miR-874 directly targets AQP3 to inhibit cell proliferation, mobility and EMT in non-small cell lung cancer

Background Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a major type of lung cancer with high morbidity and high mortality. miR-874 has been determined to play a role in tumor suppression in several cancers. The purpose of our study was to detect the biological mechanisms of miR-874 and AQP3 in NSCLC. Methods: CCK-8 and Transwell assays were utilized to perform cell invasion.Western blot was employed to evaluate the protein expression. Results: The expression of miR-874 was lower in NSCLC tissues than that of corresponding adjacent nontumor tissues. Downregulation of miR-874 predicted a poor prognosis in NSCLC. The cell proliferation and mobility were suppressed by overexpression of miR-874, which were promoted by knockdown of miR-874 in A549 and H1299 cells. miR-874 mediated the expression of AQP3 by directly binding to the 3 '-untranslated regions (UTR) of AQP3 mRNA in NSCLC cells. Moreover, miR-874 inhibited the proliferation and mobility by targeting AQP3 and inhibited the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in A549 cells. miR-874 inhibited the growth of NSCLC in vivo. Conclusions: In conclusion, miR-874 inhibited proliferation and mobility by regulating AQP3 in NSCLC. The newly identified miR-874/AQP3 axis provides novel insight into the pathogenesis of NSCLC.