miRNA-378 Is Downregulated by XBP1 and Inhibits Growth and Migration of Luminal Breast Cancer Cells

X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) is a transcription factor that plays a crucial role in the unfolded protein response (UPR), a cellular stress response pathway involved in maintaining protein homeostasis in the endoplasmic reticulum (EnR). While the role of XBP1 in UPR is well-characterised, emerging evidence suggests its involvement in endocrine resistance in breast cancer. The transcriptional activity of spliced XBP1 (XBP1s) is a major component of its biological effects, but the targets of XBP1s in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer are not well understood. Here, we show that the expression of miR-378 and PPARGC1B (host gene of miR-378) is downregulated during UPR. Using chemical and genetic methods, we show that XBP1s is necessary and sufficient for the downregulation of miR-378 and PPARGC1B. Our results show that overexpression of miR-378 significantly suppressed cell growth, colony formation, and migration of ER-positive breast cancer cells. Further, we found that expression of miR-378 sensitised the cells to UPR-induced cell death and anti-estrogens. The expression of miR-378 and PPARGC1B was downregulated in breast cancer, and higher expression of miR-378 is associated with better outcomes in ER-positive breast cancer. We found that miR-378 upregulates the expression of several genes that regulate type I interferon signalling. Analysis of separate cohorts of breast cancer patients showed that a gene signature derived from miR-378 upregulated genes showed a strong association with improved overall and recurrence-free survival in breast cancer. Our results suggest a growth-suppressive role for miR-378 in ER-positive breast cancer where downregulation of miR-378 by XBP1 contributes to endocrine resistance in ER-positive breast cancer.

lncRNA LENGA sponges miR-378 to promote myocardial fibrosis in atrial fibrillation

miR-378 is known to suppress myocardial fibrosis, while its upstream regulators have not been identified. lncRNA LENGA is a recently identified lncRNA in cancer biology. We observed the altered expression of LENGA in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients and predicted its interaction with miR-378. We then explored the interaction between LENGA and miR-378 in AF. Angiotensin-II (Ang-II)-induced human atrial cardiac fibroblasts and human atrial muscle tissues were collected and the expression of LENGA and miR-378 was determined by RT-qPCR. The interaction between LENGA and miR-378 was analyzed through bioinformatics analysis and confirmed by RNA pulldown assay. Cell proliferation and collagen production were analyzed through in vitro assay to analyze the role of LENGA and miR-378 in MF. AF patients showed increased expression of LENGA and deceased expression of miR-378 compared to the sinus rhythm group. LENGA and miR-378 interacted with each other, while they are not closely correlated with each other. Overexpression assay showed that LENGA and miR-378 overexpression failed to affect each other's expression. LENGA promoted collagen production and proliferation of Ang-II-induced atrial fibroblasts, while miR-378 played opposite roles. Moreover, LENGA suppressed the function of miR-378. Therefore, LENGA may sponge miR-378 to promote MF in AF.

Tissue and Circulating MicroRNAs 378 and 142 as Biomarkers of Obesity and Its Treatment Response

Promising approaches to the treatment of obesity include increasing energy expenditure and slowing down fibrogenesis of adipose tissue. The neurotransmitter reuptake inhibitor sibutramine affects appetite and activates lipolysis in a catecholaminergic way. MicroRNAs (miRs) are considered as biomarkers of molecular genetic mechanisms underlying various processes. The profile of a number of miRs is altered in obesity, both in the circulation and in adipose tissue. The aim of this study was to assess the expression levels of miRs (hsa-miR-378a-3p, hsa-miR-142-3p) by real-time polymerase chain reaction in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and in plasma in patients with different degrees and duration of obesity and during sibutramine therapy. This study included 51 obese patients and 10 healthy subjects with normal weight who formed a control group. The study found that, before treatment, obese patients had no significant difference in the expression level of miR-378 in SAT and plasma compared to the control group, while the expression of miR-142 was significantly decreased in SAT and increased in plasma. A significant elevation in miR-378 expression level was noted in patients with first-degree obesity and duration of less than 10 years, and the decline in miR-142 increased with the duration of obesity. These data indicate a maximal increase in the expression of the adipogenesis inducer miR-378 in the early stages of obesity, a progressive decrease in the expression of the fibrogenesis inhibitor miR-142 in SAT with growth of duration of obesity and the likely presence of antifibrogenic effects of sibutramine realized through miR-142 activation.

Exosome-transmitted circIFNGR2 Modulates Ovarian Cancer Metastasis via miR-378/ST5 Axis

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs)-derived exosomes have emerged as a key driver of ovarian cancer (OVCA) tumor progression. The mechanisms behind the specific circular RNA (circRNA) activity encapsulated by CAF-generated exosomes (CAF-exo) requires to be elucidated. Herein, this study selected specific circRNA (hsa_circIFNGR2) molecules and aimed to clarify novel function of CAF-derived exosomal circIFNGR2 on growth, and metastasis of OVCA cells. In this study, we clarified that the exosomes of CAFs originating from human ovarian cancer hindered tumor cell proliferation, metastasis and EMT in vitro. Interestingly, CAFs directly transferred exosomes into OVCA cells to enrich intracellular circIFNGR2 levels. Biologically, activation of exosomal circIFNGR2 blocked cell proliferation, metastasis and EMT. Mechanistically, enhanced circIFNGR2 activated the miR-378/ST5 axis and directly inhibited the malignant evolution of tumor cells. Furthermore, rescue experiments evidenced that circIFNGR2 and ST5 were two essential participants in OVCA, concretely manifested in the co-culture of OVCA cells with exosomes that reversed the effects of intracellular circIFNGR2 and ST5 depletion. Finally, we observed that CAF-exo treatment hindered tumor growth and increased the size and number of metastatic nodules in mice. Our study revealed a previously unknown regulatory pathway whereby CAFs-derived exosomes delivered circIFNGR2 and inhibited the malignant progression of OVCA by circIFNGR2/miR-378/ST5 axis.

miR-378 associated with proliferation, migration and apoptosis properties in A549 cells and targeted NPNT in COPD

Background

microRNAs contribute to the development and progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unclear. The goal of this study was to investigate the roles of miR-378 in alveolar epithelial type II cells and identify molecular mechanisms which contribute to the pathogenesis of COPD.

Materials and methods

Human alveolar epithelial (A549) cells were cultured in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium. Cell proliferation was studied by using a cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assays. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle were analyzed by flow cytometry and wound healing and Transwell were used to analyze the cell migration and. We performed bioinformatics analysis including target gene prediction, gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome (KEGG) pathway enrichment and construction of protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. The expression of miR-378 and NPNT from publically available expression microarray of COPD lung tissues was analyzed.

Results

Overexpression of miR-378 significantly increases cell proliferation, migration, and suppress apoptosis. GO analysis demonstrated that the miR-378 involved in transcription, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor signaling pathway, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling, cell migration, blood coagulation, cell shape, protein stabilization and phosphorylation. Pathway enrichment showed that the 1,629 target genes of miR-378 were associated with mTOR, ErbB, TGF-β, MAPK, and FoxO signaling pathways. Notably, miR-378 directly targets Nephronectin in A549 cells, and miR-378 was upregulated while NPNT was downregulated in COPD lung tissue samples.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that miR-378 can regulate the proliferation, migration, and apoptosis of A549 cells and target NPNT. miR-378 increased in COPD lung tissues while NPNT decreased, and might prove a potential target for novel drug therapy.

