Up-regulation of long non-coding RNA SNHG1 contributes to proliferation and metastasis in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: H Jiang
G-Z Xiang
J Wu
W-R Zhang
Y-H Weng
S-X Lin
H-G Wang
F-D Qiu
Journal: European review for medical and pharmacological sciences (2018)
Discipline: PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY
Keywords: SNHG1; laryngeal carcinoma; proliferation; apoptosis; invasion
Affiliations: Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China. .

Abstract:  Objective: To investigate the expression of human long non-coding ribonucleic acid (RNA) small nucleolar RNA host gene 1 (SNHG1) in laryngeal carcinoma tissues, and to study the effect of SNHG1 on biological functions of laryngeal carcinoma HEp-2 cells. Patients and methods: The expression levels of SNHG1 in 20 pairs of laryngeal carcinoma tissues and para-carcinoma tissues were detected via Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Laryngeal carcinoma cells were transfected with small interfering (si)-SNHG1 transiently using the RNA interference technique. The effects of si-SNHG1 on proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and migration of laryngeal carcinoma HEp-2 cells were detected via cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation assay, flow cytometry, and wound healing and Transwell assay, respectively. Results: Results of PCR showed that the expression of SNHG1 in carcinoma tissues was increased compared with that in para-carcinoma tissues. Results of CCK-8 and colony formation assay revealed that SNHG1 knockdown could significantly inhibit the proliferation of laryngeal carcinoma HEp-2 cells. Flow cytometry showed that transfection with si-SNHG1 could promote the apoptosis of HEp-2 cells. Moreover, results of wound healing and Transwell assay showed that SNHG1 knockdown could inhibit invasion and migration of HEp-2 cells through inhibiting the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process and expressions of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9 in cells. Conclusions: The expression of SNHG1 in laryngeal carcinoma tissues is significantly higher than that in para-carcinoma tissue. Patients with high expression of SNHG1 have a poor prognosis. SNHG1 knockdown in HEp-2 cells can inhibit cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis, and can promote apoptosis. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
  A total of 20 patients diagnosed with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and receiving operative treatment in the Otolaryngology Department of our hospital from March **2013 to October 2015** were collected. Fig 1B, C,  Kaplan-Meier overall survival and disease-free survival curves according to SNHG1 expression levels. ![file] Patients surviving disease-free are a fortunate subset of all surviving patients, but here there appear to be **more of them**. After 140 months there are no surviving patients *overall*; and some patients surviving *disease-free*. How does this work? When this paper was published in March 2018, the authors had followed some patients survival for over 11 years after recruiting them, i.e. through to a date range **2024 to 2026**. , 
 *[left]* Fig 2E.  The proteins levels of BAX, Bcl-2, cleaved-caspase9 and PARP were determined by Western blotting in si-SNHG1 transfected HEp-2 cells. *[right]* Fig 2E from [Ge et al (2018)] .  The apoptosis related proteins levels were determined by Western blotting in SKOV-3 cells transfected with si-SNHG1 or si-NC . Unexpectedly similar BAX band. ![file] , 
  To explore the mechanism of SNHG1 in laryngeal carcinoma, SNHG1 in laryngeal carcinoma cells was knocked down, and its effects on cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and metastasis were explored . The HEp-2 cell-line supposedly used in this study are known to be HeLa contaminants, and not laryngeal carcinoma cells. , 
 *[left]*  Figure 3. Effects of SNHG1 on HEp-2 cells migration and invasion in vitro. A, B, HEp-2 cells were treated with si-SNHG1 and si-NC, and the effects on cell migration were determined with cell scratch test. Source appears to be *[right]* Fig 4A-F from  Effects of simulated microgravity on human umbilical vein endothelial cell angiogenesis and role of the PI3K-Akt-eNOS signal pathway ([Shi et al 2012] ). ![file] H t ImageTwin. ,