DUXAP8 promotes the proliferation and migration of ovarian cancer cells via down-regulating microRNA-29a-3p expression

L.-M. Li, S.-J. Hao, M. Ni, S. Jin, Y.-Q. Tian

Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Zaozhuang Mining Group Zaozhuang Hospital, Zaozhuang, China. tianyanqin@tom.com

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• Oncology

OBJECTIVE: To study the role of long-chain non-coding RNA (lncRNA) DUXAP8 in ovarian cancer (OCa) and the underlying potential mechanism.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expression pattern of DUXAP8 in ovarian cancer was analyzed using the GEPIA database. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was applied to determine the expression of DUXAP8 in OCa tissues; at the same time, OCa cell lines were cultured to complete functional experiments, including cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), plate cloning experiments and transwell experiments to evaluate the effects of DUXAP8 on the proliferative and migration ability of OCa cell lines. Bioinformatics analysis and Dual-Luciferase reporter genes were used to determine the binding and expression of DUXAP8 to its downstream key gene microRNA-29a-3p in OCa cells. In addition, co-transfection technology and cell function recovery experiments were used to verify the important role of the DUXAP8/microRNA-29a-3p regulatory network in OCa.

RESULTS: DUXAP8 was abnormally highly up-regulated in OCa tissues and cell lines, besides, its expression was related to poor prognosis of patients. CCK-8 and plate cloning experiments showed that knockdown of DUXAP8 in OCa cells can significantly inhibit the proliferation of OCa cells. Transwell results suggested that knockdown of DUXAP8 can significantly inhibit OCa cell migration. In addition, it was found that DUXAP8 can bind and negatively regulate the expression of microRNA-29a-3p in OCa. Functional experiments in OCa cells also revealed that microRNA-29a-3p was a key downstream gene that mediated the regulation of DUXAP8 on OCa function.

CONCLUSIONS: DUXAP8 has abnormally high expression in OCa and can lead to malignant progression of the tumor.

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