miR-144 Potentially Suppresses Proliferation and Migration of Ovarian Cancer Cells by Targeting RUNX1

Tetramethylpyrazine Inhibits the Proliferation and Invasion of Glioma Cells by Regulating the UBL7-AS1/miR-144-3p Pathway

This work aims to investigate the effects of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of glioma cells and to analyze the regulation mechanism of TMP on the long noncoding RNA UBL7-AS1/miR-144-3p pathway. Glioma cell line and normal astrocytes were collected. The expression of UBL7-AS1 was detected by real-time PCR. The glioma cells were overexpressed with UBL7-AS1. CCK-8 and Transwell assays were used to detect cell proliferation and cell invasion ability, respectively. Bioinformatics was adopted to predict the possible regulatory mechanisms of UBL7-AS1. The dual luciferase reporter gene was applied to verify the regulatory effect of RNA UBL7-AS1 with miR-144-3p. TMP inhibited the proliferation and invasion of glioma cells. UBL7-AS1 was highly expressed in glioma tissues and cells. The overexpression of UBL7-AS1 promotes the cell proliferation and invasion of glioma. UBL7-AS1 can act as a sponge for miR-144-3p in glioma cells. The overexpression of UBL7-AS1 can reverse the inhibition of TMP on proliferation, migration, and invasion of glioma cells. TMP inhibits the proliferation, migration, and invasion of glioma cells by regulating the UBL7-AS1/miR-144-3p pathway.

Differential expression of microRNAs in human endometrium after implantation of an intrauterine contraceptive device containing copper

Intrauterine devices containing copper placement will release a large amount of Cu2+ into the uterine fluid, leading to local endometrial damage and inflammation, which is considered to be one of the causes of abnormal uterine bleeding. Studies have shown that the metabolism and function of metal ions are related to the regulation of microRNA. The aims of this study were to investigate changes in endometrial microRNA levels after implantation of an intrauterine device containing copper and to preliminarily explore the signalling pathways involved in abnormal uterine bleeding. The subjects were fertile women, aged 25-35, without major obstetrics and gynaecology diseases. Human endometrial tissues were collected before implantation or removal of the intrauterine device containing copper. High-throughput microRNA sequencing was performed on human endometrial tissues, and real-time quantitative PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression of relevant genes. MicroRNA sequencing results showed that 72 miRNAs were differentially expressed in the endometrial tissue after the insertion of the intrauterine device containing copper. Implantation of an intrauterine device containing copper implantation can up-regulate the expression of miR-144-3p in endometrial tissue, and therefore, decreases the mRNA and protein expression levels of genes related to endometrial injury and tissue repair, including the MT/NF-κB/MMP damage pathway and the THBS-1/TGF-β/SMAD3 repair pathway. In this study, the molecular mechanisms of abnormal uterine bleeding due to an intrauterine device containing copper were preliminarily investigated. The information will be beneficial for the clinical treatment of abnormal uterine bleeding caused by intrauterine device.

Long intergenic noncoding RNA00265 promotes proliferation of gastric cancer via the microRNA-144-3p/Chromobox 4 axis

The expression and biological function of long intergenic noncoding RNA00265 (LINC00265) in gastric cancer (GC) have not yet been explored. This study aimed to detect LINC00265 expression in GC tissues and cell lines, investigate its roles in the proliferation of GC cells in vitro, and elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of LINC00265 action. It was found that LINC00265 expression was significantly upregulated in GC tissue samples and cell lines compared with their normal counterparts. Additionally, LINC00265 knockdown could inhibit GC cell proliferation in vitro. Further investigation revealed that LINC00265 acted as a competing endogenous RNA for microRNA-144-3p (miR-144-3p) and inhibition of miR-144-3p markedly counteracted LINC00265 knockdown-meditated suppression on GC cell proliferation. Additionally, Chromobox 4 (CBX4) was upregulated in GC and silencing CBX4 could reduce GC cell proliferation. Then, CBX4 mRNA was demonstrated to be a direct target of miR-144-3p in GC cells and LINC00265/miR-144-3p axis could regulate CBX4 expression. Taken together, LINC00265 may promote GC cell proliferation via the miR-144-3p/CBX4 axis.

Hippocampal miRNA-144 Modulates Depressive-Like Behaviors in Rats by Targeting PTP1B

BACKGROUND

Depression is the common mental disorder in the world. However, the pathophysiology mechanism underlying depression remains elusive. It has been reported that aberrant expression of miR-144 is closely related to depression. This study was to investigate whether and how miR-144 involves in depressive-like behaviors in a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) animal model.

