MicroRNA-144-3p inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of human salivary adenoid carcinoma cells via targeting of mTOR

Dynamic Role of miRNAs in Salivary Gland Carcinomas: From Biomarkers to Therapeutic Targets

BACKGROUND

Salivary gland carcinomas (SGCs) are a rare group of malignant neoplasms of the head and neck region. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that have been associated with the control biological process and oncogenic mechanism by the regulation of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Recent evidence has suggested that miRNA expression may play a role in the tumorigenesis and carcinogenesis process in SGCs.

METHODS

This review provides a comprehensive literature review of the role of miRNAs expression in SGCs focusing on the diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic applications.

RESULTS

In this review, numerous dysregulated miRNAs have demonstrated an oncogenic and suppressor role in SGCs.

CONCLUSION

In the future, these miRNAs may eventually constitute useful diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers that may lead to a better understanding of SGCs oncogenesis. Additionally, the development of therapeutic agents based on miRNAs may be a promising target in SGC treatment.

Lnc-PSMA8-1 activated by GEFT promotes rhabdomyosarcoma progression via upregulation of mTOR expression by sponging miR-144-3p

BACKGROUND

GEFT is a key regulator of tumorigenesis in rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), and overexpression of GEFT is significantly correlated with distant metastasis, lymph node metastasis, and a poor prognosis, yet the underlying molecular mechanism is still poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate and validate the molecular mechanism of GEFT-activated lncRNAs in regulating mTOR expression to promote the progression of RMS.

METHODS

GEFT-regulated lncRNAs were identified through microarray analysis. The effects of GEFT-regulated lncRNAs on the proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and migration of RMS cells were confirmed through cell functional experiments. The target miRNAs of GEFT-activated lncRNAs in the regulation of mTOR expression were predicted by bioinformatics analysis combined with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis. The expression of lnc-PSMA8-1, miR-144-3p, and mTOR was measured by qRT-PCR in RMS tissue samples and cell lines. The regulatory mechanisms of the lnc-PSMA8-1-miR-144-3p-mTOR signaling axis were verified by RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP), a luciferase reporter assay, qRT-PCR analysis, Western blot analysis, and cell functional experiments.

RESULTS

The microarray-based analysis identified 31 differentially expressed lncRNAs (fold change > 2.0, P < 0.05). Silencing the 4 upregulated lncRNAs (lnc-CEACAM19-1, lnc-VWCE-2, lnc-GPX7-1, and lnc-PSMA8-1) and overexpressing the downregulated lnc-FAM59A-1 inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and migration and induced the apoptosis of RMS cells. Among the factors analyzed, the expression of lnc-PSMA8-1, miR-144-3p, and mTOR in RMS tissue samples and cells was consistent with the correlations among their expression indicated by the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network based on the ceRNA hypothesis. lnc-PSMA8-1 promoted RMS progression by competitively binding to miR-144-3p to regulate mTOR expression.

CONCLUSION

Our research demonstrated that lnc-PSMA8-1 was activated by GEFT and that the former positively regulated mTOR expression by sponging miR-144-3p to promote the progression of RMS. Therefore, targeting this network may constitute a potential therapeutic approach for the management of RMS.

The role of extracellular vesicles on the occurrence of clinical complications in β-thalassemia

Thalassemia is the most common monogenic disorder of red blood cells (RBCs) caused by defects in the synthesis of globin chains. Thalassemia phenotypes have a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations and vary from severe anemia requiring regular blood transfusions to clinically asymptomatic states. Ineffective erythropoiesis and toxicity caused by iron overload are major factors responsible for various complications in thalassemia patients, especially patients with β-thalassemia major (β-TM). Common complications in patients with thalassemia include iron overload, thrombosis, cardiac morbidity, vascular dysfunction, inflammation, and organ dysfunction. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membrane vesicles released from various cells' plasma membranes due to activation and apoptosis. Based on studies, EVs play a role in various processes, including clot formation, vascular damage, and proinflammatory processes. In recent years, they have also been studied as biomarkers in the diagnosis and prognosis of diseases. Considering the high concentration of EVs in thalassemia and their role in cellular processes, this study reviews the role of EVs in the common complications of patients with β-thalassemia for the first time.

