Rab6c is a new target of miR-218 that can promote the progression of bladder cancer

Bladder cancer has high morbidity and mortality rates among the male genitourinary system tumor types. MicroRNA-218 (miR-218) is associated with the development of a variety of cancer types, including bladder cancer. Rab6c is a member of the Rab family and is involved in drug resistance in MCF7 cells. The aim of the present study was to clarify the relationship between Rab6c and miR-218 in bladder cancer cell lines. In this study, the expression levels of miR-218 and Rab6c were evaluated via reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting, respectively. The association between Rab6c and miR-218 was recognized via TargetScan analysis and dual luciferase reporter gene detection. Cell proliferation was analyzed using Cell Counting Kit-8 and colony formation assays, and the invasive ability was measured via Transwell assays. Rab6c was highly expressed in bladder cancer, while miR-218 had abnormally low expression in bladder cancer. In addition, there was a mutual regulation between Rab6c and miR-218 in bladder cancer. It was found that overexpression of Rab6c significantly enhanced the proliferation, colony formation and invasion of T24 and EJ cells. Furthermore, miR-218 overexpression blocked the promoting effects of Rab6c on the malignant behavior of bladder cancer cells. Thus, Rab6c promotes the proliferation and invasion of bladder cancer cells, while miR-218 has the opposite effect, which may provide a novel insight for the treatment of bladder cancer.

Automated summary

There is a mutual regulation between Rab6c and miR-218 in bladder cancer cells, where Rab6c promotes the proliferation and invasion of bladder cancer cells while miR-218 has the opposite effect.