By regulating miR-182-5p/BCL10/CYCS, sufentanil reduces the apoptosis of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells caused by ropivacaine

The dual role of mesenchymal stem cells in apoptosis regulation

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are widely distributed pluripotent stem cells with powerful immunomodulatory capacity. MSCs transplantation therapy (MSCT) is widely used in the fields of tissue regeneration and repair, and treatment of inflammatory diseases. Apoptosis is an important way for tissues to maintain cell renewal, but it also plays an important role in various diseases. And many studies have shown that MSCs improves the diseases by regulating cell apoptosis. The regulation of MSCs on apoptosis is double-sided. On the one hand, MSCs significantly inhibit the apoptosis of diseased cells. On the other hand, MSCs also promote the apoptosis of tumor cells and excessive immune cells. Furthermore, MSCs regulate apoptosis through multiple molecules and pathways, including three classical apoptotic signaling pathways and other pathways. In this review, we summarize the current evidence on the regulation of apoptosis by MSCs.

The Identification and Clinical Value Evaluation of CYCS Related to Asthma through Bioinformatics Analysis and Functional Experiments

Background

Asthma is one of the most common respiratory diseases and one of the largest burdens of health care resources across the world. This study is aimed at using bioinformatics methods to find effective clinical indicators for asthma and conducting experimental validation.

Methods

We downloaded GSE64913 data and performed differentially expressed gene (DEG) screening. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) on DEGs was applied to identify key module most associated with asthma for protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis. According to the degree value, ten genes were obtained and subjected to expression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Next, key genes were screened for expression analysis and immunological analysis. Finally, cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and qRT-PCR were also conducted to observe the influence of hub gene on cell proliferation and inflammatory cytokines.

Results

From the GSE64913 dataset, 711 upregulated and 684 downregulated DEGs were found. In WGCNA, the top 10 genes in the key module were examined by expression analysis in asthma, and CYCS was determined as an asthma-related oncogene with a good predictive ability for the prognosis of asthmatic patients. CYCS is significantly associated with immune cells, such as HHLA2, IDO1, TGFBR1, and CCL18 and promoted the proliferation of asthmatic cells in vitro.

Conclusion

CYCS plays an oncogenic role in the pathophysiology of asthma, indicating that this gene may become a novel diagnostic biomarker and promising target of asthma treatment.

The Oncogenic and Tumor Suppressive Long Non-Coding RNA–microRNA–Messenger RNA Regulatory Axes Identified by Analyzing Multiple Platform Omics Data from Cr(VI)-Transformed Cells and Their Implications in Lung Cancer

Chronic exposure to hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) causes lung cancer in humans, however, the underlying mechanism has not been well understood. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) are commonly studied non-coding RNAs. miRNAs function mainly through interaction with the 3′-untranslated regions of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) to down-regulate gene expression. LncRNAs have been shown to function as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) to sponge miRNAs and regulate gene expression. It is now well accepted that lncRNAs and miRNAs could function as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. Dysregulations of lncRNAs and miRNAs have been shown to play important roles in cancer initiation, progression, and prognosis. To explore the mechanism of Cr(VI) lung carcinogenesis, we performed lncRNA, mRNA, and miRNA microarray analysis using total RNAs from our previously established chronic Cr(VI) exposure malignantly transformed and passage-matched control human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells. Based on the differentially expressed lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs between the control (BEAS-2B-Control) and Cr(VI)-transformed (BEAS-Cr(VI)) cells and by using the lncRNA–miRNA interaction and miRNA target prediction algorithms, we identified three oncogenic (HOTAIRM1/miR-182-5p/ERO1A, GOLGA8B/miR-30d-5p/RUNX2, and PDCD6IPP2/miR-23a-3p/HOXA1) and three tumor suppressive (ANXA2P1/miR-20b-5p/FAM241A (C4orf32), MIR99AHG/miR-218-5p/GPM6A, and SH3RF3-AS1/miR-34a-5p/HECW2) lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA regulatory axes. Moreover, the relevance of these three oncogenic and three tumor suppressive lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA regulatory axes in lung cancer was explored by analyzing publicly available human lung cancer omics datasets. It was found that the identified three oncogenic lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA regulatory axes (HOTAIRM1/miR-182-5p/ERO1A, GOLGA8B/miR-30d-5p/RUNX2, and PDCD6IPP2/miR-23a-3p/HOXA1) and the three tumor suppressive lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA regulatory axes (ANXA2P1/miR-20b-5p/FAM241A (C4orf32), MIR99AHG/miR-218-5p/GPM6A, and SH3RF3-AS1/miR-34a-5p/HECW2) have significant diagnostic and prognosis prediction values in human lung cancer. In addition, our recent studies showed that Cr(VI)-transformed cells display cancer stem cell (CSC)-like properties. Further bioinformatics analysis identified the oncogenic lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA regulatory axes as the potential regulators of cancer stemness. In summary, our comprehensive analysis of multiple platform omics datasets obtained from Cr(VI)-transformed human bronchial epithelial cells identified several oncogenic and tumor suppressive lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA regulatory axes, which may play important roles in Cr(VI) carcinogenesis and lung cancer in general.

