Circular RNA circ-PRKCI functions as a competitive endogenous RNA to regulate AKT3 expression by sponging miR-3680-3p in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Circular RNA (circRNA) is a new noncoding RNAs and plays an important role in many pathological processes. Recently, studies have shown that circular RNA_PRKCI (circ-PRKCI) regulates cell proliferation and cell migration of tumor cells. Esophageal carcinoma is a highly malignant digestive tract tumor, which is divided into esophageal adenocarcinoma and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. In this study, we studied whether circ-PRKCI might influence cell proliferation and cell migration in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR was performed to detect the relative expression of circ-PRKCI in five cases of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and five cases of paired adjacent normal tissues. RNA immunoprecipitation assay and Luciferase assay confirm the direct interaction between miR-3680-3p and AKT3 or circ-PRKCI. Ethynyldeoxyuridine assays and cell counting Kit-8 were performed to evaluate the effect of miR-3680-3p or circ-PRKCI on cell proliferation, transwell assays were also performed to detect migration in vitro. We found circ-PRKCI is obviously upregulated in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and upregulation of circ-PRKCI stimulated cell migration and proliferation of ESCC cells. In the mechanism, we confirm that circ-PRKCI, as a molecular sponge of miR-3680-3p, upregulates the expression of AKT. In conclusion, our current studies have been revealing that circ-PRKCI/miR-3680-3p/AKT3 regulatory network plays an important role in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and that provide new insights into the pathogenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.