title: MicroRNA-21 Regulates the Proliferation, Differentiation, and Apoptosis of Human Renal Cell Carcinoma Cells by the mTOR-STAT3 Signaling Pathway.
abstract: MicroRNA-21 (miRNA-21), a kind of short, noncoding RNAs, functioned as a tumor marker and was upregulated in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, the underlying mechanisms of miRNA-21 in RCC were uncertain. Therefore, the effects and mechanisms of miRNA-21 on the proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis of cultured human RCC cells were further investigated in this study. After slicing miRNA-21 in RCC cells, the viability, mRNA expression of C/EBPα and PPARγ, caspase 3 activity, and protein expression of mTOR, STAT3, and pSTAT3 were determined. It was found that knockdown of miRNA-21 downregulated the optical density (OD) value of cells, inhibited mRNA expression of PPARγ and C/EBPα, and enhanced activity of caspase 3. Furthermore, protein expression of pSTAT3 was also decreased in the absence of miRNA-21. Notably, miRNA-21-changed proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis of human RCC cells were partially regulated following the block of the mTOR-STAT3 signaling pathway by the mTOR inhibitor (XL388). It was indicated that miRNA-21 promoted proliferation and differentiation and decreased apoptosis of human RCC cells through the activation of the mTOR-STAT3 signaling pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Xiao-Yong
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Yong-Hui
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bin-Qiang
authors.initials: BQ
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Zuo-Wei
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000235:genetics; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: C524940:MIRN21 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494086:STAT3 protein, human; C546842:MTOR protein, human; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases