Tianjin Medical Journal ›› 2025, Vol. 53 ›› Issue (11): 1131-1137.doi: 10.11958/20251271

• Cell and Molecular Biology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

The effect of LncRNA NNT-AS1 targeting miR-199a-5p on the proliferation, migration and invasion of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells

SHENG Lanlan(), OU Xiaofei()   

  1. Department of Stomatology, Shiyan People's Hospital Affiliated to Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan 442000, China
  • Received:2025-04-07 Revised:2025-07-17 Published:2025-11-15 Online:2025-11-19
  • Contact: △E-mail:380041667@qq.com

Abstract:

Objective To investigate the effect of long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) NNT-AS1 on proliferation, migration and invasion of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells by regulating microRNA (miR)-199a-5p. Methods CAL-27 cells were assigned into the control group, the sh-NC group, the sh-NNT-AS1 group, the sh-NNT-AS1+miR-In-NC group and the sh-NNT-AS1+miR-199a-5p-In group. The proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion abilities of CAL-27 cells were detected by EdU method, clone formation, scratch healing and Transwell experiments. The expressions of LncRNA NNT-AS1 and miR-199a-5p in human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT, human OSCC cell line CAL-27 and each group of cells were detected by qRT-PCR experiment. Western blot experiments were performed to detect the expressions of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins [E-cadherin, N-cadherin, Vimentin, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)]. The targeting relationship between LncRNA NNT-AS1 and miR-199a-5p was verified by dual luciferase reporter gene assay. Results Compared with HaCaT cells, the level of LncRNA NNT-AS1 was elevated in CAL-27 cells, while the level of miR-199a-5p was decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the control group and the sh-NC group, the EdU positive rate, colony formation rate, scratch healing rate, cell invasion number, expression levels of LncRNA NNT-AS1, N-cadherin, Vimentin and EGFR proteins were decreased in the sh-NNT-AS1 group, while the expression levels of miR-199a-5p and E-cadherin protein were increased (P<0.05). Compared with the sh-NNT-AS1 group and the sh-NNT-AS1+miR-In-NC group, the EdU positive rate, colony formation rate, scratch healing rate, cell invasion number, N-cadherin, Vimentin and EGFR protein expression levels were increased in the sh-NNT-AS1+miR-199a-5p-In group, while the expression levels of miR-199a-5p and E-cadherin protein were decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the miR-NC group, the relative luciferase activity of NNT-AS1-WT cells transfected with miR-199a-5p mimic was decreased (P<0.05). Conclusion LncRNA NNT-AS1 is highly expressed in OSCC. It can promote the proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT process of OSCC cells by negatively regulating miR-199a-5p.

Key words: squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck, mouth neoplasms, RNA, long noncoding, long non-coding RNA NNT-AS1, microRNA-199a-5p

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