[miR-520a-3p regulates the signaling pathway of cytokine secretion in cervical cancer].

Objective: To investigate the molecular mechanism of miR-520a-3p regulating the secretion of cytokines in cervical cancer.

Methods: The matching between miR-520a-3p and the NF-κB complex subunit RELA was analyzed by TargetScanHuman, and then the luciferase reporting system was used to detect whether miR-520a-3p targeted the NF-κB complex subunit RELA. After cervical cancer HELA cells stimulated by LPS, in the overexpression group or the knockout group, miR-520a-3p mimics or inhibitor were mixed with transfection reagent and dripped into HELA cells. The expression levels of colony stimulating factor (GCSF), granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin 2 (IL-2), interleukin 3 (IL-3), interleukin 4 (IL-4), interleukin 5 (IL-5), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 19 (IL-9), interleukin 10 (IL-10), interleukin 12 p40 (IL-12 p40), interleukin 12 p70 (IL-12 p70), interleukin 13 (IL-13), interleukin 17 (IL-17), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), monocyte chemoattractant protein-5 (MCP-5), small inducible cytokine A5 (RANTES), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in both the overexpression group and the knockout group. Each experiment was repeated three times.

Results: miR-520a-3p targeted the 3'UTR of RELA. After activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the protein expression levels of cytokines GCSF, GM-CSF, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-9, IL-10, IL-12 p40, IL-12 p70, IL-13, IL-17, IFN-γ, MCP-1, MCP-5, RANTES, TNFα secreted by HELA cells of cervical cancer were increased significantly (＜0.05). In the overexpression group, the protein expression level of RELA of NF-κB complex subunit was decreased, and the protein expression level of the above-mentioned cytokines secreted by HELA cells of cervical cancer were decreased (＜0.05). In the knockdown group, the protein expression level of RELA, a subunit of NF-κB complex, and the protein expression level of the above-mentioned cytokines secreted by HELA cells of cervical cancer were increased (＜0.05).

Conclusion: miR-520a-3p inhibits cytokine secretion in HELA cells of cervical cancer by targeting RELA, a key molecule in the NF-κB signaling pathway.