MiR-127-3p inhibits proliferation of ovarian cancer in rats through down-regulating MAPK4.

OBJECTIVE: To reveal the anti-tumor effect of micro ribonucleic acid (miR)-127-3p on epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expression of miR-127-3p in 7 kinds of EOC cell lines and 10 cases of clinical samples of EOC patients was detected via quantitative Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). OVCAR-3 and Caov-3 cell lines were transfected with lentiviruses to overexpress endogenous miR-127-3p. Then, the anti-tumor effect of miR-127-3p on EOC cells was explored through the in vitro cell proliferation assay, bufalin sensitivity assay, wound healing assay, and invasion assay. In addition, whether the mitogen-activated protein kinase 4 (MAPK4) gene is a downstream target of miR-127-3p in EOC was verified via Dual-Luciferase reporter assay and qRT-PCR. The involvement of MAPK4 in regulating phenotypes of OVCAR-3 and Caov-3 cells was finally explored. RESULTS: MiR-127-3p was downregulated in both EOC cell lines and EOC tissues (p<0.05). After lentivirus-mediated overexpression of miR-127-3p, in vitro proliferation and invasion of EOC cells were inhibited, and the sensitivity to bufalin was enhanced (p<0.05). MiR-127-3p directly regulated MAPK4 gene in EOC. Moreover, the upregulation of MAPK4 inhibited the anti-tumor effect of miR-127-3p on EOC, manifested as the remarkably enhanced cell proliferation and migration (p<0.05), and the weakened sensitivity to bufalin (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: MiR-127-3p exerts an inhibitory effect on EOC cells via regulating MAPK4 level.

Effects of dietary supplementation of selenium-enriched probiotics on production performance and intestinal microbiota of weanling piglets raised under high ambient temperature.

This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of selenium-enriched probiotics (SeP) on production performance and intestinal microbiota of piglets raised under high ambient temperature. Forty-eight cross-bred weanling piglets (28 days old), randomly allotted into 12 pens (four piglets/pen) and four dietary treatments (three pens/treatment group), were fed ad libitum for 42 days a basal diet (Con) or the basal diet supplemented with probiotics (Pro), sodium selenite (ISe) or a SeP preparation. Blood and faecal samples were collected on days 0, 14, 28 and 42 post-treatment. The SeP group had higher final BW (p < 0.05), greater ADG (p < 0.05) and lower FCR (p < 0.01) than the Pro, ISe or Con group. The diarrhoea incidence rate of either SeP or Pro group was lower (p < 0.01) than the ISe or Con group. Blood Se concentration and GSH-Px activity were both higher (p < 0.01) in the SeP than in the Pro, ISe or Con group. On days 28 and 42, the serum concentrations of T3 were higher (p < 0.01) and T4 lower (p < 0.01) in the SeP than in the ISe group, and the T3 and T4 concentrations in the ISe group, in turn, were higher (p < 0.05) and lower (p < 0.01), respectively, than in the Pro or Con group. Also on days 28 and 42, the faecal counts of lactobacillus bacteria were higher (p < 0.01) while Escherichia coli lower (p < 0.01) in the SeP or Pro group as compared to the ISe or Con group. The results of RFLP showed that the faecal microbial flora in the SeP group changed the most (numerically) as compared to the Pro or ISe group. These results suggest that the SeP product may serve as a better alternative to antibiotics than the solo probiotics for using as a growth promoter for weanling piglets.