DNA methyltransferase 1/miR-342-3p/Forkhead box M1 signaling axis promotes self-renewal in cervical cancer stem-like cells in vitro and nude mice models

Figure 3 Effect of miR-342-3p mimic on self-renewal-related stemness of HeLa-derived cervical cancer stem cell-like cells. A-C: DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) mRNA level (A), microRNA (miR)-342-3p level (B), forkhead box M1 (FoxM1) protein amounts in cervical cancer stem cell-like cells (CCSLCs) transfected with miR-342-3p mimic (C); D and E: Representative images of spheres and colonies (left) (scale bars = 100 μm); sphere formation efficiency and colony formation efficiency (right) in CCSLCs transfected with miR-342-3p mimic; F: CD133 and CD49f protein amount; G: SRY-box transcription factor 2 (SOX2) and octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4) mRNA amounts in CCSLCs transfected with miR-342-3p mimic; H: Subcutaneous xenografts of HeLa-derived CCSLCs (1 × 10⁵) treated with miR-negative control (miR-NC) or miR-342-3p mimic (miR-342) (left); the comparison of tumor volume (middle left), tumor weight (middle right), and growth curves of tumor xenografts (right) between CCSLCs treated with miR-NC or miR-342; I: Micrographs of hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry to detect the expression of DNMT1, FoxM1, and CD133 proteins as well as in situ immunofluorescent hybridization for miR-342-3p (scale bars = 50 μm). Data were obtained from xenografts with four mice per group (n = 4). ^aP < 0.05 vs cervical cancer stem cell-like cells transfected with miR-NC (n = 4); ^bP < 0.01 vs cervical cancer stem cell-like cells treated with miR-NC. H&E: Hematoxylin and eosin; IHC: Immunohistochemistry.