Objective To investigate the regulatory role and underlying mechanism of the long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) LINC01430 in the inhibitory effect of sanguinarine on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods Differentially expressed LncRNAs and coexpressed target genes in A549 and H1975 cells before and after sanguinarine treatment were identified through high-throughput lncRNA sequencing. LINC01430 expression and its prognostic value were analyzed by using the TCGA database and experimental validation. An LINC01430-overexpressing A549 cell model was established, and CCK-8, TUNEL, RT-qPCR, Western blot analysis, and dual-luciferase reporter assays were performed to evaluate the influence of LINC01430 overexpression on sanguinarine-mediated cell proliferation, apoptosis and NOX4/IL-6 expression.

Results A total of 361 differentially expressed LncRNAs, among which LINC01430 was significantly downregulated (P<0.001), were identified after sanguinarine treatment. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed pathways associated with oxidative stress and inflammation, and the mRNA and protein levels of the target genes NOX4 and IL-6 were markedly reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01). LINC01430 exhibited high expression in NSCLC tissues and cell lines (P<0.05), with a trend toward poor prognosis (HR=1.15). The overexpression of LINC01430 significantly attenuated the inhibitory effect of sanguinarine on cell proliferation and the promoting effect on apoptosis in NSCLC cells (P<0.01) and partially reversed the downregulation of NOX4 and IL-6 induced by sanguinarine (P<0.05). LINC01430 directly activated IL-6 promoter transcriptional activity (P<0.05). Meanwhile, its effect on the NOX4 promoter showed an upward trend without statistical significance.

Conclusion Sanguinarine may suppress NSCLC by downregulating LINC01430 to inhibit NOX4/IL-6 signaling. LINC01430 represents a promising target for NSCLC therapy.