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Wu L, Zhang Y, Ren J. Targeting non-coding RNAs and N 6-methyladenosine modification in hepatocellular carcinoma. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 223:116153. [PMID: 38513741 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of primary liver cancers, accounts for a significant portion of cancer-related death globally. However, the molecular mechanisms driving the onset and progression of HCC are still not fully understood. Emerging evidence has indicated that non-protein-coding regions of genomes could give rise to transcripts, termed non-coding RNA (ncRNA), forming novel functional driving force for aberrant cellular activity. Over the past decades, overwhelming evidence has denoted involvement of a complex array of molecular function of ncRNAs at different stages of HCC tumorigenesis and progression. In this context, several pre-clinical studies have highlighted the potentials of ncRNAs as novel therapeutic modalities in the management of human HCC. Moreover, N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification, the most prevalent form of internal mRNA modifications in mammalian cells, is essential for the governance of biological processes within cells. Dysregulation of m6A in ncRNAs has been implicated in human carcinogenesis, including HCC. In this review, we will discuss dysregulation of several hallmark ncRNAs (miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs) in HCC and address the latest advances for their involvement in the onset and progression of HCC. We also focus on dysregulation of m6A modification and various m6A regulators in the etiology of HCC. In the end, we discussed the contemporary preclinical and clinical application of ncRNA-based and m6A-targeted therapies in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Wu
- Department of Cardiology and Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yingmei Zhang
- Department of Cardiology and Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jun Ren
- Department of Cardiology and Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China.
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2
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Romeo M, Dallio M, Scognamiglio F, Ventriglia L, Cipullo M, Coppola A, Tammaro C, Scafuro G, Iodice P, Federico A. Role of Non-Coding RNAs in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression: From Classic to Novel Clinicopathogenetic Implications. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5178. [PMID: 37958352 PMCID: PMC10647270 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15215178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a predominant malignancy with increasing incidences and mortalities worldwide. In Western countries, the progressive affirmation of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) as the main chronic liver disorder in which HCC occurrence is appreciable even in non-cirrhotic stages, constitutes a real health emergency. In light of this, a further comprehension of molecular pathways supporting HCC onset and progression represents a current research challenge to achieve more tailored prognostic models and appropriate therapeutic approaches. RNA non-coding transcripts (ncRNAs) are involved in the regulation of several cancer-related processes, including HCC. When dysregulated, these molecules, conventionally classified as "small ncRNAs" (sncRNAs) and "long ncRNAs" (lncRNAs) have been reported to markedly influence HCC-related progression mechanisms. In this review, we describe the main dysregulated ncRNAs and the relative molecular pathways involved in HCC progression, analyzing their implications in certain etiologically related contexts, and their applicability in clinical practice as novel diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic tools. Finally, given the growing evidence supporting the immune system response, the oxidative stress-regulated mechanisms, and the gut microbiota composition as relevant emerging elements mutually influencing liver-cancerogenesis processes, we investigate the relationship of ncRNAs with this triad, shedding light on novel pathogenetic frontiers of HCC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Romeo
- Hepatogastroenterology Division, Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Piazza Miraglia 2, 80138 Naples, Italy; (M.R.); (F.S.); (L.V.); (M.C.); (A.C.); (A.F.)
| | - Marcello Dallio
- Hepatogastroenterology Division, Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Piazza Miraglia 2, 80138 Naples, Italy; (M.R.); (F.S.); (L.V.); (M.C.); (A.C.); (A.F.)
| | - Flavia Scognamiglio
- Hepatogastroenterology Division, Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Piazza Miraglia 2, 80138 Naples, Italy; (M.R.); (F.S.); (L.V.); (M.C.); (A.C.); (A.F.)
| | - Lorenzo Ventriglia
- Hepatogastroenterology Division, Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Piazza Miraglia 2, 80138 Naples, Italy; (M.R.); (F.S.); (L.V.); (M.C.); (A.C.); (A.F.)
| | - Marina Cipullo
- Hepatogastroenterology Division, Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Piazza Miraglia 2, 80138 Naples, Italy; (M.R.); (F.S.); (L.V.); (M.C.); (A.C.); (A.F.)
| | - Annachiara Coppola
- Hepatogastroenterology Division, Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Piazza Miraglia 2, 80138 Naples, Italy; (M.R.); (F.S.); (L.V.); (M.C.); (A.C.); (A.F.)
| | - Chiara Tammaro
- Biochemistry Division, Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Piazza Miraglia 2, 80138 Naples, Italy; (C.T.); (G.S.)
| | - Giuseppe Scafuro
- Biochemistry Division, Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Piazza Miraglia 2, 80138 Naples, Italy; (C.T.); (G.S.)
| | - Patrizia Iodice
- Division of Medical Oncology, AORN Azienda dei Colli, Monaldi Hospital, Via Leonardo Bianchi, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Alessandro Federico
- Hepatogastroenterology Division, Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Piazza Miraglia 2, 80138 Naples, Italy; (M.R.); (F.S.); (L.V.); (M.C.); (A.C.); (A.F.)
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3
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Ma Y, Li Y, Wu T, Li Y, Wang Q. Astragaloside IV Attenuates Programmed Death-Ligand 1-Mediated Immunosuppression during Liver Cancer Development via the miR-135b-5p/CNDP1 Axis. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5048. [PMID: 37894415 PMCID: PMC10605108 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15205048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) is a pivotal contributor to anti-tumour effects and has garnered extensive attention in research. Tumour cell immune suppression is closely related to the increase in Programmed Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1). Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumour originating from hepatic epithelial tissue, and the role of AS-IV in regulating PD-L1 in anti-HCC activity remains unclear. METHODS Various concentrations of AS-IV were administered to both human liver immortalised cells (THEL2) and HCC (Huh-7 and SMMC-7721), and cell growth was assessed using the CCK-8 assay. HCC levels and cell apoptosis were examined using flow cytometry. Mice were orally administered AS-IV at different concentrations to study its effects on HCC in vivo. Immunohistochemistry was employed to evaluate PD-L1 levels. Western blotting was employed to determine PD-L1 and CNDP1 protein levels. We carried out a qRT-PCR to quantify the levels of miR-135b-3p and CNDP1. Finally, a dual-luciferase reporter assay was employed to validate the direct interaction between miR-135b-3p and the 3'UTR of CNDP1. RESULTS AS-IV exhibited a dose-dependent inhibition of proliferation in Huh-7 and SMMC-7721 while inhibiting PD-L1 expression induced by interferon-γ (IFN-γ), thus attenuating PD-L1-mediated immune suppression. MiR-135b-5p showed significant amplification in HCC tissues and cells. AS-IV mitigated PD-L1-mediated immune suppression through miR-135b-5p. MiR-135b-5p targeted CNDP1, and AS-IV mitigated PD-L1-induced immunosuppression by modulating the miR-135b-5p/CNDP1 pathway. CONCLUSION AS-IV decreases cell surface PD-L1 levels and alleviates PD-L1-associated immune suppression via the miR-135b-5p/CNDP1 pathway. AS-IV may be a novel component for treating HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Ma
- National Institute of TCM Constitution and Preventive Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China; (Y.M.)
| | - Yan Li
- National Institute of TCM Constitution and Preventive Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China; (Y.M.)
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Taotao Wu
- National Institute of TCM Constitution and Preventive Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China; (Y.M.)
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Yingshuai Li
- National Institute of TCM Constitution and Preventive Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China; (Y.M.)
| | - Qi Wang
- National Institute of TCM Constitution and Preventive Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China; (Y.M.)
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Yang X, Guo J, Li W, Li C, Zhu X, Liu Y, Wu X. PPM1H is down-regulated by ATF6 and dephosphorylates p-RPS6KB1 to inhibit progression of hepatocellular carcinoma. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2023; 33:164-179. [PMID: 37456776 PMCID: PMC10345229 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2023.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
We have shown previously that polymorphism of activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) is associated with susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, genes down-regulated by ATF6 might play a tumor-suppressing role. In the present study, we identified that expression of protein phosphatase magnesium- or manganous-dependent 1H (PPM1H) mRNA and protein can be inhibited by ATF6 in hepatoma cells and mice with liver Atf6 knockdown. Tumor tissues from 134 HCC patients were analyzed by immunohistochemistry, and PPM1H exhibited higher expression levels in adjacent para-cancer tissues than in HCC tissues. Therefore, patients with higher expression of PPM1H had a better prognosis. PPM1H inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion of hepatoma cells. In addition, PPM1H inhibited induced HCC nodule formation as well as tumor xenograft growth in diethylnitrosamine/CCl4-induced HCC mouse model and nude mouse tumorigenicity assay, respectively. A 3D model of PPM1H was obtained by homology multi-template modeling, and ribosomal protein S6 kinase B1 (RPS6KB1) in the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)/transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) pathway was screened out as the potential substrate of PPM1H by Rosetta. PPM1H could directly dephosphorylate p-RPS6KB1. To conclude, we discovered RPS6KB1 as a new PPM1H dephosphorylation substrate. PPM1H exhibited a suppressive effect on HCC progression by dephosphorylating p-RPS6KB1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoshuang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100005, P.R. China
- School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, P.R. China
| | - Jianting Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100005, P.R. China
- School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, P.R. China
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Shandong 266003, P.R. China
| | - Chunrui Li
- Beijing Cloud Computing Key Technique and Application Key Laboratory, Beijing Computing Center, Beijing 100094, P.R. China
| | - Xilin Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100005, P.R. China
- School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, P.R. China
| | - Ying Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100005, P.R. China
- School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, P.R. China
| | - Xiaopan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100005, P.R. China
- School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, P.R. China
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Lazzaro A, Hartshorn KL. A Comprehensive Narrative Review on the History, Current Landscape, and Future Directions of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) Systemic Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15092506. [PMID: 37173972 PMCID: PMC10177076 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15092506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
We provide a comprehensive review of current approved systemic treatment strategies for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), starting with the phase III clinical trial of sorafenib which was the first to definitively show a survival benefit. After this trial, there was an initial period of little progress. However, in recent years, an explosion of new agents and combinations of agents has resulted in a markedly improved outlook for patients. We then provide the authors' current approach to therapy, i.e., "How We Treat HCC". Promising future directions and important gaps in therapy that persist are finally reviewed. HCC is a highly prevalent cancer worldwide and the incidence is growing due not only to alcoholism, hepatitis B and C, but also to steatohepatitis. HCC, like renal cell carcinoma and melanoma, is a cancer largely resistant to chemotherapy but the advent of anti-angiogenic, targeted and immune therapies have improved survival for all of these cancers. We hope this review will heighten interest in the field of HCC therapies, provide a clear outline of the current data and strategy for treatment, and sensitize readers to new developments that are likely to emerge in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Lazzaro
- Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Kevan L Hartshorn
- Section of Hematology Oncology, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA 02118, USA
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Mabrouk AA, Eltablawy NA, El-Allawy RM, Abdel Maksoud H, Elsenosi YA. The ameliorating effect of Terminalia muelleri extract on oxidative stress–related factors in induced hepatocellular carcinoma rat model. GENE REPORTS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.genrep.2021.101482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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7
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Zhou J, Che J, Xu L, Yang W, Li Y, Zhou W, Zou S. Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 promotes hepatocellular cancer progression and chemoresistance by enhancing protein kinase B activation through microRNA-381-mediated SET domain bifurcated 1. Bioengineered 2022; 13:5737-5755. [PMID: 35184652 PMCID: PMC8974146 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2021.2023792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastasis and chemoresistance are the leading causes of death in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) may be useful as diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic markers for HCC. In this study, we set out to investigate the possible role of miR-381 in HCC development and chemoresistance along with the related mechanism. Microarray-based gene expression profiling was carried out to analyze the expression of SET domain bifurcated 1 (SETDB1) and histone methyltransferase enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) followed by validation in clinical HCC tissues and cells. The potential binding between miR-381 and SETDB1 was found and verified. Then, the role of SETDB1 in HCC in relation to miR-381 and protein kinase B (AKT) pathway was explored through gain- and loss-of-function approaches. After expression determination of EZH2, SETDB1, miR-381, and AKT pathway-related factors, their reactions were analyzed and their functional roles in HCC progression and chemoresistance were investigated in vitro and in vivo. SETDB1 was aberrantly upregulated in clinical HCC tissues and cells. This upregulation activated AKT pathway by promoting its tri-methylation on K64. SETDB1 promoted the proliferation, migration and chemoresistance through the AKT pathway in HCC cells. In a xenograft mouse model, SETDB1 promoted HCC cell tumorigenesis in vivo by activating the AKT pathway. Furthermore, EZH2 suppressed miR-381 by catalyzing the activity of H3K27me3 on its promoter region. In conclusion, EZH2 suppressed miR-381 expression by promoting H3K27me3 activity on its promoter region to facilitate SETDB1 expression, thereby activating the AKT pathway to promote hepatocarcinogenesis and chemoresistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyang Zhou
- Queen Mary School, Medical Department, Nanchang University, Nanchang, P.R. China
| | - Jinhui Che
- Department of Hepatobillary Surgery, The Affiliated Suzhou Science and Technology Town Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, P.R. China
| | - Lu Xu
- Department of Hepatobillary Surgery, The Affiliated Suzhou Science and Technology Town Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, P.R. China
| | - Weizhong Yang
- Department of Hepatobillary Surgery, The Affiliated Suzhou Science and Technology Town Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, P.R. China
| | - Yunmei Li
- Department of Hepatobillary Surgery, The Affiliated Suzhou Science and Technology Town Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, P.R. China
| | - Wuyuan Zhou
- Department of Hepatopancreatobillary Surgery, Xuzhou Cancer Hospital, Xuzhou, P.R. China
| | - Shubing Zou
- Department of Hepatopancreatobillary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, P.R. China
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8
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Aftab A, Afzal S, Idrees M, Shahid AA. p53 and rb promoter methylation in hepatitis C virus-related chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Future Virol 2021. [DOI: 10.2217/fvl-2020-0154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Aim: To identify methylation in p53 and rb during hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in individuals in Pakistan. Materials & methods: Methylation-specific PCR was used on liver biopsies from hepatocellular carcinoma and chronic hepatitis C patients and on blood samples from healthy individuals. Real-time PCR was used to assess changes in the expression of p53 and rb in Huh-7 cells transfected with HCV-3a. Results: The p53 and rb promoters were methylated in hepatocellular carcinoma patients. The presence of HCV-3a- Core (p = 0.03), HCV-3a- NS-3 (p = 0.01) and HCV-3a- NS-5a (p = 0.02) downregulated p53 expression. Exposure to HCV-3a- Core (p = 0.04) downregulated rb expression. Conclusion: It can be hypothesized that HCV-induced epigenetic modifications may lead to the development of hepatic cancer that in turn inactivates p53 and rb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayma Aftab
- Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Samia Afzal
- Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Idrees
- Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Ahmad Ali Shahid
- Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
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9
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Centrosomal protein TAX1BP2 inhibits centrosome-microtubules aberrations induced by hepatitis B virus X oncoprotein. Cancer Lett 2020; 492:147-161. [PMID: 32827601 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2020.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma, HCC) is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide. Several etiological factors of HCC, including hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus infection, liver cirrhosis and aflatoxin B1 intake has been identified. HBx, which is an oncogenic protein encoded by the hepatitis B virus, is strongly associated with hepatocarcinogenesis. Using stable HBx-expressing cell, we showed that HBx induced chromosome gain, with amplification of centrosomes numbers and deregulation of centrosome ultrastructure. To dissect the mechanism for chromosome instability, our result revealed that HBx contributed to a hyperactive centrosome-microtubule dynamics by accelerating microtubule nucleation and polymerization. Further investigations suggested that HBx interacted with a centrosome linker protein TAX1BP2, which has previously been shown to function as an intrinsic block of centrosome amplification and a tumour suppressor in HCC. Restoring TAX1BP2 was able to block HBx-mediated centrosome amplification and abolish the HBx-mediated centrosome aberration, thereby suppressing chromosome instability. Thus, we demonstrate here a mechanism by which HBx deregulates centrosome-microtubule dynamics through interacting with TAX1BP2, which underlines the possibility of restoration of TAX1BP2 to rescue cells from chromosome instability.
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10
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SETD3 is regulated by a couple of microRNAs and plays opposing roles in proliferation and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Clin Sci (Lond) 2020; 133:2085-2105. [PMID: 31654063 DOI: 10.1042/cs20190666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 09/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
A previous study reported that histone methyltransferase SETD3 is up-regulated in tumor tissues of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and is associated with the growth of HCC. However, the clinical significance and the effect of SETD3 on HCC metastasis remain unclear. In the present study, both the protein and mRNA expression levels of SETD3 were measured in a larger cohort of HCC patients. The results showed that the protein level of SETD3 in HCC tissues was significantly higher than that in non-tumorous tissues, which was inconsistent with the mRNA expression level of SETD3. The high protein level of SETD3 in HCC tissues was significantly associated with male gender, poor pathological differentiation, liver cirrhosis and unfavorable prognosis of HCC patients. Subsequently, we demonstrated that SETD3 could be regulated at post-transcriptional step by a couple of miRNAs (miR-16, miR-195 and miR-497). Additionally, in vitro and in vivo experiments revealed that SETD3 played opposing roles in proliferation and metastasis of HCC: promoting proliferation but inhibiting metastasis. Mechanistic experiments revealed that doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) was a downstream target of SETD3. SETD3 could increase the DNA methylation level of DCLK1 promoter to inhibit the transcription of DCLK1. Further study revealed that DCLK1/PI3K/matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 2 (MMP-2) was an important pathway that mediated the effect of SETD3 on HCC metastasis. In conclusion, the present study revealed that SETD3 is associated with tumorigenesis and is a promising biomarker for predicting the prognosis of HCC patients after surgical resection. In addition, SETD3 plays inhibitory role in HCC metastasis partly through DCLK1/PI3K/MMP-2 pathway.
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11
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Qian Y, Li Y, Zheng C, Lu T, Sun R, Mao Y, Yu S, Fan H, Zhang Z. High methylation levels of histone H3 lysine 9 associated with activation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) predict patients' worse prognosis in human hepatocellular carcinomas. Cancer Genet 2020; 245:17-26. [PMID: 32534446 DOI: 10.1016/j.cancergen.2020.04.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Although it is becoming increasingly apparent that histone methyltransferases and histone demethylases play crucial roles in the cellular response to hypoxia, the impact of hypoxic environments on global patterns of histone methylation is not well demonstrated. In this study, we try to detect the global levels of histone lysine methylation in HCC cases and analyze the correlation between these modifications and the activation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α). Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the global levels of histone H3 lysine 9 dimethylation (H3K9me2), histone H3 lysine 9 trimethylation (H3K9me3), histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) and the nuclear expression of HIF-1α in tissue arrays from 111 paraffin-embedded HCC samples. Our analyses revealed that the global levels of H3K9me2, H3K9me3 and the nuclear expression of HIF-1α were distinctly higher in HCC tissues than in peritumoral tissues. Both H3K9me2 and H3K9me3 were positively correlated with the degree of tumor differentiation and the patients' prognosis. Analysis based on the Pearson's correlation coefficient indicated a positive correlation between H3K9me2 and the nuclear expression of HIF-1α, and meanwhile, a significant correlation between the expression of H3K9me2 and H3K9me3 was also found. In addition, the combination of H3K9me2, H3K9me3 and HIF-1α, rather than one single histone modification or molecular maker, is a better prognostic maker for HCC patients. These findings provide new insights on the complex networks underlying cellular and genomic regulation in response to hypoxia and may provide novel targets for future therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyan Qian
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, Medical School of Southeast University, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Yiping Li
- Department of Pathology, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Chuqian Zheng
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, Medical School of Southeast University, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Tianyu Lu
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, Medical School of Southeast University, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Rui Sun
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, Medical School of Southeast University, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Yuhang Mao
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, Medical School of Southeast University, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Shenling Yu
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, Medical School of Southeast University, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Hong Fan
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, Medical School of Southeast University, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
| | - Zhihong Zhang
- Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, P. R. China.