MicroRNA-378 contributes to osteoarthritis by regulating chondrocyte autophagy and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell chondrogenesis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease; thus, understanding the pathological mechanisms of OA initiation and progression is critical for OA treatment. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to be involved in the progression of osteoarthritis, one candidate is microRNA-378 (miR-378), which is highly expressed in the synovium of OA patients during late-stage disease, but its function and the underlying mechanisms of how it contributes to disease progression remain poorly understood. In this study, miR-378 transgenic (TG) mice were used to study the role of miR-378 in OA development. miR-378 TG mice developed spontaneous OA and also exaggerated surgery-induced disease progression. Upon in vitro OA induction, miR-378 expression was upregulated and correlated with elevated inflammation and chondrocyte hypertrophy. Chondrocytes isolated from articular cartilage from miR-378 TG mice showed impaired chondrogenic differentiation. The bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) collected from miR-378 TG mice also showed repressed chondrogenesis compared with the control group. The autophagy-related protein Atg2a, as well as chondrogenesis regulator Sox6, were identified as downstream targets of miR-378. Ectopic expression of Atg2a and Sox6 rescued miR-378-repressed chondrocyte autophagy and BMSC chondrogenesis, respectively. Anti-miR-378 lentivirus intra-articular injection in an established OA mouse model was shown to ameliorate OA progression, promote articular regeneration, and repress hypertrophy. Atg2a and Sox6 were again confirmed to be the target of miR-378 in vivo. In conclusion, miR-378 amplified OA development via repressing chondrocyte autophagy and by inhibiting BMSCs chondrogenesis, thus indicating miR-378 may be a potential therapeutic target for OA treatments.

EPA Modulates KLK Genes via miR-378: A Potential Therapy in Prostate Cancer

It is known that miRNA-378a-3p (miR-378) could be induced by eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), an omega-3 fatty acid. Herein, we first demonstrated how miR-378 exerts anti-prostate cancer (PCa) actions by influencing multiple target genes, including KLK2, KLK4, KLK6, and KLK14, which are implicated in PCa development, cell proliferation, and cell survival. Furthermore, these genes also correlate with androgen and mTOR signaling transduction, and are considered pivotal pathways for the onset and progression of PCa. In total, four PCa cell lines and eight pairing tissues (tumor vs. normal) from clinical PCa patients were included in the current study. The results showed high significance after EPA induced tumor cells containing higher expression levels of miR-378, and led the PCa cells having low cell viabilities, and they progressed to apoptosis when compared with normal prostate cells (p < 0.001). The findings indicated that EPA might become a potential therapy for PCa, especially because it is derived from the components of natural fish oil; it may prove to be a great help for solving the problem of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).

Hsa_circ_0007059 promotes apoptosis and inflammation in cardiomyocytes during ischemia by targeting microRNA-378 and microRNA-383

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNA molecules that are associated with not only normal physiological functions but also various diseases, including cardiac diseases such as myocardial infarction (MI). The present study explored the potential role of circRNA_0007059 (circ_0007059) during MI pathogenesis using in vitro studies. Microarray and quantitative PCR analyses demonstrated elevated circ_0007059 expression and downregulated miR-378 and miR-383 expression in H₂O₂-treated mice cardiomyocytes and infarcted hearts of MI mouse model as compared those in relevant controls. Moreover, circ_0007059 knockdown improved cardiomyocyte viability after H₂O₂ treatment as revealed by the CCK-8 and colony formation assays. Flow cytometry and caspase activity assays demonstrated that circ_0007059 suppressed H₂O₂-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and Western blotting revealed that inflammatory cytokine (interleukin-1β, interleukin-18 and C-C motif chemokine ligand 5) expression was induced by H₂O₂ treatment and that circ_0007059 repressed H₂O₂-induced inflammation. Bioinformatics analyses and dual-luciferase reporter assays showed that circ_0000759 acts as a miR-378 and miR-383 sponge. Furthermore, the upregulation or suppression of miR-378 and miR-383 expression in H₂O₂-treated cardiomyocytes had similar effects on the apoptosis and inflammation of cardiomyocytes as that of circ_0007059 knockdown or overexpression, respectively. Additionally, lentiviral shRNA-circ_0007059 administration to mice with MI considerably reduced the size of infarcted regions and promoted cardiac activity. Collectively, our findings suggest that circ_0007059 expression is upregulated in mice cardiomyocytes in response to oxidative stress and cardiac tissues of MI mouse model, suggesting its involvement in the pathogenesis of MI by targeting miR-378 and miR-383.

Overexpression of miR-378 Alleviates Chronic Sciatic Nerve Injury by Targeting EZH2

In numerous studies, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been authenticated to play vital roles in the pathophysiology of neuropathic pain and other neurological diseases. In our study, we focused on evaluating miR-378 and its potential effects in neuropathic pain development, as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms. Primarily, a chronic sciatic nerve injury (CCI) rat model was established. Next, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was employed to measure the expression levels of miR-378 and EZH2 mRNA; the EZH2 protein expression levels were detected by western blot. A luciferase activity assay monitored the interaction of miR-378 and EZH2. Mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia was also performed to quantitate the effects of overexpression of miR-378 or EZH2 on the CCI rats. We found that miR-378 was down-regulated in the CCI rats, and the overexpression of miR-378 produced significant relief in their pain management. EZH2 was the downstream gene of miR-378 and was negatively regulated by miR-378. The up-regulation of EZH2 reduced the inhibitory effects of miR-378 on the development of neuropathic pain in the CCI rats. miR-378 acts as an inhibitor in the progression of neuropathic pain via targeting EZH2; the miR-378/EZH2 axis may be a novel target for the diagnosis and therapy of neuropathic pain in clinical treatment.

Exosomes derived from ADSCs containing miR-378 promotes wound healing by targeting caspase-3

Pathological scars and chronic wounds caused by injury, aging, or surgery have always been important public health problems, and there is an urgent need to study the driving forces to find more effective treatments. In this study, we extracted and identified ADSCs exosomes and found that they have the ability to protect HaCat cells from oxidative damage, including promoting proliferation and migration and reducing apoptosis. Further studies determined that the expression of miR-378 was significantly enriched in exosomes. Studies have found that miR-378 mimic can produce protection similar to ADSCs-exo. However, when miR-378 inhibitors are used on ADSCs, the damage protection of the secreted exosomes disappears. This proves that miR-378 enriched in exosomes can improve HaCat's oxidative stress damage. Luciferase experiments show that this effect is achieved by targeting caspase-3. These results indicate that ADSCs play a protective role in wound healing by secreting miR-378-rich exosomes.

Exosomes from miRNA-378-modified adipose-derived stem cells prevent glucocorticoid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head by enhancing angiogenesis and osteogenesis via targeting miR-378 negatively regulated suppressor of fused (Sufu)

Background

Local ischemia and defective osteogenesis are implicated in the progression of glucocorticoid (GC)-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). Recent studies have revealed that exosomes released from adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) play important roles in ONFH therapy. The present study aimed to investigate whether exosomes derived from miR-378-overexpressing ASCs (miR-378-ASCs-Exos) could promote angiogenesis and osteogenesis in GC-induced ONFH.

Methods

In vitro, we investigated the osteogenic potential of miR-378-ASCs-Exos on bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) by alkaline phosphatase staining and western blotting. The angiogenic effects of miR-378-ASCs-Exos on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were examined by evaluating their proliferation, migration, and tube-forming analyses. We identified the underlying mechanisms of miR-378 in osteogenic and angiogenic regulation. In addition, an ONFH rat model was established to explore the effects of miR-378-ASCs-Exos through histological and immunohistochemical staining and micro-CT in vivo.

Results

Administration of miR-378-ASCs-Exos improved the osteogenic and angiogenic potentials of BMSCs and HUVECs. miR-378 negatively regulated the suppressor of fused (Sufu) and activated Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signaling pathway, and recombinant Sufu protein reduced the effects triggered by miR-378-ASCs-Exos. In vivo experiments indicated that miR-378-ASCs-Exos markedly accelerated bone regeneration and angiogenesis, which inhibited the progression of ONFH.

Conclusion

Our study indicated that miR-378-ASCs-Exos enhances osteogenesis and angiogenesis by targeting Sufu to upregulate the Shh signaling pathway, thereby attenuating GC-induced ONFH development.

