Exosomes derived from diabetic serum accelerate the progression of osteoarthritis

Diabetes mellitus (DM) has been demonstrated to accelerate the progression of osteoarthritis (OA) by largely unknown mechanisms. Studies have shown that DM dysfunctional adipocyte-derived exosomes play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of remote organ functions. The present study aimed to clarify whether and how diabetic adipocyte-derived exosomes mediate the pathological regulation of OA. We found that intraarticular injection of DM serum exosomes in the non-diabetic mice significantly exacerbated OA injury as evidenced by a rough and fractured cartilage surface as well as increased chondrocyte apoptosis, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (△Ψ) and increased expression of cleaved caspase-3. Mechanistic investigation identified that miR-130b-3p was significantly increased in circulating exosomes derived from DM mice and exosomes derived from HG-treated normal adipocytes, and we demonstrated that transfection of miR-130b-3p mimics significantly exacerbated the mitochondrial function of chondrocytes. Our data also indicated that miR-130b-3p impaired the △Ψ, increased cleaved caspase-3 levels, and decreased the expression of 5'-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase α1 (AMPKα1), Silent mating-type information regulation 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) in chondrocytes. Pharmacologic activation of AMPKα1 using AICAR reversed the △Ψ and catabolic responses in chondrocytes transfected with miR-130b-3p mimics. Moreover, AICAR decreased the effects of miR-130b-3p mimics on chondrocytes transfected with SIRT1-siRNA or PGC-1α-siRNA. The current study demonstrated that adipocyte-derived exosomal miR-130b-3p under DM conditions suppresses mitochondrial function in chondrocytes through targeting the AMPKα1/SIRT1/PGC1-α pathway, thus exacerbating OA injury.

Evaluation of miR-130b-3p and miR-375 levels and telomere length with telomerase activity in prostate cancer

Prostate cancer (PC) is the most frequent cancer in males, as well as the second highest cause of cancer-related deaths in men. Differences in expression levels of miRNAs were linked with prostat cancer pathogenesis. qPCR was used to evaluate the expression of miR-130b-3p and miR-375 in Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH (n = 20) and PC (n = 22, pre- and post-operative) patients plasma. Relative telomere lengths (RLTs) in genomic DNA isolated from plasma were measured with qPCR, and telomerase activity analyzed by the ELISA method. PSA levels of PC patients were greater than of BPH patients (p = 0.0473). miR-130b-3p and miR-375 levels were significantly lower in pre-operative specimens of PC patients according to BPH (p = 0,0362, p = 0.0168, respectively). Similarly, post-operative miR-375 levels were lower in PC patients than in BPH patients (p = 0.1866). BPH patients had shorter RTLs than PC patients in both pre- (p=0.0438) and post-operative (p=0.0297) specimens. Telomerase activity was higher in PC patients than BPH(p = 0.0129). Interestingly, telomerase activity was further increased after surgery (p = 0.0003). We aim to identify the levels of miR-130b-3p and miR-375 expression and their relationship with telomerase activity in PC patients. Our data suggest that miRNAs and telomere length (TL) with telomerase activity may play a role in regulating prostate tumorgenesis and may be used as biomarkers for PC diagnosis.

Coenzyme Q10 Protects Against Hyperlipidemia-Induced Osteoporosis by Improving Mitochondrial Function via Modulating miR-130b-3p/PGC-1α Pathway

In hyperlipidemia-induced osteoporosis, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) differentiate into more adipocytes than osteoblasts, leading to decreased bone formation. It is vital to elucidate the effects of hyperlipidemia on bone metabolism and seek new agents that regulate adipocyte-osteoblast lineage allocation. CoQ10, a rate-limiting coenzyme of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, has been reported to decrease oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation by functioning as a mitochondrial antioxidant. However, its effect on hyperlipidemia-induced osteoporosis remains unknown. Here, we analyzed the therapeutic mechanisms of CoQ10 on hyperlipidemia-induced osteoporosis by using high-fat diet (HFD)-treated ApoE-/- mice or oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-treated BMSCs. The serum lipid levels were elevated and bone formation-related markers were decreased in HFD-treated ApoE-/- mice and ox-LDL-treated BMSCs, which could be reversed by CoQ10. Additionally, PGC-1α protein expression was decreased in HFD-treated ApoE-/- mice and ox-LDL-treated BMSCs, accompanied by mitochondrial dysfunction, decreased ATP content and overgeneration of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which could also be antagonized by CoQ10. Furthermore, PGC-1α knockdown in vitro promoted ROS generation, BMSC apoptosis, and adipogenic differentiation while attenuating osteogenic differentiation in BMSCs. Mechanistically, it suggested that the expression of PGC1-α protein was increased with miR-130b-3p inhibitor treatment in osteoporosis under hyperlipidemia conditions to improve mitochondrial function. Collectively, CoQ10 alleviates hyperlipidemia-induced osteoporosis in ApoE-/- mice and regulates adipocyte-osteoblast lineage allocation. The possible underlying mechanism may involve the improvement of mitochondrial function by modulating the miR-130b-3p/PGC-1α pathway.

