Long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 00858 participates in the occurrence and development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma through the activation of the FTO-m6A-MYC axis by recruiting ZNF184.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed at probing impact of LINC00858 on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) progression via ZNF184-FTO-m6A-MYC axis. METHODS: Expression of related genes (LINC00858, ZNF184, FTO, and MYC) was detected in ESCC tissues or cells and their relationships were assessed. After expression alterations in ESCC cells, cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and apoptosis were detected. Tumor formation in nude mice was conducted. RESULTS: LINC00858, ZNF184, FTO, and MYC were overexpressed in ESCC tissues and cells. LINC00858 enhanced ZNF184 expression to upregulate FTO, which augmented MYC expression. LINC00858 knockdown diminished ESCC cell proliferative, migratory, and invasive properties while elevating apoptosis, which was negated by FTO overexpression. FTO knockdown exerted similar functions of LINC00858 knockdown on ESCC cell movements, which was annulled by MYC upregulation. Silencing LINC00858 repressed tumor growth and related gene expression in nude mice. CONCLUSIONS: LINC00858 modulated MYC m6A modification via FTO by recruiting ZNF184, thus facilitating ESCC progression.

Hub Genes and Long Noncoding RNAs That Regulates It Associated with the Prognosis of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Based on Bioinformatics Analysis.

Objective: Through bioinformatics analysis methods, the public databases GEO and TCGA were used to research mRNA and squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus, construct a lncRNA-mRNA network, and screen hub genes and lncRNAs related to prognosis. Method: Download esophageal squamous cell carcinoma-related mRNA and lncRNA datasets GEO and TCGA public datasets, as well as clinical data, use bioinformatic tools to perform gene differential expression analysis on the datasets to obtain differentially expressing mRNA (DEmRNA) and lncRNA (DElncRNA), and plot volcano plots and cluster heatmaps. The differential intersection of differentially expressed DEmRNA and DElncRNA was extracted by Venn diagram and imported into CytoScape software, a regulatory network visualization software, to construct a lncRNA-mRNA network and use cytoHubba and MCODE plug-ins to screen hub genes and key lncRNAs. The DEmRNA in the network was imported into the Gene and Protein Interaction Retrieval Database (STRING), gene-encoded protein-protein interactions (PPI) network maps were created, and the genes in the PPI network maps were submitted to GO functional annotation and pathway enrichment analysis using Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene Genomes (KEGG) (KEGG). The link between hub gene and prognosis was studied using the clinical data collected by TCGA. Result: Retrieve the datasets GSE23400 and GSE38129 from the GEO database and the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma-related mRNAs from TCGA databases and then obtain intersection. Differentially regulated genes revealed a correlation of 326 (up) with 191 (down) in terms of the differential intersection; for this study, we need to collect the GSE130078 dataset from GEO, as well as the lncRNAs from TCGA databases that are connected to esophageal squamous cell cancer. There were 184 differentially up- and downregulated genes in the differential intersection. A differential intersection network of the differential intersection lncRNA-mRNA network allowed us to identify the hub genes, including COL5A2 (COL3A1), COL1A1 (COL1A1), CTD-2171N6.1 (CTD-2171N6.1), and RP11-863P13.3 (RP11-863P13.3). The extracellular matrix, which is important in protein digestion and absorption, was shown to be the primary site of functional enrichment, as shown by GO/KEGG analysis. Squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth and throat is associated with a poor prognosis because of a change in the extracellular matrix structure caused by specific long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) regulatory upregulation. Conclusion: For the purpose of predicting the prognosis of cancer of the esophagus, researchers studied the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma-related hub genes and important noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs).

Production of Salvianic Acid A from l-DOPA via Biocatalytic Cascade Reactions.

