RETRACTED: Long non-coding RNA HULC promotes UVB-induced injury by up-regulation of BNIP3 in keratinocytes (Retracted article. See vol. 148, 2022)

Ultraviolet radiation b (UVB) is a common high-energy radiation which can lead to cell damage and even skin cancer. The mechanisms of lncRNAs in various diseases have attracted much attention of researchers. Herein, we investigated the effects and regulations of lncRNA highly up-regulated in liver cancer (HULC) on UVB-induced injury in HaCaT cells. The HaCaT cells were exposed to UVB at a wavelength of 280-320 nm. Cell viability was detected at different times (0, 3, 6, 12 and 24 h) after UVB treatment. Cells were transfected with sh-HULC, pcHULC, sh-BNIP3 (Bcl-2 interacting protein 3) or pc-BNIP3, respectively. ZM 39,923 HCl was used as JAK/STAT(1/3) inhibitor. Cell viability and apoptosis were tested by trypan blue dye and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. The expression levels of autophagy-related factors were analyzed by Western blot assay. The expression changes of HULC and BNIP3 were measured by qRT-PCR. We found that UVB decreased cell viability, increased apoptosis and autophagy, and up-regulated the expression of HULC in HaCaT cells. Overexpression of HULC reduced cell viability, enhanced apoptosis and autophagy, and up-regulated BNIP3 expression by activating JAK/STAT(1/3) signaling pathway. Finally, BNIP3 suppression increased cell viability, reduced apoptosis and autophagy via the deactivation of mTOR signaling pathway. The results demonstrated that lncRNA HULC up-regulated BNIP3 and activated JAK/STAT(1/3) signaling pathway to accelerate UVB-induced cell damage in HaCaT cells. This study provides a possible target for the clinical treatment of UVB-induced keratinocyte injury.