LncRNA MEG3 Inhibits Tumor Progression by Modulating Macrophage Phenotypic Polarization via miR-145-5p/DAB2 Axis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Qing Wei; Guoman Liu; Zihua Huang; Yanyan Huang; Lizheng Huang; Zheng Huang; Xianjian Wu; Huamei Wei; Jian Pu

doi:10.2147/JHC.S408800

LncRNA MEG3 Inhibits Tumor Progression by Modulating Macrophage Phenotypic Polarization via miR-145-5p/DAB2 Axis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

J Hepatocell Carcinoma. 2023 Jul 5:10:1019-1035. doi: 10.2147/JHC.S408800. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Qing Wei^#¹, Guoman Liu^#¹, Zihua Huang^#¹, Yanyan Huang¹, Lizheng Huang¹, Zheng Huang¹, Xianjian Wu², Huamei Wei³, Jian Pu²

Affiliations

¹ Graduate College of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, Guangxi, 533099, People's Republic of China.
² Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, Guangxi, 533000, People's Republic of China.
³ Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, Guangxi, 533000, People's Republic of China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the predominant histological type of primary liver cancer, which ranks sixth among the most common human tumors. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are an important component of tumor microenvironment (TME) and the M2 macrophage polarization substantially contributes to tumor growth and metastasis. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) MEG3 was reported to restrain HCC development. However, whether MEG3 regulates macrophage phenotypic polarization in HCC remains unclear.

Methods: Bone marrow derived macrophages (BMDMs) were treated with LPS/IFNγ and IL4/IL13 to induce the M1 and M2 macrophage polarization, respectively. M2-polarized BMDMs were simultaneously transfected with adenovirus vector overexpressing MEG3 (Adv-MEG3). Subsequently, M2-polarized BMDMs were cultured for 24 h with serum-free medium, the supernatants of which were harvested as conditioned medium (CM). HCC cell line Huh7 was cultured with CM for 24 h. F4/80⁺CD68⁺ and F4/80⁺CD206⁺ cell percentages in M1-and M2-polarized BMDMs were calculated using flow cytometry. Huh7 cell migration, invasion and angiogenesis were determined via Transwell assay and tube formation experiment. Nude mice were implanted with Huh7 cells and Adv-MEG3-transfected M2-polarizd BMDMs, and tumor growth and M2 macrophage polarization markers were assessed. The binding between miR-145-5p and MEG3 or disabled-2 (DAB2) was verified by luciferase reporter assay.

Results: MEG3 presented lower expression in HCC tissues than in normal controls, and low expression of MEG3 was correlated to poorer prognosis of HCC patients. MEG3 expression was enhanced during LPS/IFNγ-induced M1 polarization, but was reduced during IL4/IL13-induced M2 polarization. MEG3 overexpression inhibited the expression of M2 polarization markers in both M2-polarized BMDMs and mice. Mechanically, MEG3 bound with miR-145-5p to regulate DAB2 expression. Overexpressing MEG3 suppressed M2 polarization-induced HCC cell metastasis and angiogenesis by upregulating DAB2 and inhibited in vivo tumor growth.

Conclusion: LncRNA MEG3 curbs HCC development by repressing M2 macrophage polarization via miR-145-5p/DAB2 axis.

Keywords: DAB2; MEG3; hepatocellular carcinoma; macrophage polarization; metastasis; miR-145-5p; tumor microenvironment.

Grants and funding

The work was supported by Guangxi Science and Technology Project (Grant no.2021AC20006), and High-level personnel project of Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities (Grant no. R202210307).