Downregulated miR-23b-3p expression acts as a predictor of hepatocellular carcinoma progression: A study based on public data and RT-qPCR verification

Hypoxia Induces Tumor-Derived Exosome SNHG16 to Mediate Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Progression through the miR-23b-5p/MCM6 Pathway

This study aims to investigate the mechanism of tumor-derived exosomal (EVs) SNHG16 in promoting the progression of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). QRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of SNHG16, miR-23b-5p and MCM6 in NPC. MTT, flow cytometry and transwell were used to detect the effects of them on the proliferation, cycle, apoptosis and invasion ability of NPC. Transmission electron microscopy, Western blotting and BCA were used to verify the regulation of exosome secretion under different oxygen environments. Our results showed that hypoxia induces tumor-derived exosome SNHG16 to mediate NPC progression through the miR-23b-5p/MCM6 pathway.

MiR-23b-3p suppresses epithelial-mesenchymal transition, migration, and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by targeting c-MET

Background

Aberrant expression of c-MET is known to be associated with tumor recurrence and metastasis by promoting cell proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and migration in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recently, miR-23b-3p has been identified as a tumor suppressor, but detailed role of miR-23b-3p in HCC is still unclear. Our study aimed to investigate how miR-23b-3p is associated with the malignant potential of HCC cells.

Methods

HCC tissues and their adjacent non-tumor tissues were acquired from 30 patients with HCC. Expression of EMT- or stemness-related genes were examined in the two HCC cell lines. Migration of HCC cells was analyzed using transwell and wound healing assays.

Results

c-MET was overexpressed in HCC tissues compared to the adjacent non-tumor tissues. c-MET knockdown inhibited EMT and reduced migration and invasion of HCC cells. Furthermore, c-MET was a target of miR-23b-3p, and miR-23b-3p expression was decreased in HCC tissues compared to non-tumor tissues. Treatment of miR-23b-3p inhibitor in HCC cells promoted EMT, cell migration, and invasion. In contrast, miR-23b-3p overexpression suppressed EMT, cell migration, and invasion, concomitantly reducing c-MET expression. Transfection of miR-23b-3p inhibitor with concomitant c-MET knockdown mitigated the effects of miR-23b-3p inhibitor on EMT in HCC cells. In addition, transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-β1) stimulation after miR-23b-3p overexpression induced neither the mesenchymal phenotype nor migratory property of HCC cells.

Conclusion

In this study, we confirmed that miR-23b-3p downregulation significantly increased EMT, migration, and invasion of HCC cells. In addition, c-MET was confirmed to be a target of miR-23b-3p in HCC cells and regulated the functional effects of miR-23b-3p. These results suggest that miR-23b-3p can be used as a prognostic biomarker and candidate target for HCC treatment.

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c-MET is a target of miR-23b-3p and overexpressed in HCC tissues.

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MiR-23b-3p expression was decreased in HCC tissues compared to non-tumor tissues.

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Inhibition of miR-23b-3p induced migration and invasion via EMT in HCC cells.

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MiR-23b-3p/c-MET axis may serve as a therapeutic target for HCC.

AIM2 as a putative target in acute kidney graft rejection

Acute rejection (AR) is a process triggered via the recognition of grafted organ-derived antigens by the immune system, which could present as a life-threatening condition. In the context of a kidney transplant, despite improvement with immunosuppressive therapies, AR maintains a significant incidence of 10%, and currently available drugs generally act in similar and canonical pathways of lymphocyte activation. This prompted the research for different approaches to identify potential novel targets that could improve therapeutic interventions. Here, we conducted a transcriptome analysis comparing groups of acute rejection (including T cell-mediated rejection and antibody-mediated rejection) to stable grafts that included differentially expressed genes, transcription factor and kinase enrichment, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis. These analyses revealed inflammasome enhancement in rejected grafts and AIM2 as a potential component linked to acute rejection, presenting a positive correlation to T-cell activation and a negative correlation to oxidative phosphorylation metabolism. Also, the AIM2 expression showed a global accuracy in discerning acute rejection grafts (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.755 and 0.894, p < 0.0001), and meta-analysis comprising different studies indicated a considerable enhancement of AIM2 in rejection (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 1.45, [CI 95%, 1.18 to 1.71]), especially for T cell-mediated rejection (TCMR) (SMD = 2.01, [CI 95%, 1.58 to 2.45]). These findings could guide future studies of AIM2 as either an adjuvant target for immunosuppression or a potential biomarker for acute rejection and graft survival.