METHODS

A rat model of CUMS was established, and qRT-PCR was performed to detect the expression of miR-144 in the hippocampus of a depressed rat. The lentiviral vector carried miR-144 (LV-miR-144) was injected into the hippocampus of the CUMS rat to investigate the effects of miR-144 on the behaviors and PTP1B/TrkB/BDNF signal transduction in the hippocampus of the rat. The interaction between miR-144 and PTP1B was investigated by biological analyses and dual-luciferase reporter assay.

RESULTS

The results showed that CUMS rats had typical depressive behaviors, and the expression of miR-144 in the hippocampus of CUMS rats was significantly lower than that of the control group. In addition, PTP1B protein expression was significantly up-regulated, while the expression of pTrkB and BDNF protein was significantly down-regulated in the hippocampus of CUMS rats. Moreover, PTP1B was a direct target of miR-144, and miR-144 could activate the downstream TrkB/BDNF signaling pathway by inhibiting the expression of PTP1B in primary hippocampus neurons.

CONCLUSION

MiR-144 played an anti-depressive role in hippocampus dysfunction by inhibiting PTP1B and activating the TrkB/BDNF signaling pathway in the hippocampus of CUMS rats.

Gynecologic cancers and non-coding RNAs: Epigenetic regulators with emerging roles

Gynecologic cancers involve the female genital organs, such as the vulva, vagina, cervix, endometrium, ovaries, and fallopian tubes. The occurrence and frequency of gynecologic cancer depends on personal lifestyle, history of exposure to viruses or carcinogens, genetics, body shape, and geographical habitat. For a long time, research into the molecular biology of cancer was broadly restricted to protein-coding genes. Recently it has been realized that non-coding RNAs (ncRNA), including long noncoding RNAs (LncRNAs), microRNAs, circular RNAs and piRNAs (PIWI-interacting RNAs), can all play a role in the regulation of cellular function within gynecological cancer. It is now known that ncRNAs are able to play dual roles, i.e. can exert both oncogenic or tumor suppressive functions in gynecological cancer. Moreover, several clinical trials are underway looking at the biomarker and therapeutic roles of ncRNAs. These efforts may provide a new horizon for the diagnosis and treatment of gynecological cancer. Herein, we summarize some of the ncRNAs that have been shown to be important in gynecological cancers.

MicroRNA-144: A novel biological marker and potential therapeutic target in human solid cancers

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. It has been reported that microRNA-144 (miR-144) is highly conserved and can combine complementarily with the 3'-UTRs of target gene mRNAs to inhibit mRNA translation or promote targeted mRNA degradation. MiR-144 is abnormally expressed and has been identified as a tumor suppressor in many types of solid tumors. Increasing evidence supports a crucial role for miR-144 in modulating physiopathologic processes, such as proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, migration and angiogenesis in different tumor cells. Apart from these functions, miR-144 can also affect drug sensitivity, cancer treatment and patient prognosis. In this review, we summarize the biological functions of miR-144, its direct targets and the important signal pathways through which it acts in relation to various tumors. We also discuss the role of miR-144 in tumor biology and its clinical significance in detail and offer novel insights into molecular targeting therapy for human cancers.

Inflammatory state of lymphatic vessels and miRNA profiles associated with relapse in ovarian cancer patients

Lymphogenic spread is associated with poor prognosis in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), yet little is known regarding roles of non-peri-tumoural lymphatic vessels (LVs) outside the tumour microenvironment that may impact relapse. The aim of this feasibility study was to assess whether inflammatory status of the LVs and/or changes in the miRNA profile of the LVs have potential prognostic and predictive value for overall outcome and risk of relapse. Samples of macroscopically normal human lymph LVs (n = 10) were isolated from the external iliac vessels draining the pelvic region of patients undergoing debulking surgery. This was followed by quantification of the inflammatory state (low, medium and high) and presence of cancer-infiltration of each LV using immunohistochemistry. LV miRNA expression profiling was also performed, and analysed in the context of high versus low inflammation, and cancer-infiltrated versus non-cancer-infiltrated. Results were correlated with clinical outcome data including relapse with an average follow-up time of 13.3 months. The presence of a high degree of inflammation correlated significantly with patient relapse (p = 0.033). Cancer-infiltrated LVs showed a moderate but non-significant association with relapse (p = 0.07). Differential miRNA profiles were identified in cancer-infiltrated LVs and those with high versus low inflammation. In particular, several members of the let-7 family were consistently down-regulated in highly inflamed LVs (>1.8-fold, p<0.05) compared to the less inflamed ones. Down-regulation of the let-7 family appears to be associated with inflammation, but whether inflammation contributes to or is an effect of cancer-infiltration requires further investigation.

