Downregulation of microRNA-196a enhances the sensitivity of non-small cell lung cancer cells to cisplatin treatment.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) are a class of small, non-coding RNA molecules that play an important role in the pathogenesis of human diseases through the regulation of gene expression. Although miRNA-196a has been implicated in the progression of human lung cancer, its role in enhancing the sensitivity of non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells to cisplatin has not yet been confirmed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of miRNA‑196a on the sensitivity of NSCLC cells to cisplatin in vitro and in vivo. RT-qPCR was used to detect miRNA-196a expression. Synthesized locked nucleic acid (LNA)-anti‑miRNA-196a oligonucleotide was transiently transfected into the SPC‑A‑1 and A549 lung cancer cells to examine the effects of miRNA‑196a on the growth of and colony formation inthe cisplatin‑treated cells. The effects of miRNA-196a on the sensitivity of SPC‑A-1 cells to cisplatin in vivo were determined using BALB/c nude mice. The expression of miRNA‑196a was significantly higher in both the lung cancer tissues and cell lines. The LNA-based knockdown of miRNA-196a significantly inhibited SPC‑A‑1 and A549 cell growth and induced apoptosis. Moreover, the downregulation of miRNA-196a sensitized the SPC‑A‑1 and A549 NSCLC cells to cisplatin in vitro and in vivo, by inducing apoptosis. The findings of this study demonstrate that the administration of cisplatin in combination with miRNA-196a-targeted therapy may be a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of NSCLC.