MicroRNA-329-mediated PTTG1 downregulation inactivates the MAPK signaling pathway to suppress cell proliferation and tumor growth in cholangiocarcinoma.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a severe malignancy usually producing a poor prognosis and high mortality rate. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported in association with CCA; however, the role miR-329 plays in the CCA condition still remains unclear. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the underlying mechanism of which miR-329 is influencing the progression of CCA. This work studied the differential analysis of the expression chips of CCA obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Next, to determine both the expression and role of pituitary tumor transforming gene-1 (PTTG1) in CCA, the miRNAs regulating PTTG1 were predicted. In the CCA cells that had been intervened with miR-329 upregulation or inhibition, along with PTTG1 silencing, expression of miR-329, PTTG1, p-p38/p38, p-ERK5/ERK5, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), Cyclin D1, Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), B-cell CLL/lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), and caspase-3 were determined. The effects of both miR-329 and PTTG1 on cell proliferation, cell-cycle distribution, and apoptosis were also assayed. The miR-329 was likely to affect the CCA development through regulation of the PTTG1-mediated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. The miR-329 targeted PTTG1, leading to inactivation of the MAPK signaling pathway. Upregulation of miR-329 and silencing of PTTG1 inhibited the CCA cell proliferation, induced cell-cycle arrest, and subsequently promoted apoptosis with elevations in Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and total caspase-3, but showed declines in PCNA, Cyclin D1, and Bcl-2. Moreover, miR-329 was also found to suppress the tumor growth by downregulation of PTTG1. To summarize, miR-329 inhibited the expression of PTTG1 to inactivate the MAPK signaling pathway, thus suppressing the CCA progression, thereby providing a therapeutic basis for the CCA treatment.

Role of linker histone H1c during the reprogramming of Chinese swamp buffalo (Bubalus Bubalis) embryos produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer.

During reprogramming, there is exchange of histone H1c and the oocyte-specific linker histone, and H1c may play a critically important role in the reprogramming process of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of the H1c gene in SCNT reprogramming in Chinese swamp buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) using RNA interference (RNAi). Chinese swamp buffalo H1c gene sequences were obtained and H1c-RNAi vectors were designed, synthesised and then transfected into a buffalo fetal skin fibroblast cell line. Expression of H1c was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction to examine the efficiency of vector interference. These cells were then used as a nuclear donor for SCNT so as to observe the further development of SCNT embryos. Inhibition of H1c gene expression in donor cells significantly improved the developmental speed of embryos from the 1-cell to 8-cell stage. Furthermore, compared with the control group, inhibition of H1c gene expression significantly reduced the blastocyst formation rate. It is concluded that linker histone H1c is very important in SCNT reprogramming in Chinese swamp buffalo. Correct expression of the H1c gene plays a significant role in preimplantation embryonic development in B. bubalis.

Screening of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)-related datasets and identification of NASH-related genes.

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a common liver disease in the western world. The mechanisms behind NASH formation are poorly understood, but there may be multiple targets considering the disease's multifactorial nature. To explore the genes related to the pathogenesis of NASH, we downloaded clinical data and gene expression of NASH patients from the Gene Expression Omnibus database (GEO). We identified 281 genes with a common expression in two NASH-related datasets (GSE89632 and GSE83452), suggesting that they may be related to NASH. Further study showed that Angptl4, Foxo1, and Ttc39B might be essential for NASH progression, and these have been poorly studied. Therefore, we explored their roles in NASH. Our data show that these genes participate in the development of NASH through lipid metabolism. This suggests that the three genes can be used as therapeutic targets in NASH.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of lncRNA cancer susceptibility candidate 9 in hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant gastrointestinal tumor. There are currently few clinical diagnostic and prognostic markers for HCC. LncRNA cancer susceptibility candidate 9 (CASC9) is a long-chain non-coding RNA discovered in recent years, and previous studies have found that lncRNA CASC9 participates in the occurrence and development of HCC, but its clinical value remains unclear. AIM: To determine the expression of lncRNA CASC9 in HCC and its diagnostic and prognostic value. METHODS: Data on CASC9 expression in patients with HCC were collected from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to analyze the relationship between CASC9 and patient survival. A total of 80 HCC patients treated in The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from May 2012 to January 2014 were enrolled in the patient group, and 50 healthy subjects were enrolled in the control group during the same period. CASC9 expression in the two groups was determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and its diagnostic and prognostic value was analyzed based on the CASC9 data and pathological data in these HCC patients. The relationship between CASC9 and patient survival was assessed during the 5-year follow-up period. RESULTS: Analysis of data from TCGA database revealed that control samples showed significantly lower CASC9 expression than carcinoma tissue samples (P < 0.001); the low CASC9 expression group had a higher survival rate than the high CASC9 expression group (P = 0.011), and the patient group showed significantly increased expression of serum CASC9, with the area under the curve (AUC) of 0.933. CASC9 expression was related to tumor size, combined hepatitis, tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) staging, lymph node metastasis, differentiation and alpha fetoprotein, and the high CASC9 expression group showed lower 1-year, 3-year and 5-year survival rates than the low CASC9 expression group (all a P < 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that TNM staging, lymph node metastasis, differentiation, alpha fetoprotein and CASC9 were independent factors affecting the prognosis of patients. Stage I+II patients with lymph node metastasis, low differentiation, and alpha fetoprotein > 200 ng/mL had a poor 5-year survival rate. CONCLUSION: High CASC9 expression is beneficial in the prognosis of HCC patients. CASC9 is expected to be a potential diagnostic and prognostic indicator of HCC.