miR-423 sponged by lncRNA NORHA inhibits granulosa cell apoptosis

BACKGROUND

Atresia and degeneration, a follicular developmental fate that reduces female fertility and is triggered by granulosa cell (GC) apoptosis, have been induced by dozens of miRNAs. Here, we report a miRNA, miR-423, that inhibits the initiation of follicular atresia (FA), and early apoptosis of GCs.

RESULTS

We showed that miR-423 was down-regulated during sow FA, and its levels in follicles were negatively correlated with the GC density and the P4/E2 ratio in the follicular fluid in vivo. The in vitro gain-of-function experiments revealed that miR-423 suppresses cell apoptosis, especially early apoptosis in GCs. Mechanically speaking, the miR-423 targets and interacts with the 3'-UTR of the porcine SMAD7 gene, which encodes an apoptosis-inducing factor in GCs, and represses its expression and pro-apoptotic function. Interestingly, FA and the GC apoptosis-related lncRNA NORHA was demonstrated as a ceRNA of miR-423. Additionally, we showed that a single base deletion/insertion in the miR-423 promoter is significantly associated with the number of stillbirths (NSB) trait of sows.

CONCLUSION

These results demonstrate that miR-423 is a small molecule for inhibiting FA initiation and GC early apoptosis, suggesting that treating with miR-423 may be a novel approach for inhibiting FA initiation and improving female fertility.

Influence of Micro-RNA-423 Gene Variation on Risk and Characteristics of Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND

Micro-RNAs (miRNAs) are post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression that are abundantly expressed in a variety of cancers, including breast cancer. The mechanism of miRNAs in breast cancer oncogenesis is poorly understood. The goal of this study was to determine if there was a link between the miR-423 rs6505162 gene variation and breast cancer susceptibility among Egyptian patients.

METHODS

This was a case control study that included 120 female patients with pathologically confirmed breast cancer and 120 healthy controls. The patients and controls were genotyped for miR-423 rs6505162 polymorphism by real time PCR. The association of breast cancer patients' genotypic variant and clinicopathological characteristics was analyzed.

RESULTS

Breast cancer patients showed significantly higher AA and CA genotypes frequencies when compared to controls. This was translated as higher risk to develop breast cancer in patients harboring these genotypic variants (OR = 3.28, p= 0.002; OR = 2.11, p= 0.011, respectively). The frequencies of Her2 positive and advanced stage disease were significantly increased in the AA genotype variant (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest that miR-423 rs6505162 polymorphism could be a potential risk factor in the pathogenesis of breast cancer among Egyptian population.

Identification of microRNA expression signature for the diagnosis and prognosis of cervical squamous cell carcinoma

Cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death among women globally. The prognosis of cervical cancer patients differs considerably, and clinical outcomes are difficult to predict. Given the significant roles of miRNAs in human cancers, identification of novel and reliable miRNA biomarkers is important for targeted cervical cancer therapy. In the present study, we aimed to reveal biological significance of miR-200a, miR-423, miR-34a, miR-193a, and miR-455 for the prognosis and diagnosis of cervical cancer and their association with the clinical outcomes of patients. Distinct expression profiles of miRNAs in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples of patients and healthy controls were evaluated using qRT-PCR. We identified miR-200a, miR-455, and miR-34a were significantly downregulated in cervical squamous cell carcinoma tissues compared to normal cervix tissue from healthy controls. Both miR-455 and miR-34a confer a promising diagnostic factor for the cervical cancer while miR-200a showed no significance in ROC analysis. Notably, low expression of miR-34a was markedly associated with the poor overall survival of cervical cancer patients as revealed by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Also, univariate and multivariate analysis indicated miR-34a expression as an independent prognostic factor. Consequently, our results underline the importance of distinct expression miRNAs in cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

miR-423 Promotes Breast Cancer Invasion by Activating NF-κB Signaling

Objective

Breast cancer has become the most common malignancy among women worldwide; therefore, novel diagnostic and prognostic markers and therapeutic targets are urgently required. NF-κB signaling plays a pivotal role in enhancing breast cancer malignant phenotypes, especially cancer invasion and metastasis, which is the main cause of death in cancer patients. TNIP2, an important inhibitor of the NF-κB pathway, is known to involve a negative feedback loop of the NF-κB signaling cascade and to regulate tumor aggressiveness in various cancer types. However, the mRNA level of TNIP2 is barely altered in breast cancer; thus, the mechanism that regulates TNIP2 in breast cancer still needs to be elucidated.

