scholarly journals MiR-135a Protects Vascular Endothelial Cells Against Ventilator-Induced Lung Injury by Inhibiting PHLPP2 to Activate PI3K/Akt Pathway

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 1245-1258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaodi Yan ◽  
Wenqian Li ◽  
Liye Yang ◽  
Wenwen Dong ◽  
Wei Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lung Injury ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Inflammatory Cytokines ◽  
Akt Signaling ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Apoptotic Cells ◽  
Akt Signaling Pathway ◽  
Barrier Dysfunction ◽  
Over Expression ◽  
Ventilator Induced Lung Injury

Background/Aims: Loss of endothelial barrier function plays an important role in the development of ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). This study aimed to investigate the effects of miR135a on VILI in a model of mechanical stretch (MS)-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) injury. Methods: HUVECs were randomly assigned to 7 groups: blank, negative control (NC), NC+MS, miR135a over-expression (mi-miR135a), mi-miR135a + MS, miR135a silencing (si-miR135a) and si-miR135a + MS groups. MS was induced by subjecting cells to cyclic stretch at 20% stretch for 4 h. After 24 h, levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured by DCFH-DA fluorescence intensity. Apoptosis was measured using annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide assay with flow cytometry. Inflammatory cytokine levels were determined by ELISA. Barrier integrity was determined using FITC-conjugated dextran assay. Expression levels of PI3K, p-PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, Bcl-2 and Bax were examined using western blotting. The interaction between miR135a and PHLPP2 was evaluated by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Results: Our results showed that MS reduced cell numbers, increased the number of apoptotic cells, increased ROS, barrier dysfunction and inflammatory cytokines in HUVECs, and reduced p-PI3K and p-Akt expression; silencing of miR135a worsened MS-induced HUVEC injury. However, miR135a over-expression protected HUVECs against MS-induced increases in apoptotic cells, ROS, barrier dysfunction and inflammatory cytokines, which were accompanied by activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Simultaneous silencing of miR135a and PHLPP2 partially salvaged the effects of miR135a silencing, and miR135a was found to interact with PHLPP2. Conclusion: miR135a may protect HUVECs from MS-induced injury by inhibiting PHLPP2 to activate PI3k/Akt signaling pathway.

scholarly journals MicroRNA-561 Affects Proliferation and Cell Cycle Transition Through PTEN/AKT Signaling Pathway by Targeting P-REX2a in NSCLC

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
ZiJun Liao ◽  
Qi Zheng ◽  
Ting Wei ◽  
YanBing Zhang ◽  
JieQun Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Akt Signaling ◽  
Nsclc Cell ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Akt Signaling Pathway ◽  
Proliferation And Metastasis ◽  
Exogenous Expression ◽  
Induced Apoptosis

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. miR-561 has been reported to be downregulated in gastric cancer and affects cancer cell proliferation and metastasis. However, the role and underlying molecular mechanism of miR-561 in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain unknown and need to be further elucidated. In this study, we discovered that miR-561 expression was downregulated in human NSCLC tissues and cell lines. The overexpression of miR-561 inhibited NSCLC cell proliferation and cell cycle G1/S transition and induced apoptosis. The inhibition of miR-561 facilitated cell proliferation and G1/S transition and suppressed apoptosis. miR-561 expression was inversely correlated with P-REX2a expression in NSCLC tissues. P-REX2a was confirmed to be a direct target of miR-561 using a luciferase reporter assay. The overexpression of miR-561 decreased P-REX2a expression, and the suppression of miR-561 increased P-REX2a expression. Particularly, P-REX2a silencing recapitulated the cellular and molecular effects observed upon miR-561 overexpression, and P-REX2a overexpression counteracted the effects of miR-561 overexpression on NSCLC cells. Moreover, both exogenous expression of miR-561 and silencing of P-REX2a resulted in suppression of the PTEN/AKT signaling pathway. Our study demonstrates that miR-561 inhibits NSCLC cell proliferation and G1/S transition and induces apoptosis through suppression of the PTEN/AKT signaling pathway by targeting P-REX2a. These findings indicate that miR-561 plays a significant role in NSCLC progression and serves as a potential therapeutic target for NSCLC.

