The prostate cancer-up-regulated long noncoding RNA PlncRNA-1 modulates apoptosis and proliferation through reciprocal regulation of androgen receptor

Abstract

Objective: Emerging evidences implicate long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are deregulated in cancer development. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the role of new lncRNA, named PlncRNA-1, in prostate cancer (CaP) pathogenesis.

Materials and methods: In this study, real-time q-PCR was used to demonstrate the expression of PlncRNA-1 in 16 pairs CaP tissues and matched normal tissues, 14 pairs CaP tissues and BPH tissues, 4 CaP cell lines, including LNCaP, LNCaP-AI, PC3, and C4-2, and 2 normal prostate epithelial cell lines RWPE-1 and PWR-1E. After PlncRNA-1 was suppressed by siRNA in LNCaP and LNCaP-AI cell lines, cell proliferation and apoptosis were assessed using CCK-8 and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). After PlncRNA-1 and AR was suppressed by siRNA in LNCaP and LNCaP-AI cell lines, real-time q-PCR and Western blotting were used to measure reciprocal regulation of PlncRNA-1 and AR.

Results: We showed that expression PlncRNA-1, was significantly higher in CaP cells relative to normal prostate epithelial cells, as well as higher in human CaPs compared with normal tissues and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Silencing of PlncRNA-1 significantly reduced cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in CaP cell lines LNCaP and LNCaP-AI. Mechanistically, PlncRNA-1 suppression by siRNA resulted in a decrease of androgen receptor (AR) mRNA, protein and AR downstream target. Of note, blockade of AR signaling with siRNA also resulted in a suppression of PlncRNA-1 expression in CaP cell lines.

Conclusions: Our study suggests reciprocal regulation of PlncRNA-1 and androgen receptor contribute to CaP pathogenesis and that PlncRNA-1 is a potential therapy target.

Keywords: Androgen receptor; Long noncoding RNA; Prostate cancer.