ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Objective: MCM3AP-AS1 has been characterized as an oncogenic long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in several cancers including papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), but its role in PTC has not been fully elucidated. Considering the critical role of lncRNAs in cancer biology, further functional analysis of MCM3AP-AS1 in PTC may provide novel insights into PTC management. Subjects and methods: Paired tumor and non-tumor tissues were collected from 63 papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients. Expression levels of MCM3AP-AS1 , miR-218 and GLUT1 in tissue samples were analyzed by qRT-PCR. Cell transfection was performed to explore the interactions among MCM3AP-AS1 , miR-218 and GLUT1 . Cell proliferation assay was performed to evaluate the effects of MCM3AP-AS1 and miR-218 on cell proliferation. Results: MCM3AP-AS1 accumulated to high levels in PTC tissues and was affected by clinical stage. MCM3AP-AS1 showed a positive correlation with GLUT1 across PTC tissues. RNA interaction prediction showed that MCM3AP-AS1 could bind to miR-218 , which can directly target GLUT1 . MCM3AP-AS1 and miR-218 showed no regulatory role regulating the expression of each other, but overexpression of MCM3AP-AS1 upregulated GLUT1 and enhanced cell proliferation. In contrast, overexpression of miR-218 downregulated GLUT1 and attenuated cell proliferation. In addition, miR-218 suppressed the role of MCM3AP-AS1 in regulating the expression of GLUT1 and cell proliferation. Conclusions: MCM3AP-AS1 may serve as a competing endogenous RNA of miR-218 to upregulate GLUT1 in PTC, thereby promoting cell proliferation. The MCM3AP-AS1/miR-218/GLUT1 pathway characterized in the present study might serve as a potential target to treat PTC.
ABSTRACT
Abstract Purpose: To investigate whether oxymatrine (OMT) prevents hepatic fibrosis in rats by regulating liver transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) level. Methods: Hepatic fibrosis was induced in rats by thioacetamide (TAA). Blood was collected at the end of week 12 to determine the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and glutathione (GSH). Changes in liver tissue were observed after hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Results: Fibrosis was confirmed by Masson's collagen staining. Liver TGF-β1 level was determined by ELISA. OMT significantly reduced serum ALT and AST but increased GSH levels in rats with hepatic fibrosis. Moreover, it significantly improved liver histology in rats with TAA-induced hepatic fibrosis. It significantly decreased liver TGF-β1 level compared to that in the untreated group. It also significantly reduced collagen deposition in rats. Conclusion: Oxymatrine is effective in protecting rats from thioacetamide-induced hepatic fibrosis by regulating TGF-β1 expression.