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12
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Wang Y, Wan G, Wang H, Zhang G, Li Z, Lu L, Wu Y, Yu X, Du J. Mechanism of aberrant long non-coding RNA expression in an adriamycin-resistant liver cancer cell strain. Dig Liver Dis 2020; 52:582-587. [PMID: 31704308 DOI: 10.1016/j.dld.2019.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Aberrant long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression in cancer can be used as a potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target. In the present study we determined the potential pathogenic mechanism underlying significant aberrant expression of lncRNAs in HepG2-ADR. METHODS First, we identified different levels of lncRNA expression in liver cancer and adjacent non-tumor tissues obtained from public data (GSE70880) in NCBI. Then, the results were verified in a sensitive liver cancer cell line (HepG2) and a adriamycin-resistant liver cancer cell line (HepG2-ADR). Then, the effects of lncRNAs on the phenotype and some biological characteristics were also determined in HepG2 and HepG2-ADR through overexpression and using siRNA interference methods. RESULTS We showed that lncRNA ENST00000425005 is highly expressed in a liver cancer-resistant cell line when compared with adjacent non-tumor tissues based on bioinformatics analysis and qPCR verification. Compared with the control group, overexpression of lncRNA ENST00000425005 significantly promoted proliferation and adhesiveness, but inhibited apoptosis in HepG2-ADR cells. In contrast, interference of lncRNA in HepG2-ADR cells suppressed proliferation and adhesiveness, and induced apoptosis. CONCLUSION In conclusion, lncRNA ENST00000425005 promotes cell proliferation and invasion in drug-resistant liver cancer cells by regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related gene expression and participating in the regulation of EGF and FGF7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Target and Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and The Affiliated Fifth Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Department of Microbial and Biochemical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guohui Wan
- Department of Microbial and Biochemical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongsheng Wang
- Department of Microbial and Biochemical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ge Zhang
- Department of Microbial and Biochemical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ziqian Li
- Department of Microbial and Biochemical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Linlin Lu
- Department of Microbial and Biochemical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yingming Wu
- Department of Microbial and Biochemical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiyong Yu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Target and Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and The Affiliated Fifth Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Jun Du
- Department of Microbial and Biochemical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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13
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Zheng Y, Nie P, Xu S. Long noncoding RNA linc00467 plays an oncogenic role in hepatocellular carcinoma by regulating the miR-18a-5p/NEDD9 axis. J Cell Biochem 2020; 121:3135-3144. [PMID: 31916278 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.29581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Increasing evidence has shown that numerous long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in tumorigenesis. Herein, we investigated the biological role of lncRNA linc00467 in the cancer biology of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We observed that linc00467 was upregulated in HCC tissues and cells. Silencing of linc00467 using small interfering RNA interference significantly inhibited the growth and motility of HCC cells, and increased cell apoptosis through regulating the Bcl-2/Bax axis and the caspase cascade, suggesting that linc00467 exerted oncogenic functions in the progression of HCC. Moreover, we found that linc00467 could target miR-18a-5p, and NEDD9 was a target for miR-18a-5p in HCC cells. Furthermore, either the miR-18a-5p inhibitor or upregulation of NEDD9 could recover the inhibitory effects caused by silencing of linc00467. In conclusion, our data highlighted the oncogenic role of linc00467 in HCC progression by regulating the miR-18a-5p/NEDD9 axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanwen Zheng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Peihua Nie
- Department of Ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngology, Shandong Provincial Third Hospital, Jinan, China
| | - Shifeng Xu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, China
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14
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Li J, Wang T, Xia J, Yao W, Huang F. Enzymatic and nonenzymatic protein acetylations control glycolysis process in liver diseases. FASEB J 2019; 33:11640-11654. [PMID: 31370704 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201901175r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Impaired glycolysis has pathologic effects on the occurrence and progression of liver diseases, and it appears that glycolysis is increased to different degrees in different liver diseases. As an important post-translational modification, reversible lysine acetylation regulates almost all cellular processes, including glycolysis. Lysine acetylation can occur enzymatically with acetyltransferases or nonenzymatically with acetyl-coenzyme A. Accompanied by the progression of liver diseases, there seems to be a temporal and spatial variation between enzymatic and nonenzymatic acetylations in the regulation of glycolysis. Here, we summarize the most recent findings on the functions and targets of acetylation in controlling glycolysis in the different stages of liver diseases. In addition, we discuss the differences and causes between enzymatic and nonenzymatic acetylations in regulating glycolysis throughout the progression of liver diseases. Then, we review these new discoveries to provide the potential implications of these findings for therapeutic interventions in liver diseases.-Li, J., Wang, T., Xia, J., Yao, W., Huang, F. Enzymatic and nonenzymatic protein acetylations control glycolysis process in liver diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Li
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Tongxin Wang
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jun Xia
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Weilei Yao
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Feiruo Huang
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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15
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Mahmoudian-Sani MR, Asgharzade S, Alghasi A, Saeedi-Boroujeni A, Adnani Sadati SJ, Moradi MT. MicroRNA-122 in patients with hepatitis B and hepatitis B virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma. J Gastrointest Oncol 2019; 10:789-796. [PMID: 31392060 DOI: 10.21037/jgo.2019.02.14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is known as a serious problem in the domain of public health and approximately 350 million people across the world are affected with this infectious disease. As well, microRNAs are recognized as a type of small non-coding RNAs that can be widely used as a diagnostic biomarker and prognosis method of special diseases. In this respect, microRNA-122 or miR-122 can play a significant role in the pathogenesis of several hepatic diseases. Given the importance of microRNA-122 in the liver as well as its pathology, this study focused on the potential functions of microRNA-122 in pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of HBV infection. In this regard, the findings of previous studies had indicated that expression of microRNA-122 in patients with HBV infection could be significantly deregulated. The results of this study were consistent with the idea that diagnosis and treatment of this infectious disease using microRNA-122 could be an efficient method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Reza Mahmoudian-Sani
- Research Center of Thalassemia and Hemoglobinopathy, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Samira Asgharzade
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Arash Alghasi
- Research Center of Thalassemia and Hemoglobinopathy, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | | | - Seyed Jafar Adnani Sadati
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran
| | - Mohammad Taghi Moradi
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
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16
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Ceballos MP, Rigalli JP, Ceré LI, Semeniuk M, Catania VA, Ruiz ML. ABC Transporters: Regulation and Association with Multidrug Resistance in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Colorectal Carcinoma. Curr Med Chem 2019; 26:1224-1250. [PMID: 29303075 DOI: 10.2174/0929867325666180105103637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Revised: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
For most cancers, the treatment of choice is still chemotherapy despite its severe adverse effects, systemic toxicity and limited efficacy due to the development of multidrug resistance (MDR). MDR leads to chemotherapy failure generally associated with a decrease in drug concentration inside cancer cells, frequently due to the overexpression of ABC transporters such as P-glycoprotein (P-gp/MDR1/ABCB1), multidrug resistance-associated proteins (MRPs/ABCCs), and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2), which limits the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs. The aim of this review is to compile information about transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of ABC transporters and discuss their role in mediating MDR in cancer cells. This review also focuses on drug resistance by ABC efflux transporters in cancer cells, particularly hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and colorectal carcinoma (CRC) cells. Some aspects of the chemotherapy failure and future directions to overcome this problem are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Paula Ceballos
- Institute of Experimental Physiology, Faculty of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Science, Rosario National University, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Juan Pablo Rigalli
- Institute of Experimental Physiology, Faculty of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Science, Rosario National University, Rosario, Argentina.,Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacoepidemiology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 410, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lucila Inés Ceré
- Institute of Experimental Physiology, Faculty of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Science, Rosario National University, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Mariana Semeniuk
- Institute of Experimental Physiology, Faculty of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Science, Rosario National University, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Viviana Alicia Catania
- Institute of Experimental Physiology, Faculty of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Science, Rosario National University, Rosario, Argentina
| | - María Laura Ruiz
- Institute of Experimental Physiology, Faculty of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Science, Rosario National University, Rosario, Argentina
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17
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Bharali D, Banerjee BD, Bharadwaj M, Husain SA, Kar P. Expression analysis of apolipoproteins AI & AIV in hepatocellular carcinoma: A protein-based hepatocellular carcinoma-associated study. Indian J Med Res 2018; 147:361-368. [PMID: 29998871 PMCID: PMC6057253 DOI: 10.4103/ijmr.ijmr_1358_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background & objectives: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality. The objective of this study was to find out the differential expression of apolipoproteins (ApoAI and ApoAIV) in HCC and cases of liver cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis (controls) without HCC and to compare ApoAI and ApoAIV expression with alpha-foetoprotein (AFP), the conventional marker in HCC. Methods: Fifty patients with HCC and 50 controls comprising patients with liver cirrhosis (n=25) and chronic hepatitis (n=25) without HCC were included in this study. Total proteins were precipitated using acetone precipitation method followed by albumin and IgG depletion of precipitated protein using depletion kit. Proteins were separated by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The expression changes of ApoAI and ApoAIV were confirmed by western blotting using specific primary and secondary polyclonal antibodies followed by densitometric protein semi-quantitative estimation. ApoAI, ApoAIV and AFP were measured in the plasma samples by ELISA method. Results: Semi-quantitative densitometric image analysis of the western blot images and the comparison between HCC patients with those without HCC (control) revealed differential expression of ApoAI and ApoAIV. Levels of ApoAI were significantly higher in patients with HCC compared to controls without HCC (0.279±0.216 vs 0.171±0.091 and 0.199±0.014; P <0.001). Levels of ApoAIV were significantly lower in patients of HCC compared to controls without HCC (0.119±0.061 vs 0.208±0.07 and 0.171±0.16; P <0.01). ELISA assays of apolipoproteins (ApoAI and ApoAIV) revealed similar results of expression of ApoAI and ApoAIV as detected in western blotting densitometric image analysis. Interpretation & conclusions: Increased expression of ApoAI and decreased expression of ApoAIV in HCC patients compared to controls without HCC revealed the abnormalities in HCC. These molecules need to be studied further for their use as potential biomarkers in the future diagnostic tools along with other conventional biomarkers for screening of HCC cases. It needs further analysis in higher number of patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipu Bharali
- Department of Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Basu Dev Banerjee
- Department of Biochemistry, University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi, India
| | - Mausumi Bharadwaj
- Division of Molecular Genetics & Biochemistry, ICMR-National Institute of Cancer Prevention & Research, Noida, India
| | - Syed Akhtar Husain
- Department of Biosciences, Jamia Milia Islamia University, New Delhi, India
| | - Premashis Kar
- Department of Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
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18
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Chen HQ, Zhao J, Li Y, He LX, Huang YJ, Shu WQ, Cao J, Liu WB, Liu JY. Gene expression network regulated by DNA methylation and microRNA during microcystin-leucine arginine induced malignant transformation in human hepatocyte L02 cells. Toxicol Lett 2018. [PMID: 29518473 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2018.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Microcystin (MC) is a cyclic heptapeptide compound which could lead to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the underlying epigenetic regulation mechanism is largely unknown. In this study, microcystin-LR (L: lysine, R: arginine, MC-LR) was used to induce the malignant transformation of human hepatocyte L02 cell line. The profile of gene expression, microRNA (miRNA) and DNA methylation were detected through high-throughput sequencing. Compared with control group, the expression of 826 genes and 187 miRNAs changed significantly in MC-LR treated group. DNA methylation sequencing analysis showed that 2592 CpG sites differentially methylated in promoter or the coding DNA sequence (CDS) of genes, while DNA methyltransferase 3 alpha (DNMT3a) and DNA methyltransferase 3 beta (DNMT3b) were dramatically up-regulated. Functional analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis showed that significantly changed mRNAs and microRNAs were mainly involved in the formation of cancer, proliferation, invasion, migration and metabolism. MiRNA-mRNA network and mRNA-mRNA network analysis showed that hsa-miR-320a, hsa-miR-331-3p, hsa-miR-26a-5p, hsa-miR-196a-5p, hsa-miR-221-3p, coiled-coil domain containing 180 (CCDC180), melanoma antigen gene family member D1 (MAGED1), membrane spanning 4-domains A7 (MS4A7), hephaestin like 1 (HEPHL1), BH3 (Bcl-2 homology 3)-like motif containing, cell death inducer (BLID), matrix metallopeptidase 13 (MMP13), guanylate binding protein 5 (GBP5), adipogenesis regulatory factor (ADIRF), formin homology 2 domain containing 1 (FHDC1), protein kinase CAMP-dependent type II regulatory subunit beta (PRKAR2B), nodium leak channel, non-selective (NALCN), myosin light chain kinase 3 (MYLK3), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and zinc finger protein 704 (ZNF704) were key miRNAs and genes in the malignant transformation induced by MC-LR in L02 cells. Moreover, we found that expression of MYLK3, EGFR and ZNF704 were regulated by DNA methylation and miRNAs, and these genes affected the cell cycle and cell division. Our study suggested that characteristic gene alterations regulated by DNA methylation and miRNA could play an important role in environmental MC-LR induced hepatic carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Qiang Chen
- Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, PR China
| | - Ji Zhao
- Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, PR China; College of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, PR China
| | - Yan Li
- Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, PR China; The Calmette International Hospital, Kunming 650224, PR China
| | - Li-Xiong He
- Department of Environmental Hygiene, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, PR China
| | - Yu-Jing Huang
- Department of Environmental Hygiene, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, PR China
| | - Wei-Qun Shu
- Department of Environmental Hygiene, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, PR China
| | - Jia Cao
- Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, PR China
| | - Wen-Bin Liu
- Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, PR China.
| | - Jin-Yi Liu
- Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, PR China.
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19
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Non-coding RNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma: molecular functions and pathological implications. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2018; 15:137-151. [PMID: 29317776 DOI: 10.1038/nrgastro.2017.169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 314] [Impact Index Per Article: 52.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading lethal malignancy worldwide. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying liver carcinogenesis remain poorly understood. Over the past two decades, overwhelming evidence has demonstrated the regulatory roles of different classes of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in liver carcinogenesis related to a number of aetiologies, including HBV, HCV and NAFLD. Among the ncRNAs, microRNAs, which belong to a distinct class of small ncRNAs, have been proven to play a crucial role in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. Deregulation of microRNAs has been broadly implicated in the inactivation of tumour-suppressor genes and activation of oncogenes in HCC. Modern high-throughput sequencing analyses have unprecedentedly identified a very large number of non-coding transcripts. Divergent groups of long ncRNAs have been implicated in liver carcinogenesis through interactions with DNA, RNA or proteins. Overall, ncRNAs represent a burgeoning field of cancer research, and we are only beginning to understand the importance and complicity of the ncRNAs in liver carcinogenesis. In this Review, we summarize the common deregulation of small and long ncRNAs in human HCC. We also comprehensively review the pathological roles of ncRNAs in liver carcinogenesis, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and HCC metastasis and discuss the potential applications of ncRNAs as diagnostic tools and therapeutic targets in human HCC.
