Long non-coding RNA PVT1 activates hepatic stellate cells through competitively binding microRNA-152.

In this study, PVT1 was increased in fibrotic liver tissues and activated HSCs. Depletion of PVT1 attenuated collagen deposits in vivo. In vitro, PVT1 down-regulation inhibited HSC activation including the reduction of HSC proliferation, α-SMA and type I collagen. Further studies showed that PVT1 knockdown suppressed HSC activation was through inhibiting EMT process and Hh pathway. Patched1 (PTCH1), a negative regulator factor of Hh pathway, was enhanced by PVT1 knockdown. PTCH1 demethylation caused by miR-152 was responsible for the effects of PVT1 knockdown on PTCH1 expression. Notably, miR-152 inhibitor reversed the effects of PVT1 knockdown on HSC activation. Luciferase reporter assays and pull-down assays showed a direct interaction between miR-152 and PVT1. Collectively, we demonstrate that PVT1 epigenetically down-regulates PTCH1 expression via competitively binding miR-152, contributing to EMT process in liver fibrosis. PMID: 27588491 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Oncotarget - Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Oncotarget Source Type: research