Dihydrocapsaicin Inhibits Cell Proliferation and Metastasis in Melanoma via Down-regulating β-Catenin Pathway

Dihydrocapsaicin (DHC) is one of the main components of capsaicinoids in Capsicum. It has been reported that DHC exerts anti-cancer effects on diverse malignant tumors, such as colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and glioma. However, studies focused on the effect of DHC upon melanoma have rarely been done. In the present study, melanoma A375 and MV3 cell lines were treated with DHC and the cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were significantly suppressed. Furthermore, DHC effectively inhibited xenograft tumor growth and pulmonary metastasis of melanoma cells in NOD/SCID mice model. It was identified that β-catenin, which plays significant roles in cell proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, was down-regulated after DHC treatment. In addition, cyclin D1, c-Myc, MMP2, and MMP7, which are critical in diverse cellular process regulation as downstream proteins of β-catenin, were all decreased. Mechanistically, DHC accelerates ubiquitination of β-catenin and up-regulates the beta-transducin repeat containing E3 ubiquitin protein ligase (BTRC) in melanoma cells. The DHC induced suppression of cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were partly rescued by exogenous β-catenin overexpression, both in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, DHC may serve as a candidate natural compound for human melanoma treatment through β-catenin pathway.

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SOX10 induces epithelial–mesenchymal transition and contributes to nasopharyngeal carcinoma progression

Biochemistry and Cell Biology ◽

10.1139/bcb-2017-0160 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 96 (3) ◽

pp. 326-331 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ping He ◽

Xiaojie Jin

Keyword(s):

Cell Proliferation ◽

Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Mesenchymal Transition

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of SOX10 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods: The expression of SOX10 was initially assessed in human NPC tissues and a series of NPC cell lines through quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot. Then, cell proliferation, cycle, migration, and the invasiveness of NPC cells with knockdown of SOX10 were examined by MTT, flow cytometry, and Transwell migration and invasion assays, respectively. Finally, nude mice tumorigenicity experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of SOX10 on NPC growth and metastasis in vivo. Results: SOX10 was significantly increased in NPC tissues and cell lines. In-vitro experiments revealed that loss of SOX10 obviously inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasiveness, as well as the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in NPC cells. In-vivo experiments further demonstrated that disrupted SOX10 expression restrained NPC growth and metastasis, especially in lung and liver. Conclusion: Taken together, our data confirmed the role of SOX10 as an oncogene in NPC progression, and revealed that SOX10 may serve as a novel biomarker for diagnosis of NPC, as well as a potential therapeutic target against this disease.

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Knockdown of microRNA-214-3p Promotes Tumor Growth and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Prostate Cancer

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13235875 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (23) ◽

pp. 5875

Author(s):

Patrice Cagle ◽

Nikia Smith ◽

Timothy O. Adekoya ◽

Yahui Li ◽

Susy Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Cell Proliferation ◽

Tumor Growth ◽

Protein Tyrosine Kinase ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Oncogenic Signaling ◽

Mesenchymal Transition

Abnormal expression of microRNA miR-214-3p (miR-214) is associated with multiple cancers. In this study, we assessed the effects of CRISPR/Cas9 mediated miR-214 depletion in prostate cancer (PCa) cells and the underlying mechanisms. Knockdown of miR-214 promoted PCa cell proliferation, invasion, migration, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and increased resistance to anoikis, a key feature of PCa cells that undergo metastasis. The reintroduction of miR-214 in miR-214 knockdown cells reversed these effects and significantly suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. These in vitro studies are consistent with the role of miR-214 as a tumor suppressor. Moreover, miR-214 knockout increased tumor growth in PCa xenografts in nude mice supporting its anti-oncogenic role in PCa. Knockdown of miR-214 increased the expression of its target protein, Protein Tyrosine Kinase 6 (PTK6), a kinase shown to promote oncogenic signaling and tumorigenesis in PCa. In addition, miR-214 modulated EMT as exhibited by differential regulation of E-Cadherin, N-Cadherin, and Vimentin both in vitro and in vivo. RNA-seq analysis of miR-214 knockdown cells revealed altered gene expression related to PCa tumor growth pathways, including EMT and metastasis. Collectively, our findings reveal that miR-214 is a key regulator of PCa oncogenesis and is a potential novel therapeutic target for the treatment of the disease.

