Neferine, a novel ROCK1-targeting inhibitor, blocks EMT process and induces apoptosis in non-small cell lung cancer

The compounds derived from Traditional Chinese Medicines have shown various pharmacological activities with unique advantages, especially in the aspect of antitumor. Neferine (Nef), a natural compound, extracted from green seed embryos of Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) also exerts antitumor effects on cancers. In this study, the effects and mechanisms of Nef on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were evaluated. The results showed that Nef had the antitumor effects in vivo and in vitro. Nef significantly suppressed cell viability and induced apoptosis in NSCLC cells, with elevated reactive oxygen species and reduced BCL2/BAX ratio. Nef was also demonstrated to inhibit the invasion, metastasis and EMT process of NSCLC cells, and attenuate EMT-related changes of E-cadherin, N-cadherin and Vimentin at both transcriptional and translational levels. Moreover, we concluded that the inhibitory effects of Nef on EMT was achieved by targeting Rho-associated protein kinase 1, a protein mediating the process of EMT in various cancers. These results showed that Nef had a significant antitumor effect on NSCLC cells by inducing apoptosis and blocking EMT, providing the therapeutical prospect on NSCLC treatment.

Knockdown of long non-coding RNA TUG1 depresses apoptosis of hippocampal neurons in Alzheimer's disease by elevating microRNA-15a and repressing ROCK1 expression

OBJECTIVE

Many studies have already suggested the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the functions of lncRNA Taurine Upregulated Gene 1 (TUG1) in AD have been scarcely discussed. This study aims to verify how TUG1 affects hippocampal neurons in AD through modulation of microRNA-15a (miR-15a)/Rho-associated protein kinase 1 (ROCK1).

METHOD

AD mice was modeled through injection of β-amyloid 25-35 (Aβ25-35) into the lateral ventricle. After modeling, the mice were injected with altered TUG1 and/or miR-15a agomir lentiviruses. The spatial learning ability and memory ability of mice were detected through Morris water maze test. Hippocampal neuronal apoptosis and oxidative stress indicators in AD mice were then detected. The hippocampal neuron AD model was induced by Aβ25-35. Next, the neurons were, respectively, transfected with altered TUG1 vector and/or miR-15a mimics to determine the proliferation inhibition and apoptosis of hippocampal neurons. The interactions between TUG1 and miR-15a, and between miR-15a and ROCK1 were assessed using bioinformatic prediction, dual luciferase reporter gene assay and RNA-pull-down assay.

RESULTS

In the animal models, Aβ25-35-induced mice exhibited decreased spatial learning and memory ability, obvious pathological injury, promoted hippocampal neuronal apoptosis and decreased antioxidant ability. TUG1 silencing and miR-15a elevation improved spatial learning ability and memory ability, ameliorated pathological injury, depressed neuronal apoptosis, and strengthened antioxidant ability of hippocampal neurons in AD mice. In cellular models, Aβ25-35-treated hippocampal neurons presented inhibited neuronal viability and promoted neuronal apoptosis. TUG1 silencing and miR-15a elevation increased viability and limited apoptosis of Aβ25-35-treated hippocampal neurons. TUG1 specifically bound to miR-15a, and miR-15a targeted ROCK1.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, this study reveals that TUG1 knockdown restricts apoptosis of hippocampal neurons in AD by elevating miR-15a and suppressing ROCK1 expression, and provides a new therapeutic target for AD treatment.

