Upregulated microRNA-224 promotes ovarian cancer cell proliferation by targeting KLLN

Human epithelial ovarian cancer is a complex disease, with low 5-yr survival rate largely due to the terminal stage at diagnosis in most patients. MicroRNAs play critical roles during epithelial ovarian cancer progression in vivo and have also been shown to regulate characteristic of ovarian cancer cell line in vitro. Alterative microRNA-224 (microRNA-224) expression affects human epithelial ovarian cancer cell survival, apoptosis, and metastasis. However, people know little about the effects of microRNA-224 on epithelial ovarian cancer cell proliferation. In the current study, we found that the microRNA-224 expression level of human syngeneic epithelial ovarian cancer cells HO8910 (low metastatic ability) was lower than that of HO8910PM (high metastatic ability). Furthermore, microRNA-224 was confirmed to target KLLN in HO8910 and HO8910PM. The known KLLN downstream target cyclin A was regulated by microRNA-224 in HO8910 and HO8910PM. In addition, overexpression of microRNA-224 enhanced the proliferation abilities of HO8910 and knockdown of microRNA-224 suppressed the proliferation abilities of HO8910PM by KLLN-cyclin A pathway. Our results provide new data about microRNAs and their targets involved in proliferation of epithelial ovarian cancer cells by modulating the downstream signaling.     

人精子蛋白17放射诱导表达细胞模型的构建

目的:构建pEgr-Sp17重组质粒,并检测其在人卵巢癌细胞系HO8910中的辐射诱导表达,探索Egr-1基因调控序列辐射诱导下游基因表达的功能,建立放射诱导表达人精子蛋白Sp17的细胞模型。方法:用双酶切、粘端连接的方法构建含有辐射诱导特性的早期反应因子Egr-1和人Sp17基因的pEgr-Sp17重组质粒,利用脂质体介导其转染人HO8910细胞,用免疫细胞化学方法检测X线照射后被转染细胞中Sp17的表达。在确证Sp17能瞬时表达后,继续用含G418的RPMI1640培养基培养细胞,筛选稳定表达Sp17的细胞株。结果:测序结果和酶切鉴定均证实pEgr-Sp17重组质粒构建正确;免疫细胞化学试验表明pEgr-Sp17重组质粒转染的人HO8910细胞表达Sp17蛋白。结论:X线可诱导pEgr-Sp17重组质粒在人HO8910细胞中表达Sp17蛋白,构建了Sp17蛋白放射诱导表达的卵巢癌细胞模型。     

Invasiveness of mouse embryos to human ovarian cancer cells HO8910PM and the role of MMP-9

ABSTRACT: Background Our previous work found that mouse embryos could invade malignant cancer cells. In the process of implantation, embryo trophoblast cells express matrix metalloproteinases and the invasive ability of trophoblast cells is proportional to matrix metalloproteinase-9 protein expression. So the purpose of this study is to observe the effects of mouse embryos on human ovarian cancer cells in the co-culture environment in vitro and explore the possible mechanism of matrix metalloproteinase-9. Methods Several groups of human ovarian cancer cells HO8910PM were co-cultured with mouse embryos for different time duration, after which the effects of mouse embryos on morphology and growth behavior of HO8910PM were observed under the light microscope real-time or by H.E staining. Apoptosis was detected under laser confocal microscope by Annexin V-EGFP/PI staining in situ. Invasion ability of tumor cells was studied by transwell experiments. After matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP -9) activity was inhibited by MMP-9 Inhibitor I, the interaction between mouse embryos and human ovarian cancer cells HO8910PM was observed. Results Mouse embryos were able to invade co-cultured human ovarian cancer cell layer which extended in the bottom of the culture dish, and gradually pushed away tumor cells to form their own growth space. The number of apoptosis tumor cells surrounding the embryo increased under laser confocal microscope. After co-cultured with mouse embryos, tumor cells invasive ability was lowered compared with the control group. After MMP-9 activity was inhibited, the interaction between mouse embryos and HO8910PM cells had no significant difference compared with the normal MMP-9 activity group. Conclusion Mouse embryos were able to invade human ovarian cancer cells in vitro and form their own growth space, promote apoptosis of human ovarian cancer cells and lower their invasive ability. The mouse embryo was still able to invade human ovarian cancer cells after MMP-9 activity was inhibited.     

