Acta histochemica","volume":"127 2","pages":"Article 152248"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143906975","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Histological, histochemical, and morphometric analysis of epidermal Leydig cells and histochemical characterization of epidermal apical cells in juvenile and adult axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum)","authors":"Omar Betancourt-León , Verónica Rodríguez-Mata , Antonieta Martínez-Guerrero , Armando Pérez-Torres","doi":"10.1016/j.acthis.2025.152255","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.acthis.2025.152255","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Ambystoma mexicanum</em>, also known as the axolotl, is a paedomorphic urodele. Metamorphosis can be induced experimentally, and the most significant changes occur in the skin. These include thinning of the epidermis, increased keratinization of the stratified squamous epithelium, and loss of Leydig cells (LCs). Similar epidermal changes are observed in other metamorphic urodeles. Epidermal cells are responsible for the secretory function of the skin in juvenile amphibians, whereas dermal glands perform this function in adults after metamorphosis. In the axolotl, this occurrence is still partially understood. The only recognized epidermal secretory cells in juvenile <em>A. mexicanum</em> are the LCs, whose specific secretion products have not yet been characterized from the histochemical standpoint. Additionally, the persistence of LCs in adulthood, when mucous and serous (granular-protein secretion) glands are abundant, remains a matter of debate. The present study aims to describe the morphological and histochemical changes in the epidermis of 10 cutaneous regions from juvenile (4 months old) and adult (24 and 48 months old) non-metamorphic <em>A. mexicanum</em>, with a particular focus on the amount and histochemical characteristics of LCs. Results indicate that the juvenile epidermis is a stratified cuboidal epithelium formed by three strata: basal, spinosum (containing the LCs), and apical. The most superficial layer contains cuboidal cells that lack the characteristics of a true stratum corneum. In adults, the stratum apical is also formed by squamous cells, suggesting a transition to a cornified and squamous layer as age increases. Histochemical methods demonstrated that LCs are most likely serous and not mucous cells. On the other hand, cuboidal cells of the juvenile apical stratum would be responsible for producing mucous secretion components. Morphometric analysis revealed a significant decrease in both LCs and the epidermal thickness in the 24-month-old adult axolotl compared to the juvenile. While LC count and epidermal thickness in the 48-month-old adult showed a slight increase compared to the 24-month-old adult, these differences were not statistically significant and far lower than those observed in the juvenile axolotl, which exhibited the highest number of LCs and a thicker epidermis. These natural axolotl epidermal changes indicate a gradual transition toward a morphology resembling metamorphic skin as age advances. The decreased number of LCs and the transition from cuboid cells to squamous cells in the stratum apical suggest that both cell types may naturally disappear entirely at some point during development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":6961,"journal":{"name":"Acta histochemica","volume":"127 2","pages":"Article 152255"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143864230","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Proposal for a simple and easy-to-implement protocol for three-dimensional tissue imaging that is compatible with observation using a confocal microscope","authors":"Takuto Matano , Kiyotada Naitou , Jannatul Ferdous , Takahiko Shiina , Mitsuya Shiraishi","doi":"10.1016/j.acthis.2025.152257","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.acthis.2025.152257","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tissue observation has traditionally been limited to obtaining two-dimensional information from thinly sliced tissues due to issues with light transmission and antibody penetration. In recent years, three-dimensional tissue observation methods combining tissue clearing and deep immunostaining methods have been reported. However, due to the significantly different procedures in these methods from conventional immunostaining methods and the requirement for an expensive and specialized light-sheet microscope for tissue observation, the widespread adoption of these methods has been limited. To promote the shift from the current two-dimensional tissue observation to three-dimensional tissue observation using a combination of tissue clearing and immunostaining, it is essential to establish a simple and easy-to-implement protocol that is compatible with observation using a confocal microscope, which is available in many facilities. In this study, we first examined the effects of tissue clearing and staining conditions of immunostaining with thin tissue slices. We showed that CUBIC-L enhances immunolabeling without diminishing the immunoreactivity of antigens. We also showed that high detergent concentrations enhance the intensity of immunoreactivity and that a two-step staining procedure is suitable for our proposed protocol. Based on the results, we propose a simple protocol that can be easily adapted from conventional methods and is compatible with confocal microscopes. The results of this study are expected to facilitate a shift from traditional methods to three-dimensional tissue observation techniques that combine tissue clearing and immunostaining, contributing to the broader adoption of three-dimensional tissue observation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":6961,"journal":{"name":"Acta histochemica","volume":"127 2","pages":"Article 152257"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143859605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Acta histochemicaPub Date : 2025-04-21DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2025.152254
Fuping Gao , Xiaohua Zhou , Jin Wei , Qiong Sun , Jiapeng Wang , Qing Li
{"title":"Expression characteristics and biological functions of CGB5 gene in gastric cancer","authors":"Fuping Gao , Xiaohua Zhou , Jin Wei , Qiong Sun , Jiapeng Wang , Qing Li","doi":"10.1016/j.acthis.2025.152254","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.acthis.2025.152254","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Objective: The chorionic gonadotropin (CG) subunit beta 5 (CGB5) gene is a member of the glycoprotein hormone β chain family, encoding the β5 subunit of CG, which has been shown to promote tumorigenesis and induce proliferation in various types of cancer including gastric cancer (GC). However, the mechanistic role of CGB5 in GC has not been fully elucidated. Therefore, this study investigated relevant genes that regulate GC through bioinformatics analysis. Methods: Immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and western blot (WB) detection methods were appropriately used to evaluate the expression pattern and clinical significance of CGB5 in 100 Chinese GC patients that were recruited from the Gaochun People's Hospital. The effect of small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) on apoptosis, migration, and invasion of GC cells was investigated in vitro. Three-dimensional tumor spheres of these two types of GC cells (NCI-N87 cells and MKN45 cells) were constructed before investigation of the Calcein acetoxymethyl ester (AM)/ Propidium iodide (PI) staining, flow cytometric apoptosis, and apoptotic-related protein content of the tumor spheres after siRNA inhibition of CGB5 expression. Results: It was observed that compared with adjacent normal gastric tissue, expression of CGB5 was significantly upregulated in GC tissue. The siRNA inhibited CGB5 expression in two GC cell lines (NCI-N87 cells and MKN45 cells). Also, it was discovered that CGB5 highly correlated with microsatellite instability (MSI) and immune cell activity in GC, thus revealing the greater research value of CGB5 gene. More importantly, CGB5 siRNA could inhibit invasion and migration of tumor cells, induce apoptosis of GC cells and GC tumor spheres, as well as the mechanism relating to regulation of apoptosis associated gene expression. Overall, the findings suggest that CGB5 may play a crucial role in the development of GC carcinogenesis. Thus, this research may contribute to design of potential drug targets for treatment of GC.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":6961,"journal":{"name":"Acta histochemica","volume":"127 2","pages":"Article 152254"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143852056","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}