Protein Expression Levels Of Ki67 Research Articles

Ki-67 expression and its correlation with clinicopathological parameters in Iraqi breast cancer patients

Breast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide and the major cause of cancer-related death among women in both developed and developing countries. In Iraq, breast cancer accounted for 37.9% of all malignant cases in 2020 and 15.3% of cancer-related fatalities. Relevant biomarkers play an important role in predicting prognosis and deciding the most effective therapy for each patient to delay metastases and reduce mortality. Objective: This study aimed to assess the significance of Ki-67 expression as a prognostic biomarker in breast cancer patients as well as investigate the correlations between Ki-67 and their clinicopathological features. Methods: The case-control study comprised sixty newly diagnosed breast cancer patients and ten women with benign breast tumors who served as controls. We assessed the tissue expression level of Ki-67 protein using the immunohistochemistry technique. Results: Our results showed that the median immunohistochemical expression scores of Ki-67 in the newly diagnosed breast cancer group were higher than those of the control group; the difference was significant (p < 0.001). The Ki-67 expression score in breast cancer cells increases with tumor size and grade. Ki-67 expression showed a substantial negative correlation with estrogen receptor expression and a significant positive correlation with HER2 expression.

Honokiol induces ferroptosis in ovarian cancer cells through the regulation of YAP by OTUB2.

Ovarian cancer (OVCA) is prevalent in female reproductive organs. Despite recent advances, clinical outcomes remain poor, warranting fresh treatment avenues. Honokiol has an inhibitory effect on proliferation, invasion, and survival of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, this study intended to explore specific molecular mechanism by which honokiol affected OVCA progression. Bioinformatics analyzed the drug honokiol that bound to OTU deubiquitinase, ubiquitin aldehyde binding 2 (OTUB2). Cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) verified the binding relationship between honokiol and OTUB2. Cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8) tested the IC50 value and cell viability of OVCA cells after honokiol treatment. Corresponding assay kits determined malonic dialdehyde (MDA) and Fe2+ levels in OVCA cells. Flow cytometry measured reactive oxygen species levels. Western blot detected OTUB2, SLC7A11, and transcriptional co-activators Yes-associated protein (YAP) expression, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) detected OTUB2 expression. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) detected the expression level of Ki67 protein in tumor tissues. Honokiol was capable of inducing ferroptosis in OVCA cells. CETSA confirmed that honokiol could bind to OTUB2. Further cell functional and molecular experiments revealed that honokiol induced ferroptosis in OVCA cells via repression of YAP signaling pathway through binding to OTUB2. In addition, in vivo experiments have confirmed that honokiol could inhibit the growth of OVCA. Honokiol induced ferroptosis in OVCA cells via repression of YAP signaling pathway through binding to OTUB2, implicating that OTUB2 may be an effective target for OVCA treatment, and our study results may provide new directions for development of more effective OVCA treatment strategies.

Ipatasertib exhibits anti‑tumorigenic effects and enhances sensitivity to paclitaxel in endometrial cancer invitro and invivo.

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer and one of the only cancers for which incidence and mortality is steadily increasing. Although curable with surgery in the early stages, endometrial cancer presents a significant clinical challenge in the metastatic and recurrent setting with few novel treatment strategies emerging in the past fifty years. Ipatasertib (IPAT) is an orally bioavailable pan‑AKT inhibitor, which targets all three AKT isoforms and has demonstrated anti‑tumor activity in pre‑clinical models, with clinical trials emerging for many cancer types. In the present study, the MTT assay was employed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of IPAT or IPAT in combination with paclitaxel (PTX) in endometrial cancer cell lines and primary cultures of endometrial cancer. The effect of IPAT and PTX on the growth of endometrial tumors was evaluated in a transgenic mouse model of endometrial cancer. Apoptosis was assessed using cleaved caspase assays and cellular stress was assessed using ROS, JC1 and tetramethylrhodamine ethyl ester assays. The protein expression levels of markers of apoptosis and cellular stress, and DNA damage were evaluated using western blotting and immunohistochemistry. IPAT significantly inhibited cell proliferation, caused cell cycle G1 phase arrest, and induced cellular stress and mitochondrial apoptosis in a dose dependent manner in human endometrial cancer cell lines. Combined treatment with low doses of IPAT and PTX led to synergistic inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of cleaved caspase 3 activity in the human endometrial cancer cell lines and the primary cultures. Furthermore, IPAT effectively reduced tumor growth, accompanied by decreased protein expression levels of Ki67 and phosphorylation of S6 in the Lkb1fl/flp53fl/fl mouse model of endometrioid endometrial cancer. The combination of IPAT and PTX resulted in increased expression of phosphorylated‑H2AX and KIF14, markers of DNA damage and microtubule dysfunction respectively, as compared with IPAT alone, PTX alone or placebo‑treated mice. The results of the present study provide a biological rationale to evaluate IPAT and the combination of IPAT and PTX in future clinical trials for endometrial cancer.