Inhibition of autophagy by chloroquine induces apoptosis in primary effusion lymphoma in vitro and in vivo through induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress

Autophagy plays a crucial role in cancer cell survival and the inhibition of autophagy is attracting attention as an emerging strategy for the treatment of cancer. Chloroquine (CQ) is an anti-malarial drug, and is also known as an inhibitor of autophagy. Recently, it has been found that CQ induces cancer cell death through the inhibition of autophagy; however, the underlying mechanism is not entirely understood. In this study, we identified the role of CQ-induced cancer cell death using Primary Effusion Lymphoma (PEL) cells. We found that a CQ treatment induced caspase-dependent apoptosis in vitro. CQ also suppressed PEL cell growth in a PEL xenograft mouse model. We showed that CQ activated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress signal pathways and induced CHOP, which is an inducer of apoptosis. CQ-induced cell death was significantly decreased by salbrinal, an ER stress inhibitor, indicating that CQ-induced apoptosis in PEL cells depended on ER stress. We show here for the first time that the inhibition of autophagy induces ER stress-mediated apoptosis in PEL cells. Thus, the inhibition of autophagy is a novel strategy for cancer chemotherapy.     

Induction of apoptotic death by curcumin in human tongue squamous cell carcinoma SCC-4 cells is mediated through endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondria-dependent pathways

Curcumin from the rhizome of the Curcuma longa plant has been noted for its chemo-preventative and chemo-therapy activities, and it inhibits the growth of many types of human cancer cell lines. In this study, the mechanisms of cell death involved in curcumin-induced growth inhibition, including cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis in human tongue cancer SCC-4 cells, were investigated. Herein, we observed that curcumin inhibited cell growth of SCC-4 cells and induced cell death in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment of SCC-4 cells with curcumin caused a moderate and promoted the G(2) /M phase arrest, which was accompanied with decreases in cyclin B/CDK1 and CDC25C protein levels. Moreover, curcumin significantly induced apoptosis of SCC-4 cells with a decrease of the Bcl-2 level, reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ(m) ), and promoted the active forms of caspase-3. Curcumin also promoted the releases of AIF and Endo G from the mitochondria in SCC-4 cells by using confocal laser microscope. Therefore, we suggest that curcumin induced apoptosis through a mitochondria-dependent pathway in SCC-4 cells. In addition, we also found that curcumin-induced apoptosis of SCC-4 cells was partly through endoplasmic reticulum stress. In conclusion, curcumin increased G(2) /M phase arrest and induced apoptosis through ER stress and mitochondria-dependent pathways in SCC-4 cells.     

Roles of the Akt/mTOR/p70S6K and ERK1/2 Signaling Pathways in Curcumin-Induced Autophagy

Curcumin has a potent anticancer effect and is a promising new therapeutic strategy. We previously demonstrated that curcumin induced non-apoptotic autophagic cell death in malignant glioma cells in vitro and in vivo. This compound inhibited the Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin/p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase pathway and activated the extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 thereby inducing autophagy. Interestingly, activation of the first pathway inhibited curcumin-induced autophagy and cytotoxicity, whereas inhibition of the latter pathway inhibited curcumin-induced autophagy and induced apoptosis, thus augmenting the cytotoxicity of curcumin. These results imply that these two autophagic pathways have opposite effects on curcumin’s cytotoxicity. However, inhibition of nuclear factor κB, which is the main target of curcumin for its anticancer effect, was not observed in malignant glioma cells. These results suggest that autophagy but not nuclear factor κB plays a central role in curcumin anticancer therapy and warrant further investigation toward application in patients with malignant gliomas. Here, we discuss the therapeutic role of two autophagic pathways influenced by curcumin.

