Background The expression of forkhead box protein H1 (FOXH1) is frequently upregulated in various cancers. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the association between FOXH1 expression and lung cancer progression still remain poorly understood. Thus, the main objective of this study is to explore the role of FOXH1 in lung cancer. Methods The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset was used to investigate FOXH1 expression in lung cancer tissues, and the Kaplan–Meier plotter dataset was used to determine the role of FOXH1 in patient prognosis. A549 and PC9 cells were transfected with short hairpin RNA targeting FOXH1 mRNA. The Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation, soft agar, wound healing, transwell invasion and flow cytometry assays were performed to evaluate proliferation, migration and invasion of lung cancer cells. Tumorigenicity was examined in a BALB/c nude mice model. Western blot analysis was performed to assess the molecular mechanisms, and β-catenin activity was measured by a luciferase reporter system assay. Results Higher expression level of FOXH1 was observed in tumor tissue than in normal tissue, and this was associated with poor overall survival. Knockdown of FOXH1 significantly inhibited lung cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and cycle. In addition, the mouse xenograft model showed that knockdown of FOXH1 suppressed tumor growth in vivo. Further experiments revealed that FOXH1 depletion inhibited the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of lung cancer cells by downregulating the expression of mesenchymal markers (Snail, Slug, matrix metalloproteinase-2, N-cadherin, and Vimentin) and upregulating the expression of an epithelial marker (E-cadherin). Moreover, knockdown of FOXH1 significantly downregulated the activity of β-catenin and its downstream targets, p-GSK-3β and cyclin D1. Conclusion FOXH1 exerts oncogenic functions in lung cancer through regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. FOXH1 might be a potential therapeutic target for patients with certain types of lung cancer.

The ErbB3 binding protein 1 (Ebp1) has been reported in several cancers, in which it can act as either a pro‐oncogenic regulator or a tumor suppressor. However, the biological function and molecular mechanism of Ebp1 p48 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. Here, we report that the long isoform of Ebp1, p48, is highly expressed in HCC tissues compared with normal tissues. Ebp1 p48 expression was correlated with the tumor size in HCC patients. Silencing Ebp1 p48 by transduction with lentiviral shEbp1 dramatically reduced the proliferation rate, soft agar colony generation, and tumor formation in vivo. We further demonstrated that Ebp1 p48 knockdown resulted in decreased p38 phosphorylation, which subsequently reduced hypoxia‐inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) expression. Moreover, Ebp1 p48 knockdown led to an upregulation of p53 expression through MDM2 downregulation. Taken together, these results suggest that the Ebp1/p38/HIF1α signaling pathway and the Ebp1‐mediated downregulation of p53 are involved in hepatocarcinogenesis. Therefore, Ebp1 and its downstream signaling pathways may be promising therapeutic targets of HCC.

Context Salidroside (SAL), one of the major glycosides isolated from the roots of Rhodiola rosea L. (Crassulaceae), has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antidiabetic properties. Objective Our study assessed whether SAL exerts a protective effect on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic nephropathy (DN) in rats via the Akt/GSK-3β signalling pathway. Materials and methods Adult male Wistar rats were divided into three groups ( n = 8): normal control, DN + vehicle, and DN + SAL. SAL (50 mg/kg/day, oral) was administered for 8 weeks. Biochemical and histopathologic examinations were performed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of SAL on oxidative stress, inflammation, renal function, and apoptosis. Results SAL induced rats demonstrated ameliorated levels of FBG (20.53 ± 0.72 mmol/L vs. 26.02 ± 1.44 mmol/L), urine albumin excretion (27.00 ± 1.46 mmol/L vs. 41.00 ± 1.59 mmol/L), blood urea nitrogen (14.42 ± 0.70 mmol/L vs. 17.77 ± 0.72 mmol/L), and serum creatinine (112.80 ± 6.98 mmol/L vs. 159.00 ± 3.81 mmol/L) compared to normal control rats, along with the alleviation of renal pathologic changes by improving the irregular shape of glomeruli tissues. Biochemical analysis showed that SAL-treated animals displayed suppressed levels of serum inflammatory cytokines and kidney oxidative stress markers and attenuated apoptotic characteristics. Moreover, it increased the phosphorylation levels of Akt and GSK-3β in kidneys. Discussion and conclusion The present study validated the involvement of the Akt/GSK-3β signalling pathway in renal improvement. These findings can form the basis to investigate the protective effect of SAL in DN in clinical trials.

