Abstract
BACKGROUND: Evidence has been shown that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in the development of cervical cancer. Recently, lncRNA DARS-AS1 was shown to be dysregulated in several cancer types, but the role of DARS-AS1 in cervical cancer remains unclear. METHODS: Immunofluorescence staining, flow cytometry and transwell invasion assays were used to determine proliferation, apoptosis and invasion in cervical cancer cells, respectively. The dual luciferase reporter system assay was performed to assess the interaction between DARS-AS1, miR-188-5p, and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) in cervical cancer cells. RESULTS: Downregulation of DARS-AS1 markedly inhibited the proliferation and invasion of cervical cancer cells. Moreover, DARS-AS1 knockdown obviously induced the apoptosis of SiHa and HeLa cells. Meanwhile, luciferase reporter assay identified that miR-188-5p was the potential miRNA binding of DARS-AS1, and HMGB1 was the potential binding target of miR-188-5p. Mechanistic analysis indicated that downregulation of DARS-AS1 decreased the expression of HMGB1 by acting as a competitive "sponge" of miR-188-5p. CONCLUSION: In this study, we found that DARS-AS1 knockdown suppressed the growth of cervical cancer cells via downregulating HMGB1 via sponging miR-188-5p. Therefore, DARS-AS1 might serve as a potential target for the treatment of cervical cancer.