CircZFR functions as a sponge of miR-578 to promote breast cancer progression by regulating HIF1A expression

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignancy among women. Emerging studies have demonstrated that circular RNA (circRNA) zinc finger RNA binding protein (circZFR) serves as a crucial regulator in many human cancers. However, the role and mechanism of circZFR in BC tumorigenesis remain unclear. METHODS: The levels of circZFR, miR-578 and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1A) were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) or western blot. Cell viability, colony formation, apoptosis, migration and invasion capacities in vitro were determined by using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), standard colony formation, flow cytometry and transwell assays, respectively. Glucose uptake, lactate product and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels of cells in vitro were measured using the commercial human assay kits. Targeted relationships among circZFR, miR-578 and HIF1A in BC cell lines were verified by dual-luciferase reporter and RNA pulldown assays. Animal studies were performed to assess the effect of circZFR on tumor growth in vivo. RESULTS: Our data indicated that circZFR was overexpressed in BC tissues and cells, and the increased circZFR level predicted poor prognosis of BC patients. CircZFR silencing or miR-578 overexpression repressed BC cell viability, colony formation, migration, invasion, and glycolysis and enhanced cell apoptosis in vitro. CircZFR silencing also hampered tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, circZFR acted as a sponge of miR-578, and circZFR silencing hindered BC cell malignant behaviors by miR-578. HIF1A was a functional target of miR-578 in regulating BC cell viability, colony formation, migration, invasion, glycolysis and apoptosis in vitro. Furthermore, circZFR modulated HIF1A expression through sponging miR-578. CONCLUSION: Our findings first identified that the silencing of circZFR suppressed BC malignant progression in vitro via the regulation of the miR-578/HIF1A axis, providing evidence for the crucial involvement of circZFR in BC pathogenesis.