Arctiin Prevents LPS-Induced Acute Lung Injury via Inhibition of PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway in Mice

Inflammation ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 2129-2135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Zhou ◽  
Guohu Weng ◽  
Zhengxin Huang ◽  
Tao Liu ◽  
Feiyue Dai
Keyword(s):  
Acute Lung Injury ◽  
Lung Injury ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Akt Signaling ◽  
Akt Signaling Pathway

scholarly journals Downregulation of microRNA-149 in retinal ganglion cells suppresses apoptosis through activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in mice with glaucoma

2018 ◽  
Vol 315 (6) ◽  
pp. C839-C849 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin-Gang Nie ◽  
Dong-Sheng Fan ◽  
Yan-Xia Huang ◽  
Ying-Ying He ◽  
Bo-Li Dong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Retinal Ganglion Cells ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Akt Signaling ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Ultrastructural Changes ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Akt Signaling Pathway ◽  
Luciferase Reporter Gene ◽  
Gene Assay

Glaucoma represents a major cause of blindness, generally associated with elevated intraocular pressure (EIOP). The aim of the present study was to investigate whether microRNA-149 (miR-149) affects retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and the underlying mechanism based on a mouse model of chronic glaucoma with EIOP. The successfully modeled mice were administered with mimics or inhibitors of miR-149. Next, the number of RGCs, ultrastructural changes of RGCs, and purity of RGCs in the retinal tissues were detected. Moreover, the RGCs were collected and subsequently treated with 60 mmHg pressure and transfected with a series of plasmids aiding in the regulation of the expression of miR-149 and betacellulin (BTC). The levels of miR-149, BTC, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), and Akt were subsequently determined. Finally, RGC viability and apoptosis were detected accordingly. Dual luciferase reporter gene assay provided validation, highlighting BTC was indeed a target gene of miR-149. The downregulation of miR-149 is accompanied by an increased number of RGCs and decreased ultrastructural RGC alterations. Additionally, downregulated miR-149 was noted to increase the levels of BTC, PI3K, and Akt in both the retinal tissues and RGCs, whereas the silencing of miR-149 was observed to promote the viability of RGC and inhibit RGC apoptosis. Taken together, the results of the current study provided validation suggesting that the downregulation of miR-149 confers protection to RGCs by means of activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway via upregulation of BTC in mice with glaucoma. Evidence presented indicated the promise of miR-149 inhibition as a potential therapeutic strategy for glaucoma treatment.

scholarly journals TIPE Regulates DcR3 Expression and Function by Activating the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway in CRC

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mengya Zhong ◽  
Xingfeng Qiu ◽  
Yu Liu ◽  
Yan Yang ◽  
Lei Gu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Akt Signaling ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Akt Signaling Pathway ◽  
Cell Proliferation And Migration ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Hct116 Cells ◽  
Proliferation And Migration

Tumor necrosis factor-induced protein-8 (TIPE) is highly expressed in colorectal cancer (CRC). Decoy receptor 3 (DcR3) is a soluble secreted protein that can antagonize Fas ligand (FasL)-induced apoptosis and promote tumorigenesis. It remains unclear whether TIPE can regulate DcR3 expression. In this study, we examined this question by analyzing the relationship between these factors in CRC. Bioinformatics and tissue microarrays were used to determine the expression of TIPE and DcR3 and their correlation in CRC. The expression of TIPE and DcR3 in colon cancer cells was detected. Plasma samples were collected from CRC patients, and DcR3 secretion was measured. Then, dual-luciferase reporter gene analysis was performed to assess the interaction between TIPE and DcR3. We exogenously altered TIPE expression and analyzed its function and influence on DcR3 secretion. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used to stimulate TIPE-overexpressing HCT116 cells, and alterations in signaling pathways were detected. Additionally, inhibitors were used to confirm molecular mechanisms. We found that TIPE and DcR3 were highly expressed in CRC patients and that their expression levels were positively correlated. DcR3 was highly expressed in the plasma of cancer patients. We confirmed that TIPE and DcR3 were highly expressed in HCT116 cells. TIPE overexpression enhanced the transcriptional activity of the DcR3 promoter. TIPE activated the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to regulate the expression of DcR3, thereby promoting cell proliferation and migration and inhibiting apoptosis. In summary, TIPE and DcR3 are highly expressed in CRC, and both proteins are associated with poor prognosis. TIPE regulates DcR3 expression by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in CRC, thus promoting cell proliferation and migration and inhibiting apoptosis. These findings may have clinical significance and promise for applications in the treatment or prognostication of CRC.

