title: MicroRNA-338 inhibits migration and proliferation by targeting hypoxia-induced factor 1α in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is an endemic type of head and neck cancer with a high rate of cervical lymph node metastasis. An increasing number of studies have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a key role in the development and progression of NPC. miR-338-3p has been demonstrated as an anti-oncogene in different solid tumors. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential role of miR‑338-3p in the development and progression of NPC. Compared with normal samples, our data showed that miR-338-3p were downregulated in NPC tissues and cells. The luciferase assay demonstrated that HIF-1α was a direct target of miR-338-3p. We also found that miR-338-3p regulated the expression levels of HIF-1α, respectively. Overexpression of miR-338-3p in NPC cells significantly inhibited cell proliferation, and migration. Conversely, miR-338-3p knockdown in cells with lower endogenous expression levels significantly reduced antitumor behavior. Furthermore, enforced expression of miR-338-3p led to a decline in ERK phosphorylation as well as inhibited the hypoxia induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Cells pre-transfected with miR-338-3p can overcome hypoxia-mediated cisplatin resistance. Taken together, we found that miR-338-3p directly targeted HIF-1α, and we provide insight into NPC initiation and progression, possibly representing a novel therapeutic target.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ear, Nose and Throat, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xingyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Ear, Nose and Throat, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: You
authors.affiliation: Department of Ear, Nose and Throat, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Si
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Ear, Nose and Throat, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Qicheng
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ear, Nose and Throat, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yiwen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: You
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma; D015687:Cell Hypoxia / Q000235:genetics; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000235:genetics*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D006801:Humans; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: C497442:HIF1A protein, human; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; C532050:MIRN338 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs