MicroRNA-124-3p inhibits the growth and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by targeting STAT3

The present study investigated the effects of microRNA-124-3p (miR-124-3p) expression on nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells and its relevant mechanism. A total of 90 NPC tissues and 85 postnasal catarrh tissues were collected. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect tissue samples and expression of miR-124-3p in CNE1, CNE2, SUNE1, H0NE1, 5-8F, 6-10B and C666-1 NPC cell line and immortalized nasopharyngeal epithelial cells line (NP69). Overexpressed miRNA-124-3p in CNE-2 was downregulated, and low-expressed miRNA‑124-3p in C666-1 was upregulated by liposome-mediated transfection. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), flow cytometry, the scratch test, Transwell migration assay and Boyden chamber assays were used to detect cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion. The target gene of miRNA-124-3 calculated by bioinformatics was further determined using dual-luciferase system. Protein levels of the signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3), phospho-STAT3 (p-STAT3), mouse anti-human cyclin D2 (CCND2) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) were tested by western blotting. miRNA-124-3p expression in NPC was markedly downregulated compared to postnasal catarrh tissues (P<0.001); miRNA-124-3p expression showed close linkage with clinical stages, regional lymph node involvement and T stages (all P<0.001). miRNA-124-3p expression was lower in the 7 NPC cell lines than NP69 cells (all P<0.05). After upregulation of miR-124-3p, proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion of C666-1 cells were suppressed; while after downregulation of miR-124-3p, CNE2 cells were increased (all P<0.05). Expression of STAT3, p-STAT3, CCND2 and MMP-2 in C666-1 cells was decreased after transfection with miRNA-124-3p, and the above protein expression in CNE-2 cells was increased after inhibition of miRNA-124-3p (all P<0.05). To sum up, this study shows that miR-124-3p may negatively regulate the transcription of the STAT3 by interfering with its 3'UTR, and the degradation of STAT3 affects its downstream expression of such as p-STAT3, CCND2 and MMP-2, thereby promoting NPC cells apoptosis and inhibiting proliferation, migration and invasion of NPC cells.