LncRNA LINK-A regulates ROCK1 expression in early-stage pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Long intergenic non-coding RNA for kinase activation (LINK-A) has been characterized as an oncogenic long non-coding (lnc)RNA in triple-negative breast cancer and ovarian carcinoma, but its involvement in other malignancies remains elusive. In the present study, it was determined that the plasma levels of LINK-A lncRNA and Rho-associated protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) were significantly increased in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma compared with those in healthy controls. The plasma levels of LINK-A lncRNA were positively correlated with the plasma levels of ROCK1 in pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients, but not in healthy controls. Silencing of LINK-A led to inhibition of pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Simultaneous overexpression of ROCK1 attenuated the inhibitory effect of LINK-A silencing on cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Overexpression of LINK-A lncRNA led to upregulation of ROCK1 expression, while overexpression of ROCK1 had no significant effect on LINK-A lncRNA expression. It may therefore be concluded that LINK-A lncRNA may have a role in pancreatic adenocarcinoma, at least in part, by promoting ROCK1 expression.

miR-335-5p inhibits TGF-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in non-small cell lung cancer via ROCK1

BACKGROUND

Significant evidence has shown that the miRNA pathway is an important component in the downstream signaling cascades of TGF-β1 pathway. Our previous study has indicated that miR-335-5p expression was significantly down-regulated and acted as a vital player in the metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), however the underlying mechanism remained unclear.

METHODS

The differential expression level of miR-335-5p and ROCK1 were determined by qRT-PCR and IHC analysis in human tissue samples with or without lymph node metastasis. Transwell assay was conducted to determine cell ability of migration and invasion. SiRNA interference, microRNA transfection and western blot analysis were utilized to clarify the underlying regulatory mechanism.

RESULTS

We showed that down-regulated expression of miR-335-5p and up-regulated expression of ROCK1 in NSCLC tissues were associated with lymph node metastasis. Over-expresion of miR-335-5p significantly inhibited TGF-β1-mediated NSCLC migration and invasion. Furthermore, luciferase reporter assays proved that miR-335-5p can bind to 3'-UTR of ROCK1 directly. Moreover, we confirmed that siRNA-mediated silencing of ROCK1 significantly diminished TGF-β1-mediated EMT and migratory and invasive capabilities of A549 and SPC-A1 cells.

CONCLUSION

This is the first time to report that miR-335-5p regulates ROCK1 and impairs its functions, thereby playing a key role in TGF-β1-induced EMT and cell migration and invasion in NSCLC.

Down-regulation of GAS5 ameliorates myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury via the miR-335/ROCK1/AKT/GSK-3β axis

Growth arrest‐specific transcript 5 (GAS5), along non‐coding RNA (LncRNA), is highly expressed in hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)‐cardiomyocytes and promotes H/R‐induced apoptosis. In this study, we determined whether down‐regulation of GAS5 ameliorates myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and further explored its mechanism. GAS5 expression in cardiomyocytes and rats was knockdown by transfected or injected with GAS5‐specific small interfering RNA or adeno‐associated virus delivering small hairpin RNAs, respectively. The effects of GAS5 knockdown on myocardial I/R injury were detected by CCK‐8, myocardial enzyme test, flow cytometry, TTC and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) staining. qRT‐PCR and luciferase reporter assay were carried out to analyse the relationship between GAS5 and miR‐335. The regulation of GAS5 on Rho‐associated protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) expression, the activation of PI3K/AKT/GSK‐3β pathway and mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening was further evaluated. The results indicated that GAS5 knockdown enhanced the viability, decreased apoptosis and reduced the levels of lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase‐MB in H/R‐treatment cardiomyocytes. Meanwhile, down‐regulation of GAS5 limited myocardial infarct size and reduced apoptosis in I/R‐heart. GAS5 was found to bind to miR‐335 and displayed a reciprocal inhibition between them. Furthermore, GAS5 knockdown repressed ROCK1 expression, activated PI3K/AKT, thereby leading to inhibition of GSK‐3β and mPTP opening. These suppressions were abrogated by miR‐335 inhibitor treatment. Taken together, our results demonstrated that down‐regulation of GAS5 ameliorates myocardial I/R injury via the miR‐335/ROCK1/AKT/GSK‐3β axis. Our findings suggested that GAS5 may be a new therapeutic target for the prevention of myocardial I/R injury.

