Long non-coding RNA PVT1 facilitates cell migration and invasion by regulating miR-148a-3p and ROCK1 in breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common malignant tumors for women. The role and potential mechanisms of long non-coding RNA plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (lncRNA PVT1) were explored in BC cell migration and invasion. METHODS: PVT1, miR-148a-3p and Rho­associated, coiled­coil containing protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) mRNA expressions were detected using real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The ROCK1 protein expression was detected by Western blotting. The relationship of PVT1, miR-148a-3p and ROCK1 was analyzed by Dual Luciferase activity, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and Spearman correlation analysis. Cell invasion and migration were detected by Transwell assay. RESULTS: Upregulation of PVT1 and ROCK1, and downregulation of miR-148a-3p were observed in BC tissues and cell lines. According to the analysis of Dual Luciferase activity, RIP and Spearman correlation analysis, miR-148a-3p directly binds to PVT1, and ROCK1 is a target of miR-148a-3p. In addition, PVT1 regulated the cells migration and invasion by regulating miR-148a-3p and ROCK1 expression. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrated that PVT1 was upregulated and facilitated to the cell migration and invasion of BC by the regulation of miR-148a-3p and ROCK1, indicating that PVT1 may be a potential biomarker of BC diagnosis and treatment.

Use of nimotuzumab combined with cisplatin in treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and its effect on expressions of VEGF and MMP-2.

PURPOSE: This paper aims to observe the expressions of VEGF and MMP-2 in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated by nimotuzumab combined with cisplatin. METHODS: Altogether, 104 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated in our hospital from April 2014 to August 2016 were selected as research subjects. Among them, 50 patients treated with cisplatin were divided into a control group and 54 patients treated with nimotuzumab combined with cisplatin were divided into an observation group. The two groups of patients were compared in terms of efficacy after treatment and incidence of adverse reactions. Changes of serum VEGF and MMP-2 concentrations before and after treatment were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the 3-year overall survival (OS) of patients was observed. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, patients in the observation group had significantly higher total remission rate (RR) (P < 0.05) and significantly lower incidence of adverse reactions (P < 0.05). Before treatment, there was no significant difference between the observation and control groups in the concentrations of VEGF and MMP-2 (P > 0.05). After treatment, the concentrations in the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment (P < 0.05), and the concentrations in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the 3-year OS between the observation and control groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Nimotuzumab combined with cisplatin could improve the conditions of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. After treatment, the expression of VEGF and MMP-2 decreased significantly. We speculated that it improves the survival rate of patients by reducing the expression of VEGF and MMP-2.

MiRNA-92a promotes cell proliferation and invasion through binding to KLF4 in glioma.

OBJECTIVE: Glioma is one of the most frequent brain tumors in adults, and it has a low 5-year survival rate. MicroRNA-92a (miR-92a) has been reported to be upregulated and acted as an oncogene in many cancers. The purpose of this study was to explore the molecular mechanisms of miR-92a and kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) in glioma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Western blotting assay and quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) were applied to calculate the relative expression of interest proteins and mRNAs. Luciferase ability assay was conducted to evaluate whether miR-92a was targeting to KLF4. RESULTS: A higher expression of miR-92a was observed in glioma tissues compared with the corresponding adjacent non-tumor tissues. The upregulation of miR-92a predicted poor prognostic characteristics of glioma. The overexpression miR-92a significantly promoted cell proliferation an invasion, while the knockdown of miR-92a presented the opposite results. MiR-92a bound to KLF4 and mediated the expression of KLF4 in glioma cells. The knockdown of miR-92a inhibited cell invasion-mediated EMT. Furthermore, the knockdown of miR-92a suppressed cell proliferation through the KLF4/AKT/mTOR signal pathway. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-92a promoted the proliferation through the KLF4/AKT/mTOR signal pathway in glioma. The newly identified miR-92a/KLF4/AKT/mTOR axis provides novel insight into the pathogenesis of glioma.

Effect of prenatal exposure to LPS combined with pre- and post-natal high-fat diet on hippocampus in rat offspring.