Addendum to:

Evidence That Curcumin Suppresses the Growth of Malignant Gliomas in Vitro and in Vivo through Induction of Autophagy: Role of Akt and Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Signaling Pathways

H. Aoki, Y. Takada, S. Kondo, R. Sawaya, B. B. Aggarwal and Y. Kondo

Mol Pharmacol 2007; 72:29-39     

Simultaneous inhibition of the ubiquitin-proteasome system and autophagy enhances apoptosis induced by ER stress aggravators in human pancreatic cancer cells

In contrast to normal tissue, cancer cells display profound alterations in protein synthesis and degradation. Therefore, proteins that regulate endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis are being increasingly recognized as potential therapeutic targets. The ubiquitin-proteasome system and autophagy are crucially important for proteostasis in cells. However, interactions between autophagy, the proteasome, and ER stress pathways in cancer remain largely undefined. This study demonstrated that withaferin-A (WA), the biologically active withanolide extracted from Withania somnifera, significantly increased autophagosomes, but blocked the degradation of autophagic cargo by inhibiting SNARE-mediated fusion of autophagosomes and lysosomes in human pancreatic cancer (PC) cells. WA specifically induced proteasome inhibition and promoted the accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins, which resulted in ER stress-mediated apoptosis. Meanwhile, the impaired autophagy at early stage induced by WA was likely activated in response to ER stress. Importantly, combining WA with a series of ER stress aggravators enhanced apoptosis synergistically. WA was well tolerated in mice, and displayed synergism with ER stress aggravators to inhibit tumor growth in PC xenografts. Taken together, these findings indicate that simultaneous suppression of 2 key intracellular protein degradation systems rendered PC cells vulnerable to ER stress, which may represent an avenue for new therapeutic combinations for this disease.     

Hoechst 33342-induced autophagy protected HeLa cells from caspase-independent cell death with the participation of ROS

Autophagy, an evolutionarily-conserved intracellular organelle and protein degradation process, may exhibit drastically different effects on cell survival depending on the particular environmental and culturing conditions. Hoechst 33342 (HO), a fluorescent dye widely used for staining DNA, has been reported to induce apoptosis in mammalian cells. Here we showed that, in addition to caspase-independent cell death, HO also induced autophagy in HeLa cells, as evidenced by the accumulation of autophagosomes, LC3 form conversion and LC3 puncta formation in a cell line stably expressing GFP-LC3. HO treatment led to generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and inhibition of ROS with N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) abrogated both autophagy and caspase-independent cell death. Finally, autophagy played a protective role against caspase-independent cell death, as cell death induced by HO was enhanced under pharmacological and siRNA-mediated genetic inhibition of autophagy.     

Artesunate induces apoptosis,autophagy and ferroptosis in diffuse large B cell lymphoma cells by impairing STAT3 signaling

Artesunate (ART), a water-soluble derivative of artemisinin, has been reported to exert antineoplastic effects via diverse mechanisms in various types of cancer. Therefore, understanding the underlying mechanism of action of ART in distinct cancer types is indispensable to optimizing the therapeutic application of ART for different types of cancer. The present study aimed to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for the antineoplastic effects of ART in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) cells. Cell proliferation was measured using Cell Counting Kit-8 and colony formation assays. The levels of apoptosis and cell cycle distribution were investigated using flow cytometry. In addition, western blotting was used to analyze the expression levels of ART-induced apoptosis-, autophagy- and ferroptosis-related proteins. Monodansylcadaverine staining was performed to determine the levels of autophagy. Moreover, malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species assays were used to determine the levels of ferroptosis. The results of the present study revealed that ART inhibited proliferation, and induced apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, autophagy and ferroptosis in DLBCL cells. Pharmacological inhibition of autophagy and ferroptosis alleviated the increased levels of apoptosis induced by ART. Notably, ART was found to exert its effects via inhibition of STAT3 activation. The genetic knockdown of STAT3 enhanced ART-induced autophagy and ferroptosis, and concomitantly upregulated the expression levels of apoptosis- and cell cycle-related proteins. In conclusion, the findings of the current study suggested that ART may induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest to inhibit cell proliferation, and regulate autophagy and ferroptosis via impairing the STAT3 signaling pathway in DLBCL cells.     

Antiproliferation and apoptosis induced by curcumin in human ovarian cancer cells

Curcumin, an active ingredient from the rhizome of the plant, Curcuma longa, has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. It has recently been demonstrated that the chemopreventive activities of curcumin might be due to its ability to inhibit cell growth and induce apoptosis. In the present study, we have investigated the effects of curcumin on growth and apoptosis in the human ovarian cancer cell line Ho-8910 by MTT assay, fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry and Western blotting. Our data revealed that curcumin could significantly inhibit the growth and induce apoptosis in Ho-8910 cells. A decrease in expression of Bcl-2, Bcl-X(L) and pro-caspase-3 was observed after exposure to 40 microM curcumin, while the levels of p53 and Bax were increased in the curcumin-treated cells. These activities may contribute to the anticarcinogenic action of curcumin.     