LncRNA HAND2-AS1 overexpression inhibits cancer cell proliferation in melanoma by downregulating ROCK1

Long non-coding (lnc)RNA heart and neural crest derivatives expressed 2-antisense RNA 1 (HAND2-AS1), an lncRNA antisense transcript adjacent to the heart and neural crest derivatives expressed 2 protein (HAND2), inhibits the development of several types of cancer; however, its role in melanoma is currently unknown. In the present study, it was revealed that lncRNA HAND2-AS1 was downregulated, whereas Rho-associated protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) mRNA was upregulated in tumor tissues when compared with the healthy tissues of patients with melanoma. Expression levels of lncRNA HAND2-AS1 and ROCK1 were inversely correlated in tumor tissues, but not in healthy tissues. LncRNA HAND2-AS1 expression levels were affected by tumor thickness, but not by tumor metastasis. LncRNA HAND2-AS1 overexpression led to inhibited melanoma cancer cell proliferation and an increased expression level of ROCK1. ROCK1 overexpression caused no evident effects on lncRNA HAND2-AS1 expression, but promoted cancer cell proliferation and decreased the effects of lncRNA HAND2-AS1 overexpression on cancer cell proliferation. Thus, it is possible that lncRNA HAND2-AS1 overexpression leads to inhibited cancer cell proliferation in melanoma cells through the downregulation of ROCK1.

MicroRNA-217 functions as a tumor suppressor in cervical cancer cells through targeting Rho-associated protein kinase 1

The abnormal expression of microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) has been widely reported in various tumor types. miR-217 was demonstrated to be aberrantly expressed in a number of tumors, including pancreatic adenocarcinoma and osteosarcoma; however, its specific expression pattern has never been investigated in cervical cancer cells. Compared with normal control, the level of Rho-associated protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) expression was markedly increased in cervical cancer tissues and cells compared with that in non-cancerous tissues and cells. The expression of miR-217 was significantly reduced in cervical cancer tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of miR-217 could suppress colony formation and the cell invasion capacity of SiHa and HeLa cells. Flow cytometry indicated that miR-217 significantly increased cell apoptosis in SiHa and HeLa cells. Dual-luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that ROCK1 was a target gene of miR-217. In addition, overexpression of ROCK1 also led to an increased invasion capacity in SiHa cells, even when miR-217 was inhibited, indicating that the anti-invasive effects of miR-217 were mediated through ROCK1. In summary, the results of the present study indicated that miR-217 functions as a tumor suppressor in cervical cancer cells, primarily by targeting ROCK1.

MicroRNA-148b inhibits proliferation and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and increases radiosensitivity in non-small cell lung carcinomas by regulating ROCK1

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for ~80% of all types of lung cancer, which has the highest morbidity and mortality of all types of cancer worldwide. It is important to identify novel biomarkers and the molecular mechanism of NSCLC to improve current treatments of NSCLC. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of miR-148b expression on the proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and radiosensitivity of NSCLC cells. It was demonstrated that miR-148b expression was significantly decreased in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. A549 cells were then transfected with a miR-148b mimic and a miR-148b inhibitor. Transfection with the miR-148b mimic decreased proliferation whereas transfection with the miR-148b inhibitor increased the proliferation of A549 cells. Additionally, the miR-148b mimic increased E-cadherin expression and decreased N-cadherin and vimentin expression. By contrast, transfection with the miR-148b inhibitor decreased E-cadherin expression and increased N-cadherin and vimentin expression. Irradiation-induced cell death was significantly promoted by the miR-148b mimic but inhibited by the miR-148b inhibitor. The miR-148b mimic significantly decreased the expression of Rho-associated protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) and it was demonstrated that overexpression of ROCK1 significantly inhibited the effects of miR-148b on cell proliferation, the EMT and irradiation-induced cell death. Therefore, the current study revealed that miR-148b inhibited NSCLC cell proliferation and the EMT, and increased the radiosensitivity of NSCLC cells by inhibiting ROCK1 expression. Therefore, miR-148b/ROCK1 signaling may be a novel therapeutic target to inhibit the growth of NSCLC cells and enhance the effects of radiotherapy to treat patients with NSCLC.

