miR-340 Inhibits Proliferation and Induces Apoptosis in Gastric Cancer Cell Line SGC-7901, Possibly via the AKT Pathway

Abstract

BackgroundGastric cancer is among the most common types of cancer, with high morbidity and mortality. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play vital roles in the tumorigenesis and biology of gastric cancer. This study aimed to reveal the role of miR-340 in gastric cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis and to elucidate the potential mechanisms.Material/MethodsHuman gastric cancer cells SGC-7901 were used in this study for cell transfection with miR-340 mimic or inhibitor. After transfection, cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis were examined by MTT, BrdU, and flow cytometry assays, respectively. The protein level changes of p27, p21, Caspase 3 (CASP3), B cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2), BCL2-associated X protein (BAX), and v-AKT murine thymoma viral oncogene (AKT) were detected by Western blot.ResultsOverexpression of miR-340 significantly reduced cell viability and proliferation (P<0.01), and induced cell apoptosis (P<0.01) of SGC-7901. miR-340 elevated the protein level of cell cycle inhibitor p27, but did not affect the level of p21. Apoptosis-related factors pro-CASP3, cleaved-CASP3, and BAX were promoted, and BCL2 was inhibited by miR-340. miR-340 also suppressed the phosphorylation of AKT. Opposite effects were detected when SGC-7901 cells were transfected with miR-340 inhibitor.ConclusionsThese results indicate that miR-340 can inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of SGC-7901 cells, suggesting its roles in protecting against gastric cancer. The roles of miR-340 in gastric cancer cells may be associated with its regulation of the AKT pathway. Thus, miR-340 may be a potential therapeutic strategy for gastric cancer treatment.

MiR‐340 suppresses the metastasis by targeting EphA3 in cervical cancer

“…Finding specific miRNAs and its target genes that participate in the occurrence of tumors is important for the diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumors. We found that miR‐340 is an impaired regulatory factor in many cancers, such as breast cancer and gastric cancer (Yu et al, ; Shi et al, ). Therefore, miR‐340 is the target of this study to investigate whether miR‐340 is abnormally expressed in cervical cancer.…”

miR-340: A multifunctional role in human malignant diseases

“…In CRC, miR-340 was observed to target RLIP76 50 and REV3L 64 to mediate cell apoptosis. Moreover, miR-340 increased the levels of apoptosis-related factors pro-caspase 3, cleaved-caspase 3, and Bax, but inhibited Bcl-2 in SGC-7901 cells 18 . A similar phenomenon was also observed in the endometrial carcinoma cell line RL 95-2 65 .…”

“…Recently, a number of studies have reported that miR-340 plays a critical role in tumor initiation and progression, by targeting multiple oncogenes such as SKP2 , FHL2 , c-Met , and ROCK1 ( Table 1 ). Some signaling pathways related to tumorigenesis, such as AKT 18 , SOCS3/JAK-STAT 19 , and Wnt/β-catenin pathways 20 , were shown to be suppressed by miR-340.…”

miFAST: A novel and rapid microRNA target capture method

“…). miR‐340 is a tumor suppressor in melanoma and other cancers . We previously highlighted a pathway‐specific model of miRNA‐directed regulation in melanoma via miR‐340‐dependent modulation of the MAPK pathway, the most commonly dysregulated pathway in melanomas .…”

“…We previously highlighted a pathway‐specific model of miRNA‐directed regulation in melanoma via miR‐340‐dependent modulation of the MAPK pathway, the most commonly dysregulated pathway in melanomas . miR‐340 regulates proliferation, migration, and invasion in melanoma cells as well as in breast, lung, osteosarcoma, glioma, and other cancers . However, miRNA effects are pleiotropic, and although some miR‐340 targets have been identified, the entire targetome is unknown.…”