MiR-19a promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition through PI3K/AKT pathway in gastric cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the mechanism by which miR-19a is up-regulated in gastric cancer (GC), which plays an oncogenic role.


METHODS
In the present study, we investigated the role of miR-19a in gastric tissues as well as two GC cell lines. In vivo, we detected the basal expression level of miR-19a using real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR), and the relevance between expression of miR-19a and clinicopathological information was analyzed. In vitro, miR-19a was ectopically expressed using overexpression and knock-down strategies.


RESULTS
Overexpression of miR-19a was significantly associated with metastasis of GC and inferior overall prognosis. However, no significant correlation was found between miR-19a expression and other characteristics such as age, gender, tobacco, alcohol or tumor size. Cell proliferation, migration and invasion assays showed that overexpression of miR-19a promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion, and that overexpression of miR-19a promoted the epithelial-mesenchymal transition through activating the PI3K/AKT pathway. Blocking the PI3K/AKT pathway could cancel the effect of miR-19a.


CONCLUSIONS
All together, our results suggest that miR-19a could be used as a promising therapeutic target in the treatment of GC.
Wei-Dong Lu, Yun Zuo, Zhen Xu, Min Zhang, Department of Oncology, Zhangjiagang First People's Hospital, Suzhou University, Zhangjiagang 215600, Jiangsu Province, China.
Wei-Dong
WD
Lu
Wei-Dong Lu, Yun Zuo, Zhen Xu, Min Zhang, Department of Oncology, Zhangjiagang First People's Hospital, Suzhou University, Zhangjiagang 215600, Jiangsu Province, China.
Yun
Y
Zuo
Wei-Dong Lu, Yun Zuo, Zhen Xu, Min Zhang, Department of Oncology, Zhangjiagang First People's Hospital, Suzhou University, Zhangjiagang 215600, Jiangsu Province, China.
Zhen
Z
Xu
Wei-Dong Lu, Yun Zuo, Zhen Xu, Min Zhang, Department of Oncology, Zhangjiagang First People's Hospital, Suzhou University, Zhangjiagang 215600, Jiangsu Province, China.
Min
M
Zhang
D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D058539:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase / Q000378:metabolism*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism*; D034622:RNA Interference; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D014162:Transfection; D015854:Up-Regulation
C549214:MIRN19A microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D058539:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition; Gastric cancer; MiR-19a; PI3K-AKT