Down-regulation of miR-452 is associated with poor prognosis in the non-small-cell lung cancer

MicroRNA-452: a double-edged sword in multiple human cancers

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNAs with important functions in development, cell differentiation, and regulation of cell cycle and apoptosis. MiRNA expression is deregulated in various pathological processes including tumorigenesis and cancer progression through various mechanisms including amplification or deletion of miRNA genes, mutations, and epigenetic silencing and defects in the miRNA biogenesis machinery. Several studies have now shown abnormal miRNA profiles and proved their involvement in the initiation and progression of cancer. Since miR-452 has diverse roles (as suppressor or oncogene) in different cellular processes including epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), proliferation, migration, and invasion, in this review we highlight a brief overview of the biological function and regulatory mechanism of miR-452 and its involvement as a potential biomarker for diagnosis and treatment of various cancer types.

Circular RNA 0001313 Knockdown Suppresses Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cell Proliferation and Invasion via the microRNA-452/HMGB3/ERK/MAPK Axis

Background

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) seriously endangers human health. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) regulate diverse types of cancers, including NSCLC. This study investigated the possible mechanism of circ0001313 in NSCLC.

Materials and Methods

Circ0001313 expression in NSCLC tissues was measured, and its correlation with clinicopathological features was analyzed. The binding relationships among circ0001313, microRNA (miR)-452 and HMGB3 were tested. The gain and loss of functions were performed to examine NSCLC cell malignant behaviors. After HMGB3 overexpression, ERK/MAPK pathway-related protein levels were detected. Subsequently, the rescue experiment was further performed using an ERK/MAPK pathway inhibitor PD98059.

Results

Abnormally elevated circ0001313 and decreased miR-452 in NSCLC cells were observed. Circ0001313 silencing or miR-452 overexpression significantly reduced NSCLC cell proliferation and invasion. Circ0001313 competitively bound to miR-452 to upregulate HMGB3, thus promoting NSCLC cell growth. HMGB3 overexpression activated the ERK/MAPK pathway to contribute to NSCLC development.

Conclusion

We highlighted that silencing of circ0001313 blunted the ERK/MAPK pathway via the miR-452/HMGB3 axis, thereby inhibiting NSCLC cell proliferation and invasion.

miR-452-5p and miR-215-5p expression levels in colorectal cancer tissues and their relationship with clinicopathological features

The aim of the study was to investigate the expression levels of miR-452-5p and miR-215-5p in colorectal cancer tissues and their relationship with clinicopathological features. A total of 50 specimens of cancerous and adjacent normal tissues were collected from patients with colorectal cancer who underwent surgical resection at the Xingtai People's Hospital from March 2012 to February 2014. All specimens were confirmed by the Department of Pathology. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to measure the expression levels of miR-452-5p and miR-215-5p in cancerous and adjacent normal tissues. Moreover, the relationship of the expression levels of miR-452-5p and miR-215-5p with the clinicopathological features of patients with colorectal cancer was explored. The expression levels of both miR-452-5p and miR-215-5p in colorectal cancer tissues were significantly lower than those in adjacent normal tissues (P<0.05). miR-452-5p expression was related to tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging and differentiation degree in colorectal cancer tissues, and the expression of miR-215-5p was associated with TNM staging, lymph node metastasis and infiltration depth (P<0.05). The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate in the miR-452-5p high-expression group was significantly higher than that in the low-expression group (P<0.05). The 5-year OS rates in the miR-215-5p high- and low-expression groups were 53.57% (15/28) and 40.91% (9/22), respectively, indicating that the 5-year OS rate in the miR-215-5p high-expression group was significantly higher than that in the low-expression group. Cox proportional hazards regression model showed that TNM staging, lymph node metastasis, as well as miR-452-5p and miR-215-5p expression levels were independent risk factors affecting colorectal cancer prognosis (P<0.05), whereas the differentiation degree and infiltration depth were not (P>0.05). In conclusion, the expression levels of miR-452-5p and miR-215-5p were significantly downregulated in colorectal cancer tissues promoting the occurrence, progression, invasion and metastasis of colorectal cancer, which suggests that miR-452-5p and miR-215-5p could be used as prognostic indicators for patients with colorectal cancer.

[Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Pathogenic Bacteria in Lung Cancer Chemotherapy Combined with Nosocomial Pulmonary Infection]

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study is to explore the pathogenic bacteria type, distribution, drug resistance and influencing factors of nosocomial pulmonary infection in patients with lung cancer during chemotherapy.

