SIRT1 promotes autophagy of pancreatic cancer cells induced by hypoxia via regulating FOXO1/RAB7 signaling pathway

AIM: To investigate the effect of SIRT1 on the autophagy of pancreatic cancer cells under hypoxia condition, and to analyze the underlying mechanism of regulating FOXO1/RAB7 signaling pathway. METHODS: Western blot and immunofluorescence methods were used to determine the expression of SIRT1 in the pancreatic cancer cells. The small interfering RNA targeting SIRT1 and SIRT1 over-expression plasmid were transfected into the pancreatic cancer Panc-1 cells. Confocal microscopy was used to detect the LC3 expression. Western blot was used to analyze the protein levels of LC3, p62 and FOXO1/RAB7 signaling pathway-related molecules. Co-immunoprecipitation was used to detected the protein interaction between SIRT1 and FOXO1. RESULTS: The expression level of SIRT1 in the nucleus of Panc-1 cells was increased under hypoxia condition. Compared with negative control under hypoxia condition, knock-down of SIRT1 expression attenuated the autophagy flux in the pancreatic cancer Panc-1 cells (P<0.05). Over-expression of SIRT1 increased the protein levels of FOXO1 and RAB7. On the contrary, knock-down of SIRT1 expression inhibited the protein levels of FOXO1 and RAB7. The protein interaction between SIRT1 and FOXO1 in the pancreatic cancer cells was observed. CONCLUSION: SIRT1 in pancreatic cancer Panc-1 cells under hypoxia condition is over-expressed in the nucleus. Down-regulation of SIRT1 inhibits autophagy and its mechanism may be related to FOXO1/RAB7 signaling pathway.     

Effect of beclin-1 gene silencing on TuAKe-injured gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells

AIM: To observe the effect of beclin-1 silencing by the technique of RNA interference on the injury of human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cell by Sheliugu extract (the extract from tuber of Amorphophallus konjac, TuAKe). METHODS: To knock down the expression of beclin-1 gene, SGC-7901 cells were transfected with lentiviral vector carrying beclin-1-shRNA. The beclin-1 gene knock-down and non-knock-down SGC-7901 cells were treated with TuAKe. The cell viability was analyzed by CKK-8 assay. The percentages of apoptotic cells were detected by flow cytometry. The expression of beclin-1 and LC3 was detected by Western blot. RESULTS: The beclin-1 gene silencing decreased the protein expression of beclin-1 and increased the protein expression of LC3 in the SGC-7901 cells, leading to the decrease in cell viability and the increase in apoptotic rate (P<0.05). TuAKe increased the protein expression of beclin-1 and LC3 in the SGC-7901 cells, and decreased the protein expression of LC3 in the SGC-7901 cells with beclin-1 gene silencing, thus inhibiting the cell viability and increasing the apoptotic rate (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Beclin-1 gene silencing inhibits the activation of beclin-1-related signaling pathway in gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells, and aggravates the injury of cell viability induced by TuAKe.     

27-Hydroxycholesterol modulates lung cancer cell proliferation by activation of LXR signaling pathway

AIM:To investigate the effect of cholesterol metabolite 27-hydroxycholesterol (27-OHC) on the proliferation of lung cancer cells. METHODS:Human lung cancer A549 cells were treated with 27-OHC at different concentrations (0, 0.3125, 0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 5 and 10 μmol/L) for 24~48 h. The cell viability, cell cycle, cell prolife-ration, the intracellular cholesterol levels and cholesterol metabolism-related molecule expression were subsequently assessed by CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry, EdU staining, tissue total cholesterol detection kit, real-time PCR and Western blot. RESULTS:27-OHC decreased the viability of the A549 cells in a dose-and time-dependent manner (P<0.01) and inhibited the cell proliferation (P<0.05). The expression of typical liver X receptor (LXR) downstream target proteins including ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CR) were modulated, which promoted the efflux of intracellular cholesterol, and reduced cholesterol influx and de novo synthesis, resulting in decreased intracellular cholesterol levels and cell viability. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of 27-OHC on A549 cell viability was significantly attenuated after the LXR pathway was partially blocked by 5 μmol/L GSK2033 treatment (P<0.05). CONCLUSION:27-OHC inhibits A549 cell prolife-ration via activation of LXR signaling pathway.     