miRNAs orchestration of salivary gland cancer- Particular emphasis on diagnosis, progression, and drug resistance

Cancer of the salivary glands is one of the five major types of head and neck cancer. Due to radioresistance and a strong propensity for metastasis, the survival rate for nonresectable malignant tumors is dismal. Hence, more research is needed on salivary cancer's pathophysiology, particularly at the molecular level. The microRNAs (miRNAs) are a type of noncoding RNA that controls as many as 30% of all genes that code for proteins at the posttranscriptional level. Signature miRNA expression profiles have been established in several cancer types, suggesting a role for miRNAs in the incidence and progression of human malignancies. Salivary cancer tissues were shown to have significantly aberrant levels of miRNAs compared to normal salivary gland tissues, supporting the hypothesis that miRNAs play a crucial role in the carcinogenesis of salivary gland cancer (SGC). Besides, several SGC research articles reported potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for the miRNA-based treatment of this malignancy. In this review, we will explore the regulatory impact of miRNAs on the processes underlying the molecular pathology of SGC and provide an up-to-date summary of the literature on miRNAs that impacted this malignancy. We will eventually share information about their possible use as diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic biomarkers in SGC.

The potential role of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of salivary gland cancer - A Focus on signaling pathways interplay

Salivary gland cancer (SGC) is immensely heterogeneous, both in terms of its physical manifestation and its aggressiveness. Developing a novel diagnostic and prognostic detection method based on the noninvasive profiling of microribonucleic acids (miRs) could be a goal for the clinical management of these specific malignancies, sparing the patients' valuable time. miRs are promising candidates as prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets or factors that can advance the therapy of SGC due to their ability to posttranscriptionally regulate the expression of various genes involved in cell proliferation, differentiation, cell cycle, apoptosis, invasion, and angiogenesis. Depending on their biological function, many miRs may contribute to the development of SGC. Therefore, this article serves as an accelerated study guide for SGC and the biogenesis of miRs. Here, we shall list the miRs whose function in SGC pathogenesis has recently been determined with an emphasis on their potential applications as therapeutic targets. We will also offer a synopsis of the current state of knowledge about oncogenic and tumor suppressor miRs in relation to SGC.

The imminent role of microRNAs in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma

Unfortunately, despite the severe problem associated with salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC), it has not been studied in detail yet. Therefore, the time has come to understand the oncogenic cause of SACC and find the correct molecular markers for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic target to tame this disease. Recently, we and others have suggested that non-coding RNAs, specifically microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs, can be ideal biomarkers for cancer(s) diagnosis and progression. Herein, we have shown that various miRNAs, like miR-155, miR‑103a‑3p, miR-21, and miR-130a increase the oncogenesis process, whereas some miRNAs such as miR-140-5p, miR-150, miR-375, miR-181a, miR-98, miR-125a-5p, miR-582-5p, miR-144-3p, miR-320a, miR-187 and miR-101-3p, miR-143-3p inhibit the salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma progression. Furthermore, we have found that miRNAs also target many vital genes and pathways like mitogen-activated protein kinases-snail family transcriptional repressor 2 (MAPK-Snai2), p38/JNK/ERK, forkhead box C1 protein (FOXC1), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), integrin subunit beta 3 (ITGB3), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/NF-κB, programmed cell death protein 4 (PDCD4), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), neuroblastoma RAS (N-RAS), phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt, MEK/ERK, ubiquitin-like modifier activating enzyme 2 (UBA2), tumor protein D52 (TPD52) which play a crucial role in the regulation of salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma. Therefore, we believe that knowledge from this manuscript will help us find the pathogenesis process in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma and could also give us better biomarkers of diagnosis and prognosis of the disease.

miR-144 inhibits the IGF1R-ERK1/2 signaling pathway via NUDCD1 to suppress the proliferation and metastasis of colorectal cancer cells: a study based on bioinformatics and in vitro and in vivo verification

PURPOSE

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a severe health condition characterized by high mortalities. NudC domain containing 1 (NUDCD1) is abnormally upregulated in multiple tumors and is recognized as a cancer antigen. In CRC, NUDCD1 upregulation accelerates tumor progression by activating the IGF1R-ERK1/2 signaling pathway. Its specific regulatory mechanisms, however, remain unclear.

