Role of miR-490-3p in blocking bladder cancer growth through targeting the RNA-binding protein PCBP2

MiR-490-3p is regarded as a tumor suppressor in many cancers, but whether miR-490-3p is involved in the development of bladder cancer remains unknown. BALB/c nude mice (male, 15-20 g) were used to investigate the role of MiR-490-3p in bladder cancer. The relationship between miR-490-3p and PCBP2 involved in bladder cancer regulation were determined. Cell viability, proliferation, and cell cycle were estimated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, 5-bromo-2 '-deoxyuridine (BrdU) detection, and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. In animal experiments, lentivirus was transfected into bladder cancer cells to overexpress miR-490-3p, which were then injected into mice and the change of tumor volume was assessed. Principal findings: The expression of MiR-490-3p was decreased in bladder cancer cells. Overexpression of miR-490-3p inhibited bladder cancer cell viability and proliferation. Moreover, overexpression of miR-490-3p caused cell cycle arrest in bladder cancer cells. The inhibitory effect of miR-490-3p on bladder cancer cells growth could be counteracted by enhancing PCBP2 expression. In vivo, bladder cancer growth in mice was blocked by miR-490-3p upregulation. MiR-490-3p suppressed bladder cancer growth and bladder cancer cell proliferation by down-regulating PCBP2 expression.