MicroRNA‑202 inhibits endometrial stromal cell migration and invasion by suppressing the K‑Ras/Raf1/MEK/ERK signaling pathway

作者：Di Zhang, Ling Wang, Hualei Guo, Zi‐Wei Zhang, Chong Wang, Ri‐Cheng Chian, Zhi‐Fen Zhang · 发表于：International Journal of Molecular Medicine · 年份：2020 · DOI：10.3892/ijmm.2020.4749 · 被引用次数：10 · 研究领域：Endometriosis Research and Treatment、Uterine Myomas and Treatments、Reproductive System and Pregnancy

The enhanced migratory ability of endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) is a key factor in the formation of functional endometrium‑like tissues outside the uterine cavity during endometriosis (EMS). Although accumulating evidence has suggested the importance of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the pathogenesis of EMS, the role of particular miRNAs in the invasiveness of ESCs remain poorly understood. In the present study, the function of miRNAs in the invasiveness of ESCs, along with the associated underlying mechanism involved, were investigated. Initially, the expression patterns of miRNAs in the ectopic and eutopic endometrium isolated from patients with EMS were analyzed using microarray. MicroRNA‑202‑5p (miR‑202) was selected for further study due to its previously reported suppressive effects on the invasion in various types of cancers. The expression of miR‑202 and K‑Ras in eutopic and ectopic endometrioma tissues were detected using reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR, immunohistochemistry and western blotting. The migration and invasion ability of ESCs was determined using wound healing and Transwell invasion assays, respectively. Compared with that from healthy individuals, miR‑202 expression was demonstrated to be lower in the eutopic endometrium from patients with EMS, which was even lower in ectopic endometrium. Functional experiments in primary ESCs revealed that enhanced miR‑202 expression suppressed the cell invasion and migration abilities, which was also accompanied with...