Methods

We analyzed the expression and prognosis of miR-423 in a TCGA BRCA miRNA cohort and in clinical specimens. We detected the invasive capacity through a Matrigel-coated Transwell penetration assay, a three-dimensional (3D) spheroid invasion assay and a wound healing assay. Then, we applied luciferase assays, real-time PCR assays and Western blotting to further study the mechanism.

Results

In this study, analysis of the TCGA BRCA miRNA cohort and clinical specimens demonstrated that miR-423 was upregulated in human breast cancers and was positively correlated with clinical stage, poor overall survival and metastasis classification. Moreover, the invasiveness of breast cancer cells was enhanced by ectopic expression of miR-423 and inhibited by miR-423 downregulation. Mechanistically, upregulation of miR-423 led to activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway and elevated expression of snail and twist, while repression of miR-423 inhibited this pathway. Furthermore, the results indicated that TNIP2 is a target gene of miR-423, and suppression of TNIP2 resulted in increased invasiveness in miR-423-silenced cells.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that miR-423 is a crucial factor that enhances breast cancer cell invasion through the NF-κB signaling pathway and shed light on miR-423 as a promising prognostic and therapeutic marker for metastatic breast cancer.

The Association Between Two Common Polymorphisms and Cancer Susceptibility: A Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Most studies revealed that microRNAs could play important roles in the development of various types of cancers. However, the findings remain inconsistent and controversial. To get more accurate results about the association of miR-26a-1 rs7372209 and miR-423 rs6505162 polymorphisms with risk of cancer, we conduct this meta-analysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We have searched relevant articles from the PubMed, Web of Science, Wanfang, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure databases up to May 3, 2019. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were analyzed to assess the relationship between these two genetic polymorphisms and susceptibility to cancer. All statistical analyses were performed with Stata 12.0 software.

RESULTS

Thirty-five articles were eligible in this meta-analysis, including 17,746 cases and 21,808 controls. Our results suggested that the miR-26a-1 rs7372209 polymorphism was associated with the susceptibility to overall cancer significantly in homozygote comparison and recessive model (TT versus CC: OR = 1.167, 95% CI: 1.025-1.329, P = 0.020; TT versus CT + CC: OR = 1.162, 95% CI: 1.025-1.318, P = 0.019). For miR-423 rs6505162, this study showed that the relationship between it and overall cancer susceptibility was statistically significant among five genetic models (CA versus CC: OR = 0.884, 95% CI: 0.806-0.969, P = 0.009; AA + CA versus CC: OR = 0.870, 95% CI: 0.789-0.959, P = 0.005; AA versus CA + CC: OR = 0.904, 95% CI: 0.827-0.988, P = 0.026; A versus C: OR = 0.899, 95% CI: 0.834-0.970, P = 0.006) rather than homozygote model.

CONCLUSIONS

Rs7372209 in miR-26a-1 and rs6505162 in miR-423 are associated with overall cancer susceptibility.

MicroRNA-423 Drug Resistance and Proliferation of Breast Cancer Cells by Targeting ZFP36

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The effects of microRNA-423 on proliferation and drug resistance of breast cancer cells were explored, the downstream target genes of miR-423 and the targeted regulatory relationship between them were studied.