Jinfukang inhibits lung cancer metastasis by regulating T cell receptors

Ethnopharmacological relevanceMetastasis is the leading cause of death in lung cancer worldwide, and immune escape plays a vital role in the process of metastasis. Clinical studies have proven that Jinfukang (JFK) can effectively treat lung cancer metastasis by regulating T lymphocytes. However, it is still unknown whether JFK plays a role in treating lung cancer metastasis by regulating T-cell receptors (TCRs). Aim of the studyTo explore the effect of JFK in inhibiting lung cancer metastasis by regulating TCR. Materials and methodsA lung metastasis model was established in C57BL/6J and BALB/c-nude mice by tail vein injection of Lewis lung cancer cells. JFK was given by continuous intragastric administration. Anatomical observation combined with hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to evaluate lung metastasis. T cells, MDSCs, and macrophages in the peripheral blood were detected by flow cytometry, and the proliferation and immune cell infiltration of lung metastases were observed by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. The diversity and gene expression of TCR in peripheral blood and lung tissues were detected by immune repertoire sequencing, and bioinformatics analysis was carried out. ResultsCompared with the control group, the number of pulmonary metastatic nodules in JFK-treated mice showed a decreasing trend, and it significantly reduced the burden of lung tumor metastasis in mice. We found that the expression level of Ki-67 protein in lung metastatic tumor tissues of mice treated with JFK was significantly reduced, while the infiltration level of CD8+ T lymphocytes and NK cells was significantly increased. In addition, we also found that JFK could significantly increase the proportion of CD4+ T, CD8+ T and NKT cells in the peripheral blood of mice. Moreover, JFK reduced the ratio of M-MDSCs and increased the ratio of PMN-MDSCs in the peripheral blood of mice. JFK increased the ratio of M1 macrophages in the peripheral blood of Lewis tumor-bearing mice. The sequencing of TCR in the peripheral blood and lung tissue of mice indicated that there was no notable difference in TCR diversity as the tumor progressed and JFK treatment was administered. However, the downregulation of TRBV16, TRBV17, TRBV1 and the upregulation of the TRBV12-2 gene in the TCR caused by tumor progression can be reversed by JFK. ConclusionThese results suggest that JFK may upregulate the proportion of CD4+ T, CD8+ T and NKT cells in peripheral blood, reverse the TCR changes caused by tumor metastasis, and promote the infiltration of CD8+ T and NK cells in tumor tissues, thereby inhibiting the growth of tumors and ultimately reducing the burden of lung cancer metastasis. This will provide new strategies for developing Chinese herbal medicine to treat metastasis by regulating TCR.

CDC25A inhibition suppresses cell proliferation and induces G1/S‑phase cell cycle arrest in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a primary malignancy that originates from the nasopharyngeal region. It has been demonstrated that a decrease in the expression level of cell division cycle gene 25A (CDC25A) suppresses cell viability and induces apoptosis in a variety of different types of cancer. However, at present, the role of CDC25A in NPC has yet to be fully elucidated. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the role of CDC25A in NPC progression and to explore the potential underlying mechanism. Reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR was performed to detect the relative mRNA levels of CDC25A and E2F transcription factor 1 (E2F1). Western blot analysis was subsequently used to determine the expression levels of CDC25A, Ki67, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and E2F1. CCK8 assay was employed to measure cell viability and flow cytometric analysis was employed to analyze the cell cycle. The binding sites between the CDC25A promoter and E2F1 were predicted using bioinformatics tools. Finally, luciferase reporter gene and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were performed to verify the interaction between CDC25A and E2F1. The results obtained suggested that CDC25A is highly expressed in NPC cell lines and CDC25A silencing was found to inhibit cell proliferation, reduce the protein expression levels of Ki67 and PCNA and induce G1 arrest of NPC cells. Furthermore, E2F1 could bind CDC25A and positively regulate its expression at the transcriptional level. In addition, CDC25A silencing abolished the effects of E2F1 overexpression on cell proliferation and the cell cycle in NPC. Taken together, the findings of the present study showed that CDC25A silencing attenuated cell proliferation and induced cell cycle arrest in NPC and CDC25A was regulated by E2F1. Hence, CDC25A may be a promising therapeutic target for treatment of NPC.