Elevated levels of both microRNA 378 (miR-378) and kallikrein-related peptidase 4 (KLK4) mRNA are associated with an unfavorable prognosis in triple-negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients have the worst outcome among all breast cancer subtypes. In oral squamous carcinoma cells, miR-378 was reported to target the mRNA of kallikrein-related peptidase 4 (KLK4), resulting in inhibition of cell proliferation, migration and invasion, induction of apoptosis, and reduction of tumor growth in vivo. Similarly, a miR-378/KLK4 axis has been proposed in prostate cancer. Here, we analyzed the correlation between miR-378 and KLK4 mRNA expression and determined the prognostic impact of both factors in TNBC. miR-378 and KLK4 mRNA expression levels were determined by quantitative PCR in tumor tissue of TNBC patients (n=103) and correlated with clinical parameters and patients' survival. There was no significant correlation between miR-378 and KLK4 mRNA expression. In univariate Cox regression analysis, elevated miR-378 expression was significantly associated with shortened disease-free survival (DFS, P=0.047) and overall survival (OS, P=0.031), high KLK4 mRNA levels were linked to a worse DFS (P=0.033). Combination of KLK4 mRNA and miR-378 (KLK4+miR-378, low/low versus high and/or high) allowed even better discrimination between favorable and unfavorable prognosis (DFS, P=0.008; OS, P=0.025). In multivariable analysis, miR-378 and KLK4+miR-378 expression remained independent predictive factors for DFS (P=0.014, P=0.010, respectively) and OS (P=0.016, P=0.049, respectively), while KLK4 mRNA only showed a trend towards significance for DFS (P=0.061). Our findings suggest that in TNBC there is no significant impact of miR-378 on KLK4 expression. Both factors, miR-378 and, to a lesser extent, KLK4 mRNA represent unfavorable prognostic markers in TNBC patients.

Involvement of circRNA_0007059 in the regulation of postmenopausal osteoporosis by promoting the microRNA-378/BMP-2 axis

Increasing evidence suggests that postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO), a severe disturbance, imposes heavy physical, psychosocial, and financial burdens and dramatically influences the quality of life of postmenopausal women. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) and microRNAs (miRs) play important roles in the occurrence and development of PMO. However, the roles of circRNAs and miRs in osteoporosis regulation still need to be further investigated. circRNAs with different expression levels in patients with PMO were screened via RNA-seq and bioinformatics analysis. We found that circ_0007059 was upregulated in patients with PMO and during osteoclastogenesis of human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs). Next, we investigated the effect of circ_0007059 overexpression during osteoclastogenesis of hBMSCs. circ_0007059 overexpression attenuated hBMSC differentiation into osteoclasts in vitro. This was demonstrated by downregulated bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) expression, upregulated osteoclast-specific gene expression, and TRAP staining. circ_0007059 was demonstrated to directly target miR-378, which in turn targeted BMP-2 via bioinformatics analysis and the dual-luciferase reporter assay. Transfection of the miR-378 mimic reversed the effect of circ_0007059 on the osteoclastogenesis of hBMSCs. These results suggest that circ_0007059 plays an important role in osteoclastogenesis via the miR-378/BMP-2 signaling pathway. Targeting the circ_0007059/miR-378/BMP-2 axis is possibly a novel idea in osteoporosis treatment.

Effects of dendrobium polysaccharides on human brain microvascular endothelial cell injury induced by ox-LDL via regulating the miR-378 expression

Brain microvascular endothelial cells are a key part of the blood-brain barrier. This experiment was set up to investigate the effect and molecular mechanism of Dendrobium polysaccharide on oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced damage to the human brain microvascular endothelial cells. For this purpose, human brain microvascular endothelial cells HBMEC were divided into control group (without any treatment), ox-LDL group (50 μg/mL ox-LDL), Dendrobium polysaccharide low, medium and high concentration group (0.1 μg/L, 0.2 μg/L, 0.4 μg/L Dendrobium polysaccharide+50 μg/mL ox-LDL), ox-LDL+miR-NC group (transfection miR-378 mimic negative control+50 μg/mL ox-LDL), ox-LDL+miR-378 group (transfected miR-378 mimics+50 μg/mL ox-LDL), ox-LDL+DP+anti-miR-NC group (transfected miR-378 inhibitor negative control +0.4 μg/L Dendrobium polysaccharide+50 μg/mL ox-LDL), ox-LDL+DP+anti-miR-378 group (transfected miR-378 inhibitor+0.4 μg/L Dendrobium polysaccharide+50 μg/mL ox-LDL ). The kit was used to detect the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT); flow cytometry to detect apoptosis; and Western blot to detect B-cell lymph tumor/leukemia-2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2 related X (Bax) protein expression; real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression of miR-378. Results showed that after treatment with different concentrations of Dendrobium polysaccharides, MDA levels were decreased in ox-LDL-induced human brain microvascular endothelial cells, SOD and CAT activities were increased, apoptosis rate was decreased, Bcl-2 expression was increased, Bax expression was decreased, miR-378 expression was increased, in a dose-dependent manner (P&lt;0.05). Overexpression of miR-378 inhibits ox-LDL-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in human brain microvascular endothelial cells. Inhibition of miR-378 expression reversed the effect of Dendrobium polysaccharide on ox-LDL-induced damage to human brain microvascular endothelial cells. Then dendrobium polysaccharide may inhibit ox-LDL-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in human brain microvascular endothelial cells by up-regulating the expression of miR-378.

miR-378 and its host gene Ppargc1β exhibit independent expression in mouse skeletal muscle

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are implicated in multiple biological processes in physiological and pathological settings. Nearly half of the known miRNAs are classified as 'intronic' miRNAs because they are embedded within the introns of protein-coding or noncoding genes. Such miRNAs were thought to be processed from primary host gene transcripts and share the promoter of their host. Recent analyses predicted that some intronic miRNAs might be transcribed and regulated as independent units, but there is little direct evidence for this in a specific biological context. Here, we focused on miR-378, which is located within the first intron of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1-beta (Ppargc1β) gene and critically regulates skeletal muscle cell differentiation and muscle regeneration. We demonstrate that miR-378 and Ppargc1β exhibit distinct expression patterns during skeletal muscle cell differentiation. In terminally differentiated adult skeletal muscle tissues of mice, miR-378 is predominantly expressed in glycolytic muscle, whereas Ppargc1β is mainly expressed in oxidative soleus muscle. Mechanistically, miR-378, but not Ppargc1β, is regulated by the transcription factor, MyoD, in muscle cells. Our findings identify a regulatory model of miR-378 expression, thereby helping us to understand its physiological function in skeletal muscle.

MicroRNA-378 Suppressed Osteogenesis of MSCs and Impaired Bone Formation via Inactivating Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to serve as silencers to repress gene expression at post-transcriptional levels. Multiple miRNAs have been demonstrated to play important roles in osteogenesis. MicroRNA (miR)-378, a conserved miRNA, was reported to mediate bone metabolism and influence bone development, but the detailed function and underlying mechanism remain obscure. In this study, the miR-378 transgenic (TG) mouse was developed to study the role of miR-378 in osteogenic differentiation as well as bone formation. The abnormal bone tissues and impaired bone quality were displayed in the miR-378 TG mice, and a delayed healing effect was observed during bone fracture of the miR-378 TG mice. The osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from this TG mouse was also inhibited. We also found that miR-378 mimics suppressed, whereas anti-miR-378 promoted osteogenesis of human MSCs. Two Wnt family members, Wnt6 and Wnt10a, were identified as bona fide targets of miR-378, and their expression was decreased by this miRNA, which eventually induced the inactivation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Finally, the short hairpin (sh)-miR-378-modified MSCs were locally injected into the fracture sites in an established mouse fracture model. The results indicated that miR-378 inhibitor therapy could promote bone formation and stimulate the healing process in vivo. In conclusion, miR-378 suppressed osteogenesis and bone formation via inactivating Wnt/β-catenin signaling, suggesting that miR-378 may be a potential therapeutic target for bone diseases.

