Histone deacetylase 3 is associated with gastric cancer cell growth via the miR-454-mediated targeting of CHD5

Discovery of Novel HDAC3 Inhibitors with PD-L1 Downregulating/Degrading and Antitumor Immune Effects

Targeting the programmed cell death-1/ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) pathway is one of the most promising cancer treatment strategies. Studies have shown that HDAC inhibitors can enhance the antitumor immune response by modulating the expression of PD-L1. Herein, we designed and synthesized a series of novel hydrazide-based small molecule HDAC inhibitors; among them, compound HQ-30 showed selective HDAC3 inhibition (IC50 = 89 nM) and remarkable PD-L1-degrading activity (DC50 = 5.7 μM, Dmax = 80% at 10 μM). Further studies revealed that HQ-30 induced the degradation of PD-L1 by regulating cathepsin B (CTSB) in the lysosomes. Further, HQ-30 could enhance the infiltration of CD3+ CD4+ helper T and CD3+ CD8+ cytotoxic T cells in tumors, thus activating the tumor immune microenvironment. Moreover, HQ-30 possessed a benign toxicity profile (LD50 > 1000 mg/kg) and favorable pharmacokinetic properties (F = 57%). Taken together, HQ-30 is worthy of further investigation as a small molecule-based epigenetic modulator of tumor immunotherapy.

Pharmacophore-based virtual screening, 3D QSAR, Docking, ADMET, and MD simulation studies: An in silico perspective for the identification of new potential HDAC3 inhibitors

Histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) is an epigenetic regulator that involves gene expression, apoptosis, and cell cycle progression, and the overexpression of HDAC3 is accountable for several cancers, neurodegeneracy, and many other diseases. Therefore, HDAC3 emerged as a promising drug target for the novel drug design. Here, we carried out the pharmacophore modeling using 50 benzamide-based HDAC3 selective inhibitors and utilized it for PHASE ligand screening to retrieve the hits with similar pharmacophore features. The dataset inhibitors of best hypotheses used to build the 3D QSAR model and the generated 3D QSAR model resulted in good PLS statistics with a regression coefficient (R2) of 0.89, predictive coefficient (Q2) of 0.88, and Pearson-R factor of 0.94 indicating its excellent predictive ability. The hits retrieved from pharmacophore-based virtual screening were subjected to docking against HDAC3 for the identification of potential inhibitors. A total of 10 hitsM1 to M10 were ranked using their scoring functions and further subject to lead optimization. The Prime MM/GBSA, AutoDock binding free energies, and ADMET studies were implemented for the selection of lead candidates. The four ligand molecules M1, M2, M3, and M4 were identified as potential leads against HDAC3 after lead optimization. The top two leads M1 and M2 were subjected to MD simulations for their stability evaluation with HDAC3. The newly designed leads M11 and M12 were identified as HDAC3 potential inhibitors from MD simulations studies. Therefore, the outcomes of the present study could provide insights into the discovery of new potential HDAC3 inhibitors with improved selectivity and activity against a variety of cancers and neurodegenerative diseases.

Systematic analysis of histone acetylation regulators across human cancers

BACKGROUND

Histone acetylation (HA) is an important and common epigenetic pathway, which could be hijacked by tumor cells during carcinogenesis and cancer progression. However, the important role of HA across human cancers remains elusive.

METHODS

In this study, we performed a comprehensive analysis at multiple levels, aiming to systematically describe the molecular characteristics and clinical relevance of HA regulators in more than 10000 tumor samples representing 33 cancer types.

RESULTS

We found a highly heterogeneous genetic alteration landscape of HA regulators across different human cancer types. CNV alteration may be one of the major mechanisms leading to the expression perturbations in HA regulators. Furthermore, expression perturbations of HA regulators correlated with the activity of multiple hallmark oncogenic pathways. HA regulators were found to be potentially useful for the prognostic stratification of kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC). Additionally, we identified HDAC3 as a potential oncogene in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).

CONCLUSION

Overall, our results highlights the importance of HA regulators in cancer development, which may contribute to the development of clinical strategies for cancer treatment.

Histone Deacetylase Functions in Gastric Cancer: Therapeutic Target?

