Effect of circAGFG1 targeting miR-4429 on the proliferation, migration and invasion of cholangiocarcinoma QBC939 cells and its possible mechanism / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

ABSTRACT

@#[Abstract] Objective: To investigate the effect of circAGFG1 on the proliferation, migration and invasion of cholangiocarcinoma QBC939 cells and its possible mechanism. Methods: The tumor tissues and corresponding para-cancerous tissues of 33 patients with cholangiocarcinoma who underwent surgical resection in the 988th Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force from April 2017 to October 2019 were collected. qPCR was used to detect the expression level of circAGFG1 and miR-4429 in the tissues. Cholangiocarcinoma QBC939 cells were cultured in vitro and transfected with si-circAGFG1 or miR-4429 mimics, or co-transfected with si-circAGFG1 and anti-miR-4429. Then, cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8 method and clone formation test, cell migration and invasion were detected by scratch test and Transwell assay, and the protein expression of E-cadherin and N-cadherin in cells was determined by Western blotting. Dual-luciferase reporter gene experiment was adopted to verify the regulatory relationship between circAGFG1 and miR-4429. Results: The expression of circAGFG1 was higher (3.89±0.26 vs 1.00±0.08, P<0.05) while the expression of miR-4429 (0.28±0.03 vs 1.00±0.05, P<0.05) was lower in cholangiocarcinoma tissues than those in para-cancerous tissues. After the interference with circAGFG1 or over-expression of miR-4429, the cell proliferation level, number of clone formation, scratch healing rate, number of invaded cells, and the protein expression of N-cadherin in QBC939 cells were reduced (all P<0.05), but the protein expression of E-cadherin was elevated (P<0.05). circAGFG1 could targetedly bind with miR-4429, and interfering circAGFG1 promoted the expression of miR-4429 in QBC939 cells (all P<0.05). Down-regulation of miR-4429 reversed the effect of interfering circAGFG1 on the proliferation, migration and invasion of QBC939 cells (all P<0.05). Conclusion: The expression of circAGFG1 is up-regulated in cholangiocarcinoma tissues, which may promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of cholangiocarcinoma QBC939 cells by targetedly inhibiting the expression of miR-4429.