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20
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Tsirulnikov K, Duarte S, Ray A, Datta N, Zarrinpar A, Hwang L, Faull K, Pushkin A, Kurtz I. Aminoacylase 3 Is a New Potential Marker and Therapeutic Target in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. J Cancer 2018; 9:1-12. [PMID: 29290764 PMCID: PMC5743706 DOI: 10.7150/jca.21747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Ras proteins (HRas, KRas and NRas) are common oncogenes that require membrane association for activation. Previous approaches to block/inhibit Ras membrane association were unsuccessful for cancer treatment in human clinical studies. In the present study we utilized a new approach to decrease Ras membrane association in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines via inhibition of an enzyme aminoacylase 3 (AA3; EC 3.5.1.114). AA3 expression was significantly elevated in the livers of HCC patients and HCC cell lines. Treatment of HepG2 cells with AA3 inhibitors, and HepG2 and HuH7 with AA3 siRNA significantly decreased Ras membrane association and was toxic to these HCC cell lines. AA3 inhibitors also increased the levels of N-acetylfarnesylcysteine (NAFC) and N-acetylgeranylgeranylcysteine (NAGGC) in HepG2 and Huh7 cell lines. We hypothesized that AA3 deacetylates NAFC and NAGGC, and generated farnesylcysteine (FC) and geranylgeranylcysteine (GGC) that are used in HCC cells for the regeneration of farnesylpyrophosphate and geranylgeranylpyrophosphate providing the prenyl (farnesyl or geranylgeranyl) group for Ras prenylation required for Ras membrane association. This was confirmed experimentally where purified human AA3 was capable of efficiently deacetylating NAFC and NAGGC. Our findings suggest that AA3 inhibition may be an effective approach in the therapy of HCC and that elevated AA3 expression in HCC is potentially an important diagnostic marker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirill Tsirulnikov
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, D. Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sergio Duarte
- Dumont-UCLA Transplant Center, D. Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Anamika Ray
- Department of Surgery, D. Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Current address: InnoSense LLC, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Nakul Datta
- Department of Surgery, D. Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ali Zarrinpar
- Department of Surgery, D. Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Current address: Division of Transplantation and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Lin Hwang
- Pasarow Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kym Faull
- Pasarow Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Brain Research Institute, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Alexander Pushkin
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, D. Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ira Kurtz
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, D. Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Brain Research Institute, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Histone methyltransferase G9a promotes liver cancer development by epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor gene RARRES3. J Hepatol 2017; 67:758-769. [PMID: 28532996 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2017.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Revised: 04/29/2017] [Accepted: 05/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Epigenetic deregulation is a common trait of human HCC. G9s is an important epigenetics regulator however, its role in liver carcinogenesis remains to be investigated. METHODS Gene expressions were determined by RNA-Seq and qRT-PCR. G9a knockdown and knockout cell lines were established by lentiviral-based shRNA and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system. Tumor-promoting functions of G9a was studied in both HCC cell lines and nude mice model. The downstream targets of G9a were identified by RNA-Seq and confirmed by ChIP assay. The therapeutic value of G9a inhibitors was evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS We identified G9a as a frequently upregulated histone methyltransferase in human HCCs. Upregulation of G9a was significantly associated with HCC progression and aggressive clinicopathological features. Functionally, we demonstrated that inactivation of G9a by RNAi knockdown, CRISPR/Cas9 knockout, and pharmacological inhibition remarkably abolished H3K9 di-methylation and suppressed HCC cell proliferation and metastasis in both in vitro and in vivo models. Mechanistically, we showed that the frequent upregulation of G9a in human HCCs was attributed to gene copy number gain at chromosome 6p21. In addition, we identified miR-1 as a negative regulator of G9a. Loss of miR-1 relieved the post-transcriptional repression on G9a and contributed to its upregulation in human HCC. Utilizing RNA sequencing, we identified the tumor suppressor RARRES3 as a critical target of G9a. Epigenetic silencing of RARRES3 contributed to the tumor-promoting function of G9a. CONCLUSION This study shows a frequent deregulation of miR-1/G9a/RARRES3 axis in liver carcinogenesis, highlighting the pathological significance of G9a and its therapeutic potential in HCC treatment. Lay summary: In this study, we identified G9a histone methyltransferase was frequently upregulated in human HCC and contributes to epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor gene RARRES3 in liver cancer. Targeting G9a may be a novel approach for HCC treatment.
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Fu S, Li N, Zhou PC, Huang Y, Zhou RR, Fan XG. Detection of HBV DNA and antigens in HBsAg-positive patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol 2017; 41:415-423. [PMID: 28286056 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinre.2017.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2016] [Revised: 12/16/2016] [Accepted: 01/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers include HBV deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and HBV antigens. The former involves HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) as well as total HBV DNA, whereas the latter involves HBsAg, HBcAg, and HBx. METHODS Samples of tumor and adjacent non-tumor liver tissue were collected from 28 HBV-associated HCC patients. Intrahepatic total HBV DNA and cccDNA were measured using the real-time PCR Taqman assay. HBV antigens in hepatocytes were detected using immunohistochemical staining. Intrahepatic levels of total HBV DNA or cccDNA in HCC patients with different intrahepatic HBV antigen expression patterns were compared, and the correlation between serum HBV DNA and intrahepatic HBV DNA was analyzed. RESULTS No significant differences in intrahepatic cccDNA levels were observed between tumor and non-tumor liver tissue (median -3.00 vs. -2.30 log copies/cell, P=0.298). However, the tumor tissue had significantly higher levels of total HBV DNA (median -0.60 vs. -1.24 log copies/cell, P=0.045) but significantly lower proportion of intrahepatic HBV DNA in the form of cccDNA (median 0.25% vs. 4%, P=0.023) than the corresponding values in the non-tumor tissue. Also, HBV antigen levels were lower in the tumor tissue than in the non-tumor tissue. Analysis of the correlation between serum HBV DNA and intrahepatic HBV DNA indicated that the viral status in the tumor tissue was more complicated in HBV-HCC patients-the detected serum HBV DNA failed to accurately reflect intrahepatic viral load. CONCLUSION HBV DNA may play an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis, and cccDNA was not the predominant form of HBV DNA in the tumor tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sha Fu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, PO Box 410008, Changsha, China
| | - Ning Li
- Department of Blood Transfusion, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Peng-Cheng Zhou
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, PO Box 410008, Changsha, China
| | - Yan Huang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, PO Box 410008, Changsha, China
| | - Rong-Rong Zhou
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, PO Box 410008, Changsha, China.
| | - Xue-Gong Fan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, PO Box 410008, Changsha, China.
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Yahya SMM, Fathy SA, El-Khayat ZA, El-Toukhy SE, Hamed AR, Hegazy MGA, Nabih HK. Possible Role of microRNA-122 in Modulating Multidrug Resistance of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Indian J Clin Biochem 2017; 33:21-30. [PMID: 29371766 DOI: 10.1007/s12291-017-0651-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a hypervascular primary liver cancer characterized by rapid progression, besides, resistance to traditional chemotherapeutic agents. It has been shown that microRNAs play critical roles in regulation of tumor cell sensitivity to drugs through modulating the expression of genes involved in drug transport. The present study investigated whether restoration of miR-122 in HCC cells could alter the cell cycle distribution and the expression of multidrug resistance (MDR)-related genes (ABCB1, ABCC1, ABCG2 and ABCF2). After overexpression of miR-122 in HepG2 cells treated or untreated with doxorubicin doses, total RNAs and protein extracts were isolated for application of QRT-PCR and western blotting techniques. Moreover, cell cycle distribution was monitored by flow cytometry. Our results revealed that, the over expression of miR-122 in HepG2 cells treated or untreated with doxorubicin could modulate the sensitivity of cells to chemotherapeutic drug through downregulation of MDR-related genes, ABCB1 and ABCF2. Interpretation of cell cycle distribution revealed that, the anti-proliferative effect of miR-122 is associated with the accumulation of cells in G0/G1 phase. Moreover, treatment with miR-122 and doxorubicin resulted in high percentage of HCC cells in G0/G1 phase. Taken together, our findings revealed that, overexpression of miR-122 inhibited HCC cell growth by inducing cell cycle arrest and this arrest is associated with down-regulation of MDR-related genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaymaa M M Yahya
- 1Hormones Department, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, 12622 Egypt
| | - Shadia A Fathy
- 2Biochemistry Department, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | | | - Ahmed R Hamed
- 4Pharmaceutical Research Group, Center of Excellence for Advanced Sciences and Phytochemistry Department National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
| | | | - Heba K Nabih
- 3Medical Biochemistry Department, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
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24
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Zhang ZY, Chen LL, Xu W, Sigdel K, Jiang XT. Effects of silencing endothelin-1 on invasion and vascular formation in lung cancer. Oncol Lett 2017; 13:4390-4396. [PMID: 28599441 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2017.6027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Endothelin-1 (ET-1), which exists not only in the vascular endothelium but is also widely present in various tissues and cells, is an important cardiovascular regulatory factor that serves an important role in maintaining the basal vascular tone and homeostasis in the cardiovascular system. In the present study, the ET-1 gene was silenced by RNA interference, and the effects on lung cancer cell proliferation and tumor cell invasion were then detected by Cell Counting kit-8 and Transwell assays. In addition, the expression of apoptosis, growth and invasion-associated proteins, including RhoA/C, vascular endothelial growth factor, pigment epithelium-derived factor, AKT, E-cadherin and cyclooxygenase-2 was evaluated by western blotting upon silencing ET-1. In the present study, Endostar, a recombinant human endostatin injectable drug, was also used, and it was assessed whether the sensitivity of tumor cells to this drug could be increased by silencing ET-1. Both in vivo and in vivo tests were carried out in the present study. The experimental data indicated that ET-1 silencing can inhibit tumor cell proliferation and invasion, particularly in the presence of Endostar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen-Yu Zhang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361004, P.R. China
| | - Li-Li Chen
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361004, P.R. China
| | - Wei Xu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361004, P.R. China
| | - Keshavraj Sigdel
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361004, P.R. China
| | - Xing-Tang Jiang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361004, P.R. China
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25
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Moreira AJ, Rodrigues GR, Bona S, Fratta LXS, Weber GR, Picada JN, Dos Santos JL, Cerski CT, Marroni CA, Marroni NP. Ductular reaction, cytokeratin 7 positivity, and gamma-glutamyl transferase in multistage hepatocarcinogenesis in rats. PROTOPLASMA 2017; 254:911-920. [PMID: 27525410 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-016-1000-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignancy of the liver and is characterized by multistage formation. The presence of ductular reaction, cytokeratin 7 positivity (PCK7), and increased levels of gamma glutamyltransferase (γGT) has been observed during liver carcinogenesis and contribute to tumor progression. Our goal was to evaluate the ductular reaction in multistage carcinogenesis and to correlate PCK7 and γGT levels with tumor incidence, histological characteristics, liver DNA damage index, and the expression of oxidative stress proteins. HCC was induced in 24 male Wistar rats weighing 145-150 g by chronic and intermittent exposure to 50 or 100 mg/kg diethylnitrosamine (DEN). Six control animals received only vehicle. Blood was collected to determine hepatic enzyme levels. Animals were divided into three groups: control (CO), precancerous lesions (PL), and advanced HCC. Liver samples were obtained for immunohistochemical analyses and the measurement of protein expression. Statistical analyses included Tukey's test and Pearson's correlation analyses. We observed an extensive ductular reaction in advanced HCC and a strong correlation between PCK7 and levels of γGT and the poor prognosis and aggressiveness of HCC. The extent of PCK7 and high γGT levels were associated with overexpression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and heat shock factor protein 1 (HSF-1). However, PCK7 and γGT levels were negatively correlated with protein expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) and inducible heat shock protein 70 (iHSP70). These findings suggest that ductular reaction is involved in the progression of multistage hepatocarcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Janz Moreira
- Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2400, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Department of Biological Sciences: Physiology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Department of Physical Therapy of Porto Alegre Institute, IPA, Rua Joaquim Pedro Salgado, 80, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Graziella Ramos Rodrigues
- Gene Therapy Center, Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2400, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Silvia Bona
- Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2400, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Leila Xavier Sinigaglia Fratta
- Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2400, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Giovana Regina Weber
- Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2400, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Jaqueline Nascimento Picada
- Program in Cell and Molecular Biology Applied to Health, Universidade Luterana do Brasil, Av. Farroupilha, 8001, Canoas, Brazil
| | - Jorge Luiz Dos Santos
- Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2400, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Pediatric Hepatology Unit, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2400, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Carlos Thadeu Cerski
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Claudio Augusto Marroni
- Program in Liver Diseases, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Rua Sarmento Leite, 245, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Norma Possa Marroni
- Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2400, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
- Department of Biological Sciences: Physiology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
- Program in Cell and Molecular Biology Applied to Health, Universidade Luterana do Brasil, Av. Farroupilha, 8001, Canoas, Brazil.
