LncRNA SLC16A1-AS1 contributes to the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by modulating miR-411/MITD1 axis

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy with high morbidity. The current study aimed to explore the molecular mechanism of lncRNA SLC16A1‐AS1 in the tumorigenesis of HCC.

Material and methods

The expression of SLC16A1‐AS1 and miR‐411 was examined in clinical HCC tissues. HCC cell lines Hep3B and Huh‐7 were employed and transfected with si‐SLC16A1‐AS1. The correlation between SLC16A1‐AS1 and miR‐411 was verified by luciferase reporter assay. Cell viability was detected by CCK‐8 assay. Cell migration and invasion capacity were examined by transwell assay. The protein level of MITD1 was analyzed by western blotting.

Results

The expression of SLC16A1‐AS1 markedly increased in HCC tissues and cell lines. Subsequent studies identified SLC16A1‐AS1 as a downstream target of miR‐411. In addition, SLC16A1‐AS1 knockdown and miR‐411 overexpression significantly stagnated the progression of HCC cells. SLC16A1‐AS1 knockdown also downregulated MITD1 levels.

Conclusion

Our findings showed that SLC16A1‐AS1 was overexpressed in HCC cells and tissues. SLC16A1‐AS1 promoted the malignant characteristics of HCC cells and acted as an oncogene. Its regulatory effect may be associated with miR‐411/MITD1 axis. Therefore, SLC16A1‐AS1 has the potential to be used as a biomarker or therapeutic target for the treatment of HCC.

PM2.5 promotes Drp1-mediated mitophagy to induce hepatic stellate cell activation and hepatic fibrosis via regulating miR-411

BACKGROUND

Particulate matter≤ 2.5 μm (PM_2.5) is a type of environmental agent associated with air pollution, which induces hepatic fibrosis. However, the function and mechanism of PM_2.5 on hepatic stellate cell (HSC) proliferation and fibrosis remain largely unknown.

METHODS

Human HSC line (LX-2) and murine HSCs were exposed to various doses of PM_2.5. microRNA (miR)-411 expression was detected via quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell proliferation, fibrosis, mitochondrial dynamics dysfunction and mitophagy were determined via cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), qRT-PCR, Western blotting and immunofluorescence.

RESULTS

PM_2.5 facilitated HSC proliferation and fibrosis via increasing the levels of ACTA2, Collagen 1, TIMP1 and TGF-β1. PM_2.5 reduced miR-411 expression, and contributed to mitochondrial dynamics dysfunction via increasing Drp1 and decreasing OPA1, TOM20 and PGC-1α levels. PM_2.5 promoted mitophagy by upregulating the levels of Beclin-1, LC3II/I, PINK1 and Parkin. miR-411 overexpression or autophagy blockage using 3-methyladenine (3-MA) relieved PM_2.5-mediated cell proliferation and fibrosis-associated factor expression in HSCs. Drp1 was targeted by miR-411. miR-411 mitigated PM_2.5-induced mitophagy via targeting Drp1. Drp1 overexpression abolished the inhibitory role of miR-411 in cell proliferation and fibrosis-associated factor levels in HSCs.

CONCLUSION

PM_2.5 induced HSC activation and fibrosis via promoting Drp1-mediated mitophagy by decreasing miR-411, thereby causing liver fibrosis.

The alerting expression of microRNA-411 predicts clinical prognosis and regulates tumor progression of glioblastoma

Glioblastoma is a malignant intracranial tumor with indispensable growth. Identification of biomarkers associated with the progression of tumors could benefit the clinical therapy of and improve patient’s survival. miR-411 has been reported to play a role in other cancers, while its function in glioblastoma has been explored in the present study. The expression of miR-411 was evaluated in glioblastoma tissues (collected from 108 glioblastoma patients) and cells by polymerase chain reaction. The clinical significance of miR-411 was estimated with a series of statistical analyses. The biological function of miR-411 in the cellular processes of glioblastoma was assessed by cell counting kit 8 and Transwell assay. The expression of miR-411 was significantly reduced in glioblastoma, which was associated with the Karnofsky Performance Score (KPS) and Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) status of patients. miR-411 was identified as an independent prognostic indicator that correlated with the poor prognosis of patients. miR-411 suppressed the growth, migration, and invasion of glioblastoma cells via modulating signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). miR-411 participated in the development of glioblastoma and function as a prognostic biomarker. miR-411 functions as a tumor suppressor, which provides a novel potential therapeutic target for glioblastoma.