Comprehensive analysis of a TPX2-related TRHDE-AS1/PKIA ceRNA network involving prognostic signatures in Hepatitis B virus-infected hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a main carcinogenic factor of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). TPX2 microtubule nucleation factor is recently recommended as a novel prognostic biomarker in HBV-infected HCC tissues. This study aimed to explore a TPX2-related ceRNA regulatory network in HBV-infected HCC and the potential impact on HCC prognosis. We comprehensively identified 541 differential expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs), 37 DEmiRNAs and 439 DEmRNAs from HBV-related TCGA-HCC cohorts in TPX2low and TPX2high groups. Based on their RNA-RNA interaction and expression analysis, four DElncRNAs (TRHDE-AS1, DLX6-AS1, SNHG14, HOXA11-AS), four DEmiRNAs (miR-23b, miR-320a, miR-589, miR-126) and five DEmRNAs (PKIA, PCDHA2, SHCBP1, PRSS16, KIF18A) in HCC tumor vs normal groups were subjected to the hub regulatory networks analysis and further prognostic value analysis. Importantly, the TRHDE-AS1/miR-23b/PKIA ceRNA network was associated with HCC prognosis. Furthermore, cellular location analysis and base-base interaction analysis indicated that the cytoplasmic lncRNA TRHDE-AS1 was regarded as a ceRNA to sponging miR-23b and then regulating PKIA. Interestingly, correlation analysis suggested the expression correlation between TRHDE-AS1 and PKIA in HCC. Finally, we further performed the methylation and immune infiltration analysis to explore the functional process of PKIA in HCC. We proposed a ceRNA regulatory network may help elucidate the mechanism by which TPX2 contributes to the prognosis of HBV-related HCC.

miR-23b-3p Modulating Cytoprotective Autophagy and Glutamine Addiction in Sorafenib Resistant HepG2, a Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Line

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second most common malignancy with increasing cancer deaths worldwide. HCC is mainly diagnosed at its advanced stage, and treatment with FDA-approved sorafenib, the multikinase inhibitor drug, is advised. Acquired resistance against sorafenib develops through several pathways involving hypoxia, autophagy, high glycolysis, or glutaminolysis. Small non-coding RNAs, similar to microRNAs (miRNAs), are also known to affect sorafenib resistance in HCC. However, there is a lack of information regarding the significance of differentially expressed miRNA (if any) on autophagy and glutamine regulation in sorafenib-resistant HCC. Methods: The expression of autophagy and glutaminolysis genes was checked in both parental and sorafenib resistant HepG2 cell lines by real-time PCR. MTT and Annexin/PI assays were also performed in the presence of inhibitors such as chloroquine (autophagy inhibitor) and BPTES (glutaminolysis inhibitor). Next generation sequencing and in silico analysis were performed to select autophagy and glutamine addiction-specific microRNA. Selected miRNA were transfected into both HepG2 cells to examine its effect on autophagy and glutamine addiction in regulating sorafenib-resistant HCC. Results: Our in vitro study depicted a higher expression of genes encoding autophagy and glutaminolysis in sorafenib-resistant HepG2 cells. Moreover, inhibitors for autophagy (chloroquine) and glutaminolysis (BPTES) showed a diminished level of cell viability and augmentation in cell apoptosis of sorafenib-resistant HepG2 cells. NGS and real-time PCR demonstrated the downregulated expression of miR-23b-3p in sorafenib-resistant cells compared to parental cells. In silico analysis showed that miR-23b-3p specifically targeted autophagy through ATG12 and glutaminolysis through GLS1. In transfection assays, mimics of miR-23b-3p demonstrated reduced gene expression for both ATG12 and GLS1, decreased cell viability, and increased cell apoptosis of sorafenib-resistant HepG2 cells, whereas the antimiRs of miR-23b-3p demonstrated contrasting results. Conclusion: Our study highlights the cytoprotective role of autophagy and glutamine addiction modulated by miR-23b-3p (tumor suppressor), suggesting new approaches to curb sorafenib resistance in HCC.

The Computational Analysis of Single Nucleotide Associated with MicroRNA Affecting Hepatitis B Infection

BACKGROUND

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have a pivotal role in Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection and its complications by targeting the cellular transcription factors required for gene expression or directly binding to HBV transcripts. Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in miRNA genes affect their expression and the regulation of target genes, clinical course, diagnosis, and therapeutic interventions of HBV infection.

METHODS

Computational assessment and cataloging of miRNA gene polymorphisms targeting mRNA transcripts straightly or indirectly through the regulation of hepatitis B infection by annotating the functional impact of SNPs on mRNA-miRNA and miRNA-RBS (miRNA binding sites) interaction were screened by applying various universally available datasets such as the miRNA SNP3.0 software.

RESULTS

2987 SNPs were detected in 139 miRNAs affecting hepatitis B infection. Among them, 313 SNPs were predicted to have a significant role in the progression of hepatitis B infection. The computational analysis also revealed that 45 out of the 313 SNPs were located in the seed region and were more important than others. Has-miR-139-3p had the largest number of SNPs in the seed region (n=6). On the other hand, proteoglycans in cancer, adherens junction, lysine degradation, NFkappa B signaling cascade, ECM-receptor binding, viral carcinogenesis, fatty acid metabolism, TGF-beta signaling pathway, p53 signaling pathway, immune evasion related pathways, and fatty acid biosynthesis were the most important pathways affected by these 139 miRNAs.

CONCLUSION

The results revealed 45 SNPs in the seed region of 25 miRNAs as the catalog in miRNA genes that regulated the hepatitis B infection. The results also showed the most important pathways regulated by these miRNAs that can be targeted for therapeutic purposes.

The expression of microRNA-331-3p and microRNA-23b3 in Egyptian patients with early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis C-related liver cirrhosis

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatitis C are strongly associated. The current work aimed to study the expression levels of microRNA-331-3p and microRNA-23b-3p as propable biomarkers for detecting liver cancer (HCC) at its early stages in patients with HCV-related liver cirrhosis. The current prospective study included two hundred participants, divided into three groups: group I, 100 patients with HCV-related liver cirrhosis; group II, 50 HCC patients at early stages; and group III, 50 apparentlyhealthy controls. All patients had routine laboratory workup and ultrasound hepatic assessment. Values of microRNA-331-3p and microRNA-23b-3p were measured by real-time quantitative PCR.

Results

Levels of miR-331-3p were significantly higher in HCC patients than in cirrhotic patients and controls (p < 0.001), while levels of miR-23b-3p were significantly lower in HCC patients compared to cirrhotics and controls (p < 0.001). ROC curve revealed that miR-23b-3p had 80% sensitivity and 74% specificity, miR-331-3p had 66% sensitivity and 61% specificity, and AFP had 64% sensitivity and 61% specificity of 61% in discrimination between HCC patients from controls.

Conclusion

Serum miR-23b-3p is a more effective predictor than miR-331-3p and AFP for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis C (HCV)-related cirrhotic patients.

Evaluation of Oncogene NUP37 as a Potential Novel Biomarker in Breast Cancer

Purpose

There is an urgent need to identify oncogenes that may be beneficial to diagnose and develop target therapy for breast cancer.

Methods

Based on the GEO database, DECenter was used to screen the differentially overexpressed genes in breast cancer samples. Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes and Cytoscape were performed to construct the PPI network to predict the hub gene. Functional and pathway enrichment were performed based on GO analysis. GEO2R, Oncomine, human tissue microarray staining, and western blot were applied to confirm the expression of NUP37. The association between NUP37 expression and prognosis in patients with breast cancer were assessed using the Kaplan–Meier plotter online tool and OncoLnc. siRNAs were used to knock down NUP37 and evaluate proliferation, migration, and stemness in breast cancer cells.

Results

We found that 138 genes were differentially upregulated in breast cancer samples, mainly comprising components of the nucleus and involved in the cell cycle process. NUP37 was identified as a hub gene that is upregulated in breast cancer patients related to a significantly worse survival rate. Furthermore, we confirmed that the downregulation of NUP37 in breast cancer cells results in the inhibition of cell growth, migration, and stemness.

Conclusions

High expression of NUP37 in breast cancer patients is associated with a poorer prognosis and promotion of cell growth, migration, and stemness. The multiple bioinformatics and experimental analysis help provide a comprehensive understanding of the roles of NUP37 as a potential marker for diagnosis and prognosis and as a novel therapeutic target in breast cancer.

RAI14 Regulated by circNFATC3/miR-23b-3p axis Facilitates Cell Growth and Invasion in Gastric Cancer

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been proved to act crucial roles in multiple malignancies including gastric cancer (GC). Retinoic acid induced 14 (RAI14) acts as an oncogene in human cancers, but the underlying mechanisms by which RAI14 is regulated by circRNA/miRNA axis remain elusive. The clinical value of RAI14, miR-23b-3p and circNFATC3 was estimated by The Cancer Genome Atlas and fluorescence in situ hybridization. The interplay between miR-23b-3p and RAI14 or circNFATC3 was determined by qRT-PCR, Western blot, luciferase gene report and RIP assays. Biological function assays and a subcutaneous xenograft model were executed to unveil the role of circNFATC3/miR-23b-3p/RAI14 axis in GC cells. As a consequence, upregulation of RAI14 and circNFATC3 or downregulation of miR-23b-3p was associated with poor prognosis in patients with GC. Restored miR-23b-3p depressed cell proliferation, colony formation, and cell invasion by targeting RAI14, whereas RAI14 facilitated cell progression and reversed the anti-tumor effects of miR-23b-3p in GC cells. Then, circNFATC3 had a co-localization with miR-23b-3p in the cytoplasm in GC tissue cells and could act as a sponge of miR-23b-3p in GC cell line. Silencing of circNFATC3 inhibited cell growth and in vivo tumorigenesis by upregulating miR-23b-3p and downregulating RAI14. In conclusion, our findings indicated that RAI14 facilitated cell growth and invasion and was regulated by circNFATC3/miR-23b-3p axis in GC.