- , Rua José Kanan Aranha 102, 91760-470, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
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26
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Yang Y, Wang JB, Li YM, Zhao YU, Wang R, Wu Q, Zheng RS, Ou YR. Role of IL-33 expression in oncogenesis and development of human hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncol Lett 2016; 12:429-436. [PMID: 27347162 PMCID: PMC4906799 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2016.4622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2015] [Accepted: 04/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Interleukin-33 (IL-33), a newly-discovered cytokine belonging to the IL-1 family, serves an important role in inflammation. However, it is not clear whether IL-33 is of clinical significance in hepatocarcinogenesis. The present study was designed to investigate the role of IL-33 during oncogenesis and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). IL-33 protein expression was detected in 76 HCC (including 36 para-carcinoma), 33 cirrhosis, 30 hepatitis, and 20 normal liver tissues using immunohistochemistry. IL-33 mRNA expression in carcinoma and para-carcinoma tissues was evaluated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The possible correlation between IL-33 and clinicopathological parameters of HCC was also analyzed. Significant differences in IL-33 expression were not observed among normal, hepatic, and cirrhotic tissues (P>0.05), whereas the level of protein positive rate was markedly reduced in HCC tissues (P<0.01). Positive staining of IL-33 in non-cancerous liver (NCL) tissues (i.e. normal, hepatitis, and liver cirrhosis) was located predominantly in the nucleus and occasionally in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes; however, the expression in HCC tissues was mostly restricted to the cytoplasm. A significant alteration in protein localization was observed in HCC tissues as compared with NCL tissues (P<0.01). In comparison with HCC tissues, cytoplasmic staining of IL-33 was increased in para-carcinoma tissues. RT-PCR assay further confirmed relatively high mRNA expression levels of IL-33 in para-carcinoma tissues. IL-33 expression was significantly negatively associated with tumor histological grade (r=−0.279, P=0.015), but not with year, gender, tumor size, clinical stage, HCC with hepatitis and cirrhosis background, lymph node metastasis or intrahepatic vascular embolism (P>0.05). Therefore, the aberrant expression of IL-33 is associated with oncogenesis and progression of HCC and the cytoplasmic accumulation of the protein may serve a role in hepatocarcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Yang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui 233004, P.R. China
| | - Jun-Bin Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui 233004, P.R. China
| | - Yu-Mei Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui 233004, P.R. China
| | - Y U Zhao
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui 233004, P.R. China
| | - Rui Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui 233004, P.R. China
| | - Qiong Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui 233004, P.R. China
| | - Rong-Sheng Zheng
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui 233004, P.R. China
| | - Yu-Rong Ou
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui 233004, P.R. China
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27
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Ou D, Yang H, Hua D, Xiao S, Yang L. Novel roles of TMEM100: inhibition metastasis and proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncotarget 2016; 6:17379-90. [PMID: 25978032 PMCID: PMC4627315 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.3954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2015] [Accepted: 04/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Transmembrane protein 100 (TMEM100) was activated by ALK1/TGF-β signaling. We found that TMEM100 was decreased in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and in highly metastatic cell lines. Overexpressed of TMEM100 inhibited invasion, migration and proliferation. Low levels of TMEM100 were associated with cirrhosis, tumor size, Tumor nodule number, TNM stage, BCLC stage, Edmondson-Steiner Stage and vein invasion. Furthermore, TMEM100 was an independent risk factor for overall survival (P = 0.03) and disease-free survival (P = 0.019). The current findings suggest that TMEM100 functions as a tumor suppressor in HCC metastasis and proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipeng Ou
- Department of Geratic Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Hao Yang
- Department of Geratic Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Dong Hua
- Department of Geratic Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Shuai Xiao
- Department of Geratic Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Lianyue Yang
- Department of Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,Liver Cancer Laboratory, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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28
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Elhamamsy AR. DNA methylation dynamics in plants and mammals: overview of regulation and dysregulation. Cell Biochem Funct 2016; 34:289-98. [PMID: 27003927 DOI: 10.1002/cbf.3183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2015] [Revised: 02/18/2016] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
DNA methylation is a major epigenetic marking mechanism regulating various biological functions in mammals and plant. The crucial role of DNA methylation has been observed in cellular differentiation, embryogenesis, genomic imprinting and X-chromosome inactivation. Furthermore, DNA methylation takes part in disease susceptibility, responses to environmental stimuli and the biodiversity of natural populations. In plant, different types of environmental stress have demonstrated the ability to alter the archetype of DNA methylation through the genome, change gene expression and confer a mechanism of adaptation. DNA methylation dynamics are regulated by three processes de novo DNA methylation, methylation maintenance and DNA demethylation. These processes have their similarities and differences between mammals and plants. Furthermore, the dysregulation of DNA methylation dynamics represents one of the primary molecular mechanisms of developing diseases in mammals. This review discusses the regulation and dysregulation of DNA methylation in plants and mammals. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amr Rafat Elhamamsy
- Clinical Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
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29
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Tamori A, Murakami Y, Kubo S, Itami S, Uchida-Kobayashi S, Morikawa H, Enomoto M, Takemura S, Tanahashi T, Taguchi YH, Kawada N. MicroRNA expression in hepatocellular carcinoma after the eradication of chronic hepatitis virus C infection using interferon therapy. Hepatol Res 2016; 46:E26-35. [PMID: 25788219 DOI: 10.1111/hepr.12518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2014] [Revised: 02/18/2015] [Accepted: 03/11/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
AIM Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) develops in up to 5% of patients after the successful treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection using interferon therapy. The aim of this study was to characterize miRNA expression in liver tissues from patients who achieved a sustained viral response (SVR). METHODS Seventy-one patients with resected HCC were enrolled into the present study: 61 HCC from patients with continuously infected HCV (HCV-HCC) and 10 from patients who had achieved SVR (SVR-HCC). We also included non-tumor tissues (SVR-NT) from four patients with SVR-HCC, and liver tissue (SVR-CH) from four SVR patients without HCC. Total RNA was extracted from liver samples. The miRNA expression patterns were analyzed using microarrays. In addition, target gene expression was quantified after miRNA overexpression in HEK293 cells. RESULTS We could discriminate between SVR-HCC and HCV-HCC with 75.36% accuracy using the expression pattern of six specific miRNA. The expression levels of 37 miRNA were significantly lower in HCV-HCC than in SVR-HCC, whereas the expression of 25 miRNA was significantly higher in HCV-HCC than SVR-HCC (P < 1.0E-05). The expression of thrombospondin 1 was regulated in an opposing manner by miR-30a-3p in SVR-HCC and HCV-HCC. In non-tumor tissues, the expression pattern of seven miRNA could distinguish between SVR-CH and SVR-NT with 87.50% accuracy. CONCLUSION Comprehensive miRNA expression analyses could not only differentiate between SVR-HCC and HCV-HCC but also forecast hepatocarcinogenesis after achieving SVR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiro Tamori
- Department of Hepatology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine
| | - Yoshiki Murakami
- Department of Hepatology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine
| | - Shoji Kubo
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka
| | - Saori Itami
- Department of Hepatology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine
| | | | - Hiroyasu Morikawa
- Department of Hepatology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine
| | - Masaru Enomoto
- Department of Hepatology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine
| | - Shigekazu Takemura
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka
| | | | - Y-H Taguchi
- Department of Physics, Chuo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Norifumi Kawada
- Department of Hepatology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine
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30
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Hepatitis B virus-human chimeric transcript HBx-LINE1 promotes hepatic injury via sequestering cellular microRNA-122. J Hepatol 2016; 64:278-291. [PMID: 26409216 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2015.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2015] [Revised: 09/04/2015] [Accepted: 09/13/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers have a high risk to develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Recent studies suggest that viral-human hybrid RNA transcripts, which play a critical role in promoting HCC progression, may be the molecules responsible for the development of HCC in HBV infected patients. Here we determine whether HBx-LINE1, a hybrid RNA transcript of the human LINE1 and the HBV-encoded X gene generated in tumor cells of HBV-positive HCC, can serve as a molecular sponge for sequestering miR-122 and promoting liver cell abnormal mitosis and mouse hepatic injury. METHODS Paired tumor and distal normal liver tissue specimens, as well as HBx-LINE1 overexpressing hepatic cells, were used to test the relationship between HBx-LINE1 and miR-122. Levels of HBx-LINE1 and miR-122 were assayed by qRT-PCR and Northern blot. HBx-LINE1-miR-122 binding was analyzed by luciferase reporter assay. Mouse hepatic injury was monitored by tissue staining and serum aspartate transaminase, alanine aminotransferase and total bilirubin measurement. RESULTS HBx-LINE1 in HBV-positive HCC tissues was inversely correlated with miR-122. Each HBx-LINE1 consists of six miR-122-binding sites, and forced expression of HBx-LINE1 effectively depleted cellular miR-122, promoting hepatic cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like changes, including β-catenin signaling activation, E-cadherin reduction and cell migration enhancement. Mice administered with HBx-LINE1 display a significant mouse liver cell abnormal mitosis and hepatic injury. However, all these effects of HBx-LINE1 are completely abolished by miR-122. CONCLUSIONS Our finding illustrates a previously uncharacterized miR-122-sequestering mechanism by which HBx-LINE1 promotes hepatic cell EMT-like changes and mouse liver injury.