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most aggressive cancers. Therapeutic treatments are based on surgery combined with chemotherapy using a combination of platinum-based agents. However, at metastatic stages of the disease, survival is extremely low due to late diagnosis and resistance mechanisms to chemotherapies. The development of new classifications has not yet identified new prognostic markers for clinical use. The studies of epigenetic processes highlighted the implication of histone acetylation status, regulated by histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and by histone deacetylases (HDACs), in cancer development. In this way, inhibitors of HDACs (HDACis) have been developed and some of them have already been clinically approved to treat T-cell lymphoma and multiple myeloma. In this review, we summarize the regulations and functions of eighteen HDACs in GC, describing their known targets, involved cellular processes, associated clinicopathological features, and impact on survival of patients. Additionally, we resume the in vitro, pre-clinical, and clinical trials of four HDACis approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in cancers in the context of GC.

Computational epigenetic landscape analysis reveals association of CACNA1G-AS1, F11-AS1, NNT-AS1, and MSC-AS1 lncRNAs in prostate cancer progression through aberrant methylation

Aberrant expression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), caused by alterations in DNA methylation, is a driving factor in several cancers. Interplay between lncRNAs’ aberrant methylation and expression in prostate cancer (PC) progression still remains largely elusive. Therefore, this study characterized the genome-wide epigenetic landscape and expression profiles of lncRNAs and their clinical impact by integrating multi-omics data implementing bioinformatics approaches. We identified 62 differentially methylated CpG-sites (DMCs) and 199 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs), where 32 DElncRNAs contain 32 corresponding DMCs within promoter regions. Significant negative correlation was observed between 8 DElncRNAs-DMCs pairs. 3 (cg23614229, cg23957912, and cg11052780) DMCs and 4 (CACNA1G-AS1, F11-AS1, NNT-AS1, and MSC-AS1) DElncRNAs were identified as high-risk factors for poor prognosis of PC patients. Overexpression of hypo-methylated CACNA1G-AS1, F11-AS1, and NNT-AS1 and down-regulation of hyper-methylated MSC-AS1 significantly lower the survival of PC patients and could be a potential prognostic and therapeutic biomarker. These DElncRNAs were found to be associated with several molecular functions whose deregulation can lead to cancer. Involvement of these epigenetically deregulated DElncRNAs in cancer-related biological processes was also noticed. These findings provide new insights into the understanding of lncRNA regulation by aberrant DNA methylation which will help to clarify the epigenetic mechanisms underlying PC.

The role of histone deacetylase 3 in breast cancer

It has been recently revealed that Histone Deacetylase (HDAC) 3, a unique member of the HDACs family, can trigger and progress cancers by alternation in genes expression and proteins activity. Epigenetic modifications by HDACs have been studied well in various cancer cells. Recent studies have focused on the HDAC enzymes as a possible target in cancer therapy. There are significant documents on upregulation of HDAC3 in breast cancer (BC) cells which suggest an oncogenic role for this enzyme. Interestingly, some studies showed that HDAC3 inhibition could be considered as a promising target in breast cancer therapy, and thus far, several inhibitors from different nature have been introduced. In this review, we discussed the function and highlight the existing inhibitors of HDAC3 in BC pathogenesis and therapy.

Interaction of ncRNA and Epigenetic Modifications in Gastric Cancer: Focus on Histone Modification

Gastric cancer has developed as a very common gastrointestinal tumors, with recent effective advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of early gastric cancer. However, the prognosis for gastric cancer remains poor. As a result, there is in sore need of better understanding the mechanisms of gastric cancer development and progression to improve existing diagnostic and treatment options. In recent years, epigenetics has been recognized as an important contributor on tumor progression. Epigenetic changes in cancer include chromatin remodeling, DNA methylation and histone modifications. An increasing number of studies demonstrated that noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are associated with epigenetic changes in gastric cancer. Herein, we describe the molecular interactions of histone modifications and ncRNAs in epigenetics. We focus on ncRNA-mediated histone modifications of gene expression associated with tumorigenesis and progression in gastric cancer. This molecular mechanism will contribute to our deeper understanding of gastric carcinogenesis and progression, thus providing innovations in gastric cancer diagnosis and treatment strategies.