The protective function of miR-378 in the ischemia-reperfusion injury during renal transplantation and subsequent interstitial fibrosis of the renal allograft

Survival time of kidney transplant patients is primarily threatened by chronic allograft dysfunction (CAD), whose typical feature is interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (IF/TA). CAD could be caused by ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) during renal transplantation. MiR-378 is correlated with multiple kidney diseases and implicated in CAD. To clarify the underlying mechanism of miR-378 on renal allograft, we utilize renal unilateral IRI mice and H/R NRK52E cells. To evaluate the acute tubular damage, we determined the apoptotic rate by TUNEL assay and examined mice kidney sections of H&E staining 1 day after IRI. To assess the chronic renal interstitial inflammation and fibrosis, we detected the infiltration rates of CD45R⁺ leukocytes and Ly6b⁺ neutrophils by immunohistochemistry, examined mice kidney sections of picrosirius staining and measured the mRNA level of Col1a1 14 days after IRI. To investigate the H/R injury of NRK52E cells, MTT assay was performed to detect cell viability, TUNEL assay was performed to determine apoptotic rate and luciferase reporter assay was carried out to demonstrate the potential target of miR-378. Moreover, we determined the levels of miR-378 of renal allograft biopsies in healthy patients and patients diagnosed with IF/TA. We found agomir-378 treatment significantly reduced the apoptotic rate and tubular damage scores assessed by H&E staining 1 day after IRI. Agomir-378 treatment also decreased infiltration rates of both CD45R⁺ leukocytes and Ly6b⁺ neutrophils and fibrosis examined by picrosirius staining and by the mRNA level of Col1a1 14 days after IRI. Experiments in vitro revealed that miR-378 increased cell viability and decreased apoptotic rate of NRK52E cells subjected to H/R. Additionally, luciferase reporter assay confirmed that caspase 3 was targeted by miR-378 directly. Furthermore, we found the levels of miR-378 were significantly lower in renal allografts of patients with IF/TA than those of healthy controls. Taken together, we have found that miR-378 has potential protective effects on renal allografts to prevent IRI during kidney transplantation and following IF/TA of renal allografts.

Distinct Expression of miR-378 in Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip and/or Cleft Palate: A Cogitation of Skewed Sex Ratio in Prevalence

OBJECTIVE

Nonsyndromic cleft lip and/or cleft palate (NSCL/P) is an isolated phenotype of orofacial clefts with skewed sex ratio in prevalence. This study aims to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and microRNAs (DEMs) of NSCL/P by integrated bioinformatics analysis, revealing mechanisms for sexual dimorphism in prevalence.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

First, we downloaded the expression profile data from Gene Expression Omnibus database to identify DEGs and DEMs. Second, Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses performed DEGs' functions. Then, clustered DEGs were identified through protein-protein interaction networks. Combining clustered DEGs with key genes searched in GeneCards enlarged NSCL/P-related genes. Moreover, the genes were linked by transcription factors (TFs). Subsequently, connected by the above TFs, DEMs and genes were used to establish the miRNA-TF-messenger RNA (mRNA) regulatory networks.

RESULTS

The DEGs in sex-ignored group, female-only group, and male-only group were obtained, respectively. Among the DEMs, miR-378 was downregulated in females but upregulated in males. In female-only group, the miRNA-TF-mRNA regulatory networks showed miR-378-SP1-POLE2/CDK6/EZR regulatory axis was found to be key candidates of NSCL/P.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that different expression of miR-378 is consistent with the skewed sex ratio in the prevalence of NSCL/P.

Aberrant Expression of miR-103, miR-184, miR-378, miR-497 and miR-506 in Tumor Tissue from Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Regulates the Clinical Picture of the Patients

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the expression patterns of miR-103, miR-184, miR-378, miR497 and in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the tongue and to be compared with normal peripheral tissues.

METHODS

Tumor and marginal tissues were obtained from 50 patients with OSCC. After RNA extraction, expression level of miR-103, miR-184, miR-378, miR497, and miR506 was estimated using SYBR green master mix and real-time quantitative PCR.

RESULTS

It was observed that, there was no detectable difference in expression level of miR-103 between tumoral and marginal tissues. However, expression level of miR-184, and miR-378 showed significant increase in tumor tissue samples compared to marginal tissue samples. MiR-497 and miR-506 demonstrated considerable decrease in tumoral cells in comparison with peripheral tissues. Moreover, the expression level of miRNAs was associated with clinicopathological features of the patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data indicated that miR-184, miR-378, miR-497, and miR-506 can be used as a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in OSCC. Nevertheless, more studies are needed to confirm this claim.
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Radiotherapy-induced overexpression of exosomal miRNA-378a-3p in cancer cells limits natural killer cells cytotoxicity

Aim: We here hypothesized that tumor-derived exosomal miRNA (TexomiR) released from irradiated tumors may play a role in the tumor cells escape to natural killer (NK) cells. Materials & methods: Our study included the use of different cancer cell lines, blood biopsies of xenograph mice model and patients treated with radiotherapy. Results: The irradiation of cancer cells promotes the TET2-mediated demethylation of miR-378 promoter, miR-378a-3p overexpression and its loading in exosomes, inducing the decrease of granzyme-B (GZMB) secretion by NK cells. An inverse correlation between TexomiR-378a-3p and GZMB was observed in murine and human blood samples. Conclusion: Our work identifies TexomiR-378a-3p as a molecular signature associated with the loss of NK cells cytotoxicity via the decrease of GZMB expression upon radiotherapy.

MicroRNA-378-3p/5p represses proliferation and induces apoptosis of oral squamous carcinoma cells via targeting KLK4

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common types of head and neck neoplasm. Down-regulation of hsa-microRNA-378 (miR-378) has been proved in OSCC tissues, suggesting that miR-378 might play crucial roles in the progression of OSCC. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of miR-378-3p/5p on the proliferation and apoptosis of OSCC in vitro and in vivo. According to the results, lentivirus-mediated overexpression of miR-378 lowered the colony formation efficiency, blocked cell cycle progression, and decreased the percentage of Ki-67 positive cells, whereas knockdown of miR-378-3p/5p led to the opposite results. Furthermore, the apoptosis of OSCC cells was induced by the overexpression of miR-378 as evidenced by decreasing Bcl-2/Bax ratio, increasing cleaved caspase-9, cleaved caspase-3, and cleaved PARP levels, and promoting the release of cytochrome c into the cytoplasm. However, the above results were reversed by miR-378-3p/5p silencing. In addition, the overexpression of miR-378 inhibited the activation of PI3K/AKT signalling pathway. Conversely, miR-378-3p/5p knockdown resulted in the inactivation of PI3K/AKT signalling pathway. Mechanically, we validated that miR-378-3p/5p could target kallikrein-related peptidase 4 (KLK4), and enforced overexpression of KLK4 counteracted miR-378 overexpression-induced apoptosis. Finally, tumourigenesis in nude mice was suppressed by the overexpression of miR-378, which was promoted by miR-378-3p/5p silencing. Taken together, these results suggest that miR-378 may be a potential target in the diagnoses and treatment of OSCC.

MicroRNA-378-3p/5p suppresses the migration and invasiveness of oral squamous carcinoma cells by inhibiting KLK4 expression

Distant metastasis frequently occurs in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and contributes to the adverse prognosis for patients with OSCC. However, the potential mechanisms behind the metastasis have not yet been clarified. This study investigated the role of miR-378 in the migration and invasiveness of OSCC in vitro and in vivo. According to our results, the migration and invasiveness of OSCC cells were increased in cells overexpressing miR-378, and reduced in cells where miR-378-3p/5p was silenced. In addition, overexpression of miR-378 suppressed the expressions and activities of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and MMP-2. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was restrained by overexpression of miR-378, as evidenced by an increase in E-cadherin expression and decrease in N-cadherin and uPA expression. However, knockdown of miR-378-3p/5p produced the opposite results. Moreover, kallikrein-related peptidase 4 (KLK4) was confirmed to be a target gene of miR-378. Overexpression of KLK4 reversed the induced decrease in migration and invasiveness of cells overexpressing miR-378 by upregulating the levels of MMP-9, MMP-2, and N-cadherin, and downregulating the level of E-cadhrin. Finally, the number of metastasis nodules in the lung tissues of nude mice was reduced by overexpression of miR-378, whereas the number of metastases increased with knockdown of miR-378. Taken together, our results suggest that the miR-378-KLK4 axis is involved in the mechanisms behind the migration and invasiveness of OSCC cells. Targeting the miR-378-KLK4 axis may be an effective measure for treating OSCC.

