Abstract: Objective · To investigate the mechanism of tumor necrosis factor like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) promoting macrophage-derived exosomal miR-7 to epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Methods · The of Dicer was detectedreal-time PCR and Western blotting in TWEAK-stimulated macrophages. The of miR-7 was detectedreal-time PCR in the macrophage and macrophage-derived exosome after silencing Dicer in macrophage. While in Dicer-overexpressing macrophage, real-time PCR was used to detect the of miR-7. Then TWEAK was used to stimulate the macrophage, and the of miR-7 in the macrophage and macrophage-derived exosome was detectedreal-time PCR. The of key proteins in the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway was detectedWestern blotting in TWEAK-stimulated macrophage. After pretreatment of NF-κB inhibitor, Western blotting was used to detect the of Dicer and key proteins in the NF-κB pathway in TWEAK-stimulated macrophage. Results · The of Dicer in macrophage was down-regulated after TWEAK stimulating. The of miR-7 was up-regulated in Dicer-silencing macrophage and macrophage-derived exosome. While the of miR-7 was down-regulated in the macrophage and the macrophage-derived exosome in Dicer-overexpressing macrophage after TWEAK stimulating. The of key proteins in the NF-κB pathway in macrophage was also up-regulated after TWEAK stimulating. After inhibition of NF-κB signaling pathway, the of Dicer was not significantly changed in TWEAK-stimulated macrophage compared to the control group. Conclusion · TWEAK can active NF-κB pathway and inhibit the of Dicer to promote macrophage-derived exosomal miR-7 to EOC cells.

Key words: epithelial ovarian cancer, tumor necrosis factor like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK), Dicer, macrophage, exosome