Background Malignant melanoma (MM) is highly metastatic and has the highest mortality rate in patients with skin cancer. The ERBB3 binding protein 1 (Ebp1) has been linked to the onset and progression of a number of malignancies. However, the role of Ebp1 in MM has not yet been reported. Methods Multiple databases were analyzed for comparing the expression of Ebp1 in normal skin and MM. Ebp1 expression was knocked down in A375 and B16 cells, and the impact of Ebp1 on the cell growth was tested by CCK-8, plate clone colony, and cell cycle assays. Scratch, transwell, and in vivo caudal vein lung metastasis tests were also used to confirm the effects of Ebp1 on melanoma cells migration, invasion, and metastasis. Furthermore, the possible molecular mechanism of Ebp1 was predicted by set enrichment analysis and verified by western blotting. Results Ebp1 expression was substantially higher in MM than it was in normal skin, and Ebp1 was linked to the clinical stage and lymph node metastases of patients with MM. Knockdown of Ebp1 inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. In vivo experiments further verified that the knockdown of Ebp1 had an obvious inhibitory effect on lung metastasis in nude mice. Knockdown of Ebp1 reduced vimentin, N-cadherin, slug, and snail expression while increasing E-cadherin expression. Furthermore, knockdown of Ebp1 reduced the expression of β-catenin, as well as its downstream targets CyclinD1 and p-GSK3β; however, a Wnt/β-catenin agonist could reverse this effect. Conclusion Ebp1 may promote the proliferation and metastasis of melanoma cells through activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Graphical Abstract

Background: Forkhead box protein H1 (FOXH1) is upregulated in a variety of cancer types but its expression patterns and specific functions in lung cancer are unclear at present. The main objective of the present study was to establish whether FOXH1 plays a role in regulation of lung cancer progression. Methods: The TCGA and Kaplan-Meier plotter dataset was analyzed for possible association between FOXH1 expressions in lung cancer tissues and patient prognosis. A549 and PC9 cells were transfected with shRNA targeting FOXH1 mRNA. The Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8), plate clone formation, soft agar, wound healing, transwell invasion and flow cytometry assay were performed to detect the cell proliferation, migration and invasion in lung cancer cells. Tumorigenicity was examined in mouse model system. Western blot analysis was used to detect FOXH1, Matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2), Vimentin, N-cadherin, E-cadherin, Snail, Slug, p-GSK-3β, β-catenin and Cyclin D1. The β-catenin activity was measured by luciferase reporter system assay. Results: FOXH1 expression in the lung cancer was determined using the TCGA and Kaplan-Meier plotter databases. Higher expression of FOXH1 was observed in tumor tissue relative to normal tissue, which was associated with reduced overall survival. FOXH1 knockdown resulted in significant inhibition of the proliferation, the cell cycle, the migration as well as the invasion of lung cancer cells. Then, we confirmed that FOXH1 knockdown can significantly slow down tumor growth and tumor cell proliferation in vivo using the mouse model. It also significantly reduced the migration and invasion capabilities of lung cancer cells. Using Western blot analyses, we found that FOXH1 depletion inhibited the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of lung cancer cells through downregulation of the mesenchymal cell markers Snail, Slug, MMP2, N-cadherin, and Vimentin, and upregulation of the epithelial marker E-cadherin. Moreover, FOXH1 knockdown significantly downregulated β-catenin and its downstream targets, such as p-GSK-3β and cyclin D1, and also led to direct suppression of β-catenin activity, as determined by the luciferase reporter system assay. Conclusion: In conclusion, FOXH1 promotes proliferation, migration, and invasion of lung cancer cells via regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. FOXH1 is a prognostic marker and a potential therapeutic target for lung cancer treatment.