Profiling of microRNAs in AML cells following overexpression or silencing of the VEGF gene

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a disease of the hematopoietic progenitor cells associated with heterogeneous clonal proliferation. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors play important roles in the regulation of angiogenesis during physiological and pathological processes. It is thought that AML cells have an autocrine VEGF pathway that contributes to the development and progression of AML. In addition, growing evidence has suggested that numerous microRNAs are involved in AML. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between VEGF dysregulation and microRNA profiles in AML cells and patients. VEGF-overexpressing and VEGF-knockdown leukemia cells were constructed and changes in the patterns of microRNA expression were analyzed using a microRNA array. Subsequently, mononuclear cells from the blood of patients with AML showing high or low expression levels of VEGF were obtained and were used to assess the patterns of microRNA expression by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The results of the present study suggested that downregulation of VEGF markedly altered the profile of microRNAs in AML cells, while upregulation of VEGF did not. Examination of clinical samples from patients with AML showed that several microRNAs were closely associated with the expression level of VEGF, including miR-20a, miR-93, miR-16-5p, miR-17-5p, miR-124-5p and miR-17-3p. These results suggested that VEGF may be a pivotal protein that can both receive and initiate signals in leukemia cells.