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The POU2F1/miR-4490/USP22 axis regulates cell proliferation and metastasis in gastric cancer

Cellular Oncology ◽

10.1007/s13402-020-00553-1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 43 (6) ◽

pp. 1017-1033 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yizhi Xiao ◽

Side Liu ◽

Jiaying Li ◽

Weiyu Dai ◽

Weimei Tang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gastric Cancer ◽

Cell Proliferation ◽

Cell Cycle Progression ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Luciferase Reporter ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Aberrant Expression ◽

Mesenchymal Transition

Abstract Purpose Growing evidence indicates that aberrant expression of microRNAs contributes to tumor development. However, the biological role of microRNA-4490 (miR-4490) in gastric cancer (GC) remains to be clarified. Methods To explore the function of miR-4490 in GC, we performed colony formation, EdU incorporation, qRT-PCR, Western blotting, in situ hybridization (ISH), immunohistochemistry (IHC), flow cytometry, ChIP and dual-luciferase reporter assays. In addition, the growth, migration and invasion capacities of GC cells were evaluated. Results We found that miR-4490 was significantly downregulated in primary GC samples and in GC-derived cell lines compared with normal controls, and that this expression level was negatively correlated with GC malignancy. Exogenous miR-4490 expression not only reduced cell cycle progression and proliferation, but also significantly inhibited GC cell migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro. Mechanistically, we found that miR-4490 directly targets USP22, which mediates inhibition of GC cell proliferation and EMT-induced metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we found through luciferase and ChIP assays that transcription factor POU2F1 can directly bind to POU2F1 binding sites within the miR-4490 and USP22 promoters and, by doing so, modulate their transcription. Spearman’s correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between USP22 and POU2F1 expression and negative correlations between miR-4490 and USP22 as well as miR-4490 and POU2F1 expression in primary GC tissues. Conclusion Based on our results we conclude that miR-4490 acts as a tumor suppressor, and that the POU2F1/miR-4490/USP22 axis plays an important role in the regulation of growth, invasion and EMT of GC cells.

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CircRNA circ_0004370 promotes cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and inhibits cell apoptosis of esophageal cancer via miR-1301-3p/COL1A1 axis

Open Medicine ◽

10.1515/med-2021-0001 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 104-116

Author(s):

Xiaobo Chen ◽

Hongwen Sun ◽

Yunping Zhao ◽

Jing Zhang ◽

Guosheng Xiong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Proliferation ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Critical Role ◽

Cell Counting ◽

Luciferase Reporter ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Ec Cells

AbstractBackgroundThe aim of this study was to investigate the circ_0004370 expression in EC, its effects on cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, and the underlying regulatory mechanisms in EC.MethodsThe protein levels of COL1A1 and EMT-related proteins were detected by western blot. The role of circ_0004370 on cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis was analyzed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, colony formation assay, and flow cytometry, respectively. The transwell assay was used to examine cell migration and invasion. The binding sites between miR-1301-3p and circ_0004370 or COL1A1 were predicted by starbase software and confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA pull-down assay.ResultsWe discovered that circ_0004370 was remarkably upregulated in EC tissues and cells. Knockdown of circ_0004370 inhibited cell proliferation, migration as well as invasion, and promoted apoptosis in vitro, while its effect was rescued by miR-1301-3p inhibition. And circ_0004370 mediated the EMT process in EC cells. Moreover, we explored its regulatory mechanism and found that circ_0004370 directly bound to miR-1301-3p and COL1A1 was verified as a target of miR-1301-3p. COL1A1 was highly expressed in EC cells and upregulation of COL1A1 reversed the effects of miR-1301-3p on cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis. In addition, silencing of circ_0004370 reduced tumor volumes and weights in vivo. We showed that circ_0004370/miR-1301-3p/COL1A1 axis played the critical role in EC to regulate the cell activities.ConclusionCirc_0004370 promotes EC proliferation, migration and invasion, and EMT process and suppresses apoptosis by regulating the miR-1301-3p/COL1A1 axis, indicating that circ_0004370 may be used as a potential therapeutic target for EC.

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miR-186 Suppresses the Progression of Cholangiocarcinoma Cells Through Inhibition of Twist1

Oncology Research Featuring Preclinical and Clinical Cancer Therapeutics ◽

10.3727/096504019x15565325878380 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 27 (9) ◽

pp. 1061-1068 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ming Zhang ◽

Baochang Shi ◽

Kai Zhang

Keyword(s):

Cell Proliferation ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Tumor Formation ◽

In Vitro Assays ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Cycle Arrest

Deregulation of miR-186 and Twist1 has been identified to be involved in the progression of multiple cancers. However, the detailed molecular mechanisms underlying miR-186-involved cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) are still unknown. In this study, we found that miR-186 was downregulated in CCA tissues and cell lines, and negatively correlated with the expression of Twist1 protein. In vitro assays demonstrated that miR-186 mimics repressed cell proliferation, in vivo tumor formation, and caused cell cycle arrest. miR-186 mimics also inhibited the migration and invasion of CCLP1 and SG-231 cells. Mechanistically, the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) of Twist1 mRNA is a direct target of miR-186. Further, miR-186 inhibited the expressions of Twist1, N-cadherin, vimentin, and matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9) proteins, whereas it increased the expression of E-cadherin in CCLP1 and SG-231 cells. Silencing of Twist1 expression enhanced the inhibitory effects of miR-186 on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of CCLP1 and SG-231 cells. In conclusion, miR-186 inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) through targeting Twist1 in human CCA. Thus, miR-186/Twist1 axis may benefit the development of therapies for CCA.

