Identification of miR-195-3p as an oncogene in RCC

There is increasing evidence that the deregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs; miRs) contributes to tumorigenesis. Previous studies have shown that miR-195 is downregulated in various types of cancer. The present study aimed to investigate the function and expression levels of miR-125b. Results of qPCR revealed that miR-195-3p, the mature sequence of miR-195, was upregulated in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) tissues and cell lines (786-O, 769P and ACHN). This indicated that the function and role of miR-195-3p may differ in different types of tumor. To assess the function of miR-195-3p in RCC cell lines, cell proliferation was examined using MTT and CCK-8 assays, mobility was assessed using a cell scratch assay, Transwell migration assay and invasion assay, and apoptosis was examined using flow cytometry. These assessments were also performed in cells with upregulated or downregulated miR-195-3p via transfection with synthesized miR-195-3p mimic or inhibitor. The results revealed that the overexpression of miR-195-3p promoted 786-O and ACHN RCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and inhibited cell apoptosis, whereas the downregulation of miR-195-3p suppressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and induced cell apoptosis. These results indicated that miR-195-3p was associated with the tumorigenesis of RCC, with further investigations to focus on the pathway and use of miR-195-3p as a clinical biomarker for RCC.