LncRNA TINCR/microRNA-107/CD36 regulates cell proliferation and apoptosis in colorectal cancer via PPAR signaling pathway based on bioinformatics analysis

The present study aims to determine the potential biomarkers and uncover the regulatory mechanisms of the long-noncoding RNA (lncRNA) TINCR/miR-107/CD36 axis in colorectal cancer (CRC). Aberrantly-expressed lncRNAs and differential-expressed genes were identified by analyzing the dataset GSE40967. Gene set enrichment analysis was employed, and Cytoscape software helped in establishing the co-expression network between lncRNAs and genes. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis contributes to examining the expression levels of lncRNA TINCR, miR-107 and CD36. The dual luciferase assay was used to validate the association between miR-107 and lncRNA TINCR or CD36. The EdU incorporation assay was employed, and flow cytometry was employed to detect cell apoptosis with the tumor xenograft model being utilized. Significantly dysregulated lncRNAs and mRNAs were identified. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathway in CRC tissues was down-regulated. The loss of TINCR expression was associated with CRC progression. The expression levels of the TINCR and CD36 were down-regulated. We identified miR-107 as an inhibitory target of TINCR and CD36. Overexpression of TINCR could inhibit cell proliferation and promote apoptosis. MiR-107 overexpression in CRC cells induced proliferation and impeded apoptosis. A regulatory function of the lncRNA TINCR/miR-107/CD36 axis in CRC was revealed. LncRNA TINCR overexpression exerted suppressive influence on CRC progression through modulating the PPAR signaling pathway via the miR-107/CD36 axis.