LINC01087 is Highly Expressed in Breast Cancer and Regulates the Malignant Behavior of Cancer Cells Through miR-335-5p/Rock1

PURPOSE: Long non-coding RNA is involved in the genesis and development of various tumors, and it has been found through database screening that LINC01087 is highly expressed in breast cancer (BC), but mechanisms of LINC01087 in BC are still under investigation. Therefore, this study aimed to study relevant mechanisms of LINC01087 in BC to provide potential therapeutic targets for the disease in clinic practice. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The qRT-PCR assay was applied to determine the LINC01087 expression in BC, and the cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) assay, transwell assay, and flow cytometry were used to analyze the proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion of breast cancer cells (BCCs), respectively. The Western blot assay was used to determine the ROCK1 expression, and the luciferase reporter gene assay, RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP), and RNA pull-down assays were applied to study the interaction between LINC01087 and miR-335-5p. Moreover, tumor xenotransplantation was conducted in nude mice to explore the effects of LINC01087 on BCCs. RESULTS: The qRT-PCR assay revealed that the LINC01087 expression in BC tissues was higher than that in corresponding tumor-adjacent tissues, and survival analysis revealed an unfavorable prognosis of patients with high expression of LINC01087. Down-regulation of LINC01087 could slow down the proliferation, invasion, and migration of BCCs and accelerate apoptosis of them in vitro. Luciferase reporter gene assay results revealed that LINC01087 enhanced the expression of ROCK1 by regulating miR-335-5p, and LINC01087 could be adopted as a miR-335-5p sponge to inhibit ROCK1 expression. CONCLUSION: LINC01087 is overexpressed in cases with BC, and patients with high expression of it suffer a poor survival. Furthermore, LINC01087 can act as a miR-335-5p sponge to affect the expression of ROCK1 and affect the invasion and migration of BCCs.