Circ_0082182 promotes oncogenesis and metastasis of colorectal cancer in vitro and in vivo by sponging miR-411 and miR-1205 to activate the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

BACKGROUND

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of endogenous single-strand RNA transcripts with crucial regulation in human cancers. The objective of this study is to investigate the role of circ_0082182 in CRC and its specific functional mechanism.

METHODS

The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to measure the levels of circ_0082182, microRNA-411 (miR-411) and microRNA-1205 (miR-1205). Cell proliferation was detected by Cell counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assays. Flow cytometry was used for determining cell cycle and cell apoptosis. Cell apoptosis was also assessed by caspase3 and caspase9 activities. Cell migration and invasion were examined using scratch assay and transwell assay. The interaction between circ_0082182 and miRNA was validated by the dual-luciferase reporter and biotinylated RNA pull-down assays. Wnt/β-catenin pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated proteins were quantified by Western blot. Xenograft model was established for the research of circ_0082182 in vivo.

RESULTS

Circ_0082182 was upregulated in CRC and could predict the poor prognosis of CRC patients. Functionally, circ_0082182 promoted CRC cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, and metastasis while inhibited apoptosis. Subsequently, circ_0082182 was shown to act as the sponges of miR-411 and miR-1205. MiR-411 and miR-1205 were identified as tumor inhibitors in CRC. Furthermore, circ_0082182 promoted the CRC progression via sponging miR-411 and miR-1205. Moreover, circ_0082182 facilitated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and EMT process by targeting miR-411 and miR-1205. In vivo, circ_0082182 accelerated the CRC tumorigenesis and EMT process by activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway by downregulating the expression of miR-411 or miR-1205.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that circ_0082182 functioned as an oncogene in the developing process of CRC by sponging miR-411 or miR-1205 to activate the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Circ_0082182 might be a molecular target in the diagnosis and treatment of CRC.

Circ_101341 Deteriorates the Progression of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Through the miR- 411/EGLN3 Axis

Background

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is one of the main subtypes of renal cell carcinoma, with intense aggressiveness. The involvement of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in human cancers attracts much concern. The intention of this study was to investigate the expression of circ_101341 and explore its function in ccRCC.

Materials and Methods

The expression of circ_101341, miR-411 and Egl nine homolog 3 (EGLN3) was measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell proliferation was assessed by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and colony formation assay. Cell migration and invasion were monitored by transwell assay. Xenograft model was established to explore the role of circ_101341 in vivo. The protein levels of E-cadherin (E-cad), N-cadherin (N-cad), matrix metalloprotein-9 (MMP9) and EGLN3 were detected by Western blot. Bioinformatic analysis was conducted using Circinteractome and starBase. The targeted relationship was verified using dual-luciferase reporter assay, RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay and RNA pull-down assay.

Results

The expression of circ_101341 was elevated in ccRCC tissues and cells. Functionally, circ_101341 knockdown depleted proliferation, migration and invasion of ccRCC cells in vitro and restricted tumor growth in vivo. Circ_101341 directly targeted miR-411, and miR-411 inhibition revised the inhibitory effects of circ_101341 knockdown on proliferation, migration and invasion in ccRCC cells. Moreover, miR-411 directly bound to EGLN3, and EGLN3 overexpression also rescued the effects of circ_101341 knockdown.