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Upregulation of LncDQ is Associated with Poor Prognosis and Promotes Tumor Progression via Epigenetic Regulation of the EMT Pathway in HCC

Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry ◽

10.1159/000488841 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 46 (3) ◽

pp. 1122-1133 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Bing Zeng ◽

Zewei Lin ◽

Huilin Ye ◽

Di Cheng ◽

Guangtao Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Proliferation ◽

Functional Role ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Critical Role ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Hcc Cells

Background/Aims: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key regulators of cancer initiation and progression. In this study, we investigated the clinical value and functional role of LncRNA DQ786243 (LncDQ) in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: To investigate the expression level of LncDQ in HCC, we performed quantitative real-time PCR using total RNA extracted from HCC tumor tissues and their matched non-neoplastic counterparts, as well as from the serum of HCC patients and healthy volunteers. The correlation of LncDQ expression with clinicopathologic features and prognosis was analyzed. The functional role of LncDQ in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were evaluated by MTT cell viability, wound healing, and transwell assays in vitro and in vivo. RNA immunoprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were performed to analyze the potential mechanism of LncDQ in HCC cells. Results: LncDQ was upregulated in both HCC tissue samples and serum and was correlated with low survival rate and adverse clinical pathological characteristics. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that LncDQ expression was an independent prognostic factor for HCC. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.804 with a sensitivity of 0.72 and a specificity of 0.8. Knockdown of LncDQ induced inhibition of cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, LncDQ regulated the epithelial–mesenchymal transition pathway by interacting with EZH2, to epigenetically repress the expression of E-cadherin in HCC cells. Conclusions: Taken together, the results of our study indicate that LncDQ plays a critical role in HCC progression, and may serve as a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for HCC.

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Upregulation of Long Non-Coding RNA PlncRNA-1 Promotes Metastasis and Induces Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry ◽

10.1159/000443038 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 38 (2) ◽

pp. 836-846 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Liyang Dong ◽

Junwei Ni ◽

Wenhao Hu ◽

Chang Yu ◽

Haiyan Li

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Cell Proliferation ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Clinicopathological Characteristics ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Normal Tissues ◽

Promote Tumor Growth

Background/Aims: PlncRNA-1 has been demonstrated to promote malignancy in various cancers. The present study aims to investigate the expression pattern, prognosis value and the function of PlncRNA-1 in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: The expression of PlncRNA-1 in 84 pairs of HCC and their matched normal tissues was examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The correlations of PlncRNA-1 expression and clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis were also analyzed. The biological role of PlncRNA-1 in cell proliferation, migration and invasion was examined in vitro and in vivo. Results: The results showed that the level of PlncRNA-1 expression was significantly increased in HCC tissues and significantly correlated with tumor size, vascular invasion and advanced TNM stage. Moreover, patients with high levels of PlncRNA-1 expression had relatively poor prognostic outcomes, serving as an independent prognostic factor for HCC. In vitro functional assays indicated that knockdown of PlncRNA-1 expression significantly reduced cell proliferation, migration and invasion by inhibiting the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) signaling. Animal model experiments confirmed the ability of PlncRNA-1 to promote tumor growth in vivo. Conclusions: Taken together, our findings suggest that PlncRNA-1 may serve as an oncogene in HCC progression and represent a valuable prognostic marker and potential therapeutic target for HCC.

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Overexpressed P75CUX1 promotes EMT in glioma infiltration by activating β-catenin

Cell Death and Disease ◽

10.1038/s41419-021-03424-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Anqi Xu ◽

Xizhao Wang ◽

Jie Luo ◽

Mingfeng Zhou ◽

Renhui Yi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Tumor Grade ◽

Prognostic Indicator ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Poor Overall Survival ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Kaplan Meier ◽

Homeobox Protein

AbstractThe homeobox protein cut-like 1 (CUX1) comprises three isoforms and has been shown to be involved in the development of various types of malignancies. However, the expression and role of the CUX1 isoforms in glioma remain unclear. Herein, we first identified that P75CUX1 isoform exhibited consistent expression among three isoforms in glioma with specifically designed antibodies to identify all CUX1 isoforms. Moreover, a significantly higher expression of P75CUX1 was found in glioma compared with non-tumor brain (NB) tissues, analyzed with western blot and immunohistochemistry, and the expression level of P75CUX1 was positively associated with tumor grade. In addition, Kaplan–Meier survival analysis indicated that P75CUX1 could serve as an independent prognostic indicator to identify glioma patients with poor overall survival. Furthermore, CUX1 knockdown suppressed migration and invasion of glioma cells both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, this study found that P75CUX1 regulated epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) process mediated via β-catenin, and CUX1/β-catenin/EMT is a novel signaling cascade mediating the infiltration of glioma. Besides, CUX1 was verified to promote the progression of glioma via multiple other signaling pathways, such as Hippo and PI3K/AKT. In conclusion, we suggested that P75CUX1 could serve as a potential prognostic indicator as well as a novel treatment target in malignant glioma.

