miR-135b inhibits tumour metastasis in prostate cancer by targeting STAT6

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that participate in several cellular functions and tumour progression. A previous microarray study demonstrated that miR-135b is downregulated in prostate cancer (PCa) cells, but the role and molecular mechanism of miR-135b in the regulation of tumour metastasis remain to be elucidated.

In the present study, significant downregulation of miR-135b in PCa tissues, compared with noncancerous tissues, was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Furthermore, the expression of miR-135b was demonstrated to be associated with the pathological stage and the levels of total and free prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in PCa cells. In addition, signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) was identified as a target of miR-135b in PCa cells by luciferase activity and western blot assays. The upregulation of miR-135b in PCa cells led to reduced expression of STAT6 in the cytoplasm and nucleus of these cells, while the overexpression of miR-135b and knockdown of STAT6 were able to inhibit the migration and invasion abilities of PCa cells in vitro. Therefore, the results of the present study indicate that miR-135b suppresses tumour metastasis by targeting STAT6.

Oncology letters. 2015 Nov 25 [Epub]

Ning Wang, Liangjun Tao, Huan Zhong, Sihai Zhao, Ying Yu, Bin Yu, Xiaonong Chen, Jianguo Gao, Rongjiang Wang

Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou Teachers College, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, P. R. China. , Department of Urology and Institute of Prostatic Diseases, The Affiliated Wuhu No. 2 People's Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, P. R. China. , Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou Teachers College, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, P. R. China. , Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou Teachers College, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, P. R. China. , Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou Teachers College, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, P. R. China. , Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou Teachers College, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, P. R. China. , Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou Teachers College, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, P. R. China. , Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou Teachers College, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, P. R. China. , Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou Teachers College, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, P. R. China.

PubMed