Incidence and progression of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a multi-factor, multi-step process. The present study investigated the association between the expression level of microRNA (miR)-4458 in NSCLC and paracarcinoma liver tissues and survival rates, and studied the biological functions of miR-4458 at the cellular and protein level. NSCLC and paracarcinoma tissues were sequenced using a miR expression chip. The association between miR-4458 expression and tumor-node-metastasis staging, total survival rate and relapse-free survival rate was analyzed. miR-4458 was subjected to target gene prediction. The target protein of cyclin D1 (CCND1) was verified with western blot analysis, immunohistochemistry and a luciferase reporter assay. The relative level of miR-4458 in paracarcinoma tissues of 9 NSCLC patients decreased from 2.38 to 0.65 (P<0.001). Total five-year survival rates of the high-expression miR-4458 group (29.21%) significantly exceeded that of the low-expression group (14.37%) (P=0.025). The viability of human lung carcinoma A549 and H460 cells transfected with miR-4458 decreased significantly compared with cells transfected with a normal control (blank control plasmid) within 72 h (P<0.001). The percentage of A549 and H460 cells transfected with a miR-4458 mimic at the cell cycle stage G0/G1 was 69.94±8.05 and 68.15±7.75%, respectively. The percentages increased significantly compared with the control group (46.06±6.93 for A549 cells; 45.22±7.24 for H640 cells; P<0.001). CCND1 mRNA was downregulated significantly in H460 cells 72 h subsequent to the addition of miR-4458 mimics (P<0.001). The activity of mutant-CCND1 altered slightly, while the fluorescence intensity of the wild-type-CCND1 group decreased significantly following the addition of miR-4458 mimics. In conclusion, miR-4458 was expressed at low levels in lung cancer tissues, and it arrested cells in vitro at stage G0/G1 and inhibited cell proliferation. Therefore, miR-4458 may participate in the onset of lung cancer as a suppressor gene by inhibiting CCND1.
Keywords: cancer suppressor gene; cyclin D1; miR-4458; non-small-cell lung cancer.