miRNA profile in ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is a gynecological cancer with high mortality and a heterogeneous nature which complicates its early detection and primary prevention. Numerous studies have evaluated expression profile microRNAs (miRNAs) in tissue and serum samples of ovarian cancer patients to find appropriate biomarkers for this malignancy. Functional experiments also verified the oncogenic or suppressor effects of a number of miRNAs. miRNAs exert their role through degradation or inhibition of translation of the target mRNA. Through this regulatory function, they modulate numerous cellular processes which are ultimately associated with carcinogenesis. A number of miRNAs including miR-135a-3p, miR-200c, miR-216a and miR-340 regulate epithelial-mesenchymal transition program thus modulate invasiveness of ovarian cancer cell. Others have been shown to regulate some fundamental pathways in carcinogenesis such as mTOR and PI3K/AKT pathways. Such vast area of function of miRNAs in ovarian cancer has suggested them as putative therapeutic options for future years. In this review, we summarize the recent findings regarding the role of miRNAs in ovarian cancer pathogenesis, their application as biomarkers and the future perspectives of this research area.

microRNA-144 functions as a diagnostic and prognostic marker for retinoblastoma

OBJECTIVES

Retinoblastoma (RB) is a highly malignant eye tumor with a low survival rate and a high metastatic rate. The current work was designed to investigate the potential roles of microRNA-144 (miR-144) in the diagnosis and prognosis of RB.

METHODS

miR-144 expression levels in RB tissues and adjacent normal tissues, as well as serum samples from RB patients and healthy controls were measured. The association between miR-144 expression levels and clinical features were analyzed. Moreover, diagnostic and prognostic values of miR-144 in RB were verified by receiver operating characteristic analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival assays.

RESULTS

The expression level of miR-144 was markedly decreased in tumor tissues of RB patients, and the expression level of miR-144 was positively associated with tumor size and metastasis in RB patients. Moreover, miR-144 can distinguish tumor tissues from normal tissues with high specificity and sensitivity, and RB patients with lower miR-144 expression have shorter overall and disease-free survival rates than those with higher miR-144 expression. Alternatively, miR-144 also decreased in the serum of RB patients in comparison with healthy subjects, and miR-144 expression levels in the tissue samples and serum were positively correlated. Furthermore, miR-144 levels in the serum of RB patients sensitively distinguished RB patients from healthy controls.

CONCLUSIONS

miR-144 expression was downregulated in serum and tissue samples of RB patients and may function as a diagnostic and prognostic marker for RB.

Significant role and mechanism of microRNA-143-3p/KLLN axis in the development of coronary heart disease

Cardiovascular disease predominantly includes coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke, results in high morbidity and mortality. MicroRNA-143-3p (miR-143-3p) is a tumor suppressor and is involved in many cancers. However, the role and mechanism of miR-143-3p in coronary heart disease is still unclear. In this study, we identified that miR-143-3p was up-regulated in rabbit CHD model. The results of TargetScan and the dual luciferase reporter assay indicated that KLLN (killin, p53 regulated DNA replication inhibitor) was a direct target of miR-143-3p. Besides, we revealed that KLLN was down-regulated in rabbit coronary heart disease model. In addition, we found that the related-markers of CHD such as TC (total cholesterol), TG (triglyceride), and LDLC (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) in the model group were significantly increased than that in the control group. And compared with the model group, miR-143-3p inhibitor significantly reduced TC, TG, LDLC expression, while miR-143-3p mimic further increased the expression of TC, TG, and LDLC. We next found that miR-143-3p mimic promoted cell viability and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells, inhibited apoptosis; and these changes were reversed by KLLN-plasmid. And miR-143-3p inhibitor had the counter effects. Our study provided a new target for the treatment of CHD and deserves further study.

miR‑144 promotes the proliferation and differentiation of bone mesenchymal stem cells by downregulating the expression of SFRP1

Osteoporosis (OP) seriously affects the health and quality of life of elderly individuals and postmenopausal women, and the need to identify drugs that can prevent or treat OP remains urgent. Recently, several miRNAs have been reported to be involved in the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells and osteoblasts; however, the role of miRNA (miR)-144 in regulating OP remains to be elucidated. In the present study, the expression levels of miR-144, secreted frizzled-related protein 1 (Sfrp1) and TNF-α in clinical samples were detected by the reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis and ELISA, respectively. 5-Ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine staining, Hoechst 33258 staining, flow cytometry, a clone formation assay and Alizarin red staining were used to assess the effects of miR-144 combined with or without Sfrp1 small interfering RNA on the proliferation, apoptosis and osteoblastic differentiation of primary mesenchymal stem cells isolated from rats. Western blot assays were performed to assess the relevant mechanisms, and a dual luciferase reporter assay was used to detect the interaction between miR-144 and Sfrp1. The results showed that the levels of miR-144, Sfrp1 and TNF-α in clinical serum samples obtained from patients with postmenopausal OP were higher than those in serum samples obtained from postmenopausal women with normal bone density. There was a significant positive correlation between miR-144 and Sfrp1. Functional experiments demonstrated that miR-144 promoted proliferation, inhibited apoptosis and induced the osteoblastic differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells by targeting Sfrp1. It was also shown that miR-144 may help regulate OP by activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. These data suggest miR-144 as a novel target for preventing and treating OP.