METHODS

In the present study, we predicted the regulators of NUDCD1 and analyzed the expression profile of NUDCD1 in CRC tissues using the gene chip dataset. We also determined the regulation between miR-144, NUDCD1 and IGF1R-ERK1/2 signaling in vitro and in vivo. Then, the expression of miR-144 in CRC tissues was detected and its cell functions were verified in vitro.

RESULTS

As predicted by bioinformatics, we found that NUDCD1 is a predicted target of miR-144 and confirmed that miR-144 directly binds to NUDCD1. In vitro and in vivo, miR-144 was determined to specifically regulate NUDCD1 expression and as such, can reduce the activity of the IGF1R-ERK1/2 signaling pathway. Moreover, miR-144 was significantly downregulated in CRC tissues; its levels were significantly negatively correlated with CRC primary range and lymph node metastasis. Cell function studies verified that miR-144 acts as a tumor suppressor, because it significantly inhibits the proliferation, metastasis, and invasion of CRC cells as well as inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrates that miR-144 regulates IGF1R-ERK1/2 signaling via NUDCD1 to inhibit CRC cell proliferation and metastasis. The miR-144/NUDCD1/IGF1R-ERK1/2 signaling axis may be crucial in the progression of CRC.

Upregulation of miR-144-3p expression attenuates glioma cell viability and invasion by targeting BCL6

Glioma remains to be an aggressive type of cancer with poor prognosis irrespective of the type of standard treatment applied. Therefore, identification of accurate early diagnostic methods and therapeutic strategies for glioma is imperative for the treatment of this disease. The expression of a number of miRNAs in glioma have been reported to be associated with the regulation of tumorigenic progression, cancer cell proliferation, metastasis, invasion, angiogenesis and drug resistance. The aim of the present study was to assess the function of the microRNA (miR/miRNA)-144-3p/BCL6 axis in glioma. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR was used to measure miR-144-3p and BCL6 expression. Western blotting was used for measuring BCL6 expression. Luciferase reporter assay was used to assess the association between miR-144-3p and BCL6 and a tumor xenograft model was established for assess tumor growth. The data demonstrated that miR-144-3p was decreased whereas BCL6 expression was increased in glioma tissues compared with those in healthy human brain tissues, where miR-144-3p suppressed BCL6 expression by targeting the 3'-UTR sequence of BCL6. miR-144-3p overexpression alleviated proliferation and invasion in U251 cells whereas transfection with the BCL6-overexpressing plasmid rescued the suppressive effects of miR-144-3p upregulation on the proliferation and invasion of U251 cells. In addition, miR-144-3p overexpression and BCL6 downregulation inhibited tumor progression in a mouse tumor xenograft model. The present findings suggest that miR-144-3p and BCL6 may serve to be indicator of proliferation and invasion for patients with glioma. Furthermore, BCL6 may serve an important role in the miR-144-3p-mediated regulation of proliferation and invasion of glioma cells, where the miR-144-3p/BCL6 axis can be used to target patients with glioma therapeutically.

Extracellular Vesicle MicroRNA That Are Involved in β-Thalassemia Complications

Beta thalassemia major (βT) is a hereditary anemia characterized by transfusion-dependency, lifelong requirement of chelation, and organ dysfunction. MicroRNA (miRNA) can be packed into extracellular vesicles (EVs) that carry them to target cells. We explored EV-miRNA in βT and their pathophysiologic role. Circulating EVs were isolated from 35 βT-patients and 15 controls. EV miRNA was evaluated by nano-string technology and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). We explored effects of EVs on cell culture proliferation, apoptosis, and signal transduction. Higher amounts of small EV (exosomes) were found in patients than in controls. The expression of 21 miRNA was > two-fold higher, and of 17 miRNA < three-fold lower in βT-EVs than control-EVs. RT-qPCR confirmed differential expression of six miRNAs in βT, particularly miR-144-3p, a regulator of erythropoiesis. Exposure of endothelial, liver Huh7, and pancreatic 1.1B4 cells to βT-EVs significantly reduced cell viability and increased cell apoptosis. βT-EV-induced endothelial cell apoptosis involved the MAPK/JNK signal-transduction pathway. In contrast, splenectomized βT-EVs induced proliferation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC). In summary, the miR-144-3p was strongly increased; βT-EVs induced apoptosis and decreased endothelial, pancreatic, and liver cell survival while supporting BM-MSC proliferation. These mechanisms may contribute to βT organ dysfunction and complications.

