miR-340-FHL2 axis inhibits cell growth and metastasis in ovarian cancer

Although increasing evidence indicated that deregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) contributed to tumor initiation and progression, but little is known about the biological role of miR-340 in ovarian cancer (OC). In this study, we found that miR-340 expression was downregulated in OC tissues compared with its expression in normal ovarian epithelium and endometrium, and treatment with 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-dC) or trichostatin A (TSA) increased miR-340 expression in OC cells. In addition, ectopic miR-340 expression inhibited OC cell growth and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Four and a half LIM domains protein 2 (FHL2) was confirmed as a direct target of miR-340 and silencing FHL2 mimicked the effects of miR-340 in OC cells. Further mechanistic study showed that miR-340 inhibited the Wnt/β-catenin pathway by targeting FHL2, as well as downstream cell cycle and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) signals in OC cells. Moreover, the greatest association between miR-340 and FHL2 was found in 481 ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma tissues via pan-cancer analysis. Finally, we revealed that lower miR-340 or higher FHL2 was associated with poor OC patient outcomes. Our findings indicate that the miR-340-FHL2 axis regulates Wnt/β-catenin signaling and is involved in tumorigenesis in OC. Therefore, manipulating the expression of miR-340 or its target genes is a potential strategy in OC therapy.