Abstract: Objective: To investigate the effects of miR-216a-5p targeting Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome like (WASL) protein on the proliferation, migration and invasion of endometrial carcinoma cells, and to clarify the targeting relationship between miR-216a-5p and WASL gene and its mechanism. Methods: A total of 47 cases of endometrial cancer tissue and normal tissue adjacent to the cancer surgically removed were collected. The miR-216a-5p group,minics negative control(miR-con group) si-con (si-con group), si-WASL (si-WASL group), anti-miR-con (anti-miR-con group), anti-miR-216a-5p (anti-miR-216a-5p group), miR-216a-5p+pcDNA (miR-216a-5p+pcDNA group) and miR-216a-5p+pcDNA-WASL (miR-216a-5p+pcDNA-WASL group) were transfected into the endometrial carcinoma HEC-1-B cells. The expression levels of miR-216a-5p and WASL mRNA and protein in the endometrial carcinoma tissue the adjacent tissue and the HEC-1-B cells in various groups were detected by RT-qPCR and Western blotting methods. MTT assay was used to detect the proliferation activities of the cells in various groups. Transwell assay was used to detect the number of migrated and invasive cells in various groups. The dual luciferase reporter gene assay was used to detect the double luciferase activities in various groups and to determine whether WASL was the target gene of miR-216a-5p. Results: Compared with the adjacent tissue, the expression level of miR-216a-5p in the endometrial carcinoma tissue was significantly decreased (P<0.05), the expression level of WASL mRNA and protein were significantly increased (P<0.05),and they had negative relationship (r=-0.317, P<0.01). Compared with miR-con group and si-con group, the expression level of WASL protein (P<0.01),the proliferation activity of cells (P<0.05) and the number of migrated and invasive cells(P<0.05) in miR-216a-5p group and si-WASL group were significantly decreased. The results of double luciferase reporter gene assay and Western blotting method showed that WASL was the target gene of miR-216a-5p. Compared with miR-216a-5p + pcDNA group, the proliferation activity of cells and the number of migrated and invasive cells in miR-216a-5p + pcDNA-WASL group were significantly increased (P<0.05). Conclusion: The expression level of miR-216a-5p in endometrial carcinoma tissue is decreased. MiR-216a-5p may inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of endometrial carcinoma cells through WASL gene, which may be a potential target for the treatment of endometrial carcinoma.

Key words: miR-216a-5p, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome like protein, endometrial carcinoma, cell proliferation, cell migration, cell invasion