microRNA-627-5p inhibits colorectal cancer cell proliferation,migration and invasion by targeting Wnt2

BACKGROUND microRNA-627-5p(miR-627-5p)dysregulation has been observed in several cancer types,such as hepatocellular carcinoma,oral squamous cell carcinoma,glioblastoma multiforme,and gastric cancer.The biological function of miR-627-5p in colorectal cancer(CRC)growth and metastasis is yet unclear.AIM To investigate the effects of miR-627-5p on the malignant biological properties of colorectal malignant tumour cells by targeting Wnt2.METHODS The levels of miR-627-5p in colorectal tumour tissues were assessed in Gene Expression Omnibus datasets.In order to identify Wnt2 transcript expression in CRC tissues,quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)analysis was used.Luciferase reporter tests were used to explore whether miR-627-5p might potentially target Wnt2.Wnt2 transcript and protein levels were detected in CRC cells with high miR-627-5p expression.To learn more about how miR-627-5p affects CRC development,migration,apoptosis,and invasion,functional experiments were conducted.Cotransfection with the overexpression vector of Wnt2 and miR-627-5p mimics was utilized to verify whether overexpression of Wnt2 could cancel the impact of miR-627-5p in CRC.Western blot and qRT-PCR were conducted to investigate the effects of miR-627-5p on the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway.RESULTS miR-627-5p was notably decreased in colorectal tumour tissues,while the gene level of Wnt2 was notably upregulated.A dual luciferase reporter assay revealed that miR-627-5p specifically targets the 3’-untranslated regions of Wnt2 and miR-627-5p upregulation markedly reduced the protein and gene expression of Wnt2 in CRC cells.In vitro gain-of-function assays displayed that miR-627-5p overexpression decreased CRC cells’capabilities to invade,move,and remain viable while increasing apoptosis.Wnt2 overexpression could reverse the suppressive functions of miR-627-5p.Moreover,upregulation of miR-627-5p suppressed the transcript and protein levels of the downstream target factors in the canonical Wnt/β-catenin signalling,such as c-myc,CD44,β-catenin,and cyclinD1.CONCLUSION miR-627-5p acts as a critical inhibitory factor in CRC,possibly by directly targeting Wnt2 and negatively modulating the Wnt/β-catenin signalling,revealing that miR-627-5p could be a possible treatment target for CRC.

Mining The Cancer Genome Atlas database for tumor mutation burden and its clinical implications in gastric cancer

BACKGROUND Tumor mutational burden(TMB)is an important independent biomarker for the response to immunotherapy in multiple cancers.However,the clinical implications of TMB in gastric cancer(GC)have not been fully elucidated.AIM To explore the landscape of mutation profiles and determine the correlation between TMB and microRNA(miRNA)expression in GC.METHODS Genomic,transcriptomic,and clinical data from The Cancer Genome Atlas were used to obtain mutational profiles and investigate the statistical correlation between mutational burden and the overall survival of GC patients.The difference in immune infiltration between high-and low-TMB subgroups was evaluated by Wilcoxon rank-sum test.Furthermore,miRNAs differentially expressed between the high-and low-TMB subgroups were identified and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator method was employed to construct a miRNA-based signature for TMB prediction.The biological functions of the predictive miRNAs were identified with DIANA-miRPath v3.0.RESULTS C>T single nucleotide mutations exhibited the highest mutation incidence,and the top three mutated genes were TTN,TP53,and MUC16 in GC.High TMB values(top 20%)were markedly correlated with better survival outcome,and multivariable regression analysis indicated that TMB remained prognostic independent of TNM stage,histological grade,age,and gender.Different TMB levels exhibited different immune infiltration patterns.Significant differences between the high-and low-TMB subgroups were observed in the infiltration of CD8+T cells,M1 macrophages,regulatory T cells,and CD4+T cells.In addition,we developed a miRNA-based signature using 23 differentially expressed miRNAs to predict TMB values of GC patients.The predictive performance of the signature was confirmed in the testing and the whole set.Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated the optimal performance of the signature.Finally,enrichment analysis demonstrated that the set of miRNAs was significantly enriched in many key cancer and immune-related pathways.