Visual and digital assessment of Ki-67 in breast cancer tissue - a comparison of methods.

BackgroundIn breast cancer (BC) Ki-67 cut-off levels, counting methods and inter- and intraobserver variation are still unresolved. To reduce inter-laboratory differences, it has been proposed that cut-off levels for Ki-67 should be determined based on the in-house median of 500 counted tumour cell nuclei. Digital image analysis (DIA) has been proposed as a means to standardize assessment of Ki-67 staining in tumour tissue. In this study we compared digital and visual assessment (VA) of Ki-67 protein expression levels in full-face sections from a consecutive series of BCs. The aim was to identify the number of tumour cells necessary to count in order to reflect the growth potential of a given tumour in both methods, as measured by tumour grade, mitotic count and patient outcome.MethodsA series of whole sections from 248 invasive carcinomas of no special type were immunohistochemically stained for Ki-67 and then assessed by VA and DIA. Five 100-cell increments were counted in hot spot areas using both VA and DIA. The median numbers of Ki-67 positive tumour cells were used to calculate cut-off levels for Low, Intermediate and High Ki-67 protein expression in both methods.ResultsWe found that the percentage of Ki-67 positive tumour cells was higher in DIA compared to VA (medians after 500 tumour cells counted were 22.3% for VA and 30% for DIA). While the median Ki-67% values remained largely unchanged across the 100-cell increments for VA, median values were highest in the first 1-200 cells counted using DIA. We also found that the DIA100 High group identified the largest proportion of histopathological grade 3 tumours 70/101 (69.3%).ConclusionsWe show that assessment of Ki-67 in breast tumours using DIA identifies a greater proportion of cases with high Ki-67 levels compared to VA of the same tumours. Furthermore, we show that diagnostic cut-off levels should be calibrated appropriately on the introduction of new methodology.

Naringenin upregulates GTPCH1/eNOS to ameliorate high glucose-induced retinal endothelial cell injury.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a microvascular complication of diabetes, while retinal endothelial cell (REC) dysfunction is considered the primary pathological process of DR. Naringenin, a natural flavonoid compound, exhibits therapeutic potential against multiple types of endothelial cell injury. To the best of our knowledge, however, its effect on REC injury has not been previously investigated. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of naringenin on high glucose (HG)-induced REC injury and assess the underlying mechanism. To establish a retinal injury model, human (H)RECs were treated with 30 mM glucose. Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and TUNEL staining were used to assess the effects of naringenin on cell proliferation and apoptosis, respectively. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and concentration of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), the essential cofactor of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), were measured using a ROS detection kit and ELISA, respectively. The transfection efficiency of HRECs with guanosine triphosphate cyclohydrolase-1 (GTPCH1) interfering plasmid was examined by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. The protein expression levels of Ki67, proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), eNOS and GTPCH1 were determined by western blot analysis. Compared with the HG-induced group alone, co-treatment with naringenin inhibited HG-induced HREC apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner, increased expression levels of the proliferation-associated proteins Ki67 and PCNA and effectively decreased intracellular ROS levels. Furthermore, naringenin upregulated GTPCH1/eNOS signaling and promoted release of BH4. However, GTPCH1 knockdown partially reversed the ameliorative effect of naringenin on HG-induced HREC injury. In summary, the present study suggested that naringenin effectively inhibited HG-induced HREC apoptosis and intracellular oxidative stress, which may be associated with naringenin-mediated GTPCH1/eNOS upregulation.

Knockdown of circ_0067934 inhibits gastric cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion via the miR‑1301‑3p/KIF23 axis.

In recent years, circular RNAs (circRNAs/circs) have attracted significant attention due to their potentially important functions in a variety of human cancer types. circ_0067934 is a newly identified circRNA, the role of which in gastric cancer (GC) has yet to be reported, to the best of our knowledge. In the present study, the expression levels of circ_0067934, microRNA (miR)-1301-3p and kinesin family member 23 (KIF23) in GC cells were detected via reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Cell proliferation was measured using Cell Counting Kit-8 assays and EdU staining. Wound healing and Transwell assays were performed to assess cell migration and invasion, respectively. Western blotting was performed to measure the protein expression levels of Ki67, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, MMP2, MMP9 and KIF23. The starBase database and luciferase reporter assays were used to predict and verify the binding between circ_0067934 and miR-1301-3p, as well as KIF23, in GC cells. The results demonstrated that circ_0067934 expression was upregulated in GC cells, and circ_0067934 silencing significantly inhibited GC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. In addition, miR-1301-3p was regulated by circ_0067934, and miR-1301-3p overexpression suppressed GC cell migration, invasion and proliferation. miR-1301-3p was found to target KIF23, and KIF23 overexpression reversed the effects of circ_0067934 silencing and miR-1301-3p overexpression on cell proliferation, migration and invasion. In conclusion, circ_0067934 may regulate the proliferation, invasion and migration of GC cells via the miR-1301-3p/KIF23 signaling axis, which may represent a novel therapeutic target for GC metastasis.

Silymarin inhibits the progression of Ehrlich solid tumor via targeting molecular pathways of cell death, proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis in female mice.

Plant-derived phytochemicals have been reported to exert anticancer activity. This study investigated the antitumor role of silymarin (Silybum marianum) (SMN) and its molecular targets in Ehrlich solid tumor xenografts in vivo. Female Swiss albino mice were divided into three groups (of five animals each) that were engrafted with Ehrlich tumor (ET) cells with or without SMN treatment. The 3rd groups treated with DMSO only vehicle control group. A significant reduction in animal body mass and tumor volume/weight were observed in xenografted mice treated with SMN. SMN modulated oxidative stress in tumors while enhancing the antioxidant levels in mouse serum. SMN activated both mitochondrial and death receptor-related apoptosis pathways and induced cell cycle arrest, marked by a significant downregulation of cyclin D1 in SMN-treated tumors. Significant decreases in RNA content and protein expression levels of Ki-67 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen were observed in ET cells. Additionally, SMN downregulated vascular endothelial growth factor and nuclear factor-kappa B levels indicating anti-angiogenesis activity of this agent. SMN upregulated the expression of E-cadherin in tumor tissue suggesting, that SMN has potential ability to inhibit metastasis. Tumor tissue from SMN-treated animals showed a remarkable degeneration and reduction in the neoplastic cell density. The anticancer effect was associated with apparent apoptosis in neoplastic cells with abundance of multifocal necrotic areas. SMN was found to inhibit ET growth via enhancing apoptosis, inhibition of cell division and reduction in angiogenesis in vivo. Hypothetical scheme of SMN antitumor effects (mechanism of signaling) in solid ET in vivo. SMN anticancer effect may be mediated by molecular mediators that affect proliferation, cell cycle activity, apoptotic pathways, angiogenesis, and metastasis.

Effect of miR-384-targeting LINC00491 on proliferation, migration and invasion of tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells


 
 
 
 Purpose: To investigate the effect of long-chain non-coding RNA LINC00491 (LncRNA LINC00491) on the proliferation, migration and invasion of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) cells, and the underlying mechanism.
 Methods: Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was applied to determine the expressions of LINC00491 and micro-RNA-384 (miR-384). Furthermore, LINC00491 and miR-384 were transfected into CAL-27 cells, while cell cycle was analyzed using flow cytometry. Cell proliferation was determined by methyl thiazolyl diphenyl-tetrazolium (MTT) assay. Cell migration and invasion were evaluated using Transwell experiments. The relationship between LINC00491 and miR-384 was confirmed using double luciferase reporting assay, while protein expression levels of P21, Ki67, E- cadherin, N-cadherin, and vimentin were assayed with Western blotting.
 Results: The expression of LINC00491 increased in TSCC tissues (p < 0.05). The proportion of cells in G1-phase increased, while the proportion of cells in S-phase decreased (p < 0.05). There was decrease in cell survival, cell migration and cell invasion (p < 0.05). The protein expression levels of Ki67, N- cadherin, and vimentin were lowered, while those of P21, E-cadherin protein were increased (p < 0.05). Transfection of LINC00491 and miR- 384 reduced the proportion of cells in G1 phase, but increased the proportion of cells in S-phase (p < 0.05). Moreover, cell survival, migration and invasion were increased. The protein expressions of Ki67, N-cadherin, and vimentin rose, while those of P21 and E-cadherin decreased (p < 0.05).
 Conclusion: LINC00491 promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of TSCC cells by inhibiting miR-384. This finding provides a potential target for the treatment of TSCC.
 
