Upregulation of microRNA-23a regulates proliferation and apoptosis by targeting in laryngeal carcinoma.

MicroRNA-23a (miR-23a) is a potential biomarker for laryngeal cancer. Apoptotic protease activating factor 1 ( was recently demonstrated to be a target of miR-23a. However, whether miR-23a exerts its effects via in laryngeal cancer, remains unknown. In the present study, miR-23a expression was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). mRNA and protein expression levels were assayed by RT-qPCR and western blotting, respectively. Binding of miR-23a to was monitored by a luciferase reporter assay. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function studies were performed in order to investigate the roles of miR-23a and in Hep2 cell proliferation and apoptosis. miR-23a and were found to be significantly upregulated and downregulated, respectively, in laryngeal cancer tissues, and there was a significant negative correlation between and miR-23a expression. The results of the luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that miR-23a bound directly to the mRNA 3'-untranslated region. Ectopic expression of miR-23a and knockdown of significantly promoted cell proliferation and colony formation, and inhibited early apoptosis in Hep2 cells. In conclusion, miR-23a acts as an oncogenic regulator in laryngeal carcinoma by directly targeting , and may be a useful biomarker in the diagnosis and treatment of laryngeal carcinoma.