ABSTRACT
SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to identify a microRNA expression signature that could be used to distinguish methamphetamine from control samples. We also utilized the existing bioinformatics tools in order to predict the candidate microRNAs that could play potential key roles in regulating drug addiction-related genes. METHODS: Methamphetamine samples from 21 ventral tegmental area and 21 nucleus accumbens samples and their control regions were obtained from the Council of Forensic Medicine (Istanbul). Quantitative analysis of let-7b-3p was studied using quantitative reverse transcription PCR. Statistical analysis was carried out using Student's t-test. The receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 20.0). RESULTS: Our quantitative reverse transcription PCR results revealed that let-7b-3p was significantly overexpressed in brain tissues of the methamphetamine-user group. Let-7b-3p had significant power to discriminate methamphetamine from control samples in the ventral tegmental area (AUC; 0.922) and nucleus accumbens (AUC; 0.899) regions. CONCLUSION: We have shown for the first time in the literature the differential expression of let-7b-3p in samples from methamphetamine-addicted individuals. We suggest that let-7b-3p could be a powerful marker for the diagnosis of methamphetamine addiction. Our results showed that differentially expressed let-7b-3p in methamphetamine users could be used as a diagnostic and therapeutic marker.
ABSTRACT
Abstract Deregulation of miRNA expressions was identified as a novel feature of tumor biology in Ewing sarcoma (EWS). The aim was to evaluate the regulatory role of miR-129-2-3p in EWS cell lines and human EWS tissue samples. EWS cell lines TC-71, TC-106, and CHLA-99 were used in the study and real-time PCR was utilized to investigate the functional role of tumor suppressor mir-129-2-3p and miR-129-2-3p levels in the cells. Proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis assays were carried out within the scope of functional in vitro studies. Expression levels of CDK6 and SOX4, which are miR-129-2-3p target genes, were examined. Moreover, the change in expression levels of miR-129-2-3p in EWS tumor tissues was also examined. It was determined that miR-129-2-3p expression markedly diminished in all the studied cell lines. In addition, miR-129-3p was found to decrease in proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis assays in all EWS cell lines. CDK6 and SOX4 levels were also decreased in miR-129-2-3p transfected cell lines. It was found that miR-129-2-3p levels were significantly decreased in EWS tumor tissue samples compared to the corresponding adjacent normal tissue samples. In line with the results of our current study, where the possible function of miR‐129-2-3p in EWS cell lines was examined, for the first time in the literature miR-129-2-3p was shown to have low expression level in EWS lines and EWS tumor tissue samples, and to provide a tumor suppressor effect.