The role of miR-34c-5p/Notch in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in endometriosis.

Endometriosis, a common benign gynecological disease, has the growth characteristics of malignant tumors, however, the pathogenesis of this disease remains unclear. It is well known that micro ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) are involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), associated with the development of endometriosis. This study investigated the role of a specific miRNA, miR-34c-5p, in endometriosis. High-throughput sequencing (HTS) showed that miR-34c-5p expression was reduced in ectopic endometrium (ecEM) in patients from Northeast Asia with ovarian endometriosis. A wound healing assay and a transwell invasion assay showed that miR-34c-5p inhibits the invasion and migration of Ishikawa and End1/E6E7 endocervical cells. Dual luciferase gene reporter assays revealed that miR-34c-5p specifically targets Notch1 3 'UTR, and Western blot analyses showed that miR-34c-5p promotes E-cadherin expression but inhibits Notch1, N-cadherin and vimentin expression in Ishikawa and End1/E6E7 cell lines. These results were reversed following knockdown of miR-34c-5p. Using quantitative real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot analyses, there was a significant reduction in the expression of Notch1 in ecEM compared with eutopic endometrium (euEM). The results of this study indicate that miR-34c-5p inhibits the progression of EMT and cell invasion and migration by targeting the Notch signaling pathway, specifically, Notch1. The findings of this study provide unique insights into the development of EMT in endometriosis and novel, potential therapeutic targets.