Let-7a microRNA functions as a potential tumor suppressor in human laryngeal cancer

Oncol Rep. 2009 Nov;22(5):1189-95. doi: 10.3892/or_00000554.

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenously expressed non-coding RNAs, which are involved in the gene expression regulation. Lethal-7a (let-7a) is a founding member of miRNA family and recently it was found to be associated with several cancers, such as lung and colon cancers. In the present study, we found that let-7a miRNA expression was significantly downregulated both in human laryngeal squamous cancer tissues and in Hep-2 cells, a laryngeal cancer cell line, as compared with adjacent normal tissues and BEAS-2B cells, respectively. Moreover, we found that let-7a expression levels were significantly further decreased in non-differentiated (G3) cancer tissues as compared with moderately and well differentiated cancer tissues (G2 and G1), although no significant difference in let-7a expression levels between the cancer specimens with different T stages or specimens from patients with different lymph node metastasis status was revealed. In Hep-2 cells, let-7a mimics transfection markedly suppressed proliferation and induced apoptosis of Hep-2 cells under the treatment of diamminedichloroplatinum or not and downregulated RAS and c-MYC protein expression without affecting the mRNA levels. In parallel, RAS and c-MYC protein levels were found significantly upregulated only in cancer tissues with downregulated let-7a expression. Thus, we propose that let-7a may be a tumor suppressor in laryngeal cancer by inhibiting cell growth, inducing cell apoptosis and downregulating the oncogenes expression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Apoptosis
  • Blotting, Western
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / genetics*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / secondary
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / physiology*
  • Genes, Tumor Suppressor*
  • Humans
  • Immunoenzyme Techniques
  • Laryngeal Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Laryngeal Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Laryngeal Neoplasms / pathology
  • Larynx / metabolism
  • Larynx / pathology
  • Lymphatic Metastasis
  • Male
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Prognosis
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / metabolism
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • ras Proteins / genetics
  • ras Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • MicroRNAs
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc
  • RNA, Messenger
  • mirnlet7 microRNA, human
  • ras Proteins