Baicalein inhibits proliferation and collagen synthesis of mice fibroblast cell line NIH/3T3 by regulation of miR-9/insulin-like growth factor-1 axis
Authors: Tingting Zhu
Shoumin Zhang
Xueli Li
Jinghui Song
Li Yang
Journal: Artificial Cells Nanomedicine and Biotechnology (2019)
Discipline: BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
Keywords: IGF-1; NF-κB; Scar; baicalein; miR-9
Affiliations: Department of Dermatology, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, The People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China;, Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China

Abstract:  The aberrant scar is a challenging problem. Baicalein has effects in attenuating hypertrophic scar formation. Herein, the roles of baicalein in NIH-3T3 were obtained. Cells were treated by baicalein. CCK-8 method and western blot were used to detect cell viability and proliferation-related factors. Furthermore, collagen 1, collagen 3 and α-SMA expression were detected by qRT-PCR and western blot. Besides, total soluble collagen was detected by Sircol assay. In addition, the levels of NF-κB and Wnt/β-catenin signal pathways related factors were determined by western blot. The relationship between miR-9 and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 were tested by luciferase reporter assay, qRT-PCR and western blot. We found baicalein cell restrained proliferation and collagen production. Besides, baicalein increased expression of miR-9 and further experiments validated that transfection with miR-9 inhibitor reversed the results led by baicalein. Moreover, baicalein decreased the phosphorylation of pathway-related proteins while transfection with miR-9 inhibitor revised this result. Otherwise, IGF-1 was authenticated as a target of miR-9 and si-IGF-1 reversed the miR-9 inhibitor-induced change in cell proliferation and collagen production. In conclusion, baicalein restrained cell proliferation and collagen production by regulating miR-9/IGF-1 axis through NF-κB and Wnt/β-catenin signal pathways. Highlights: Baicalein restrains NIH/3T3 cell proliferation and collagen production. Baicalein restrains NF-κB and Wnt/β-catenin signal pathways. IGF-1 is a target of miR-9. Baicalein exerts its functions by regulating miR-9/IGF-1 axis. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 This article is a falsification, where all the protein data presented as Western immunoblots are artificially made. This is seen by repetitive patterns in the Western immunblots (seen by adjusting the contrast). I have included just some examples from the article here. An updated list of the large number of affected articles in many different journals is presented here: https: forbetterscience.com 2020 01 24 the-full-service-paper-mill-and-its-chinese-customers ![file] , 
 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 [6 April 2021] . ----------------------------- We, the Publisher and Editor of Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology, are issuing an Expression of Concern for the following article: Li Yang, Xueli Li, Shoumin Zhang, Jinghui Song Tingting Zhu (2019) Baicalein inhibits proliferation and collagen synthesis of mice fibroblast cell line NIH 3T3 by regulation of miR-9 insulin-like growth factor-1 axis. Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology, 47(1), 3202u20133211, DOI: 10.1080 21691401.2019.1645150 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. In particular, they were unable to provide full western blots, where the molecular weight markers are indicated. 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. ,