LncRNA TP73-AS1 promotes malignant progression of hepatoma by regulating microRNA-103
Authors: C-X Ma
W-C Gao
L Tian
Journal: European review for medical and pharmacological sciences (2019)
Discipline: PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY
Keywords: lncRNA; TP73-AS1; hepatocellular carcinoma; HCC; microRNA-103
Affiliations: Department of Medical, Xi'an Emergency Medical Center, Xi'an, China. .

Abstract:  Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) TP73-AS1 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and cells, and to further investigate whether it can accelerate the progression of HCC by regulating microRNA-103. Patients and methods: Quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to examine TP73-AS1 expression in 60 pairs of HCC tissues and adjacent ones, and the association between lncRNATP73-AS1 level and clinical indicators of HCC as well as patients' prognosis was analyzed. Meanwhile, qRT-PCR was used to further verify TP73-AS1 expression in HCC cell lines. The lncRNA TP73-AS1 knockdown model was constructed using lentivirus in the HCC cell lines, including Bel-7402 and HepG2. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), and flow cytometry assays were performed to figure out the influence of TP73-AS1 on the basic biological function of the HCC cells. Finally, the involved potential regulatory mechanism was explored using cell recovery experiments, and the relationship between TP73-AS1 and microRNA-103 was further studied. Results: QRT-PCR results indicated that TP73-AS1 expression in HCC samples was conspicuously enhanced compared with paracancerous tissues, and patients with a relatively high level of TP73-AS1 had a higher tumor stage and a lower overall survival rate. Meanwhile, the proliferation ability of cells in the sh-TP73-AS1 group was strikingly lower than that in the control group, while cell apoptosis showed the opposite trend. Besides, qRT-PCR results indicated a negative correlation between microRNA-103 and TP73-AS1 in HCC tissue specimens. The results of the luciferase reporting assay revealed that TP73-AS1 could be targeted by microRNA-103 through binding site. In addition, the cell recovery experiment demonstrated that TP73-AS1 and microRNA-103 might have a mutual regulation, and the two of which could together affect the malignant progression of HCC. Conclusions: TP73-AS1 expression was conspicuously enhanced both in HCC tissues and cell lines, which were associated with advanced tumor stage and poor prognosis. In addition, TP73-AS1 could accelerate the proliferation of HCC cells by regulating microRNA-103. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 The micrographs presented in Figure 6 are falsified. Many areas have been duplicated. ![file] , 
 The corresponding author s choice of email addresses is not an obvious one. ![file] , 
  Figure 5. Annexin V-FITC PI dual staining assay for quantification of apoptosis induction by Lanostane in human MKN-45 GC cells. The experiments were repeated three times and data are expressed as meansu00b1SD. The Means SDs part of the Figure has vanished. More to the point, the two lower panels are rife with repetitions. I have not lavished much attention on the upper panels. ![file] , 
 *[right]* Figure 8 from [Peng et al (2020)] .  Western blotting analysis revealing the effects of Lanostane molecule treatment on m-TOR PI3K AKT signalling pathway of human MKN-45 GC cells . *[left]* Figure 8 from [Zhu et al (2020)] .  Analysis of cell cycle related protein levels via western blotting analysis. The expressions of cell cycle related proteins Cyclin-1, Cyclin-D1 and Cyclin-E all were reduced in SGC-790 cells after oridonin exposure. *[middle]* Figure 6 from [Guan Guan (2020)] .  Artemisinin treatment altered Bcl-2 and Bax expressions which altered Bcl-2 Bax ratio as well in breast MDA-MB-123 cancer cells at presented doses. ![file] , 
 This paper has undergone a stealth revision or correction, replacing Figs 5 and 6. The version currently provided at the journal website was created modified on 13 January 2021. ![file] Interested readers can consult the original version (created on 6 July 2020) via the copy [archived at ResearchGate] . ![file] The editors are invited to come back and replace Fig 8 as well. They may also wish to address Fig 4, which earlier comments forgot to mention. ![file] , 
 I am delighted to report that after a re-revision, the **third** version of this paper (dated 20 January 2021) has a *new* new Fig 4, while this time replacing Fig 8 to remove the overlaps with [Guan Guan (2020)] . ![file] ,