miR-5191 acts as a tumor suppressor in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma by targeting Notch-2

OBJECTIVE

This study sought to investigate the effect of miR-5191 on proliferation, invasion and metastasis in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The differential expression level of miR-5191 between 5 primary tumor and adjacent non-neoplastic samples, and in two SACC cell lines was detected by quantitative real-time PCR. Cell proliferation, invasion, and migration were performed, followed by luciferase reporter assay and western analysis. The effect of miR-5191 on cell proliferation and apoptosis was evaluated by cell growth and apoptosis assay. The function of miR-5191 in SACC tumorigenesis and metastasis in vivo was investigated by nude mice experiment. The associations between miR-5191/Notch-2 expression and clinicopathological features were analyzed.

RESULTS

miR-5191 was downregulated in primary tumor tissues and SACC-LM cells. By targeting Notch-2, miR-5191 expression level affected the migration, invasion, and proliferation of SACC cells. Overexpression of miR-5191 inhibited the expression levels of Notch-2, followed by the decreased expression of c-Myc, Bcl-2, Hes-1, Hey-1, and Cyclin D1. In vivo, miR-5191 overexpression suppressed the SACC tumorigenesis and pulmonary metastasis in mice. In SACC patients, higher expression of miR-5191 was related to better prognoses and lower possibility of metastasis.

CONCLUSIONS

miR-5191 acts as a tumor suppressor in SACC by targeting Notch-2.

Cardioprotection by remote ischemic conditioning is transferable by plasma and mediated by extracellular vesicles

BACKGROUND

Remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) by brief periods of limb ischemia and reperfusion protects against ischemia-reperfusion injury. We studied the cardioprotective role of extracellular vesicles (EV)s released into the circulation after RIC and EV accumulation in injured myocardium.

METHODS

We used plasma from healthy human volunteers before and after RIC (pre-PLA and post-PLA) to evaluate the transferability of RIC. Pre- and post-RIC plasma samples were separated into an EV enriched fraction (pre-EV + and post-EV +) and an EV poor fraction (pre-EV- and post-EV-) by size exclusion chromatography. Small non-coding RNAs from pre-EV + and post-EV + were purified and profiled by NanoString Technology. Infarct size was compared in Sprague-Dawley rat hearts perfused with isolated plasma and fractions in a Langendorff model. In addition, fluorescently labeled EVs were used to assess homing in an in vivo rat model. (ClinicalTrials.gov, number: NCT03380663) RESULTS: Post-PLA reduced infarct size by 15% points compared with Pre-PLA (55 ± 4% (n = 7) vs 70 ± 6% (n = 8), p = 0.03). Post-EV + reduced infarct size by 16% points compared with pre-EV + (53 ± 15% (n = 13) vs 68 ± 12% (n = 14), p = 0.03). Post-EV- did not affect infarct size compared to pre-EV- (64 ± 3% (n = 15) and 68 ± 10% (n = 16), p > 0.99). Three miRNAs (miR-16-5p, miR-144-3p and miR-451a) that target the mTOR pathway were significantly up-regulated in the post-EV + group. Labelled EVs accumulated more intensely in the infarct area than in sham hearts.

CONCLUSION

Cardioprotection by RIC can be mediated by circulating EVs that accumulate in injured myocardium. The underlying mechanism involves modulation of EV miRNA that may promote cell survival during reperfusion.

microRNA-144 inhibits cell proliferation and invasion by directly targeting TIGAR in esophageal carcinoma

microRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified to play vital roles in the development and progression of numerous different types of human malignancy, including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). In the present study, the biological function of microRNA-144 (miR-144) was investigated, as well as its underlying molecular mechanism in ESCC. The results revealed that miR-144 expression was significantly decreased, whereas the expression of TP53-inducible glycolysis and apoptosis regulator (TIGAR) was significantly increased in human ESCC tissues when compared with adjacent non-tumor tissues. An increase in TIGAR was significantly associated with tumor size and Tumor-Node-Metastasis staging in patients. Functional analysis revealed that the overexpression of miR-144 using lentivirus particles significantly inhibited cell proliferation and tumor colony formation, and induced cell apoptosis in EC9706 and EC109 cells. The autophagy activity was also enhanced by miR-144 activity. In addition, overexpression of miR-144 significantly inhibited tumor growth in vivo. In the present study, TIGAR was confirmed to be the downstream target of miR-144 in ESCC. siRNA-mediated downregulation of TIGAR inversely regulated the inhibition effect of miR-144 on ESCC cells. To conclude, the present study demonstrated that miR-144 inhibits proliferation and invasion in esophageal cancer by directly targeting TIGAR.

miR-144-3p facilitates nasopharyngeal carcinoma via crosstalk with PTEN

AIMS

This study aims to investigate the role of miR-144-3p and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), along with their crosstalk with the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-protein kinase B (Akt) pathway.

METHODS

Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot were used to measure the gene expression at the transcriptional and translational levels. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and colony formation assay were used to examine cell proliferation via standard protocol. Transwell assay was conducted to examine cell invasiveness. A flow cytometer was used to determine cell apoptosis. Dual-Luciferase Reporter Gene Assay (SLDL-100) was used to confirm the target relationship between miR-144-3p and PTEN. Xenografts were used to detect the in vivo effects of the molecules of interest.

RESULTS

miR-144-3p was significantly overexpressed, whereas PTEN was more underexpressed in tumor tissues than in adjacent tissues. miR-144-3p promoted the proliferation and invasion of NPC cells and inhibited apoptosis by directly targeting PTEN, which improves PI3K-Akt signaling. miR-144-3p forced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in NPC.

CONCLUSION

miR-144-3p promotes the progression of NPC by directly targeting PTEN via crosstalk with PI3K-Akt signaling.

miR-92b-3p-TSC1 axis is critical for mTOR signaling-mediated vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation induced by hypoxia

Pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) undergo proliferation by the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway under hypoxia. Hypoxia induces expression of a specific set of microRNAs (miRNAs) in a variety of cell types. We integrated genomic analyses of both small non-coding RNA and coding transcripts using next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based RNA sequencing with the molecular mechanism of the mTOR signaling pathway in hypoxic PASMCs. These analyses revealed hypoxia-induced miR-92b-3p as a potent regulator of the mTOR signaling pathway. We demonstrated that miR-92b-3p directly targets the 3′-UTR of a negative regulator in the mTOR signaling pathway, TSC1. mTOR signaling and consequent cell proliferation were promoted by enforced expression of miR-92b-3p but inhibited by knocking down endogenous miR-92b-3p. Furthermore, inhibition of miR-92b-3p attenuated hypoxia-induced proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Therefore, this study elucidates a novel role of miR-92b-3p as a hypoxamir in the regulation of the mTOR signaling pathway and the pathological VSMC proliferative response under hypoxia. These findings will help us better understand the miRNA-mediated molecular mechanism of the proliferative response of hypoxic VSMCs through the mTOR signaling pathway.

Detrimental Role of miRNA-144-3p in Intracerebral Hemorrhage Induced Secondary Brain Injury is Mediated by Formyl Peptide Receptor 2 Downregulation Both In Vivo and In Vitro

Although microRNA-144-3p (miRNA-144-3p) has been shown to suppress tumor proliferation and invasion, its function in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH)-induced secondary brain injury (SBI) remains unclear. Thus, this study was designed to investigate the role of miRNA-144-3p in ICH. To accomplish this, we used adult male Sprague-Dawley rats to establish an in vivo ICH model by injecting autologous blood, while cultured primary rat cortical neurons were exposed to oxyhemoglobin (OxyHb) to mimic ICH in vitro. To examine the role of miRNA-144-3p in ICH-induced SBI, we used an miRNA-144-3p mimic and inhibitor both in vivo and in vitro. Following ICH induction, we found miRNA-144-3p expression to increase. Additionally, we predicted the formyl peptide receptor 2 (FPR2) to be a potential miRNA-144-3p target, which we validated experimentally, with FPR2 expression downregulated when miRNA-144-3p was upregulated. Furthermore, elevated miRNA-144-3p levels aggravated brain edema and neurobehavioral disorders and induced neuronal apoptosis via the downregulation of FPR2 both in vivo and in vitro. We suspected that these beneficial effects provided by FPR2 were associated with the PI3K/AKT pathway. We validated this finding by overexpressing FPR2 while inhibiting PI3K/AKT in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, miRNA-144-3p aggravated ICH-induced SBI by targeting and downregulating FPR2, thereby contributing to neurological dysfunction and neural apoptosis via PI3K/AKT pathway activation. These findings suggest that inhibiting miRNA-144-3p may offer an effective approach to attenuating brain damage incurred after ICH and a potential therapy to improve ICH-induced SBI.

