Long noncoding RNA nuclear-enriched abundant transcript 1 regulates proliferation and apoptosis of neuroblastoma cells treated by cisplatin by targeting miR-326 through Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 pathway.

Neuroblastoma is a common malignancy and frequently affects children, leading to a low survival rate. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are reported to be closely related to cancer progression. The purpose of this study was to explore a novel mechanism of lncRNA nuclear-enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1) in neuroblastoma. NEAT1 was upregulated in neuroblastoma cell lines (IMR32 and SK-N-SH). Overexpression of NEAT1 increased proliferation inhibited by cisplatin and decreased apoptosis promoted by cisplatin. MicroRNA-326 (miR-326) was a target of NEAT1 and miR-326 reintroduction abolished the effects of NEAT1 overexpression on cell proliferation and apoptosis. Moreover, NEAT1 overexpression activated Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK1/STAT3) signaling pathway through absorbing miR-326. Besides, NEAT1 overexpression promoted tumor growth in vivo through stimulating the expression of p-JAK1 and p-STAT3 but inhibiting miR-326 expression. NEAT1 accelerated proliferation and weakened apoptosis of neuroblastoma cells treated by cisplatin by targeting miR-326 through activating JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathway, suggesting that NEAT1 was a potential biomarker against neuroblastoma.