Expression and significance of miR-34 with PI3K, AKT and mTOR proteins in colorectal adenocarcinoma tissues

Cell Mol Biol (Noisy-le-grand). 2022 Sep 30;68(9):57-62. doi: 10.14715/cmb/2022.68.9.9.

Abstract

This research was carried out to investigate the expression of miR-34a, miR-34b and p-PI3K, p-AKT, and mTOR proteins in colorectal adenocarcinoma and corresponding distal cutaneous normal mucosal tissues and their relationship with the clinicopathological parameters of colorectal adenocarcinoma as well as the correlation between miR-34a, miR-34b and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. The expression of p-PI3K, p-AKT, and mTOR proteins in 67 colorectal adenocarcinomas and the corresponding distal cut-off normal mucosa were assayed by immunohistochemistry. Their relationship with clinicopathological parameters and the correlation of the three proteins were evaluated. The expression of miR-34a and miR-34b in colorectal adenocarcinoma and the corresponding distal cutaneous normal mucosa was detected by applying real-time quantitative PCR. The correlation between colorectal adenocarcinoma tissue miR-34a, miR-34b and p-PI3K, p-AKT, and mTOR proteins, respectively, was analyzed. Results showed that the expression of p-PI3K, p-AKT and mTOR proteins in colorectal adenocarcinoma tissues was higher than that in the corresponding distal cutaneous normal mucosa (P=0.000), and there was a positive correlation between the expression of the three proteins in colorectal adenocarcinoma tissues. The expression of p-PI3K and p-AKT protein in colorectal adenocarcinoma tissues were correlated with tumor size, differentiation degree, infiltration degree, lymph node metastasis and TNM stage (P<0.05). The expression of mTOR protein was related to tumor size and differentiation degree (P<0.05). The relative expression of miR-34a and miR-34b in colorectal adenocarcinoma tissues was less than that in the corresponding distal cutaneous normal mucosa (P<0.05), and the expression of miR-34a and miR-34b was positively correlated. The expression of miR-34a and miR-34b in colorectal adenocarcinoma tissues was negatively correlated with the expression of p-PI3K, p-AKT and mTOR proteins. In conclusion, the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway may promote colorectal adenocarcinoma and differentially participate in differentiation, infiltration and lymph node metastasis. Also, miR-34a and miR-34b may inhibit colorectal adenocarcinoma. Importantly, miR-34a and miR-34b may affect the development and progression of colorectal adenocarcinoma by regulating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma* / pathology
  • Colorectal Neoplasms* / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Lymphatic Metastasis
  • MicroRNAs* / metabolism
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism

Substances

  • MicroRNAs
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • MTOR protein, human
  • MIRN34 microRNA, human