Sufentanil alleviates pre-eclampsia via silencing microRNA-24-3p to target 11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2

Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a prevalent pregnancy disease characterized by insufficient trophoblast cell migration (HTR8/SVneo). Consequently, accelerating trophoblast cell proliferation might ameliorate PE. This study assessed the effects and molecular mechanisms of Sufentanil (SUF) on HTR8/SVneo cells proliferation. HTR8/SVneo cells and PE clinical samples were used. Peripheral blood was collected from PE patients’ samples, and microRNA (miR)-24-3p and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (HSD11B2) was analyzed in the blood and cells. HTR8/SVneo cells were treated with varying SUF concentrations or transfected with miR-24-3p mimics/inhibitors, or HSD11B2 elevation vector. CCK-8, colony formation, transwell, and flow cytometry assays were then carried out. Association of miR-24 − 3p with HSD11B2 was investigated. PE animal model was constructed using Wistar rats to verify SUF’s role on PE in vivo. According to the results, SUF boosted HTR8/SVneo cell proliferation, and inhibited miR-24-3p to accelerate HSD11B2. MiR-24-3p was increased in PE, while HSD11B2 was inhibited, and miR-24-3p targeted HSD11B2. HSD11B2 reversed miR-24-3p’s repression on HTR/SVneo cell advancement. SUF restrained PE’s progression in vivo and in vitro via mediating the miR-24-3p/HSD11B2 axis. In conclusion, SUF enhances HSD11B2 via repressing miR-24-3p, thereby suppressing PE’s progression. The study provides an insight into the possibility of using SUF as a novel therapeutic target for PE, which acts via combining with miR-24-3p.

Sufentanil alleviates cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting inflammation and protecting the blood-brain barrier in rats

Stroke is a brain system disease with a high fatality rate and disability rate. About 80% of strokes are ischemic strokes. Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI) caused by ischemic stroke seriously affects the prognosis of stroke patients. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of sufentanil (SUF) on CIRI model rats. We used middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) to make the CIRI model in rats and monitored region cerebral blood flow (rCBF) to ensure that blood flow was blocked and recanalized. We used ELISA and RT-PCR to detect the expression of inflammatory factors in rat serum and brain tissue. In addition, we detected the expression of metalloproteinase (MMP) 2, MMP9 and collagen IV in brain tissues and performed Evans blue (EB) assay to determine the permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Finally, we clarified the apoptosis of brain tissue through the TUNEL staining and the detection of caspase3, Bcl2 and Bax. Various concentrations of SUF, especially 5, 10 and 25 μg/kg of SUF, all alleviated the infarct size, neurological function and brain edema of MCAO rats. SUF pretreatment also effectively reduced the expression of inflammatory cytokines in MCAO rats, including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. In addition, SUF also inhibited MMP2 and MMP9 and promoted the expression of collagen IV, indicating that SUF attenuated the destruction of the BBB. SUF also inhibited caspase3 and Bax rats and promoted Bcl2 in MCAO rats, thus inhibiting cell apoptosis. SUF pretreatment effectively improved the neurological function and cerebral infarction of MCAO rats, inhibited excessive inflammation in rats, protected the BBB, and inhibited cell apoptosis in brain tissue.