Induction of morphological and functional differentiation of human neuroblastoma cells by miR-124

Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumour in children, and differentiation is considered its most appropriate therapy. In this work, we studied effects of miR-124 overexpression on differentiation in M17 cell line as a model of neuroblastoma cancer. Influence of miR-124 overexpression on differentiation in M17 cells was studied. M17 cells were infected with lentivirus that contained miR-124 precursor sequence and followed for 2 weeks to differentiate. Ectopic expression of miR-124 in M17 cells changed the shape of spherical undifferentiated cells to cells with extended neurites that formed neuronal networks. Overexpression of MiR-124 respectively increased the expression level of markers of β-Tubulin III, MAP2, SYN, NF-M and Nestin by 16-, 5-, 4-, 2.3- and 2-folds at the messenger RNA level. MiR-124 overexpression also increased the protein levels of β-Tubulin III and MAP2. Moreover, exogenous expression of miR-124 significantly increased the intracellular calcium in differentiated M17 cells. Since miR-124 is naturally expressed in neuronal cells and is downregulated in neuroblastoma cancer cells, differentiation with this type of microRNA can be a novel treatment for neuroblastoma cancer.

Suppression of microRNA-144-3p attenuates oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation-induced neuronal injury by promoting Brg1/Nrf2/ARE signaling

Accumulating evidence has reported that microRNA-144-3p (miR-144-3p) is highly related to oxidative stress and apoptosis. However, little is known regarding its role in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion-induced neuronal injury. Herein, our results showed that miR-144-3p expression was significantly downregulated in neurons following oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R) treatment. Overexpression of miR-144-3p markedly reduced cell viability, promoted cell apoptosis, and increased oxidative stress in neurons with OGD/R treatment, whereas downregulation of miR-144-3p protected neurons against OGD/R-induced injury. Brahma-related gene 1 (Brg1) was identified as a potential target gene of miR-144-3p. Moreover, downregulation of miR-144-3p promoted the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and increased antioxidant response element (ARE) activity. However, knockdown of Brg1 significantly abrogated the neuroprotective effects of miR-144-3p downregulation. Overall, our results suggest that miR-144-3p contributes to OGD/R-induced neuronal injury in vitro through negatively regulating Brg1/Nrf2/ARE signaling.

Long non-coding RNA MALAT1 for promoting metastasis and proliferation by acting as a ceRNA of miR-144-3p in osteosarcoma cells

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in various biological processes and diseases including osteosarcoma. Long non-coding RNA metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) is overly expressed in osteosarcoma. But the function and mechanism it works on in osteosarcoma proliferation and metastasis mediated by Rho associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) and Rho associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 2 (ROCK2) remain unclear. In the present study, an elevated MALAT1 was found in osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines, and the elevated MALAT1 was correlated with a poor prognosis in osteosarcoma patients. The functional experiments show that a decreased MALAT1 could remarkably inhibit osteosarcoma cell metastasis and proliferation but induce cell cycle arrest, indicating that MALAT1 functioned as an oncogene in osteosarcoma. Furthermore, we confirmed that MALAT1 and ROCK1/ROCK2 which were targeted by microRNA-144-3p (miR-144-3p) shared the same miR-144-3p combining site. Furthermore, the constructed luciferase assay verified that MALAT1 was a target of miR-144-3p. Additionally, the results of a qRT-PCR demonstrated that MALAT1 and miR-144-3p repressed each other's expression in a reciprocal manner. Finally, we affirmed that an overexpression of MALAT1 inhibited ROCK1/ROCK2 expression and its mediated metastasis and proliferation by working as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) via miR-144-3p.

In summary, the findings of this study based on the ceRNA theory, combining the research foundation of miR-144-3p, ROCK1 and ROCK2, taking MALAT1 as a new point of study, provided new insights into molecular level proliferation reversal and metastasis of osteosarcoma.