scholarly journals CircIL4R activates the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway via the miR-761/TRIM29/PHLPP1 axis and promotes proliferation and metastasis in colorectal cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Jiang ◽  
Hongyu Wang ◽  
Lianyu Liu ◽  
Hu Song ◽  
Yi Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
In Situ Hybridization ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Clinical Significance ◽  
Akt Signaling ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Akt Signaling Pathway ◽  
Aberrant Expression

Abstract Background Accumulating studies have revealed that aberrant expression of circular RNAs (circRNAs) is widely involved in the tumorigenesis and progression of malignant cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC). Nevertheless, the clinical significance, levels, features, biological function, and molecular mechanisms of novel circRNAs in CRC remain largely unexplored. Methods CRC-related circRNAs were identified through bioinformatics analysis and verified in clinical specimens by qRT–PCR and in situ hybridization (ISH). Then, in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to determine the clinical significance of, functional roles of, and clinical characteristics associated with circIL4R in CRC specimens and cells. Mechanistically, RNA pull-down, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), luciferase reporter, and ubiquitination assays were performed to confirm the underlying mechanism of circIL4R. Results CircIL4R was upregulated in CRC cell lines and in sera and tissues from CRC patients and was positively correlated with advanced clinicopathological features and poor prognosis. Functional experiments demonstrated that circIL4R promotes CRC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Mechanistically, circIL4R was regulated by TFAP2C and competitively interacted with miR-761 to enhance the expression of TRIM29, thereby targeting PHLPP1 for ubiquitin-mediated degradation to activate the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and consequently facilitate CRC progression. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that upregulation of circIL4R plays an oncogenic role in CRC progression and may serve as a promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for CRC detection and as a potential therapeutic target for CRC treatment.

scholarly journals YY1 Activates EMI2 and Promotes the Progression of Cholangiocarcinoma Through the PI3K/Akt Signaling Axis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuai zhou ◽  
Kang Lin Qu ◽  
JinAng Li ◽  
Shilei Chen ◽  
Yi Gang Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Bile Duct ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Akt Signaling ◽  
Reporter Gene Assay ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Akt Signaling Pathway ◽  
Luciferase Reporter Gene ◽  
Luciferase Reporter Gene Assay ◽  
Gene Assay

Abstract Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is one of the deadliest cancers of the digestive tract. The prognosis of CCA is poor and the 5-year survival rate is low. Bioinformatic analysis showed that early mitotic inhibitor 2 (EMI2) was overexpressed in CCA but the underlying mechanism is not known.Methods: The data on bile duct carcinoma from TCGA and GEO databases were used to detect the expression of EMI2. The transcription factors of EMI2 were predicted using JASPAR and PROMO databases. Among the predicted transcription factors, YY1 has been rarely reported in cholangiocarcinoma, and was verified using the luciferase reporter gene assay. RT-PCR was performed to predict the downstream pathway of EMI2, and PI3K/Akt was suspected to be associated with it. Subsequently, in vivo and in vitro experiments were conducted to verify the effects of silencing and overexpressing EMI2 and YY1 on the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of the bile duct cancer cells.Results: EMI2 was highly expressed in CCA. Silencing EMI2 inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and migration of CCA cells, arrested cell cycle in the G1 phase, and inhibition of apoptosis. The luciferase reporter gene assay showed that YY1 bound to the promoter region of EMI2, and after silencing YY1, the expression of EMI2 decreased and the progression of CCA was inhibited. Moreover, key proteins in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway decreased after silencing EMI2.Conclusion: EMI2 may be one of the direct targets of YY1 and promotes the progression of CCA through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

scholarly journals MicroRNA-1269 promotes cell proliferation via the AKT signaling pathway by targeting RASSF9 in human gastric cancer

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen-Li Liu ◽  
Hu-xia Wang ◽  
Cheng-xin Shi ◽  
Fei-yu Shi ◽  
Ling-yu Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gastric Cancer ◽  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Target Gene ◽  
Akt Signaling ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Reporter Assay ◽  
Akt Signaling Pathway ◽  
Qrt Pcr

