MicroRNA Profiling of the Effect of the Heptapeptide Angiotensin-(1-7) in A549 Lung Tumor Cells Reveals a Role for miRNA149-3p in Cellular Migration Processes

Lung cancer is one of the most frequent types of cancer in humans and a leading cause of death worldwide. The high mortality rates are correlated with late diagnosis, which leads to high rates of metastasis found in patients. Thus, despite all the improvement in therapeutic approaches, the development of new drugs that control cancer cell migration and metastasis are required. The heptapeptide angiotensin-(1-7) [ang-(1-7)] has demonstrated the ability to control the growth rates of human lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, and the elucidation of central elements that control the fine-tuning of cancer cells migration in the presence of the ang-(1-7), will support the development of new therapeutic approaches. Ang-(1-7) is a peptide hormone of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and this study investigates the modulatory effect of the heptapeptide on the expression pattern of microRNAs (miRNAs) in lung tumor cells, to elucidate mechanistic concerns about the effect of the peptide in the control of tumor migratory processes. Our primary aim was to compare the miRNA profiling between treated and untreated-heptapeptide cells to characterize the relevant molecule that modulates cellular migration rates. The analyses selected twenty one miRNAs, which are differentially expressed between the groups; however, statistical analyses indicated miRNA-149-3p as a relevant molecule. Once functional analyses were performed, we demonstrated that miRNA-149-3p plays a role in the cellular migration processes. This information could be useful for future investigations on drug development.