Activation of the G Protein-Coupled Bile Acid Receptor TGR5 Modulates the HCP5/miR-139-5p/DDIT4 Axis to Antagonize Cervical Cancer Progression

A growing body of evidence indicates that the G protein-coupled bile acid receptor, TGR5, plays a critical role in multiple physiological processes ranging from metabolic disorders to cancers. However, the biological functions of TGR5 in cervical cancer (CC) have not been elucidated. Here, using <i>TGR5</i> knockout mice, we found that a deficiency of TGR5 leads to greater sensitivity to the progression of cervical inflammation. Activation of TGR5 by its specific ligands significantly attenuated the malignant behavior of CC cells. In addition, we found that TGR5 can negatively modulate the expression of lncRNA <i>HCP5</i> by blocking its transcription activation when mediated by p65. <i>HCP5</i> was highly expressed in CC tissues, which was positively correlated with the poor prognosis of CC patients. <i>HCP5</i> knockdown notably restrained CC cell proliferation, colony formation, and migration in vitro, and inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, HCP5 can function as the molecular sponge for miR-139-5p to upregulate DNA damage-induced transcript 4 (DDIT4) in CC cells. Murine xenograft studies demonstrated that TGR5 suppressed the tumor formation of CC cells and downregulated <i>HCP5</i> and <i>DDIT4</i> while increasing <i>miR-139-5p</i> in the xenografts. Taken together, these findings, for the first time, indicate that TGR5 inhibits CC progression by regulating the <i>HCP5</i>/<i>miR-139-5p</i>/DDIT4 axis, suggesting that it may represent a novel and potent target for CC treatment.