METHODS

RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression of miR-423 in breast cancer tissues and cell lines, and the transfection efficiency of miR-423 inhibitory vector miR-423-inhibitor was constructed and verified. CCK-8 and colony formation assays were used to examine the effect of miR-423 on tumor cell proliferation. Target gene prediction and screening and luciferase reporter assay were used to verify downstream target genes of miR-432. The mRNA and protein expression of miR-423target gene ZFP36 was detected by RT-qPCR and Western blotting.

RESULTS

The expression of miR-423 was significantly higher than that in normal tissues. Compared to the non-malignant mammary epithelial cell line MCF-10A, the expression of miR-423 was significantly raised in MCR-7 and MCF-7/ADR cells. ZFP36 was a downstream target gene of miR-423 and negatively correlated with the expression of miR-423 in breast cancer. The knockdown of miR-423 can significantly enhance the cytotoxicity of the drug, increase the apoptotic rate of MCF-7/ADR cells. miR-423 was capable of activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway leading to chemoresistance and proliferation, whereas overexpression of ZFP36 reduced drug resistance and proliferation.

CONCLUSION

miR-423 acted as an oncogene to promote tumor cell proliferation and migration. ZFP36 was a downstream target gene of miR-423, and miR-423 inhibited the expression of ZFP36 via Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway of breast cancer cells.

MicroRNA-423 may regulate diabetic vasculopathy

To test the hypothesis that microRNAs may play a role in diabetic retinopathy, we measured the levels of different markers [microRNAs, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), nitric oxide (NO), and total antioxidant capacity (TAO)] in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and microvascular complications. Sixty-nine patients were recruited: 22 healthy subjects, ten T2DM patients without retinopathy, 22 with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy, and 15 with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Serum levels of NO, VEGF, TAO and 16 candidate microRNAs were measured. Additionally, the mRNA levels of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), induced NOS (iNOS), C reactive protein (CRP), VEGF, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), PON2, p22, and SOD2 were measured in human vascular endothelial cells cultured in the presence of pooled sera from the subject groups. Plasma miR-423 levels showed a significant ~ twofold decrease in patients with PDR compared to controls. P lasma NO levels were significantly higher in retinopathy, VEGF levels were significantly lower, and TAO was significantly decreased. eNOS mRNA levels were lower in the cells of T2DM patients without retinopathy, but higher in PDR. PON2, p22, and SOD2 mRNA levels were all significantly lower in PDR. CRP, TNFα, iNOS, and VEGF mRNA levels showed no significant association with disease status. Lowered miR-423 levels in diabetic patients showed a correlation with VEGF and an inverse correlation between NO and eNOS expression. Our findings suggest a cross talk between miR-423 and VEGF signaling, affecting eNOS function. miR-423 may be involved in the regulation of diabetic vascular retinal proliferation.

The association between miR-423 rs6505162 polymorphism and cancer susceptibility: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The association between miR-423 polymorphism (C > A) and the risk of different cancers are still controversial. We performed a meta-analysis to clarify its association with multiple cancer risks. PubMed and Embase (as of 10th September, 2016) were searched. A total of 17 studies from 16 articles, consisting of 8,582 cases and 10,291 controls, were finally qualified and enrolled in this meta-analysis. The pooled results showed that the miR-423 AA genotype was associated with decreased cancer risk under the recessive model (odds ratio [OR] = 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.78~0.98, P = 0.020). However, this association became non-significant after excluding the study with the smallest odds ratio. Subgroup analyses revealed a significant decrease in risk of lung cancer (dominant model: OR = 0.73, 95 % CI: 0.60~0.89, P = 0.002; recessive model: OR = 0.59, 95 % CI: 0.37~0.95, P = 0.031). Our study indicates that miR-423 rs6505162 might be associated with a reduced risk of cancers, however, this finding need to be evaluated further in larger samples, especially subgroup analyses. In addition, cancer-specific functional studies are especially needed to reveal the underlying mechanisms between miR-423 and the etiology of cancer.