 
 

Experimental Research on the Inhibitory Effect of IFN-Lambda 3 Combined with Sorafenib on the Growth of Liver Cancer Transplanted into Nude Mice

Objective: To investigate the effect of sorafenib combined with interferon-lambda 3 on the growth of liver cancer transplanted into nude mice. Methods: Female nude mice of 4-5 weeks of age that passed quarantine were selected and fed for 1-2 weeks before experimental operation. The cell suspension of human hepatoma cell line SMMC-7721 was inoculated into the right cervical axillary fossa with a syringe. The tumor-bearing mice were randomly divided into a control group and an experimental group. The control group received normal saline whereas the experimental group was further divided into three other groups: IFN-lambda 3 treatment group, sorafenib treatment group, and IFN-lambda 3 combined with sorafenib treatment group. The situation of nude mice was analyzed. At the end of the experiment, the volume of allogeneic transplanted tumor was measured, and the morphology of tumor cells, the expression of proliferating protein Ki-67, as well as the number of apoptotic cells were observed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and TUNEL staining. Results: The tumor cell volume of the IFN-lambda 3 treatment group, sorafenib treatment group, and IFN-lambda 3 combined with sorafenib treatment group decreased, which was statistically significant compared with the control group (p < 0.05). The increment rate of proliferating protein Ki-67 in the transplanted tumor tissue of the three drug groups was significantly lower than that of the control group (p < 0.05). IFN-lambda 3 combined with sorafenib had the greatest effect on the expression level of Ki-67 protein. Compared with the control group, the expression rate was significantly lower (p < 0.05). In terms of cell apoptosis, IFN-lambda 3 and/or sorafenib, as well as the combination of the two, showed statistically significant differences compared with the control group (p < 0.05). The rate of cell apoptosis was the highest in the IFN-lambda 3 combined with sorafenib group. Conclusion: IFN-lambda 3 combined with sorafenib can inhibit the growth and proliferation of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells in nude mice and promote the apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells, which proves that IFN-lambda 3 combined with sorafenib can treat hepatocellular carcinoma in vivo.

Investigation of Prognostic Value of Claudin-5, PSMA, and Ki67 Expression in Canine Splenic Hemangiosarcoma.

Splenic hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is a malignant tumor of endothelial cells that affects middle-aged and elderly dogs and is characterized by the formation of new blood vessels, commonly associated with necrotic and hemorrhagic areas. Despite its importance in veterinary medicine, few studies have identified markers with prognostic value for canine HSA. Thus, this study aimed to associate the clinicopathological findings (prostate-specific membrane antigen [PSMA], Claudin-5, and Ki67 gene and protein expression) with overall survival in HSA-affected patients. Fifty-three formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded canine splenic HSA samples, previously diagnosed by histopathological examination, were used in this study. Claudin-5, PSMA, and Ki67 protein expression levels were evaluated by immunohistochemistry, and gene expression was evaluated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Claudin-5 protein overexpression was observed in patients with metastasis (p = 0.0078) and with stage III tumors compared to those with stage I and II tumors (p = 0.0451). In patients treated with surgery alone, low PSMA gene and protein expression (p = 0.05 and p = 0.0355, respectively) were associated with longer survival time. Longer survival time was observed in patients with a low Ki67 index (p = 0.0488). Our results indicate that Claudin-5 protein expression is associated with metastatic status, and PSMA gene and protein expression, and Ki67 index are associated with survival time.

ZIC2 upregulates lncRNA SNHG12 expression to promote endometrial cancer cell proliferation and migration by activating the Notch signaling pathway.