LncRNA BRCAT54 is downregulated and inhibits cancer cell proliferation by downregulating miR-130b-3p through methylation in prostate cancer

BRCAT54 and miR-130b-3p are two recently characterized critical players in cancer biology, while their functions in prostate cancer (PC) are unknown. From preliminary sequencing analysis, we observed altered expression of BRCAT54 and miR-130b-3p in PC and an inverse correlation between them. This study was conducted to explore their involvement in PC. A total of 64 PC patients were enrolled to collect paired PC and nontumor tissues. The expression of BRCAT54 and miR-130b-3p were determined by RT-qPCR. Overexpression of BRCAT54 and miR-130b-3p was achieved in PC cells to explore their roles in regulating the expression of each other. Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) was conducted to explore the role of BRCAT54 in regulating promoter methylation of miR-130b-3p. BrdU assay was used to evaluate the role of BRCAT54 and miR-130b-3p in regulating PC cell proliferation. The results showed that PC tissues exhibited downregulation of BRCAT54 and upreglation of miR-130b-3p compared to that in nontumor tissues. They were inversely correlated across PC tissue samples. Overexpression of BRCAT54 decreased RNA accumulation of miR-130b-3p in PC cells. In addition, overexpression of BRCAT54 increased promoter methylation of miR-130b-3p. Moreover, BRCAT54 suppressed the role of miR-130b-3p in promoting PC cell proliferation. In conclusion, BRCAT54 is downregulated in PC and it may inhibit cancer cell proliferation by downregulating miR-130b-3p through methylation.

lnc-HC ameliorates steatosis by promoting miR-130b-3p biogenesis and the assembly of an RNA-induced silencing complex

Hepatic lipid deposition is the main cause of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Our previous study identified that lnc-HC prevents NAFLD by increasing the expression of miR-130b-3p. In the present study, we show that lnc-HC, an lncRNA derived from hepatocytes, positively controls miR-130b-3p maturation at multiple levels and contributes to its action by enhancing the assembly of an RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). lnc-HC negatively regulates the downstream target genes of miR-130b-3p, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 1 and 4 (Acsl1 and Acsl4, respectively), thus suppressing hepatic lipid droplet accumulation. Mechanistically, lnc-HC enhanced the promoter activity of miR-130b-3p by positively regulating the expression of transcription factors MAF bZIP transcription factor B (Mafb) and Jun proto-oncogene (Jun). Then, lnc-HC contributed the processing step of primary (pri-) miR-130b and strengthened the interaction between Drosha enzyme and the 5'-flanking sequence of pri-miR-130b to produce more precursor transcripts. Through direct binding with the chaperone heat shock protein 90 alpha family class A member 1 (HSP90AA1), lnc-HC contributed to RISC assembly, which was composed of HSP90AA1, argonaute RISC catalytic component 2 (AGO2) and miR-130b-3p. In a high-fat, high-cholesterol-induced hepatic lipid disorder E3 model, we confirmed that the hepatic expression of lnc-HC/miR-130b-3p negatively correlated with that of the target genes and was closely associated with liver triglycerides concentration. These findings provide a deeper understanding of the regulatory roles of lnc-HC in hepatic lipid metabolism and NAFLD development.

Homoharringtonine sensitizes pancreatic cancer to erlotinib by direct targeting and miRNA-130b-3p-mediated EphB4-JAK2-STAT3 axis

OBJECTIVES

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a very lethal malignancy with a scarcity of treatment options. Although erlotinib- and gemcitabine-based treatments have been approved for PC, their effectiveness is limited. The present study is aimed at exploring the molecular and epigenetic mechanisms of anticancer activities of homoharringtonine (HHT) and its interaction with erlotinib to develop a potential therapeutic strategy for PC.

METHODS

The RT-qPCR, western blotting, immunofluorescence and expression-vectors and oligonucleotide transfection were employed to determine the expression characteristics of onco-factors. Anticancer activities were determined by MTT, colony forming, and flowcytometric analysis. Dual luciferase assay was conducted to confirm putative target of miR-130b-3p. In-vivo experiments were followed by immunohistochemical assay.

KEY FINDINGS

The EphB4/JAK2/STAT3 pathway drives the growth and proliferation of PC through induction of prosurvival factors and cell cycle mediators. HHT directly and epigenetically via miR-130b-3p targets EphB4, leading to downregulation of JAK2/STAT3 pathway. The inactivation of STAT3 results in diminution of antiapoptotic factors and cell cycle mediators. HHT also enhances the anticancer activity of erlotinib.

CONCLUSIONS

HHT demonstrates potential anticancer activities in PC by downregulating EphB4/JAK2/STAT3 signalling. HHT also produces synergistic effects with erlotinib.

A therapeutic role of exosomal lncRNA H19 from adipose mesenchymal stem cells in cutaneous wound healing by triggering macrophage M2 polarization

BACKGROUND

Emerging evidence has figured out that adipose mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) promote wound healing. Exosomes, which act as main paracrine factors and contains various protein, lncRNA, and miRNAs, play a critical role in wound healing. Nevertheless, the mechanism remains to be elucidated. This study aims to identify the underlying mechanism of ADSCs-derived exosome (ADSCs-exos)-mediated wound healing.

METHODS

ADSCs-exos were characterized using the transmission electron microscope, dynamic light scattering, and western blot. ELISA, RT-qPCR, flow cytometry, western blot, CCK-8 assay, transwell assay and tube formation were employed to validate the actions of ADSCs-exos harboring H19 in cell polarization, proliferation, migration and angiogenesis. The regulatory axis among H19, miR-130b-3p and PPARγ or STAT3 was confirmed by RNA pull-down, RIP assay and dual-luciferase reporter assays.

RESULTS

ADSCs-exos harboring H19 promoted macrophage M2 polarization, thereby enhancing fibroblast proliferation, migration and endothelial cell angiogenesis. However, their promotive effects were disrupted within H19 depletion in ADSCs-exos. Additionally, miR-130b-3p, directly targeting PPARγ or STAT3, was identified to be a downstream effector to participate in H19-mediated biological effects. Moreover, ADSCs-exos carrying H19 modulated cutaneous wound healing via H19/miR-130b-3p -mediated macrophage M2 polarization in vivo.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, ADSCs-derived exosomal H19 accelerates cutaneous wound healing via the miR-130b-3p/PPARγ/STAT3 axis, indicating potential therapeutic strategies for the treatment of wound healing.

miR-130b duplex (miR-130b-3p/miR-130b-5p) negatively regulates goat intramuscular preadipocyte lipid droplets accumulation by inhibiting Krüppel-like factor 3 expression

Intramuscular lipid deposition is important for meat quality improvement. microRNAs and their target mRNAs provide a new approach for studying the mechanism of fat deposition. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of miR-130b duplex (miR-130b-5p, miR-130b-3p) and its target gene KLF3 in regulating goat intramuscular adipocyte differentiation. Goat intramuscular preadipocytes were isolated from 7-d-old male Jianzhou big-ear goats and identified by Oil red O staining after differentiation induction. miR-130b-5p and miR-130b-3p mimics or inhibitors and their corresponding controls were transfected into goat intramuscular preadipocytes, respectively, and differentiation was induced by 50μM oleic acid for 48 h. Oil red O and Bodipy staining indicated that both miR-130b-5p and miR-130b-3p can reduce lipid droplets accumulation and triglyceride (TG) content (P < 0.01). Differentiation markers C/EBPα, C/EBPβ, PPARγ, pref1, fatty acids synthesis markers ACC, FASN, DGAT1, DGAT2, AGPAT6, TIP47, GPAM, ADRP, AP2, SREBP1, and TG markers LPL, ATGL, HSL were assessed by qPCR. All the markers measured were downregulated by miR-130b-5p and miR-130b-3p analog (P < 0.01), suggesting that miR-130b inhibits goat intramuscular adipocyte adipogenic differentiation, fatty acids synthesis, and lipid lipolysis. To examine the mechanism of miR-130b duplex inhibition of lipid deposition, TargetScan, miRDB, and starBase were used to predict the potential targets, KLF3 was found to be the only one intersection. Furthermore, the 3'UTR of KLF3 was cloned, qPCR analysis and dual luciferase activity assay showed that both miR-130b-5p and miR-130b-3p could directly regulate KLF3 expression (P < 0.01). In addition, overexpression and interference of KLF3 were conducted, it was found that KLF3 positively regulated lipid droplets accumulation by Oil red O, Bodipy staining, and TG content detection (P < 0.01). Quantitative PCR result indicated that KLF3 overexpression promoted lipid droplets accumulation relative genes C/EBPβ, PPARγ, pref1, ACC, FASN, DGAT1, DGAT2, AGPAT6, TIP47, GPAM, ADRP, SREBP1, LPL, and ATGL expression (P < 0.01). Downregulation of KLF3 inhibited the expression of genes such as C/EBPα, C/EBPβ, PPARγ, pref1, TIP47, GPAM, ADRP, AP2, LPL, and ATGL expression (P < 0.01). Taken together, these results indicate that miR-130b duplex could directly inhibit KLF3 expression, then attenuated adipogenic and TG synthesis genes expression, thus leading to its anti-adipogenic effect.

STAT3/miR-130b-3p/MBNL1 feedback loop regulated by mTORC1 signaling promotes angiogenesis and tumor growth

Background

Aberrantly activated mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) plays a vital role in tumor angiogenesis, but its precise mechanisms are still unclear.