Hoechst 33342-induced autophagy protected HeLa cells from caspase-independent cell death with the participation of ROS

Abstract

Autophagy, an evolutionarily-conserved intracellular organelle and protein degradation process, may exhibit drastically different effects on cell survival depending on the particular environmental and culturing conditions. Hoechst 33342 (HO), a fluorescent dye widely used for staining DNA, has been reported to induce apoptosis in mammalian cells. Here we showed that, in addition to caspase-independent cell death, HO also induced autophagy in HeLa cells, as evidenced by the accumulation of autophagosomes, LC3 form conversion and LC3 puncta formation in a cell line stably expressing GFP-LC3. HO treatment led to generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and inhibition of ROS with N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) abrogated both autophagy and caspase-independent cell death. Finally, autophagy played a protective role against caspase-independent cell death, as cell death induced by HO was enhanced under pharmacological and siRNA-mediated genetic inhibition of autophagy.     

Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors,roscovitine and purvalanol,induce apoptosis and autophagy related to unfolded protein response in HeLa cervical cancer cells

Roscovitine (Rosc) and purvalanol (Pur) are competitive inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) by targeting their ATP-binding pockets. Both drugs are shown to be effective to decrease cell viability and dysregulate the ratio of pro- and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members, which finally led to apoptotic cell death in different cancer cell lines in vitro. It was well established that Bcl-2 family members have distinct roles in the regulation of other cellular processes such as endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. The induction of ER stress has been shown to play critical role in cell death/survival decision via autophagy or apoptosis. In this study, our aim was to investigate the molecular targets of CDK inhibitors on ER stress mechanism related to distinct cell death types in time-dependent manner in HeLa cervical cancer cells. Our results showed that Rosc and Pur decreased the cell viability, cell growth and colony formation, induced ER stress-mediated autophagy or apoptosis in time-dependent manner. Thus, we conclude that exposure of cells to CDK inhibitors induces unfolded protein response and ER stress leading to autophagy and apoptosis processes in HeLa cervical cancer cells.     

Integrated regulation of autophagy and apoptosis by EEF2K controls cellular fate and modulates the efficacy of curcumin and velcade against tumor cells

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress induces both autophagy and apoptosis yet the molecular mechanisms and pathways underlying the regulation of these two cellular processes in cells undergoing ER stress remain less clear. We report here that eukaryotic elongation factor-2 kinase (EEF2K) is a critical controller of the ER stress-induced autophagy and apoptosis in tumor cells. DDIT4, a stress-induced protein, was required for transducing the signal for activation of EEF2K under ER stress. We further showed that phosphorylation of EEF2K at Ser398 was essential for induction of autophagy, while phosphorylation of the kinase at Ser366 and Ser78 exerted an inhibitory effect on autophagy. Suppression of the ER stress-activated autophagy via silencing of EEF2K aggravated ER stress and promoted apoptotic cell death in tumor cells. Moreover, inhibiting EEF2K by either RNAi or NH125, a small molecule inhibitor of the enzyme, rendered tumor cells more sensitive to curcumin and velcade, two anticancer agents that possess ER stress-inducing action. Our study indicated that the DDIT4-EEF2K pathway was essential for inducing autophagy and for determining the fate of tumor cells under ER stress, and suggested that inhibiting the EEF2K-mediated autophagy can deteriorate ER stress and lead to a greater apoptotic response, thereby potentiating the efficacy of the ER stress-inducing agents against cancer.     

The Interplay between Autophagy and Apoptosis Induced by One Synthetic Curcumin Derivative Hydrazinobenzoylcurcumin in A549 Lung Cancer Cells

The two important cell autonomic responses, autophagy, and apoptosis, play critical roles in cellular homeostasis and survival. By studying of the synthetic curcumin derivative hydrazinobenzoylcurcumin (HBC), we revealed that it could induce autophagy in nonsmall lung cancer cells (A549). Here, we use the Hoechst 33342 staining, Annexin V/propyliodide double dyeing and Western blotting analysis of PARP protein to demonstrate that HBC could also induce apoptosis in A549 cells. Apoptosis inhibitor (Z‐VAD‐FMK, 10 μM) treatment helps to promote the cells survival. Moreover, inhibition of apoptosis‐promoted HBC‐induced autophagy of A549 cells by morphological detection and Western blotting analysis (vice versa). These data indicate that there exist some interconnections between the autophagy and apoptosis induced by HBC. The following work will be carried out to characterize the specific regulation processes between the two cell pathways in A549 cells.     

