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  2. MicroRNA-21-5p targeting PDCD4 suppresses apoptosis via regulating the PI3K/AKT/FOXO1 signaling pathway in tongue squamous cell carcinoma

MicroRNA-21-5p targeting PDCD4 suppresses apoptosis via regulating the PI3K/AKT/FOXO1 signaling pathway in tongue squamous cell carcinoma

  • Exp Ther Med. 2019 Nov;18(5):3543-3551. doi: 10.3892/etm.2019.7970.
Changfu Liu 1 Zhou Tong 1 Jingyu Tan 2 Zengxi Xin 3 Zhiying Wang 4 Luming Tian 1
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning 121000, P.R. China.
  • 2 Department of Stomatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning 121000, P.R. China.
  • 3 Department of Prosthodontics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning 121000, P.R. China.
  • 4 Department of Dental Implants, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning 121000, P.R. China.
Abstract

The aim of the present study was to analyze the role of MicroRNA (miRNA)-21-5p in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC), predict the target gene of miR-21-5p and provide novel strategies for gene therapy in TSCC treatment. The expression levels of miRNA-21-5p in TSCC tissues were analyzed using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and the effects of miRNA-21-5p on cell proliferation, invasion and Apoptosis and the expression levels of target protein PDCD4 in the Cal 27 and SCC9 cell lines were determined. PI3K/Akt/Forkhead Box O1 (FOXO1) pathway-associated protein expression levels were evaluated by western blot analysis. miRNA-21-5p was consistently upregulated in TSCC tissues compared with normal tissues. Inhibition of miR-21-5p inhibited cell proliferation and invasion, and promoted cell Apoptosis. A luciferase reporter assay confirmed that PDCD4 was the target of miR-21-5p. Inhibition of miRNA21-5p suppressed the PI3K/Akt/FOXO1 signaling pathway. The results from the present study indicated that miR-21-5p-targeting PDCD4 suppresses Apoptosis in human TSCC cell lines. This anti-apoptotic effect was achieved by regulating the PI3K/Akt/FOXO1 signaling pathway. These data represent the basis for a promising novel strategy for the treatment of TSCC.

Keywords

apoptosis; microRNA-21-5p; phosphoinositide 3-kinase pathway; programmed cell death 4; tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

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