MicroRNA-145 (miR-145) and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) growth arrest specific 5 (GAS5) function as tumor suppressors in prostate carcinoma. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of miR-145 and lncRNA GAS5 in prostate carcinoma. In the present study, miR-145 and lncRNA GAS5 expression levels were demonstrated to be downregulated in tumor tissues compared with adjacent healthy tissues of patients with prostate carcinoma. miR-145 and lncRNA GAS5 expression levels were found to be positively and significantly correlated in tumor tissues, but not in adjacent healthy tissues. A follow-up study revealed that low miR-145 and lncRNA GAS5 expression levels were associated with poor survival. Overexpression of miR-145 resulted in upregulated lncRNA GAS5, whereas lncRNA GAS5 overexpression or silencing did not affect miR-145 expression. Overexpression of miR-145 and lncRNA GAS5 promoted apoptosis and inhibited cell proliferation in prostate carcinoma cell lines, whereas lncRNA GAS5 knockdown had an opposite effect. In addition, lncRNA GAS5 knockdown partially attenuated the effect of miR-145 overexpression of cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis. Therefore, miR-145 may inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in human prostate carcinoma by upregulating lncRNA GAS5.
Keywords: apoptosis; long non-coding RNA growth arrest specific 5; microRNA-145; proliferation; prostate carcinoma.