Survivin和RhoA双基因沉默对卵巢癌细胞的增殖与侵袭影响

目的：探讨RNA干扰（RNAi）双向沉默Survivin和RhoA基因表达对人卵巢癌H08910PM细胞增殖、凋亡及侵袭能力的影响。方法：构建Survivin和RhoA基因的串联microRNA干扰载体（Survivin-RhoA-microRNA）,通过脂质体介导转染人卵巢癌H08910PM细胞作为实验组,对照组为空载体转染组。转染48小时后,RT—PCR检测Survivin和RhoA的mRNA表达,Western．Blot检测Survivin和RhoA的蛋白质表达;利用MTT法、Transwell小室体外侵袭实验及流式细胞术检测转染后卵巢癌细胞的增殖、侵袭及凋亡情况。结果：Survivin—RhoA—microRNA明显抑制了H08910PM细胞中Survivin和RhoA基因mRNA和蛋白的表达：转染48小时后,实验组SurvivinmRNA和RhoAmRNA表达抑制率分别为68．82％、90．23％,Survivin和RhoA蛋白表达抑制率分别为63．91％、88．47％;MTT分析显示实验组细胞OD490的值为0．706±0．177,较对照组（1．172±0．241）明显降低,差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）;流式细胞术检测实验组细胞凋亡率为36．41±3．34％,较对照组（2．92±0．78％）明显升高（P〈0．01）;实验组细胞侵袭百分比为12．56±6．17％,较对照组（32．96±5．14％）明显降低（P〈0．05）。结论：成功构建Survivin和RhoA串联microRNA干扰载体（Survivin．RhoA．microRNA）。Survivin和RhoA双基因沉默显著抑制了卵巢癌H08910PM细胞的增殖和侵袭能力,并增加其凋亡率,两者具有协同作用,为双靶点治疗卵巢癌提供了新的思路和策略。     

上皮性卵巢癌中TFAP2A对hTERT表达的调节及其机制研究

摘要 目的：探讨在上皮性卵巢癌中TFA2A对hTERT表达的调节和作用机制。方法：采用免疫组织化学方法检测TFAP2A和hTERT蛋白在卵巢正常、交界及上皮性卵巢癌组织中的表达,采用Western Blot和qRT-PCR技术检测hTERT在敲减TFAP2A基因的SKOV3、CAOV3细胞中的表达水平、检测hTERT在过表达TFAP2A基因的HO8910细胞中的表达水平。在干扰TFAP2A的CAOV3细胞中或过表达TFAP2A的HO8910细胞中分别加入PI3K/AKT信号通路激动剂740-YP或抑制剂LY294002,检测相关蛋白表达变化,探讨TFAP2A、hTERT与PI3K/AKT信号通路的关系。结果：TFAP2A在71.88%的上皮性卵巢癌组织中呈高表达,hTERT在78.12%的上皮性卵巢癌组织中呈高表达; 将hTERT 和TFAP2A的免疫组化评分行Pearson相关性分析,两者间相关系数r=0.78,P＜0.001。Western Blot和qRT-PCR的结果均显示,在SKOV3和CAOV3卵巢癌细胞中,敲减TFAP2A后,hTERT的表达均明显下降,而在HO8910卵巢癌细胞中,增强TFAP2A基因表达后,hTERT的表达均明显上升。在CAOV3和HO8910处理细胞中,分别使用PI3K/AKT信号通路激动剂740-YP 或阻滞剂LY294002处理后,Western Blot 检验hTERT和PI3K/AKT通路蛋白的表达,发现激动剂740-YP 或阻滞剂LY294002可以逆转敲减或过表达TFAP2A引发的PI3K/AKT通路蛋白表达下调或上调,但不能逆转hTERT蛋白表达下调或上调。结论：在卵巢肿瘤组织中,TFAP2A和hTERT在上皮性卵巢癌组织中均呈高表达,且hTERT的表达和TFAP2A成正相关,在上皮性卵巢癌细胞中TFAP2A可调节hTERT的表达,且TFAP2A对hTERT的表达的调节不经由PI3K/AKT通路。     

