Investigation of microRNA expression changes in HepG2 cell line in presence of URG4/URGCP and in absence of URG4/URGCP suppressed by RNA interference

Dysregulated microRNAs as a biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis of hepatitis B virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignancy with a high incidence and fatality rate worldwide. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the most important risk factors for its occurrence and development. Early detection of HBV-associated HCC (HBV-HCC) can improve clinical decision-making and patient outcomes. Biomarkers are extremely helpful, not only for early diagnosis, but also for the development of therapeutics. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a subset of non-coding RNAs approximately 22 nucleotides in length, have increasingly attracted scientists' attention due to their potential utility as biomarkers for cancer detection and therapy. HBV profoundly impacts the expression of miRNAs potentially involved in the development of hepatocarcinogenesis. In this review, we summarize the current progress on the role of miRNAs in the diagnosis and treatment of HBV-HCC. From a molecular standpoint, we discuss the mechanism by which HBV regulates miRNAs and investigate the exact effect of miRNAs on the promotion of HCC. In the near future, miRNA-based diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic applications will make their way into the clinical routine.

MiR-494-3p promotes PI3K/AKT pathway hyperactivation and human hepatocellular carcinoma progression by targeting PTEN

Recent studies have shown that miR-494-3p is oncogene and has a central role in many solid tumors; however, the role of miR-494-3p in the progression and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown. In this study, it was found that miR-494-3p was up-regulated in HCC tissues. The high level of miR-494-3p in HCC tumors was correlated with aggressive clinicopathological characteristics and predicted poor prognosis in HCC patients. Functional study demonstrated that miR-494-3p significantly promoted HCC cell metastasis in vitro and vivo. Since phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase-B (PI3K/AKT) signaling is a basic oncogenic driver in HCC, a potential role of miR-494-3p was explored as well as its target genes in PI3K/AKT activation. Of all the predicted target genes of miR-494-3p, the tumor-suppressor phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) were identified. In conclusion, the data we collected could define an original mechanism of PI3K/AKT hyperactivation and sketch the regulatory role of miR-494-3p in suppressing the expression of PTEN. Therefore, targeting miR-494-3p could provide an effective therapeutic method for the treatment of the disease.

Downregulation of miR-16 via URGCP pathway contributes to glioma growth

Experimental and clinical evidence points to a critical role of Upregulator of cell proliferation (URGCP/URG4) in controlling the progression of multiple tumors. However, the oncogenic role of URGCP in glioma still remains elusive. In this study we tried to investigate the oncogenic roles and molecular mechanisms of URGCP in glioma. We found that the levels of URGCP were upregulated in glioma, and that the high-levels of URGCP indicated a worse prognosis in glioma patients. URGCP and miR-16 are critical for glioma growth: silencing URGCP (shURGCP) inhibited glioma growth, while, the shURGCP-mediated proliferative inhibition could be recovered by antagonizing miR-16 (anta-miR-16) in vivo and in vitro. Mechanically, URGCP repressed miR-16 expression via activating NF-κB/c-myc pathway in glioma; Cyclins D1 and Cyclin E1 were identified as the direct targets of miR-16, thus, URGCP-mediated miR-16 downregulation accelerated cell proliferation by upregulating Cyclin D1 and Cyclin E1 expression. All these results suggested that URGCP accelerates glioma growth through the NF-κB/c-myc/miR-16/Cyclin D1/E1 pathway, and both URGCP and miR-16 function as a novel cell cycle regulators in glioma and could be considered as potential targets for glioma therapy.

Profiles of miRNAs in serum in severe acute drug induced liver injury and their prognostic significance

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Drug induced liver injury (DILI) is challenging because of the lack of biomarkers to predict mortality. Our aim was to describe miRNA changes in sera of subjects with acute idiosyncratic DILI and determine if levels of miRNAs were associated with 6 month mortality.

METHODS

Clinical data and sera were collected from subjects enrolled in the Drug Induced Liver Injury Network prospective study. miRNAs were isolated from serum obtained from 78 subjects within 2 weeks of acute DILI and followed up for 6 months or longer. miRNAs were compared to 40 normal controls and 6 month survivors vs non-survivors.

