Knockdown of long non-coding RNA TP73-AS1 inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Oncotarget. 2016 Apr 12;7(15):19960-74. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.6963.

Abstract

Recent studies have shown that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in a variety of biological processes and diseases in humans, including cancer. Our study serves as the first comprehensive analysis of lncRNA TP73-AS1 in esophageal cancer. We utilized a lncRNA microarray to analyze the expression profile of lncRNAs in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Our results show that lncRNA TP73-AS1 and BDH2 levels are generally upregulated in esophageal cancer tissues and are strongly correlated with tumor location or TNM stage in clinical samples. LncRNA TP73-AS1 knockdown inhibited BDH2 expression in EC9706 and KYSE30 cells, whereas BDH2 knockdown repressed esophageal cancer cell proliferation and induced apoptosis via the caspase-3 dependent apoptotic pathway. Overexpression of BDH2 in lncRNA TP73-AS1 knockdown cells partially rescued cell proliferation rates and suppressed apoptosis. In mouse xenografts, tumor size was reduced in lncRNA TP73-ASI siRNA-transfected tumors, suggesting that downregulation of lncRNA TP73-AS1 attenuated EC proliferation in vitro and in vivo. In addition, BDH2 or lncRNA TP73-AS1 knockdown enhanced the chemosensitivity of esophageal cancer cells to 5-FU and cisplatin. Our results suggest that lncRNA TP73-AS1 may be a novel prognostic biomarker that could serve as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of esophageal cancer.

Keywords: BDH2; LncRNA TP73-AS1; biomarker; chemosensitivity; esophageal cancer.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / secondary*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Esophageal Neoplasms / genetics
  • Esophageal Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Esophageal Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Hydroxybutyrate Dehydrogenase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Hydroxybutyrate Dehydrogenase / genetics
  • Hydroxybutyrate Dehydrogenase / metabolism
  • Lymphatic Metastasis
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Prognosis
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / genetics
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / metabolism
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • RNA, Long Noncoding
  • long non-coding RNA KIAA0495, human
  • BDH2 protein, human
  • Hydroxybutyrate Dehydrogenase