LncRNA NEAT1 Promotes the Malignant Progression of Colorectal Cancer by Targeting ZEB1 via miR-448

Background: Long noncoding RNAs have been associated with various types of malignant tumors; however, the specific role of long noncoding RNAs in tumorigenesis still remains unclear in colorectal cancer. Here, we aim to elucidate the role of long noncoding RNA nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 in the malignant progression of colorectal cancer and investigate its underlying mechanisms. Methods: Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression of nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 in colorectal cancer tissues and cells. Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was used to determine the effect of nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 in proliferation. Transwell assay was used to explore the role of nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 in metastasis. Bioinformatics method was used to predict the core nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 interaction network. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to detect nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 and miR-448 expression levels. Western blotting was used to detect the expression levels of ZEB1. Luciferase assay was used to verify the relationship among nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1, miR-448, and ZEB1. The effect of nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 on tumor growth was detected by tumorigenesis test in nude mice. Results: Long noncoding RNA–nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 was up-regulated in colorectal cancer tissues and cells. Knocking down of nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 can suppress colorectal cancer proliferation and invasion, and caused a reduction of ZEB1 expression and an increase of miR-448 expression. Furthermore, knockdown of nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 regulated miR-448/ZEB1 axis to inhibit the expression of ZEB1. miR-448 silencing can reverse the effect of nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 knockdown. Conclusion: Our result demonstrated that long noncoding RNA nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 promotes proliferation and invasion of colorectal cancer by targeting miR-448 to promote the expression of ZEB1, which may play a significant role in the tumorigenesis of colorectal cancer.