The role of miR-372 in ovarian carcinoma cell proliferation.

OBJECTIVES: MicroRNA-372 has been shown to be associated with multiple tumors' development and progression, by regulating the expression of proteins involved in cell cycle and apoptosis. However, the specific mechanism and function of miR-372 in ovarian carcinoma are not clear. Our study explored the role of miR-372 in ovarian carcinoma cell cycle and proliferation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: MiR-372 expression was quantified in normal ovarian tissue, benign tumors, primary ovarian carcinomas and metastatic omentum by qRT-PCR. MTT assay and plate clone formation assay were performed to evaluate the cell viability and proliferation. EDU assay and cell apoptosis assay were also used to determine cell growth. We used Western Blot to analysis expression of the known miR-372 targets.

RESULTS: We found that miR-372 expression was significantly lower in ovarian carcinoma than normal ovarian tissues and benign tumors. Moreover, miR-372 overexpression showed significant inhibition of cell proliferation and promoted cell apoptosis. Western Blot revealed that miR-372 downregulated the expression of ATAD2, LATS2, P62, DKK1 and cyclinA1 to inhibit the proliferation of cells.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that miR-372 has a prominent role in inhibiting tumor growth and it is a valuable target for ovarian cancer therapy.