Metformin Inhibits Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Viability and Mobility in vitro through Down-regulation of Long Non-coding RNA CCAT1 and SPRY4-IT1

Abstract

Evidence indicates that the long noncoding RNAs are involved in the metformin-mediated anti-cancer processes. However, the potential effects of the long noncoding RNAs in metformin-mediated anti-tumor processes in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC) are still elusive. This study uncovered that metformin decreases the level of long noncoding RNAs CCAT1 and SPRY4-IT1 thereby contributing to the down-regulation of c-Myc and vimentin. Also, the RNA level test of human ESCC tissue confirmed the positive correlation between CCAT1 and c-Myc. These findings demonstrated that metformin facilitated anti-cancer effects by targeting the 2 long noncoding RNAs (CCAT1 and SPRY4-IT1) and their consequential targets c-Myc and vimentin. Therefore, the CCAT1 and SPRY4-IT1 might act as novel molecular targets that mediate the anti-tumor effects in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. This helps in predicting the treatment response of metformin in patients diagnosed with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.