Identification of circ_0000375 and circ_0011536 as novel diagnostic biomarkers of colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer(CRC)imposes a tremendous burden on human health,with high morbidity and mortality.Circular ribonucleic acids(circRNAs),a new type of noncoding RNA,are considered to participate in cancer pathogenesis as microRNA(miRNA)sponges.However,the dysregulation and biological functions of circRNAs in CRC remain to be explored.AIM To identify potential circRNA biomarkers of CRC and explore their functions in CRC carcinogenesis.METHODS CircRNAs and miRNAs differentially expressed in CRC tissues were identified by analyzing expression profiles from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database.Circ_0000375 and circ_0011536 were selected as CRC biomarker candidates.Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was utilized to evaluate the expression of these 2 circRNAs in CRC tissues,serums and cell lines.Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated to assess the diagnostic performances of these 2 circRNAs.Then,functional experiments,including cell counting kit-8,wound healing and Transwell invasion assays,were performed after the overexpression of circ_0000375 and circ_0011536 in CRC cell lines.Furthermore,candidate target miRNAs of circ_0000375 and circ_0011536 were predicted via bioinformatics analysis.The expression levels of these miRNAs were explored in CRC cell lines and tissues from GEO datasets.A luciferase reporter assay was developed to examine the interactions between circRNAs and miRNAs.Based on the target miRNAs and downstream genes,functional enrichment analyses were applied to reveal the critical signaling pathways involved in CRC carcinogenesis.RESULTS Downregulated circ_0000375 and circ_0011536 expression was observed in CRC tissues in GSE126095,clinical CRC tissue and serum samples and CRC cell lines.The areas under the curve for circ_0000375 and circ_0011536 were 0.911 and 0.885 in CRC tissue and 0.976 and 0.982 in CRC serum,respectively.Moreover,the serum levels of these 2 circRNAs were higher in patients at 30 d postsurgery than in patients before surgery,suggesting that the serum expression of circ_0000375 and circ_0011536 is related to CRC tumorigenesis.Circ_0000375 and circ_0011536 overexpression inhibited the proliferation,migration and invasion of CRC cells.Furthermore,miR-1182 and miR-1246,which were overexpressed in CRC tissues in GSE41655,GSE49246 and GSE115513,were verified as target miRNAs of circ_0000375 and circ_0011536,respectively,by luciferase reporter assays.The downstream genes of miR-1182 and miR-1246 were enriched in some CRC-associated pathways,such as the Wnt signaling pathway.CONCLUSION Circ_0000375 and circ_0011536 may function as tumor suppressors in CRC progression,serving as novel biomarkers for CRC diagnosis and as promising candidates for therapeutic exploration.

Alteration of fecal tryptophan metabolism correlates with shifted microbiota and may be involved in pathogenesis of colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND Gut tryptophan(Trp)metabolites are produced by microbiota and/or host metabolism.Some of them have been proven to promote or inhibit colorectal cancer(CRC)in vitro and animal models.We hypothesized that there is an alteration of gut Trp metabolism mediated by microbiota and that it might be involved in the pathogenesis of cancer in patients with CRC.AIM To investigate the features of Trp metabolism in CRC and the correlation between fecal Trp metabolites and gut microbiota.METHODS Seventy-nine patients with colorectal neoplastic lesions(33 with colon adenoma and 46 with sporadic CRC)and 38 healthy controls(HCs)meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included in the study.Their demographic and clinical features were collected.Fecal Trp,kynurenine(KYN),and indoles(metabolites of Trp metabolized by gut microbiota)were examined by ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry.Gut barrier marker and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1(IDO1)mRNA were analyzed by quantitative realtime polymerase chain reaction.Zonula occludens-1(ZO-1)protein expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry.The gut microbiota was detected by 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing.Correlations between fecal metabolites and other parameters were examined in all patients.RESULTS The absolute concentration of KYN[1.51(0.70,3.46)nmol/g vs 0.81(0.64,1.57)nmol/g,P=0.036]and the ratio of KYN to Trp[7.39(4.12,11.72)×10^-3 vs 5.23(1.86,7.99)×10^-3,P=0.032]were increased in the feces of patients with CRC compared to HCs,while the indoles to Trp ratio was decreased[1.34(0.70,2.63)vs 2.46(1.25,4.10),P=0.029].The relative ZO-1 mRNA levels in patients with CRC(0.27±0.24)were significantly lower than those in HCs(1.00±0.31)(P<0.001),and the relative IDO1 mRNA levels in patients with CRC[1.65(0.47-2.46)]were increased(P=0.035).IDO1 mRNA levels were positively associated with the KYN/Trp ratio(r=0.327,P=0.003).ZO-1 mRNA and protein levels were positively correlated with the indoles/Trp ratio(P=0.035 and P=0.009,respectively).In addition,the genera Asaccharobacter(Actinobacteria)and Parabacteroides(Bacteroidetes),and members of the phylum Firmicutes(Clostridium XlVb,Fusicatenibacter,Anaerofilum,and Anaerostipes)decreased in CRC and exhibited a positive correlation with indoles in all subjects.CONCLUSION Alteration of fecal Trp metabolism mediated by microbiota is associated with intestinal barrier function and tissue Trp metabolism,and may be involved in the pathogenesis of CRC.

