The role of microRNAs 371 and 34a in androgen receptor control influencing prostate cancer behavior

COVID-19 Infection Induce miR-371a-3p Upregulation Resulting in Influence on Male Fertility

In December 2019, the first case of COVID-19 was reported and since then several groups have already published that the virus can be present in the testis. To study the influence of SARS-CoV-2 which cause a dysregulation of the androgen receptor (AR) level, thereby leading to fertility problems and inducing germ cell testicular changes in patients after the infection. Formalin-Fixed-Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) testicular samples from patients who died with or as a result of COVID-19 (n = 32) with controls (n = 6), inflammatory changes (n = 9), seminoma with/without metastasis (n = 11) compared with healthy biopsy samples (n = 3) were analyzed and compared via qRT-PCR for the expression of miR-371a-3p. An immunohistochemical analysis (IHC) and ELISA were performed in order to highlight the miR-371a-3p targeting the AR. Serum samples of patients with mild or severe COVID-19 symptoms (n = 34) were analyzed for miR-371a-3p expression. In 70% of the analyzed postmortem testicular tissue samples, a significant upregulation of the miR-371a-3p was detected, and 75% of the samples showed a reduced spermatogenesis. In serum samples, the upregulation of the miR-371a-3p was also detectable. The upregulation of the miR-371a-3p is responsible for the downregulation of the AR in SARS-CoV-2-positive patients, resulting in decreased spermatogenesis. Since the dysregulation of the AR is associated with infertility, further studies have to confirm if the identified dysregulation is regressive after a declining infection.

Interaction between Non-Coding RNAs and Androgen Receptor with an Especial Focus on Prostate Cancer

The androgen receptor (AR) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily and has three functional domains, namely the N-terminal, DNA binding, and C-terminal domain. The N-terminal domain harbors potent transactivation functions, whereas the C-terminal domain binds to androgens and antiandrogens used to treat prostate cancer. AR has genomic activity being DNA binding-dependent or through interaction with other DNA-bound transcription factors, as well as a number of non-genomic, non-canonical functions, such as the activation of the ERK, AKT, and MAPK pathways. A bulk of evidence indicates that non-coding RNAs have functional interactions with AR. This type of interaction is implicated in the pathogenesis of human malignancies, particularly prostate cancer. In the current review, we summarize the available data on the role of microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and circular RNAs on the expression of AR and modulation of AR signaling, as well as the effects of AR on their expression. Recognition of the complicated interaction between non-coding RNAs and AR has practical importance in the design of novel treatment options, as well as modulation of response to conventional therapeutics.

Androgen Receptor-Related Non-coding RNAs in Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer-related death among men in the United States. Androgen receptor (AR) signaling is the dominant oncogenic pathway in PCa and the main strategy of PCa treatment is to control the AR activity. A large number of patients acquire resistance to Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) due to AR aberrant activation, resulting in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying AR signaling in the PCa is critical to identify new therapeutic targets for PCa patients. The recent advances in high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) techniques identified an increasing number of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that play critical roles through various mechanisms in different diseases. Some ncRNAs have shown great potentials as biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Many ncRNAs have been investigated to regulate PCa through direct association with AR. In this review, we aim to comprehensively summarize recent findings of the functional roles and molecular mechanisms of AR-related ncRNAs as AR regulators or targets in the progression of PCa.

Interplay between the androgen receptor signaling axis and microRNAs in prostate cancer

The androgen receptor (AR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that drives prostate cancer. Since therapies that target the AR are the mainstay treatment for men with metastatic disease, it is essential to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying oncogenic AR signaling in the prostate. miRNAs are small, non-coding regulators of gene expression that play a key role in prostate cancer and are increasingly recognized as targets or modulators of the AR signaling axis. In this review, we examine the regulation of AR signaling by miRNAs and vice versa and discuss how this interplay influences prostate cancer growth, metastasis and resistance to therapy. Finally, we explore the potential clinical applications of miRNAs implicated in the regulation of AR signaling in this prevalent hormone-driven disease.

Ultrasound‑targeted microbubble destruction‑mediated miR‑205 enhances cisplatin cytotoxicity in prostate cancer cells

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding ~20 nucleotides long sequences that function in the initiation and development of a number of cancers. Ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) is an effective method for microRNA delivery. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential roles of UTMD-mediated miRNA (miR)-205 delivery in the development of prostate cancer (PCa). In the present study, miR-205 expression was examined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay. miR-205 mimics were transfected into PC-3 cells using the UTMD method, and the PC-3 cells were also treated with cisplatin. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion abilities were detected using Cell Counting kit-8, flow cytometry, wound healing and Transwell assays, respectively. In addition, the protein expression levels of caspase-9, cleaved-caspase 9, cytochrome c (cytoc), epithelial (E)-cadherin, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), phosphorylated (p)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and ERK were measured by western blot analysis. The results of the present study demonstrated that miR-205 expression was low in human PCa cell lines compared with healthy cells and that UTMD-mediated miR-205 delivery inhibited PCa cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and promoted apoptosis modulated by cisplatin compared with UTMD-mediated miR-negative control group and miR-205-treated group. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that UTMD-mediated miR-205 transfection increased the expression of caspase-9, cleaved-caspase 9, cytochrome c and E-cadherin, and decreased the expression of MMP-9 and p-ERK. Therefore, UTMD-mediated miR-205 delivery may be a promising method for the treatment of PCa.