OBJECTIVE: Prenatal exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or high-fat diet (HFD) results in hippocampal impairment and cognitive deficits in offspring rats. What is not clear is how prenatal exposure to LPS combined with pre- and post-natal HFD would affect the hippocampus in offspring rats. METHODS: 32 pregnant rats were randomly divided into four groups, including control group; LPS group (pregnant rats were injected with LPS 0.4 mg/kg intraperitoneally on the 8th, 10th and 12th day of pregnancy); HFD group (maternal rats had HFD during pregnancy and the lactation period, and their pups also had HFD up to the third month of life); LPS+HFD group (rats were exposed to the identical experimental scheme with LPS group and HFD group). The serum IL-6 and TNF-alpha concentration was measured in three-month-old offspring rats in all groups. Hippocampal morphology and expressions of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), Tau and synaptophysin (SYP) in offspring rats were measured. RESULTS: Serum IL-6 and TNF-alpha concentration in the HFD group increased significantly compared with the control group, LPS group and LPS+HFD group. Compared with the control group and the LPS+HFD group, cells in the LPS and HFD groups were smaller and arranged in disorder, and cell membrane was not complete, nucleoli and nuclear heterochromatin stained darkly with hematoxylin. GFAP and Tau expression in the hippocampus of the LPS and HFD groups increased significantly compared with the control group and LPS+HFD group. SYP expression in the LPS and HFD groups decreased significantly compared with the control group and HFD group, increased in the LPS+HFD group. CONCLUSION: Prenatal exposure to LPS combined with pre- and post-natal HFD result in a protective effect on the hippocampus in offspring rats, and it might be a benefit from the predictive adaptive response to prenatal inflammation.

Prolactin-releasing peptide mRNA expression in mouse medulla remains relatively stable during pregnancy and lactation.

We compared levels of prolactin-releasing peptide (PrRP) mRNA expression in mouse medulla at different stages of pregnancy and lactation. Mouse medulla samples were collected on days 6, 12 and 18 of pregnancy and lactation, respectively (six per group), for mRNA. Expression levels of PrRP mRNA in the medulla were measured by semi-quantitative RT-PCR, with glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase as a control. PrRP mRNA was highly expressed in mouse medulla oblongata on day 6 of pregnancy (0.53), followed by 0.43 at lactation day 6, and 0.42 at lactation day 12. The expression level of PrRP mRNA on days 12 and 18 of pregnancy and day 18 of lactation shared the same value of 0.36. PrRP mRNA levels during lactation decreased slightly compared with that during pregnancy, but the differences between them were not significant. In summary, PrRP mRNA levels in the medulla oblongata remain relatively stable during pregnancy and lactation. This is evidence that medulla PrRP is not involved in the regulation of prolactin secretion.

Krüppel-like factor 4 exhibits antiapoptotic activity following gamma-radiation-induced DNA damage.

In response to gamma-radiation-induced DNA damage, organisms either activate cell cycle checkpoint and repair machinery or undergo apoptosis to eliminate damaged cells. Although previous studies indicated that the tumor suppressor p53 is critically involved in mediating both responses, how a cell decides which pathway to take is not well established. The zinc-finger-containing transcription factor, Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), is a crucial mediator for the checkpoint functions of p53 after gamma-irradiation and does so by inhibiting the transition from the G(1) to S and G(2) to M phases of the cell cycle. Here, we determined the role of KLF4 in modulating the apoptotic response following gamma-irradiation. In three independent cell systems including colorectal cancer cells and mouse embryo fibroblasts in which expression of KLF4 could be manipulated, we observed that gamma-irradiated cells underwent apoptosis if KLF4 was absent. In the presence of KLF4, the degree of apoptosis was significantly reduced and cells resorted to checkpoint arrest. The mechanism by which KLF4 accomplished this antiapoptotic effect is by activating expression of the cell cycle arrest gene, p21(WAF1/CIP1), and by inhibiting the ability of p53 to transactivate expression of the proapoptotic gene, BAX. Results of our study illustrate an unexpected antiapoptotic function of KLF4, heretofore considered a tumor suppressor in colorectal cancer, and suggest that KLF4 may be an important determinant of cell fate following gamma-radiation-induced DNA damage.