RETRACTED: Long non-coding RNA PVT1 promote LPS-induced septic acute kidney injury by regulating TNFα and JNK/NF-κB pathways in HK-2 cells
Authors: Kaijiang Yu
Yinghao Sun
Xueting Li
Hong Gao
Qian Wang
Dawei Wang
Xiuwen Lan
Wei Huang
Journal: International Immunopharmacology (2017)
Discipline: PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY
Keywords: Inflammatory response; JNK/NF-κB signaling pathway; Plasmacytoma variant translocation 1; Septic acute kidney injury.
Affiliations: Department of Intensive Care Unit, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, China., Department of Intensive Care Unit, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, China. Electronic address: .

Abstract:  This study aimed to investigate the effect and underlying mechanism of long non-coding RNA plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation injury in HK-2 cells. We established LPS-induced septic acute kidney injury (AKI) model in HK-2 cells. LPS-induced HK-2 cells were transfected with pc-PVT1, pc-NC, si-PVT1 or si-NC. Cell viability and apoptosis rate were detected by MTT assay and Annexin V-FITC/PI Apoptosis Detection kit, respectively. The relationships of PVT1 and inflammatory factors were evaluated by RNA Immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay. The levels of inflammatory factors, apoptosis-related proteins and the expressions of proteins related to c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway were detected by ELISA or Western blotting. Compared with cells with pc-NC, cell viability was remarkably decreased and cell apoptosis rate was increased in LPS-induced cells with pc-PVT1 (p&lt;0.05). The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-1β were significantly increased in LPS-induced cells with pc-PVT1 compared with cells with pc-NC (p&lt;0.05). All these changes were reversed in LPS-induced cells with si-PVT1 and si-NC (p&lt;0.05). RTP assay revealed that PVT1 could bind to TNF-α. Furthermore, down-regulated PVT1 remarkably reduced the expressions of p-JNK and p-c-Jun, p-IκBα and p-p65 (p&lt;0.05); while increased expressions of these proteins and inflammatory factors induced by up-regulated PVT1 were reversed by JNK or NF-κB inhibitors. PVT1 may promote inflammatory response by binding to TNF-α and inhibiting JNK/NF-κB signaling pathway in LPS-induced septic AKI cells. 

Retracted: Yes

PubPeer comments:
  Fig. 2. Up-regulated PVT1 promoted cell apoptosis in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced HK-2 cells. A, Cell apoptosis rate in LPS-induced cells with pc-PVT1, pc-NC, si-PVT1, or si-NC by Annexin V-FITC PI Apoptosis Detection kit using flow cytometry . Two of the panels (marked here) seem to be based on actual experimental data. ![file] It s just that the **same** experimental data were used in both panels, incomplete in one case, and brutally truncated to the right. But every point in the PC-nc panel is also present in the SI-nc panel. ![file] , 
 Of the less realistic FACS plots, two reappear in Figs 3(C) and 5(C) of [Guo Chen (2018)] . ![] ![] There are no (credited) authors in common. , 
 #2 The si-PVT1 panel of Fig 2A also reappeared in Fig 2C of [Chen et al (2018)] . ![] Update: And AGAIN in 2D of [Liu et al (2019)] . ![] UPDATE #2: Fig 2C from [Shao et al (2018)] . ![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 , 
 Retracted [22 April 2021] . ---------------------------- This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal . This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief as a result of the similarities between the panels u201csi-NCu201d and u201cpc-NCu201d from Fig. 2A. Moreover, panel u201cControlu201d from Figure 2A appears similar to panel u201cControlu201d from Figure 5C of the article that Jinjing Guo and Ying Cheng have published in the Biomedicine Pharmacotherapy 104 (2018) 60u201368 https: doi.org 10.1016 j.biopha.2018.05.012. Panel u201csi-PVT1u201d from Fig. 2A appears similar to panel u201cControlu201d from Figure 3C of the article Biomedicine Pharmacotherapy 104 (2018) 60, panel u201cLPS + sh-NEAT1u201d from Fig. 2C of the article that Chen Yi, Qiu Jialing, Chen Bin, Lin Youping, Chen Yulan, Xie Guojin, Qiu Junming, Tong Huasheng and Jiang Dongxin have published in the International Immunopharmacology 59 (2018) 252u2013260 https: doi.org 10.1016 j.intimp.2018.03.023, panel u201cControlu201d from Fig. 2D of the article that Xiaodi Liu, Chengying Hong, Shipin Wu, Shiling Song, Zhi Yang, Lin Cao, Tongwei Song and Ying Yang have published in the Journal of Cellular Biochemistry 120 (2019) 11331u201311341 https: doi.org 10.1002 jcb.28409 and panel u201cControlu201d from Fig. 2C of the article that Wenjing Shao, Yuying Li, Feng Chen, Haiyan Jia, Jia Jia and Yan Fu have published in Die Pharmazie u2013 An International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 73 (2018) 379u2013385 https: doi.org 10.1691 ph.2018.8352. Although this article was published earlier than the other articles, the Editor decided to retract this article given concerns about the reliability of the data. Given the comments of Dr Elisabeth Bik https: scienceintegritydigest.com 2020 02 21 the-tadpole-paper-mill regarding this article, the journal requested the corresponding author to provide the raw data. However, the author never responded to this request. , 
 Via http: www.most.gov.cn zxgz kycxjs kycxgzdt 202203 t20220318_179892.html u3000u30001. The paper  Long non-coding RNA PVT1 promote LPS-induced septic acute kidneyinjury by regulating TNFu03b1 and JNK NF-u03baB pathways in HK-2 on the paper  Long non-coding RNA PVT1 promote LPS-induced septic acute kidney injury by regulating TNFu03b1 and JNK NF-u03baB pathways in HK-2 cells . After investigation, the paper was found to have tampered with data and improper signatures. Huang Wei was dealt with as follows: scientific research integrity admonition talk, cancellation of application for scientific and technological plans (special projects, funds, etc.) projects and awards for 5 years, and cancellation of professional title qualification for 3 years; Kaijiang was dealt with as follows: scientific research integrity admonition talk, canceled Apply for science and technology plan (special projects, funds, etc.) projects and award qualifications for 3 years, and cancel the admission qualification for academic degree graduate students for 3 years. u3000u3000(Notification link: https: www.hrbmu.edu.cn kyc info 1026 1252.htm) ,