LncRNA EPIC1 downregulation mediates hydrogen peroxide-induced neuronal cell injury

Excessive oxidative stress causes neuronal cell injury. Long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) EPIC1 (Lnc-EPIC1) is a MYC-interacting LncRNA. Its expression and potential functions in hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2))-stimulated neuronal cells are studied. In SH-SY5Y neuronal cells and primary human neuron cultures, H(2)O(2) downregulated Lnc-EPIC1 and key MYC targets (Cyclin A1, CDC20 and CDC45). Ectopic overexpression of Lnc-EPIC1 increased expression of MYC targets and significantly attenuated H(2)O(2)-induced neuronal cell death and apoptosis. Contrarily, Lnc-EPIC1 siRNA potentiated neuronal cell death by H(2)O(2). MYC knockout by CRISPR/Cas9 method also facilitated H(2)O(2)-induced SH-SY5Y cell death. Significantly, MYC knockout abolished Lnc-EPIC1-induced actions in H(2)O(2)-stimulated neuronal cells. Together, these results suggest that Lnc-EPIC1 downregulation mediates H(2)O(2)-induced neuronal cell death.