Salvianic acid A (SAA), as the main bioactive component of the traditional Chinese herb Salvia miltiorrhiza, has important application value in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In this study, a two-step bioprocess for the preparation of SAA from l-DOPA was developed. In the first step, l-DOPA was transformed to 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DHPPA) using engineered Escherichia coli cells expressing membrane-bound L-amino acid deaminase from Proteus vulgaris. After that, the unpurified DHPPA was directly converted into SAA by permeabilized recombinant E. coli cells co-expressing d-lactate dehydrogenase from Pediococcus acidilactici and formate dehydrogenase from Mycobacterium vaccae N10. Under optimized conditions, 48.3 mM of SAA could be prepared from 50 mM of l-DOPA, with a yield of 96.6%. Therefore, the bioprocess developed here was not only environmentally friendly, but also exhibited excellent production efficiency and, thus, is promising for industrial SAA production.

Downregulation of long noncoding RNA breast cancer anti-estrogen resistance 4 inhibits cell proliferation, invasion, and migration in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by regulating the microRNA-181c-5p/LIM and SH3 protein 1 axis.

Recently, abnormal expression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been observed in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). In various human cancers, breast cancer anti­estrogen resistance 4 (BCAR4) was reported to be highly expressed, while the biological roles of BCAR4 in ESCC remain unclear. In ESCC cells and tissues, BCAR4 and microRNA -181c-5p (miR-181c-5p) expression, and phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription (p-STAT3) and COX2 expression were evaluated by real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot analysis. Cell function was evaluated by colony formation, CCK-8 assay, transwell and flow cytometer assays. Interactions between BCAR4 and miR-181c-5p, as well as miR-181c-5p and LIM and SH3 protein 1 (LASP1) were evaluated by RIP and luciferase reporter assay. ESCC cell malignancy with inhibition of BCAR4 was confirmed by a tumor xenograft model in vivo. In both ESCC tissues and cell lines, BCAR4 was upregulated. Downregulation of BCAR4 effectively induced cell apoptosis and inhibited invasion and migration in vitro, and reduced tumorigenesis in nude mice. BCAR4 was a sponge of miR-181c-5p to upregulate LASP1. Moreover, knockdown of BCAR4 and overexpression of miR-181c-5p inhibited the activation of the STAT3/COX2 signaling, which was reversed by overexpression of LASP1. In conclusion, BCAR4 promotes ESCC tumorigenesis by targeting the miR-181c-5p/LASP1 axis, which may act as a treatment and diagnosis biomarker for ESCC.

Clinical study of modified free conjunctival flap transplantation with limbal stem cells in the treatment of pterygium / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#AIM:To investigate the clinical effect of modified free conjunctival flap transplantation with limbal stem cells in the treatment of pterygium and its impact on tear film function.<p>METHODS: A total of 60 pterygium patients admitted to our hospital from March 2017 to March 2021 were randomly divided into the control group and the observation group, with 30 cases in each group. The control group was treated with amniotic membrane transplantation, and the observation group was treated with modified free conjunctival flap transplantation with limbal stem cells. The treatment period of both groups was 21d. And then the clinical efficacy, operation duration, corneal wound repair time, xerophthalmia score, tear film rupture time value and basic tear secretion test value before and 1, 3mo after treatment, and the occurrence of adverse reactions were compared between the two groups.<p>RESULTS: The total effective rate of clinical treatment in the observation group was higher than that of the control group(χ2=5.963, P=0.015), the operation duration in the observation group was longer than that for the control group(t=-2.643, P<0.05), and the repair time of corneal wound was shorter than that of the control group(t=2.182, P<0.05). At 1 and 3mo after surgery, dry eye score in two groups decreased compared with that before surgery(all P<0.05), and there was a difference between observation group and control group(t=2.082, 3.956; all P<0.05). The time of tear film rupture at 1 and 3mo after surgery was increased compared with that before surgery(all P<0.05), and there was a difference between the observation group and the control group(t=4.245, 2.070; all P<0.05).The experimental value of basal tear secretion at 1 and 3mo after surgery increased compared with that before surgery(all P<0.05), and there was a difference between the observation group and the control group(t=2.076, 2.223; all P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups(P=0.572).<p>CONCLUSION: The improved free conjunctival flap transplantation with limbal stem cells can effectively improve the clinical symptoms and tear film function of patients with pterygium, which is beneficial to the recovery of postoperative corneal wound, and can reduce the incidence of adverse reactions.