RESULTS

The mean age of the DILI cohort was 48 years, and 55% were female. Eleven (14.1%) subjects died, 10 within 6 months of DILI onset, 5 (45%) liver related. Lower levels of miRNAs-122, -4463 and -4270 were associated with death within 6 months (P<.05). None of the subjects with miRNA-122 greater than the median value died within 6 months for a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 57%. In subjects with a serum albumin <2.8 g/dL and miR-122<7.89 RFU the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values for death within 6 months were 100%, 57%, 38% and 100% respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Serum miRNA-122 combined with albumin accurately identified subjects who died within 6 months of drug induced liver injury. If confirmed prospectively, miRNA-122 and albumin may be useful in identifying patients at high risk for mortality or liver transplantation.

Effect of Ginkgo biloba extract on the expressions of Cox-2 and GST-Pi in rats with hepatocellular carcinoma risk

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common and aggressive cancers worldwide, and the pathogenesis is complicated at present. There iare few effective therapeutic measures, and novel therapeutic strategies are urgently required to improve clinical outcome. Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb) is reported to have an anti-cancer activity.

OBJECTIVES

To explore the effect of EGb on expressions of cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) and glutathione S-transferase Pi (GST-Pi) in the pathogenesis of HCC.

METHODS

120 Wistar rats were divided into three groups at random: normal control group (control group), HCC risk group without treatment (HCC risk group), HCC risk group treated with EGb (EGb group); n=40, respectively. The HCC risk in rat was induced by aflatoxin B1 injection. At the end of 13-week, 33-week, 53-week and 73-week, 10 rats in each group were killed and the relevant samples were collected.

RESULTS

The mRNA and protein expressions of Cox-2 and GST-Pi were measured by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemical analysis and western-blot. When compared with those in the control group in 73-week, the mRNA and protein expressions of GST-Pi in EGb group were weaker than those in HCC risk group in 73-week. However, the mRNA and protein expressions of Cox-2 in HCC risk group were increased than that of control group, and there was no statistical difference for mRNA and protein expressions of Cox-2 between HCC risk group and EGb group.

CONCLUSION

EGb can regulate the expression of GST-Pi, but it does not seem to have an effect on Cox-2 expression in the liver of HCC risk rats.

Serological identification of URGCP as a potential biomarker for glioma

AIM

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most frequent human brain tumor and causes dismal outcome. To identify tumor-associated antigens in GBM patients may find potential diagnostic markers and immunotherapeutic targets. In this study, we identified a gene termed URGCP using the serological identification of antigens by recombinant A2B5 positive glioma cDNA library. The gene product of URGCP is immunogenic in GBM after tested in allogenic patients serum screening.

METHODS AND RESULTS

GBM patients with an auto-antibody response against URGCP show longer survival than those without URGCP response. In additional, we show that URGCP was high expression in most GBM tissues and cell lines compared with normal brain tissues and majorly co-expressed with stem cell marker A2B5.

CONCLUSION

We identified a potential new biomarker of GBM, URGCP. The findings indicate that URGCP is immunogenic in human GBM and suggest its potential use as diagnostic and immunotherapeutic for GBM patients.

Regulation of URG4/URGCP and PPARα gene expressions after retinoic acid treatment in neuroblastoma cells

Neuroblastoma (NB), originating from neural crest cells, is the most common extracranial tumor of childhood. Retinoic acid (RA) which is the biological active form of vitamin A regulates differentiation of NB cells, and RA derivatives have been used for NB treatment. PPARα (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor) plays an important role in the oxidation of fatty acids, carcinogenesis, and differentiation. URG4/URGCP gene is a proto-oncogene and that overexpression of URG4/URGCP is associated with metastasis and tumor recurrence in osteosarcoma. It has been known that URG4/URGCP gene is an overexpressed gene in hepatocellular carcinoma and gastric cancers. This study aims to detect gene expression patterns of PPARα and URG4/URGCP genes in SH-SY5Y NB cell line after RA treatment. Expressions levels of PPARα and URG4/URGCP genes were analyzed after RA treatment for reducing differentiation in SH-SY5Y NB cell line. To induce differentiation, the cells were treated with 10 μM RA in the dark for 3-10 days. Gene expression of URG4/URGCP and PPARα genes were presented as the yield of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products from target genes compared with the yield of PCR products from the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene. SH-SY5Y cells possess small processes in an undifferentiated state, and after treatment with RA, the cells developed long neurites, resembling a neuronal phenotype. PPARα gene expression increased in RA-treated groups; URG4/URGCP gene expression decreased in SH-SY5Y cells after RA treatment compared with that in the control cells. NB cell differentiation might associate with PPARα and URG4/URGCP gene expression profile after RA treatment.