It was previously reported that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) small nucleolar RNA host gene 12 (SNHG12) promoted the proliferation, invasion and migration of endometrial cancer (EC) cells; however, the upstream underlying mechanism remains unclear. The present study aimed to determine the possible underlying mechanism of SNHG12 regulating EC. The Encyclopedia of RNA Interactomes database was used to analyze whether SNHG12 could bind to Zic family member 2 (ZIC2) and the expression levels of ZIC2 in patients with EC. ZIC2 expression levels in EC cell lines were analyzed using western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. RL95-2 cells were subsequently transfected with short hairpin RNA targeting ZIC2, or ZIC2 or SNHG12 overexpression plasmids. Cell proliferation, migration and invasion were analyzed using Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation, wound healing and Transwell assays, respectively. The binding between ZIC2 and SHNG12 was verified using dual luciferase reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. The results of the present study revealed that the expression levels of ZIC2 were upregulated in the tissues of patients with EC and EC cell lines. ZIC2 knockdown inhibited RL95-2 cell proliferation, migration and invasion. The protein expression levels of Ki67, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, MMP2 and MMP9 were also downregulated following the knockdown of ZIC2. ZIC2 was predicted to bind to SNHG12 and positively regulate SNHG12 expression. Further experiments demonstrated that the effects of the knockdown of ZIC2 on RL95-2 cells were partially reversed by SNHG12 overexpression. In addition, ZIC2 knockdown inhibited Notch signaling activation, while SNHG12 overexpression reversed this effect. In conclusion, the findings of the present study indicated that ZIC2 may upregulate SNHG12 expression to promote EC cell proliferation and migration by activating the Notch signaling pathway.

LncRNA ZFAS1 promotes the ox-LDL induced proliferation, invasion and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells.

Atherosclerosis is a chronic progressive inflammatory vascular disease. The dysfunction of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) contributes to the formation of atherosclerotic lesions. Additionally, upregulation of the long non-coding RNA zinc finger antisense 1 (ZFAS1) was observed in the plaques of patients with atherosclerosis. The aim of the present study was to explore the functional role of ZFAS1 in atherosclerosis progression. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR was performed to analyze ZFAS1 mRNA expression, and western blotting was performed to determine the protein expression levels of Ki67, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), matrix metallopeptidase (MMP)2 and MMP9. The Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was used to test cell viability. Finally, wound healing and Transwell chamber assays were performed to evaluate cell migration and invasion, respectively. The current findings demonstrated that ZFAS1 expression was upregulated by ox-LDL stimulation in VSMCs. Moreover, ZFAS1 overexpression promoted the ox-LDL-induced proliferation, migration and invasion of VSMCs, and upregulated the expression levels of proteins associated with cellular proliferation (Ki67 and PCNA), migration and invasion (MMP2 and 9). By contrast, ZFAS1-knockdown inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of VSMCs, and suppressed cell proliferation-, migration- and invasion-associated protein expression. In conclusion, ZFAS1 promoted the ox-LDL-induced proliferation, invasion and migration of VSMCs. Thus, ZFAS1 may represent a novel biomarker for dysfunction of VSMCs in the pathological condition of atherosclerosis.

Role of lincRNA-Cox2 targeting miR-150 in regulating the viability of chondrocytes in osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a joint disease characterised by progressive cartilage degradation and inflammation, but the detailed pathogenesis of OA remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the role of long intergenic non-coding RNA (lincRNA)-Cox2 in OA progression and the potential mechanism. An OA mouse model was used for in vivo experiments, and IL-1β-induced injury of mouse chondrocytes was conducted for in vitro experiments. Small interfering (si)-Cox2 was transfected into chondrocytes to elucidate the effect of lincRNA-Cox2 on OA. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR assays were conducted to detect the expression of lincRNA-Cox2 and microRNA (miR)-150. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were analysed based on an MTT assay and annexin V/propidium iodide staining, respectively. Western blotting was performed to evaluate the protein expression levels of Ki-67, PCNA, Bax, cleaved (c)-Caspase-3, c-Caspase-9 and Wnt/β-catenin pathway-associated proteins in chondrocytes. High levels of lincRNA-Cox2 were observed in cartilage tissues of the OA mouse model in vivo. In the in vitro experiments, the expression of lincRNA-Cox2 was increased in IL-1β-treated chondrocytes. Knockdown of lincRNA-Cox2 promoted the proliferation and inhibited the apoptosis of chondrocytes. Mechanistically, lincRNA-Cox2 was found to directly target miR-150, acting as a competing endogenous RNA, and the effect of si-Cox2 on the proliferation and apoptosis of chondrocytes was reversed by miR-150 inhibitors. Moreover, lincRNA-Cox2 activated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway to regulate chondrocyte proliferation and apoptosis. The present study demonstrated that silencing lincRNA-Cox2 expression plays a protective role in OA by enhancing the proliferation and suppressing the apoptosis of chondrocytes, which is related to increased miR-150 expression and activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Knockdown of circ_0004104 Alleviates Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein-Induced Vascular Endothelial Cell Injury by Regulating miR-100/TNFAIP8 Axis.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a common cardiovascular disease, mainly due to vascular endothelial cell (VEC) injury caused by atherosclerosis. Circular RNA has been shown to be involved in the regulation of various diseases. However, the role and mechanism of circ_0004104 in CAD are still unclear. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) was used to construct the VEC injury model in vitro. The expression levels of circ_0004104 and miR-100 were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The proliferation of VECs was determined using 3-(45)-dimethylthiahiazo (-z-y1)-35-di-phenytetrazoliumromide assay and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine staining assay. VEC apoptosis rate was assessed using flow cytometry, and caspase-3 activity was measured using a Caspase-3 Assay Kit. The protein expression levels of Ki-67, cleaved-caspase3, and tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein 8 (TNFAIP8) were detected by western blot analysis. Furthermore, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to assess the concentrations of inflammatory cytokines. In addition, the relationship between miR-100 and circ_0004104 or TNFAIP8 was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay and biotin-labeled RNA pull-down assay. Our results revealed that circ_0004104 was upregulated and miR-100 was downregulated in patients with CAD and ox-LDL-induced VECs. Ox-LDL could inhibit the proliferation and promote the apoptosis and inflammation of VECs to induce VEC injury. However, silenced circ_0004104 could alleviate VEC injury induced by ox-LDL. Moreover, we found that circ_0004104 could sponge miR-100 and a miR-100 inhibitor could reverse the inhibition effect of circ_0004104 knockdown on ox-LDL-induced VEC injury. In addition, TNFAIP8 was a target of miR-100, and miR-100 alleviated ox-LDL-induced VEC injury by targeting TNFAIP8. Our data suggested that circ_0004104 promoted ox-LDL-induced VEC injury by the miR-100/TNFAIP8 axis, indicating that circ_0004104 might be a potential biomarker for CAD treatment.