FOXA1 can be modulated by HDAC3 in the progression of epithelial ovarian carcinoma

FOXA1 is associated with malignant tumors, but the function of FOXA1 in EOC is unclear. HDAC3 can influence the proliferation, migration and invasion ability of EOC. In this study, we wanted to explore the function of FOXA1 in ovarian cancer and the relationship between HDAC3 and FOXA1.The expression of HDAC3 and FOXA1 was detected by immunohistochemical staining of primary lesions from 127 epithelial ovarian carcinoma patients. A proliferation assay, a Transwell assay, an apoptosis assay and animal experiments were used to assess the proliferation, invasion and apoptosis abilities of ovarian cancer cells before and after transfection with FOXA1. The relevance of the in vitro findings was confirmed in xenografts. The H-scores for FOXA1 and HDAC3 staining in FIGO stage III-IV were noticeably higher and predicted adverse clinical outcomes in patients with ovarian cancer. The expression level of HDAC3 was significantly correlated with the expression level of FOXA1. Invasion, proliferation and apoptosis capacity and tumor formation were decreased in the FOXA1-knockdown cells. Experiments in xenografts confirmed that HDAC3 mediated tumor formation. In conclusion, FOXA1 can be modulated by HDAC3 through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, and FOXA1 plays essential roles in the proliferation, apoptosis and invasion of EOC cell lines and xenograft experiments.

Expression profiles of miR-196, miR-132, miR-146a, and miR-134 in human colorectal cancer tissues in accordance with their clinical significance : Comparison regarding KRAS mutation

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the most widespread malignancies in the world. MicroRNA (miRNA) has been identified as an important modulator of the biological processes of the cells. This group of noncoding RNAs also has a pivotal function in the growth and development of human cancers, including CRC. Among these miRNAs, miR-196, miR-132, miR-146a, and miR-134 have fundamental impacts on the regulation of cancers. The current study aimed to investigate the involvement of these miRNAs in CRC patients.

METHODS

In this study, 50 pairs of tumor and tumor margin samples of CRC patients were investigated to assess the expression levels of miR-196, miR-132, miR-146a, and miR-134 in this cancer. For this purpose, firstly, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was applied. Also, KRAS mutation and clinicopathological characteristics of the CRC patients were analyzed in the study groups.

RESULTS

The findings demonstrated the overexpression of miR-196 (P-value = 0.0045) and miR-146a (P-value = 0.0033) in tumor tissues compared to controls. Conversely, the expression levels of miR-132 (P-value = 0.00032) and miR-134 (P-value < 0.0001) were downregulated in tumor tissues. Also, miR-146a was the only miRNA with significant expression change in the case of the KRAS gene mutation. Interestingly, the expression ratio of these miRNAs was significantly associated with some of the clinicopathological features of the patients, such as lymph node and distant metastases.

CONCLUSION

Our data demonstrated that these miRNAs appear to be promising novel biomarkers for early diagnosis of CRC and may pave the way for the future establishment of novel therapeutic options for CRC.

MicroRNAs are involved in the development and progression of gastric cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are recognized as an essential component of the RNA family, exerting multiple and intricate biological functions, particularly in the process of tumorigenesis, proliferation, and metastatic progression. MiRNAs are altered in gastric cancer (GC), showing activity as both tumor suppressors and oncogenes, although their true roles have not been fully understood. This review will focus upon the recent advances of miRNA studies related to the regulatory mechanisms of gastric tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle. We hope to provide an in-depth insight into the mechanistic role of miRNAs in GC development and progression. In particular, we summarize the latest studies relevant to miRNAs' impact upon the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, tumor microenvironment, and chemoresistance in GC cells. We expect to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involving miRNAs for better understanding the etiology of GC, and facilitating the development of new treatment regimens for the treatment of GC.

