Effects and mechanism of miR-133a on invasion and migration of lung cancer cells.

OBJECTIVES

To study the role of miR-133a expression in the invasion, proliferation, migration, and apoptosis of lung cancer cells and its mechanism.

METHODS

miR-133a expression levels in human normal lung epithelial cells (BEAS-2B), H441 cell lines and NSCLC tissues were detected by qPCR. The influence of miR-133a mimics on the migration, proliferation and invasion of H441 cells was examined by CCK-8 assay, transwell migration assay, and invasion assay, respectively. Expression of MMP-9 and LASP1 in H441 cellstreated by miR-133a mimics was determined by western blot. Pearson's test was conducted to study the association of miR-133a expression with clinical characteristics of NSCLC patients. The targeted regulation of miR-133a on LASP1 gene expression was detected by the luciferase reporter gene assay.

RESULTS

miR-133a expression was decreased in H441 cells in contrast to that in BEAS-2B cells (P<0.05). Compared with para-carcinoma tissues, miR-133a levels were markedly down-regulated in NSCLC tissues. miR-133a overexpression inhibited the invasion, proliferation, and migration ability of H441 cells and promoted cell apoptosis (all P<0.05). MMP-9 expression levels were also reduced in the miR-133a mimic group. Moreover, miR-133a expression levels were correlated with tumor size and TNM stage. miR-133a overexpression decreased the expression of LASP1, which is the targeted gene of miR-133a.

CONCLUSIONS

miR-133a overexpression can reduce the invasion, proliferation, migration, and matrix metalloproteinase expression of NSCLC cells and promote cell apoptosis. This may be correlated to targeted down-regulation of LASP1 expression.