Conclusion

Circ_101341 functioned as a tumor promoter to strengthen proliferation, migration and invasion by regulating EGLN3 via sponging miR-411, indicating that circ_101341 was a potential diagnostic and therapeutic biomarker of ccRCC.

miR-409 and miR-411 Modulation in the Adult Brain of a Rat Model of Depression and After Fluoxetine Treatment

Depression is a chronic debilitating disorder predicted to affect around 20% of the world population. Both brain and peripheral changes, including neuroplastic changes have been shown to occur in the brains of depressed individuals and animal models of depression. Over the past few decades, growing evidence has supported the role of miRNAs as regulators of critical aspects of brain plasticity and function, namely in the context of depression. These molecules are not only highly expressed in the brain, but are also relatively stable in bodily fluids, including blood. Previous microarray analysis from our group has disclosed molecular players in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG), in the context of depression and antidepressant treatment. Two miRNAs in particular-miR-409-5p and miR-411-5p-were significantly up-regulated in the DG of an unpredictable chronic mild stress (CMS) rat model of depression and reversed by antidepressant treatment. Here, we further analyzed the levels of these miRNAs along the DG longitudinal axis and in other brain regions involved in the pathophysiology of depression, as well as in peripheral blood of CMS-exposed rats and after fluoxetine treatment. The effects of CMS and fluoxetine treatment on miR-409-5p and miR-411-5p levels varied across brain regions, and miR-411-5p was significantly decreased in the blood of fluoxetine-treated rats. Additional bioinformatic analyses revealed target genes and pathways of these miRNAs related to neurotransmitter signaling and neuroplasticity functions; an implication of the two miRNAs in the regulation of the cellular and molecular changes observed in these brain regions in depression is worth further examination.

Silencing synaptic MicroRNA-411 reduces voluntary alcohol consumption in mice

Chronic alcohol consumption alters the levels of microRNAs and mRNAs in the brain, but the specific microRNAs and processes that target mRNAs to affect cellular function and behavior are not known. We examined the in vivo manipulation of previously identified alcohol-responsive microRNAs as potential targets to reduce alcohol consumption. Silencing of miR-411 by infusing antagomiR-411 into the prefrontal cortex of female C57BL/6J mice reduced alcohol consumption and preference, without altering total fluid consumption, saccharin consumption, or anxiety-related behaviors. AntagomiR-411 reduced alcohol consumption when given to mice exposed to a chronic alcohol drinking paradigm but did not affect the acquisition of consumption in mice without a history of alcohol exposure, suggesting that antagomiR-411 has a neuroadaptive, alcohol-dependent effect. AntagomiR-411 decreased the levels of miR-411, as well as the association of immunoprecipitated miR-411 with Argonaute2; and, it increased levels of Faah and Ppard mRNAs. Moreover, antagomiR-411 increased the neuronal expression of glutamate receptor AMPA-2 protein, a known alcohol target and a predicted target of miR-411. These results suggest that alcohol and miR-411 function in a homeostatic manner to regulate synaptic mRNA and protein, thus reversing alcohol-related neuroadaptations and reducing chronic alcohol consumption.

Long noncoding RNA CDKN2B-AS1 interacts with miR-411-3p to regulate ovarian cancer in vitro and in vivo through HIF-1a/VEGF/P38 pathway

Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the most prevalent cancers with high fatality rate. In the present study, RT-PCR showed that the mRNA level of CDKN2B-AS1 was significantly upregulated while the miR-411-3p was downregulated in OC cell lines. In addition, the Sh-CDKN2B-AS1 resulted in the suppression of cell growth, invasion, migration and promotion of apoptosis, and miR-411-3p showed reversed results. Further studies demonstrated that CDKN2B-AS1 could directly interact with miR-411-3p, and that there was an inverse correlation between miR-411-3p and CDKN2B-AS1. Moreover, the in vivo experiments further demonstrated that Sh-CDKN2B-AS1 could inhibit the tumor growth. In addition, we examined the effect of CDKN2B-AS1 and miR-411-3p on HIF1a/VEGF/P38 axis. Consequently, Sh-CDKN2B-AS1 could suppress this pathway. In summary, our study demonstrated that the CDKN2B-AS1 interacted with miR-411-3p contributing to carcinogenesis in OC. Meanwhile, Sh-CDKN2B-AS1 showed anti-cancer role by promoting apoptosis and inhibiting cell growth, invasion and migration. Collectively, CDKN2B-AS1 modulated these activities possibly though miR-411-3p/HIF1a/VEGF/P38 pathway.