Breast Cancer and Anaesthesia: Genetic Influence

Breast cancer is the leading cause of mortality in women. It is a heterogeneous disease with a high degree of inter-subject variability even in patients with the same type of tumor, with individualized medicine having acquired significant relevance in this field. The clinical and morphological heterogeneity of the different types of breast tumors has led to a diversity of staging and classification systems. Thus, these tumors show wide variability in genetic expression and prognostic biomarkers. Surgical treatment is essential in the management of these patients. However, the perioperative period has been found to significantly influence survival and cancer recurrence. There is growing interest in the pro-tumoral effect of different anaesthetic and analgesic agents used intraoperatively and their relationship with metastatic progression. There is cumulative evidence of the influence of anaesthetic techniques on the physiopathological mechanisms of survival and growth of the residual neoplastic cells released during surgery. Prospective randomized clinical trials are needed to obtain quality evidence on the relationship between cancer and anaesthesia. This document summarizes the evidence currently available about the effects of the anaesthetic agents and techniques used in primary cancer surgery and long-term oncologic outcomes, and the biomolecular mechanisms involved in their interaction.

Sufentanil Protects the Liver from Ischemia/Reperfusion-Induced Inflammation and Apoptosis by Inhibiting ATF4-Induced TP53BP2 Expression

Liver ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is a pathological process that often occurs during liver and trauma surgery. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect and potential mechanisms of sufentanil on hepatic I/R injury. I/R rat model and hypoxic/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced buffalo rat liver (BRL)-3A cell model were established. Following pretreatment with sufentanil, the enzymatic activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in rat serum and the changes of hepatic histopathology were evaluated to track the extent of liver injury. The levels of inflammatory factors were determined with ELISA kits and RT-qPCR. The infiltration of macrophages was assessed after detecting monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) and F4/80 expression. Additionally, apoptosis was measured by means of TUNEL staining, and gene expression related to apoptosis was examined using RT-qPCR and western blotting. Then, TP53BP2 was overexpressed in BRL-3A cells exposed to H/R condition to evaluate whether sufentanil defended the liver against injury by regulating TP53BP2 expression. Moreover, the potential binding site of ATF4 on the TP53BP2 promoter was analyzed using JASPAR databases and verified by chromosomal immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay. Furthermore, TP53BP2 expression and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-related protein levels were determined after ATF4 was overexpressed in sufentanil-treated BRL-3A cells. Results revealed that sufentanil significantly improved hepatic I/R injury, decreased the levels of inflammatory factors, and alleviated hepatocyte apoptosis. Notably, upregulated TP53BP2 expression was observed in hepatic tissues, and TP53BP2 overexpression markedly reversed the protective effects of sufentanil on the inflammation and apoptosis in H/R-stimulated BRL-3A cells. Additionally, ATF4 was confirmed to combine with the TP53BP2 promoter. ATF4 upregulation attenuated the inhibitory effects of sufentanil on the expression of TP53BP2 and ERS-associated proteins. These findings demonstrated that sufentanil protects the liver from inflammation and apoptosis injury induced by I/R by inhibiting ATF4 expression and further suppressing TP53BP2 expression, suggesting a promising therapeutic candidate for the treatment of liver I/R injury.

