LINC00461 promotes cell migration and invasion in breast cancer through miR-30a-5p/integrin β3 axis

Mounting evidence has demonstrated that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are dysregulated and implicated in the occurrence and development of a wide range of human malignancies. LINC00461, a novel cancer-related lncRNA, has been reported to be highly expressed and serve as oncogene in glioma; however, its biological role in breast cancer (BC) remains obscure. This study aimed to explore the role of LINC00461 in BC and elucidate the potential molecular mechanisms involved. In the current study, LINC00461 was found to be significantly upregulated in both BC tissues and cell lines. Besides, we found that high LINC00461 expression was associated with TNM stage and differentiation. Furthermore, functional studies demonstrated that LINC00461 expedited BC cell migration and invasion. Notably, LINC00461 was observed to enhance the expression of vimentin and zinc-finger E-box binding homeobox factor 1, suppress the expression of E-cadherin, and promote the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and AKT signaling pathways. Mechanical investigations revealed that LINC00461 positively modulated integrin β3 (ITGB3) expression as miR-30a-5p sponge in BC cells. Taken together, LINC00461 exerts an oncogenic role in BC through miR-30a-5p/ITGB3 axis. Our data indicate that LINC00461 may be used to be a novel candidate therapeutic target and a valuable diagnostic biomarker for BC.     

NPY modulates miR-30a-5p and BDNF in opposite direction in an in vitro model of Alzheimer disease: a possible role in neuroprotection?

Using in vitro models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), we found that the toxic effects of amyloid beta 25–35 (Aβ_25–35) on the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were counteracted by pre-incubation with neuropeptide Y (NPY), a neuropeptide expressed within the central nervous system. Nonetheless, the mechanism of action of NPY on BDNF neuronal production in the presence of Aβ is not known. BDNF expression might be directly regulated by microRNA (miRs), small non-coding DNA fragments that regulate the expression of target genes. Thus, there is the possibility that miRs alterations are present in AD-affected neurons and that NPY influences miR expression. To test this hypothesis, we exposed NPY-pretreated primary rat cortical neurons to Aβ_25–35 and measured miR-30a-5p (a member of the miR-30a family involved in BDNF tuning expression) and BDNF mRNA and protein expression after 24 and 48 h. Our results demonstrated that pre-treatment with NPY decreased miR-30a-5p expression and increased BDNF mRNA and protein expression at 24 and 48 h of incubation with Aβ. Therefore, this study demonstrates that NPY modulates BDNF and its regulating microRNA miR-30a-5p in opposite direction with a mechanism that possibly contributes to the neuroprotective effect of NPY in rat cortical neurons exposed to Aβ.     

Role of p38γ MAPK in regulation of EMT and cancer stem cells

p38γ is a member of p38 MAPK family which contains four isoforms p38α, p38β, p38γ, and p38δ. p38γ MAPK has unique function and is less investigated. Recent studies revealed that p38γ MAPK may be involved in tumorigenesis and cancer aggressiveness. However, the underlying cellular/molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process that epithelial cancer cells transform to facilitate the loss of epithelial features and gain of mesenchymal phenotype. EMT promotes cancer cell progression and metastasis, and is involved in the regulation of cancer stem cells (CSCs) which have self-renewal capacity and are resistant to chemotherapy and target therapy. We showed that p38γ MAPK significantly increased EMT in breast cancer cells; over-expression of p38γ MAPK enhanced EMT while its down-regulation inhibited EMT. Meanwhile, p38γ MAPK augmented CSC population while knock down of p38γ MAPK decreased CSC ratio in breast cancer cells. MicroRNA-200b (miR-200b) was down-stream of p38γ MAPK and inhibited by p38γ MAPK; miR-200b mimics blocked p38γ MAPK-induced EMT while miR-200b inhibitors promoted EMT. p38γ MAPK regulated miR-200b through inhibiting GATA3. p38γ MAPK induced GATA3 ubiquitination, leading to its proteasome-dependent degradation. Suz12, a Polycomb group protein, was down-stream of miR-200b and involved in miR-200b regulation of EMT. Thus, our study established an important role of p38γ MAPK in EMT and identified a novel signaling pathway for p38γ MAPK–mediated tumor promotion.     

