Abstract
Wilms tumor (nephroblastoma) is the most common primary renal tumor occurring in children. Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) deleted in lymphocytic leukemia 1 (DLEU1) is an identified cancer-associated lncRNA that plays an important role in various cancers. However, the role of DLEU1 in Wilms tumor remains unclear. In the present study, we examined the expression and role of DLEU1 in Wilms tumor. We demonstrated that DLEU1 expression was upregulated in Wilms tumor tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of DLEU1 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of GHINK-1 cells. Furthermore, DLEU1 directly sponged miR-300 and regulated the expression level of miR-300 in GHINK-1 cells. Inhibition of miR-300 reversed the inhibitory effects of DLEU1 downregulation on cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Homeobox C8 (HOXC8) was found to be a target gene of miR-300 and mediated the role of miR-300 in GHINK-1 cells. In conclusion, these findings indicated that DLEU1 executed an oncogenic role in Wilms tumor via regulating the miR-300/HOXC8 axis, indicating that DLEU1 might be a therapeutic target for the treatment of Wilms tumor.