MiR-411 suppresses the development of bladder cancer by regulating ZnT1

Background

At present, the molecular genetics of the development and progression of bladder cancer are still unclear. In recent years, the pathological relevance and significance of microRNAs (miRNAs) in bladder cancer have attracted increasing attention.

Methods

The expressions of miR-411 and zinc transporter 1 (ZnT1) in bladder cancer were determined by western blot and real-time PCR. Biological software, luciferase reporter gene, Western blot and real-time PCR were used to determine the regulatory effect of miR-411 on ZnT1. MTT and transwell were used to confirm the regulatory effect of miR-411 on bladder cancer cells. MTT and transwell were used to find how miR-411 modulated the biological activity of bladder cancer cells by regulating ZnT1.

Results

The expression of miR-411 was low in bladder cancer and was negatively correlated with ZnT1. MiR-411 can inhibit the activity and the expression of ZnT1. MiR-411 can inhibit the growth and metastasis of bladder cancer cells. MiR-411 inhibited the growth and metastasis of bladder cancer cells by targeting ZnT1.

Conclusion

The miR-411 target ZnT1 may provide a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of bladder cancer.

miR-411 suppresses acute spinal cord injury via downregulation of Fas ligand in rats

OBJECTIVE

To explore the role of miR-411/FasL in acute spinal cord injury (ASCI).

METHODS

The ASCI rat model was established, and expression of miR-411 and Fas ligand (FasL) was examined. Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) score was used to evaluate the rats' neurological function. PC12 oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) model was also established. Gene manipulation (including miR-411 mimic or inhibitor) was used to modulate gene expression. Luciferase reporter assay was conducted to confirm the targeting relationship between miR-411 and FasL. Flow cytometry was applied in the measurement of PC12 cell apoptosis. Finally, the miR-411 mimic was injected into the vertebral canal of ASCI rats to determine the effects of miR-411 in vivo.

RESULTS

Compared with sham group, the expression of miR-411 and FasL was significantly decreased and increased in ASCI group, respectively (P < 0.05). Similarly, the expression of miR-411 and FasL was significantly lower and higher in OGD group than that in control group, respectively (P < 0.05). miR-411 directly controlled the FasL expression. miR-411 mimic can dramatically reduce the increased percentage of apoptosis cells caused by OGD when comparing to mimic control, which was greatly reversed by the overexpression of FasL (P < 0.05). Further, the BBB score was significantly elevated in the miR-411 mimic group when comparing to mimic control group, with decreased FasL expression (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

miR-411 mimic suppressed PC12 cell apoptosis via FasL, and relieved ASCI in rats.

MicroRNA-411 promoted the osteosarcoma progression by suppressing MTSS1 expression

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in the progression of different tumors. In our study, we investigated the expression and roles of miR-411 in human osteosarcoma. In this study, we first confirmed that the miR-411 expression was higher in the serum of patients with osteosarcoma than in the serum of healthy volunteers. In addition, we found that the miR-411 expression was upregulated in the osteosarcoma tissues compared to that in the matched normal bone tissues. We also demonstrated that the miR-411 expression was upregulated in the four osteosarcoma cell lines. Elevated expression of miR-411 promoted osteosarcoma cell proliferation and migration. Moreover, we identified that metastasis suppressor protein 1 (MTSS1) was a direct target gene of miR-411 in the osteosarcoma cell. We also demonstrated that the MTSS1 expression was downregulated in the osteosarcoma tissues compared to that in the matched normal bone tissues. In addition, MTSS1 expression level was inversely correlated with miR-411 expression in the osteosarcoma tissues. Furthermore, elevated expression of miR-411 enhanced the osteosarcoma cell proliferation and migration through inhibiting the MTSS1 expression. These data suggested that miR-411 played as oncogene in the osteosarcoma partly by inhibiting the MTSS1 expression.