miR-30a-5p通过靶向Runx2基因抑制成骨细胞分化

目的:构建绝经后骨质疏松大鼠模型,分析miR-30a-5p在成骨细胞分化中的功能。方法:将SD大鼠分为雌激素组、假手术组和模型组;取胫骨组织进行miRNA测序并差异表达分析;检测miR-30a-5p在各组大鼠骨中的表达含量;通过qRT-PCR检测miR-30a-5p表达对成骨分化标记相关蛋白胶原Ⅰ、骨钙素(OCN)和骨桥蛋白(OPN)表达的影响,同时检测对碱性磷酸酶(ALP)活性的影响;双萤光素酶报告基因检测miR-30a-5p对RUNT相关转录因子2(Runx2)的靶向调控作用。结果:miRNA测序分析结果显示,相对于假手术组、雌激素组,模型组有33种共同miRNA表达上调,选取miR-30a-5p作为本研究对象;qRT-PCR进一步验证miR-30a-5p在模型组骨组织中高表达;miR-30a-5p靶向抑制Runx2的表达,且能够抑制OCN、OPN和胶原Ⅰ的表达,降低ALP活性;而同时过表达Runx2后,OCN、OPN和胶原Ⅰ的表达升高,ALP活性增加,Runx2过表达部分缓解miR-30a-5p对成骨细胞分化的抑制作用。结论:miR-30a-5p在骨质疏松大鼠骨组织中表达上调,并能够靶向抑制Runx2的表达,从而抑制成骨细胞分化,促进骨质疏松进展,为骨质疏松症的诊断提供新的生物标志物。     

Hsa-miR-34a-5p reverses multidrug resistance in gastric cancer cells by targeting the 3′-UTR of SIRT1 and inhibiting its expression

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major obstacle to chemotherapy, which leads to ineffective chemotherapy, an important treatment strategy for gastric cancer (GC). The abnormality of microRNAs (miRNAs) is critical to the occurrence and progression of MDR in various tumors. In this study, hsa-miR-34a-5p was found to be decreased in multidrug resistant GC cells SGC-7901/5-Fluorouracil (SGC-7901/5-Fu) compared to the parental SGC-7901 cells. Overexpression of hsa-miR-34a-5p in SGC-7901/5-Fu cells promoted apoptosis and decreased migration and invasiveness after chemotherapy. In addition, overexpression of hsa-miR-34a-5p suppressed the growth of drug-resistant tumor in vivo. The mechanism of the effects of hsa-miR-34a-5p could include the regulation of the expression of Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), P-glycoprotein (P-gp) or Multidrug resistance-related protein 1 (MRP1) through direct binding to the 3′-untranslated region (UTR) of SIRT1. Functional gain-and-loss experiments indicated that hsa-miR-34a-5p enhances the chemotherapy sensitivity of MDR GC cells by inhibiting SIRT1, P-gp and MRP1. In conclusion, hsa-miR-34a-5p can reverse the MDR of GC cells by inhibiting the expression of SIRT1, P-gp or MRP1.     

miR-133 is a key negative regulator of CDC42–PAK pathway in gastric cancer

Cell division cycle 42 (CDC42), an important member of the Ras homolog (Rho) family, plays a key role in regulating multiple cellular processes such as cell cycle progression, migration, cell cytoskeleton organization, cell fate determination and differentiation. Among the downstream effectors of CDC42, P21-activated kinases (PAKs) obtain the most attention. Although a large body of evidence indicates that CDC42/PAKs pathway plays important role in tumor growth, invasion and metastasis, the mechanism of their negative regulation remains unclear. Here, we identified CDC42, a PAKs activating factor, was a target of miR-133. Ectopic overexpression of miRNAs not only downregulated CDC42 expression and PAKs activation, but also inhibited cancer cell proliferation and migration. We also found that miR-133 was down-regulated in 180 pairs gastric cancer tissues. miR-133 expression was negatively associated with tumor size, invasion depth and peripheral organ metastasis. Besides, dysfunction of miR-133 was an independent prognosis factor for overall survival. Our findings could provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of gastric carcinogenesis, and may help facilitating development of CDC42/PAK-based therapies for human cancer.     

