This study explored the function of microRNAs (miRNAs) in invasive pituitary adenomas (IPA), and developed a microRNA-exosome strategy for the disease treatment. Differentially expressed miRNAs and tumor-associated markers in IPA, non-invasive pituitary adenoma (NIPA), and rat pituitary adenoma cells were identified by bioinformatics analysis and qRT-PCR. Then, the cells were treated by miR-149-5p and miR-99a-3p mimics or inhibitors, or incubated with modified exosome with overexpressed or silenced miRNAs. The cell behaviors were analyzed by molecular experiments. Xenograft assays were constructed by injection of pituitary adenoma cells and exosome into NU/NU nude mice. Tumor size, weight, and expressions of markers related to miRNAs and angiogenesis were determined. Target genes for miR-99a-3p and miR-149 were predicted and verified by bioinformatics analysis and molecular experiments. Twenty differentially expressed miRNAs were identified, among which miR-99a-3p and miR-149 were inhibited in both pituitary adenoma cells and tissues significantly. Expressions of E-cadherin and p53 were down-regulated, while those of MMP-2, MMP-9, N-cadherin, Vimentin, and VEGF were up-regulated in pituitary adenoma cells and tissues, especially in IPA. Further experiments revealed that overexpressed miR-149 and miR-99a-3p inhibited the growth and metastasis of pituitary adenoma cells and tube formation of endothelial cells. MiR-149 and miR-99a-3p overexpressed by exosome showed similar suppressive effects on cell viability, metastasis, tube formation ability, in vivo tumor growth, and expressions of angiogenesis-related markers . Further analysis showed that NOVA1, DTL, and RAB27B were targeted by miR-99a-3p. This study found that overexpressed miR-149-5p and miR-99a-3p induced by exosome could suppress the progression of IPA. Graphical abstract and graphical headlights
1. MiR-149-5p and miR-99a-3p affect the expression of EMT- and ECM-related markers and tumor-related genes in rat pituitary adenoma cells treated with exosomes. 2. Exosome inhibited the tumor growth. 3. Overexpressed miR-149-5p and miR-99a-3p induced by exosome
Ethnopharmacological relevance We previous study verified that decadienyl-L-carnitine (C10:2) biosynthesis has therapeutic-target capacity for RCE inhibiting pulmonary vascular remodeling to modulate experimental pulmonary hypertension(PH). However, the profound molecular mechanism remains incompletely elucidated. Aim of study This study aim to investigate whether C10:2 biosynthesis regulates pulmonary vascular remodeling by activating cell pyroptosis. Materials and methods Rats and pulmonary artery smooth musle cells (PASMCs) model with PH were successfully induced with monocrataline (MCT) and platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) in present study. Following RCE treatment, cell targeted metabolomics assay combining biological information analysis and molecular biological methods were used to investigate the modulatory function of C10:2 on pulmonary vascular remodeling by activating cell pyroptosis and accordingly pharmacological mechanism of RCE against cell pyroptosis. Results We found that C10:2 activated NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway to promote PASMCs pyroptosis, and decreased the level of azelaic acid in PASMCs. RCE can significantly upregulate miR-149-5p to targeting bind Cpt1a mRNA, thus, to decrease CPT1A expression, by which low level of C10:2 was maintained to further promote the biosynthesis of anti-inflammatory azelaic acid in vivo, along with this functional molecule is also one main compound of RCE. Our data further demonstrated that the biosynthesis of azelaic acid directly regulates NLRP3/Caspase1/GSDMD axis to inhibit pyroptosis by targeting NLRP3, we therefore argue that azelaic acid is a key functional compound of RCE for treating PH by inhibiting cell pyroptosis. Conclusion Collectively, our work characterized that azelaic acid is a key functional compound in RCE to express pharmacological efficacy against PH, which was observed to inhibit cell pyroptosis to ameliorate pulmonary vascular remodeling in rats through the regulation of decadienyl-L-carnitine/NLRP3/GSDMD axis. Such work will provide essentially molecular basis for developing anti-PH strategy and associated drug discovery.