Four potential microRNAs affect the progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma by targeting MET via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common tumor subtype of pancreatic cancer, which exhibits poor patient prognosis due to the lack of effective biomarkers in the diagnosis and treatment. The present study aimed to identify the potential biomarkers of PDAC carcinogenesis and progression using three microarray datasets, GSE15471, GSE16515 and GSE28735, which were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The datasets were analyzed to screen out differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in PDAC tissues and adjacent normal tissues. A total of 143 DEGs were identified, including 132 upregulated genes and 11 downregulated genes. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes functional and signaling pathway enrichment analyses were performed on the DEGs, and the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins database was used to construct a protein-protein interaction network. The main functions of DEGs include extracellular matrix degradation, and regulation of matrix metalloproteinase activity and the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. The five hub genes were subsequently screened using Cytoscape software, and survival analysis demonstrated that abnormal expression levels of the hub genes was associated with poor disease-free survival and overall survival. Biological experiments were performed to confirm whether mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) factors promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of PDAC cells via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. In addition, six MET-targeted microRNAs (miRNAs) were identified, four of which had conserved binding sites with MET. Based on the signaling pathway enrichment analysis of these miRNAs, it is suggested that they can affect the progression of PDAC by targeting MET via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. In conclusion, the hub genes and miRNAs that were identified in the present study contribute to the molecular mechanisms of PDAC carcinogenesis and progression. They also provide candidate biomarkers for early diagnosis and treatment of patients with PDAC.

Association of Cigarette Smoking, COPD, and Lung Cancer With Expression of SARS-CoV-2 Entry Genes in Human Airway Epithelial Cells

SARS-CoV-2 enters into human airway epithelial cells via membrane fusion or endocytosis, and this process is dependent on ACE2, TMPRSS2, and cathepsin L. In this study, we examined the expression profiles of the three SARS-CoV-2 entry genes in primary human airway epithelial cells isolated from smokers, non-smokers, patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or lung cancer. An exhaustive search of the GEO database was performed to identify eligible data on 1st June 2020. In total, 46 GEO datasets comprising transcriptomic data of 3,053 samples were identified as eligible data for further analysis. All meta-analysis were performed using RStudio. Standardized mean difference was utilized to assess the effect size of a factor on the expression of targeted genes and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. This study revealed that (i) cigarette smoking is associated with an increased expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 and a decreased expression of cathepsin L; (ii) significant alternations in expression of ACE2, TMPRSS2, and cathepsin L were observed between current smokers and former smokers, but not between former smokers and never smokers; (iii) when compared with healthy controls with identical smoking status, patients with COPD or lung cancer showed negligible changes in expression of ACE2, TMPRSS2, and cathepsin L. Therefore, this study implicates cigarette smoking might contribute to the development of COVID-19 by affecting the expression of SARS-CoV-2 entry genes, while smoking cessation could be effective to reduce the potential risk.

Clinical significance and biological function of transcriptional repressor GATA binding 1 in gastric cancer: a study based on data mining, RT-qPCR, immunochemistry, and vitro experiment

Transcriptional repressor GATA binding 1 (TRPS1) is a newly discovered transcription factor, which has been reported in many tumors, except for gastric cancer (GC). In this study, we aimed to grope for clinical significance and biological function of TRPS1 in GC. TRPS1 expression in GC and its relationship with clinicopathological features were analyzed based on public databases, and verified by immunohistochemistry and RT-qPCR. Kaplan-Meier survival curve and Cox regression model were used to estimate the influence of TRPS1 on the univariate prognosis and multivariate survival risk factors of GC. The effects of TRPS1 on malignant biological behaviors of GC cells were studied by CCK8 cell proliferation, scratch test, and Transwell assay. The function of TRPS1 was further analyzed by signaling pathway analysis. TRPS1 mRNA expression in GC tissues was up-regulated and was of great significance in some prognostic factors. Protein expression of TRPS1 in tumor tissues was significantly higher than that in paracancerous tissues. Over-expression of TRPS1 was a poor prognostic indicator for GC patients. TRPS1 knockdown could inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of GC cells. The important role of TRPS1 was in the extracellular matrix, and it was involved in actin binding and proteoglycan in cancer. The hub genes of TRPS1 (FN1, ITGB1) were defined. TRPS1 may be a tumor promoter and promote the development of GC by influencing the malignant biological behaviors of GC. TRPS1 is expected to be a key diagnostic and prognostic indicator for GC patients.

SNGH16 regulates cell autophagy to promote Sorafenib Resistance through suppressing miR-23b-3p via sponging EGR1 in hepatocellular carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Tumor cells could acquire drug resistance through cell autophagy. This study aimed to explore the role of SNHG16 in sorafenib-resistant HCC cells and its mechanism with miR-23b-3p.

