Get your full text copy in PDF
Yonghuai Li, Baolin Wang, Shuyu Gui, Juanjuan Ji
(Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China (mainland))
Med Sci Monit 2019; 25:10198-10204
DOI: 10.12659/MSM.919690
BACKGROUND:
Although the oncogenic roles of multiple copies in T-cell malignancy 1 (MCT-1) have been revealed in multiple cancers, its effects on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) progression are still uncertain. This study aimed to reveal the effects of MCT-1 on the stem cell-like traits of NSCLC cells.
MATERIAL AND METHODS:
Western blot, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), spheroid forming ability, and ALDH1 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 1) activity analysis were carried out to examine the effects of MCT-1/micrRNa-34 (miR-34a)/interleukin-6 (IL-6) on the stem cell-like characteristics of lung cancer cells.
RESULTS:
MCT-1 knockdown reduced the spheroid forming ability, characterized as the decreased spheroid size and number. Additionally, MCT-1 knockdown decreased the expression of the NSCLC stemness markers and the activity of ALDH1. Moreover, MCT-1 knockdown decreased IL-6 secretion that promotes NSCLC cell stemness. Furthermore, MCT-1 knockdown increased the level of miR-34a, which attenuated the stemness of NSCLC cells through targeting IL-6R (IL-6 receptor) expression.
CONCLUSIONS:
These results suggest MCT-1/miR-34a/IL-6/IL-6R axis is responsible for MCT-1-mediated effects on NSCLC cell stemness.