Ginsenoside Rg3 Induces Low Expression of lncRNA ATXN8OS to Inhibit Colon Cancer Metastasis

As a single compound extracted from Asian and American ginseng, ginsenoside Rg3 works commonly as an adjuvant reagent in combatting cancer. The anti-cancer role of Rg3 has been mentioned in many studies. However, the mechanism of its function in colon cancer remains unclear. Expression of miR-15b-5p and AXIN2, Pearson correlation and binding sites between ATXN8OS, miR-15b-5p and AXIN2 were analyzed using bioinformatics. The downstream regulatory genes of ATXN8OS were predicted, and the binding relationship was examined by RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and dual-luciferase assays. qRT-PCR was utilized to examine ATXN8OS expression and its downstream target genes in colon cancer cells. Western blot assay was employed for determining expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related marker proteins. As for examination of cell migration and invasion, transwell assay was carried out. The determination of ATXN8OS location was accomplished by fluorescence in situ hybridization assay. The proportion of marker proteins in epithelial and mesenchymal cells was detected by immunofluorescence. ATXN8OS showed high expression in colon cancer cells, and its low expression induced by ginsenoside Rg3 could suppress colon cancer cell invasion and migration. ATXN8OS indirectly up-regulated AXIN2 expression by targeting miR-15b-5p, thereby facilitating the EMT ability as well as colon cancer cell invasion and migration. The molecular mechanism by which ATXN8OS/miR-15b-5p/AXIN2 signaling axis promoted metastasis of colon cancer cells was expanded upon in this study. We also revealed the suppressive role of ginsenoside Rg3 in colon cancer, which may provide novel insights into the therapeutic application of ginsenoside Rg3 in colon cancer.