MicroRNA-381 suppresses the proliferation of osteosarcoma cells through LRH-1/Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

We explored the function of microRNA-381 on osteosarcoma cell growth and anticancer mechanism for clinic treatment. MicroRNA-381 of osteosarcoma patients was decreased, microRNA-381 levels were more downregulated at stages III/IV than those at stage I/II in osteosarcoma patients. Downregulation of microRNA-381 using anti-microRNA-381 mimics increased cell proliferation, decreased LDH activity and apoptosis, and inhibited caspase‑3/9 activities, Bax/Bcl-2 and p53 protein expression in vitro osteosarcoma cells through upregulation of LRH-1/Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Overexpression of microRNA-381 using microRNA-381 mimics inhibited cell proliferation, induced apoptosis and increased LDH activity, caspase‑3/9 activities, expression of Bax/Bcl-2 and p53 protein in osteosarcoma of in vitro model through downregulation of LRH-1/Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Si‑LRH‑1 promoted the anticancer effects of microRNA-381 on osteosarcoma cell growth through Wnt/β‑catenin signaling pathway. Thus, our data suggested that microRNA-381 suppresses the proliferation of osteosarcoma cells through upregulation of LRH-1/Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.