Methods

Micro-RNA-130b-3p (miR-130b-3p) expression in mTORC1-activated and control cells was examined by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). MiR-130b-3p levels and their correlation with mTORC1 activity were evaluated by analyzing publicly available databases and in-house head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tissues. The role of miR-130b-3p in mTORC1-mediated angiogenesis and tumor growth was examined using tube formation assay, chicken chorioallantoic membrane assay, cell line − derived xenograft models, and an HNSCC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model. The regulatory mechanisms among signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), miR-130b-3p, and muscleblind-like protein 1 (MBNL1) were investigated via bioinformatics analyses, qRT-PCR, western blot, RNA immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, luciferase reporter assay, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay.

Results

Elevated miR-130b-3p enhanced the angiogenic and tumorigenic abilities of mTORC1-activated cells both in vitro and in vivo. STAT3, a downstream effector of mTORC1, transactivated miR-130b-3p by direct binding promoter of the miR-130b gene. MBNL1 was identified as a direct target of miR-130b-3p. MBNL1 depletion rescued the compromised angiogenesis and tumor growth caused by miR-130b-3p inhibition. MiR-130b-3p levels were significantly upregulated and positively correlated with mTORC1 signaling in multiple cancers. MiR-130b-3p inhibition attenuated tumor angiogenesis and growth in an HNSCC PDX model. MBNL1 feedback inhibited STAT3 activation in mTORC1-activated cells.

Conclusions

The STAT3/miR-130b-3p/MBNL1 feedback loop plays a vital role in mTORC1-mediated angiogenesis and tumor progression. This pathway could be targeted for therapeutic intervention of mTORC1-related cancers.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13046-022-02513-z.

Human placenta mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosome shuttling microRNA-130b-3p from gestational diabetes mellitus patients targets ICAM-1 and perturbs human umbilical vein endothelial cell angiogenesis

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the roles of miR-130b-3p and ICAM-1 in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and their potential association.

METHODS

Human placenta mesenchymal stem cells (PlaMSCs) were isolated from GDM patients, and the effects of the PlaMSCs from GDM patients (GDM-MSCs) and the exosomes secreted by GDM-MSCs on human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis were detected. Next, GDM-MSCs were transfected with miR-130b-3p antagomir to modify miR-130b-3p expression in GDM-MSCs-derived exosomes, and the exosomes with modified miR-130b-3p expression were cultured with HUVECs to evaluate exosomal miR-130b-3p on HUVEC function. Furthermore, a target gene of miR-130b-3p was predicted and assessed. The miR-130b-3p-modified exosomes were cultured with HUVECs transfected with ICAM-1 shRNA to determine the effect of miR-130b-3p-ICAM-1 crosstalk on HUVEC function. Additionally, a GDM mouse model was conducted to further study the effect of miR-130b-3p in GDM in vivo.

RESULTS

GDM-MSCs inhibited HUVEC proliferation and angiogenesis. The elevated expression of miR-130b-3p was found in GDM-MSCs-derived exosomes. GDM-MSCs-derived exosomes repressed the proliferation and angiogenesis of HUVECs and miR-130b-3p inhibition could restrain the inhibition of the exosomes on HUVEC function. Mechanistically, miR-130b-3p downregulated ICAM-1 expression in a targeted manner, and thereby enhanced HUVEC proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis and increased the expression of angiogenesis-related factors. Moreover, miR-130b-3p inhibition promoted placental angiogenesis in GDM mice and upregulated ICAM-1 expression.

CONCLUSION

Conclusively, GDM-MSCs-derived exosomes shuttling miR-130b-3p repressed proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis of HUVECs by regulating ICAM-1 expression.

Inhibition of the lncRNA MIAT prevents podocyte injury and mitotic catastrophe in diabetic nephropathy

Podocyte damage is strongly associated with the progression of diabetic nephropathy. Mitotic catastrophe plays an essential role in accelerating podocyte loss and detachment from the glomerular basement membrane. In the current study, we observed that the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) MIAT was noticeably upregulated in the plasma and kidney tissues of patients with diabetic nephropathy, and this upregulation was accompanied by higher albumin/creatinine ratios and serum creatinine levels. By generating CRISPR-Cas9 Miat-knockout (KO) mice in vivo and employing vectors in vitro, we found that the depletion of Miat expression significantly restored slit-diaphragm integrity, attenuated foot process effacement, prevented dedifferentiation, and suppressed mitotic catastrophe in podocytes during hyperglycemia. The mechanistic investigation revealed that Miat increased Sox4 expression and subsequently regulated p53 ubiquitination and acetylation, thereby inhibiting the downstream factors CyclinB/cdc2 by enhancing p21^cip1/waf1 activity, and that Miat interacted with Sox4 by sponging miR-130b-3p. Additionally, the inhibition of miR-130b-3p with an antagomir in vivo effectively enhanced glomerular podocyte injury and mitotic dysfunction, eventually exacerbating proteinuria. Based on these findings, MIAT may represent a therapeutic target for diabetic nephropathy.

