Knockdown of lncRNA ZFAS1 inhibits progression of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by sponging miR-135a

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the most common head and neck malignancies with leading cause of cancer-related death. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to play essential roles in progression, prognosis and treatment of patients with NPC. However, the role of lncRNA zinc finger antisense 1 (ZFAS1) and its potential mechanism in NPC progression remain largely unknown. The expression levels of ZFAS1 and microRNA-135a (miR-135a) were measured in NPC tissues and cells by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The interaction between ZFAS1 and miR-135a was explored by bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion were analyzed by MTT assay, flow cytometry and Transwell assays, respectively. Our data showed that the expression of ZFAS1 was upregulated and miR-135a was downregulated in NPC tissues and cells. miR-135a was bound to ZFAS1 in NPC cells. Moreover, knockdown of ZFAS1 or overexpression of miR-135a inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion but promoted apoptosis in NPC cells. Besides, deficiency of miR-135a reversed silence of ZFAS1-mediated inhibition of NPC progression in vitro. Our data suggested that inhibition of ZFAS1 protected against proliferation, migration and invasion but contributed to apoptosis by sponging miR-135a in NPC cells, providing a novel avenue for NPC treatment.