Dissecting Histone Deacetylase 3 in Multiple Disease Conditions: Selective Inhibition as a Promising Therapeutic Strategy

The acetylation of histone and non-histone proteins has been implicated in several disease states. Modulation of such epigenetic modifications has therefore made histone deacetylases (HDACs) important drug targets. HDAC3, among various class I HDACs, has been signified as a potentially validated target in multiple diseases, namely, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disorders, autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases, parasitic infections, and HIV. However, only a handful of HDAC3-selective inhibitors have been reported in spite of continuous efforts in design and development of HDAC3-selective inhibitors. In this Perspective, the roles of HDAC3 in various diseases as well as numerous potent and HDAC3-selective inhibitors have been discussed in detail. It will surely open up a new vista in the discovery of newer, more effective, and more selective HDAC3 inhibitors.

Protein Acetylation at the Interface of Genetics, Epigenetics and Environment in Cancer

Metabolic reprogramming is an emerging hallmark of cancer and is driven by abnormalities of oncogenes and tumor suppressors. Accelerated metabolism causes cancer cell aggression through the dysregulation of rate-limiting metabolic enzymes as well as by facilitating the production of intermediary metabolites. However, the mechanisms by which a shift in the metabolic landscape reshapes the intracellular signaling to promote the survival of cancer cells remain to be clarified. Recent high-resolution mass spectrometry-based proteomic analyses have spotlighted that, unexpectedly, lysine residues of numerous cytosolic as well as nuclear proteins are acetylated and that this modification modulates protein activity, sublocalization and stability, with profound impact on cellular function. More importantly, cancer cells exploit acetylation as a post-translational protein for microenvironmental adaptation, nominating it as a means for dynamic modulation of the phenotypes of cancer cells at the interface between genetics and environments. The objectives of this review were to describe the functional implications of protein lysine acetylation in cancer biology by examining recent evidence that implicates oncogenic signaling as a strong driver of protein acetylation, which might be exploitable for novel therapeutic strategies against cancer.

Brain Tumor-Derived Extracellular Vesicles as Carriers of Disease Markers: Molecular Chaperones and MicroRNAs

Primary and metastatic brain tumors are usually serious conditions with poor prognosis, which reveal the urgent need of developing rapid diagnostic tools and efficacious treatments. To achieve these objectives, progress must be made in the understanding of brain tumor biology, for example, how they resist natural defenses and therapeutic intervention. One resistance mechanism involves extracellular vesicles that are released by tumors to meet target cells nearby or distant via circulation and reprogram them by introducing their cargo. This consists of different molecules among which are microRNAs (miRNAs) and molecular chaperones, the focus of this article. miRNAs modify target cells in the immune system to avoid antitumor reaction and chaperones are key survival molecules for the tumor cell. Extracellular vesicles cargo reflects the composition and metabolism of the original tumor cell; therefore, it is a source of markers, including the miRNAs and chaperones discussed in this article, with potential diagnostic and prognostic value. This and their relatively easy availability by minimally invasive procedures (e.g., drawing venous blood) illustrate the potential of extracellular vesicles as useful materials to manage brain tumor patients. Furthermore, understanding extracellular vesicles circulation and interaction with target cells will provide the basis for using this vesicle for delivering therapeutic compounds to selected tumor cells.

[Epigallocatechin gallate induces CHD5 gene demethylation to promote acute myeloid leukemia cell apoptosis in vitro by regulating p19Arf-p53-p21Cip1 signaling pathway]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the mechanism by which epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) induces CHD5 gene demethylation and promotes the apoptosis of acute myeloid leukemia KG-1 and THP-1 cell lines.

METHODS

KG-1 and THP-1 cells treated with 25, 50, 75, 100 or 150 μg/mL EGCG for 48 h were examined for CHD5 gene methylation using MSP and for cell proliferation using MTT assay. The changes in cell cycle and apoptosis of the two cell lines after treatment with EGCG for 48 h were detected using flow cytometry. The mRNA and protein expressions of DNMT1, CHD5, p19Arf, p53 and p21Cip1 in the cells were detected using RT-quantitative PCR and Western blot.

RESULTS

EGCG dose-dependently reversed hypermethylation of CHD5 gene and reduced the cell viability in both KG-1 and THP-1 cells (P < 0.05). EGCG treatment caused obvious cell cycle arrest in G1 phase, significantly increased cell apoptosis, downregulated the expression of DNMT1 and upregulated the expressions of CHD5, p19Arf, p53 and p21Cip1 in KG-1 and THP-1 cells (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

EGCG reduces hypermethylation of CHD5 gene in KG-1 and THP-1 cells by downregulating DNMT1 to restore its expression, which results in upregulated expressions of p19Arf, p53 and p21Cip1 and induces cell apoptosis.

HDAC3-dependent transcriptional repression of FOXA2 regulates FTO/m6A/MYC signaling to contribute to the development of gastric cancer

As one of the deadliest malignancies, gastric cancer (GC) is often accompanied by a low 5-year survival following initial diagnosis, which accounts for a substantial proportion of cancer-related deaths each year worldwide. Altered epigenetic modifications of cancer oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes emerge as novel mechanisms have been implicated the pathogenesis of GC. In the current study, we aim to elucidate whether histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) exerts oncogenic role in GC, and investigate the possible mechanism. Initially, we collected 64 paired cancerous and noncancerous tissues surgically resected from GC patients. Positive expression of HDAC3, FTO, and MYC in the tissues was measured using Immunohistochemistry. Meanwhile, GC cell line BGC-823/AGS was selected and treated with lentivirus vectors for alteration of HDAC3, FTO, or FOXA2 expressions, followed by detection on mRNA and protein levels of HDAC3, FOXA2, FTO, and MYC using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blot assays. The results demonstrated that the expressions of HDAC3, FTO and MYC were upregulated, while FOXA2 expression was downregulated in GC tissues and cells. After that, the cell viability, migration, and invasion of GC cells were assessed by CCK-8 and Transwell assays, revealing that HDAC3 accelerated GC cell viability, migration and invasion by degrading FOXA2. Subsequently, the binding relationship among HDAC3, FOXA2, FTO, and MYC was assessed by assays of immunoprecipitation, dual-luciferase reporter gene, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Methylation of m6A mRNA in GC cells was detected via gene-specific m6A qPCR and dot-blot assays. The transcription factor FOXA2 was found to bind to the FTO gene promoter and decreased its expression, while FTO stabilized MYC mRNA by reducing m6A methylation of MYC in GC cells. In addition, HDAC3 was observed to maintain the FTO/m6A/MYC signaling and regulated GC progression, which was also supported by in vivo animal study data of GC cell tumorigenesis in nude mice. These key observations uncover the tumor-initiating activities of HDAC3 in GC through its regulation on FOXA2-mediated FTO/m6A/MYC axis, highlighting the potential of therapeutically targeting epigenetic modifications to combat GC.

Clinical significance of HDAC1, -2 and -3 expression levels in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

The present study analyzed the expression of the histone deacetylase (HDAC) 1, 2 and 3 in primary esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) samples and how their levels correlate with clinicopathological parameters. ESCC patients (n=88) in the present study had received no previous treatment before undergoing surgical excision. The mRNA expression of HDAC1, -2 and -3 were detected by semi-quantified PCR in ESCC samples and distal normal samples. The relationship of HDAC1, -2 and -3 expression with clinicopathological parameters was analyzed by χ2 test. The correlation among these HDACs was analyzed by Pearson's correlation test. Compared with distal normal tissues, ESCC samples had higher expression of HDAC1, but not HDAC2 or HDAC3 (P<0.05). The expression of HDACs was different between Kazak and Han ethnicities. The expression of HDAC2 was correlated with invasion depth (P<0.05), but not with sex, age, metastasis, or the degree of tumor differentiation (P>0.05). There was no association between HDAC1 or HDAC3 and clinicopathological parameters (P>0.05). For the Kazak and Han ethnicities, HDAC1 expression was present in male patients, patients with well/moderate differentiated ESCC and T3 and T4 ESCC (P<0.01). HDAC1 in patients aged <60 was associated with ethnicity (P<0.05). HDAC2 expression was different in positive LN metastasis, well/moderate differentiation and T3 and T4 ESCC (P<0.01). HDAC3 expression in male patients, patients with negative LN metastasis and well/moderate differentiation ESCC was associated with ethnicity (P<0.05). Additionally, the expression levels of HDAC1, -2 and -3 did not correlate with each other. Thus, HDAC1 expression may be used as a risk factor for ESCC and HDAC2 levels may be used to predict invasion depth. The expression of HDAC1, -2 and -3 has ethnic differences.

miR-454 promotes survival and induces oxaliplatin resistance in gastric carcinoma cells by targeting CYLD

MicroRNA-454 (miR-454), is involved in the progression of various types of cancers. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of miR-454 on the progression of gastric cancer. SGC-7901 cells overexpressing or silencing miR454 were constructed via transfection and the survival rate of the cells was determined. The relationship between miR-454 and cylindromatosis (CYLD) was explored and the influence of miR-454 on oxaliplatin resistance was investigated in SGC-7901 cells. It was determined that overexpression of miR-454 increased the number of colonies and reduced apoptosis rate of SGC-7901 cells. The CYLD gene was identified as a direct target of miR-454. miR-454 overexpression downregulated the expression of CYLD, leading to an increase in SGC-7901 cell proliferation. Finally, miR-454 was also demonstrated to induce resistance to oxaliplatin in gastric cancer cells. In conclusion, the present in vitro findings suggested that miR-454 might be a novel therapeutic target for gastric cancer.

Clinical significance of chromatin remodeling factor CHD5 expression in gastric cancer

Chromodomain helicase DNA-binding 5 (CHD5), which is a member of the CHD family, has been identified as a tumor suppressor gene in a variety of malignancies. The aim of the current study was to clarify the clinical significance of CHD5 expression in gastric cancer. CHD5 expression was evaluated using immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 154 specimens resected from patients with gastric cancer from January 2011 to December 2013, and assessed its relationships with clinicopathological characteristics and survival. In vitro cell proliferation, invasion, and migration assays and western blotting analysis were performed to clarify the role of CHD5 in human gastric cancer cell lines. Of a total of 154 patients, 57 (37.0%) exhibited low CHD5 expression, which was significantly associated with positive lymphatic invasion (P=0.032), advanced pT status (P=0.011), and advanced pStage (P=0.014). Overall survival (OS) in patients with low CHD5 expression was significantly worse compared with patients with high CHD5 expression (hazard ratio, 1.96; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-3.45; log-rank P=0.023). Cox multivariate analysis for OS revealed that CHD5 expression was an independent prognostic factor with age and pN status. In vitro, the upregulation of CHD5 in gastric cancer cells with low CHD5 expression significantly decreased cell proliferation, migration and invasion. CHD5 was associated with the regulation of multiple cancer-related targets, including p53 and enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) in western blotting analysis. In conclusion, since CHD5 regulated multiple cancer-related targets, its expression may be a useful prognostic biomarker in patients with gastric cancer.

miR-370 inhibits the oxidative stress and apoptosis of cardiac myocytes induced by hydrogen peroxide by targeting FOXO1

Myocardial infarction, one of the main factors that threatens human health, leads to cardiac cell death. Myocardial cells suffer ischemia and hypoxia for a long period of time, which can lead to irreversible cell death or apoptosis and cardiac dysfunction. MicroRNAs (miRs) have been reported to play an important role in a wide range of biological processes in cardiac myocytes, which respond to inflammation and oxidative stress. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of miR-370 on oxidative stress and apoptosis of cardiac myocytes in ischemic H9C2 cells induced by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). H9C2 cells were cultured and treated with different concentrations of H₂O₂ solution. Then, cells were transfected with miR-370 mimic or negative control (NC) mimic, small interfering (si)-RNA-Forkhead box O1 (FOXO1) and NC siRNA. A Cell Counting Kit-8 and flow cytometry assay were conducted to detect cell viability and cell apoptosis. The expression of oxidative stress associated factors were detected by ELISA. The levels of miR-370 and FOXO1 were examined using western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. A luciferase reporter gene assay was performed to verify whether FOXO1 was a target gene of miR-370. The results revealed that miR-370 expression was downregulated and FOXO1 expression was increased in H9C2 cells induced by H₂O₂. Additionally, FOXO1 was proven to be a target of miR-370. The ELISA and flow cytometry assay revealed that miR-370 overexpression and FOXO1 silencing reversed H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis. The results indicated that miR-370 could inhibit the oxidative stress and apoptosis of H9C2 cells induced by H₂O₂ by targeting FOXO1. Therefore, miR-370 may be a new therapeutic target for ischemic heart disease.

