Upregulation of long non-coding RNA XIST has anticancer effects on epithelial ovarian cancer cells through inverse downregulation of hsa-miR-214-3p.

OBJECTIVE: The present study is to evaluate the biological functions of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), X-inactive specific transcript, X-inactive specific transcript (XIST) in human epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

METHODS: XIST was upregulated in EOC cell lines, CAOV3 and OVCAR3 cells by lentiviral transduction. The effects of XIST overexpression on cancer cell proliferation, invasion, chemosensitivity and in vivo tumor growth were investigated, respectively. Possible sponging interaction between XIST and human microRNA hsa-miR-214-3p was further evaluated. Furthermore, hsa-miR-214-3p was overexpressed in XIST-upregulated CAOV3 and OVCAR3 cells to evaluate its effect on XIST-mediated EOC regulation.

RESULTS: Lentivirus-mediated XIST upregulation had significant anticancer effects in CAOV3 and OVCAR3 cells by suppressing cancer cell proliferation, invasion, increasing cisplatin chemosensitivity and inhibiting in vivo tumor growth. Hsa-miR-214-3p was confirmed to directly bind XIST, and inversely downregulated in XIST-upregulated EOC cells. In EOC cells with XIST upregulation, secondary lentiviral transduction successfully upregulated hsa-miR-214-3p expression. Subsequently, hsa-miR-214-3p upregulation functionally reversed the anticancer effects of XIST-upregulation in EOC.

CONCLUSION: Upregulation of lncRNA XIST may suppress EOC development, possibly through sponging effect to induce hsa-miR-214-3p downregulation.