LncRNA CASC2 targets CAV1 by competitively binding with microRNA-194-5p to inhibit neonatal lung injury

LncRNA gadd7 promotes mitochondrial membrane potential decrease and apoptosis of alveolar type II epithelial cells by positively regulating MFN1 in an in vitro model of hyperoxia-induced acute lung injury

The mortality and morbidity rates of ovarian cancer (OC) are high, but the underlying mechanisms of OC have not been characterized. In this study, we determined the role of Rho GTPase Activating Protein 30 (ARHGAP30) in OC progression. We measured ARHGAP30 abundance in OC tissue samples and cells using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and RT-qPCR. EdU, transwell, and annexin V/PI apoptosis assays were used to evaluate proliferation, invasiveness, and apoptosis of OC cells, respectively. The results showed that ARHGAP30 was overexpressed in OC tissue samples and cells. Inhibition of ARHGAP30 suppressed growth and metastasis of OC cells, and enhanced  apoptosis. Knockdown of ARHGAP30 in OC cells significantly inhibited the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Treatment with the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway inhibitor buparlisib simulated the effects of ARHGAP30 knockdown on growth, invasiveness, and apoptosis of OC cells. Following buparlisib treatment, the expression levels of p-PI3K, p-AKT, and p-mTOR were significantly decreased. Furthermore, buparlisib inhibited the effects of ARHGAP30 upregulation on OC cell growth and invasiveness. In conclusion, ARHGAP30 regulated the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway to promote progression of OC.

Oxygen toxicity: cellular mechanisms in normobaric hyperoxia

In clinical settings, oxygen therapy is administered to preterm neonates and to adults with acute and chronic conditions such as COVID-19, pulmonary fibrosis, sepsis, cardiac arrest, carbon monoxide poisoning, and acute heart failure. In non-clinical settings, divers and astronauts may also receive supplemental oxygen. In addition, under current standard cell culture practices, cells are maintained in atmospheric oxygen, which is several times higher than what most cells experience in vivo. In all the above scenarios, the elevated oxygen levels (hyperoxia) can lead to increased production of reactive oxygen species from mitochondria, NADPH oxidases, and other sources. This can cause cell dysfunction or death. Acute hyperoxia injury impairs various cellular functions, manifesting ultimately as physiological deficits. Chronic hyperoxia, particularly in the neonate, can disrupt development, leading to permanent deficiencies. In this review, we discuss the cellular activities and pathways affected by hyperoxia, as well as strategies that have been developed to ameliorate injury.

Abnormal expression and clinical value analysis of long noncoding RNA cancer susceptibility candidate 2 in children with severe pneumonia complicated with respiratory failure

Objective

Severe pneumonia occurs commonly in children and is the main cause of clinical infant mortality. This study tested the expression pattern of long noncoding RNA cancer susceptibility candidate 2 (CASC2) in the serum of children with severe pneumonia and explored its clinical values.

Methods

Serum levels of CASC2 were detected in 145 children with severe pneumonia. All cases were divided into two groups based on their respiratory failure (RF) condition. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and Kaplan–Meier (K‐M) curves were plotted for the diagnostic and prognostic ability evaluation. Multivariate cox regression analysis was done for the examination of independent influence factors.

Results

The serum levels of CASC2 significantly decreased in children with severe pneumonia in contrast with healthy individuals and reached the lowest value in those with RF. Serum CASC2 can distinguish severe pneumonia and predicted the development of RF. Based on the 28‐day survival data, cases with low CASC2 levels had a poor survival rate. CASC2 (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.068, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.016–0.292, P < 0.001) and age (HR = 2.806, 95% CI = 1.240–6.394, P < 0.001) were independent influence factor for the poor prognosis of children with severe pneumonia.

Conclusion

Downregulation of serum CASC2 was related to the occurrence of RF in children with severe pneumonia and may be a predictor of the poor prognosis. This study will provide a potential biomarker for severe pneumonia treatment in clinic.

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA): A potential therapeutic target in acute lung injury

Acute Lung Injury (ALI) and its severe form Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) are the major cause of ICU death worldwide. ALI/ARDS is characterized by severe hypoxemia and inflammation that leads to poor lung compliance. Despite many advances in understanding and management, ALI/ARDS is still causing significant morbidity and mortality. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is a fast-growing topic in lung inflammation and injury. lncRNA is a class of non-coding RNA having a length of more than 200 nucleotides. It has been a center of research for understanding the pathophysiology of various diseases in the past few years. Multiple studies have shown that lncRNAs are abundant in acute lung injury/injuries in mouse models and cell lines. By targeting these long non-coding RNAs, many investigators have demonstrated the alleviation of ALI in various mouse models. Therefore, lncRNAs show great promise as a therapeutic target in ALI. This review provides the current state of knowledge about the relationship between lncRNAs in various biological processes in acute lung injury and its use as a potential therapeutic target.