Fig. 8.

CircXRN2/LATS1 axis inhibits tumor growth and metastasis of bladder cancer in vivo. a T24 cells (6 × 10⁶) transfected with control, circXRN2 or circXRN2 and shLATS1 were injected subcutaneously to establish a tumorigenesis model in nude mice. b, c At Day 35 after treatment, all mice were sacrificed, and tumors were dissected and photographed. Tumor weight was also recorded. d The parameters of subcutaneous tumors were measured and recorded every 7 days. We calculated the volume of the tumor according to the formula below: tumor volume = 0.5 × length × width × width (mm³). e We also established a lung metastasis model by injecting 5 × 10⁶ different T24 cells into the tail vein to evaluate the ability of cells to metastasize in vivo. f, g Fifty days later, mice were sacrificed, and lung tissues were photographed and subjected to H&E staining. The number of lung metastatic nodules was counted. h Immunohistochemistry was used to visualize and compare the protein levels of LATS1, TAZ/YAP, LCN2 and H3K18la in tumors collected from the control, circXRN2 overexpression and circXRN2 with shLATS1 groups. Scale bar: 20 μm. i Immunoblotting was used to determine the protein levels of LATS1, TAZ/YAP, LCN2 and H3K18la in tumors collected from the control, circXRN2 overexpression and circXRN2 with shLATS1 groups. j The expression levels of LCN2 mRNA were measured by qRT‒PCR. k Schematic illustration of the current study: circXRN2 suppresses tumor progression driven by H3K18 lactylation in human bladder cancer by activating the Hippo signaling pathway. All the data are presented as the mean ± standard deviation (n = 5 in the tumorigenesis model, n = 3 in the metastatic model). *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, compared with the circXRN2 overexpression group