METHODS

This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 411 patients with lung cancer who were hospitalized in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University Medical College from January 2017 to December 2018, and counted the incidence of nosocomial lung infection, pathogens, drug resistance and influencing factors.

RESULTS

There were 184 cases of nosocomial pulmonary infection in 411 lung cancer patients during chemotherapy, the infection rate was 44.77%. The isolated pathogens included Gram-negative bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria, viruses, fungi and tuberculosis, among which Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 37.25%, followed by virus infection, accounting for 15.69%. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae are the main Gram-negative bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae are the common gram-positive bacteria, influenza B virus is the main virus, Candida and Aspergillus are the most common fungi. The resistance rate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to imipenem was 26.67%, while that of Klebsiella pneumoniae to imipenem was 12.50%, and that of the main Gram-positive bacteria to vancomycin was 0.00%. Hypoproteinemia, long chemotherapy cycle, high-intensity chemotherapy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and basic bronchiectasis were the high risk factors of lung cancer patients with nosocomial pulmonary infection during chemotherapy (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

During the chemotherapy of lung cancer patients with nosocomial pulmonary infection, the distribution and drug resistance of pathogenic bacteria have certain characteristics. Clinicians should strengthen the detection of pathogenic bacteria and their drug resistance. On the basis of symptomatic treatment, to achieve the purpose of ensuring the treatment effect and prolonging the survival period of patients, preventive measures should be taken for high-risk patients to reduce the chemotherapy cycle and intensity as much as possible to reduce the incidence of infection life.

miR‑378a‑3p inhibits cellular proliferation and migration in glioblastoma multiforme by targeting tetraspanin 17

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive brain tumor and patients with this disease tend to have poor clinical outcome. MicroRNAs (miRs) are important regulators of a number of key pathways implicated in tumor pathogenesis. Recently, the expression of miR‑378 was shown to be dysregulated in several different types of cancer, including gastric cancer, colorectal cancer and oral carcinoma. Additional studies have demonstrated that miR‑378 may serve as a potential therapeutic target against human breast cancer. However, the underlying mechanisms and potential targets of miR‑378a‑3p involved in GBM remain unknown. The aim of the present of was to determine the effects of miR‑378a‑3p and its potential targets. Tetraspanin 17 (TSPAN17) is involved in the neoplastic events in GBM and is a member of the tetraspanin family of proteins. The tetraspanins are involved in the regulation of cell growth, migration and invasion of several different types of cancer cell lines, and may potentially act as an oncogene associated with GBM pathology. The results of the present study showed that high miR‑378a‑3p and low TSPAN17 expression levels were associated with improved survival in patients with GBM. Additionally, high levels of TSPAN17 were linked to the poor prognosis of patients with GBM aged 50‑60, larger tumor sizes (≥5 cm) and an advanced World Health Organization stage. TSPAN17 was identified and confirmed as a direct target of miR‑378a‑3p using a luciferase reporter assay in human glioma cell lines. Overexpression of miR‑378a‑3p in either of U87MG or MT‑330 cells decreased the expression of TSPAN17, promoted apoptosis and decreased proliferation, migration and invasion. Overexpression of TSPAN17 attenuated the aforementioned effects induced by miR‑378a‑3p overexpression. The present study indicated that miR‑378a‑3p suppresses the progression of GBM by reducing TSPAN17 expression, and may thus serve as a potential therapeutic target for treating patients with GBM.

The relationship between microRNAs and Rab family GTPases in human cancers

microRNAs (miRNAs), as a group of noncoding RNAs, posttranscriptionally control gene expression by binding to 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR). Ras-associated binding (Rab) proteins function as molecular switches for regulating vesicular transport, which mainly have oncogenic roles in cancer development and preventing the efficacy of chemotherapies. Increased evidence supported that miRNAs/Rabs interaction have been determined as potential therapeutics for cancer therapy. Nevertheless, instability and cross-targeting of miRNAs are main limitations of using miRNA-based therapeutic. The mutual interplay between Rabs and miRNAs has been poorly understood. In the present review, we focused on the essence and activity of these molecules in cancer pathogenesis. Also, numerous hindrances and potential methods in the expansion of miRNA as an anticancer therapeutics are mentioned.

MiR-452 promotes an aggressive colorectal cancer phenotype by regulating a Wnt/β-catenin positive feedback loop

Background

Aberrant activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is considered to be an important issue in progression and metastasis of various human cancers, especially in colorectal cancer (CRC). MiR-452 could activate of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. But the mechanism remains unclear.

