FOXD3-AS1/miR-128-3p/LIMK1 axis regulates cervical cancer progression

Long non-coding RNA forkhead box D3 antisense RNA 1 (FOXD3-AS1) functions as an oncogenic regulator in several types of cancer, including breast cancer, glioma and cervical cancer. However, the effects and mechanisms underlying FOXD3-AS1 in cervical cancer (CC) are not completely understood. The present study aimed to investigate the biological functions and potential molecular mechanisms underlying FOXD3-AS1 in CC progression. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR was performed to detect FOXD3-AS1, microRNA (miR)-128-3p and LIM domain kinase 1 (LIMK1) expression levels in CC tissues and cells. Immunohistochemical staining and western blotting were conducted to assess LIMK1 protein expression levels in CC tissues and cells, respectively. Cell Counting Kit-8 and BrdU assays were used to determine the role of FOXD3-AS1 in regulating cell proliferation. CC cell migration and invasion were assessed by performing Transwell assays. Dual-luciferase reporter assays were conducted to verify the binding between miR-128-3p and FOXD3-AS1. FOXD3-AS1 expression was significantly increased in CC tissues and cell lines compared with adjacent healthy tissues and normal cervical epithelial cells, respectively. High FOXD3-AS1 expression was significantly associated with poor differentiation of tumor tissues, increased tumor size and positive lymph node metastasis. FOXD3-AS1 overexpression significantly increased CC cell proliferation, migration and invasion compared with the negative control (NC) group, whereas FOXD3-AS1 knockdown resulted in the opposite effects compared with the small interfering RNA-NC group. Moreover, the results demonstrated that FOXD3-AS1 targeted and negatively regulated miR-128-3p, which indirectly upregulated LIMK1 expression. Therefore, the present study demonstrated that FOXD3-AS1 upregulated LIMK1 expression via competitively sponging miR-128-3p in CC cells, promoting CC progression.