Reduced expression of miR-30c-5p promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression by targeting RAB32

Mechanism of berbamine-mediated DNA damage in synovial fibroblasts to alleviate rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common chronic autoimmune disease characterised by the proliferation and infiltration of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS). However, pharmaceutical approaches to inhibit FLS in the treatment of RA are limited. Berbamine (BBM), a natural compound extracted from Phellodendron chinense Schneider, has demonstrated anti-tumour and anti-inflammatory effects. This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effect of BBM on FLS in RA and to delineate the specific mechanisms involved, thereby proposing a novel therapeutic strategy for RA. Using the cell counting kit 8 assay and flow cytometry, we found that BBM reduced the proliferative ability of MH7A rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes by blocking the cell cycle and inducing apoptosis. In addition, BBM led to a decrease in the mitochondrial membrane potential and an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and DNA damage. To explore the explicit mechanism of BBM, we used the ROS inhibitor N-acetyl-L-cysteine and the anti-apoptotic drug Z-VAD-FMK to rescue the effects of BBM. BBM effectively inhibited joint inflammation in RA cells in vivo. Regarding the safety confirmation, BBM does not damage the liver, spleen, and kidneys of collagen-induced arthritis mice. In summary, we found that the traditional Chinese medicine extract BBM alleviated RA by promoting ROS production and DNA damage in rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes providing new ideas for the clinical treatment of RA with traditional Chinese medicine.

Rab32 regulates Golgi structure and cell migration through Protein Kinase A-mediated phosphorylation of Optineurin

Rab32 is a small GTPase and molecular switch implicated in vesicular trafficking. Rab32 is also an A-Kinase Anchoring Protein (AKAP), which anchors cAMP-dependent Protein Kinase (PKA) to specific subcellular locations and specifies PKA phosphorylation of nearby substrates. Surprisingly, we found that a form of Rab32 deficient in PKA binding (Rab32 L188P) relocalized away from the Golgi apparatus and induced a marked disruption in Golgi organization, assembly, and dynamics. Although Rab32 L188P did not cause a global defect in PKA activity, our data indicate that Rab32 facilitates the phosphorylation of a specific PKA substrate. We uncovered a direct interaction between Rab32 and the adaptor protein optineurin (OPTN), which regulates Golgi dynamics. Further, our data indicate that optineurin is phosphorylated by PKA at Ser342 in a Rab32-dependent manner. Critically, blocking phosphorylation at OPTN Ser342 leads to Golgi fragmentation, and a phospho-mimetic version of OPTN rescues Golgi defects induced by Rab32 L188P. Finally, Rab32 AKAP function and OPTN phosphorylation are required for Golgi repositioning during cell migration, contributing to tumor cell invasion. Together, these data reveal a role for Rab32 in regulating Golgi dynamics through PKA-mediated phosphorylation of OPTN.

Echinacoside inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma progression by targeting the miR-30c-5p/FOXD1/KLF12 axis

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-attributed mortality and the primary liver malignancy in the world. Echinacoside is a phenylethanoid glycoside derived from traditional Chinese medicinal herbs which possessed multiple health benefits on humans, including anti-tumor effects.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to demonstrate the function of echinacoside in HCC progression and the involvement of miR-30c-5p/FOXD1/KLF12 axis.

METHODS

The HepG2 cells were treated by different dose of echinacoside, miR-30c-5p mimic, miR-30c-5p inhibitor, and FOXD1 overexpression lentiviruses or siRNA individually or simultaneously. The cell invasion and migration were measured by transwell assay. RNA and protein levels were tested by RT-PCR and western blot, respectively. The regulatory function of miR-30c-5p on Forkhead box D1 (FOXD1), FOXD1 on Krüppel-like factor 12 (KLF12) was tested by luciferase reporter assay or/and ChIP assay. Meanwhile, a liver cancer lung metastasis mice model was used to examine the functions of echinacoside and miR-30c-5p on HCC metastasis in vivo. Moreover, the correlations among miR-30c-5p, FOXD1, KLF12, and HCC prognosis was analyzed using clinical sample and TCGA database.