Methods

The expression of miR-452 in CRC and normal tissues was detected by real-time quantitative PCR. The effect of miR-452 on CRC growth and invasion was conducted by functional experiments in vitro and in vivo. Bioinformatics and cell luciferase function studies verified the direct regulation of miR-452 on the 3’-UTR of the GSK3β, which leads to the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

Results

MiR-452 was upregulated in CRC compared with normal tissues and was correlated with clinical significance. The luciferase reporter system studies affirmed the direct regulation of miR-452 on the 3’-UTR of the GSK3β, which activate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling. The ectopic upregulation of miR-452 significantly inhibited the expression of GSK3β and enhanced CRC proliferation and invasion in vitro and in vivo. Meanwhile, knockdown of miR-452 significantly recovered the expression of GSK3β and attenuated Wnt/β-catenin-mediated cell metastasis and proliferation. More important, T-cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor (TCF/LEF) family of transcription factors, which are crucial downstream molecules of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was verified as a valid transcription factor of miR-452’s promoter.

Conclusions

Our findings first demonstrate that miR-452-GSK3β-LEF1/TCF4 positive feedback loop induce CRC proliferation and migration.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13046-018-0879-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

miR-1 inhibits progression of high-risk papillomavirus-associated human cervical cancer by targeting G6PD

Ectopic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) expression may contribute to tumorigenesis in cervical cancer associated with high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV 16 and 18) infections. Here, we demonstrate that microRNA-1 (miR-1) in association with AGO proteins targets G6PD in HR-HPV-infected human cervical cancer cells. miR-1 inhibited expression of a reporter construct containing a putative G6PD 3′-UTR seed region and suppressed endogenous G6PD expression. Down-regulation of miR-1 increased G6PD expression in cervical cancer cells. Regression analysis revealed that miR-1 levels correlate negatively with the clinicopathologic features in HR-HPV 16/18-infected cervical cancer patients. miR-1 overexpression inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis in cervical cancer cells and reduced xenograft tumor growth in nude mice. Conversely, sponge-mediated miR-1 knockdown markedly increased viability and reduced apoptosis in cervical cancer cells and supported neoplasm growth. Restoration of G6PD expression partially reversed the effects of miR-1 overexpression both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, co-transfection of G6PD siRNA and miR-1 sponge partially reversed miR-1 sponge-induced reductions in cell viability and neoplasm growth. These results suggest that miR-1 suppresses the development and progression of HR-HPV 16/18-infected cervical cancer by targeting G6PD and may be a promising novel therapeutic candidate.

Clinical significance of high expression of miR-452-5p in lung squamous cell carcinoma

The role of microRNA (miRNA)-452-5p in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) remains unclear. Therefore, the present systematic study was performed to investigate the clinical significance and the rudimentary mechanism of the function of miR-452-5p in LUSC. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases were utilized to confirm the expression level and clinical value of miR-452-5p in LUSC. Using online databases and bioinformatic software, gene ontology (GO), pathway and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analyses of miR-452-5p target genes were performed to examine the molecular mechanism of miR-452-5p. The association between the expression of miR-452-5p and that of its hub genes was verified using TCGA. Based on TCGA data on 387 clinical specimens, the expression of miR-452-5p in LUSC was significantly increased compared with adjacent lung tissues (7.1525±1.39063 vs. 6.0885±0.35298; P<0.001). The expression levels of miR-452-5p were significantly correlated with age (P=0.001) and tumor-node metastasis stage (P=0.028). Furthermore, the increased expression of miR-452-5p in LUSC compared with non-cancerous tissue [standard mean deviation (SMD), 0.372; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.020–0.724; z=2.07; P=0.038] was validated by a meta-analysis of 720 clinical samples. The GO and pathway analyses revealed that miR-452-5p target genes were mainly enriched in the ‘regulation of transcription’, ‘nucleoplasm’, ‘protein binding’ and ‘cell cycle’ pathways. A total of 10 hub genes were identified by PPI analysis, and 5 hub genes (SMAD4, SMAD2, CDKN1B, YWHAE and YWHAB) were significantly enriched in the ‘cell cycle’ pathway. The expression of CDKN1B was negatively correlated with miR-452-5p (P=0.003). It was concluded that miR-452-5p may serve an essential role in the occurrence and progression of LUSC by targeting CDKN1B, which is involved in the cell cycle.

