MicroRNA-152 inhibits cell proliferation of osteosarcoma by directly targeting Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in a DKK1-dependent manner

The function of microRNA-152 for a cohort of patients with osteosarcoma and the influence on cell growth of osteosarcoma were studied. The expression of microRNA-152 was downregulated in patients with osteosarcoma. The downregulation of microRNA-152 promotes cell proliferation, decreases apoptosis, and suppresses LDH activity, caspase-3/9 activities and Bax/Bcl-2 and p53 protein expression levels of osteosarcoma through activation of the Wnt/-catenin signaling pathway by targeting DKK1. Whereas, overexpression of microRNA-152 targets DKK1 to inhibit cell proliferation, induce apoptosis, and promote LDH activity, caspase-3/9 activities and Bax/Bcl-2 and p53 protein expression levels of osteosarcoma through inactivation of the Wnt/-catenin signaling pathway. The promotion of DKK1 reversed the anticancer function of microRNA-152 overexpression through Wnt/-catenin signaling pathway. We demonstrated that microRNA-152 inhibits cell proliferation of osteosarcoma through DKK1 by directly targeting Wnt/-catenin signaling pathway.