METHODS

The sorafenib-resistant Hep3B cell model was established. The SNHG16 and miR-23b-3p gene expressions were determined in normal HCC and sorafenib-resistant HCC tissues. Detection of the expression of SNHG16 and miR-23b-3p and its respective correlation with survival rate were performed. Target genes to SNHG16 and miR-23b-3p were predicted, and verified by dual-fluorescent reporter assay. The effects of SNHG16 and miR-23b-3p on SNHG16, miR-23b-3p, EGR1 expression, viability, apoptosis as well as LC3II/LC3 expression in Hep3B and Hep3B/So cells were detected by qRT-PCR, CCK-8, flow cytometry, and western blot. In in vivo studies, the NOD/SCID mice model was established to explore the effects of Hep3B and Hep3B/So cells with inhibited SNHG16 or miR-23b-3p on tumor size, EGR1 expression, and autophagy.

RESULTS

High SNHG16 expression in HCC-resistant tissues and low miR-23b-3p expression in all HCC tissues were detected, and the two were negatively correlated. Low SNHG16 and high miR-23b-3p were related to a high survival rate of HCC patients. Moreover, SNHG16 overexpression promoted Hep3B/So cell viability and autophagy, suppressed apoptosis by inhibiting miR-23b-3p expression through up-regulating EGR1, however, the effect of si-SNHG16 was opposite. In in vivo studies, miR-23b-3p inhibitor suppressed the high sorafenib sensitivity in Hep3B/So cells caused by SNHG16 silencing through promoting viability, autophagy, and suppressing apoptosis.

CONCLUSION

SNHG16 promotes Hep3B/So cell viability, autophagy, and inhibits apoptosis to maintain its resistance to sorafenib through regulating the expression of miR-23b-3p via sponging EGR1.

miR-519 inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition and biologic behavior of gastric cancer cells by down-regulating FOXQ1

In recent years, a number of studies have shown that forkhead box Q1 (FOXQ1) plays an important role in the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of tumors. The aim of this study is to investigate the biologic functions of FOXQ1 and miR-519 in gastric cancer. It was found that FOXQ1 was highly expressed in gastric cancer cells and tumor tissues, and promoted proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT of gastric cancer cells. miR-519 was weakly expressed in both gastric cancer tissues and gastric cancer cells, up-regulation of miR-519 inhibited the biologic behavior of gastric cancer cells, while down-regulation of miR-519 showed the opposite results. Additionally, miR-519 directly targeted FOXQ1 and inhibited FOXQ1 mRNA and protein expression. Overexpression of FOXQ1 in gastric cancer cells reversed the inhibitory effect of miR-519 on cellular biologic behavior. The results of the present study suggest that the abnormal expression of miR-519 and FOXQ1 may be closely related to gastric cancer development, and miR-519 may play an important role in suppressing tumor related genes in gastric cancer by targeting and regulating FOXQ1.

MicroRNA signature in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma associated with type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis-related cirrhosis is one of the liver complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and reported to be a risk factor for developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A reliable screening biomarker of liver cirrhosis (LC) and HCC among T2DM patients is important to reduce the morbidity and mortality of this disease. MicroRNA (miRNA) is considered a key player in HCC and T2DM, and it might be a hidden culprit in diabetes-associated HCC, making it a promising reliable prognostic tool.

AIM

To investigate the signature of serum miRNAs as early biomarkers for the screening of HCC among diabetic patients.

METHODS

Expression profiles of miRNAs in serum samples of diabetic LC and diabetic HCC patients were assessed using Illumina sequencing; then, RT-qPCR was used to validate significantly altered miRNAs between the two groups. Candidate miRNAs were tested in serum samples of 200 T2DM patients, 270 LC patients, 200 HCC patients, and 225 healthy control subjects. Additionally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, with area under the curve (AUC), was performed to assess the diagnostic performance of the screened miRNAs for discriminating HCC from LC and nonmalignant patients (LC + T2DM).

RESULTS

Expression of the sequenced miRNAs in serum was different in HCC vs LC-positive T2DM patients. Two miRNAs (miR-34a, miR-221) were significantly up-regulated and five miRNAs (miR-16, miR-23-3p, miR-122-5p, miR-198, miR-199a-3p) were significantly down-regulated in HCC compared to LC patients. Analysis of ROC curve demonstrated that the combination of these seven miRNAs can be used as a reliable biomarker for detection of HCC in diabetic patients, as it could identify HCC with high diagnostic accuracy in diabetic LC patients (AUC = 0.993) and in diabetic nonmalignant patients (AUC = 0.961).

CONCLUSION

This study validates a panel of serum miRNAs that can be used as a reliable noninvasive screening biomarker of HCC among T2DM cirrhotic and noncirrhotic patients. The study recommends further research to shed light on a possible role of c-Met in T2DM-associated HCC via the miRNA regulatory pathway.

Identification of key genes and long non-coding RNA associated ceRNA networks in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Although multiple efforts have been made to understand the development of HCC, morbidity, and mortality rates remain high. In this study, we aimed to discover the mRNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that contribute to the progression of HCC. We constructed a lncRNA-related competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network to elucidate the molecular regulatory mechanism underlying HCC.

