miR-450b-5p promotes development of endometriosis by inhibiting the GABPA/HOXD10 axis

Despite decades of research, the pathogenesis of endometriosis remains unclear. Recent studies have shown that microRNAs play an important role in this condition. In this study, we found that the expression level of miR-450b-5p was increased in ectopic endometrial tissues and that GA-binding protein A (GABPA) and HOXD10 expression levels were decreased. Overexpression of miR-450b-5p or knockdown of GABPA significantly promoted the proliferation and invasion of hEM15A cells and inhibited apoptosis <i>in vivo</i> and <i>in vitro</i>. Furthermore, GABPA was shown to be a direct target of miR-450b-5p and to bind directly to the promoter of the HOXD10 gene, regulating its transcription. Finally, intraperitoneal injection of HOXD10-overexpressing lentivirus in mice significantly attenuated ectopic endometrial lesions. miR-450b-5p directly targets GABPA, regulates expression of HOXD10, and promotes the growth of ectopic endometriotic lesions. Therefore, the miR-450b-5p/GABPA/HOXD10 signaling pathway may be a potential target for treatment of heterotopic endothelial cell disease.