Sufentanil Affects High Glucose-Induced Oxidative Stress in and Apoptosis of Cardiomyocytes by Regulation of miR-142-3p Expression

To explore the effects and molecular mechanisms of sufentanil on high glucose-induced oxidative stress in and apoptosis of cardiomyocytes, cardiomyocytes H9c2 cells were classified into groups based on different treatments as high-glucose (HG), HG with low, medium, or high-dose sufentanil, HG with high-dose sufentanil and anti-miR-NC, HG with high-dose sufentanil and anti-miR-142-3p, and control. The cells’ superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were detected using respective kits. The apoptosis rate in each group was detected by flow cytometry. The expressions of cleaved caspase-3 and pro-caspase3 were determined using western blotting. The expression of miR-142-3p in cardiomyocytes was detected using real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR. Compared with the control group, the HG group had decreased SOD activity, pro-caspase-3 expression, and miR-142-3p expression and increased MDA content, apoptosis, and cleaved caspase-3 expression (P < 0.05). Compared with the HG group, the SOD activity and pro-caspase-3 expression increased and the MDA content, apoptosis rate, and cleaved caspase-3 expression decreased in HG cells treated with low, medium, or high-dose sufentanil. The expression of miR-142-3p was increased in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05). The interference of miR-142-3p reversed the effect of sufentanil on high glucose-induced oxidative stress in and apoptosis of cardiomyocytes. Sufentanil may inhibit high glucose-induced oxidative stress in and apoptosis of cardiomyocytes by upregulating miR-142-3p expression.

In vitro and in vivo assessment of the protective effect of sufentanil in acute lung injury

Objectives

To investigate the mechanisms underlying the protective effect of sufentanil against acute lung injury (ALI).

Material and Methods

Rats were administered lipopolysaccharide (LPS) by endotracheal instillation to establish a model of ALI. LPS was used to stimulate BEAS-2B cells. The targets and promoter activities of IκB were assessed using a luciferase reporter assay. Apoptosis of BEAS-2B cells was evaluated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling.

Results

Sufentanil treatment markedly reduced pathological changes in lung tissue, pulmonary edema and secretion of inflammatory factors associated with ALI in vivo and in vitro. In addition, sufentanil suppressed apoptosis induced by LPS and activated NF-κB both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, upregulation of high mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1) protein levels and downregulation of miR-129-5p levels were observed in vivo and in vitro following sufentanil treatment. miR-129-5p targeted the 3ʹ untranslated region and its inhibition decreased promoter activities of IκB-α. miR-129-5p inhibition significantly weakened the protective effect of sufentanil on LPS-treated BEAS-2B cells.

Conclusion

Sufentanil regulated the miR-129-5p/HMGB1 axis to enhance IκB-α expression, suggesting that sufentanil represents a candidate drug for ALI protection and providing avenues for clinical treatment.

Ropivacaine inhibits proliferation, migration, and invasion while inducing apoptosis of glioma cells by regulating the SNHG16/miR-424-5p axis

BACKGROUND

Regional anesthesia has anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects in various cancers. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of ropivacaine on the proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of glioma cells in vitro.

METHODS

Under ropivacaine stimulation conditions, proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of glioma cells were determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazol-3-ium bromide (MTT), flow cytometry, and transwell assays, respectively. Western blot assay was employed to measure the protein expression levels in glioma cells. The expression levels of small nucleolar RNA host gene 16 (SNHG16) and miR-424-5p were assessed by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The interaction relationship between SNHG16 and miR-424-5p was predicted and confirmed using a bioinformatics database and dual-luciferase reporter, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and RNA pull-down assays.

RESULTS

After treatment with ropivacaine, proliferation, migration, and invasion were repressed while apoptosis was enhanced in glioma cells in a dose-depended manner. In addition, ropivacaine impeded SNHG16 expression in glioma cells. Importantly, overexpression of SNHG16 abolished the ropivacaine-induced effects on glioma cells. Analogously, knockdown of miR-424-5p counteracted the function of ropivacaine in glioma cells. We also found that SNHG16 bound to miR-424-5p and negatively regulated miR-424-5p expression in glioma cells. The rescue experiments indicated that ropivacaine might regulate glioma progression by targeting the SNHG16/miR-424-5p axis.