microRNA-452 exerts growth-suppressive activity against T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive hematological cancer. Although microRNA (miR)-452 serves as a tumor suppressor in multiple solid tumors, its expression and function in hematological cancers including T-ALL is largely unknown. We measured the expression of miR-452 in 38 T-ALL and 22 normal lymph node samples by real-time PCR analysis. The methylation levels in the promoter of miR-452 were determined using MethyLight assay. The effects of miR-452 overexpression on proliferation, cell cycle distribution, and tumorigenesis were explored. It was found that miR-452 expression levels were significantly lower in T-ALL specimens than in normal lymph node biopsies (P=0.0079). T-ALL specimens had a significantly higher methylation level in the promoter of miR-452 than normal lymph node tissues (P=0.0014). Consistently, miR-452 was downregulated in Jurkat and Molt-4 T-ALL cells, whose expression was restored after treatment with a demethylation agent 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine. Ectopic expression of miR-452 inhibited the proliferation of Jurkat and Molt-4 cells and induced a G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. Overexpression of miR-452 suppressed the protein expression of BMI1 in T-ALL cells. Rescue experiments revealed that overexpression of BMI1 partially reversed the growth-suppressive effect of miR-452 on T-ALL cells. Xenograft tumor studies confirmed that overexpression of miR-452 suppressed tumor growth in nude mice and reduced the expression of BMI1. Collectively, miR-452 is epigenetically silenced and targets BMI1 to exert a growth suppressive activity in T-ALL. Restoration of miR-452 expression may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for this malignancy.

miR-768-3p is involved in the proliferation, invasion and migration of non-small cell lung carcinomas

Altered microRNA expression has been found to be a common feature of several cancers, including lung carcinomas. However, the possible roles of miR-768-3p in the pathological changes of lung carcinomas are still unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression and possible effects of miR-768-3p in human non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC). Eighty-three NSCLC patients attending the clinic of Kunming Hospital were invited to participate in the study. Their tumor samples were obtained for qRT-PCR analysis. Human NSCLC cell lines, A549 and HCC4006, were employed and transfected with either miR-768-3p mimics or miR-768-3p antagomir. Following transfection, the in vitro and in vivo proliferation, apoptosis fractions, migration and invasion of NSCLC cells were evaluated. The data revealed that: i) upregulated miR-768-3p in tumors were associated with the clinicopathological features of NSCLC patients; ii) inhibiting miR-768-3p function by miR-768-3p antagomir induced distinctly apoptosis and Fas/FasL expressional alteration of NSCLC cells; iii) miR-768-3p antagomir transduction also decreased the viability, migration and invasion, as well as MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities in A549 and HCC4006 cells; and iv) miR-768-3p antagomir transfection also inhibited the growth and proliferation of NSCLC xenografts in nude mice. The present results suggested that abnormal elevated miR-768-3p in NSCLC tumors and cell lines played important roles in NSCLC carcinogenic progression, and the targeting of miR-768-3p might be a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of NSCLC.

Clinical value of miR-452-5p expression in lung adenocarcinoma: A retrospective quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction study and verification based on The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases

The role and mechanism of miR-452-5p in lung adenocarcinoma remain unclear. In this study, we performed a systematic study to investigate the clinical value of miR-452-5p expression in lung adenocarcinoma. The expression of miR-452-5p in 101 lung adenocarcinoma patients was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases were joined to verify the expression level of miR-452-5p in lung adenocarcinoma. Via several online prediction databases and bioinformatics software, pathway and network analyses of miR-452-5p target genes were performed to explore its prospective molecular mechanism. The expression of miR-452-5p in lung adenocarcinoma in house was significantly lower than that in adjacent tissues (p < 0.001). Additionally, the expression level of miR-452-5p was negatively correlated with several clinicopathological parameters including the tumor size (p = 0.014), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.032), and tumor-node-metastasis stage (p = 0.036). Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas also confirmed the low expression of miR-452 in lung adenocarcinoma (p < 0.001). Furthermore, reduced expression of miR-452-5p in lung adenocarcinoma (standard mean deviations = -0.393, 95% confidence interval: -0.774 to -0.011, p = 0.044) was validated by a meta-analysis. Five hub genes targeted by miR-452-5p, including SMAD family member 4, SMAD family member 2, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B, tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein epsilon, and tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein beta, were significantly enriched in the cell-cycle pathway. In conclusion, low expression of miR-452-5p tends to play an essential role in lung adenocarcinoma. Bioinformatics analysis might be beneficial to reveal the potential mechanism of miR-452-5p in lung adenocarcinoma.