Chronotypical characteristics and related miR-142-3p levels of children with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder

To compare children with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and a healthy control group in terms of chronotype characteristics and miRNA-142-3p/miRNA-378 levels. 50 children with ADHD and 44 healthy children were included in the study. Childhood Chronotype Questionnaire was used to identify the chronotype preferences of children. Serum miR-142-3p and miR- 378 levels were determined. Preference for nighttime was higher in children with ADHD. Additionally, a night preference was found to be associated with attention deficit in both groups. While a significant correlation was found between the psychopathology rate in mothers and the presence of ADHD, there was no such correlation in fathers. In the comparison between children with ADHD and the control group, no significant difference was found between miRNA levels. Both the miR-142-3p and miR-378 values of the children with ADHD that have immediate relatives with a psychiatric disorder were lower, compared to control group. We found that shift to night preference in the circadian rhythm was higher and this preference was associated with attention deficit in the children with ADHD. In addition, the presence of psychopathology in the family and the mother's psychopathology affected the miR-142-3p and miR378 levels.

MiR-378 modulates energy imbalance and apoptosis of mitochondria induced by doxorubicin

Doxorubicin (DOX) is an effective anticancer drug, however its clinical application is limited due to its cardiotoxicity. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of cardiotoxicity induced by DOX is essential. We found that the level of miR-378 was decreased in the hearts of DOX-treated rats. Increasing the expression of miR-378 resulted in a decrease of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) upon DOX treatment in vitro by targeting lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA). Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis indicated that cyclophilin A (PPIA), a regulator of apoptosis, is also a direct target gene of miR-378. We confirmed this by Western blot. Our results also showed that the overexpression of miR-378 inhibited the hyperactivation of ER stress signaling induced by DOX. In addition, MiR-378 overexpression was found to protect cardiomyocytes from DOX-induced energy imbalance and apoptosis of mitochondria. These results may allow for a therapeutic approach that overcomes the cardiotoxicity of DOX-based treatments for cancer.

microRNA-378 promotes autophagy and inhibits apoptosis in skeletal muscle

The metabolic regulation of cell death is sophisticated. A growing body of evidence suggests the existence of multiple metabolic checkpoints that dictate cell fate in response to metabolic fluctuations. However, whether microRNAs (miRNAs) are able to respond to metabolic stress, reset the threshold of cell death, and attempt to reestablish homeostasis is largely unknown. Here, we show that miR-378/378* KO mice cannot maintain normal muscle weight and have poor running performance, which is accompanied by impaired autophagy, accumulation of abnormal mitochondria, and excessive apoptosis in skeletal muscle, whereas miR-378 overexpression is able to enhance autophagy and repress apoptosis in skeletal muscle of mice. Our in vitro data show that metabolic stress-responsive miR-378 promotes autophagy and inhibits apoptosis in a cell-autonomous manner. Mechanistically, miR-378 promotes autophagy initiation through the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/unc-51-like autophagy activating kinase 1 (ULK1) pathway and sustains autophagy via Forkhead box class O (FoxO)-mediated transcriptional reinforcement by targeting phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1). Meanwhile, miR-378 suppresses intrinsic apoptosis initiation directly through targeting an initiator caspase-Caspase 9. Thus, we propose that miR-378 is a critical component of metabolic checkpoints, which integrates metabolic information into an adaptive response to reduce the propensity of myocytes to undergo apoptosis by enhancing the autophagic process and blocking apoptotic initiation. Lastly, our data suggest that inflammation-induced down-regulation of miR-378 might contribute to the pathogenesis of muscle dystrophy.

MiR-378 and BMP-Smad can influence the proliferation of sheep myoblast

MicroRNA (miRNA) is a sort of endogenous ~20-25 nt non-coding RNAs, and it can regulate a variety of biological events. We found the miR-378 may involve in regulating the muscle development of sheep during our previous research. However, the molecular mechanism of miR-378 regulating myoblast proliferation is still unclear. In this research, we predicted that BMP2 (Bone morphogenetic protein 2) was the target gene of miR-378 and the BMP-Smad signal pathway that BMP2 participated in playing an important role in the muscle development. Therefore, we tried to determine whether miR-378 influence myoblast proliferation of sheep through the BMP-Smad signal pathway. The results indicated that inhibit BMP-Smad signal pathway by interfering Smad4 to promote proliferation of sheep myoblasts; promote BMP-Smad signal pathway by interfering Smad7 to inhibit proliferation of sheep myoblasts; over-expression miR-378 promotes BMP-Smad signal pathway and myoblast proliferation in sheep; interfering miR-378 inhibits BMP-Smad signal pathway and myoblast proliferation in sheep. However, when both of which functioned at the myoblast, miR-378 could not fully depend on BMP-Smad signal pathway to regulate myoblast proliferation. In sum, both miR-378 and BMP-Smad can influence the proliferation of myoblast, but miR-378 does not target the 3' UTR of sheep BMP2.

[Clinical application value of combined detection of serum miR-378 and miR-21 in gastric cancer]

Objective: To investigate the clinical value of combined detection of serum miR-378 and miR-21 in gastric cancer (GC). Methods: Eighty-seven patients with GC and 78 patients with colorectal cancer(CRC) from National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences were selected, 83 individuals undergoing healthy physical examination were selected as the healthy controls. The levels of serum miR-378 and miR-21 were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) (result data were transformed as log2 for analysis). Results: Relative expression levels of miR-378 in the serum were -1.24, -3.25 and -2.73 in healthy controls, GC and CRC patients, respectively. Compared with the healthy controls, the levels of serum miR-378 were significantly decreased in GC and CRC patients (both P<0.05). Relative expression levels of miR-21 in the serum were 0.11, 2.34 and 2.47 in healthy controls, GC and CRC patients, respectively. Compared with the healthy controls, the levels of serum miR-21 were significantly up-regulated in GC and CRC patients (both P<0.05). Moreover, the serum level of miR-378 in GC patients was inversely associated with tumor clinical stage (P<0.05). However, the level of miR-21 showed no significant differences among patients with different clinical and pathological characteristics (all P>0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity and specificity of miRNA-378 to diagnose GC was 0.770, 82.0% and 66.0%, respectively, and were 0.900, 85.0%, and 88.0% of miR-21, respectively. The AUC, sensitivity and specificity of combined detection of serum miR-378 and miR-21 to diagnose GC were 0.930, 92.0% and 87.0%, respectively, while the AUC of combined detection of serum CEA and CA-199 was 0.767, the AUC of combined all of the four factors was 0.946. Conclusion: The combined detection of serum miR-378 and miR-21 have a certain effect on diagnosis of GC.

Long noncoding RNA GAPLINC promotes gastric cancer cell proliferation by acting as a molecular sponge of miR-378 to modulate MAPK1 expression

Background

Dysregulated long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) play key roles in the development of human cancers. LncRNA GAPLINC has been reported to be increased in gastric cancer (GC) tissues.

Methods

Real-time PCR assays were used to measure expressions of GAPLINC, miR-378, and MAPK1 mRNA. Western blot assays were employed to examine MAPK1 protein expression. Cell proliferation and cell cycle were measured by CCK-8 and propidium iodide-detection assays, respectively. The interaction between GAPLINC and miR-378 was confirmed by site-directed mutagenesis and luciferase assays. Luciferase assays were also used to study whether GAPLINC was able to act as a molecular sponge of miR-378 to modulate MAPK1 expression.