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Scorpion inhibits epithelial–mesenchymal transition and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Experimental Biology and Medicine ◽

10.1177/1535370218762514 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 243 (7) ◽

pp. 645-654 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Yi-Quan Yan ◽

Juan Xie ◽

Jing-Fu Wang ◽

Zhao-Feng Shi ◽

Xiang Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Poor Prognosis ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Unfavorable Clinical Outcome ◽

Metastasis Models ◽

Tumor Growth And Metastasis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most malignant diseases worldwide. The unfavorable clinical outcome and poor prognosis are due to high rates of recurrence and metastasis after treatments. Some scholars of traditional Chinese medicine suggested that endogenous wind-evil had played an important role in metastasis of malignant tumor. Therefore, the drug of dispelling wind-evil could be used to prevent cancer metastasis and improve the poor prognosis. So we wondered whether Scorpion, one of the most important wind calming drugs, has antitumor effect especially in epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis of HCC in this research. We found that Scorpion-medicated serum could inhibit proliferation, induce apoptosis, and decrease migration and invasion capacity of Hepa1-6 cells in vitro. Meanwhile, we observed that water decoction of Scorpion restrained tumor growth and metastasis in nude mouse of HCC metastasis models. Further experiments showed that Scorpion could suppress EMT, which is characterized by increased epithelial marker E-cadherin expression and decreased mesenchymal markers N-cadherin and Snail expression following Scorpion treatment both in vitro and in vivo. These results suggested that the Scorpion could inhibit Hepa1-6 cells’ invasion and metastasis in part by reversing EMT and providing a possible potential approach for preventing HCC metastasis. Impact statement The unfavorable clinical outcome and poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are due to high rates of recurrence and metastasis after treatments. Here we found Scorpion, one of the most important wind calming drugs, has antitumor effect. Scorpion-medicated serum inhibited the proliferation, induced apoptosis, and decreased migration and invasion capacity of Hepa1-6 cells in vitro. Water decoction of Scorpion restrained tumor growth and metastasis in nude mouse of HCC metastasis models. Further experiments showed that Scorpion could suppress EMT of HCC both in vitro and in vivo. Our results suggested that the Scorpion could inhibit Hepa1-6 cells’ invasion and metastasis in part by reversing EMT and providing a possible potential approach for preventing HCC metastasis.

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Snail Driving Alternative Splicing of CD44 by ESRP1 Enhances Invasion and Migration in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry ◽

10.1159/000484458 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 43 (6) ◽

pp. 2489-2504 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Le Chen ◽

Ying Yao ◽

Lijuan Sun ◽

Jiajia Zhou ◽

Minmin Miao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ovarian Cancer ◽

Alternative Splicing ◽

Epithelial Ovarian Cancer ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Regulatory Protein ◽

Cell Counting ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Mesenchymal Transition

Background/Aims: Our study aims to investigate the role, effect and mechanisms of ESRP1 (epithelial splicing regulatory protein 1) in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Methods: Microarray and immunohistochemical analysis of ESRP1 expression were performed in EOC cases. The correlations between ESRP1 expression and clinical factors on EOC were assessed. Lentivirus-mediated RNA interference and EGFP vector which contains ESRP1 gene were used to down-regulate and up-regulate ESRP1 expression in human EOC cell lines. Roles of ESRP1 in cell growth, migration and invasion of EOC cells were also measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 and Transwell systems in vitro and by a nude mice intraperitoneal transplantation model in vivo. Results: By the analysis of Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) (p<0.05) and our own microarray data (p<0.001), ESRP1 expression in EOC was significantly different from normal ovarian tissue. It was abundant in the nuclei of cancer cells and in malignant lesions. However, it was weakly expressed or negative in both normal and benign lesions. High ESRP1 expression in EOC was associated with poor clinical outcomes. Decreased ESRP1 expression significantly increased cell migration and invasion both in vivo and in vitro. Snail strongly repressed ESRP1 transcription through binding to the ESRP1 promoter in EOC cells. Furthermore, ESRP1 regulated the expression of CD44s. Down-regulated ESRP1 resulted in an isoform switching from CD44v to CD44s, which modulated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program in EOC. Up-regulatin of ESRP1 was detected in mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET) in vivo. Conclusions: ESRP1 regulates CD44 alternative splicing during the EMT process which plays an important role in EOC carcinogenesis. In addition, ESRP1 is associated with disease prognosis in EOC.

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