MiR-122-5p inhibits cell migration and invasion in gastric cancer by down-regulating DUSP4

ABSTRACTObjective: To explore the relationship between miR-122-5p and DUSP4 and their effects on gastric cancer (GC) cell mobility and invasiveness.Methods: Abnormally expressed miRNAs and mRNAs were analyzed using microarrays. The miR-122-5p and DUSP4 mRNA expression levels in GC tissues and cells were determined by RT-qPCR. The target relationship between miR-122-5p and DUSP4 was validated by dual luciferase reporter assay. GC cell mobility and invasiveness were respectively observed by wound healing assay and transwell invasion assay. Western blot and immunohistochemistry were used for detection of the expressions of DUSP4 protein and MMP2 and MMP9 proteins related to cell invasion and migration. The migration and invasion abilities of gastric cancer cells in vivo were evaluated according to the number of lung metastatic nodules in mice.Results: The expression of miR-122-5p in GC tissues and cells was significantly down-regulated, whereas DUSP4 expression was up-regulated. Bioinformatics prediction str...