The PCOS GWAS Candidate Gene ZNF217 Influences Theca Cell Expression of DENND1A.V2, CYP17A1, and Androgen Production

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common endocrine disorder of women, is characterized by increased ovarian androgen production and anovulatory infertility. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified more than 20 PCOS candidate loci. One GWAS candidate locus encompasses ZNF217, a zinc finger transcription factor. Immunohistochemical staining of ovarian tissue demonstrated significantly lower staining intensity for ZNF217 protein in PCOS theca interna compared to ovarian tissue from normal ovulatory women. Immunofluorescence staining of normal and PCOS theca cells demonstrated nuclear localization of ZNF217, with lower intensity in PCOS cells. Western blotting showed reduced ZNF217 protein in PCOS theca cells compared to normal theca cells, and that treatment with forskolin, which mimics the action of luteinizing hormone (LH), reduces ZNF217 expression. Lower ZNF217 expression in PCOS theca cells was confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Notably, there was an inverse relationship between ZNF217 messenger RNA (mRNA) levels and theca cell androgen (dehydroepiandrosterone; DHEA) synthesis. The abundance of mRNA encoding a splice variant of DENND1A (DENND1A.V2), a PCOS candidate gene that positively regulates androgen biosynthesis, was also inversely related to ZNF217 mRNA levels. This relationship may be driven by increased miR-130b-3p, which targets DENND1A.V2 transcripts and is directly correlated with ZNF217 expression. Forced expression of ZNF217 in PCOS theca cells reduced androgen production, CYP17A1 and DENND1A.V2 mRNA, while increasing mIR-130b-3p. Conversely, knockdown of ZNF217 in normal theca cells with short hairpin RNA-expressing lentivirus particles increased DENND1A.V2 and CYP17A1 mRNA. These observations suggest that ZNF217 is part of a network of PCOS candidate genes regulating thecal cell androgen production involving DENND1A.V2 and miR-130b-3p.

Inhibition of miR-130b-3p restores autophagy and attenuates intervertebral disc degeneration through mediating ATG14 and PRKAA1

Oxidative stress-induced autophagy dysfunction is involved in the pathogenesis of intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) not only have been regarded as important regulators of IVDD but also reported to be related to autophagy. This research was aimed to explore the role of miR-130b-3p in IVDD and its regulation on autophagy mechanism. The miR-130b-3p expression in the patient's degenerative nucleus pulposus (NP) samples and rat NP tissues was detected by qRT-PCR and FISH assay. The miR-130b-3p was knocked down or overexpressed in the human NP cells by lentivirus transfection. TBHP was used to induce oxidative stress in the human NP cells. Apoptosis, senescence, and autophagy were evaluated by flow cytometry, β-gal staining, immunofluorescence, electron microscopy, and Western blot in the miR-130b-3p knocked down human NP cells under TBHP treatment. The relationship between the miR-130b-3p and ATG14 or PRKAA1 was confirmed by luciferase assay. The siRNA transfection was used to knock down the ATG14 and PRKAA1 expression, and then the human NP cells functions were further determined. In the in vivo experiment, the IVDD rat model was constructed and an adeno-associated virus (AAV)-miR-130b-3p inhibitor was intradiscally injected. After that, MRI and histological staining were conducted to evaluate the role of miR-130b-3p inhibition in the IVDD rat model. We found that the miR-130b-3p was upregulated in the degenerative NP samples from humans and rats. Interestingly, the inhibition of miR-130b-3p rescued oxidative stress-induced dysfunction of the human NP cells, and miR-130b-3p inhibition upregulated autophagy. Mechanistically, we confirmed that the miR-130b-3p regulated the ATG14 and PRKAA1 directly and the knockdown of the ATG14 or PRKAA1 as well as the treatment of autophagy inhibitor blockaded the autophagic flux and reversed the protective effects of miR-130b-3p inhibition in the TBHP-induced human NP cells. Furthermore, the inhibition of the miR-130b-3p via AAV- miR-130b-3p injection ameliorated the IVDD in a rat model. These data demonstrated that the miR-130b-3p inhibition could upregulate the autophagic flux and alleviate the IVDD via targeting ATG14 and PRKAA1.The translational potential of this article: The suppression of miR-130b-3p may become an effective therapeutic strategy for IVDD.

Synovial mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles alleviate chondrocyte damage during osteoarthritis through microRNA-130b-3p-mediated inhibition of the LRP12/AKT/β-catenin axis

BACKGROUND

Synovial mesenchymal stem cells (SMSCs) have been discussed as promising tools for protecting chondrocytes from loss and inhibiting osteoarthritis (OA). This work infocuses on the function of SMSC-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) in chondrocytes during OA and the molecular mechanism.

