Astrocytomas are the most common type of glial tumors and carry a poor prognosis. However, the pathogenesis of astrocytomas remains to be elucidated. Neuritin, a novel member of the neurotrophic factors family, has been shown to be associated with tumor malignancy, via the regulation of apoptosis and proliferation. In the present study, microRNA-182 (miR-182) was cloned and transfected into the U251 human astrocytoma cell line, in order to investigate its regulatory effects on the proliferation and migration of these cells, as well as its association with the expression of neuritin. The results showed that miR-182 specifically targets the gene encoding neuritin, NRN1, as demonstrated by a reduction in the protein and mRNA levels of NRN1. In addition, overexpression of miR-182 affected cell cycle regulation and cell migration capacity in vitro, which may have been associated with the promotion of apoptosis by this molecule. In conclusion, endogenous miR-182 may be involved in the pathogenesis of astrocytoma, which is associated with the miR-182-regulated gene, NRN1.
Keywords: astrocytoma; microRNA-182; migration; neuritin; proliferation.