Methods

A microarray dataset (GSE54238) containing information about both mRNAs and lncRNAs was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) in tumor tissues and non-cancerous tissues were identified using the limma package of the R software. The miRNAs that are targeted by DElncRNAs were predicted using miRcode, while the target mRNAs of miRNAs were retrieved from miRDB, miRTarBas, and TargetScan. Functional annotation and pathway enrichment of DEGs were performed using the EnrichNet website. We constructed a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network of DEGs using STRING, and identified the hub genes using Cytoscape. Survival analysis of the hub genes and DElncRNAs was performed using the gene expression profiling interactive analysis database. The expression of molecules with prognostic values was validated on the UALCAN database. The hepatic expression of hub genes was examined using the Human Protein Atlas. The hub genes and DElncRNAs with prognostic values as well as the predictive miRNAs were selected to construct the ceRNA networks.

Results

We found that 10 hub genes (KPNA2, MCM7, CKS2, KIF23, HMGB2, ZWINT, E2F1, MCM4, H2AFX, and EZH2) and four lncRNAs (FAM182B, SNHG6, SNHG1, and SNHG3) with prognostic values were overexpressed in the hepatic tumor samples. We also constructed a network containing 10 lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA pathways, which might be responsible for regulating the biological mechanisms underlying HCC.

Conclusion

We found that the 10 significantly overexpressed hub genes and four lncRNAs were negatively correlated with the prognosis of HCC. Further, we suggest that lncRNA SNHG1 and the SNHG3-related ceRNAs can be potential research targets for exploring the molecular mechanisms of HCC.

Overexpression of MiR-452-5p in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and its prospective signaling pathways

BACKGROUND

The implication of miR-452-5p and its prospective machinery in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains largely unknown. For this reason, this study aimed to inspect the clinical implication of miR-452-5p expression in HCC tissues with multiple detection approaches, to analyze its potential function via in silico methods, and to validate this using a dual-luciferase reporter assay.

METHODS

The assessment of the expression level of miR-452-5p in HCC was conducted via four methods: 1) in-house real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), 2) miRNA-sequencing (miRNA-seq) from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), 3) miRNA microarrays from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and 4) comprehensive meta-analyses calculating the standard mean difference (SMD) and summary of receiver operator characteristic (sROC). Following the target prediction, one of the potential targets of miR-452-5p was validated through a dual-luciferase reporter assay.

RESULTS

MiR-452-5p was consistently elevated in HCC tissues via various detection methods, including in-house RT-qPCR, miRNA-seq, and miRNA microarrays. The final SMD was 0.842 for 820 cases of HCC samples. Simultaneously, the area under curve (AUC) of the sROC was 0.80 (0.76-0.83). The 1,135 predicted targets of miR-452-5p were enriched in the pathways of cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, carbon metabolism, and complement and coagulation cascades. Among these predicted targets, CDKN1B was verified to be a real target of miR-452-5p.

CONCLUSION

The overexpression of miR-452-5p may play a pivotal role in the carcinogenesis of HCC via targeting multiple signaling pathways and genes. The function and molecular machinery of miR-452-5p in HCC requires further in-depth exploration.

Clinical Significance of microRNA-196b-5p in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and its Potential Molecular Mechanism

Objective: To enquire into the clinical significance and potential molecular mechanism of microRNA (miRNA)-196b-5p in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: Quantitative reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were utilized to examine miR-196b-5p expression level in 67 HCC paraffin embedded tissues and corresponding adjacent tissues. Correlations of miR-196b-5p expression level with clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed in our study. The expression level and clinical significance of miR-196b-5p in HCC were also evaluated in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. We made predictions of the target genes of miR-196b-5p by twelve online software and then selected genes predicted by at least 5 software. Subsequently, in order to obtain the potential target genes of miR-196b-5p, we overlapped the predicted target genes and down-regulated mRNAs in HCC based on TCGA database. Then, we performed the Gene Ontology (GO) and the Disease Ontology (DO) functional annotation, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis and Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) network construction of those miR-196b-5p potential target genes.

Results: Higher expression level of miR-196b-5p was seen in HCC tissues than in the corresponding adjacent tissues based on qRT-PCR (P = 0.0007). The expression level of miR-196b-5p was linked with tumor size (P = 0.03), tumor node (P = 0.024), vascular invasion (P = 0.029) and capsular invasion (P = 0.026) in HCC patients. Comprehensive meta-analysis of miR-196b-5p expression based on TCGA, GEO and qRT-PCR verified that higher expression level of miR-196b-5p was observed in HCC tissues than in normal control liver tissues (SMD = 0.56, 95%CI: 0.39-0.72, P_{heterogeneity} = 0.275, I² = 18.3%). GO annotation revealed that the top terms in biological process, cellular component and molecular function were single-organism catabolic process, neuronal cell body and transmembrane receptor protein kinase activity, respectively. The most relevant disease in DO annotation was arteriosclerosis. The tryptophan metabolism pathway ranked first in KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. The PPI network showed that IGF1, FOXO1, AR and FOS were mostly likely to become the core genes of miR-196b-5p potential target genes, which however required further experiments for validation.