RESULTS

Based on both in vitro and in vivo investigations, we found that echinacoside could inhibit HCC cell migration, invasiveness, and tumor metastasis, and associated with the enhanced miR-30c-5p/FOXD1/KLF12 axis. Furthermore, through analyzing the interactions among intermediate molecules, we revealed that miR-30c-5p, FOXD1, and KLF12üere clinically relevant with each other in HCC patients, correlated with HCC prognosis, and regulated by echinacoside to contribute in the inhibition of HCC progression.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that echinacoside could inhibit HCC progression, and the mechanism related to the enhanced miR-30c-5p/FOXD1/KLF12 axis. Moreover, the abovementioned intermediate molecules might serve as prospective biomarkers for HCC prognosis.

Extracellular vesicle-encapsulated miR-30c-5p reduces aging-related liver fibrosis

Aging is associated with decreased health span, and despite the recent advances made in understanding the mechanisms of aging, no antiaging drug has been approved for therapy. Therefore, strategies to promote a healthy life in aging are desirable. Previous work has shown that chronic treatment with extracellular vesicles (EVs) from young mice prolongs lifespan in old mice, but the mechanism of action of this effect on liver metabolism is not known. Here we investigated the role of treatment with EVs derived from young sedentary (EV-C) or exercised (EV-EX) mice in the metabolism of old mice and aimed to identify key youthful-associated microRNA (miRNA) cargos that could promote healthy liver function. We found that aged mice treated with either EV-C or EV-EX had higher insulin sensitivity, higher locomotor activity resulting in longer distance traveled in the cage, and a lower respiratory exchange ratio compared to mice treated with EVs from aged mice (EV-A). In the liver, treatment with young-derived EVs reduced aging-induced liver fibrosis. We identified miR-30c in the EVs as a possible youth-associated miRNA as its level was higher in circulating EVs of young mice. Treatment of aged mice with EVs transfected with miR-30c mimic reduced stellate cell activation in the liver and reduced fibrosis compared to EV-negative control by targeting Foxo3. Our results suggest that by delivering juvenile EVs to old mice, we can improve their liver health. Moreover, we identified miR-30c as a candidate for antiaging liver therapy.

RAB32 promotes glioma cell progression by activating the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the role of RAB32 in glioblastomas and its molecular mechanisms that regulate gliomas.

METHODS

The expression and prognostic value of RAB32 were evaluated using western blotting and the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive, Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas, and The Cancer Genome Atlas databases. Lentivirus containing sh-RAB32 or OE-RAB32 was used to manipulate RAB32 expression in glioma cells. The effects of RAB32 on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were determined by western blotting, cell counting kit-8, plate cloning, wound healing, and transwell assays. Gene set enrichment analysis was used to screen for associations between the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway and RAB32. The role of this pathway was verified using JAK/STAT3 inhibitors.

RESULTS

RAB32 expression was significantly upregulated in patients with glioma and in glioma cell lines. The expression level was positively correlated with the glioma grade and served as an independent prognostic factor. In vitro experiments revealed that RAB32 knockdown inhibited glioblastoma cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, while the opposite effects were observed with overexpression and could be inhibited by the JAK/STAT3 inhibitor BP-1-102.

CONCLUSION

RAB32 promotes malignant progression of glioblastoma cells through the JAK/STAT signaling pathway, providing new possibilities for therapeutic targets for glioblastoma.

Molecular mechanisms of lipid droplets-mitochondria coupling in obesity and metabolic syndrome: insights and pharmacological implications

Abnormal lipid accumulation is a fundamental contributor to obesity and metabolic disorders. Lipid droplets (LDs) and mitochondria (MT) serve as organelle chaperones in lipid metabolism and energy balance. LDs play a crucial role in lipid storage and mobilization, working in conjunction with MT to regulate lipid metabolism within the liver, brown adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle, thereby maintaining metabolic homeostasis. The novelty of our review is the comprehensive description of LD and MT interaction mechanisms. We also focus on the current drugs that target this metabolism, which provide novel approaches for obesity and related metabolism disorder treatment.

