The critical role and functional mechanism of microRNA-146a in doxorubicin-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells

Abstract

Background Breast cancer among women is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of death worldwide. There many advances in diagnosing and treating this disease, early diagnosis and treatment are still a significant challenge in the early stages. In recent years, microRNAs have attracted much attention in cancer diagnosis and treatment. However, the role of miR-146a in breast cancer is still controversial. We aimed to investigate the roles of miR-146a in apoptosis in breast cancer cells. Methods A microarray dataset from the GEO database was selected, and using the GEO2R tool, the gene expression profile of this dataset was extracted. Then, the target scan database was used to explore the miR-146a target genes. The link between the signaling pathways was collected. We used miR-146a mimic, which was transfected to the MCF-7 cells to investigate the miR-146a roles in the apoptosis. The expression levels of miR-146a and BAX, BCL-2, and p-21(most essential genes in the apoptosis) were quantified by qPCR and western blot analysis. Results Our findings indicated that doxorubicin induces miR-146a expression. In addition, overexpression of miR-146a affected MCF-7 cell viability, induced apoptosis, and led to reduced expression levels of BCL-2 and P-21, as well as increased BAX expression levels. Conclusion Considering the role of doxorubicin in inducing apoptosis and increasing the expression of miR-146a, it can be suggested that this miR is involved in inducing apoptosis in BC cells. In addition, miR-146a can be considered a therapeutic candidate.