[The Roles of Icariin on the Proliferation and Apoptosis Abilities of Human Oophoroma Cells and Multi-drug Resistant Cell Line]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the effects of icariin on the proliferation and apoptosis abilities of human ovarian cancer cells SKOV3 and multi-drug resistant SKVCR cells.

METHODS

Human ovarian cancer cells SKOV3 and multi-drug resistant SKVCR cells were treated with various concentrations of icariin. The inhibitory concentration and the half maximal inhibitory concentration were detected by CCK8 kit. The proliferation and apoptosis abilities of SKOV3 and SKVCR cells were measured by flow cytometry. The migration and invasion abilities of SKOV3 and SKVCR cells were evaluated by Transwell assays. The protein expression level of Caspase-3 was detected by Western blot analysis.

RESULTS

Icariin significantly suppressed the proliferation abilities of SKOV3 and SKVCR cells in a dose-dependent manner at variant levels from 5-100 μg/mL. SKOV3 and SKVCR cells were treated with 19.5 μg/mL icariin and 48.4 μg/mL icariin (0.8×IC₅₀) for 48 h, respectively. The results showed that the cell proliferation, migration and invasion abilities were markedly decreased comparing with control group, and the apoptosis rate was significantly increased as compared with control group (P<0.05). Western blot results indicated that icariin significantly increased the protein expression level of caspase-3 in SKOV3 and SKVCR cells (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Icariin suppressed the proliferation, migration and invasion abilities of human ovarian cancer cells. Increasing expression of Caspase-3 might be the mechanism of its enhancement of apoptosis.

[The Expression of microRNA-221 in Endometriosis and Its Impact on Endometrial Stromal Cells]

OBJECTIVE

To determine the expression of microRNA-221 (miR-221) in endometrial tissues and its impact on the proliferation of ectopic endometrial stromal cells.

METHODS

Endometrial stromal cells were isolated, cultured and identified from normal endometrial tissues (taken from patients without endometriosis) and ectopic endometrial tissues (taken from patients with ovarian endometriosis). The expression of microRNA-221 was detected by stem-loop qRT-PCR. Changes in the expression of miR-221-3p in endometrial stromal cells exposed to estraldiol (10^-8 mol/L) for 48 h were detected. The effects of miR-221-3p inhibitor on the expressions of miR-221-3p, phosphatase and tensin homology deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) and cell proliferations were compared with those of the negative control (NC, 10 nmol/L).

RESULTS

The expression of miR-221-3p in ectopic endometrial tissues was 4.2 times higher than that in normal endometrial tissues (P=0.039): 2.66 times higher in ectopic endometrial stromal cells compared with normal endometrial stromal cells (P=0.029). But no differences in the expression of miR-221-5p were found (P>0.05). No differences in the change of miR-221-3p expression after exposure to estrogen for 48h were found between normal and ectopic stromal cells. Inhibition of miR-221-3p function was associated with decreased cell proliferation (P=0.018) and increased expression of PTEN gene (P=0.021).

CONCLUSION

The expression of microRNA-221 is upregulated in ectopic endometrial tissues and ectopic endometrial stroma cells. Inhibiting the function of miR-221-3p may result in increased PTEN expression and decreased cell proliferation in endometrial stromal cells.

[Effects of LncRNA H19 on Proliferation of Human Colorectal Cancer SW620 Cells]

OBJECTIVE

To determine the expression level of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) imprinted maternallyexpressed transcript (H19) in colorectal cancer tissues and its effect on proliferation of colorectal cancer SW620 cells.

METHODS

Real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) was applied to detect the expression of H19 in 20 paired tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues,and in normal NCM460 cells and colorectal cancer SW480,HCT116 and SW620 cells. The specific small interfering RNA for H19 (si-H19 group) or negative control sequence (si-NC group) were transfected into SW620 cells. Proliferation of the transfected cells was detected using flow cytometry,CCK8 assay and clone formation experiment. The expressions of CyclinD1 and cyclin dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot.

RESULTS

The expression levels of H19 in colorectal cancer tissues and cells were higher compared with those in adjacent normal tissues and normal NCM460 cells. Lower H19 level,cell activities and cell clone numbers were found in si-H19 transfected cells compared with those in si-NC transfected cells ( P<0.05). si-H19transfected cells had decreased expression of CyclinD1 and CDK4 ( P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

H19expression in colorectal cancer is high. Knock-down H19 expression can inhibit proliferation of colorectal cancer cells,which provides a potential strategy for targeted therapy of colorectal cancer.

[Effects of Msp on the Proliferation, Migration and Invasion of Human Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Cells]

OBJECTIVES

To determine the effects of macrophage stimulating protein (Msp) on the proliferation, migration and invasion of human non-small cell lung cancer cells PC14.

METHODS

The eukaryotic expression vector for st1was constructed and transfected into Msp(-)and RON(-)human non-small cell lung cancer cells PC14. The expression of st1mRNA in PC14 cells was observed by RT-PCR. The expression levels of Msp protein in PC14, PC14-st1-pEGFP-N1 and PC14-pEGFP-N1 groups as well as the expression of RON in PC14 and SKBR-3 cells were detected by Western blot. RAW264.7 (mouse monocyte macrophage) and SKBR-3 cells were cultured in the supernatant of cells(PC14, PC14-st1-pEGFP-N1and PC14-pEGFP-N1 groups)and tested with Transwell microporous membrane, through which the biologic activity of Msp was evaluated by calculating the cell number migrated. The proliferation of PC14 was measured by MTT assay. The capabilities of PC14 to migrate and invade were measured by Transwell chamber and Matrigel invasion tests, respectively.

RESULTS

The expressions of mRNA and protein of Mst1 in PC14 were stable after transfection with Mst1. Msp (PC14-st1 -pEGFP-N1 group) promoted the migration of RON (+) cells (SKBR-3 and RAW264.7). Compared with PC14 and PC14-pEGFP-N1 groups, the proliferation, migration and invasion of PC14 cells in PC14-st1 -pEGFP-N1 group were inhibited significantly.

CONCLUSIONS

Msp can promote the migration of RON (+) cancer cells in paracrine secretion manner and inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of human non-small cell lung cancer cells PC14 in an unknown way.