MicroRNA-411 Downregulation Enhances Tumor Growth by Upregulating MLLT11 Expression in Human Bladder Cancer

Although several previous studies have reported the implication of various microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulation of human bladder cancer (BC) development, alterations and function of many miRNAs in bladder cancer growth are not explored yet at present. Here, we screened 1,900 known miRNAs and first discovered that miR-411 was one of the major miRNAs, which was down-regulated in n-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)-nitrosamine (BBN)-induced BCs. This miR-411 down-regulation was also observed in human BC tissues and cell lines. The results from evaluating the relationship between miR-411 and patient survival in BC using the TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) database indicated that miR-411 was positively correlated with DFS (disease-free survival). Our studies also showed that miR-411 inhibited tumor growth of human BC cells in a xenograft animal model. Mechanistic studies revealed that overexpression of miR-411 repressed the expression of ALL1-fused gene from the chromosome 1q (AF1q) (MLLT11) by binding to the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of mllt11 mRNA and in turn induced p21 expression and caused cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase, further inhibiting BC tumor growth. Collectively, our results improve our understanding of the role of miR-411 in BC tumor growth and suggest miR-411 and MLLT11 as potential new targets for the treatment of BC patients.

miR-411 contributes the cell proliferation of lung cancer by targeting FOXO1

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide; the study of microRNAs gives new hope for lung cancer treatment. miR-411 has been demonstrated to be an independent prognostic factor for lung adenocarcinoma, but the role and regulatory mechanism are largely unknown. In the present study, we found miR-411 was overexpressed in the lung cancer cells; overexpression of miR-411 promoted anchorage-dependent and anchorage-independent growths of lung cancer, while miR-411 knockdown reduced this effect. Further study showed forkhead box O1 (FOXO1) was a target of miR-411. Overexpression of miR-411 suppressed the expression of FOXO1; the effect of suppression was abrogated when the mutation occurred in the 3'UTR of FOXO1. Knockdown of FOXO1 in cells which miR-411 was inhibited recapitulated the phenotype of miR-411 overexpression. Taken together, our study revealed miR-411 promoted cell proliferation of lung cancer by targeting tumor suppressor gene FOXO1 and miR-411 might be a potential target for lung cancer therapy.

MicroRNA-411 inhibited matrix metalloproteinase 13 expression in human chondrocytes

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint degenerative disease affecting the joint structure, leading to loss of joint function and tissue destruction. Recent studies have demonstrated that miRNAs are involved in many pathological conditions, including OA. The study was to investigate the role of miR-411 in the pathogenesis of OA. The expression of miR-411 was downregulated in OA cartilage compared with in normal cartilage. Conversely, the expression of MMP-13 was upregulated in OA cartilage compared with in normal cartilage. IL-1β treatment repressed miR-411 expression in chondrocytes. Moreover, we identified MMP-13 as a direct target gene of miR-411 in chondrocytes and overexpression of miR-411 inhibited the MMP-13 expression. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-411 increased the expression of type II collagen and type IV collagen expression in chondrocytes. MiR-411 is a crucial regulator of MMP-13 in chondrocytes and may response to the development of OA.

miR-411 regulated ITCH expression and promoted cell proliferation in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common human malignancies and the third most common cause of cancer mortality in the world. In this study, we report that miR-411 expression is markedly upregulated in HCC cells and HCC tissues compared with normal control tissues and cells. Previous studies have shown that miR-411 plays a crucial role in a variety of biological processes in various human cancer cells. However, the specific function of miR-411 in HCC remains unclear. Ectopic expression of miR-411 promoted the proliferation and anchorage-independent growth of HCC cells, whereas inhibition of miR-411 reduced this effect. Bioinformatics analysis further revealed ITCH, a putative tumor suppressor as a potential target of miR-411. Data from luciferase reporter assays showed that miR-411 directly binds to the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of ITCH mRNA and repressed expression at both transcriptional and translational levels. In functional assays, miR-411 promoted HCC cell proliferation, which could be suppressed by miR-411-in. Taken together, our data provide convincing evidence that miR-411 functions as an onco-miRNA, which was associated with cell proliferation of HCC, and its oncogenic effect is mediated chiefly through direct suppression of ITCH expression.