MicroRNA-145 inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition in human renal cancer A-498 cells by ADAM28

AIM: To investigate the inhibitory effect of microRNA-145 (miR-145) on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in renal cancer A-498 cells. METHODS: The A-498 cells were transfected with miR-145 mimics (M145) and mimic negative control(MNC), which served as M145 group and MNC group, respectively. Mock control (MC) group was set up using untreated A-498 cells. The expression level of miR-145 in each group was detected by RT-qPCR. Transwell assay was used to detect the invasion ability of the cells. The protein expression of vimentin, E-cadherin and ADAM28 was determined by Western blot. Bioinformatic method was used to predict the target genes of miR-145. Antagonistic effect of ADAM28 over-expression on the inhibition of EMT by miR-145 was detected by Western blot. The relationship between miR-145 and ADAM28 was analyzed by dual-luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS: The expression level of miR-145 in M145 group was significantly up-regulated than that in MC group (P<0.05). The number of invasive cells in M145 group was 12.78±3.37, which was significantly lower than that in MC group (P<0.05). ADAM28 may be the target gene of miR-145. Compared with MC group, the protein expression of vimentin and ADAM28 in M145 group was significantly decreased (P<0.05), while the protein expression of E-cadherin was significantly increased (P<0.05).After ADAM28 over-expression, the protein expression of vimentin in the A-498 cells of M145 group was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the protein expression of E-cadherin was significantly decreased (P<0.05). The results of dual-lucife-irasei reporter assay showed that ADAM28 was a downstream target gene of miR-145. CONCLUSION: miR-145 may inhibit the expression of EMT-related proteins through the downstream target gene ADAM28 and inhibit the EMT process of renal cancer A-498 cells.     

Metformin sensitizes human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells to tamo-xifen through down-regulation of c-Myc

AIM: To investigate whether metformin enhances the sensitivity of human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells to tamoxifen by down-regulating c-Myc. METHODS: The cell viability, colony formation, apoptosis, and migration and invasion abilities of MDA-MB-231 cells were detected by CCK-8 assay, colony formation experiment, flow cytometry and Transwell assay. The expression level of c-Myc was quantified by Western blot and immunohistochemical analysis. The antitumor effects of metformin and tamoxifen were investigated in vivo in a MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer xenograft model in the SCID mice. RESULTS: Metformin in combination with tamoxifen exerted synergistic effects on inhibition of the viability, colony formation, migration and invasion, and induced the apoptosis compared with the controls and either agent treatment alone in the MDA-MB-231 cells. The levels of c-Myc was down-regulated in vitro by treatment with metformin and/or tamoxifen (P<0.01). Moreover, metformin or in combination with tamoxifen also reduced the growth of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer tumors in the SCID mice by down-regulation of c-Myc in vivo. CONCLUSION: Metformin in combination with tamoxifen exerts synergistic effects on inhibition of the proliferation, migration, invasion and tumor growth of human triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells by down-regulating c-Myc expression, suggesting that metformin in combination with tamoxifen merits further evaluation as a target.     

F-box domain is involved in regulating the proliferation of MCF-7 cells by FBXO39 protein

AIM: To investigate the effect of F-box domain on the regulation of MCF-7 cell proliferation by FBXO39 protein. METHODS: The effect of F-box domain on the localization of FBXO39 protein in the MCF-7 cells was investigated. MCF-7 cell cDNA library was used as the template resource. The full-length cDNA sequence of FBXO39 was amplified by PCR method and subcloned into eukaryotic expression vector pEGFP-C2. The pEGFP-FBXO39ΔF (F-box domain deletion mutation) plasmid was successfully constructed with the template resource of pEGFP-FBXO39 plasmid. The recombinant plasmids were transfected into the MCF-7 cells, and then the expression of FBXO39 and FBXO39ΔF were determined by Western blot. The cellular localization of FBXO39 and FBXO39ΔF were observed by confocal microscopy. The localization of endogenous FBXO39 in the MCF-7 cells was detected by immunofluorescence staining. In addition, MTT and EdU assays were used to measure the cell proliferation, flow cytometry was used to measure the cell cycle distribution, and immunohistochemical staining was used to observe the expression of FBXO39 in the breast cancer and para-carcinoma tissues. RESULTS: The eukaryotic expression vector pEGFP-FBXO39 and pEGFP-FBXO39ΔF were constructed successfully. F-box domain had no effect on the cell localization of FBXO39. FBXO39 promoted MCF-7 cell proliferation but FBXO39ΔF did not. FBXO39 was highly expressed in the breast cancer tissues. CONCLUSION: F-box domain had no effect on the cellular localization of FBXO39 protein. However, it plays an important role in the biological function of FBXO39. FBXO39 may be related to breast cancer tumorigenesis.     