CONCLUSION

Our findings revealed the anti-tumor effects of ropivacaine in glioma by targeting the SNHG16/miR-424-5p axis. These data might extend the understanding of regulatory mechanisms by which ropivacaine could suppress glioma development.

In silico Analysis Excavates A Novel Competing Endogenous RNA Subnetwork in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

Background and Objective: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a complex three-dimensional deformity of the spine. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) regulate bone mass homeostasis in AIS, which might be related to the pathogenesis of AIS. However, the mRNA–miRNA–lncRNA network linked to the regulation of the genetic pathogenesis of MSCs remains unknown.

Methods: We conducted an exhaustive literature search of PubMed, EMBASE, and the Gene Expression Omnibus database to find differentially expressed genes (DEGs), differentially expressed miRNAs (DE miRNAs), and differentially expressed lncRNAs (DE lncRNAs). Functional enrichment analysis was performed through Enrichr database. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using STRING database, and hub genes were identified by CytoHubba. Potential regulatory miRNAs and lncRNAs of mRNAs were predicted by miRTarBase and RNA22, respectively.

Results: We identified 551 upregulated and 476 downregulated genes, 42 upregulated and 12 downregulated miRNAs, and 345 upregulated and 313 downregulated lncRNAs as DEGs, DE miRNAs, and DE lncRNAs, respectively. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that they were significantly enriched in protein deglutamylation and regulation of endoplasmic reticulum unfolded protein response. According to node degree, one upregulated hub gene and eight downregulated hub genes were identified. After drawing the Venn diagrams and matching to Cytoscape, an mRNA–miRNA–lncRNA network linked to the pathogenesis of MSCs in AIS was constructed.

Conclusion: We established a novel triple regulatory network of mRNA–miRNA–lncRNA ceRNA, among which all RNAs may be utilized as the pathogenesis biomarker of MSCs in AIS.

Effect of local anesthetics on viability and differentiation of various adult stem/progenitor cells

BACKGROUND

Local anesthetics (LAs) are widely used to control pain during various clinical treatments. One of the side effects of LAs, cytotoxicity, has been investigated in various cells including stem/progenitor cells. However, our understanding of the effects of LAs on the differentiation capacity of stem/progenitor cells still remains limited. Therefore, a comparative study was conducted to investigate the effects of multiple LAs on viability and multi-lineage differentiation of stem/progenitor cells that originated from various adult tissues.

METHOD

Multiple types of stem/progenitor cells, including bone marrow mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (MSCs), dental pulp stem/progenitor cells (DPSCs), periodontal ligament stem/progenitor cells (PDLSCs), and tendon-derived stem/progenitor cells, were either obtained from a commercial provider or isolated from adult human donors. Lidocaine (LD) and bupivacaine (BP) at various doses (1×, 0.75×, 0.5×, and 0.25× of each physiological dose) were applied to the different stem/progenitor cells for an hour, followed by induction of fibrogenic, chondrogenic, osteogenic, and adipogenic differentiation. Live/dead and MTT assays were performed at 24 h after the LD or BP treatment. At 2 weeks, qRT-PCR was conducted to evaluate the gene expressions associated with differentiation. After 4 weeks, multiple biochemical staining was performed to evaluate matrix deposition.

RESULTS

At 24 h after LD or BP treatment, 1× and 0.75× physiological doses of LD and BP showed significant cytotoxicity in all the tested adult stem/progenitor cells. At 0.5×, BP resulted in higher viability than the same dose LD, with variance between cell types. Overall, the gene expressions associated with fibrogenic, chondrogenic, osteogenic, and adipogenic differentiation were attenuated in LD or BP pre-treated stem/progenitor cells, with notable dose-effect and dependence on types. In contrast, certain doses of LD and/or BP were found to increase specific gene expression, depending on the cell types.

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest that LAs such as LD and BP affect not only the viability but also the differentiation capacity of adult stem/progenitor cells from various anatomical sites. This study sheds light on stem cell applications for tissue regeneration in which isolation and transplantation of stem cells frequently involve LA administration.