Lidocaine inhibits proliferation and metastasis of lung cancer cell via regulation of miR-539/EGFR axis
Authors: Yan Sun
Hai Sun
Journal: Artificial Cells Nanomedicine and Biotechnology (2019)
Discipline: BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
Keywords: A549 cell; ERK pathway; NCI-H1299 cell; PI3K/AKT pathway.
Affiliations: a Department of Anesthesiology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University , Changchun , China.

Abstract:  Background: Despite the medical uses of lidocaine has been well-characterized, the study of lidocaine's pharmacological function other the anaesthetic effect was never stopped. This study designed to reveal the effect of lidocaine on the growth and metastasis of lung cancer in vitro. Methods: A549 and NCI-H1299 cells were treated by lidocaine for 24 h. miR-539 expression in cell was silenced by transfection with the specific inhibitor. The changes in cell growth and metastasis were determined using CCK-8 assay and western blot. Luciferase activity assay was performed to assay if EGFR was a target of miR-539. Western blot was used to test the activation of EGFR downstream signalling. Results: Lidocaine suppressed the viability, migration, and invasion of A549 and NCI-H1299 cells while induced apoptotic death. Lidocaine elevated the expression of miR-539. The anti-tumour properties of lidocaine towards A549 and NCI-H1299 cells were partially attenuated when miR-539 was silenced. EGFR was a target of miR-539. Lidocaine repressed the activation of ERK and PI3K/AKT pathways also via regulating miR-539. Conclusion: The anti-growth and anti-metastatic effects of lidocaine towards lung cancer cells. The anti-tumour properties of lidocaine may be partial via up-regulation of miR-539, which blocked EGFR signalling by directly binding with EGFR. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 This paper belongs to a set of over 400 papers (as per February 2020) that share very similar Western blots with tadpole-like shaped bands, the same background pattern, and striking similarities in title structures, paper layout, bar graph design, and - in a subset - flow cytometry panels. Despite these similarities, these papers are authored by researchers from different departments and institutes, with almost no overlap in authors. The list of these papers is available here: https: docs.google.com spreadsheets d 1KXqTAyl4j-jVorFPMD2XRpr76LcIKJ0CVyIvRj0exYQ edit?usp=sharing A more detailed description of this set of papers, suspected to all be generated by a common source, a paper mill , can be found here: * https: forbetterscience.com 2020 01 24 the-full-service-paper-mill-and-its-chinese-customers (January 2020) * https: scienceintegritydigest.com 2020 02 21 the-tadpole-paper-mill (February 2020) The same paper mill has been described in these papers: * Jana Christopher - Systematic fabrication of scientific images revealed - FEBS Letters (2018) - https: febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com doi full 10.1002 1873-3468.13201 * Jennifer A Byrne and Jana Christopher - Digital magic, or the dark arts of the 21st centuryu2014how can journals and peer reviewers detect manuscripts and publications from paper mills? - FEBS Letters (2020) - https: febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com doi full 10.1002 1873-3468.13747 , 
 Expression of Concern, [11 January 2021] . ------------------------------- We, the Publisher and Editor of Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology, are issuing an Expression of Concern for the following article: Hai Sun Yan Sun (2019) Lidocaine inhibits proliferation and metastasis of lung cancer cell via regulation of miR-539 EGFR axis. Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology, 47:1, 2866u20132874, DOI: 10.1080 21691401.2019.1636807 After publication of this article, questions about the scientific integrity of the article content were brought to the Publisher and Editoru2019s attention. We reached out to the authors requesting that they supply information that would confirm the articleu2019s integrity. The authors provided several files in response to our queries, but they were unable to provide the original data in a format which satisfies our requirements to confirm the authenticity of some types of data, including the western blots. Therefore, as we continue to work through the issues raised, we advise readers to interpret the information presented in the article with due caution. The authors have been notified about this Expression of Concern. ,