Effect of Linc00152 targeting miR-376c-3p on viability,apoptosis and radiosensitivity of cervical cancer cells

AIM: To investigate the effect of Linc00152 on the viability, apoptosis and radiosensitivity of cervical cancer cells. METHODS: RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression levels of Linc00152 and microRNA-376c-3p(miR-376c-3p) in human cervical cancer HeLa cells and SiHa cells, and normal cervical Ect1/E6E7 cells. The cervical cancer HeLa cells with low Linc00152 expression or miR-376c-3p over-expression were established. MTT assay, flow cytometry, colony formation assay and Western blot were used to determine the cell viability, apoptosis, radiosensitivity and related protein expression. The dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to verify the regulatory relationship between Linc00152 and miR-376c-3p in the HeLa cells. RESULTS: Compared with the Ect1/E6E7 cells, Linc00152 was up-regulated in the HeLa cells and SiHa cells, and miR-376c-3p was down-regulated (P < 0.05). Low expression of Linc00152 or over-expression of miR-376c-3p inhibited the viability of HeLa cells, induced apoptosis, enhanced the radiosensitivity, inhibited the protein expression of cyclin D and Bcl-2, and promoted the protein expression of P21 and Bax (P < 0.05). Linc00152 negatively regulated miR-376c-3p expression in the HeLa cells, and inhibition of miR-376c-3p expression reversed the effect of low expression of Linc00152 on HeLa cell viability, apoptosis and radiosensitivity. CONCLUSION: Linc00152 is highly expressed in the cervical cancer cells. Linc00152 affects the viability, apoptosis and radiosensitivity of HeLa cells by targeting miR-376c-3p, which is a potential diagnosis and treatment target for cervical cancer.     

MCP-1/CCR2 signaling pathway mediates alcohol-induced angiogenesis in breast cancer

AIM To investigate the role of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and its receptor CC chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) in ethanol-promoted breast cancer angiogenesis and the underlying mechanism. METH?ODS: A mouse model of transplanted breast tumor with moderate alcohol consumption was established. The correlations between the expression of MCP-1/CCR2 and the expression of angiogenesis markers [platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)] in tumor tissues were examined by immunohistochemistry. In vitro, a 3D tumor-endothelial co-culture system was established to observe tumor angiogenesis and the role of MCP-1/CCR2 signaling pathway in alcohol-mediated angiogenesis. The cell migration ability was detected to clarify whether MCP-1/CCR2 enhanced cell mobility to form new vessels. RESULTS MCP-1 and CCR2 were both highly expressed in the breast tumor tissues of tumor-bearing mice consuming alcohol, and their expression levels were consistent with the angiogenic markers PECAM-1 and VEGF (P<0.05). The interaction between mouse breast cancer E0771 cells and endothelial cells was observed to promote angiogenesis in the 3D tumor-endothelial co-culture system with or without alcohol stimulation. MCP-1 promoted this kind of tumor angiogenesis, while CCR2 antagonist effectively inhibited the tumor angiogenesis and especially blocked alcohol-induced angiogenesis. Activation of MCP-1/CCR2 signaling pathway enhanced the migration ability of endothelial cells. CONCLUSION The MCP-1/CCR2 signaling pathway plays an important role in promoting the angiogenesis of breast cancer stimulated by alcohol. The mechanism might be that MCP-1 improves the migration of endothelial cells and then promotes angiogenesis.     

Expression and function of circular RNA_0000231 in non-small-cell lung cancer

AIM: To investigate the expression and function of circular RNA_0000231 (circ_0000231) in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression of circ_0000231 in the NSCLC tissues and cell lines. circ_0000231 small interfering RNA (si-circ_0000231) or negative control siRNA of circ_0000231 (NC) was transfected into the NSCLC cells. The proliferation and apoptosis of the NSCLC cells were detected by CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay and flow cytometry, respectively. The expression of cyclin D1 (CCND1) and anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 were determined by RT-qPCR and Western blot. RESULTS: The expression of circ_0000231 in the NSCLC tissues and cell lines was significantly up-regulated compared with precancerous tissues and lung epithelial cells BEAS-2B (P<0.05). After transfection of NSCLC cells with si-circ_0000231, the cell viability, colony formation numbers were significantly decreased, and the apoptotic rate in si-circ_0000231 group was significantly increased as compared with NC group (P<0.01). In addition, the results of RT-qPCR and Western blot showed that transfection of si-circ_0000231 inhibited the expression of CCND1 and Bcl-2 (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The expression of circ_0000231 is significantly increased in the NSCLC tissues and cells. Knock-down of circ_0000231 expression significantly inhibits the proliferation of NSCLC cells.