lncRNA-CCHE1 is involved in migration and invasion but not in proliferation of pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells possibly by interacting with ROCK1.

Cervical carcinoma high-expressed long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) 1 (lncRNA-CCHE1) serves an oncogenic role in cervical and liver cancer. The present study aimed to explore the role of CCHE1 in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. CCHE1 expression was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and rho associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) levels were detected using an ELISA assay. Diagnostic analysis was performed by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The effects of CCHE1 on ROCK1 were analyzed by western blotting. Cell migration and invasion were analyzed by Transwell migration and invasion assays. The results of the present study demonstrated that, compared with healthy controls, CCHE1 and ROCK1 were upregulated in the serum of patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma. CCHE1 overexpression distinguished patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma from patients with non-metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma and healthy controls. A significant positive correlation between serum levels of CCHE1 and ROCK1 was identified in patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Furthermore, CCHE1 overexpression led to upregulated ROCK1 in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines, whereas no significant effects of ROCK1 overexpression upon CCHE1 expression were identified. CCHE1 overexpression promoted the migration and invasion of human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines, but no significant effects on cell proliferation were identified. ROCK1 small interfering RNA-induced silencing partially reversed the enhancing effects of CCHE1 overexpression on cancer cell migration and invasion. Therefore, lncRNA-CCHE1 may be involved in migration and invasion but not in proliferation of pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells, possibly by interacting with ROCK1.