High Expression of RAB32 Predicts Adverse Outcomes: A Potential Therapeutic Target for Glioblastoma

RAB32 is a potential prognostic marker that is overexpressed in a variety of cancers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression and function of RAB32 in glioblastoma (GBM). The RAB32 expression data were obtained by accessing the TCGA, CGGA and GEPIA databases and were verified by western blot and immunohistochemistry. The prognostic value of RAB32 methylation was carefully examined using cBioPortal and MethSurv. GSEA was used to analyze cancer-related signaling pathways that may be activated by high RAB32 expression. The correlation between RAB32 and GBM infiltration was studied by accessing the TISIDB database. The effects of RAB32 on the proliferation, migration and invasion of GBM cells were predicted by colony formation assay, CCK-8 assay and Transwell assay. In this study, RAB32 expression was upregulated in GBM compared to normal brain tissue. Survival analysis showed that high expression of RAB32 was an independent risk factor for overall survival in glioma patients. RAB32 methylation was negatively correlated with RAB32 expression, and the overall survival rate of patients with RAB32 hypomethylation was lower than that of patients with RAB32 hypermethylation. Through functional enrichment analysis, we found that RAB32 overexpression significantly activated multiple signaling pathways. The immunoassay results showed that RAB32 expression was correlated with immune infiltration of the tumor microenvironment. Knocking down the expression of the RAB32 gene significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of glioma cells. Our results show that RAB32 is a key factor affecting the prognosis of patients with GBM, and its targeting may provide a new treatment for patients with GBM.

Identification of miR-30c-5p microRNA in Serum as a Candidate Biomarker to Diagnose Endometriosis

The diagnosis of endometriosis by laparoscopy is delayed until advanced stages. In recent years, microRNAs have emerged as novel biomarkers for different diseases. These molecules are small non-coding RNA sequences involved in the regulation of gene expression and can be detected in peripheral blood. Our aim was to identify candidate serum microRNAs associated with endometriosis and their role as minimally invasive biomarkers. Serum samples were obtained from 159 women, of whom 77 were diagnosed with endometriosis by laparoscopy and 82 were healthy women. First, a preliminary study identified 29 differentially expressed microRNAs between the two study groups. Next, nine of the differentially expressed microRNAs in the preliminary analysis were evaluated in a new cohort of 67 women with endometriosis and 72 healthy women. Upon validation by quantitative real-time PCR technique, the circulating level of miR-30c-5p was significantly higher in the endometriosis group compared with the healthy women group. The area under the curve value of miR-30c-5p was 0.8437, demonstrating its diagnostic potential even when serum samples registered an acceptable limit of hemolysis. Dysregulation of this microRNA was associated with molecular pathways related to cancer and neuronal processes. We concluded that miR-30c-5p is a potential minimally invasive biomarker of endometriosis, with higher expression in the group of women with endometriosis diagnosed by laparoscopy.

MicroRNA-30c-5p arrests bladder cancer G2/M phase and suppresses its progression by targeting PRC1-mediated blocking of CDK1/Cyclin B1 axis

BACKGROUND

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in cancer development and progression, the dis-regulation of miR-30c-5p has been observed in various malignant tumors but no research was done in bladder cancer (BCa). This study aims to investigate the downregulation of miR-30c-5p in BCa, and examine its mechanism and prognostic significance.

METHODS

Bioinformatics analyses and clinical specimens were employed to investigate the relationship between miR-30c-5p and clinical information in BCa patients. The expression levels of miR-30c-5p and its target gene were assessed by real-time PCR and western blot. Cell viability was evaluated through clonogenic capacity, CCK-8, and EdU assays. Cell cycle distribution and cell apoptosis were determined by flow cytometry. The anti-tumor effect of miR-30c-5p was also validated in animal models.

RESULTS

The expression levels of miR-30c-5p were significantly decreased in both bladder tumor tissue and BCa cell lines. Low miR-30c-5p expression was found to be correlated with unfavorable TNM stages and poor prognosis. Over-expressing miR-30c-5p was observed to hinder BCa cell growth, migration, and invasion abilities and causing cell cycle arrest. Mechanistically, miR-30c-5p directly binds and suppresses PRC1, thereby blocking the CDK1/Cyclin B1 axis in BCa, thus impairing BCa cell viability and inducing cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase.

CONCLUSION

Down-regulated miR-30c-5p promotes BCa through its target gene PRC1, miR-30c-5p is a favorable biomarker for predicting clinical outcomes in BCa patients and has the potential to be a therapeutic target.