Results

The lncRNA GAPLINC expression was upregulated and positively correlated with MAPK1 expression in gastric cancer tissues and cells. Additionally, lncRNA GAPLINC promoted the expression of MAPK1 and the enhancement of GC cell proliferation and cell cycle progression by LncRNA GAPLINC was dependent on MAPK1 in vitro and in vivo. Consequently, we found that miR-378 expression was inversely correlated with GAPLINC expression in GC tissues and cells. miR-378 could directly bind to GAPLINC and decreased GAPLINC expression, thus reducing MAPK1 expression. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-378 inhibited MAPK1 expression, cell proliferation, and cell cycle progression of gastric cancer cells, while these effects were abrogated by upregulating lncRNA GAPLINC expression.

Conclusion

Taken together, lncRNA GAPLINC promotes gastric cancer cell proliferation by acting as a molecular sponge of miR-378 to modulate MAPK1 expression.

MiR-378 promotes the cell proliferation of osteosarcoma through down-regulating the expression of Kruppel-like factor 9

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that play important roles in a variety of biological processes. Dysregulation of miRNAs is tightly associated with the malignancy of cancers. Aberrant expression of miR-378 has been observed in human cancers; however, the function of miR-378 in osteosarcoma (OS) remains largely unknown. Here, we showed that miR-378 was highly expressed in human OS tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of miR-378 significantly promoted the cell proliferation of OS cells. Molecular studies identified Kruppel-like factor-9 (KLF9) as a functional downstream target of miR-378. MiR-378 directly bound to the mRNA 3'-UTR region of KLF9 and suppressed the expression of KLF9. Highly expressed KLF9 reversed the promoting effect of miR-378 on the proliferation of OS cells. The expression level of miR-378 was negatively correlated with that of KLF9 in OS tissues. Collectively, our results demonstrated the molecular interaction between miR-378 and KLF9, indicating the therapeutic potential of miR-378 for OS.

Severity of Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome Affects the Blood Levels of Circulating Inflammatory-Relevant MicroRNAs

The systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is a potentially lethal response triggered by diverse forms of tissue injury and infection. When systemic inflammation is triggered by infection, the term sepsis is used. Understanding how inflammation is mediated and regulated is of enormous medical importance. We previously demonstrated that circulating inflammatory-relevant microRNAs (CIR-miRNAs) are candidate biomarkers for differentiating sepsis from SIRS. Here, we set out to determine how CIR-miRNA levels reflect SIRS severity and whether they derive from activated immune cells. Clinical disease severity scores and markers of red blood cell (RBC) damage or immune cell activation were correlated with CIR-miRNA levels in patients with SIRS and sepsis. The release of CIR-miRNAs modulated during SIRS was assessed in immune cell cultures. We show that severity of non-infective SIRS, but not sepsis is reflected in the levels of miR-378a-3p, miR-30a-5p, miR-30d-5p, and miR-192-5p. These CIR-miRNA levels positively correlate with levels of the redox biomarker, peroxiredoxin-1 (Prdx-1), which has previously been shown to be released by immune cells during inflammation. Furthermore, in vitro activated immune cells produce SIRS-associated miR-378a-3p, miR-30a-5p, miR-30d-5p, and miR-192-5p. Our study furthers the understanding of the origin, role, and trafficking of CIR-miRNAs as potential regulators of inflammation.

Low Expression of FUS1 Is Negatively Correlated with miR-378 and May Predict Adverse Prognoses in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

FUS1 is a tumor suppressor gene that has been found to be frequently lost in a variety of solid tumors. In this study, we aimed to investigate the expression status of the FUS1 gene in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), as well as its clinical significance. We further explored the correlation between the expression of FUS1 and miR-378 in AML. We detected expression of the FUS1 transcript in bone marrow mononuclear cells from 23 controls and 158 newly diagnosed AML patients by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Downregulated FUS1 expression was found in 139 out of 158 (87.97%) AML cases; this rate was significantly lower than that in all 23 controls (p = 0.012). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that the FUS1 transcript level could discriminate AML patients from controls effectively (area under the ROC curve = 0.663). Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that non-M3-AML patients with a low FUS1 expression had a shorter overall survival (p = 0.049) and leukemia-free survival (p = 0.051) than those with a high FUS1 expression. Furthermore, we studied the correlation between the expression of FUS1 and miR-378 in 53 newly diagnosed AML patients. We found that the correlation coefficient was -0.346, which showed that FUS1 and miR-378 were negatively correlated in AML patients (p = 0.011). These results indicate that the low expression of FUS1 is a common molecular event in AML.

MicroRNA-378 regulates cell proliferation and migration by repressing RNF31 in pituitary adenoma

MicroRNA-378 (miR-378) is dysregulated in multiple malignancies and is associated with tumor progression. However, the expression and mechanism of miR-378 in pituitary adenoma (PA) remains to be elucidated. In the present study, the role and mechanism of miR-378 in PA tumorigenesis and development was investigated. It was revealed that the levels of miR-378 expression were markedly downregulated in PA tissues. CCK-8 and wound healing assays revealed that transfection with miR-378 mimics was able to markedly inhibit the proliferation and migration of GH3 cells. Furthermore, quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis demonstrated that ring finger protein 31 (RNF31) was upregulated in PA specimens and the levels of RNF31 expression was negatively regulated by miR-378. In addition, knockdown of RNF31 markedly suppressed cell proliferation and migration in GH3 cells. In conclusion, the present study provides a molecular basis for the function of miR-378/RNF31 in the progression of human PA, indicating a potential novel target for the treatment of PA.

miR-378 suppresses the proliferation, migration and invasion of colon cancer cells by inhibiting SDAD1

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in the growth and metastasis of colon cancer. It is known that one set of miRNAs are dysregulated in colon cancer cells, but the mechanism of their role in cancer development is still largely unknown. Our study focuses on the role of miR-378 in colon cancer cells.

Methods

Human colon cancer tissues and adjacent non-tumor tissues were collected from patients diagnosed in pathological examinations. In addition, human colon cancer cell lines LoVo, CaCo2, SW1116, SW480 and HCT-116, and a normal colonic mucosa cell line NCM460 were included. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to detect the miR-378 level in the clinical tissues and cell lines. In SW480 and HCT-116, miR-378 was artificially overexpressed or suppressed. Cell viability and proliferation were measured using MTT and colony formation assays, and apoptosis was detected via annexin V-PI staining and flow cytometry analysis. The transwell technique was applied to detect the migration and invasion of the colon cancer cells, and their epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) was evaluated by detecting EMT-associated markers using Western blotting. Bioinformatics methods were used to predict the potential targets of miR-378, and luciferase reporter assays were performed to conform the direct binding between miR-378 and its target mRNA. The activity of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway was evaluated by detecting the key factors through Western blotting.

Results

We found that miR-378 expression was low in colon cancer tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of miR-378 not only inhibits the proliferation of colon cancer cells in vitro by inducing apoptosis, but also inhibits migration and invasion by inhibiting the EMT of colon cancer cells. SDAD1 is a direct target gene of miR-378, and knockdown of SDAD1 suppresses the proliferation, migration and invasion of colon cancer cells. We also confirmed that miR-378 alleviated the malignant phenotypes of colon cancer cells by inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Conclusion

miR-378 inhibits the proliferation, migration and invasion of colon cancer cells by targeting SDAD1, defining miR-378 as a potential target for the diagnosis and treatment of colon cancer.

