Emerging studies have indicated that the dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) plays a vital role in the development and metastasis of tumors. However, the role of miR‑93‑5p in esophageal carcinoma (EC) has not been extensively reported. The present study thus focused on the role of miR‑93‑5p and its downstream target in the occurrence and development of EC. Firstly, miRNA expression profiles associated with EC were accessed from the TCGA_ESCA dataset and analyzed. Subsequently, the expression patterns of miR‑93‑5p and TGFβR2 were characterized in the human esophageal cell line, Het‑1A, and the human EC cell lines, TE‑1, Eca‑109 and EC9706, by RT‑qPCR and western blot analysis. WST‑1 assay, flow cytometry, Transwell assay, wound healing assay and bioinformatics analysis were used to explore their functions in EC cells. Finally, a dual‑luciferase reporter assay was employed to determine the targeted association between miR‑93‑5p and TGFβR2. The results revealed that the expression of miR‑93‑5p was markedly higher in EC cell lines compared with that in the normal cell line. The overexpression of miR‑93‑5p facilitated cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and inhibited cell apoptosis. Additionally, TGFβR2 was identified as a functional target of miR‑93‑5p in EC cells, as judged by a series of in vitro experiments. Furthermore, it was found that the simultaneous overexpression of miR‑93‑5p and TGFβR2 almost had no effect on the biological behaviors of EC cells. On the whole, the present study demonstrates that miR‑93‑5p promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion, and inhibits the apoptosis of EC cells by targeting TGFβR2.
Keywords: miR‑93‑5p; transforming growth factor‑β receptor 2; esophageal carcinoma; proliferation; migration and invasion; apoptosis.