Aplasia Ras homolog member I expression induces apoptosis in renal cancer cells via the β-catenin signaling pathway.

In numerous types of cancer, the Ras-associated tumor suppressor gene aplasia Ras homolog member I (ARHI), is downregulated. However, the function of ARHI in renal cancer remains to be elucidated. The present study investigated whether the suppressor gene ARHI influenced the growth of renal cancer cell lines and aimed to elucidate its mechanism of action, using the techniques of cell biology and molecular pathology. To the best of our knowledge, the present study was the first to determine the effects of ARHI on human renal cancer cells in vivo and in vitro. It was demonstrated that ARHI exhibited a tumor suppressor function in OS-RC-2 cells and acted via the β-catenin signaling pathway. It was additionally confirmed that the levels of ARHI messenger RNA and protein in renal cancer tissues were lower than those in matched normal tissues. These results provided a novel insight into the possible therapeutic applications of ARHI in renal cancer.