Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most deadly cancer worldwide. Multiple long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are recently identified as crucial oncogenic factors or tumor suppressors. In this study, we explored the functon and mechanism of lncRNA double homeobox A pseudogene 8 (DUXAP8) in the progression of HCC. Methods Expression levels of DUXAP8 in HCC tissue samples were measured using qRT‐PCR. The association between pathological indexes and the expression of DUXAP8 was also analyzed. Human HCC cell lines SMMC‐7721 and QSG‐7701 were used in in vitro studies. CCK‐8 assay was used to assess the effect of DUXAP8 on HCC cell line proliferation. Scratch healing assay and Transwell assay were conducted to detect the effect of DUXAP8 on migration and invasion. Furthermore, dual‐luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm targeting relationship between miR‐422a and DUXAP8. Additionally, Western blot was used to detect the regulatory function of DUXAP8 on pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 2 (PDK2). Results DUXAP8 expression HCC clinical samples was significantly increased and this was correlated with unfavorable pathological indexes. High expression of DUXAP8 was associated with shorter overall survival time of patients. Its overexpression remarkably facilitated the proliferation, metastasis, and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition of HCC cells. Accordingly, knockdown of it suppressed the malignant phenotypes of HCC cells. Overexpression of DUXAP8 significantly reduced the expression of miR‐422a by sponging it, but enhanced the expression of PDK2. Conclusions DUXAP8 was a sponge of tumor suppressor miR‐422a in HCC, enhanced the expression of PDK2 indirectly, and functioned as an oncogenic lncRNA.

Objective. The goal of this work was to look at the expression and probable role of exosomal long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) GAS5 in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), as well as forecast the importance of its interaction with neuropeptides in the progression of the disease. Methods. We divided 44 pregnant women visiting the obstetric outpatient clinics at the Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical College from January 2021 to December 2021 into healthy and GDM groups. We measured the expression levels of the lncRNA GAS5 in peripheral blood using PCR and compared the expression levels between the 2 groups. The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and the R software were used to analyse the differences in the genes expressed in the amniotic fluid cells in the GDM and normal groups. catRAPID was used to identify potential target proteins for GAS5. Key neuropeptide-related proteins and potential target proteins of GAS5 were extracted, and protein interaction networks were mapped. AlphaFold 2 was used to predict the structure of the target protein. The ClusPro tool was used to predict protein-protein interactions. ZDOCK was used to further confirm the protein–nucleic acid docking. Results. The lncRNA GAS5 was downregulated in the peripheral blood of pregnant women with GDM compared with normal pregnant women. The subcellular localization sites of GAS5 were the nucleus, cytoplasm, and ribosome; in addition, GAS5 was present in exosomes. Intercellular interactions, including neuropeptide receptors, were increased in the amniotic fluid cells of patients with GDM. Venn diagram analysis yielded seven neuropeptide-related proteins and three GAS5 target proteins. Among them, HERC5/TAC1 interacted and GAS5 docked well with HERC5. Conclusion. The lncRNA GAS5 in the peripheral blood exosomes in patients with GDM may be a new target for the detection of GDM, and the interaction between GAS5 and HERC5/TAC1 may be involved in the pathogenesis of GDM.

MicroRNA-106b-5p (miR-106b-5p) is involved in the development of many cancers including in colorectal cancer (CRC), and FAT4 is correlated with regulation of growth and apoptosis of cancer cells. This study aimed to investigate the relation between FAT4 and miR-106b-5p and the underlying mechanism of the two on the development of CRC. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assay and Western blot (WB) analysis were performed to detect the expressions of mRNAs, miRNA and proteins. The viability of CRC cells was detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8). Scratch test and transwell assay were performed to measure the migration and invasion of CRC cell. Tumor angiogenesis was simulated by in vitro angiogenesis experiment. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to verify the targeting relation between miR-106b-5p and FAT4. The study found that the expression of FAT4 was down-regulated and that of miR-106b-5p was up-regulated in CRC tissues. Overexpression of FAT4 resulted in decreased proliferation, migration, invasion and angiogenesis of CRC cells, whereas silencing of FAT4 led to the opposite results. In rescue experiment, miR-106b-5p partially reversed the function of FAT4 in CRC cells, thus playing a carcinogenic role by targeting FAT4 in the CRC cells.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the intra-amniotic injection of ethacridine lactate in third trimester pregnancy patients and in patients with a history of cesarean section to induce labor.Methods : This retrospective clinical investigation analyzed 270 patients who underwent second or third trimester pregnancy termination at the affiliated hospital of Guangxi Guilin Medical University between January 1, 2017 and February 29, 2020, including those with and without cesarean section histories. Clinical characteristics and outcomes of all patients were analyzed following treatment with ethacridine lactate.Results: A total of 270 patients were hospitalized for pregnancy terminations, including 234 patients in a second trimester group, 36 patients in a third trimester group, 209 patients in a non-cesarean section group, and 61 patients in a cesarean section group. Among the 270 patients studied, five had twin pregnancies, and eight had two previous cesarean sections. All the included cases had successful vaginal delivery. There was no significant difference in prenatal and postpartum hemoglobin, incidence of massive hemorrhage, the rate of residual placenta and membranes, manual removal of placenta, uterine curettage,and blood transfusion between the second and third trimester groups (P > 0.05), as well as between the non-cesarean and cesarean section groups (P > 0.05). The abortion interval (AI) in the second trimester group was longer than that in the third trimester group (P = 0.014), and the hemorrhage of delivery in the third trimester group was significantly higher than in the second trimester group (P = 0.019). The hemorrhage of delivery in the cesarean section group was higher than that in the non-cesarean section group but displayed no significant difference (P > 0.05). No uterine rupture and placental abruption occurred in any of the patients.Conclusions : Intra-amniotic injection of ethacridine lactate demonstrated good clinical effects and could be used as a suitable method for third trimester pregnancy termination or pregnancy termination in women with prior cesarean sections, and it can also be used to induce labor in the second trimester for twin pregnancies and in patients with a history of two cesarean sections.