Mice endometrium receptivity in early pregnancy is impaired by maternal hyperinsulinemia

Previous studies have investigated the lower embryo implantation rates in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, obesity and type 2 diabetes, and specifically the association between the abnormal oocyte and embryo and hyperinsulinemia. The importance of hyperinsulinemia on maternal endometrium receptivity remains to be elucidated. The present study used a hyperinsulinemic mouse model to determine whether hyperinsulinemia may affect endometrial receptivity. An insulin intervention mouse model was first established. The serum levels of insulin, progesterone and estradiol were subsequently detected by ELISA assay analysis. The number of implantation sites was recorded using Trypan blue dye and the morphology of mice uteri was investigated using hematoxylin and eosin staining. The expression levels of molecular markers associated with endometrial receptivity were detected by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blotting and immunohistochemistry analyses. Finally, the importance of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) expression following insulin treatment was determined. Mice treated with insulin developed insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. The number of implantation sites following insulin treatment did not differ between the control and insulin‑treated groups. Additionally, no significant morphological alterations in mice uteri between control and insulin‑treated groups were observed. However, the expression levels of estrogen receptor (Esr) 1, Esr2, progesterone receptor and homeobox A10 associated with endometrial receptivity, were imbalanced during endometrium receptivity when maternal hyperinsulinemia was induced. Western blot analysis revealed that expression levels of endometrial phosphorylated (p)‑mTOR and p‑ribosomal protein S6 kinase β‑1 were significantly greater in the insulin‑treated group. These results demonstrated that although an embryo may implant into endometrium, mice endometrium receptivity in early pregnancy may be impaired by maternal hyperinsulinemia. In addition, mTOR signaling may be involved in this process. The present study provides preliminary results demonstrating that female reproduction may be compromised during hyperinsulinemia, which requires further investigation in future studies.

Elevated TARP promotes proliferation and metastasis of salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to analyze the expression of T-cell receptor γ chain alternate reading frame protein (TARP) in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC) and its distant metastases and to investigate its influences on the development and progression of SACC.

STUDY DESIGN

TARP expression was analyzed in 50 primary SACCs, 13 specimens of metastatic adenoid cystic carcinoma of salivary gland origin, and 20 noncancerous tissues around SACC via immunohistochemistry. Cell Counting Kit-8 tests, wound healing assay, and Transwell experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of lentivirus-mediated TARP overexpression on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of SACC cells.

RESULTS

TARP expression was significantly increased in primary SACCs compared with adjacent noncancerous tissues, and this increase was further enhanced in metastases compared with primary SACCs. The expression level of TARP correlated significantly with tumor size, tumor-node-metastasis stage, perineural invasion, histologic type, and distant metastasis. Furthermore, TARP overexpression promoted the growth, migration, and invasion of SACC cells.

CONCLUSIONS

TARP plays an important role in and may be used as a marker to indicate the development and progression of SACC.

Selection of urinary sediment miRNAs as specific biomarkers of IgA nephropathy

The miRNAs in urinary sediment are easy to obtain, which provides a new approach to searching for non-invasive biomarkers of IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Compared with normal controls (n = 3), 214 different miRNAs in the urinary sediment of IgAN (n = 9) were found by miRNA chip assay. By quantitative PCR analysis, miR-25-3p, miR-144-3p and miR-486-5p were confirmed to be significantly higher in IgAN (n = 93) than in the normal group (n = 82) or disease control (n = 40). These three miRNAs had good specificity and sensitivity for the diagnosis of IgAN by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, in which the AUC value of miR-486-5p was the largest at 0.935. Urinary sediment miR-25-3p, miR-144-3p and miR-486-5p were demonstrated to be mainly derived from urinary erythrocytes, which were separated by CD235a magnetic beads. The increased expression of urinary erythrocyte miRNAs in IgAN patients was not associated with those in the blood erythrocytes. In addition, urinary supernatant microvesicles of miR-144-3p and miR-486-5p in the IgAN group were also significantly increased. This study showed that the miR-25-3p, miR-144-3p and miR-486-5p in urinary sediment were mainly derived from urinary erythrocytes, which could be non-invasive candidate biomarkers for IgA nephropathy.