MiR-326 inhibits the cell proliferation and cancer stem cell-like property of cervical cancer in vitro and oncogenesis in vivo via targeting TCF4.

BackgroundCervical cancer ranks as one of the most prevalent female malignancies globally, and its treatment with new targets has been the focus of current research. The present study set out to investigate the function of microRNA-326 (miR-326) in vitro and in vivo and to verify the direct targeting of transcription factor 4 (TCF4) by miR-326.MethodsThe detection of messenger RNA (mRNA) expressing miR-326 and TCF4 in cervical cancer cell lines and tumor samples was conducted using quantitative real-time polymerase chain (qRT-PCR). A dual-luciferase reporter assay was carried out to detect the target relationship of miR-326 with TCF4. A Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was employed to detect the effect of miR-326 on CasKi cell viability. Flow cytometry and western blotting were employed to examine the effects of miR-326 on cancer stem cell (CSC)-like property. Tumor weight was measured in orthotopic xenograft mouse models. Immunohistochemistry was employed to analyze the protein expression levels of Ki-67, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), CD44, and SRY-box 4 (SOX4).ResultDownregulation of the mRNA expression levels of miR-326 was observed in cervical cancer cell lines and tumor tissue, while the levels of TCF4 were upregulated. The dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed binding of miR-326 to the three prime untranslated region (3'-UTR) of TCF4. In vitro assays demonstrated that miR-326 inhibited CasKi cell proliferation through regulating TCF4. miR-326 also suppressed the CSC-like property of CasKi cells by targeting TCF4. Furthermore, the protein expression levels of cyclin D1, β-catenin, and c-Myc were decreased when miR-326 was added to TCF4-transfected cells. In vivo assays demonstrated that miR-326 inhibited tumor weight, growth, and the protein expression levels of Ki-67, PCNA, CD44, SOX4, and β-catenin.ConclusionsmiR-326 acted in a tumor-suppressive manner through its regulation of TCF4, and has potential as a biomarker or therapeutic target for cervical cancer.

