Small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of Twist attenuates the aggressive phenotypes of human endometrial carcinoma Ishikawa cells.

The present study aimed to determine the effect of Twist downregulation on the proliferation, apoptosis and migration of human endometrial carcinoma Ishikawa cells. Endogenous expression of the Twist transcription factor was knocked down by delivery of Twist-targeting small interfering RNA (siRNA). Changes in the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition biomarkers, namely epithelial (E)-cadherin, neural (N)-cadherin and Twist, were determined by western blot analysis. Cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were evaluated by flow cytometry. Cell proliferation and migration were analyzed using cell-counting and wound-healing assays, respectively. Transfection with Twist siRNA led to a significant reduction in the expression of Twist and N-cadherin (P<0.05), while significantly increasing the expression of E-cadherin, relative to negative control transfectants (all P<0.05). Proliferation was also significantly decreased in Ishikawa cells transfected with Twist siRNA (P<0.05), which was accompanied by an increased rate of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at S-phase. In addition, Twist downregulation led to a significant reduction in cell migration (P<0.05). These data suggest that Twist serves a role in the regulation of cell proliferation and migration in Ishikawa cells and may represent a potential target for the treatment of human endometrial carcinoma.