Hsa_circ_0058124 was reported to possess the capacity of enhancing tumorigenesis and invasiveness. This investigation explored the effects of hsa_circ_0058124 on human lung cancer. qRT-PCR was employed for assessing the expression of hsa_circ_0058124 and miR-1297. Cell transfection was conducted for altering the expression of hsa_circ_0058124 and miR-1297. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was employed for exploring the relationship between hsa_circ_0058124 and miR-1297. CCK-8 assay, colony formation, flow cytometry, western blot and transwell assay were respectively conducted for exploring the effects of hsa_circ_0058124 silencing and miR-1297 inhibition. The expression of proteins participated in PTEN/AKT and Wnt/β-catenin pathways were determined for exploring the underlying mechanism. Hsa_circ_0058124 was highly expressed in human lung tumour tissues. Besides, hsa_circ_0058124 silencing suppressed cell viability, colony formation, migration and invasion, while enhanced cell apoptosis, which were respectively verified by the regulation of apoptosis-associated and metastasis-related proteins. Additionally, hsa_circ_0058124 silencing inhibited the expression of proteins involved in PTEN/AKT and Wnt/β-catenin pathways including p/t-AKT and β-catenin. miR-1297 was lowly expressed in patients' tumour tissues and was a target of hsa_circ_0058124. Moreover, the above mentioned effects were prominently abrogated by miR-1297 inhibition. This research verified that hsa_circ_0058124 silencing might achieve its anti-tumour roles via inactivation of PTEN/AKT and Wnt/β-catenin pathways through elevating miR-1297 expression.
Keywords: Hsa_circ_0058124; Lung cancer; PTEN/AKT pathway; Wnt/β-catenin pathway; miR-1297.