MicroRNA-17-5p induces drug resistance and invasion of ovarian carcinoma cells by targeting PTEN signaling

Background: The miR-17-5p was overexpressed in ovarian cancer cells, and those cells were treated with paclitaxel. The proliferation of ovarian cancer cells was assessed by MTT assay. The Caspase-Glo3/7 and TUNEL assay were used to examine the effect of miR-17-5p on paclitaxel-induced apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells. The migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells were analyzed by BD matrigel assays. Western blot was performed to evaluate the expression of apoptotic proteins and epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers in ovarian cancer cells. Results: The survival rate of ovarian cancer cells was increased after overexpression of miR-17-5p. The apoptosis decreased in miR-17-5p overexpressed ovarian cancer cells. Altered miR-17-5p expression affected migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells. The overexpression of miR-17-5p altered the expression of EMT markers. miR-17-5p activates AKT by downregulation of PTEN in ovarian cancer cells. Conclusion: Our results indicate that miR-17-5p might serve as potential molecular therapeutic target.