METHODS

EVs were extracted from SMSCs and identified. Chondrocytes were treated with interleukin (IL)-1β to induce an OA-like condition in vitro and then treated with EVs. The proliferation, apoptosis, migration, extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation and inflammation in chondrocytes were examined. Key microRNAs (miRNAs) carried by EVs were screened using a microarray analysis, and the downstream molecules involved were explored using bioinformatic analysis. Rescue experiments were performed to validate the involvements of these molecules in EV-mediated events.

RESULTS

EVs restored proliferation and migration while reduced apoptosis, ECM degradation and the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines in chondrocytes induced by IL-1β. miR-130b-3p was significantly elevated in chondrocytes after EVs treatment. Knockdown of miR-130b-3p blocked the protective roles of EVs against IL-1β-induced damage to chondrocytes. miR-130b-3p was found to target LDL receptor related protein 12 (LRP12) mRNA in chondrocytes. Overexpression of LRP12 counteracted the effects of EVs as well and activated the AKT/β-catenin signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

This study provided evidence that EVs alleviate chondrocyte damage during OA through miR-130b-3p-mediated inhibition of the LRP12/AKT/β-catenin axis. This study may offer novel thoughts into the protection of chondrocytes and the management of OA.

LncRNA HOTAIR regulates the lipid accumulation in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease via miR-130b-3p/ROCK1 axis

BACKGROUND

Excessive hepatic lipid accumulation can lead to the occurrence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Previous study showed that upregulation of lncRNA HOTAIR significantly increased total cholesterol and triglyceride. However, the function of HOTAIR in lipid accumulation during the progression NAFLD remains unclear.

METHODS

High fat diet was used to mimic NAFLD in vivo, and free fatty acid was used to establish in vitro model of NAFLD. Oil red O staining was applied to test the lipid accumulation. The pathological changes in mice were observed by H&E staining. Western blot and qRT-PCR were applied to assess protein and mRNA levels, respectively. RIP assay was used to explore the relationship among HOTAIR, miR-130b-3p and ROCK1.

RESULTS

The level of HOTAIR was upregulated in NAFLD. Downregulation of HOTAIR reversed lipid accumulation in FFA-treated HepG2 cells and primary hepatocytes. Meanwhile, HOTAIR bound with miR-130b-3p, and ROCK1 was identified to be the direct target of miR-130b-3p. Moreover, miR-130b-3p mimics-caused lipid accumulation decrease was reversed by pcDNA3.1-ROCK1. Furthermore, the effect of miR-130b-3p mimics on p-AMPK2α and ROCK1 level was partially reversed by ROCK1 overexpression.

CONCLUSION

Knockdown of HOTAIR significantly inhibited the progression of NAFLD through mediation of miR-130b-3p/ROCK1 axis. Our study might shed new lights on exploring new methods against NAFLD.

Exosomes from Long Noncoding RNA-Gm37494-ADSCs Repair Spinal Cord Injury via Shifting Microglial M1/M2 Polarization

Spinal cord injury (SCI) may lead to severe motor and sensory dysfunction, causing high mortality and disability rates. Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (ADSCs), especially hypoxia-pretreated ADSCs, represent an effective therapy for SCI by promoting the secretion of exosomes (Exos). Here, we investigated the therapeutic efficacy of exosomes secreted by ADSCs under hypoxia (HExos) and explored potential target molecules. We utilized nanoparticle tracking analysis, electron microscopy, qRT-PCR, and western blotting to analyze differences between HExos and Exos groups. The expression of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) was examined by high-throughput sequencing. The therapeutic effects of different Exos treatments were compared in vitro and in an SCI model in vivo. The interaction between lncRNAs, microRNAs, and mRNA was examined by luciferase reporter experiments. We employed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunofluorescence to measure inflammatory factor expression and microglial polarization. The results showed that HExos was more effective than Exos for repairing SCI by suppressing inflammatory factor expression, promoting functional recovery, and shifting microglia from M1 to M2 polarization. High-throughput sequencing showed that LncGm37494 expression was significantly higher in HExos than Exos, and its upregulation promoted microglial M1/M2 polarization by inhibiting miR-130b-3p and promoting PPARγ expression, as shown by luciferase reporter experiments. Exos from lncGm37494 overexpressing ADSCs showed a similar therapeutic effect than HExos. The results indicated that HExos repair SCI by delivering lncGm37494, advising that lncGm3749 functions importantly in microenvironmental regulation and shows possibility for SCI treatments.