miR-30a-5p对人肝癌干细胞增殖和凋亡的影响

目的采用mi R-30a-5p模拟物转染CD133~+MHCC97L肝癌干细胞,观察增殖和凋亡能力的变化,明确mi R-30a-5p对肝癌干细胞的基因治疗效果。方法采用免疫磁珠分选法分选CD133~+MHCC97L肝癌干细胞并采用流式细胞术检测分选效果。分别采用mi R-30a-5p模拟物或抑制物转染肝癌干细胞设为30 a M组或30 a I组,并设立空白对照NC组。采用RT-PCR法检测细胞mi R-30a-5p表达水平。采用CCK-8法检测细胞增殖能力。采用琼脂克隆形成实验检测细胞克隆形成能力。采用流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡率。肝癌干细胞分选效率、mi R-30a-5p表达水平、CCK-8实验测得A值、克隆形成数量和细胞凋亡率实验数据的比较采用单因素方差分析和t检验。结果未进行磁珠分选的MHCC97L肝癌细胞CD133阳性率为(1.42±0.26)﹪,低于分选后的MHCC97L细胞中CD133的阳性率(94.48±2.32)﹪,差异具有统计学意义(t=-6.78,P=0.04)。RT-PCR实验结果显示,30a M组CD133~+MHCC97L肝癌干细胞中mi R-30a-5p的相对表达水平(20.21±1.92)较NC组(1.03±0.02)明显上调;30 a I组的相对表达水平(0.13±0.01)较NC组明显下调,差异均具有统计学意义(t=20.96,-6.22;P=0.01,0.03)。CCK-8实验结果显示,30 a M组细胞于24 h、48 h和72 h测得的A值分别为(0.40±0.00,0.68±0.03,0.75±0.02),明显低于NC组的(0.83±0.01,1.34±0.03,2.47±0.12),差异具有统计学意义(t=-12.15,-15.66,-6.42;P=0.01,0.02,0.01);30a I组细胞测得的A值分别为(0.95±0.05,1.64±0.03,3.28±0.07),明显高于NC组,差异具有统计学意义(t=9.45,18.97,7.58;P=0.00,0.01,0.03)。软琼脂克隆形成实验结果显示,30 a M组细胞的克隆形成数量为(61.81±1.76)个/孔,低于NC组的(131.96±8.15)个/孔,差异具有统计学意义(t=-8.31,P=0.00);30 a I组的克隆形成数量为(195.75±6.16)个/孔,高于与NC组,差异具有统计学意义(t=15.61,P=0.01)。流式细胞术结果显示,30 a M组的细胞凋亡率为(19.67±0.06)﹪,高于NC组的(10.65±0.12)﹪,差异具有统计学意义(t=15.90,P=0.02);30 a I组的细胞凋亡率为(4.85±0.03)﹪,低于NC组,差异具有统计学意义(t=-6.96,P=0.00)。结论 mi R-30a-5p对CD133~+MHCC97L肝癌干细胞的增殖具有明显的抑制效果,有望成为针对肝癌的有效靶向性治疗手段。     

miR-497-5p inhibits tumor cell growth and invasion by targeting SOX5 in non–small-cell lung cancer

MicroRNAs plays an important role in the ccurrence and development of non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). miR-497-5p has been reported to function as a tumor suppressor in various cancers. However, the role of miR-497-5p in NSCLC remains poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to investigate the biological role and potential molecular mechanism of miR-497-5p in NSCLC. Our results showed that the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression level of miR-497-5p was notably downregulated in human NSCLC tissues and cell lines. miR-497-5p overexpression remarkably inhibited NSCLC cell proliferation and increased cell apoptosis in A549 and H460 cells, whereas inhibition of miR-497-5p had an opposite effect. The ability of cell migration and invasion was inhibited by miR-497-5p overexpression but was increased by miR-497-5p inhibition. Moreover, our findings indicated that SOX5 was a direct target of miR-497-5p. The protein and mRNA expression levels of SOX5 in A549 cells were remarkably inhibited by miR-497-5p overexpression but was upregulated by miR-497-5p inhibition. Furthermore, SOX5 overexpression notably reversed the effect of miR-497-5p mimic on NSCLC cell proliferation, cell apoptosis, cell migration, and invasion. Taken together, these results indicated that miR-497-5p overexpression inhibited NSCLC cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and induced cell apoptosis through inhibiting SOX5 gene expression. It was conceivable that miR-497-5p might serve as a potential molecular target for NSCLC treatment.     

