title: miR-34a inhibits the in vitro cell proliferation and migration in human esophageal cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increasing studies demonstrate that reduced expression of miR-34a is involved in the initiation and progression of cancers, and it has been characterized as a tumor suppressor in various types of cancers. In present study, we investigated the expression and role of miR-34a in esophageal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  qRT-PCR assays were performed to analyze the expression of miR-34a in human esophageal cancer tissues and adjacent esophageal tissues. CCK8 assay, flow cytometry analysis and in vitro migration assays were performed to analyze the role of miR-34a in human esophageal cancer cell. MSP assay was performed to analyze the DNA methylation of the miR-34a promoter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression of miR-34a was down-regulated in human esophageal cancer tissues. miR-34a ectopic expression affected esophageal cancer cells survival, proliferation and capabilities of migration in vitro. p53 status was not correlated with miR-34a. Subsequently, aberrant DNA methylation of the miR-34a promoter was found in human esophageal cancer, and 5-AZA-dC inhibited DNA methylation of the miR-34a promoter.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  our data showed that miR-34a acted as a tumor suppressor in human esophageal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong City 226001, Jiangsu Province, China; Department of Biochemistry and molecular biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing City 210000, Jiangsu Province, China; Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing City 210000, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong City 226001, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Shengluan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong City 226001, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Junhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong City 226001, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong City 226001, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Jianhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and molecular biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing City 210000, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Luo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing City 210000, Jiangsu Province, China. Electronic address: disney1982@163.com.
authors.forename: Yijiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000235:genetics*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004947:Esophagus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic
chemical_list: C522425:MIRN34 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: DNA methylation; Human esophageal cancer; miR-34a; p53