Upregulation of long non-coding RNA OGFRP1 facilitates endometrial cancer by regulating miR-124-3p/SIRT1 axis and by activating PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β pathway.

We planned to investigate the possible influences of long non-coding RNA (opioid growth factor receptor pseudogene 1) OGFRP1 in endometrial cancer and its potential regulatory mechanism. We measured the level of OGFRP1 in endometrial cancer tissues and evaluated the influences of OGFRP1 dysregulation on the tumour cell biological processes of endometrial cancer cells. Further, the regulatory relationships between OGFRP1 and miR-124-3p, between miR-124-3p and Sirtuin1 (SIRT1) were, respectively, investigated. The interaction between OGFRP1 dysregulation and activation of PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β pathway was revealed by Western blotting. OGFRP1 was up-regulated in endometrial cancer tissues and cells. OGFRP1 suppression inhibited the malignant behaviour (inhibited cell viability, promoted cell apoptosis, and suppressed cell migration and invasion) of the Ishikawa cells via negatively regulating miR-124-3p. SIRT1 was a target gene of miR-124-3p, and miR-124-3p regulated tumour growth and metastasis by the down-stream signal of SIRT1. Moreover, suppression of OGFRP1 restrained the activation of PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β signals in the Ishikawa cells via miR-124-3p/SIRT1 axis. Our experiments revealed that upregulation of OGFRP1 may enhance the progression of endometrial cancer by regulating miR-124-3p/SIRT1 axis and by activating PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β pathway. OGFRP1 may be of significance in illustrating the biology of endometrial cancer.