MiR-16-5p plays an inhibitory role in human non-small cell lung cancer through Fermitin family member 2

Increasing evidence indicates that aberrant expressions of some microRNAs are associated with cancer progression.However,the roles and biological mechanisms of miRNA-16-5p in human non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)are not to be well studied.Here,we validated that the expression of miR-16-5p was decreased significantly in NSCLC samples and cell lines.The correlation between the clinicopathological features of NSCLC and the miR-16-5p expression showed that the expression of miR-16-5p in non-small cell lung cancer was linked with the advanced TNM stage,positive lymph node metastasis,with short overall survival(OS).Also,a negative correlation between miR-16-5p and Fermitin family member 2(FERMT2)was observed,implying there may be a potential link about their regulation.The hypothesis was further confirmed by in-silico analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay.Moreover,we demonstrated that the transfections of miR-16-5p mimics could alter some biological characteristics of NSCLC cells remarkably accomplished by the expression variance of FERMT2 in vitro and in vivo assays.Summarily,this study demonstrated that miR-16-5p,as a tumor suppression factor in NSCLC by targeting FERMT2,could serve as one promising biomarker in the prediction for NSCLC patients.

MicroRNA-181a is elevated by 10-hydroxycamptothecin and represses lung carcinoma progression by downregulating FOXP1

Tumor progression is usually characterized by proliferation,migration,and angiogenesis,which is essential for supplying both nutrients and oxygen to the tumor cells.Therefore,targeting angiogenesis has been considered a promising therapeutic strategy for cancer prevention and treatment.In the present study,we demonstrated that in addition to suppressing lung cancer cell proliferation and migration in vitro,10-hydroxycamptothecin(10-HCPT)is also capable of inhibiting angiogenesis in vivo with a miR-181a-dependent manner.Mechanistically,by upregulating miR-181a,which in turn downregulating FOXP1,10-HCPT can inhibit the PI3K/Akt/ERK signaling pathwaymediated angiogenesis.Furthermore,reduced levels of miR-181a have been found in both lung cancer cell lines and xenograft with concurrently elevated levels of FOXP1,VEGF,bFGF,and HDGF.Consistent with the findings from the in vitro experiments,miR-181a impairs neovascularization in our xenograft model.In summary,our findings have not only established the anti-oncogenic role of miR-181a in lung cancer angiogenesis but also suggest that 10-HCPT could be a potential therapeutic reagent for lung cancer treatment.

Baicalein protects against the development of angiotensin II-induced abdominal aortic aneurysms by blocking JNK and p38 MAPK signaling

An abdominal aortic aneurysm(AAA) is a permanent, localized dilatation of the abdominal aorta. In western countries, the morbidity of AAA is approximately 8%. Currently, pharmacotherapies for AAA are limited. Here, we demonstrate that baicalein(BAI), the main component of the Chinese traditional drug "Huang Qin", attenuates the incidence and severity of AAA in Apoe儃/儃 mice infused with angiotensin II(AngII). Mechanically, BAI treatment decreases AngII-induced reactive oxygen species(ROS) production in the aortic wall. Moreover, BAI inhibits inflammatory cell accumulation in the aortas of mice infused with AngII. It also inhibits AngII-induced activation of matrix metalloproteinase 2(MMP-2) and MMP-9 to maintain elastin content in vivo. In addition, it blocks AngII cascade by downregulating angiotensin type 1 receptor(AT1R) and inhibiting mitogen-activated protein kinases(MAPKs). Taken together, our findings show that BAI is an effective agent for AAA prevention.