Conclusion: The miR-196b-5p was observed to show higher expression in HCC tissues than in normal control liver tissues. Moreover, the miR-196b-5p expression level had correlations with the clinicopathological parameters such as vascular invasion of HCC, but the molecular mechanisms of miR-196b-5p in HCC still need further elucidation and verification.

Curcumin up-regulates miR-133a expression to inhibit hepatocellular carcinoma cell migration and invasion

BACKGROUND

Curcumin has a good inhibitory effect on the occurr-ence and development of many kinds of tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma, but its anti-hepatocellular carcinoma mechanism is not completely clear. Some studies have found that curcumin can inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of gastric cancer cells by regulating the expression of miR-133a. The low expression of miR-133a in hepatocellular carcinoma has been confirmed by data, but whether curcumin regulated expression of miR-133a plays an anti-hepatocellular carcinoma role is not clear.

AIM

To investigate the effect of curcumin on the migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells and explore the underlying mechanism by detecting the expression of miR-133a.

METHODS

After treatment of liver cancer SMMC-7721 cells with curcumin (0, 10, and 20 μmol/L) for 48 h, cell viability was detected by MTT assay, cell migration and invasion were measured by transwell assay, and the expression of miR-133a in the cells was detected by RT-PCR. The expression of miR-133a in normal liver LO2 cells and hepatocellular carcinoma SMMC-7721 cells was detected by RT-PCR. After transfection with miR-133a analogue to SMMC-7721 cells, the effect of miR-133a on migration and invasion of cells before and after curcumin treatment was detected by transwell assay.

RESULTS

Curcumin effectively inhibited SMMC-7721 cell viability (10 μmol/L curcumin: 0.71 + 0.07 vs 1.02 + 0.09; 20 μmol/L: 0.45 + 0.05 vs 1.02 + 0.09), migration (52.32 ± 5.48 vs 121.43 ± 12.35), and invasion (46.33 ± 5.38 vs 109.25 ± 10.75) and increased miR-133a expression (10 μmol/L curcumin: 1.62 ± 0.11 vs 1.00 ± 0.09; 20 μmol/L: 2.96 ± 0.25 vs 1.00 ± 0.09). Compared with LO2 cells, the expression level of miR-133a (0.32 ± 0.03 vs 1.03 ± 0.08) in SMCC-7721 cells was decreased obviously. After increasing the expression of miR-133a, the migration (32.84 ± 3.95 vs 96.35 ± 9.08) and invasion (42.75 ± 5.06 vs 119.32 ± 11.71) of SMCC-7721 cells were significantly decreased, and the inhibitory effect of curcumin on migration (29.6 ± 3.32 vs 134.62 ± 13.41) and invasion (31.86 ± 4.05 vs 129.73 ± 12.74) of SMCC-7721 cells was enhanced.

CONCLUSION

Curcumin can inhibit the migration and invasion of hepatoma cells by up-regulating the expression of miR-133a.

MicroRNA-20b promotes proliferation of H22 hepatocellular carcinoma cells by targeting PTEN

MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) are small, noncoding RNA molecules that are closely associated with the occurrence and development of tumors. miR-20b is overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines and tissues. However, it is not clear whether miR-20b can promote the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. In the present study, the proliferation of H22 mouse hepatocellular carcinoma cells was detected using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. MiRanda software was used to predict the binding sites of miR-20b to the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). The 3'-UTR sequence of the PTEN gene was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction in H22 cells. The recombinant plasmid or empty plasmid was co-transfected with miR-20b mimics or miR-20b scramble into HeLa cells, and luciferase activity was assessed by Dual-Luciferase^® Reporter Assay System 24 h post-transfection. In the present study, miR-20b knockdown significantly inhibited the proliferation of H22 mouse hepatocellular carcinoma cells. In addition, miR-20b inhibition upregulated the expression of PTEN, and it was revealed that miR-20b may directly target the 3'-untranslated region of the PTEN gene. Downregulation of PTEN partially reversed the anti-proliferative effect of miR-20b on H22 cells. In conclusion, miR-20b may promote H22 cell proliferation by targeting PTEN, providing a rationale for further study investigating novel therapeutic strategies for liver cancer.

