Angiogenesis is one of the essential hallmarks of cancer that is controlled by the balance between positive and negative regulators. FGFR1 signaling is crucial for the execution of bFGF-induced proliferation, migration, and tube formation of endothelial cells (ECs) and onset of angiogenesis on tumors. The purpose of this study is to identify whether or not miR-133 regulates FGFR1 expression and accordingly hypothesize if it plays a crucial role in modulating bFGF/FGFR1 activity in ECs and blocking tumor angiogenesis through targeting FGFR1. The influences of miR-133 overexpression on bFGF stimulated endothelial cells were assessed by cell growth curve, MTT assaying, tube formation, and migration assays. Forced expression of miR-133 caused significant reductions in bFGF-induced proliferation and migratory ability of ECs. MiR-133 Expression was negatively correlated with both mRNA and protein levels of FGFR1 in the transfected ECs isolated from peripheral blood. Moreover, overexpression of miR-133 drastically reduced the rate of cell division and disturbed capillary network formation of transfected ECs. These findings suggest that miR-133 plays an important function in bFGF-induced angiogenesis processes in ECs and provides a rationale for new therapeutic approaches to suppress tumor angiogenesis and cancer.
Keywords: Angiogenesis; Cancer; FGFR1; miR-133.
Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.