Liver-specific Mettl3 ablation delays liver regeneration in mice

This study investigated the role of N6-methyladenosine RNA methylation in liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy in mice. We created a liver-specific knockout mouse model by the deletion of Mettl3, a key component of the N6-methyladenosine methyltransferase complex, using the albumin-Cre system. Mettl3 liver-specific knockout mice and their wild-type littermates were subjected to 2/3 partial hepatectomy. Transcriptomic changes in liver tissue at 48 h after partial hepatectomy were detected by RNA-seq. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were used to determine protein expression levels of Ki67, hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha, and cytokeratin 19. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling was also performed. Liver weight/body weight ratios after partial hepatectomy were significantly lower in Mettl3 liver-specific knockout mice than in wild-type mice at 48 h after 2/3 partial hepatectomy (3.1% ± 0.11% vs. 2.7% ± 0.03%). Compared with wild-type littermates, Mettl3 liver-specific knockout mice showed reduced bromodeoxyuridine staining and reduced Ki-67 expression at 48 h after 2/3 partial hepatectomy. RNA-seq analysis showed that Mettl3 liver-specific knockout delayed the cell cycle progression in murine liver by downregulating the expression levels of genes encoding cyclins D1, A2, B1, and B2. Loss of Mettl3-mediated N6-methyladenosine function led to attenuated liver regeneration by altering the mRNA decay of suppressor of cytokine signaling 6, thereby inhibiting the phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 during early liver regeneration. These results demonstrated the importance of N6-methyladenosine mRNA modification in liver regeneration and suggest that Mettl3 targeting might facilitate liver regeneration.

LncRNA HULC shRNA disinhibits miR-377-5p to suppress the growth and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and hepatocarcinogenesis in vivo

BackgroundAberrant expression of up-regulated long non-coding RNA [LncRNA highly upregulated in liver cancer (HULC)] has been observed to play an important regulatory role in the development of multiple human diseases. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the role of HULC and miR-377-5p in HCC needs to be urgently explored.MethodsThe mRNA and protein expression levels of HULC were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line HB611, HepG2 and H22, respectively. HULC-shRNA was transfected into HepG-2 cells, which were randomly divided into the control, shRNA-NC, and sh-HULC groups. The correlation between HULC and miR-377-5p was analyzed by performing a luciferase reporter assay. The targeting relationship between miR-377-5p and hypoxia-inhibitory factor-1α (HIF-1α) was also investigated using a luciferase reporter assay. Sh-HULC and miR-377-5p inhibitors were transfected either alone or together into HepG2 cells, and which were divided into the control group, the sh-HULC group, the miR-377-5p inhibitor, and the sh-HULC + inhibitor group for subsequent experiments. HepG2 cell proliferation and invasion were measured by 5-Ethynyl-2-Deoxyuridine (EdU) staining and Transwell invasion assay, respectively. Western plot was carried out to detect the protein expression levels of Ki67, PCNA, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin. Tumor xenograft mouse models were established to confirm the effect of HULC down-regulation on the development of HCC in vivo.ResultsThe mRNA and protein expression levels of HULC were markedly increased, whereas the mRNA expression levels of miR-377-5p were decreased in HCC cell lines. HepG2 cell proliferation and invasion were suppressed in the Sh-HULC group, while miR-377-5p showed the opposite. Further experiments exhibited that miR-377-5p was targeted by HULC, and an negative correlation between HULC and miR-377-5p was observed. Importantly, the in vivo experiments indicated that down-regulation of HULC could inhibit tumor growth. Taken together, our research demonstrated that down-regulation of HULC plays an anti-cancer role through restrainingHepG2 cell proliferation and invasion.ConclusionsIn summary, our in vitro and in vivo findings confirmed HULC to play a role in the progression of HCC, with the underlying mechanism possibly involving the miR-377-5p/HIF-1α pathway.

Chemical composition, cytotoxicity and molecular profiling of Cordia africana Lam. on human breast cancer cell line

Metabolic profiling of the hexane extract and essential oil of Cordia africana Lam., an economically important agroforestry species, was performed using GC-FID and GC-MS. Cytotoxicity was assessed in MCF-7 cancer cells using sulphorhodamine-B assay. Caspase-8, BcL-2 and Ki-67 levels were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Forty-one compounds were identified in the hexane extract, meanwhile, eighty compounds were annotated in the essential oil. n-Decane (9.52%), β-sitosterol (8.13%), undecane (6.32%) and palmitaldehyde (5.50 %) were the major compounds identified in the hexane extract, whereas, β-caryophyllene (32.0%), germacrene D (10.12%) and δ-cadinene (7.20%) predominated in the essential oil. The half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of the extract and oil were 4.55 µg/mL and 12.90 µg/mL, respectively. Caspase-8 activity increased significantly in hexane extract treated cells. Furthermore, BcL-2 and Ki-67 protein expression levels were significantly decreased. Cordia africana Lam exhibit potent cytotoxicity against breast cancer cell line, most likely through apoptosis regulation.