Fibroblast growth factor 11 (FGF11) promotes non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) progression by regulating hypoxia signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence highlights the critical roles of fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) in regulating the progression of multiple human cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this study, we investigated the role of FGF11 in the progression of NSCLC. METHODS: Previously published transcriptomic data (GSE75037 and GSE81089) were used to compare FGF11 expression level between NSCLC tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues. 100 cases of NSCLC tumor tissues and 30 cases of matched adjacent normal tissues were used to validate FGF11 expression at mRNA and protein level by qPCR and immunohistochemistry. Bioinformatics analysis and dual luciferase reporter analysis were performed to confirm the regulatory effect of miR-525-5p on FGF11 expression. CCK-8 assay and transwell migration assay were employed to examine cellular proliferation, migration and invasion. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to identify the signaling pathway associated with FGF11 expression. Finally, the functional role of FGF11 in NSCLC tumor growth was evaluated by in vivo study. RESULTS: FGF11 was upregulated in NSCLC tumor tissues and tumor cell lines. High FGF11 expression was associated with a poor prognosis in NSCLC patients. In vitro loss- and gain-of function experiments demonstrated that FGF11 knockdown inhibited, whereas FGF11 overexpression promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of NSCLC cells. Dual luciferase reporter assay confirmed that FGF11 was downregulated by miR-525-5p, and the effect of FGF11 on cell proliferation, migration and invasion could be interfered by miR-525-5p. GSEA analysis further revealed that FGF11 expression was enriched with genes in hypoxia signaling pathway and the oncogenic function of FGF11 could be suppressed by knocking down HIF-1α in NSCLC cells. Moreover, FGF11 knockdown suppressed NSCLC tumor growth whereas FGF11 overexpression promoted tumor growth in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that FGF11 functions as an oncogene in tumor NSCLC progression. miR-525-5p seems to negatively regulate FGF11 and the oncogenic role of FGF11 is dependent on the upregulation of HIF-1α. Our study suggests that targeting FGF11 and HIF-1α may serve as novel strategies for the treatment of NSCLC.

Hsa_circ_0003645 Promotes Breast Cancer Progression by Regulating miR-139-3p/HMGB1 Axis.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of over-expressing circular RNA (circ_0003645) on cell functions and its molecular mechanism in breast cancer. METHODS: The expression profile of circ_0003645, breast cancer cell lines, and the transcription levels of circular RNA, miRNA and HMGB1 gene were detected by qRT-PCR. Flow cytometry analysis was manipulated to evaluate cancer cell proliferation and cell apoptosis. The correlation between miR-139p-3p and circular_0003645 or HMGB1 was predicted by GEO, and TCGA was confirmed using the dual-luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS: Circ_0003645 expression was conspicuously increased in both the breast cancer tissues and cell lines. Circ_0003645 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation and induced the apoptosis of breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. By sponging miR-139-3p, circ_0003645 promoted the breast cancer cells progression and positively regulated HMGB1 gene. CONCLUSION: Circ_0003645 functions as a ceRNA for miR-139-3p, which could upregulate HMGB1 and further promote cell proliferation in breast cancer.

Implications for Online Management: Two Cases with COVID-19.

Satisfactory outcome was observed in one mild case and one severe case of COVID-19 pneumonia after the use of the online/offline multidisciplinary quarantine observation form, online monitoring, and classified diagnosis and treatment, as well as strict compliance with quarantine measures. Conditions of both patients were improved, and cross-infection and disease onset clustering were not observed. The multidisciplinary self-quarantine model provides early judgment, identification, and treatment of disease, improves compliance with early rehabilitation, increases confidence in recovery, and enhances self-management capabilities. This model is applicable to the current novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic and can actively promote the management of suspected or confirmed mild cases, monitoring of critical cases, and self-management of discharged patients. The application of this new management model is worthy of being promoted in our specialized treatment facilities and in countries with severe epidemics.

CiRS-7 promotes growth and metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via regulation of miR-7/HOXB13.