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Yuan SX, Wang J, Yang F, Tao QF, Zhang J, Wang LL, Yang Y, Liu H, Wang ZG, Xu QG, Fan J, Liu L, Sun SH, Zhou WP. Long noncoding RNA DANCR increases stemness features of hepatocellular carcinoma by derepression of CTNNB1. Hepatology 2016; 63:499-511. [PMID: 25964079 DOI: 10.1002/hep.27893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 305] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2014] [Accepted: 05/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Tumor cells with stemness (stem-cell) features contribute to initiation and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but involvement of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) remains largely unclear. Genome-wide analyses were applied to identify tumor-associated lncRNA-DANCR. DANCR expression level and prognostic values of DANCR were assayed in two HCC cohorts (China and Korea, n = 135 and 223). Artificial modulation of DANCR (down- and overexpression) was done to explore the role of DANCR in tumorigenesis and colonization, and tumor-bearing mice were used to determine therapeutic effects. We found that lncRNA-DANCR is overexpressed in stem-like HCC cells, and this can serve as a prognostic biomarker for HCC patients. Experiments showed that DANCR markedly increased stemness features of HCC cells to promote tumorigenesis and intra-/extrahepatic tumor colonization. Conversely, DANCR knockdown attenuated the stem-cell properties and in vivo interference with DANCR action led to decreased tumor cell vitality, tumor shrinkage, and improved mouse survival. Additionally, we found that the role of DANCR relied largely on an association with, and regulation of, CTNNB1. Association of DANCR with CTNNB1 blocked the repressing effect of microRNA (miR)-214, miR-320a, and miR-199a on CTNNB1. This observation was confirmed in vivo, suggesting a novel mechanism of tumorigenesis involving lncRNAs, messenger RNAs, and microRNAs. CONCLUSIONS These studies reveal a significance and mechanism of DANCR action in increasing stemness features and offer a potential prognostic marker and a therapeutic target for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng-xian Yuan
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Fu Yang
- Department of Medical Genetics, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qi-fei Tao
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Li-li Wang
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan Yang
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui Liu
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhen-guang Wang
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qing-guo Xu
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jia Fan
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital and Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Lei Liu
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shu-han Sun
- Department of Medical Genetics, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei-ping Zhou
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
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32
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Wong CM, Wei L, Law CT, Ho DWH, Tsang FHC, Au SLK, Sze KMF, Lee JMF, Wong CCL, Ng IOL. Up-regulation of histone methyltransferase SETDB1 by multiple mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma promotes cancer metastasis. Hepatology 2016; 63:474-87. [PMID: 26481868 DOI: 10.1002/hep.28304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2015] [Accepted: 10/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Epigenetic deregulation plays an important role in liver carcinogenesis. Using transcriptome sequencing, we examined the expression of 591 epigenetic regulators in hepatitis B-associated human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We found that aberrant expression of epigenetic regulators was a common event in HCC. We further identified SETDB1 (SET domain, bifurcated 1), an H3K9-specific histone methyltransferase, as the most significantly up-regulated epigenetic regulator in human HCCs. Up-regulation of SETDB1 was significantly associated with HCC disease progression, cancer aggressiveness, and poorer prognosis of HCC patients. Functionally, we showed that knockdown of SETDB1 reduced HCC cell proliferation in vitro and suppressed orthotopic tumorigenicity in vivo. Inactivation of SETDB1 also impeded HCC cell migration and abolished lung metastasis in nude mice. Interestingly, SETDB1 protein was consistently up-regulated in all metastatic foci found in different organs, suggesting that SETDB1 was essential for HCC metastatic progression. Mechanistically, we showed that the frequent up-regulation of SETDB1 in human HCC was attributed to the recurrent SETDB1 gene copy gain at chromosome 1q21. In addition, hyperactivation of specificity protein 1 transcription factor in HCC enhanced SETDB1 expression at the transcriptional level. Furthermore, we identified miR-29 as a negative regulator of SETDB1. Down-regulation of miR-29 expression in human HCC contributed to SETDB1 up-regulation by relieving its post-transcriptional regulation. CONCLUSION SETDB1 is an oncogene that is frequently up-regulated in human HCCs; the multiplicity of SETDB1 activating mechanisms at the chromosomal, transcriptional, and posttranscriptional levels together facilitates SETDB1 up-regulation in human HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Ming Wong
- State Key Laboratory for Liver Research and Department of Pathology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Lai Wei
- State Key Laboratory for Liver Research and Department of Pathology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Cheuk-Ting Law
- State Key Laboratory for Liver Research and Department of Pathology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Daniel Wai-Hung Ho
- State Key Laboratory for Liver Research and Department of Pathology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Felice Ho-Ching Tsang
- State Key Laboratory for Liver Research and Department of Pathology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Sandy Leung-Kuen Au
- State Key Laboratory for Liver Research and Department of Pathology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Karen Man-Fong Sze
- State Key Laboratory for Liver Research and Department of Pathology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Joyce Man-Fong Lee
- State Key Laboratory for Liver Research and Department of Pathology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Carmen Chak-Lui Wong
- State Key Laboratory for Liver Research and Department of Pathology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Irene Oi-Lin Ng
- State Key Laboratory for Liver Research and Department of Pathology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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Baek S, Cho KJ, Ju HL, Moon H, Choi SH, Chung SI, Park JY, Choi KH, Kim DY, Ahn SH, Han KH, Ro SW. Analysis of miRNA expression patterns in human and mouse hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Hepatol Res 2015; 45:1331-40. [PMID: 25704452 DOI: 10.1111/hepr.12510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2014] [Revised: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 02/17/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
AIM Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most common malignancies in adults displays aberrant miRNA expression during its pathogenesis. We assessed expression of miRNA in surgically resected human HCC of an early stage and murine HCC with a high malignancy in order to find miRNA overexpressed in HCC regardless of tumor stage and underlying etiology. Further, the role of the deregulated miRNA in HCC pathogenesis was investigated. METHODS miRNA were isolated from HCC tissues and surrounding non-tumorous tissues from HCC patients and a murine transgenic model of HCC. A quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was performed to determine expression levels of miRNA. Human HCC cell lines stably expressing individual miRNA were generated to investigate the biological function of overexpressed miRNA. RESULTS We found that levels of miR-221, -181b-1, -155-5p, -25 and -17-5p were significantly upregulated in both human and murine HCC regardless of tumor stage, underlying etiology or the presence of fibrosis. Using HCC cell lines stably expressing respective miRNA, we found that miR-221 increased the proliferation of hepatoma cells, while miR-17-5p induced cell migration. CONCLUSION We identified miRNA that are consistently upregulated in HCC. The overexpressed miRNA could potentially be used as a bona fide biomarker for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinhwa Baek
- Liver Cirrhosis Clinical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kyung Joo Cho
- Liver Cirrhosis Clinical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hye-Lim Ju
- Liver Cirrhosis Clinical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyuk Moon
- Liver Cirrhosis Clinical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sung Hoon Choi
- Liver Cirrhosis Clinical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sook In Chung
- Liver Cirrhosis Clinical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jun Yong Park
- Liver Cirrhosis Clinical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Ki Hong Choi
- Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Do Young Kim
- Liver Cirrhosis Clinical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sang Hoon Ahn
- Liver Cirrhosis Clinical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kwang-Hyub Han
- Liver Cirrhosis Clinical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Simon Weonsang Ro
- Liver Cirrhosis Clinical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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Gene Network Analysis of Glucose Linked Signaling Pathways and Their Role in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Growth and Survival in HuH7 and HepG2 Cell Lines. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:821761. [PMID: 26380295 PMCID: PMC4561296 DOI: 10.1155/2015/821761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2015] [Accepted: 03/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cancer progression may be affected by metabolism. In this study, we aimed to analyze the effect of glucose on the proliferation and/or survival of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Human gene datasets regulated by glucose were compared to gene datasets either dysregulated in HCC or regulated by other signaling pathways. Significant numbers of common genes suggested putative involvement in transcriptional regulations by glucose. Real-time proliferation assays using high (4.5 g/L) versus low (1 g/L) glucose on two human HCC cell lines and specific inhibitors of selected pathways were used for experimental validations. High glucose promoted HuH7 cell proliferation but not that of HepG2 cell line. Gene network analyses suggest that gene transcription by glucose could be mediated at 92% through ChREBP in HepG2 cells, compared to 40% in either other human cells or rodent healthy liver, with alteration of LKB1 (serine/threonine kinase 11) and NOX (NADPH oxidases) signaling pathways and loss of transcriptional regulation of PPARGC1A (peroxisome-proliferator activated receptors gamma coactivator 1) target genes by high glucose. Both PPARA and PPARGC1A regulate transcription of genes commonly regulated by glycolysis, by the antidiabetic agent metformin and by NOX, suggesting their major interplay in the control of HCC progression.
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Facciorusso A, Licinio R, Carr BI, Di Leo A, Barone M. MEK 1/2 inhibitors in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2015; 9:993-1003. [PMID: 25915713 DOI: 10.1586/17474124.2015.1040763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Sorafenib is the only approved systemic treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients and all the recently published randomized controlled trials on new systemic drugs have been unsuccessful. This is likely due to a lack of understanding of tumor progression, molecular drivers, and liver toxicity, as well as flaws in trial design. An important signaling pathway in hepatocarcinogenesis is the MEK cascade involved in various cellular responses, including adaptation and survival. A key role in this cascade is played by MEK, of which MEK 1/2 represent the prototypes and an interesting target for new oncological drugs. This review analyzes recent developments and future perspectives on the role of MEK inhibitors in hepatocellular carcinoma treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Facciorusso
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, Ospedali Riuniti Foggia, Italy
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Lyra-González I, Flores-Fong LE, González-García I, Medina-Preciado D, Armendáriz-Borunda J. MicroRNAs dysregulation in hepatocellular carcinoma: Insights in genomic medicine. World J Hepatol 2015; 7:1530-1540. [PMID: 26085912 PMCID: PMC4462691 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v7.i11.1530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2014] [Revised: 12/22/2014] [Accepted: 05/11/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the leading primary liver cancer and its clinical outcome is still poor. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have demonstrated an interesting potential to regulate gene expression at post-transcriptional level. Current findings suggest that miRNAs deregulation in cancer is caused by genetic and/or epigenetic, transcriptional and post-transcriptional modifications resulting in abnormal expression and hallmarks of malignant transformation: aberrant cell growth, cell death, differentiation, angiogenesis, invasion and metástasis. The important role of miRNAs in the development and progression of HCC has increased the efforts to understand and develop mechanisms of control overt this single-stranded RNAs. Several studies have analyzed tumoral response to the regulation and control of deregulated miRNAs with good results in vitro and in vivo, proving that targeting aberrant expression of miRNAs is a powerful anticancer therapeutic. Identification of up and/or down regulated miRNAs related to HCC has led to the discovery of new potential application for detection of their presence in the affected organism. MiRNAs represent a relevant new target for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment in a wide variety of pathologic entities, including HCC. This manuscript intends to summarize current knowledge regarding miRNAs and their role in HCC development.
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Hao PP, Li H, Lee MJ, Wang YP, Kim JH, Yu GR, Lee SY, Leem SH, Jang KY, Kim DG. Disruption of a regulatory loop between DUSP1 and p53 contributes to hepatocellular carcinoma development and progression. J Hepatol 2015; 62:1278-86. [PMID: 25617504 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2014.12.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2014] [Revised: 12/04/2014] [Accepted: 12/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Altered expression of dual specificity phosphatase 1 (DUSP1) is common in tumors including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and is predictive of tumor progression and poor prognosis. However, the tumor suppressive role of DUSP1 has yet to be clearly elucidated. METHODS The molecular mechanisms of tumor suppression that were investigated were induction of apoptosis, cell cycle inhibition, and regulation of p53. Additionally, the antitumor effect of DUSP1 was assessed using a mouse model. Associated signaling pathways in HCC cells and tissues were examined. RESULTS Downregulation of DUSP1 expression was significantly correlated with poor differentiation (p<0.001) and advanced HCC stage (p=0.023). DUSP1 expression resulted in HCC suppression and longer survival (p=0.0002) in a xenoplant mice model. DUSP1 inhibited p38 MAPK phosphorylation and subsequently suppressed HSP27 activation, resulting in enhanced p53 phosphorylation at sites S15, S20, and S46 in HCC cells. Enhanced p53 activation induced the expression of target genes p21 and p27, which are linked to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Thus, DUSP1 was potentially linked to p53 activation via the p38 MAPK/HSP27 pathway. Wild-type but not mutant p53 transcriptionally upregulated DUSP1 via its DNA-binding domain. DUSP1 and p53 might collaborate to suppress tumors in hepatocarcinogenesis via a positive regulatory loop. CONCLUSIONS Our results revealed that disruption of a positive regulatory loop between DUSP1 and p53 promoted HCC development and progression, providing a rationale for a therapeutic agent that restores DUSP1 in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Pei Hao
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Research Institute of Clinical Medicine, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Hospital, Jeonju, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Hua Li
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Research Institute of Clinical Medicine, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Hospital, Jeonju, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi-Jin Lee
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Research Institute of Clinical Medicine, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Hospital, Jeonju, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun-Peng Wang
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Research Institute of Clinical Medicine, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Hospital, Jeonju, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Hyun Kim
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Research Institute of Clinical Medicine, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Hospital, Jeonju, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Goung-Ran Yu
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Research Institute of Clinical Medicine, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Hospital, Jeonju, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Yeop Lee
- Division of Life Science Research, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon, 305-806 Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun-Hee Leem
- Department of Biological Science, Dong-A University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyu-Yun Jang
- Department of Pathology, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae-Ghon Kim
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Research Institute of Clinical Medicine, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Hospital, Jeonju, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea.
