Journal Article

Inhibition of COX-2, mPGES-1 and CYP4A by isoliquiritigenin blocks the angiogenic Akt signaling in glioma through ceRNA effect of miR-194-5p and lncRNA NEAT1

Chen, Yaxin, Wang, Yang, Li, Ying, Liu, Yanzhuo, Yang, Jing, Fan, Chengpeng, Wu, Dongfang, Wang, Chenlong, Chen, Honglei, Liu, Xiaoxiao

2019

Overview

Background Arachidonic acid (AA) metabolic enzymes including cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1) and cytochrome P450 (CYP) 4A11 play important roles in glioma angiogenesis. Thus, there is an urgent need to identify the underlying mechanisms and develop strategies to overcome them. Methods A homology model of human CYP4A11 was constructed using SYBYL-X 2.0. Structure-based virtual screening against COX-2, mPGES-1 and CYP4A11was performed using the Surflex-Dock of the SYBYL suite. The candidates were further evaluated their antiangiogenic activities in a zebrafish embryo and rabbit corneal angiogenesis model. Laser doppler analysis was used to measure tumor perfusion. The expression of CD31 and α-SMA was measured by immunofluorescence. Western blot was used to measure the expression of HIF-1, Akt and p-Akt. The gene expression of FGF-2, G-CSF, PDGF, TGF-β, Tie-2, VEGF, lncRNA NEAT1 and miR-194-5p were determined using qPCR. The production of FGF-2, TGF-β and VEGF were analyzed using ELISA. Bioinformatic analysis and luciferase reporter assays confirmed the interaction between lncRNA NEAT1 and miR-194-5p. Results The nearly 36,043 compounds from the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) database were screened against COX-2, mPGES-1 and CYP4A11 3D models, and the 17 top flavonoids were identified. In zebrafish screening, isoliquiritigenin (ISL) exhibited the most potent antiangiogenic activities with the EC 50 values of 5.9 μM. Conversely, the antiangiogenic effects of ISL in the zebrafish and rabbit corneal models were partly reversed by 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) or prostaglandin E2 (PGE 2 ). ISL normalized glioma vasculature and improved the efficacy of temozolomide therapy in the rat C6 glioma model. Inhibition of COX-2, mPGES-1 and CYP4A by ISL decreased FGF-2, TGF-β and VEGF production in the C6 and U87 glioma cells with p-Akt downregulation, which was reversed by Akt overexpression. Furthermore, ISL downregulated lncRNA NEAT1 but upregulated miR-194-5p in the U87 glioma cell. Importantly, lncRNA NEAT1 overexpression reversed ISL-mediated increase in miR-194-5p expression, and thereby attenuated FGF-2, TGF-β and VEGF production. Conclusions Reprogramming COX-2, mPGES-1 and CYP4A mediated-AA metabolism in glioma by flavonoid ISL inhibits the angiogenic Akt- FGF-2/TGF-β/VEGF signaling through ceRNA effect of miR-194-5p and lncRNA NEAT1, and may serve as a novel therapeutic strategy for human glioma.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Akt / Analysis / Angiogenesis / Animals / Apoptosis / Arachidonic acid / Asian medicine / Biomarkers, Tumor - genetics / Biomarkers, Tumor - metabolism / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biomedicine / Bone morphogenetic proteins / Cancer Research / Care and treatment / Cell Proliferation / Cellular signal transduction / ceRNA / Chalcones - pharmacology / Corneal Neovascularization - drug therapy / Corneal Neovascularization - metabolism / Corneal Neovascularization - pathology / COX-2 inhibitors / Cyclooxygenase 2 - chemistry / Cyclooxygenase 2 - metabolism / Cytochrome P-450 / Cytochrome P-450 CYP4A - antagonists & inhibitors / Cytochrome P-450 CYP4A - metabolism / Embryo / Endothelial growth factors / Enzyme Inhibitors - pharmacology / Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay / Enzymes / Fatty acids / Flavonoids / Fluorescent antibody technique / Gene expression / Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic - drug effects / Genes / Genetic aspects / Glioma / Glioma - blood supply / Glioma - drug therapy / Glioma - metabolism / Glioma - pathology / Gliomas / Humans / Immunology / Isoflavones / Luciferase / Male / Metabolism / MicroRNAs - genetics / Neovascularization, Pathologic - drug therapy / Novels / Oncology / Platelet-derived growth factor / Prostaglandin-E Synthases - antagonists & inhibitors / Prostaglandin-E Synthases - metabolism / Prostaglandins / Prostaglandins E / Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt - antagonists & inhibitors / Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt - metabolism / Rabbits / Rats / Rats, Wistar / RNA, Long Noncoding - genetics / Synthetic prostaglandins E / Traditional Chinese medicine / Transforming growth factors / Tumor Cells, Cultured / Tumors / Unsaturated fatty acids / Vascular endothelial growth factor / Zebrafish