MiR-320 and miR-494 affect cell cycles of primary murine bronchial epithelial cells exposed to benzo[a]pyrene.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small noncoding RNA molecules with profound impact on various biological processes. Some miRNAs are involved in tumorigenesis by regulation of cell cycle progression. Here, we cultured primary murine bronchial epithelial cells and then examined the expression of miR-320 and miR-494 in cells exposed to benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P).

Effects of silencing of HER2/neu gene in anti-BPDE-transformed cells.

Anti-benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide (anti-BPDE) is a metabolite of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and acts as a potent mutagen in mammalian systems. However, the molecular mechanisms related to anti-BPDE-induced carcinogenesis are poorly understood. We have used malignant human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE-T) transformed by exposure to anti-BPDE to help characterize these possible molecular mechanisms.