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Molecular signalling in hepatocellular carcinoma: Role of and crosstalk among WNT/ß-catenin, Sonic Hedgehog, Notch and Dickkopf-1. Can J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2015; 29:209-17. [PMID: 25965442 PMCID: PMC4444031 DOI: 10.1155/2015/172356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. In the majority of cases, there is evidence of existing chronic liver disease from a variety of causes including viral hepatitis B and C, alcoholic liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Identification of the signalling pathways used by hepatocellular carcinoma cells to proliferate, invade or metastasize is of paramount importance in the discovery and implementation of successfully targeted therapies. Activation of Wnt/β-catenin, Notch and Hedgehog pathways play a critical role in regulating liver cell proliferation during development and in controlling crucial functions of the adult liver in the initiation and progression of human cancers. β-catenin was identified as a protein interacting with the cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin at the cell-cell junction, and has been shown to be one of the most important mediators of the Wnt signalling pathway in tumourigenesis. Investigations into the role of Dikkopf-1 in hepatocellular carcinoma have demonstrated controversial results, with a decreased expression of Dickkopf-1 and soluble frizzled-related protein in various cancers on one hand, and as a possible negative prognostic indicator of hepatocellular carcinoma on the other. In the present review, the authors focus on the Wnt⁄β-catenin, Notch and Sonic Hedgehog pathways, and their interaction with Dikkopf-1 in hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Li N, Zheng D, Xue J, Guo W, Shi J, Sun J, Lu C, Zheng W, Wu M, Cheng S. Cidan inhibits liver cancer cell growth by reducing COX-2 and VEGF expression and cell cycle arrest. Exp Ther Med 2015; 9:1709-1718. [PMID: 26136881 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2015.2351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2014] [Accepted: 06/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cidan is a traditional Chinese medicine formula that has been used for >10 years as an antitumor drug. In the present study, the antitumor effect of cidan on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the underlying molecular mechanisms were investigated. A total of 372 patients with primary HCC, as confirmed by pathological examination in the Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital and Beijing Oncology Hospital of Weida TCM, were prospectively enrolled in the study. In total, 92 patients were treated with cidan capsules for three months postoperatively, while 280 patients served as controls. The efficacy of cidan was analyzed by monitoring associated symptoms and liver function tests, including measuring the levels of α-1-fetoprotein, α-L-fucosidase, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and γ-glutamyl transferase. In addition, in vivo analysis was performed using mice Hepa1-6 xenograft models, while in vitro studies were performed with SMMC-7721 and CSQT-1 cells; this included cidan-dependent cell viability and migration assays, cell cycle analyses and the evaluation of cidan effects on cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA transcription rates using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The postoperative two-year overall survival (77 and 58% for the cidan and control groups, respectively; P<0.01) and disease-free survival (36 and 24% for the cidan and control groups, respectively; P<0.01) rates were superior in the cidan-treated group when compared with the control. In addition, the size and weight of the tumor xenografts in the C57BL/6 mice were significantly reduced in a time- and dose-dependent manner following cidan treatment (P<0.01). Cidan significantly reduced the cell viability of SMMC-7721 and CSQT-1 cells after four and five days when compared with the control (P<0.01). Furthermore, COX-2 and VEGF mRNA expression levels decreased following cidan treatment (P<0.01), and cidan treatment resulted in enhanced G1 and G2/M cell cycle arrest of CSQT-1 cells. Therefore, cidan effectively inhibited cell proliferation, reduced cell viability and downregulated COX-2 and VEGF expression levels in hepatoma cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Li
- Department of Hepatic Surgery VI, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, P.R. China
| | - Donghai Zheng
- Beijing Oncology Hospital Of Weida TCM, Beijing 100023, P.R. China
| | - Jie Xue
- Department of Hepatic Surgery VI, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, P.R. China
| | - Weixing Guo
- Department of Hepatic Surgery VI, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, P.R. China
| | - Jie Shi
- Department of Hepatic Surgery VI, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, P.R. China
| | - Juxian Sun
- Department of Hepatic Surgery VI, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, P.R. China
| | - Chongde Lu
- Department of Hepatic Surgery VI, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, P.R. China
| | - Weida Zheng
- Beijing Oncology Hospital Of Weida TCM, Beijing 100023, P.R. China
| | - Mengchao Wu
- Department of Hepatic Surgery VI, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, P.R. China
| | - Shuqun Cheng
- Department of Hepatic Surgery VI, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, P.R. China
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Zhao L, Zhang Y. miR-342-3p affects hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation via regulating NF-κB pathway. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2015; 457:370-7. [PMID: 25580008 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2014.12.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 12/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Recent research indicates that non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) help regulate basic cellular processes in many types of cancer cells. We hypothesized that overexpression of miR-342-3p might affect proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. After confirming overexpression of miR-342-3p with qRT-PCR, MTT assay showed that HCC cell proliferation was significantly inhibited by miR-342-3p, and that it significantly decreased BrdU-positive cell proliferation by nearly sixfold. Searching for targets using three algorithms we found that miR-342-3p is related to the NF-κB pathway and luciferase assay found that IKK-γ, TAB2 and TAB3 are miR-342-3p target genes. Results of western blot on extracted nuclear proteins of HepG2 and HCT-116 cells showed that miR-342-3p reduced and miR-342-3p-in increased p65 nuclear levels and qRT-PCR found that NF-κB pathway downstream genes were downregulated by miR-342-3p and upregulated by miR-342-3p-in, confirming that miR-342 targets NF-κB pathway. Overexpression of Ikk-γ, TAB2 and TAB3 partially rescued HCC cells proliferation inhibited by miR-342-3p. Using the GSE54751 database we evaluated expression from 10 HCC samples, which strongly suggested downregulation of miR-342-3p and we also found inverse expression between miR-342-3p and its targets IKK-γ, TAB2 and TAB3 from 71 HCC samples. Our results show that miR-342-3p has a significant role in HCC cell proliferation and is suitable for investigation of therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Zhao
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin 150086, PR China
| | - Yubao Zhang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin 150086, PR China.
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Zhang H, Li W, Huang P, Lin L, Ye H, Lin D, Koeffler HP, Wang J, Yin D. Expression of CCN family members correlates with the clinical features of hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncol Rep 2015; 33:1481-92. [PMID: 25571929 DOI: 10.3892/or.2015.3709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2014] [Accepted: 12/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies have reported that the CCN family of proteins plays an important role in stimulating tumorigenesis. However, the relationship between the CCN protein family members and the features of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between the expression levels of CCN protein family members and the features of HCC. Expression levels of the CCN family of proteins in 80-paired primary HCC samples and 11 normal liver samples were determined by a quantitative real-time PCR assay. Enhanced expression of nephroblastoma overexpressed protein (NOV) and decreased expression of Wnt-induced secreted protein 1 (WISP1), cysteine-rich protein 61 (CYR61) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) were found in HCC samples when compared to levels in matched non-cancerous tissues. No significant difference in WISP2 was found between matched-pair samples; only a few samples showed WISP3 expression. Furthermore, the expression levels of NOV, WISP1 and CYR61 were closely correlated with certain clinical features, including venous invasion, cellular differentiation, pTNM stage, disease-free survival and overall survival. Our results suggest that HCC progression may be enhanced by NOV and suppressed by WISP1 and CYR61. Our statistical analysis suggests that these proteins may be valuable in determining the prognosis of this deadly disease and directs attention to modulating the levels of these proteins as a potential mode of therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heyun Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, P.R. China
| | - Wenbin Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, P.R. China
| | - Pinbo Huang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, P.R. China
| | - Lehang Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, P.R. China
| | - Hua Ye
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, P.R. China
| | - Dechen Lin
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - H Phillip Koeffler
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Jie Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, P.R. China
| | - Dong Yin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, P.R. China
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Ahmed HH, Khalil WKB, Hamza AH. Molecular mechanisms of Nano-selenium in mitigating hepatocellular carcinoma induced byN-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) in rats. Toxicol Mech Methods 2014; 24:593-602. [DOI: 10.3109/15376516.2014.956912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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Allosteric MEK1/2 inhibitor refametinib (BAY 86-9766) in combination with sorafenib exhibits antitumor activity in preclinical murine and rat models of hepatocellular carcinoma. Neoplasia 2014; 15:1161-71. [PMID: 24204195 DOI: 10.1593/neo.13812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2013] [Revised: 09/09/2013] [Accepted: 09/09/2013] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objectives of the study were to evaluate the allosteric mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitor BAY 86-9766 in monotherapy and in combination with sorafenib in orthotopic and subcutaneous hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) models with different underlying etiologies in two species. DESIGN Antiproliferative potential of BAY 86-9766 and synergistic effects with sorafenib were studied in several HCC cell lines. Relevant pathway signaling was studied in MH3924a cells. For in vivo testing, the HCC cells were implanted subcutaneously or orthotopically. Survival and mode of action (MoA) were analyzed. RESULTS BAY 86-9766 exhibited potent antiproliferative activity in HCC cell lines with half-maximal inhibitory concentration values ranging from 33 to 762 nM. BAY 86-9766 was strongly synergistic with sorafenib in suppressing tumor cell proliferation and inhibiting phosphorylation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). BAY 86-9766 prolonged survival in Hep3B xenografts, murine Hepa129 allografts, and MH3924A rat allografts. Additionally, tumor growth, ascites formation, and serum alpha-fetoprotein levels were reduced. Synergistic effects in combination with sorafenib were shown in Huh-7, Hep3B xenografts, and MH3924A allografts. On the signaling pathway level, the combination of BAY 86-9766 and sorafenib led to inhibition of the upregulatory feedback loop toward MEK phosphorylation observed after BAY 86-9766 monotreatment. With regard to the underlying MoA, inhibition of ERK phosphorylation, tumor cell proliferation, and microvessel density was observed in vivo. CONCLUSION BAY 86-9766 shows potent single-agent antitumor activity and acts synergistically in combination with sorafenib in preclinical HCC models. These results support the ongoing clinical development of BAY 86-9766 and sorafenib in advanced HCC.
