%0 Journal Article
%T Hypoxia/inflammation-induced upregulation of HIF-1α and C/EBPβ promotes nephroblastoma cell EMT by improving HOXA11-AS transcription.
%A Zhu S
%A Zhou R
%A Tang X
%A Fu W
%A Jia W
%J Heliyon
%V 10
%N 6
%D 2024 Mar 30
%M 38524550
%F 3.776
%R 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27654
%X <B>UNASSIGNED: </B>Homeobox (HOX) A11 antisense RNA (HOXA11-AS) has been identified as a cancer promoting lncRNA and is overexpressed in nephroblastoma. However, how HOXA11-AS is regulated in a hypoxic inflammatory environment has not been studied.<BR><B>UNASSIGNED: </B>In this study, gene expression and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) ability were detected in the nephroblastoma cell line WiT49 under conditions of hypoxia and inflammation. Next, HOXA11-AS transcription factors were predicted by datasets and subsequently confirmed by CHIP-QPCR, EMSA, and dual-luciferase reporter assays. Moreover, the regulatory relationships of HOXA11-AS and its transcription factors were further confirmed by rescue experiments.<BR><B>UNASSIGNED: </B>Our results showed that a hypoxic microenvironment promoted HOXA11-AS expression and nephroblastoma progression, induced EMT, and activated the Wnt signaling pathway. Combined hypoxia and inflammation had a more substantial effect on nephroblastoma than either hypoxia or inflammation alone. HIF-1α and C/EBPβ were confirmed to be the transcription factors for HOXA11-AS. Silencing of HIF-1α or C/EBPβ downregulated HOXA11-AS expression and suppressed EMT and the Wnt signaling pathway in nephroblastoma cells exposed to a hypoxic or inflammatory microenvironment. HOXA11-AS overexpression partly reversed the effect of HIF-1α or C/EBPβ knockdown.<BR><B>UNASSIGNED: </B>We demonstrated that hypoxia/inflammation-induced upregulation of HIF-1α and C/EBPβ promoted nephroblastoma EMT by improving HOXA11-AS transcription. HOXA11-AS might be a therapy target for nephroblastoma.