Exosomal miR-130b-3p Promotes Progression and Tubular Formation Through Targeting PTEN in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), accounting for two-thirds of head and neck cancer, is characterized by poor prognosis and a high rate of mortality. Exosomes have emerged as potential molecule-shuttle in intercellular communication, thereby regulating the physiological processes of recipient cells. To date, the effect of exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) on the progression of OSCC has not been fully investigated. In this study, we found that the protein, but not mRNA expression of Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) was decreased in OSCC. The results revealed that miR-130b-3p was an important negative regulator for PTEN expression. Additionally, overexpression and knockdown of miR-130b-3p enhanced and inhibited angiogenesis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), respectively. Also, miR-130b-3p was transferred by exosomes to HUVECs and then promoted angiogenesis and inhibit the expression of PTEN. Furthermore, exosomal miR-130b-3p derived from OSCC cells promoted tumor growth and blood vessel formation in the xenograft mice model. Taken together, we demonstrated that exosome-mediated miR-130b-3p promoted progression and tubular formation in OSCC in vitro and in vivo. These results would provide new insight into exploring biomarkers and effective therapeutic strategies for OSCC.

miR-130b-3p regulates M1 macrophage polarization via targeting IRF1

Polarized macrophages can be broadly classified into classically activated macrophages (M1) and alternatively activated macrophages (M2) in response to the microenvironment signals. Interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1) has been demonstrated to play a critical role in macrophage polarization. However, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of IRF1 expression in macrophage polarization still remain unclear. In this study, IRF1 expression was significantly increased in interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW264.7 cells. Moreover, miR-130b-3p was decreased and negatively associated with Irf1 in M1 macrophages. miR-130b-3p repressed M1 polarization by inhibiting IRF1 and subsequently reducing the levels of the targets of IRF1, C-C motif chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5), C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10), inducible NO synthase (iNOS), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Consistent with these data, overexpressed miR-130b-3p in LPS-treated mice suppressed M1 macrophage polarization in lung macrophages and peritoneal macrophages by inhibiting Irf1 expression and alleviated the inflammation in mouse lung tissues. Furthermore, the predicted binding site between the Irf1 messenger RNA 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) and miR-130b-3p was confirmed by the dual-luciferase reporter assay. In conclusion, our research gave the first evidence that miR-130b-3p affected the polarization of M1 macrophages by directly inhibiting Irf1. The miR-130b-3p/IRF1 pathway may be a potential target for regulating macrophage polarization.

Dysregulated Sp1/miR-130b-3p/HOXA5 axis contributes to tumor angiogenesis and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma

Angiogenesis, one of the hallmarks of cancer, is essential for both tumor growth and metastasis. However, its molecular mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are largely unknown. Here, we report the role of HOXA5 in tumor angiogenesis of HCC.

Methods: The expression of miR-130b-3p and HOXA5 was determined by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Capillary tube formation assay, chicken chorioallantoic membrane assay, and subcutaneous xenograft experiments were performed to investigate the role of miR-130-3p and HOXA5. Luciferase reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay were performed to evaluate the interaction between Sp1, miR-130b-3p and HOXA5.

Results: miR-130b-3p was found up-regulated in HCC and correlated with a poor prognosis. miR-130b-3p promoted HCC angiogenesis both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, HOXA5 was validated as a direct target of miR-130b-3p. Furthermore, we demonstrated that HOXA5 was down-regulated in HCC and its down-regulation was associated with larger tumor size, shorter overall survival, and higher recurrence probability. Moreover, HOXA5 was significantly associated with angiogenesis biomarkers such as CD31 and CD34. Functional studies revealed that the knockdown of HOXA5 also significantly promoted HCC angiogenesis both in vitro and in vivo. Knocking-down HOXA5 significantly provoked HCC cells to induce the capillary tube formation, migration and proliferation of endothelial cells. In xenograft animal models, we found that a decrease of HOXA5 effectively enhanced tumor growth and increased microvessel densities. We further demonstrated that miR-130b-3p could be directly transcriptionally regulated by Sp1.

Conclusions: This study showed that a dysregulation in the Sp1/miR-130b-3p/HOXA5 axis contributed to HCC progression and angiogenesis, and that HOXA5 can be considered as a promising therapeutic target for treating HCC.

Transcriptome comparison between prenatal and postnatal Large White livers identifies differences in the expression level of genes related to metabolism and postnatal growth

The current study examined the liver transcriptomic profiles of the Large White different in developmental periods. It was performed on pigs of two developmental stages: 70-day fetus (P70) and 70-day piglets (D70). The objective of the study was to identify genes associated with Large White liver lipid metabolism, growth and development. We sequenced eight sRNA libraries of liver samples from four Large White at P70 and D70 respectively. We totally obtained 19,202 genes. 4916 of them were found to be differentially expressed (DEGs) (p < 0.05, fold change ≥ 1), of which 2502 were up-regulated and 2414 were down-regulated. GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis indicated that ACACA, ACADM, ACAA2 and HADH were simultaneously enriched in diverse pathways related to lipid metabolism, and so they were considered to be the promising candidate genes which could affect the porcine liver lipid metabolism. Notably, the gene insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) which participated in somatotropic axis signaling was found to be up-regulated in D70 compared with P70. miRWalk and TargetScan softwares were used to screen the miRNAs which bound to the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of IGF1. After integration analysis with miRNAs sequencing data, miR-18b and miR-130b-3p were selected for further study. MiR-18b and miR-130b-3p were down-regulated in D70 compared with P70. Dual luciferase assays indicated that miR-18b and miR-130b-3p could obviously decrease (p < 0.05) the fluorescence activity of the group transfected with the wild-type vector of IGF1 3'UTR, while the relative luciferase activity of the group transfected with the mutant vector of IGF1 3'UTR did not change significantly. Taken together, it indicated that miR-18b and miR-130b-3p could target IGF1 directly.

