Elevation of microRNA-365 impedes malignant behaviors of gastric cancer cells by inhibiting PAX6.

MicroRNA-365 (miR-365) has been revealed to be a vital regulator in tumorigenesis of multiple cancers, while there is a large gap in the knowledge about miR-365 expression and gastric cancer (GC). This research focused on the effects of miR-365 and paired box 6 (PAX6) on GC development. Levels of miR-365 and PAX6 in GC tissues and cell lines were determined, followed by the screening of the AGS and NCI-N87 cells. Gain- or loss-of-function assays were used to analyze the effect of miR-365, PAX6 on AGS and NCI-N87 cell behaviors. The effects of altered miR-365 and PAX6 on animal models were observed. Moreover, to assess the interaction between miR-365 and PAX6, we implemented the bioinformatic method and dual luciferase reporter gene assay. MiR-365 was decreased while PAX6 was increased in GC tissues and cell lines. There existed a negative association between miR-365 and PAX6. The promoted miR-365 could repress oncogenicity in vivo and malignant transformation in vitro of GC. PAX6 was the target gene of miR-365. Overexpression of PAX6 reversed the inhibitory effect of up-regulated miR-365 on malignant behavior of gastric cancer cells. Our research displays that the amplification of miR-365 could suppress the malignant behaviors of GC cells via inhibiting PAX6, which may be helpful for GC treatment.