Background/Aims: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in tumorigenesis. We investigated the roles and mechanisms of miR-138 in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: The expression of miR-138 was first examined in NSCLC cell lines and tumourtissues by real-time PCR The in vitro and in vivo functional effect of miR-138 was examined further. A luciferase reporter assay was conducted to confirm target association between miR-138 and the enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2). Results: miR-138 was frequently downregulated in NSCLC cells and tissues. Overexpression of miR-138 inhibited proliferation of NSCLC cells in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. The EZH2 oncogene, which is often overexpressed in various human cancers and acts as an important regulator of cell growth and tumor invasion, was identified as a novel target of miR-138. miR-138 can bind to the 3′ untranslated region (3′ UTR) of EZH2 and suppress the expression of EZH2 at both mRNA and protein levels. Furthermore, knockdown of EZH2 phenocopied the tumor suppressive effects of miR-138 in cell models, whereas ectopic expression of EZH2 rescued the suppressive effects of miR-138. Conclusion: These findings define a tumor suppressor function for miR-138 in NSCLC and further suggest that miR-138 may represent a potential therapeutic target for NSCLC patients.

Background: Recent advances have indicated a complex interplay between the autonomic nervous system and the innate immune system. Targeting neural networks for the treatment of sepsis is being developed as a therapeutic strategy. Because electroacupuncture at select acupoints can modulate activities of the autonomic nervous system, we tested the hypothesis that electroacupuncture at specific acupoints could modulate systemic inflammatory responses and improve survival via its impact on the autonomic nervous system in a rat model of sepsis. Methods: Sprague-Dawley male rats received electroacupuncture for 45 min before and at 1, 2, or 4 h after a lethal dose of intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide injection (6 mg/ kg). Outcomes included survival and systemic cytokine re-

Acute lung injury (ALI) is an intractable disorder associated with macrophages. This bibliometric analysis was applied to identify the characteristics of global scientific output, the hotspots, and frontiers about macrophages in ALI over the past 10 years. We retrieved publications published from 2011 to 2020 and their recorded information from Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-expanded) of Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). Bibliometrix package was used to analyze bibliometric indicators, and the VOSviewer was used to visualize the trend and hotspots of researches on macrophages in ALI. Altogether, 2,632 original articles were reviewed, and the results showed that the annual number of publications (Np) concerning the role of macrophages in ALI kept increasing over the past 10 years. China produced the most papers, the number of citations (Nc) and H-index of the USA ranked first. Shanghai Jiaotong University and INT IMMUNOPHARMACOL were the most prolific affiliation and journal, respectively. Papers published by Matute-Bello G in 2011 had the highest local citation score (LCS). Recently, the keywords “NLRP3” and “extracellular vesicles” appeared most frequently. Besides, researches on COVID-19–induced ALI related to macrophages seemed to be the hotspot recently. This bibliometric study revealed that publications related to macrophages in ALI tend to increase continuously. China was a big producer and the USA was an influential country in this field. Most studies were mainly centered on basic researches in the past decade, and pathways associated with the regulatory role of macrophages in inhibiting and attenuating ALI have become the focus of attention in more recent studies. What is more, our bibliometric analysis showed that macrophages play an important role in COVID-19–induced ALI and may be a target for the treatment of COVID-19.