Rab32 promotes glioblastoma migration and invasion via regulation of ERK/Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission

The highly widespread and infiltrative nature of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) makes complete surgical resection hard, causing high recurrence rate and poor patients' prognosis. However, the mechanism underlying GBM migration and invasion is still unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of a Ras-related protein Rab32 on GBM and uncovered its underlying molecular and subcellular mechanisms that contributed to GBM aggressiveness. The correlation of Rab32 expression with patient prognosis and tumor grade was investigated by public dataset analysis and clinical specimen validation. The effect of Rab32 on migration and invasion of GBM had been evaluated using wound healing assay, cell invasion assay, as well as protein analysis upon Rab32 manipulations. Mitochondrial dynamics of cells upon Rab32 alterations were detected by immunofluorescence staining and western blotting. Both the subcutaneous and intracranial xenograft tumor model were utilized to evaluate the effect of Rab32 on GBM in vivo. The expression level of Rab32 is significantly elevated in the GBM, especially in the most malignant mesenchymal subtype, and is positively correlated with tumor pathological grade and poor prognosis. Knockdown of Rab32 attenuated the capability of GBM's migration and invasion. It also suppressed the expression levels of invasion-related proteins (MMP2 and MMP9) as well as mesenchymal transition markers (N-cadherin, vimentin). Interestingly, Rab32 transported Drp1 to mitochondrial from the cytoplasm and modulated mitochondrial fission in an ERK_1/2 signaling-dependent manner. Furthermore, silencing of Rab32 in vivo suppressed tumor malignancy via ERK/Drp1 axis. Rab32 regulates ERK_1/2/Drp1-dependent mitochondrial fission and causes mesenchymal transition, promoting migration and invasion of GBM. It serves as a novel therapeutic target for GBM, especially for the most malignant mesenchymal subtype. Schematic of Rab32 promotes GBM aggressiveness via regulation of ERK/Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission. Rab32 transports Drp1 from the cytoplasm to the mitochondria and recruits ERK_1/2 to activate the ser616 site of Drp1, which in turn mediates mitochondrial fission and promotes mesenchymal transition, migration and invasion of GBM.

The hsa_circ_0039857/miR-338-3p/RAB32 axis promotes the malignant progression of colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a prevalent malignancy of the gastrointestinal. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) act as important roles in CRC malignant progression. However, the role of circ_0039857 in CRC is still unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the function and mechanism of hsa_circ_0039857 in the CRC.

METHODS

The mRNA and protein expression were measured via RT-qPCR. RNase R assay and Actinomycin D were employed to evaluate the stability of circ_0039857. Functional experiments, such as proliferation and apoptosis, were applied to study the function of circ_0039857 in CRC cells. The underlying mechanisms of circ_0039857 were then analyzed by bioinformatics, dual-luciferase reporter gene assay, RNA pull-down and rescue experiments.

RESULTS

We revealed that circ_0039857 was significantly enhanced in CRC. Circ_0039857 was stabler than linear RNA in cells and valuable for the disease diagnosis. In addition, circ_0039857 knockdown inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis. Mechanistically, circ_0039857 positively regulated the expression of RAB32 via sponging miR-338-3p.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that circ_0039857 knockdown suppressed CRC malignant progression through miR-338-3p/RAB32 axis. Most importantly, this will help us to better understand the circRNA network in CRC, and may find potential biomarkers and targets for CRC clinical treatment.

Circular RNA circRNF169 functions as a miR-30c-5p sponge to promote cellular senescence

Circular RNAs (circRNAs), characterized as single-stranded closed circular RNA molecules, have been established to exert pivotal functions in various biological or pathological processes. Nonetheless, the effects and underlying mechanisms concerning circRNAs on the aging and aging-related diseases remain elusive. We herein compared the expression patterns of circRNAs in young and senescent mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), and uncovered that circRNF169 was dramatically up-regulated in senescent MEFs compared with that in young MEFs. Therefore, we further digged into the role and potential mechanisms of circRNF169 in the senescence of MEFs. The results of senescence-associate-β-galactosidase staining and BrdU incorporation assay showed that silencing of circRNF169 significantly delayed MEFs senescence and promoted cell proliferation, while ectopic expression of circRNF169 exhibited the opposite effects. Moreover, the dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed that circRNF169 acted as an endogenous miR-30c-5p sponge, which accelerated cellular senescence by sequestering and inhibiting miR-30c-5p activity. Taken together, our results suggested that circRNF169 exerted a crucial role in cellular senescence through sponging miR-30c-5p and represented a promising target for aging intervention.