miR-150 is downregulated in osteosarcoma and suppresses cell proliferation, migration and invasion by targeting ROCK1

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common form of bone malignancy in children and adolescents. A class of molecules known as microRNAs (miRNAs) have been routinely associated in the development and progression of OS. The present study was centered on the less well-known miRNA, miRNA (miR)-150, and its role in OS was investigated. The levels of miR-150 were examined in 40 tissue specimens from patients with OS and adjacent normal tissues using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis. In addition the expression levels of miR-150 were examined in three OS cell lines and a normal osteoblast cell line. Cell proliferation, migration and invasion assays were performed to establish the correlation between miR-150 and metastasis. The potential targets of miR-150 were theoretically predicted and one high-scoring target, Rho-associated kinase 1 (ROCK1), was established to be a direct target using RT-qPCR and western blot analyses and Pearson's correlation analysis. The results indicated that miR-150 was downregulated in tissues from patients with OS and cell lines. Secondly, it was shown that the overexpression of miR-150 was inversely correlated with OS cell proliferation, migration and invasion. It was also shown that miR-150 negatively regulated the gene expression of ROCK1 in the OS cell lines. Finally, the interaction between miR-150 and ROCK1 was established and it was shown that miR-150 directly targeted ROCK1. In conclusion, miR-150 was found to be a tumor suppressor, and the suppression of miR-150 resulted in elevation in the levels of ROCK1. This interaction between miR-150 and ROCK1 may be key in the progression of OS. Furthermore, miR-150 or ROCK1 may be potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of OS.

Immunoexpression of ROCK-1 and MMP-9 as prognostic markers in breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common tumor in women and it has high mortality mainly due to the occurrence of tumor metastasis. Both the processes of cell migration and anchorage to the substrate are essential for the development of metastasis. These processes occur by rearrangements of the actin cytoskeleton, regulated by Rho-associated protein kinase 1 (ROCK-1). The degradation of the extracellular matrix, influenced by metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) also exerts greater cell invasiveness. The present study evaluated the ROCK-1 and MMP-9 proteins using an immunohistochemical method through the selection of invasive ductal breast carcinoma. The protein expression was correlated to clinicopathological parameters and overall survival of the patients. High expression of the ROCK-1 protein was correlated statistically to the status of lymph nodes (p=0.007) and showed variable expression in different clinical stages of the tumor. MMP-9 showed a strong immunostaining in patients with metastasis that had died, whereas there was no marker in normal breast tissues. In addition, 46.6% of patients classified as poor prognosis showed high expression of ROCK-1 and MMP-9 protein and another 40.0% just showed high expression of MMP-9. Thus, the differential expression of ROCK-1 and MMP-9 proteins suggests their potential use as prognostic markers in breast cancer.

Regulation of cardiac and renal ischemia-reperfusion injury by microRNAs

Tissue damage caused by ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury represents a serious event, which often leads to deterioration or even loss of organ function. I/R injury is associated with transient tissue oxygen deprivation due to vessel occlusion and a subsequent reperfusion period following restoration of blood flow. Initial tissue damage inflicted by ischemia is aggravated in the reperfusion period through mechanisms such as burst of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and inflammatory reactions. I/R injury occurs during surgical interventions, organ transplantation, diseases such as myocardial infarction, circulatory shock, and toxic insults. Recently, microRNAs have come into focus as powerful regulators of gene expression and potential diagnostic tools during I/R injury. These small noncoding ribonucleotides (~22 nucleotides in length) posttranscriptionally target mRNAs, culminating in suppression of protein synthesis or increase in mRNA degradation, thus fundamentally influencing organ function. This review highlights the latest developments regarding the role of microRNAs in cardiac and renal I/R injury.