Abstract
Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the leading causes of mortality in diabetic patients. Long non-coding RNA zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 antisense 1 (ZEB1-AS1) plays a crucial role in the development of various diseases, including DN. However, the molecular mechanism of ZEB1-AS1 in DN pathogenesis remains elusive. An in vitro DN model was established by treating HK-2 cells with high glucose (HG). Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was utilized to detect the expression levels of ZEB1-AS1, microRNA-216a-5p (miR-216a-5p), and bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7). Western blot assay was used to evaluate the protein levels of BMP7, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins, and fibrosis markers. Additionally, the interaction among ZEB1-AS1, miR-216a-5p, and BMP7 was predicted by MiRcode (http://www.mircode.org) and starBase 2.0 (omics_06102, omicX), and confirmed by luciferase reporter assay. ZEB1-AS1 and BMP7 were down-regulated, while miR-216a-5p was highly expressed in kidney tissues of DN patients. Consistently, HG treatment decreased the levels of ZEB1-AS1 and BMP7, whereas HG increased miR-216a-5p expression in HK-2 cells in a time-dependent manner. ZEB1-AS1 upregulation inhibited HG-induced EMT and fibrogenesis. Furthermore, ZEB1-AS1 directly targeted miR-216a-5p, and overexpression of miR-216a-5p restored the inhibitory effects of ZEB1-AS1 overexpression on EMT and fibrogenesis. BMP7 was negatively targeted by miR-216a-5p. In addition, ZEB1-AS1 suppressed HG-induced EMT and fibrogenesis by regulating miR-216a-5p and BMP-7. lncRNA ZEB1-AS1 inhibited high glucose-induced EMT and fibrogenesis via regulating miR-216a-5p/BMP7 axis in diabetic nephropathy, providing a potential target for DN therapy.
ZEB1-AS1; miR-216a-5p; BMP7; Diabetic nephropathy; EMT; Fibrogenesis
Retraction for: Braz J Med Biol Res | doi: 10.1590/1414-431X20209288 | PMCID: PMC7162581 | PMID: 32294702
The Editors of the Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research received a request from the authors to retract the article “lncRNA ZEB1-AS1 inhibits high glucose-induced EMT and fibrogenesis by regulating the miR-216a-5p/BMP7 axis in diabetic nephropathy” that was published in volume 53 no. 4 (2020) (Epub April 9, 2020) of the Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research.
The corresponding author stated: “After careful consideration, we must retract this article, because the data obtained in recent experiments deviated considerably from the data of Figures 2B, 2C, 3E, 3F, 5C, and 5D. We believe that there were errors in the original experiment, resulting in the errors of experimental data. The relationship between ZEB1-AS1, BMP7, and miR216a-5p is uncertain”.
The Editors requested the authors to provide additional information regarding the inconsistencies found in the study. However, the authors presented no further details on that issue. Considering the inaccurate data and experimental deviation detected, the Editors agreed with and endorsed the decision to retract the paper.
The Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research had received authorization from all authors before the publication of the original paper.
Publication Dates
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Publication in this collection
26 Mar 2020 -
Date of issue
2020
History
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Received
5 Oct 2019 -
Accepted
6 Jan 2020