miR-423 rs6505162 C>A polymorphism contributes to decreased Wilms tumor risk

Wilms tumor (WT) is the most prevalent urologic malignancy in childhood. Nonetheless, the genetic factors underlying WT remain largely unknown. The miR-423 rs6505162 C>A polymorphism is associated with the susceptibility to numerous cancers; however, no investigations have been conducted on its association with WT. To evaluate the correlation between the miR-423 rs6505162 C>A polymorphism and WT risk in Chinese children, we genotyped this polymorphism using the Taqman method in 145 cases and 531 cancer-free controls. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to estimate the strength of the association. The results showed that the rs6505162 CA genotype was associated with decreased susceptibility to WT (CA versus CC: adjusted OR=0.65, 95% CI=0.42-0.99, P=0.047). In the stratified analysis, we found that CA/AA genotypes conferred a significantly decreased overall risk of WT in children younger than 18 months (adjusted OR=0.30, 95% CI=0.14-0.63, P=0.002) and those with clinical stage I+II WT (adjusted OR=0.42, 95% CI=0.20-0.85, P=0.017) when compared with CC genotype. In summary, the miR-423 rs6505162 C>A polymorphism may negatively modify WT susceptibility in Chinese children. Our findings should be validated in larger studies involving other ethnicities.

MicroRNA-423 enhances the invasiveness of hepatocellular carcinoma via regulation of BRMS1

Tumor metastasis portrayed the most serious challenges of cancer as it is the major cause of mortality in patients with solid tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this regard, anti-metastatic genes have a great potential for metastasis inhibition. Recent evidence pointed to a role of Breast cancer metastasis suppressor 1 (BRMS1) in suppression of metastasis of several types of cancers, whereas the regulation of BRMS1 in HCC remains unknown. Here, we used bioinformatics analyses to predict BRMS1-targeting microRNAs (miRNAs), and evaluated the functional binding of miRNAs to BRMS1 mRNA using a dual luciferase reporter assay. Among all BRMS1-targeting miRNAs, we only detected significant expression of miR-626, miR-1289 and miR-423 in HCC specimens. Specifically, we found that only miR-423 significantly inhibited protein translation of BRMS1 via specific binding to 3'-UTR of the BRMS1 mRNA. Moreover, we detected significantly lower levels of BRMS1 and significantly higher levels of miR-423 in the HCC specimens, relative to paired adjacent non-tumor liver tissue. Furthermore, BRMS1 and miR-423 levels were correlated inversely. Overexpression of miR-423 significantly decreased BRMS1 levels and promoted HCC cell invasion, while depletion of miR-423 significantly increased BRMS1 levels and inhibited HCC cell invasion. This study sheds light on miR-423 as a crucial factor that enhances HCC cell invasiveness, and suggests miR-423 as a promising therapeutic target for HCC treatment.

Identification of Reliable Reference Genes for Quantification of MicroRNAs in Serum Samples of Sulfur Mustard-Exposed Veterans

Objective

In spite of accumulating information about pathological aspects of sulfur mustard (SM), the precise mechanism responsible for its effects is not well understood. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are promising biomarkers for disease diagnosis and prognosis. Accurate normalization using appropriate reference genes, is a critical step in miRNA expression studies. In this study, we aimed to identify appropriate reference gene for microRNA quantification in serum samples of SM victims.

Materials and Methods

In this case and control experimental study, using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), we evaluated the suitability of a panel of small RNAs including SNORD38B, SNORD49A, U6, 5S rRNA, miR-423-3p, miR-191, miR-16 and miR-103 in sera of 28 SM-exposed veterans of Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988) and 15 matched control volunteers. Different statistical algorithms including geNorm, Normfinder, best-keeper and comparative delta-quantification cycle (Cq) method were employed to find the least variable reference gene.

Results

miR-423-3p was identified as the most stably expressed reference gene, and miR- 103 and miR-16 ranked after that.

Conclusion

We demonstrate that non-miRNA reference genes have the least stabil- ity in serum samples and that some house-keeping miRNAs may be used as more reliable reference genes for miRNAs in serum. In addition, using the geometric mean of two reference genes could increase the reliability of the normalizers.