A rare CHD5 haplotype and its interactions with environmental factors predicting hepatocellular carcinoma risk

Background

CHD5 is a conventional tumour-suppressing gene in many tumours. The aim of this study was to determine whether CHD5 variants contribute to the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

Gene variants were identified using next-generation sequencing targeted on referenced mutations followed by TaqMan genotyping in two case-control studies.

Results

We discovered a rare variant (haplotype AG) in CHD5 (rs12564469-rs9434711) that was markedly associated with the risk of HCC in a Chinese population. A logistical regression model and permutation test confirmed the association. Indeed, the association quality increased in a gene dose-dependent manner as the number of samples increased. In the stratified analysis, this haplotype risk effect was statistically significant in a subgroup of alcohol drinkers. The false-positive report probability and multifactor dimensionality reduction further supported the finding.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the rare CHD5 gene haplotype and alcohol intake contribute to the risk of HCC. Our findings can be valuable to researchers of cancer precision medicine looking to improve diagnosis and treatment of HCC.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-018-4551-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

miR-1269 promotes cell survival and proliferation by targeting tp53 and caspase-9 in lung cancer

Background and aim

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. In this study, we aim to elucidate the role of miR-1269 in the pathogenesis of lung cancer.

Methods and results

From the results of analyses using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we noted the expression of miR-1269 was increased in lung cancer tissue. miR-1269 expression was detected in both the normal adjacent lung tissue and in the tumorous lung tissue of lung cancer patients, and miR-1269 was more highly expressed in the tumors. High expression of miR-1269 correlated with patients’ tumor stage and lymph node metastasis. A Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) analysis and a cloning formation assay showed that overexpression of miR-1269 significantly promoted the growth of A549 cells, and that a lower expression of miR-1269 significantly increased cell apoptosis. We used the TargetScan 6.2 Database to predict the potential targets of miR-1269, and a luciferase activity assay was used to determine the direct interaction between miR-1269, tumor protein p53 (TP53), and caspase-9. Results from Western blots and real-time PCR showed that overexpression of miR-1269 significantly inhibited TP53 and caspase-9 expression. In addition, caspase-3 activity was found to decrease in a miR-1269 mimic group. The results showed that gene silencing of TP53 and caspase-9 significantly inhibited A549 cell growth and promoted cell apoptosis. The results also showed that the inhibition of miR-1269 and caspase-9 expression inhibited cell apoptosis. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) results demonstrated that TP53 and caspase-9 were expressed in low levels in tumor tissues, and that an inverse correlation exists between miR-1269 expression levels and TP53 or caspase-9 expression levels.

Conclusion

These results demonstrate that miR-1269 promotes cell survival and proliferation by targeting TP53 and caspase-9 in lung cancer.

The Role of miRNA-132 against Apoptosis and Oxidative Stress in Heart Failure

OBJECTIVE

To explore the effect of microRNA-132 of heart failure and provide theoretical guidance for clinical treatment of heart failure (HF).

METHODS

Peripheral blood was collected from HF patients. RT-qPCR was used to determine microRNA-132 expression. Mouse models of heart failure were established. Color Doppler ultrasound was utilized to measure the changes of cardiac function. HE and Masson staining were applied to observe pathological changes of the myocardium. After H9C2 cells were transfected with microRNA-132, MTT assay was employed to detect the stability of H9C2 cells. ELISA was used to measure the levels of oxidative stress factors. Western blot assay and RT-qPCR were utilized to determine the expression of Bax, Bcl-2, TGF-β1, and smad3.

RESULTS

MicroRNA-132 expression was downregulated in HF patients' blood. After establishing mouse models of HF, cardiac function obviously decreased. HE staining revealed the obvious edema and hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes. Masson staining demonstrated that cardiomyocytes were markedly fibrotic. After microRNA-132 transfection and H9C2 cell apoptosis induced by H2O2, antioxidant stress and antiapoptotic ability of the H9C2 cells obviously increased. TGF-β1 and smad3 expression remarkably diminished.

CONCLUSION

Overexpression of microRNA-132 dramatically increased the antioxidant stress and antiapoptotic ability of H9C2 cells and decreased the expression of TGF-β1 and smad3.