Role of MicroRNAs in the Regulation of Subcutaneous White Adipose Tissue in Individuals With Obesity and Without Type 2 Diabetes

Obesity is a high-risk factor for such comorbidities as cardiovascular disease, several types of cancer, and type 2 diabetes; however not all individuals with obesity have such complications. Approximately 20% of individuals with obesity are metabolically healthy. This study focused on differences between obese individuals with and without type 2 diabetes (T2D+ and T2D-, respectively) on the transcriptome level. Subjects included were 35 T2D- patients with obesity and 35 T2D+ patients with obesity with the same body mass index (BMI). The study was based on the transcription analysis of mRNA and microRNAs (miRs) by RNAseq. In the first step, we performed RNAseq of miRs, in the second step, we analyzed only those mRNA, which appeared targets for significant miRs from the first step. All RNAseq results were validated by qPCR. There were seven miRs differently expressed with adjusted p-value <0.1, which were confirmed by qPCR. Five among them: miR-204-5p, miR125b-5p, miR-125a-5p, miR320a, miR-99b-were upregulated in T2D+ patients with obesity, while only two miRs, miR-23b-3p, and miR197-3p, were increased in T2D- patients with obesity. These seven miRs target two groups of genes: matrix metalloproteinases and TGFβ signal pathway genes. According to the results of transcriptome analysis, the main difference between T2D+ and T2D- patients with obesity was in adipogenesis and fibrosis regulation by matrix metalloproteinases and SMAD4-RUNX2 signal cascade. Based on the data about transcription profiles of both groups, we suggested that the process of fibrosis in T2D+ patients with obesity is more pronounced than in T2D- patients with obesity.

The clinicopathological significance of decreased miR-125b-5p in hepatocellular carcinoma: evidence based on RT-qPCR, microRNA-microarray, and microRNA-sequencing

The aim of the study was to comprehensively evaluate the clinical value of miR-125b-5p in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its potential molecular mechanisms. MiR-125b-5p expression was remarkably lower as examined by real-time reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in 95 paired HCC and nonmalignant liver tissues in house (P<0.001), which was in accord with the results from miRNA-sequencing data with 371 cases of HCC. miRNA-chips from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and ArrayExpress were screened. Among the seven included miRNA-chips, the relative expression of miR-125b-5p expression levels showed decreasing trends in HCC tissue samples compared with non-cancerous liver tissue samples. Altogether, A total of 655 cases of HCC tissues and 334 non-HCC liver tissues were included in the final meta-analysis. We observed that the expression of miR-125b-5p indeed decreased markedly in HCC tissues compared with the non-HCC tissues (SMD: -1.414, 95% CI: -1.894 to -0.935, P<0.001). The area under the SROC curve of lower expression of miR-125b-5p was 0.91 (95% CI: 0.89 to 0.94). A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that the lower expression or the absence of miR-125b-5p may be a risk factor for the poor outcome of HCC patients. Furthermore, the potential target genes of miR-125b-5p from 11 miRNA target prediction databases were intersected with 1,486 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) as calculated by RNA-sequencing data. Finally, a total of 330 GEGs were collected and enriched in the pathways of lysosome, focal adhesion, and pathways in cancer. In conclusion, this study utilizes a variety of research methods to confirm the lower level of miR-125b-5p in HCC tissues. This lower expression level of miR-125b-5p is closely related to increased disease progression in HCC patients.

Novel drug candidates for treating esophageal carcinoma: A study on differentially expressed genes, using connectivity mapping and molecular docking

Patients with esophageal carcinoma (ESCA) have a poor prognosis and high mortality rate. Although standard therapies have had effect, there is an urgent requirement to develop novel options, as increasing drug tolerance has been identified in clinical practice. In the present study, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of ESCA were identified in The Cancer Genome Atlas and Genotype-Tissue Expression databases. Functional and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analyses were performed. The Connectivity Map (CMAP) was selected to predict drugs for the treatment of ESCA, and their target genes were acquired from the Search Tool for Interactions of Chemicals (STITCH) by uploading the Simplified Molecular-Input Line-Entry System structure. Additionally, significant target genes and ESCA-associated hub genes were extracted using another PPI analysis, and the corresponding drugs were added to construct a network. Furthermore, the binding affinity between predicted drug candidates and ESCA-associated hub genes was calculated using molecular docking. Finally, 827 DEGs (|log₂ fold-change|≥2; q-value <0.05), which are principally involved in protein digestion and absorption (P<0.005), the plasminogen-activating cascade (P<0.01), as well as the ‘biological regulation’ of the Biological Process, ‘membrane’ of the Cellular Component and ‘protein binding’ of the Molecular Function categories, were obtained. Additionally, 11 hub genes were obtained from the PPI network (all degrees ≥30). Furthermore, the 15 first screen drugs were extracted from CMAP (score <−0.85) and the 9 second screen drugs with 70 target genes were extracted from STITCH. Furthermore, another PPI analysis extracted 51 genes, and apigenin, baclofen, Prestwick-685, menadione, butyl hydroxybenzoate, gliclazide and valproate were selected as drug candidates for ESCA. Those molecular docking results with a docking score of >5.52 indicated the significance of apigenin, Prestwick-685 and menadione. The results of the present study may lead to novel drug candidates for ESCA, among which Prestwick-685 and menadione were identified to be significant new drug candidates.