miR-19a and miR-424 target TGFBR3 to promote epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and migration of tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells

Previous studies indicate that TGFBR3 (transforming growth factor type III receptor, also known as betaglycan), a novel suppressor of progression in certain cancers, is down-regulated in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). However, the role of this factor as an upstream regulator in TSCC cells remains to be elucidated. The present study was designed to elucidate whether TGFBR3 gene expression is regulated by two microRNA molecules, miR-19a and miR-424. The study also aimed to determine if these microRNAs promote migration of CAL-27 human oral squamous cells. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blot analyses demonstrated that TGFBR3 protein levels were dramatically down-regulated in clinical TSCC specimens. Conversely, bioinformatics analyses and qRT-PCR results confirmed that both miR-19a and miR-424 were markedly up-regulated in clinical TSCC specimens. In this study, we observed that transfection of a TGFBR3-containing plasmid dramatically inhibited epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and migration in CAL-27 cells. Co-immunoprecipitation analyses also revealed that TGFBR3 forms a complex with the β-arrestin 2 scaffolding protein and IκBα. Furthermore, overexpression of TGFBR3 decreased p-p65 expression and increased IκBα expression; these effects were subsequently abolished following knockdown of β-arrestin 2. Moreover, over-expression of miR-19a and miR-424 promoted migration and EMT in CAL-27 cells. We also observed that the promotion of EMT by miR-19a and miR-424 was mediated by the inhibition of TGFBR3. Our study provides evidence that miR-19a and miR-424 play important roles in the development of TSCC. These results expand our understanding of TGFBR3 gene expression and regulatory mechanisms pertaining to miRNAs.     

miR-214通过调控Notch1信号对口咽鳞状细胞癌细胞株增殖、侵袭及凋亡的作用机制研究

目的研究miR-214通过调控Notch1信号对口咽鳞状细胞癌（OSCC）细胞株增殖、侵袭及凋亡的作用机制。 方法在ATCC细胞库购买OSCC细胞株,分为3组：抑制组（IN组）、模拟组（SI组）及对照组（CO组）。通过Western blot法、qRT-PCR法、TUNEL法、侵袭实验及CCK-8法分析3组癌细胞中Notch1的蛋白、mRNA表达水平、细胞凋亡、迁移及增殖能力的差异性,三组间比较采用单因素方差分析,组间两两比较采用LSD-t检验。 结果IN、SI、CO组细胞内miR-214mRNA表达量分别为1.15±0.26,3.34±0.89,2.08±0.67,SI组分别与IN组、CO组比较,差异具有统计学意义（t = 5.281,P = 0.002;t = 2.529,P = 0.045）;SI组、IN组的Notch1-UTR表达分别为0.42±0.11、0.86±0.09,差异具有统计学意义（t = 5.362,P = 0.006）;IN、SI、CO组的OSCC细胞凋亡率分别为（0.78±0.10）﹪、（0.32±0.06）﹪、（0.56±0.12）﹪,IN组分别与CO组、SI组比较,差异具有统计学意义（t = 3.149,P = 0.020;t = 8.823,P < 0.001）;IN、SI、CO组癌细胞的增殖率分别为（0.65±0.05）﹪、（1.26±0.06）﹪、（1.89±0.04）﹪,IN组与SI组、IN组与CO组比较,差异具有统计学意义（t = 11.056,P < 0.001;t = 27.394,P < 0.001）,CO组与SI组比较,差异具有统计学意义（t = 12.365,P < 0.001）;IN、SI、CO组癌细胞侵袭率分别为（0.13±0.02）﹪、（0.89±0.13）﹪、（0.48±0.11）﹪,SI组与CO组、SI组与IN组比较,差异具有统计学意义（t = 4.176,P = 0.006;t = 10.147,P < 0.001）;IN、SI、CO组的Notch1蛋白含量分别为：2.38±1.34、0.94±0.23、1.76±0.67,SI组与CO组、SI组与IN组比较,差异具有统计学意义（t = 2.588,P = 0.041;t = 2.368,P = 0.056）;IN、SI、CO组的Notch1 mRNA表达量分别为4.26±1.06、1.45±0.38、2.46±0.87,IN组与CO组、IN组与SI组比较,差异具有统计学意义（t = 2.935,P = 0.026;t = 5.583,P = 0.001）。 结论miR-214可能与OSCC细胞株增殖呈负相关,在细胞中miR-214含量升高,可能抑制Notch1信号通路表达,从而促进癌细胞增长、侵袭,抑制癌细胞凋亡。     

凋亡抑制蛋白XIAP在舌鳞癌组织中表达的研究

目的：研究XIAP在舌鳞癌组织中的表达情况及其与舌鳞癌临床病理特征的关系。方法：采用免疫组织化学SP法检测舌鳞癌组织（36例）以及癌旁正常舌粘膜组织（20例）中XIAP蛋白的表达,并分析其与舌鳞癌临床病理特征的关系。结果：XIAP在舌鳞癌组织中表达阳性率为86．1％,在癌旁正常粘膜组织中阳性率为35％,肿瘤组织中XIAP蛋白阳性率明显高于正常粘膜;不同病理分级及临床分期病例XIAP阳性表达差异无显著性。结论：XIAP蛋白的高表达与舌鳞癌的发生有相关性,可能在舌鳞癌的发生、发展过程中有重要作用。     

MiR-1204 promotes ovarian squamous cell carcinoma growth by increasing glucose uptake

MiR-1204 has been recently identified as an oncogenic miRNA in breast cancer. Our study aims to investigate the role of miR-1204 in ovarian squamous cell carcinoma. Expression of miR-1204 and glucose transporter 1 in ovarian biopsies and plasma of both OC patients and healthy controls was detected by qRT-PCR. Correlations between patients’ clinicopathological data were analyzed by Chi-square test. MiR-1204 overexpression OC cell lines were established. Expression of GLUT-1 protein was detected by western blot. Glucose uptake was measured by glucose uptake assay. Cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8 assay. We found that miR-1204 expression was significantly correlated with tumor size. Expression levels of miR-1204 and GLUT-1 were significantly high in OC patients. Expression levels of miR-1204 were positively correlated with expression levels of GLUT-1 in OC patients. MiR-1204 overexpression significantly promoted GLUT-1 expression, glucose uptake and cell proliferation. MiR-1204 may promote ovarian squamous cell carcinoma growth by increasing glucose uptake.     

miR-27a靶向FOXG1调控皮肤鳞状细胞癌细胞增殖、侵袭及迁移的研究

摘要 目的：探讨miR-27a对皮肤鳞状细胞癌（CSCC）细胞增殖、侵袭、迁移的影响及其与叉头框G1（FOXG1）的靶向关系。方法：收集30例CSCC组织及30例正常皮肤组织。培养A431细胞,将miR-NC、miR-27a mimics、si-NC、si-miR-27a、Scramble、si-FOXG1、Vector、OE-FOXG1质粒分别转染至细胞,记为miR-NC组、miR-27a组、si-NC组、si-miR-27a组、Scramble组、si-FOXG1组、Vector组及FOXG1组;将si-FOXG1、Scramble质粒分别转染至miR-27a组细胞,记为miR-27a+Scramble组、miR-27a+si-FOXG1组。四甲基偶氮唑蓝（MTT）检测细胞增殖能力,Transwell实验检测细胞侵袭、迁移能力,荧光定量聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）检测细胞、组织中FOXG1基因mRNA及miR-27a表达水平,Western blot检测细胞或组织FOXG1蛋白表达水平,TargetScan在线网站预测miR-27a与FOXG1结合位点,双荧光素酶报告基因实验验证miR-27a与FOXG1的靶向关系。结果：CSCC组织FOXG1基因mRNA、miR-27a表达水平高于正常皮肤组织（P<0.05）,CSCC组织FOXG1基因mRNA、miR-27a表达水平呈正相关（r=0.801,P=0.000）。上调miR-27a、FOXG1可促进细胞的增殖、侵袭、迁移,沉默miR-27a、FOXG1可抑制细胞的增殖、侵袭、迁移及EMT。下调FOXG1逆转了过表达miR-27a对细胞的增殖、侵袭、迁移的促进作用。miR-27a可正性调控FOXG1表达。结论：miR-27a、FOXG1在CSCC组织中高表达,miR-27a正性调控FOXG1促进CSCC细胞的增殖、侵袭、迁移。     

微小RNAmiR-21和miR-31在13腔鳞癌组织中的表达及意义

目的：检测口腔鳞癌中微小RNA miR-21和miR-31的表达,探讨其与肿瘤发展的关系。方法：应用实时荧光定量PCR的方法检测72例口腔鳞癌,38例正常口腔粘膜miR-21和miR-31的表达,统计学分析其表达与肿瘤临床分期和病理分型的关系。结果：①口腔鳞癌组织与对照组比较,微小RNA miR-21和miR-31的表达都有显著增高（P〈0.05）,其中miR-21的增高更为显著（P〈0.001）。②统计学分析表明,miR-21的表达在晚期鳞癌组织较早中期鳞癌组织增高更为显著（P〈0.01）,在低分化鳞癌组织较中、高分化鳞癌组织增高更为显著（p〈0.001）;MiR-31的表达水平在不同肿瘤临床分期和病理分型鳞癌组织中无明显差异（P〉0.05）。结论：miR-21和miR-31在口腔鳞癌发生发展过程中表达有明显增高,其中miR-21表达水平可作为潜在的口腔鳞癌临床分期分级和预后的指标。     

肿瘤相关候选基因在舌鳞癌中的筛选

目的：寻找舌癌特异性相关基因,阐明舌癌发病的分子机制,为舌癌的诊断、治疗和预后提供分子靶标。方法：采用半定量RT-PCR方法检测了所选9个肿瘤相关基因DLC1、ANXA1、BCAT1、KRAS2、KCNJ8、LDHB、DNM1L、ETNK1、PTX1在舌鳞癌中的表达情况。结果：DLC1、ANXA1、LDHB、DNM1L、ETNK1、PTX16个基因在舌鳞癌组织与配对正常组织中无明显表达差异;而BCAT1、KRAS2、KCNJ8在舌鳞癌组织中表达上调,上调频率分别为45%（9/20）、50%（10/20）和33.3%（4/12）。结论：BCAT1、KRAS2和KCNJ8参与了舌鳞癌的发生发展,也为进一步在舌鳞癌中分析3个基因的功能提供实验依据。     

Genomic instability in blood cells is able to predict the oral cancer risk: an experimental study in rats

This study was undertaken to investigate the genomic instability on blood cells during 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO)-induced rat tongue carcinogenesis by means of single cell gel (comet) and micronucleus assays. Male Wistar rats were distributed into three groups of 10 animals each and treated with 50 ppm 4NQO solution through their drinking water for 4, 12, and 20 weeks. Ten animals were used as negative control. Although no histopathological abnormalities were induced in the epithelium after 4 weeks of carcinogen exposure, genetic damage was found in blood cells as depicted by the mean tail moment and an increase of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes. After 12 and 20 weeks treatment, the same picture occurred, being the strong effect observed in the micronucleus induction. These periods correspond to pre-neoplastic lesions and well-differentiated squamous cell carcinomas, respectively. Taken together, our results support the idea that genomic instability on blood cells appears to be associated with the risk and progression of oral cancer, being a reliable tool for detecting early systemic conditions of malignancy.     

Epigenetic silencing of miR-203 in Kazakh patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by MassARRAY spectrometry

Dysregulation of miR-203 by promoter methylation is associated with the development of various cancers. We aimed to explore the underlying link between promoter methylation and miR-203 expression in Kazakh esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). MassARRAY® System spectrometry was used to quantitatively analyze the DNA methylation of 32 CpG sites within miR-203 in 99 Kazakh ESCC and 46 normal esophageal tissues (NETs) with similar population characteristics. We conducted real-time PCR to detect miR-203 expression levels and evaluated their association with methylation. Eleven CpG units within miR-203 promoter were frequently hypermethylated in ESCC compared with NETs (P < 0.05). The hypermethylation of several CpG units positively correlated with age, lower esophagus, constrictive type of ESCC, and moderately differentiated ESCC. Given the involvement of human papillomavirus (HPV) in etiology of ESCC was confirmed from our previous reports, herein we found that CpG units within miR-203 in HPV16-positive ESCC are more heavily methylated. Furthermore, miR-203 expression showed a nearly 4.5-fold decrease in ESCC than NETs (0.206 ± 0.336 vs. 0.908 ± 1.424, P < 0.001) and was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.012). The expression of miR-203 with 11 completely hypermethylated CpG units was approximately 6.5-fold lower than that with at least 1 unmethylated CpG unit (P < 0.001) and especially the CpG_15.16 and CpG_31.32 with higher methylation levels in ESCC tissues exhibited lower expression levels of miR-203, which indicated a reverse association between miR-203 methylation and expression. Hypermethylated miR-203 is a potential biomarker and targeted delivery of miR-203 could therefore serve as a preventive or therapeutic strategy for Kazakh ESCC.