MicroRNA‑144‑3p may participate in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia by targeting Cox‑2

Preeclampsia remains a major cause of maternal mortality and morbidity worldwide. It is generally accepted that the development of the placenta, including spiral artery remodelling, normal trophoblast cells function and maternal-fetal inflammation-immune interactions, is critical for the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Several investigations have demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) in the placenta may be potential molecular markers for diagnosis of preeclampsia. In the current study, the aim was to investigate the expression of miR-144-3p in the placenta of patients with preeclampsia and normal placentas, and to explore the potential target genes. miRNA microarray analysis was performed using three paired placentas (preeclampsia and normal) in order to find differential expression of miRNAs. Following this, miR-144-3p was selected as a differentially expressed miRNA and validated using in situ hybridization to determine the clinical significance in placentas with preeclampsia. A potential target gene of miR-144-3p, cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2), was identified by bioinformatics, luciferase reporter assay and western blotting. The expression of Cox-2 was also examined by immunohistochemical staining of samples of placenta from patients with preeclampsia and normal placenta. Western blot analysis was performed to investigate the effect of miR-144-3p on the expression of Cox-2 in HTR-8/SVneo cells in vitro. miR-144-3p was decreased in placentas from patients with preeclampsia. A luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that Cox-2 was a potential miR-144-3p target gene and the result was verified by western blotting. A negative correlation was observed between miR-144-3p and Cox-2 in preeclamptic placenta by immunohistochemical staining and in situ hybridization. Western blot analysis demonstrated that overexpression of miR-144-3p decreased Cox-2 expression by 38.2% in HTR-8/SVneo cells. Understanding the differential expression of miR-144-3p and its association with Cox-2 may aid the exploration of the pathogenesis of preeclampsia, and contribute to the development of miRNA-based therapies in the future.

Retracted: miR-144 Potentially Suppresses Proliferation and Migration of Ovarian Cancer Cells by Targeting RUNX1

This article is being retracted by request of the author, who mistakenly submitted and processed the publication in the wrong journal.

A novel circular RNA hsa_circ_0020123 exerts oncogenic properties through suppression of miR-144 in non-small cell lung cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide, while circulatory. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are found to play important roles in cancer initiation and development. Herein, a novel functional circRNA hsa_circ_0020123 had been identified in NSCLC progression in this study, and elevated hsa_circ_0020123 expression could be observed in cancer tissues compared with that in matched normal lung tissues. Moreover, up-regulation of hsa_circ_0020123 was recognized to be closely associated with a poor differentiation degree, lymph node metastasis, a high TNM stage and dismal prognosis for NSCLC patients. Typically, knockdown of hsa_circ_0020123 could inhibit the NSCLC growth and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo, which could be reversed by the hsa_circ_0020123 overexpression. Importantly, miR-144 was identified as the hsa_circ_0020123-associated miRNA through performing RNA in vivo precipitation (RIP) in NSCLC cells using a biotin-labeled hsa_circ_0020123 probe. Besides, our results suggested that, miR-144 suppression had determined the oncogenic properties mediated by hsa_circ_0020123. In addition, hsa_circ_0020123 could upregulate ZEB1 and EZH2 through competitively binding with miR-144. Finally, the administration of hsa_circ_0020123 siRNA could suppress the growth and metastasis in NSCLC-bearing mice in vivo. In conclusion, the hsa_circ_0020123-miR-144-ZEB1/EZH2 axis is critical for NSCLC progression, which indicates that hsa_circ_0020123 is a potential target for NSCLC treatment.

HSP90: A Novel Target Gene of miRNA-628-3p in A549 Cells

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in the world. MicroRNA- (miR-) 628-3p plays critical roles in many cancers, including lung cancer. We investigated how miR-628-3p affected migration and apoptosis in A549 cells. We used bioinformatics algorithms to predict the miR-628-3p target gene to study the molecular mechanism by which miR-628-3p contributes to lung cancer. Then, we used the luciferase reporter assay to identify whether heat shock protein 90a (HSP90) is a direct target of miR-628-3p. Western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR showed that miR-628-3p downregulated HSP90a protein expression via a posttranscriptional mechanism. We confirm that miR-628-3p promotes apoptosis and inhibits migration in A549 cells by negatively regulating HSP90. Our results may reveal a novel strategy for lung cancer treatment.