Abstract Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play key roles in tumorigenesis and progression of gastric cancer (GC). miR-1269 has been reported to be upregulated in several cancers and plays a crucial role in carcinogenesis and cancer progression. However, the biological function of miR-1269 in human GC and its mechanism remain unclear and need to be further elucidated. Methods The expression of miR-1269 in GC tissues and cell lines was detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Target prediction programs (TargetScanHuman 7.2 and miRBase) and a dual-luciferase reporter assay were used to confirm that Ras-association domain family 9 (RASSF9) is a target gene of miR-1269. The expression of RASSF9 was measured by qRT-PCR and Western blotting in GC tissues. MTT and cell counting assays were used to explore the effect of miR-1269 on GC cell proliferation. The cell cycle and apoptosis were measured by flow cytometry. RASSF9 knockdown and overexpression were used to further verify the function of the target gene. Results We found that miR-1269 expression was upregulated in human GC tissues and cell lines. The overexpression of miR-1269 promoted GC cell proliferation and cell cycle G1-S transition and suppressed apoptosis. The inhibition of miR-1269 inhibited cell growth and G1-S transition and induced apoptosis. miR-1269 expression was inversely correlated with RASSF9 expression in GC tissues. RASSF9 was verified to be a direct target of miR-1269 by using a luciferase reporter assay. The overexpression of miR-1269 decreased RASSF9 expression at both the mRNA and protein levels, and the inhibition of miR-1269 increased RASSF9 expression. Importantly, silencing RASSF9 resulted in the same biological effects in GC cells as those induced by overexpression of miR-1269. Overexpression of RASSF9 reversed the effects of miR-1269 overexpression on GC cells. Both miR-1269 overexpression and RASSF9 silencing activated the AKT signaling pathway, which modulated cell cycle regulators (Cyclin D1 and CDK2). In contrast, inhibition of miR-1269 and RASSF9 overexpression inhibited the AKT signaling pathway. Moreover, miR-1269 and RASSF9 also regulated the Bax/Bcl-2 signaling pathway. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that miR-1269 promotes GC cell proliferation and cell cycle G1-S transition by activating the AKT signaling pathway and inhibiting cell apoptosis via regulation of the Bax/Bcl-2 signaling pathway by targeting RASSF9. Our findings indicate an oncogenic role of miR-1269 in GC pathogenesis and the potential use of miR-1269 in GC therapy.

scholarly journals LncRNA MALAT1 Promotes Cancer Metastasis in Osteosarcoma via Activation of the PI3K-Akt Signaling Pathway

2018 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 1313-1326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong  Chen ◽  
Wending Huang ◽  
Wei Sun ◽  
Biqiang Zheng ◽  
Chunmeng Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cell ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Cancer Metastasis ◽  
Soft Tissues ◽  
Akt Signaling ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Osteosarcoma Cell ◽  
Akt Signaling Pathway

Background/Aims: LncRNAs have been reported to be vital regulators of the progression of osteosarcoma, although the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood. Methods: The levels of MALAT1 and miR-129-5p expression were measured using qRT-PCR. Cell growth was determined using the CCK-8 and colony formation assays. Cell migration and invasion were detected using the wound healing and Transwell invasion assays, respectively. Tumor growth was determined with a xenograft model. Results: MALAT1 was significantly up-regulated in osteosarcoma tissues compared with adjacent non-tumor soft tissues. Overexpression of MALAT1 promoted osteosarcoma cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and enhanced tumor growth in a tumor xenograft mouse model. MALAT1 promoted osteosarcoma progression by modulating stem cell-like properties. Moreover, rescue experiment and luciferase reporter assay results indicated that MALAT1 modulates RET expression by sponging miR-129-5p in osteosarcomas. Furthermore, MALAT1 augmented the expression of downstream proteins of the RET-Akt pathway. MALAT1 was consistently significantly increased in osteosarcoma tissues and MALAT1 expression was positively correlated with tumor size and metastasis. High expression of MALAT1 was significantly associated with poor outcomes in patients with osteosarcomas. MALAT1 expression was positively related to RET and negatively related to miR-129-5p in osteosarcoma samples and xenograft tumors. MALAT1 functioned as an oncogenic lncRNA in osteosarcomas and was as an independent prognostic indicator. Conclusion: Our data revealed for the first time that MALAT1 increases stem cell-like properties by up-regulating RET via sponging miR-129-5p, and thus activates the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and provides potential therapeutic targets for osteosarcoma treatment.

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