Global estimate of gastric cancer in Helicobacter pylori–infected population: A systematic review and meta-analysis

There is information regarding the rates of gastric cancer (GC) in different populations and the important role of Helicobacter pylori in GC development; however, no comprehensive study has yet been performed to investigate the prevalence of GC in H. pylori–infected patients. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library through January 1, 2000 were searched without language restrictions. Quality of included studies was assessed with a critical appraisal checklist recommended by the Joanna Briggs Institute. All of the analyses were conducted using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Software Version 2.0 and Stata 14.0. Forty-four studies from 17 countries were included. The pooled frequency of GC was 17.4% (95% confidence interval: 16.4–18.5) in H. pylori–infected population. The frequency of GC among H. pylori–infected population varied markedly across countries. The highest rate of GC was observed in H. pylori–infected individuals from Asian countries. The frequency of GC was relatively high in H. pylori–infected population in the world. However, the eradication of H. pylori might be a promising strategy for GC prevention, especially in high-risk populations such as Asian countries.     

miR-605-5p promotes invasion and proliferation by targeting TNFAIP3 in non–small-cell lung cancer

Lung cancer is an significant cause of death worldwide, and non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified to play key roles in NSCLC development. Recently, it has been reported that miR-605-5p is a cancer-related miRNA in several types of tumors. In this study, we study the role of miR-605-5p in NSCLC cells. We find that miR-605-5p is upregulated in NSCLC cells. Overexpression of miR-605-5p significantly promotes lung cancer invasion and migration in H460 and H1299 cells. Besides this, miR-605-5p also promotes lung cancer cell carcinoma proliferation and metastasis in vivo. However, downregulation of miR-605-5p inhibits cell invasion and migration by inhibiting lung cancer cell carcinoma proliferation and metastasis. In addition, the luciferase report assay identifies 3′-untranslated region tumor necrosis factor α-induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3) as a target of miR-605-5p. Silencing of TNFAIP3 promotes invasion and proliferation in lung cancer. In addition, the knockdown of TNFAIP3 restores the significant decrease in invasion and proliferation in miR-605-5p-inhibitor–transfected lung cancer cells. In conclusion, miR-605-5p promotes invasion and proliferation by targeting TNFAIP3 in NSCLC, and may provide possible biomarkers for NSCLC therapy.     

Spatio-temporal trends in gastric cancer mortality in Spain: 1975–2008

Aim of the study: There has been a downward trend in gastric cancer mortality worldwide. In Spain, a marked spatial aggregation of areas with excess mortality due to this cause has long been reported. This paper sought to analyse the evolution of gastric cancer mortality risk in Spanish provinces and explore the possible attenuation of the geographical pattern. Methods: We studied a series of gastric cancer mortality data by province, year of death, sex and age group using a conditional autoregressive (CAR) model that incorporated space, time and spatio-temporal interactions. Results: Gastric cancer mortality risk decreased in all Spanish provinces in both males and females. Overall, decreasing trends were more pronounced during the first years of the study period, largely due to a sharper fall in gastric cancer mortality risk among the older population. Recent decades have witnessed a slowing in the rate of decrease, especially among the younger age groups. In most areas, risk declined at a similar rate, thus serving to maintain interprovincial differences and the persistence of the geographical pattern, though with some differences. The north and northwest provinces were the areas with higher mortality risks in both sexes and age groups over the entire study period. Concluding statement: Despite the decline in gastric cancer mortality risk observed for the 50 Spanish provinces studied, geographical differences still persist in Spain, and the cluster of excess mortality in the north-west of the country remains in evidence.     

