No abstract

Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulators of many cellular processes, and their aberrant expression and/or function is associated with many different diseases, including cancer. However, the identification of functional lncRNAs in gastric cancer is still a challenge. In this study, we describe a novel functional lncRNA, linc00483, that is upregulated and associated with tumorigenesis, tumour size, metastasis and poor prognosis in gastric cancer. In our study, linc00483 promoted gastric cancer cell proliferation, invasiveness and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, upregulated expression of linc00483 in gastric cancer acts as a sponge to absorb endogenous tumour suppressor miR‐30a‐3p. Furthermore, it restores SPAG9 expression, which is negatively regulated by miR‐30a‐3p, and actives MAPK signaling pathway in gastric cancer cells. Thus, linc00483 is an oncogenic lncRNA in gastric cancer and targeting linc00483 or its pathway can potentially be useful in development of targeted therapies for patients with gastric cancer. Our results show that linc00483 is an important regulator in carcinogenesis and may be a useful biomarker to predict prognosis of gastric cancer patients. We believe our findings are novel and will be of interest to scientists working in many areas related to biomarkers in cancer.

This study mainly investigated the effect of matrine on TNBS-induced intestinal inflammation in mice. TNBS treatment caused colonic injury and gut inflammation. Matrine (1, 5, and 10 mg/kg) treatment alleviated colonic injury and gut inflammation via reducing bleeding and diarrhea and downregulating cytokines expression (IL-1β and TNF-α). Meanwhile, serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) was markedly reduced in TNBS treated mice, while 5 and 10 mg/kg matrine alleviated IgG reduction. Fecal microbiota was tested using 16S sequencing and the results showed that TNBS caused gut microbiota dysbiosis, while matrine treatment markedly improved gut microbiota communities (i.e., Bacilli and Mollicutes). Functional analysis showed that cell motility, nucleotide metabolism, and replication and repair were markedly altered in the TNBS group, while matrine treatment significantly affected cell growth and death, membrane transport, nucleotide metabolism, and replication and repair. In conclusion, matrine may serve as a protective mechanism in TNBS-induced colonic inflammation and the beneficial effect may be associated with gut microbiota.

No abstract

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignancies that threatens human health. As the molecular mechanisms unerlying GC are not completely understood, identification of genes related to GC could provide new insights into gene function as well as potential treatment targets. We discovered that UGT2B15 may contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of GC using GEO data and bioinformatic analysis. Using TCGA data, UGT2B15 mRNA was found to be significantly overexpressed in GC tissues; patients with higher UGT2B15 had a poorer prognosis. It was further discovered that UGT2B15 and FOXA1 were both upregulated, and UGT2B15 and Foxa1 were positively correlated in GC. It is known that Foxa1 is a vital threshold to activate the Hippo-YAP signaling pathway. In addition, we suggest that a potential molecular mechanisms includes UGT2B15 which may upregulate Foxa1, activate the Hippo-YAP signaling pathway and contribute to the development of GC. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that UGT2B15 may be an oncogene in GC and is a promising therapeutic target for cancer treatment.