Nuclear factor-kappa B1 inhibits early apoptosis of glioma cells by promoting the expression of Bcl-2
Authors: Tian-Quan Yang
Yong-Jun Xiang
Wei Xu
Bin Yuan
Yong-Qiang Wang
Hang-Zhou Wang
Jin Xu
You-Xin Zhou
Min Chen
Yong Han
Journal: OncoTargets and Therapy (2017)
Discipline: CLINICAL MEDICINE
Keywords: Bcl-2; NF-Œ∫B1; apoptosis; glioma.
Affiliations: Department of Neurosurgery, Children's Hospital of Soochow University., Department of Neurosurgery and Brain and Nerve Research Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.

Abstract:  Glioma is one of the most common types of adult primary brain tumors, and the underlying molecular mechanisms still remain unclear. Nuclear factor-kappa B1 (NF-Œ∫B1) is involved in a variety of malignancies and is widely expressed in malignant tumors. However, the expression of NF-Œ∫B1 in different grades of glioma, the correlation between NF-Œ∫B1 and Bcl-2 expressions in gliomas, and the research between NF-Œ∫B1 and early apoptosis of glioma cells have not been reported so far. In this study, the expression level of NF-Œ∫B1 in 31 human glioma tissues and six nonneoplastic brain tissues was determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results showed that the expression of NF-Œ∫B1 in human glioma tissues and glioma cell lines, SHG44 and U87, was significantly higher compared to noncancerous brain tissues and that the expression increased with increasing degrees of tumor malignancy. Similar results were demonstrated with the expression of Bcl-2 in the same human glioma specimens. Flow cytometry results showed that inhibition of NF-Œ∫B1 expression significantly promoted apoptosis of SHG44 and U87 in human glioma cells. Western blot analysis further confirmed decreased expression of Bcl-2 protein after inhibition of NF-Œ∫B1 protein expression. Taken together, NF-Œ∫B1 overexpression inhibits early apoptosis of glioma cells and high expression of NF-Œ∫B1 promotes the expression of antiapoptotic gene Bcl-2. Therefore, our study results provide a theoretical basis for antiapoptotic mechanism of tumor cells in association with NF-Œ∫B1. 

Retracted: Yes

PubPeer comments:
 This paper is one of a set of at least 14 papers by the same research group that all appear to share the same photo. In all papers, this photo is used as a zoomed-in inset representing the high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) analysis of the  atomic lattice fringe and particle size of the nanoparticles. Of concern, the same photo, which I have called  Inset 2 , is used to represent a different type of nanoparticle in each of these papers. Here is a collage of 6 different uses of  Inset 2 :  Here is a list of the 14 papers identified so far that all use this photo, and the different types of nanoparticles that they represent. * Betuu0308l Celik et al. - DOI: 10.1016 j.ijhydene.2015.12.138 - Pt(0) DOA@CNT * Betuu0308l Su0327en et al. - DOI: 10.1016 j.ijhydene.2017.05.115 - PdeNi@PEDOT * Betuu0308l Su0327en et al. - DOI: 10.1016 j.ijhydene.2017.06.032 - RuCo@G-MWCNT * Betuu0308l Su0327en et al. - DOI: 10.1016 j.ijhydene.2017.04.213 - RuPtNi@GO * Betuu0308l Su0327en et al. - DOI: 10.1016 j.ijhydene.2017.05.113 - PdNi@GO * Betuu0308l Su0327en et al. - DOI: 10.1016 j.ijhydene.2017.05.112 - Pt@PANI-rGO * Betuu0308l Su0327en et al. - DOI: 10.1016 j.jcis.2018.03.004 - PtNPs@CBH * Betuu0308l Su0327en et al. - DOI: 10.1016 j.jcis.2019.03.057 - PdRu@PVP * Betuu0308l Su0327en et al. - DOI: 10.1016 B978-0-08-102509-3.00002-X - Pd-Ni@AC * Birguu0308tay Su0327ahin et al. - DOI: 10.1016 j.jbiotec.2017.09.012 - Pomegranate Ag NPs * Enes Demir et al. - DOI: 10.1016 j.nanoso.2017.08.018 - Mw-Pt NPs@GO * Enes Demir et al. - DOI: 10.1016 j.nanoso.2017.06.003 - Pt@f-MWCNT * Suleyman Akocak et al. - DOI: 10.1016 j.nanoso.2017.06.002 - Pd@GO * Yagmur Koskun et al. - DOI: 10.1016 j.aca.2018.01.035 - Ni-Pd@AC Of note, this is a different set of papers than the 30 papers by the same group that all appear to use another HRTEM image called  Inset 1 . For an example of that photo and the list of those 30 papers, see DOI 10.1016 j.ijhydene.2018.03.175 https: pubpeer.com publications 8AD71F4A32472314CCE9983D47E36F Here is Figure 3 from this paper, showing the  Inset 2 photo.  , 
 The TEM photo shown in Figure 3, also shown above, representing Silver nanoparticles created with pomegranate extract, looks remarkably similar to the TEM image shown in Figure 2 of another paper by the same research group, where it represents Platinum nanoparticles with pomegranate extract. That paper is: Birgu00fctay u015eahin et al., Cytotoxic effects of platinum nanoparticles obtained from pomegranate extract by the green synthesis method on the MCF-7 cell line - Colloids and Surfaces B Biointerfaces (2018) - doi: 10.1016 j.colsurfb.2017.12.042 - https: pubpeer.com publications 23F8E475021BE8695D13B814B8B072 Here is a comparison, with green boxes highlighting an area that the two photos appear to have in common.  ,