Meta analysis of clinical efficacy and safety of berberine in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of berberine in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver.Methods:Randomized controlled studies were searched in Chinese and English databases from March 30,2020.The quality was evaluated after literature screening and statistical analysis by RevMan5.3 software.Results:Nine studies were included,involving 780 patients.Meta analysis showed that berberine alone or in combination could reduce total cholesterol(MD=-0.50,95%CI),low density lipoprotein(MD=-0.34,95%CI)and glutamyltransferase(MD=-20.79,95CI%).Subgroup analysis showed that berberine combined with berberine could reduce glycosylated hemoglobin level[MD=-0.68,95%CI(-0.98 maxim 0.38)],while in patients with diabetes treated with berberine,alanine aminotransferase(MD=-9.38,95CI%)and aspartate oxaloacetic transaminase(MD=-9.03,95CI%)decreased significantly.The above differences were statistically significant(P<0.01).In addition,berberine has a tendency to decrease triglyceride,fasting blood glucose,body mass index and improve insulin resistance.There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion:Berberine can regulate glucose and lipid metabolism in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver and has a tendency to improve liver function and insulin resistance.

The Change of Quantitative of HBeAg Can Predict the Efficacy of Peg-IFN-α 2a in HBeAgpositive CHB Patients

Objective To investigate the quantitation of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) at week 24 in predicting the efifcacy of pegylated-interferon alfa-2a (Peg-IFN-α2a) in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients at week 48 and to find a useful predictor for treatment efficacy and investigate individualized treatment of antiviral therapy. Methods Ninety-six HBeAg-positive CHB patients with detectable HBeAg who were treated with Peg-IFN-α2a were enrolled in this trial. They were categorized into 3 groups according to the changes of HBeAg in week 24:HBeAg decline>2 log10 group (group A), HBeAg decline between 1 1og10-2 log10 (group B), HBeAg decline<1 log10 group (group C), and group C was randomly distributed into C1 and C2. The patients in group A, group B, and group C1 continued the original therapy and the patients in group C2 were given lamivudine plus Peg-IFN-α2a for 24 weeks. At week 48, the treatment efifcacy and hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA (HBV cccDNA) in liver biopsies were analyzed. Results At week 48, mean reduction of serum HBV DNA:group A:5.8 log10 copies/ml, group B:3.8 log10 copies/ml, group C1:2.8 log10 copies/ml, group C2:5.7 log10 copies/ml, the reduction of HBV DNA in group A was greater than groups B and C1 (P<0.01), that in group C1 was greater than group C2 (P<0.01), the difference between groups B and C1 had no statistical signiifcance (P=0.19). Mean reduction of HBeAg:group A:2.7 log10S/CO, group B:1.9 log10S/CO, group C1:0.9 log10S/CO, group C2:1.5 log10S/CO, the difference among groups A, B and C1 and between groups C1 and C2 were statistically signiifcant (P<0.01). At week 48, HBV DNA undetectable rate in group A, group B, group C1 and group C2 were 87.5%, 34.5%, 17.4%and 81.9%, respectively, the rate in group A was greater than groups B and C1 (P<0.01),that in group C1 was greater than group C2 (P<0.01). HBeAg seroconversion rate were 75.0%, 24.1%, 13.0%and 22.7%, respectively, that in group A was greater than groups B and C1 (P<0.01). Group A had lower cccDNA in liver tissue than group B and group C1 (P<0.01). The difference of HBV cccDNA between groups B and C1 and that between groups C1 and C2 had no statistical signiifcance. Conclusions HBeAg decline > 2 log10 at week 24 in Peg-IFN-α 2a-treated hepatitis B patients suggested a better efficacy at week 48; HBeAg decline < 2 log10 at week 24 suggests a worse efficacy at week 48, the combined therapy of Peg-IFN-α and lamivudine could improve the clinical responses. The change of quantitative of HBeAg at week 24 may be used as a predictor of treatment effects at week 48.