miR-221-3p Modulates Cervical Cancer Cells Proliferation and Invasion After Co-Culture with Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells (BMSCs)

Abstract

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) affect EMT-related factors. miR-221-3p involves in several tumors. However, whether miR-221-3p affects cervical cancer (CC) cells co-cultured with BMSCs is unclear. BMSCs and CC cells were co-cultured, and transfected with miR-221-3p inhibitor followed by analysis of miR-221-3p level by real time PCR, cell proliferation, apoptosis activity, E-cadherin and Vimentin level, TGF-β1 secretion by ELISA as well as Smad1 and Smad2 expression. BMSCs upregulated miR-221-3p level in CC cells, increased cell proliferation and reduced apoptotic activity along with the decreased expression of EMT, increased TGF-β1 secretion and Smad1 and Smad2 expression (P <0.05). miR-221-3p inhibitor can reduce BMSCs’ effect on CC cells, and reverse the above changes (P <0.05). The co-culture of BMSCs promotes CC cell proliferation and invasion. Down-regulating miR-221-3p can change TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway and affect malignant characteristics of CC cells.