MicroRNA-378 enhances inhibitory effect of curcumin on glioblastoma

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most aggressive and common primary brain tumor, and is virtually incurable due to its therapeutic resistance to radiation and chemotherapy. Curcumin is a well-known phytochemical exhibiting antitumor activity on many human cancers including glioblastoma multiforme. Given the unique miRNA expression profiles in cancer cells compared to non-cancerous cells, we investigated whether these miRNA could be used to cancer therapy. In this report we show that miR-378, a glioblastoma multiforme down regulated miRNA, may enhance the inhibitory effect of curcumin on this cancer growth. Our results indicated that the inhibitory effect of curcumin was enhanced in miR-378-expressing stable U87 cells in vitro and in vivo, compared to control cells. MiR-378 was found to target p-p38 expression, underlying the observed phenotypic changes. Thus, we concluded that miR-378 enhances the response of glioblastoma multiforme to curcumin treatment, by targeting p38.

miR-378 attenuates muscle regeneration by delaying satellite cell activation and differentiation in mice

Skeletal muscle mass and homeostasis during postnatal muscle development and regeneration largely depend on adult muscle stem cells (satellite cells). We recently showed that global overexpression of miR-378 significantly reduced skeletal muscle mass in mice. In the current study, we used miR-378 transgenic (Tg) mice to assess the in vivo functional effects of miR-378 on skeletal muscle growth and regeneration. Cross-sectional analysis of skeletal muscle tissues showed that the number and size of myofibers were significantly lower in miR-378 Tg mice than in wild-type mice. Attenuated cardiotoxin-induced muscle regeneration in miR-378 Tg mice was found to be associated with delayed satellite cell activation and differentiation. Mechanistically, miR-378 was found to directly target Igf1r in muscle cells both in vitro and in vivo These miR-378 Tg mice may provide a model for investigating the physiological and pathological roles of skeletal muscle in muscle-associated diseases in humans, particularly in sarcopenia.

miR-378 Activates the Pyruvate-PEP Futile Cycle and Enhances Lipolysis to Ameliorate Obesity in Mice

Obesity has been linked to many health problems, such as diabetes. However, there is no drug that effectively treats obesity. Here, we reveal that miR-378 transgenic mice display reduced fat mass, enhanced lipolysis, and increased energy expenditure. Notably, administering AgomiR-378 prevents and ameliorates obesity in mice. We also found that the energy deficiency seen in miR-378 transgenic mice was due to impaired glucose metabolism. This impairment was caused by an activated pyruvate-PEP futile cycle via the miR-378-Akt1-FoxO1-PEPCK pathway in skeletal muscle and enhanced lipolysis in adipose tissues mediated by miR-378-SCD1. Our findings demonstrate that activating the pyruvate-PEP futile cycle in skeletal muscle is the primary cause of elevated lipolysis in adipose tissues of miR-378 transgenic mice, and it helps orchestrate the crosstalk between muscle and fat to control energy homeostasis in mice. Thus, miR-378 may serve as a promising agent for preventing and treating obesity in humans.

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Systemically administering AgomiR-378 prevents and ameliorates obesity in mice

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miR-378 transgenic mice show energy deficiency due to impaired glucose metabolism

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The impairment is caused by miR-378-activated pyruvate-PEP futile cycle in muscle

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miR-378 governs energy homeostasis by increased lipolysis via targeting Scd1 in fat

Futile cycles are generally regarded as energetically wasteful processes that are avoided in metabolic pathways. Zhang et al. demonstrate miR-378-activated pyruvate-phosphoenolpyruvate futile cycle plays a regulatory benefit for the energy homeostasis by orchestrating inter-organ crosstalk between skeletal muscle and fat in mice, resulting its implication in preventing and treating obesity.

MicroRNA-378 regulates neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation in vitro by modulating Tailless expression

Previous studies have suggested that microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in regulating neural stem cell (NSC) proliferation and differentiation. However, the precise role of miRNAs in NSC remains largely unexplored. In this study, we showed that miR-378 can target Tailless (TLX), a critical regulator of NSC, to regulate NSC proliferation and differentiation. By bioinformatic algorithms, miR-378 was found to have a predicted target site in the 3'-untranslated region of TLX, which was verified by a dual-luciferase reporter assay. The expression of miR-378 was increased during NSC differentiation and inversely correlated with TLX expression. qPCR and Western blot analysis also showed that miR-378 negatively regulated TLX mRNA and protein expression in neural stem cells (NSCs). Intriguingly, overexpression of miR-378 increased NSC differentiation and reduced NSC proliferation, whereas suppression of miR-378 led to decreased NSC differentiation and increased NSC proliferation. Moreover, the downstream targets of TLX, including p21, PTEN and Wnt/β-catenin were also found to be regulated by miR-378. Additionally, overexpression of TLX rescued the NSC proliferation deficiency induced by miR-378 overexpression and abolished miR-378-promoted NSC differentiation. Taken together, our data suggest that miR-378 is a novel miRNA that regulates NSC proliferation and differentiation via targeting TLX. Therefore, manipulating miR-378 in NSCs could be a novel strategy to develop novel interventions for the treatment of relevant neurological disorders.

MiR-378 suppresses prostate cancer cell growth through downregulation of MAPK1 in vitro and in vivo

Prostate cancer is one of the biggest health problems for the aging male. To the present, the roles of dysregulated microRNAs in prostate cancer are still unclear. Here, we evaluated the anti-proliferative role of miR-378 in prostate cancer. And, we found that the expression of miR-378 was significantly downregulated in clinical prostate cancer tissues. In vitro assay suggested that overexpression of miR-378-suppressed prostate cancer cell migration and invasion promoted cell apoptosis. Furthermore, we identified and validated MAPK1 as a direct target of miR-378. Ectopic expression of MAPK1 rescues miR-378-suppressed cell migration and invasion. In vivo assay demonstrated that the stably miR-378-overexpressed prostate cancer cells displayed a significantly reduction in tumor growth. Taken together, our data suggested that miR-378 may act as a potential therapeutic target against human prostate cancer.

Negative Association of Plasma Levels of Vitamin D and miR-378 With Viral Load in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B Infection

BACKGROUND

Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) is accompanied by inflammation of liver because of infection with Hepatitis B Virus (HBV). Previous studies revealed an inverse association between vitamin D and HBV DNA levels.

OBJECTIVES

The current study aimed to investigate the levels of 25 (OH) D3 (the steady form of vitamin D), miR-378 and HBV DNA in the patients with CHB.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

One hundred and seventy three patients with HBeAg negative CHB were recruited for the study. Plasma levels of HBVDNA and 25 (OH) D3 were quantified. The expression level of miR-378 in plasma was measured by a relative quantitative Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) assay.

RESULTS

In the pathway regression analysis, the plasma level of 25 (OH) D3 showed a significant inverse correlation with plasma levels of HBV DNA (-0.198, P = 0.008) and direct correlation with miR-378 (0.188, P = 0.013). Similarly plasma level of miR-378 had inverse association with HBV DNA level (-0.177, P = 0.020).

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that vitamin D could involve in a miRNA- mediated regulatory pathway in control of HBV replication. Further studies are recommended to understand the effects of miR-378 and anti-infective action of vitamin D on Hepatitis B Virus.

MicroRNA-378 inhibits cell growth and enhances L-OHP-induced apoptosis in human colorectal cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that participate in a variety of biological processes, and dysregulation of miRNAs is widely associated with cancer development and progression. MiR-378 is frequently downregulated in colorectal cancer (CRC) and colorectal cell lines; however, it has high serum levels. Bioinformatics analysis further deduced that CDC40 is a potential target of miR-378, and luciferase reporter assays confirmed the direct regulation of CDC40 by miR-378. CDC40 plays a key role in cell cycle progression through G1/S and G2/M and pre-mRNA splicing. Subsequently, we determined that miR-378 inhibits cell growth and the G1/S transition in CRC cells and that these effects were CDC40-dependent. Finally, miR-378 increased cell apoptosis induced by the chemotherapeutic drug L-OHP. Our data highlight the potential application of miR-378 as a tumor suppressor for CRC therapy and overcoming chemoresistance, and it may also be a potential tumor marker for CRC prognosis.