The circular RNA ciRS-7 has been reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of various tumors, including gastric and colorectal cancer. However, the role of ciRS-7 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unsolved. In this study, we found that the ciRS-7 expression was significantly upregulated in ESCC cancer tissues compared with matched normal tissues and associated with poor patient survival. Overexpression of ciRS-7 abrogated the tumor-suppressive roles of miR-7 including cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro as well as tumor growth and lung metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, ciRS-7 functioned as the sponge of miR-7 and reactivated its downstream HOXB13-mediated NF-κB/p65 pathway. Conclusively, our findings demonstrate how ciRS-7 induces malignant progression of ESCC and that ciRS-7 may act as a novel prognostic marker and therapeutic target for this lethal disease.

Ethylene signaling modulates contents of catechin and ability of antioxidant in Camellia sinensis.

BACKGROUND: Tea is one of the most popular beverages in the world. There are many secondary metabolites can be found in tea such as anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, flavonols and catechins. These secondary metabolites in plants are proved to act protective components for human health effect. Plant hormone ethylene is considered to have an important role in regulation of plant development and signal transduction. This study evaluated the effect of ethylene signaling regulation in phenolic compounds in tea plants. The ethylene precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) enhanced contents of total catechin in treated oolong tea seedlings. RESULTS: The degree of epigallocatechin and epicatechin galloylation was increased after ACC treatment in oolong tea seedlings by high performance liquid chromatography determination. The contents of anthocyanins, flavonoids, and total polyphenol were higher after ACC treatment in comparison with control. Antioxidant enzyme such as catalase, superoxide dismutase, and total peroxidase decreased their antioxidant activities after ACC treatment, yet the activity of ascorbate peroxidase is increased. The ability of oxygen radical absorption and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl was used to evaluate the antioxidant activity, which was enhanced by ACC treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together the results of this study demonstrate that the ethylene signaling is involved in modulation of secondary metabolites accumulation and antioxidant ability that to enhance the benefit of human health in tea products.

NKILA inhibits NF-κB signaling and suppresses tumor metastasis.

The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) NKILA (nuclear transcription factor NF-κB interacting lncRNA) functions as a suppressor in human breast cancer and tongue cancer. However, the clinical significance and biological roles of NKILA in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remain unknown. In this study, we showed that NKILA was downregulated in ESCC tissues and cancer cells compared with their normal counterparts. Low NKILA expression correlated with large tumor size and advanced TNM stage, and predicted poor overall and disease-free survival of ESCC patients. Further loss- and gain-of-function assays indicated that NKILA inhibited proliferation and migration of ESCC cells in vitro, suppressed tumor growth and lung metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, NKILA could inhibit phosphorylation of IκBα, suppress p65 nuclear translocation and downregulate the expression of NF-κB target genes in ESCC cells. These results suggest NKILA could suppress malignant development of ESCC via abrogation of the NF-κB signaling and may potentially serve as a prognostic marker for ESCC.

Let-7f and miRNA-126 correlate with reduced cardiotoxicity risk in triple-negative breast cancer patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

This study aimed to explore the correlation of circulating angiogenic microRNAs (miRNAs) with the occurrence of cardiotoxicity in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients who underwent epirubicin/cyclophosphamide-docetaxel (EC-D) neoadjuvant chemotherapy. One hundred seventy-nine TNBC patients were consecutively enrolled and received EC-D neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Plasma samples were collected before neoadjuvant treatment, and relative expression of angiogenic miRNAs was measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Cardiotoxicity was defined by any one of the following symptoms: heart failure, acute coronary artery syndrome, fatal arrhythmia and a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) declined by 10% from baseline to an absolute value below 53%. The LVEF level was decreased, while cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels were increased by EC-D neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In total, 9 cases (5.0%) of cardiotoxicity occurred. Let-7f, miR-126 and miR-210 were negatively associated with the cTnI level, while let-7f, miR-19a and miR-130a were negatively correlated with the NT-proBNP level. Compared to noncardiotoxicity patients, the expression levels of let-7f, miR-19a, miR-20a, miR-126, and miR-210 were decreased in cardiotoxicity patients. A multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that let-7f and miR-126 independently predicted low cardiotoxicity risk, and a receiver operating characteristics curve illustrated that let-7f (area under curve [AUC]=0.815, 95% CI: 0.725-0.906) and miR-126 (AUC=0.731, 95% CI: 0.624-0.838) as well as the combination of these two miRNAs (AUC=0.885, 95% CI: 0.818-0.952) could effectively distinguish cardiotoxicity patients from noncardiotoxicity patients. The angiogenic miRNAs let-7f and miR-126 might serve as novel and convincing biomarkers for reduced cardiotoxicity risk in TNBC patients who receive EC-D neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

