MicroRNA-143 reduces viability and increases sensitivity to 5-fluorouracil in HCT116 human colorectal cancer cells.
MicroRNAs are aberrantly expressed in cancer; microRNA-143 (miR-143) is down-regulated in colon cancer. HCT116 human colorectal cancer cells were used to investigate the biological role of miR-143. Transient miR-143 overexpression resulted in an approximate 60% reduction in cell viability. In addition, stable miR-143 overexpressing cells were selected with G418 and exposed to 5-fluorouracil. Increased stable expression of miR-143 was associated with decreased viability and increased cell death after exposure to 5-fluorouracil. These changes were associated with increased nuclear fragmentation and caspase -3, -8 and -9 activities. In addition, extracellular-regulated protein kinase 5, nuclear factor-kappaB and Bcl-2 protein expression was down-regulated by miR-143, and further reduced by exposure to 5-fluorouracil. In conclusion, miR-143 modulates the expression of key proteins involved in the regulation of cell proliferation, death and chemotherapy response. In addition, miR-143 increases the sensitivity of colon cancer cells to 5-fluorouracil, probably acting through extracellular-regulated protein kinase 5/nuclear factor-kappaB regulated pathways. Collectively, the data obtained in the present study suggest anti-proliferative, chemosensitizer and putative pro-apoptotic roles for miR-143 in colon cancer.
Research Institute for Medicines and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
Pedro M
PM
Borralho
Betsy T
BT
Kren
Rui E
RE
Castro
Isabel B Moreira
IB
da Silva
Clifford J
CJ
Steer
Cecília M P
CM
Rodrigues
D000963:Antimetabolites / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D053181:Caspase 8 / Q000378:metabolism; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics*; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000187:drug effects*; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045325:HCT116 Cells; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000378:metabolism*; D048054:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 7 / Q000378:metabolism; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D000963:Antimetabolites; C542359:MIRN143 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D016328:NF-kappa B; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D048054:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 7; D053148:Caspase 3; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9; D005472:Fluorouracil