miR-125b enhances metastasis and progression of cancer via the TXNIP and HIF1α pathway in pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play potential role in the development of various types of cancer conditions including pancreatic cancer (PC) targeting several cellular processes. Present study was aimed to evaluate function of miR-125b and the mechanism involved in PC. METHODS: Cell migration, MTT and BrdU study was done to establish the migration capability, cell viability and cell proliferation respectively. Binding sites for miR-125b were recognized by luciferase assay, expression of protein by western blot and immunofluorescence assay. In vivo study was done by BALB/c nude xenograft mice for evaluating the function of miR-125b. RESULTS: The study showed that expression of miR-125b was elevated in PC cells and tissues, and was correlated to proliferation and migration of cells. Also, over-expression of miR-125b encouraged migration, metastasis and proliferation of BxPC-3 cells, the suppression reversed it. We also noticed that thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) was the potential target of miR-125b. The outcomes also suggested that miR-125b governed the expression of TXNIP inversely via directly attaching to the 3'-UTR activating hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF1 alpha). Looking into the relation between HIFI cx and TXNIP, we discovered that TXNIP caused the degradation and export of HIF1 alpha by making a complex with it. CONCLUSION: The miR-125b-TXNIP-HIF1 alpha pathway may serve useful strategy for diagnosing and treating PC.

Automated summary

The study revealed that miR-125b is upregulated in pancreatic cancer cells and tissues, regulating cell proliferation and migration through its interaction with TXNIP and HIF1 alpha. Therefore, the miR-125b-TXNIP-HIF1 alpha pathway may serve as a promising strategy for the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer.