MicroRNA-142-3p suppresses endometriosis by regulating KLF9-mediated autophagy in vitro and in vivo

The detailed pathogenesis of endometriosis remains largely unclear despite decades of research. Recent studies have demonstrated that miRNAs plays an important role in endometriosis. The expression of miR-142-3p was decreased in ectopic endometrial tissues, while KLF9 and VEGFA expression levels were increased. Overexpression of miR-142-3p or knockdown of KLF9 significantly suppressed CRL-7566 cell proliferation and metastasis, induced cell apoptosis, and decreased both cell autophagy and vascularization. Additionally, KLF9 was confirmed to be a direct target of miR-142-3p and to directly bind to the promoter of the VEGFA gene, regulating its expression. Finally, intraperitoneal injection of miR-142-3p lentivirus significantly attenuated ectopic endometriotic lesions in vivo.miR-142-3p directly targeted KLF9, regulated VEGFA expression, and was protective against the growth of ectopic endometriotic lesions. Therefore, the miR-142-3p/KLF9/VEGFA signalling pathway may be a potential target in endometriosis treatment.