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Pivonello C, De Martino MC, Negri M, Cuomo G, Cariati F, Izzo F, Colao A, Pivonello R. The GH-IGF-SST system in hepatocellular carcinoma: biological and molecular pathogenetic mechanisms and therapeutic targets. Infect Agent Cancer 2014; 9:27. [PMID: 25225571 PMCID: PMC4164328 DOI: 10.1186/1750-9378-9-27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2012] [Accepted: 06/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common malignancy worldwide. Different signalling pathways have been identified to be implicated in the pathogenesis of HCC; among these, GH, IGF and somatostatin (SST) pathways have emerged as some of the major pathways implicated in the development of HCC. Physiologically, GH-IGF-SST system plays a crucial role in liver growth and development since GH induces IGF1 and IGF2 secretion and the expression of their receptors, involved in hepatocytes cell proliferation, differentiation and metabolism. On the other hand, somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) are exclusively present on the biliary tract. Importantly, the GH-IGF-SST system components have been indicated as regulators of hepatocarcinogenesis. Reduction of GH binding affinity to GH receptor, decreased serum IGF1 and increased serum IGF2 production, overexpression of IGF1 receptor, loss of function of IGF2 receptor and appearance of SSTRs are frequently observed in human HCC. In particular, recently, many studies have evaluated the correlation between increased levels of IGF1 receptors and liver diseases and the oncogenic role of IGF2 and its involvement in angiogenesis, migration and, consequently, in tumour progression. SST directly or indirectly influences tumour growth and development through the inhibition of cell proliferation and secretion and induction of apoptosis, even though SST role in hepatocarcinogenesis is still opened to argument. This review addresses the present evidences suggesting a role of the GH-IGF-SST system in the development and progression of HCC, and describes the therapeutic perspectives, based on the targeting of GH-IGF-SST system, which have been hypothesised and experimented in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Pivonello
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Università Federico II di Napoli, Via Sergio Pansini, 5, Naples 80131, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina De Martino
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Università Federico II di Napoli, Via Sergio Pansini, 5, Naples 80131, Italy
| | - Mariarosaria Negri
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Università Federico II di Napoli, Via Sergio Pansini, 5, Naples 80131, Italy
| | | | - Federica Cariati
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Università Federico II di Napoli, Via Sergio Pansini, 5, Naples 80131, Italy
| | - Francesco Izzo
- National Cancer Institute G Pascale Foundation, Naples, Italy
| | - Annamaria Colao
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Università Federico II di Napoli, Via Sergio Pansini, 5, Naples 80131, Italy
| | - Rosario Pivonello
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Università Federico II di Napoli, Via Sergio Pansini, 5, Naples 80131, Italy
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Su YH, Lin SY, Song W, Jain S. DNA markers in molecular diagnostics for hepatocellular carcinoma. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2014; 14:803-17. [PMID: 25098554 DOI: 10.1586/14737159.2014.946908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the one of the leading causes of cancer mortality in the world, mainly due to the difficulty of early detection and limited therapeutic options. The implementation of HCC surveillance programs in well-defined, high-risk populations were only able to detect about 40-50% of HCC at curative stages (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stages 0 & 1) due to the low sensitivities of the current screening methods. The advance of sequencing technologies has identified numerous modifications as potential candidate DNA markers for diagnosis/surveillance. Here we aim to provide an overview of the DNA alterations that result in activation of cancer pathways known to potentially drive HCC carcinogenesis and to summarize performance characteristics of each DNA marker in the periphery (blood or urine) for HCC screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Hsiu Su
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 3805 Old Easton Road, Philadelphia, PA 18902, USA
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Wang ZM, Zhou LY, Liu BB, Jia QA, Dong YY, Xia YH, Ye SL. Rat hepatic stellate cells alter the gene expression profile and promote the growth, migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Mol Med Rep 2014; 10:1725-33. [PMID: 25109274 PMCID: PMC4148379 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2014.2435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2013] [Accepted: 11/15/2013] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and their paracrine secretions, on hepatocellular cancer cell growth and gene expression in vitro and in vivo. Differentially expressed genes in McA-RH7777 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells following non-contact co-culture with activated stellate cells, were identified by a cDNA microarray. The effect of the co-injection of HCC cells and activated HSCs on tumor size in rats was also investigated. Non-contact co-culture altered the expression of 573 HCC genes by >2-fold of the control levels. Among the six selected genes, ELISA revealed increased protein levels of hepatic growth factor, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and −9 (MMP-9). Incubation of HCC cells with medium conditioned by activated HSCs significantly increased the proliferation rate (P<0.001), migration rate and the number of invasive HCC cells (P=0.001). Co-injection of HCC cells and activated HSCs into rats significantly increased the weight of the resulting HCC tumors (P<0.01). The paracrine activity of activated HSCs markedly altered the gene expression profile of HCC cells and affected their growth, migration and invasiveness. The results from the present study indicate that the interaction between the activated HSCs and HCC has an important role in the development of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Ming Wang
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Le-Yuan Zhou
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Bin-Bin Liu
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Qin-An Jia
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Yin-Ying Dong
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Yun-Hong Xia
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Sheng-Long Ye
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China
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Alsaied OA, Sangwan V, Banerjee S, Krosch TC, Chugh R, Saluja A, Vickers SM, Jensen EH. Sorafenib and triptolide as combination therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. Surgery 2014; 156:270-9. [PMID: 24953273 DOI: 10.1016/j.surg.2014.04.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2013] [Accepted: 04/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Sorafenib is the only drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Triptolide, a diterpene triepoxide, exhibits antineoplastic properties in multiple tumor cell types. In this study, we examined the effects of these agents and their combination on HCC in vitro and in vivo models. METHODS HuH-7 and PLC/PRF/5 cells were treated with triptolide (50 nM), sorafenib (1.25 or 2.5 μM), or a combination of both. Cell viability assay (CCK-8), caspase 3&7 activation, and nuclear factor κB assays were performed. For in vivo studies, 40 mice were implanted with subcutaneous HuH7 tumors and divided into four treatment groups (n = 10); saline control, sorafenib 10 mg/kg PO daily (S), Minnelide (a prodrug of triptolide) 0.21 mg/kg intraperitoneally7 daily (M), and combination of both (C). Tumor volumes were assessed weekly. RESULTS The combination of triptolide and sorafenib was superior to either drug alone in inducing apoptosis and decreasing viability, whereas triptolide alone was sufficient to decrease nuclear factor κB activity. After 2 weeks of treatment, tumor growth inhibition rates were S = 59%, M = 84%, and C = 93%, whereas tumor volumes in control animals increased by 9-fold. When crossed over to combination treatment, control mice tumor growth volumes plateaued over the following 4 weeks. CONCLUSION The combination of sorafenib and triptolide is superior to single drug treatment in increasing cell death and apoptosis in vitro. Combining sorafenib with Minnelide inhibited tumor growth with greater efficacy than single-agent treatments. Importantly, in vivo combination treatment allowed for using a lesser dose of sorafenib (10 mg/kg), which is less than 10% of currently prescribed dose for HCC patients. Therefore, combination treatment could have translational potential in the management of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osama A Alsaied
- Division of General Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Veena Sangwan
- Division of Basic and Translational Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Sulagna Banerjee
- Division of Basic and Translational Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Tara C Krosch
- Division of General Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Rohit Chugh
- Division of Basic and Translational Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Ashok Saluja
- Division of Basic and Translational Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | | | - Eric H Jensen
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
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High cytoplasmic expression of Krüppel-like factor 4 is an independent prognostic factor of better survival in hepatocellular carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2014; 15:9894-906. [PMID: 24897024 PMCID: PMC4100128 DOI: 10.3390/ijms15069894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2014] [Revised: 05/26/2014] [Accepted: 05/26/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the world. Hepatocarcinogenesis is complex, with an extraordinary molecular heterogeneity. Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) plays an important role in cell proliferation and differentiation, and it can function as a tumor suppressor or an oncoprotein, depending on tissue type. The role of KLF4 in HCC remains controversial. The aim of this study was to explore the clinical significance of KLF4 expression in HCC. The study included 205 patients with surgical resection. We performed immunostaining for KLF4 and Ki-67 to investigate the correlations of the clinicopathological parameters of HCC and to examine the proliferative index. KLF4 staining was observed in the cytoplasm of non-tumorous hepatocytes and tumor cells. We subdivided the immunohistological staining results for KLF4 into low expression (Staining 0 and 1+) and high expression (Staining 2+ and 3+) subgroups. The expression of KLF4 was significantly correlated with tumor differentiation (p = 0.001). The Ki-67 proliferative index was significantly lower in well-differentiated HCCs (0.781% ± 1.02% vs. 2.16% ± 3.14%, p = 0.012), but not significantly different between low-KLF4 expression and high-KLF4 expression (1.87% ± 2.93% vs. 2.51% ± 3.28%, p = 0.32). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that a high expression of KLF4 was significantly correlated with a longer disease-specific survival (p = 0.019). Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that high KLF4 expression was an independent predictor of a better disease-specific survival (p = 0.017; hazard ratio = 0.398; 95% confidence interval: 0.19-0.85). High cytoplasmic expression of KLF4 was associated with better disease-specific survival and was an independently favorable prognostic factor in hepatocellular carcinoma. These promising results suggest that KLF4 may play an anti-oncogenic role in hepatocarcinogenesis.
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Oztopcu-Vatan P, Sayitoglu M, Gunindi M, Inan E. Cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of menadione on rat hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Cytotechnology 2014; 67:1003-9. [PMID: 24828824 DOI: 10.1007/s10616-014-9739-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2013] [Accepted: 05/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers, which may lead to death. Menadione shows cytotoxic activity thought affecting redox cycling in cancer cells. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of menadione on rat hepatocellular carcinoma (H4IIE) cell morphology, cytotoxicity, apoptosis and DNA damage or repair in vitro. Cell morphology evaluated by microscopy and cell viability was determined using the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl]-diphenyltetrazolium bromide test. Apoptotic cell death was assessed in H4IIE cells treated with menadione by 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining. Quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction used to determine the expression level of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) gene. According to the results of this study menadione has got a cytotoxic activity (IC50 25 µM) and change the cell fate in H4IIE cells. Menadione treatments lead to PARP1 activation in a dose dependent manner and induce DNA damage and apoptosis, and this may suggest its use as a therapeutic agent in HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pinar Oztopcu-Vatan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Osmangazi University, Eskisehir, Turkey.
| | - Muge Sayitoglu
- Genetics Department, Institute for Experimental Medicine Research, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Melek Gunindi
- Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Eskisehir, Turkey
| | - Emine Inan
- Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Eskisehir, Turkey
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Nakao K, Miyaaki H, Ichikawa T. Antitumor function of microRNA-122 against hepatocellular carcinoma. J Gastroenterol 2014; 49:589-93. [PMID: 24531873 DOI: 10.1007/s00535-014-0932-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2014] [Accepted: 01/06/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNA-122 (miR-122), a highly abundant and liver-specific miRNA, acts as a tumor suppressor against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Decreased expression of miR-122 in HCC is frequently observed and is associated with poor differentiation, larger tumor size, metastasis and invasion, and poor prognosis. Mutant mice with knockout (KO) of the miR-122 locus developed steatohepatitis due to increased triglyceride (TG) synthesis and decreased TG secretion from hepatocytes, and eventually developed HCC. Exogenic miR-122 introduction into miR-122 KO mice inhibited the development of HCC. Target genes of miR-122, including cyclin G1, a disintegrin and metalloprotease (ADAM)10, serum response factor, insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor, ADAM17, transcription factor CUTL1, the embryonic isoform of pyruvate kinase (Pkm2), Wnt1, pituitary tumor-transforming gene 1 binding factor, Cut-like homeobox 1, and c-myc, are involved in hepatocarcinogenesis, epithelial mesenchymal transition, and angiogenesis. MiR-122 expression is regulated by liver-enriched transcription factors such as hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF)1α, HNF3β, HNF4α, HNF6, and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP)α. A positive feedback loop exists between C/EBPα and miR-122 and between HNF6 and miR-122, whereas a negative feedback loop exists between c-myc and miR-122. Since cotreatment of 5-Aza-Cd and histone deacetylase inhibitor restored miR-122 expression in HCC cells, epigenetic modulation of miR-122 expression is involved in the suppression of miR-122 in HCC. Several experiments suggest that increasing miR-122 levels in HCC with or without antitumor agents may be a promising strategy for HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhiko Nakao
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Sakamoto 1-7-1, Nagasaki, 852-8501, Japan,
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