Suppressing cell growth and inducing apoptosis by inhibiting miR‑23a‑5p in human bladder cancer.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non‑coding RNAs, which are important in the initiation and progression of cancer. miRNA‑23a‑5p (miR‑23a‑5p) is a novel miRNA, which promotes cell growth and survival in several types of cancer. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression and functional significance of miR‑23a‑5p in bladder cancer. Microchip assays have shown that miR‑23a‑5p is significantly upregulated in human bladder cancer. In the present study, it was found that miR‑23a‑5p was upregulated in bladder cancer tissues, compared with paired normal urothelial tissues by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The impact of miR‑23a‑5p on cell proliferation, cell migration and apoptosis was determined by a 3‑(4,5‑dimethylthi‑azol‑2‑yl)‑2,5‑diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, wound scratch assay and flow cytometry. The inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis were also observed in miR‑23a‑5p inhibitor‑transfected T24 and SW780 human bladder cancer cells. These data suggested that miR‑23a‑5p has an oncogenic role and may be a therapeutic target for bladder cancer.