Circular RNA circ_0008934 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma growth and metastasis through modulating miR-1305/TMTC3 axis.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play important roles in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the exact function of circ_0008934 in HCC is unknown. Our study aimed to investigate the expression characteristics of circ_0008934 in HCC and its effects on the proliferation and metastasis of HCC, and to explore the potential mechanism. In this study, circ_0008934 expression was found to be significantly upregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines by qRT-PCR. High level of circ_0008934 is closely associated with higher serum AFP (P < 0.001), larger tumor diameter (P = 0.012), microvascular invasion (P = 0.008) and poorer prognosis (P = 0.007) of HCC patients. Functionally, knockdown of circ_0008934 inhibited HCC cell proliferation, invasion and migration in vitro and vivo. Mechanically, circ_0008934 was a sponge of miR-1305 to facilitate the TMTC3 expression, and the TMTC3 expression in HCC tissues was negatively associated with the survival of HCC patients. Furthermore, rescued assays revealed that the circ_0008934 facilitated HCC proliferation, invasion and migration by regulating miR-1305/ TMTC3 signaling pathways. Overall, these results demonstrate that downregulation of circ_0008934 repress HCC growth and metastasis by upregulating miR-1305 to inhibit TMTC3, suggesting circ_0008934/ miR-1305/ TMTC3 regulatory axis may be a possible novel therapeutic target for HCC.

Luteolin inhibits the proliferation, adhesion, migration and invasion of choroidal melanoma cells in vitro.

Choroidal melanoma is a devastating disease that causes visual loss and a high mortality rate due to metastasis. Luteolin, a potential anticancer compound, is widely found in natural plants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antiproliferative, antiadhesive, antimigratory and anti-invasive effects of luteolin on choroidal melanoma cells in vitro and to explore its potential mechanism. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assays, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assays, Cell adhesion, migration, and invasion assays were performed to examine the inhibitory effects of luteolin on cell cell viability, proliferation, adhesion, migration and invasion capacities, respectively. Considering the correlation between Matrix metalloenzymes and tumor metastasis, Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were used to assess matrix metalloproteases MMP-2 and MMP-9 secretion. Western blotting was performed to detect p-PI3K P85, Akt, and p-Akt protein expression. The cytoskeletal proteins vimentin were observed with cell immunofluorescence staining. Luteolin can inhibit OCM-1 cell proliferation, migration, invasion and adhesion and C918 cell proliferation, migration, and invasion through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Therefore, Luteolin may have potential as a therapeutic medication for Choroidal melanoma.

Role of B7-H4 siRNA in Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of LOVO Colorectal Carcinoma Cell Line.

OBJECTIVES: Colorectal cancer is one of the most common malignancies. Recent studies investigated that B7-H4 is highly expressed in various cancers. We aimed at exploring the effect of B7-H4 siRNA on proliferation, invasion, and migration of LOVO cells which expressed B7-H4 notably. DESIGN AND METHODS: Colon adenocarcinoma dataset was downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas. 35 colorectal cancer patients admitted to Shanghai Tongren Hospital were enrolled in this study. Cell proliferation and cell cycle distribution were identified by CCK8 and flow cytometry, respectively. Transwell assay was performed to detect the invasion and migration of LOVO cells. CXCL12/CXCR4 expression and JAK2/STAT3 phosphorylation were determined by real-time PCR and western blot. RESULTS: B7-H4 expressed is elevated in colorectal cancer tissues than in the adjacent normal tissues. B7-H4 siRNA effectively inhibited the proliferation at 24 h and 48 h, arrested cell cycle at G0/G1, and suppressed cell invasion and migration. Gene set enrichment analysis showed that CXCL12/CXCR4 and JAK/STAT were correlative with the B7-H4 expression. Additionally, CXCL12/CXCR4 expression and JAK2/STAT3 phosphorylation were reduced. CONCLUSIONS: B7-H4 siRNA can effectively inhibit proliferation, invasion, and migration of LOVO cells by targeting CXCL12/CXCR4 and JAK2/STAT3 signaling, which can serve as a new target for colorectal carcinoma treatment.

Simultaneous Detection and Survey of Three Rice Viruses in China.

Rice black-streaked dwarf virus, Rice stripe virus, and Southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV) have been epidemic in large areas of China where rice is grown, causing significant losses of rice yield in recent years. These viral diseases sometimes occur in the same regions, and even in the same fields, making it difficult to detect and diagnose the viral pathogens. A set of primers specific to the genes encoding the capsid proteins of the three viruses were designed, and a multiple one-step reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction protocol was developed. The method proved to be simple, rapid, and sensitive. It was used to detect the viruses in samples of rice, maize, small brown planthoppers, and white-backed planthoppers collected from different regions of China, showing that it is suitable for routine diagnosis. A simultaneous survey of the three viruses was further conducted by this method throughout Zhejiang Province, Eastern China. The results showed that both RBSDV and RSV had continued to spread and that the newly emerging virus, SRBSDV, was present in at least 27 counties or cities, suggesting that more effort is needed to monitor and control the threat from these three viral diseases.

IκB kinase-beta inhibitor attenuates hepatic fibrosis in mice.

AIM: To investigate the anti-fibrosis effect of IκB kinase-beta inhibitor (IKK2 inhibitor IMD0354) in liver fibrosis. METHODS: Twenty male C57BL6 mice were divided into four groups. Five high-fat fed mice were injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 10 mg/kg) intraperitoneally and five high-fat fed mice were without LPS injection to build models of liver injury, and the intervention group (five mice) was injected intraperitoneally with IKK2 inhibitor (IMD 30 mg/kg for 14 d), while the remaining five mice received a normal diet as controls. Hepatic function, pathological evaluation and liver interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression were examined. Western blotting and real-time polymerase chain reaction were used to detect the expressions of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), tumor growth factor-beta1 (TGF-ß1), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), typeIand type III collagen proteins and mRNA. RESULTS: A mouse model of liver injury was successfully established, and IMD decreased nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 in liver cells. In the IMD-treated group, the levels of alanine aminotransferase (103 ± 9.77 µ/L vs 62.4 ± 7.90 µ/L, P < 0.05) and aminotransferase (295.8 ± 38.56 µ/L vs 212 ± 25.10 µ/L, P < 0.05) were significantly decreased when compared with the model groups. The histological changes were significantly ameliorated. After treatment, the expressions of IL-6 (681 ± 45.96 vs 77 ± 7.79, P < 0.05), TGF-ß1 (Western blotting 5.65% ± 0.017% vs 2.73% ± 0.005%, P < 0.05), TNF-α (11.58% ± 0.0063% vs 8.86% ± 0.0050%, P < 0.05), typeIcollagen (4.49% ± 0.014% vs 1.90% ± 0.0006%, P < 0.05) and type III collagen (3.46% ± 0.008% vs 2.29% ± 0.0035%, P < 0.05) as well as α-SMA (6.19 ± 0.0036 µ/L vs 2.16 ± 0.0023 µ/L, P < 0.05) protein and mRNA were downregulated in the IMD group compared to the fibrosis control groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: IKK2 inhibitor IMD markedly improved non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in mice by lowering NF-κB activation, which could become a remedial target for liver fibrosis.