Up-Regulation of miR-130b-3p Activates the PTEN/PI3K/AKT/NF-κB Pathway to Defense against Mycoplasma gallisepticum (HS Strain) Infection of Chicken

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is the pathogen of chronic respiratory disease (CRD), hallmarked by vigorous inflammation in chickens, causing the poultry industry enormous losses. miRNAs have emerged as important regulators of animal diseases. Previous miRNA sequencing data has demonstrated that miR-130b-3p is up-regulated in MG-infected chicken embryo lungs. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the function of miR-130b-3p in MG infection of chickens. RT-qPCR results confirmed that miR-130b-3p was up-regulated both in MG-infected chicken embryo lungs and chicken embryonic fibroblast cells (DF-1 cells). Furthermore, functional studies showed that overexpression of miR-130b-3p promoted MG-infected DF-1 cell proliferation and cell cycle, whereas inhibition of miR-130b-3p weakened these cellular processes. Luciferase reporter assay combined with gene expression data supported that phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) was a direct target of miR-130b-3p. Additionally, overexpression of miR-130b-3p resulted in up-regulations of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K), serine/threonine kinase (AKT), and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), whereas inhibition of miR-130b-3p led to the opposite results. Altogether, upon MG infection, up-regulation of miR-130b-3p activates the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathway, facilitates cell proliferation and cell cycle via down-regulating PTEN. This study helps to understand the mechanism of host response to MG infection.

miR-130b-3p inhibits cell invasion and migration by targeting the Notch ligand Delta-like 1 in breast carcinoma

Breast carcinoma is the most common malignancy in women, and the incidence rate has increased dramatically in recent years. Metastasis is responsible for most advanced breast cancer mortality, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood despite extensive research. Recently, short non-coding RNA molecules, including miRNAs, which mediate changes in signalling pathways, have emerged as metastatic regulators of the breast carcinoma. Previous reports have suggested that miR-130b-3p has both oncogenic and tumour suppressor functions in a cancer type-dependent manner. However, the roles and underlying molecular mechanisms of miR-130b-3p in the development of metastasis in breast carcinoma remain unclear. Here, we reported for the first time that miR-130b-3p was differentially expressed in early-stage non-invasive MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cells and aggressive late-stage MDA-MB-231 cells. In gain-of-function and loss-of-function studies, we demonstrated that miR-130b-3p could inhibit breast carcinoma cell invasion and migration by directly targeting the Notch ligand Delta-like 1 (DLL1). Our data also indicated that MMP-9, MMP-13, and VEGF were regulated by miR-130b-3p and may be involved in the inhibition of cell invasion and migration in breast carcinoma. Collectively, our findings reveal a new regulatory mechanism of miR-130b-3p and suggest that miR-130b-3p may be a potential target against human breast cancer metastasis.

Circulating serum miRNAs as potential biomarkers for nephroblastoma

BACKGROUND

Nephroblastoma (or Wilms tumor-WT) is the most common childhood kidney cancer. In Europe, nephroblastoma is treated with preoperative chemotherapy without histological confirmation by biopsy. Therefore, minimal-invasive diagnostic markers confirming nephroblastoma diagnosis are highly warranted.

PROCEDURE

In our study, we aim to identify circulating miRNAs with diagnostic potential for differentiating nephroblastoma from controls. We determined the level of 19 miRNAs in serum of 32 patients with nephroblastoma and 12 controls with quantitative real-time PCR. Three miRNAs were further tested in an independent validation set including sera of patients with renal tumors other than Wilms.

RESULTS

In total, 14 miRNAs showed significantly higher abundance in serum of patients with nephroblastoma than in controls. The miRNAs with highest diagnostic potentials included miRs-130b-3p, -100-5p, and -143-3p with an AUC of 0.94, 0.90, and 0.89, respectively. A signature based on these three miRNAs to differentiated patients from controls with an accuracy of 84.58%, a sensitivity of 76.67%, and a specificity of 92.5%. Higher expression of miRs-100-5p and -130b-3p was confirmed in an independent validation set. The signature based on miRs-100-5p and -130b-3p differentiated patients with nephroblastoma from healthy controls with an accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 79.6%, 69.2%, and 90.0%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

In summary, we provide first evidence that serum miR-100-5p and -130b-3p hold potential as biomarker for WT irrespective of the subtype and that expression level of these miRNA in serum is unaffected by differences in serum collection.