LncRNA RP5-916L7.2 correlates with advanced tumor stage, and promotes cells proliferation while inhibits cells apoptosis through targeting miR-328 and miR-939 in tongue squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

BackgroundThis study aimed to investigate the correlation of lncRNA RP5-916L7.2 with tumor features of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC), and its effect on cells proliferation and apoptosis as well as its target miRNAs in TSCC cells. Methods30 TSCC patients underwent surgery were consecutively enrolled, tumor tissue and paired adjacent tissue were obtained for lncRNAs determination. Blank mimic (NC(+)), lncRNA RP5-916L7.2 mimic (RP5-916L7.2(+)), blank inhibitor (NC(−)), lncRNA RP5-916L7.2 inhibitor (RP5-916L7.2(−)), lncRNA RP5-916L7.2 inhibitor/miR-328-5p inhibitor (RP5-916L7.2(−)/miR-328(−)) and lncRNA RP5-916L7.2 inhibitor/miR-939-5p inhibitor (RP5-916L7.2(−)/miR-939(−)) plasmids were transfected into Tca-8113 cells. qPCR assay, CCK-8 assay, AV/PI assay were performed to detect the miRNA/lncRNA expression, cells proliferation and cells apoptosis, respectively. ResultslncRNA RP5-916L7.2 was increased in tumor tissue compared with paired adjacent tissue, and correlated with higher T stage, N stage as well as TNM stage in TSCC patients. In vitro experiments revealed that lncRNA RP5-916L7.2 promoted cells proliferation and repressed cells apoptosis in Tca-8113 cells. Subsequently, we selected top five potential target miRNAs of lncRNA RP5-916L7.2, and found that lncRNA RP5-916L7.2 reversely regulated the levels of miR-328-5p and miR-939-5p in Tca-8113 cells. Thus, we conducted rescue experiments, which showed that lncRNA RP5-916L7.2 enhanced cells proliferation and inhibited cells apoptosis through targeting miR-328-5p and miR-939-5p in Tca-8113 cells. ConclusionslncRNA RP5-916L7.2 was up regulated in tumor tissue and positively correlated with tumor stage, and promoted cells proliferation while inhibited cells apoptosis by targeting miR-328-5p and miR-939-5p in TSCC.