Decreased expression of miR-378 correlates with tumor invasiveness and poor prognosis of patients with glioma

microRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that play important roles in a variety of biological process. It has been reported that dysregulation of miRNA is always associated with cancer progression and development, and miR-378 aberrant expression has been found in some types of cancers. However, the association of miR-378 and glioma has not been evaluated. In this work, we measured the expression of miR-378 in glioma tissues and non-neoplastic brain tissues was measured using real-time PCR, and found that miRNA-378 expression level was significantly lower in glioma tissues compared with non-neoplastic brain tissues. Patients with lower miR-378 expression level had significantly poorer overall survival. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that miR-378 expression was an independent prognostic factor for 5-year overall survival. Over-expression of miR-378 inhibits glioma cell migration and invasion. In conclusion, our results indicated that miR-378 may serve as a tumor suppressor and play an important role in inhibiting tumor migration and invasion. Our work implicates the potential effect of miR-378 on the prognosis of glioma.

The 5' flanking region of miR-378 is hypomethylated in acute myeloid leukemia

BACKGROUND

Aberrant expression of miR-378 has been observed in various malignancies including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, the mechanism regulating of miR-378 expression remains unknown. This study was aimed to investigate miR-378 methylation and to explore its clinical significance in AML.

METHODS

Methylation status of miR-378 5'-flanking region was investigated by real-time quantitative methylation-specific PCR (RQ-MSP) and bisulfite-sequencing PCR (BSP). The expression of miR-378 was evaluated by real-time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR). The correlation between expression of miR-378 and 5'-flanking region methylation was analyzed using 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC) treatment.

RESULTS

miR-378 5'-flanking region was significantly hypomethylated in AML patients compared to controls (median 0.109 vs. 0.058) (P=0.048). miR-378 expression was correlated with miR-378 5'-flanking region in leukemic cell line treated with 5-aza-dC, but not in AML patients. The level of miR-378 hypomethylation significantly increased in M2 subtype compared to other subtypes. Moreover, patients with t(8;21) harbored the highest level of miR-378 hypomethylation. However, there was no significant difference in overall survival between patients with high and low miR-378 hypomethylation. The association of miR-378 expression with methylation was not observed in AML patients, but miR-378 expression in THP-1 line was increased while methylation status of miR-378 5-flanking region was decreased after 5-aza-dC treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that miR-378 is reactivated by demethylation after 5-aza-dC treatment. 5'-flanking region of miR-378 is hypomethylated in AML especially in those with t(8;21).

Progesterone receptor expression in granulosa cells is suppressed by microRNA-378-3p

In developing ovarian follicles, the progesterone receptor (PGR) is essential for mediating transcription of key factors that coordinate cellular functions including follicular remodeling. With recent investigations examining the role of microRNA (miRNA) in regulating ovarian function we used a lentiviral approach to over express miR-378 in cultured primary porcine granulosa cells to study the role this miRNA may play in granulosa cell development. We revealed that miR-378-3p decreased protein levels and mRNA levels of PGR via targeting its 3'UTR. We observed that this regulation of PGR by miR-378-3p resulted in a corresponding decrease in gene transcripts of ADAMTS1, CTSL1, and PPARG, all known to be regulated by PGR and important for follicular maturation and remodeling. Our study provides the first evidence for post-transcriptional regulation of PGR and further elucidates the role of miR-378-3p in the ovary.

Association between mir-24 and mir-378 in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues of breast cancer

BACKGROUND

MiR-24/378 is thought to be onco-miRNAs for their ability of enhancing tumor growth. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential predictive value of miR-24/378 expression in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues of breast cancer patients.

METHODS

The expression of miR-24/378 was examined in 101 breast cancer patients and 40 controls using real-time quantitative PCR. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS16.0.

RESULTS

We found that miR-24 and miR-378 were significantly up-regulated in breast cancer patients compared with controls (all P < 0.01). The expression levels of the two miRNAs were highly correlated with each other in breast cancer patients, with r = 0.778 between miR-24 and miR-378. Moreover, the two miRNAs exhibited great capability of discriminating between cancer patients and controls by ROC analysis. MiR-24 and miR-378 showed 0.79 and 0.807 AUC values respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Over-expression of miR-24 and miR-378 in FFPE tissue of breast cancer patients might conduct as an ideal source for biomarker discovery and validation in breast cancer patients.

MicroRNA profiling links miR-378 to enhanced adipocyte lipolysis in human cancer cachexia

Cancer cachexia is associated with pronounced adipose tissue loss due to, at least in part, increased fat cell lipolysis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have recently been implicated in controlling several aspects of adipocyte function. To gain insight into the possible impact of miRNAs on adipose lipolysis in cancer cachexia, global miRNA expression was explored in abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue from gastrointestinal cancer patients with (n = 10) or without (n = 11) cachexia. Effects of miRNA overexpression or inhibition on lipolysis were determined in human in vitro differentiated adipocytes. Out of 116 miRNAs present in adipose tissue, five displayed distinct cachexia-associated expression according to both microarray and RT-qPCR. Four (miR-483-5p/-23a/-744/-99b) were downregulated, whereas one (miR-378) was significantly upregulated in cachexia. Adipose expression of miR-378 associated strongly and positively with catecholamine-stimulated lipolysis in adipocytes. This correlation is most probably causal because overexpression of miR-378 in human adipocytes increased catecholamine-stimulated lipolysis. In addition, inhibition of miR-378 expression attenuated stimulated lipolysis and reduced the expression of LIPE, PLIN1, and PNPLA2, a set of genes encoding key lipolytic regulators. Taken together, increased miR-378 expression could play an etiological role in cancer cachexia-associated adipose tissue loss via effects on adipocyte lipolysis.

MicroRNA-23 inhibits PRRSV replication by directly targeting PRRSV RNA and possibly by upregulating type I interferons

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally and play critical roles in intricate networks of host-pathogen interactions and innate immunity. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is one of the most important diseases affecting swine industry worldwide. Here, we demonstrated that miR-23, miR-378, and miR-505 were antiviral host factors against PRRS virus (PRRSV). Over-expression of the three miRNAs inhibited PRRSV infection in a dose-dependent manner, respectively. Blockage of the three endogenously expressed miRNAs significantly enhanced PRRSV replication. Different type 2 PRRSV strains harbored conserved miR-23, miR-378, and miR-505 target sites (TSs) that were sufficient to confer miRNA-mediated repression of PRRSV replication. Interestingly, miR-23 was capable of inducing type I interferon expression during PRRSV infection through IRF3/IRF7 activation, which might further lead to the inhibition of virus infection. These results suggest that miR-23, miR-378, and miR-505, especially miR-23, may have the potential to be used as antiviral therapy against PRRSV infection.

Cardiac stem cells with electrical stimulation improve ischaemic heart function through regulation of connective tissue growth factor and miR-378

AIMS

In this study, we investigated whether pre-conditioning (PC) by electrical stimulation (EleS) induces cytoprotective effect on cardiac stem cells (CSCs) and determined its underlying molecular mechanisms.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Sca-1(+) CSCs were isolated from male C57BL6 mice (12 weeks) hearts. PC of CSCs with EleS ((EleS)CSCs) was carried out for 3 h at 1.5 V followed by exposure to 300 µM H2O2 for 5 h. Cytoprotective effects and cell adhesion ability were significantly increased by EleS as evaluated by transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay, and adhesion assay. EleS increased phosphorylation of AKT, focal adhesion kinase (FAK), and glycogen synthase kinase (GSK3β), as well as decreased caspase-3 cleavage. Interestingly, inhibition of AKT or FAK abolished the pro-survival effects of EleS. We found that connective tissue growth factor (Ctgf) was responsible for EleS-induced CSC survival and adhesion.The survival rate of (EleS)CSCs after transplantation in the infarcted myocardium was significantly increased together with improvement in cardiac function. Importantly, knockdown of Ctgf abolished EleS-induced cytoprotective effects and recovery of cardiac function. Furthermore, we identified miR-378 as a potential Ctgf regulator in (EleS)CSCs.

CONCLUSION

EleS enhanced CSC survival in vitro and in vivo as well as functional recovery of the ischaemic heart through an AKT/FAK/CTGF signalling pathway. It is suggested that Ctgf and miR-378 are novel therapeutic targets for stem cell-based therapy.