Beta-blocker usage and prostate cancer survival: A nested case–control study in the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink cohort

BackgroundRecent laboratory and epidemiological evidence suggests that beta-blockers could inhibit prostate cancer progression. Methods: We investigated the effect of beta-blockers on prostate cancer-specific mortality in a cohort of prostate cancer patients. Prostate cancer patients diagnosed between 1998 and 2006 were identified from the UK Clinical Practice Research Database and confirmed by cancer registries. Patients were followed up to 2011 with deaths identified by the Office of National Statistics. A nested case–control analysis compared patients dying from prostate cancer (cases) with up to three controls alive at the time of their death, matched by age and year of diagnosis. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using conditional logistic regression. Results: Post-diagnostic beta-blocker use was identified in 25% of 1184 prostate cancer-specific deaths and 26% of 3531 matched controls. There was little evidence (P = 0.40) of a reduction in the risk of cancer-specific death in beta-blocker users compared with non-users (OR = 0.94 95% CI 0.81, 1.09). Similar results were observed after adjustments for confounders, in analyses by beta-blocker frequency, duration, type and for all-cause mortality. Conclusions: Beta-blocker usage after diagnosis was not associated with cancer-specific or all-cause mortality in prostate cancer patients in this large UK study.     

Proteomic analysis of CD44(+) and CD44(−) gastric cancer cells

CD44 is a cell surface protein and it is widely used as a cancer stem cell marker in various cancer types including gastric cancer. We conducted proteomic analysis in CD44(+) and CD44(?) gastric cancer cells to understand characteristics of CD44(+) and CD44(?) cells. In the present study, we sorted cells from the gastric cancer cell line MKN45 according to CD44 expression to separate out CD44(+) and CD44(?) cells. And we conducted RT-PCR to identify mRNA expression of cancer stem cell markers in CD44(+) and CD44(?) cells. Cancer stem cell markers showed upregulated expression in CD44(+) cells. Next, we performed two-dimensional electrophoresis analysis to determine the differential expression pattern of proteins in each group; control, CD44(+), and CD44(?) MKN45 cells. We found a total of 113 spots that varied in expression between CD44(+) and CD44(?) cells, and subjected 20 of those protein spots to MALDI-MS. We selected the three proteins (HSPA8; heat shock cognate 71 kDa protein isoform 1, ezrin, α-enolase) upregulated in CD44(+) cells than CD44(?) cells and one protein (prohibitin) showed increased expression in CD44(?) cells. We validated the protein expression levels of four selected proteins by Western blot. We suggest that our study could be a helpful background to study CD44(+) cancer stem-like cells and differences between CD44(+) and CD44(?) cells in gastric cancer.     

Linkage analysis of prostate cancer susceptibility: confirmation of linkage at 8p22–23

Frequent loss of heterogeneity in prostate cancer cells and linkage studies of families affected by hereditary prostate cancer (HPC) have implied that the short arm of chromosome 8, specifically 8p22-23, may harbor a prostate-cancer-susceptibility gene. In a recent study, seven potentially important mutations in the macrophage scavenger receptor 1 gene (MSR1), located at 8p22, were observed in families affected with HPC, and an indication of co-segregation between these mutations and prostate cancer was reported. In an attempt to confirm linkage at 8p22-23, we performed linkage analyses in 57 families affected with HPC (ascertained throughout Sweden) by using 13 markers on the short arm of chromosome 8. In the complete set of families, evidence for prostate cancer linkage was observed at 8p22-23, with a peak hold of 1.08 (P=0.03), observed at D8S1731, approximately 1 cM centromeric to the MSR1 gene. At marker D8S1135, the closest marker to MSR1, a hlod of 1.07 (P=0.03) was observed. Evidence of linkage was seen in families with early-onset HPC and in families with a small number of affected individuals. The peak multipoint non-parametric linkage score was 2.01 (P=0.03) at D8S552 in the 14 pedigrees with mean age at onset <65 years, and 2.25 (P=0.01) at D8S1731 in the 36 pedigrees with fewer than five affected family members. Thus, we have confirmed evidence for prostate cancer linkage at 8p22-23. Follow-up studies to evaluate the possible association between prostate cancer and genes in this region, especially the MSR1 gene, are warranted.