Enhancement of the Proliferation of Breast Cancer by MicroRibonucleic Acid-425-5p via Downregulation of Dihydropyrimidinase-Like 2 Expression

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the molecular mechanism of microRNA-425-5p promoting breast cancer cell proliferation, explore new targets of miR-425-5p in breast cancer, and provide new biomarkers and drug targets for clinical diagnosis and treatment. Methods: The miR-425-5p expression in BC (breast cancer) tissues and cells was assessed using the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. A miR-425-5p inhibitor or mimic was propagated into BC cells, and the cell proliferation was detected using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8). The downstream target genes of miR-425-5p were predicted by using bioinformatics data resources and were subsequently verified via luciferase and western blotting assays. Results: The expression of miR-425-5p was higher in the BC tissues and cells than normal tissues (p < 0.01), while miR-425-5p silencing hindered the proliferation of BC cells (p < 0.05). And the expression of dihydropyrimidinase-like 2 (DPYSL2) RNA and protein levels were upregulated by miR-425-5p inhibitors (p < 0.01), while the miR-425-5p mimics reduced both the expression of DPYSL2 transcripts (p < 0.05) and the level of proteins (p < 0.01). Finally, the miR-425-5p connected to the three prime untranslated region of DPYSL2, suppressed the expression of DPYSL2 and promoted the growth of BC cells. Conclusions: These results indicated that miR-425-5p is a novel target in the treatment of BC and could provide new drug targets for clinical diagnosis and treatment.