MicroRNA-423-5p inhibits colon cancer growth by promoting caspase-dependent apoptosis

Plasma microRNA (miR)-423-5p is a potential biomarker for the detection of colon cancer. However, the expression and biological role of miR-423-5p in colon tumorigenesis remains unclear. In the current study, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to determine miR-423-5p expression in malignant colon tissues and plasma from patients with colon cancer. Cell viability, colony formation and apoptosis assays, as well as western blotting, were performed to investigate the biological role and regulatory mechanisms of miR-423-5p in colon cancer. The results demonstrated that miR-423-5p expression was downregulated in tumor tissues and plasma from patients with colon cancer, as well as in colon cancer cell lines. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-423-5p promoted colon cancer cell apoptosis and resulted in the inhibition of cell proliferation and colony formation. Mechanistically, miR-423-5p induced the expression of caspases 3, 8 and 9, as well as p53 in colon cancer. The effect of z-VAD treatment indicated that the miR-423-5p-mediated colon cancer cell apoptosis is caspase-dependent. These results suggest that miR-423-5p is a tumor suppressor in colon cancer and a potential diagnostic target to enable the early detection of colon cancer.