Roles of the Akt/mTOR/p70S6K and ERK1/2 signaling pathways in curcumin-induced autophagy

Curcumin has a potent anticancer effect and is a promising new therapeutic strategy. We previously demonstrated that curcumin induced non-apoptotic autophagic cell death in malignant glioma cells in vitro and in vivo. This compound inhibited the Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin/p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase pathway and activated the extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 thereby inducing autophagy. Interestingly, activation of the first pathway inhibited curcumin-induced autophagy and cytotoxicity, whereas inhibition of the latter pathway inhibited curcumin-induced autophagy and induced apoptosis, thus augmenting the cytotoxicity of curcumin. These results imply that these two autophagic pathways have opposite effects on curcumin's cytotoxicity. However, inhibition of nuclear factor kappaB, which is the main target of curcumin for its anticancer effect, was not observed in malignant glioma cells. These results suggest that autophagy but not nuclear factor kappaB plays a central role in curcumin anticancer therapy and warrant further investigation toward application in patients with malignant gliomas. Here, we discuss the therapeutic role of two autophagic pathways influenced by curcumin.     

Inhibition of deubiquitination by PR‐619 induces apoptosis and autophagy via ubi‐protein aggregation‐activated ER stress in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma

ObjectivesTargeting the deubiquitinases (DUBs) has become a promising avenue for anti‐cancer drug development. However, the effect and mechanism of pan‐DUB inhibitor, PR‐619, on oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells remain to be investigated.Materials and MethodsThe effect of PR‐619 on ESCC cell growth and cell cycle was evaluated by CCK‐8 and PI staining. Annexin V‐FITC/PI double staining was performed to detect apoptosis. LC3 immunofluorescence and acridine orange staining were applied to examine autophagy. Intercellular Ca²⁺ concentration was monitored by Fluo‐3AM fluorescence. The accumulation of ubi‐proteins and the expression of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress‐related protein and CaMKKβ‐AMPK signalling were determined by immunoblotting.ResultsPR‐619 could inhibit ESCC cell growth and induce G2/M cell cycle arrest by downregulating cyclin B1 and upregulating p21. Meanwhile, PR‐619 led to the accumulation of ubiquitylated proteins, induced ER stress and triggered apoptosis by the ATF4‐Noxa axis. Moreover, the ER stress increased cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ and then stimulated autophagy through Ca²⁺‐CaMKKβ‐AMPK signalling pathway. Ubiquitin E1 inhibitor, PYR‐41, could reduce the accumulation of ubi‐proteins and alleviate ER stress, G2/M cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and autophagy in PR‐619‐treated ESCC cells. Furthermore, blocking autophagy by chloroquine or bafilomycin A1 enhanced the cell growth inhibition effect and apoptosis induced by PR‐619.ConclusionsOur findings reveal an unrecognized mechanism for the cytotoxic effects of general DUBs inhibitor (PR‐619) and imply that targeting DUBs may be a potential anti‐ESCC strategy.     

Modulation of lncRNA H19 enhances resveratrol‐inhibited cancer cell proliferation and migration by regulating endoplasmic reticulum stress

The phytoalexin resveratrol exhibits anti‐tumour activity in many types of cancer. In this study, we showed that resveratrol suppressed the survival of gastric tumour cells both in vivo and in vitro. Resveratrol promoted apoptosis, autophagy and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in a dose‐dependent manner. RNA‐seq analysis showed that multiple cell death signalling pathways were activated after resveratrol treatment, while the use of ER stress activators (tunicamycin and thapsigargin) in combinatorial with resveratrol led to further inhibition of cancer cell survival. Results also showed that resveratrol altered the expression of several long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs), including MEG3, PTTG3P, GAS5, BISPR, MALAT1 and H19. Knockdown of H19 in resveratrol‐treated cells further enhanced the effects of resveratrol on apoptosis, ER stress and cell cycle S‐phase arrest. Furthermore, the migratory ability of resveratrol‐treated cells was dramatically decreased after H19 knockdown. In conclusion, resveratrol inhibited cancer cell survival, while knockdown of lncRNA H19 resulted in increased sensitivity to resveratrol therapy.