MicroRNA-192 regulates cell proliferation and cell cycle transition in acute myeloid leukemia via interaction with CCNT2.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs approximately 18-22 nucleotides in length, which play an important role in malignant transformation. The roles of miR-192 as an oncogene or tumor suppressor in solid tumors have been previously reported. However, little is known about the role of miR-192 in human acute myeloid leukemia. The results of the present study indicate that miR-192 is significantly downregulated in specimens from acute myeloid leukemia patients. Functional assays demonstrated that overexpression of miR-192 in NB4 and HL-60 cells significantly inhibited cell proliferation compared with that in control cells, and induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, cell differentiation, and apoptosis in vitro. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assays showed that miR-192 significantly suppressed the activity of a reporter gene containing the wild type 3'-UTR of CCNT2, but it did not suppress the activity of a reporter gene containing mutated 3'-UTR of CCNT2. QRT-PCR and Western blot assays showed that miR-192 significantly downregulated the expression of CCNT2 in human leukemia cells. Exogenous expression of CCNT2 attenuated the cell cycle arrest induced by miR-192 in NB4 and HL-60 cells. Collectively, miR-192 inhibits cell proliferation and induces G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in AML by regulating the expression of CCNT2.

[Effect on the proliferation of bovine corneal endothelial cells by small hairpin RNA interference targeting p27Kip1].

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the proliferation of bovine corneal endothelial cells (bCEC) by interference with the recombinant plasmid of short hairpin RNA (shRNA) against p27Kip1, a kind of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (CKI). METHODS: It was an experimental study. Three p27Kip1-shRNA template DNA sequences containing small hairpin structure were designed and synthesized as experimental groups. Plasmid expressing irrelevant shRNA with a random combination was used as negative shRNA. The products were inserted into the Pgensil-1 plasmid and the recombinant plasmid of Pgenesil-P1, Pgenesil-P2, Pgenesil-P3 and Pgenesil-HK were constructed. The recombinant plasmids were transfected into bCEC cells with liposome and a blank group. The expression of mRNA and protein of p27Kip1 was detected by RT-PCR and Western blot after stable transfection, and the plasmid with the best inhibitory effect was selected. The growth of the experimental group, Pgenesil-HK group and blank group were assessed by MTT. The influence of shRNA-p27Kip1 on bCEC cell cycle was deteceted by flow cytometry (FCM). All statistical analyses were performed using one-way ANOVA. RESULTS: Restrictive enzyme digestion and sequence analysis showed that four recombinant plamids were constructed successfully and the aim sequence was obtained. The expression of p27Kip1 mRNA and p27Kip1 protein of Pgenesil-P1 group, Pgenesil-P2 group and Pgenesil-P3 group were all lower than that in the control group, including blank group and negative siRNA group. The inhibitive rate of mRNA reached 32.71%, 67.76% and 80.28% (F = 453.102, P = 0.000 in each group) and the inhibitive rate of protein reached 29.27%, 64.73% and 76.13% (F = 75.385, P = 0.000 in each group) compared with the blank group. As the lowest expression among the three positive shRNA group, Pgenesil-P3 was selected for the next steps. There was no significant difference between blank group and negative Pgenesil-HK of the expression of p27Kip1 protein (P = 0.356) and the express of p27Kip1 mRNA (P = 0.246). Compared with the control group and the blank group, the growth of the bCEC transfected by Pgenesil-P3 was significantly promoted with increased cell percent of S-phrase (F = 334.957, P = 0.000) and decreased cell percent of G1-phrase (F = 134.224, P = 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: shRNA-p27Kip1 can down-regulate the expression of bCEC effectively and increase the growth of bCEC. shRNA-p27Kip1 RNA interference may be an effective method to promote the proliferation of CEC.