title: Metformin inhibits cell growth by upregulating microRNA-26a in renal cancer cells.
abstract: Accumulating evidence suggests that metformin, a biguanide class of anti-diabetic drugs, possesses anti-cancer properties and may reduce cancer risk and improve prognosis. However, the mechanism by which metformin affects various cancers, including renal cancer still unknown. MiR-26a induces cell growth, cell cycle and cell apoptosis progression via direct targeting of Bcl-2, clyclin D1 and PTEN in cancer cells. In the present study, we used 786-O human renal cancer cell lines to study the effects and mechanisms of metformin. Metformin treatment inhibited RCC cells proliferation by increasing expression of miR-26a in 786-O cells (P < 0.05). As a result, protein abundance of Bcl-2 and cyclin D1 was decreased and PTEN was increased in cells exposed to metformin. Also over-expression of miR-26a can inhibited cell proliferation by down-regulating Bcl-2, cyclin D1 and up-regulating PTEN expression. Therefore, these data for the first time provide novel evidence for a mechanism that the anticancer activities of metformin are due to upregulation of miR-26a and affect its downstream target gene.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University Shanghai, 200072, China.
authors.forename: Feng-Qiang
authors.initials: FQ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, The Second Hospital Affiliated to Dalian Medical University Dalian, 116027, China.
authors.forename: Ji-Jiao
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University Shanghai, 200072, China.
authors.forename: Jia-Sheng
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University Shanghai, 200072, China.
authors.forename: Jian-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University Shanghai, 200072, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University Shanghai, 200072, China.
authors.forename: Jian-Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Che
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University Shanghai, 200072, China.
authors.forename: Guang-Chun
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University Shanghai, 200072, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University Shanghai, 200072, China.
authors.forename: Jun-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Zheng
keywords: Metformin; miR-26a; proliferation; renal cancer